“The School of Theology is grateful that the Comeaux family has established this scholarship to assist students who plan to serve the church in the catechetical ministry,” said Dr. Sandy Magie, dean of the School of Theology . “Catechists play an essential role in every parish – they organize opportunities at every level so that parishioners can deepen their understanding of the faith.”

Anne Comeaux has served the Church as a catechetical leader for almost 30 years. “I have a passion for parish religious education: the parishioners, the catechists, the directors of religious education, the programs, the whole thing,” Comeaux said.  I have never been one to be passive about my passion so most people know how I feel about this ministry. One of the challenges involved in being a well formed catechetical leader is cost of obtaining a master’s degree in theology or pastoral studies at a Catholic university,” said Comeaux.

“The original sum has grown over the past few months because now our children make donations to the scholarship fund in our names for birthdays, Mothers' Day, Christmas and other occasions,” said Comeaux.  “We are not wealthy people but we have been blessed in many ways throughout our lives.  This is something important to us, and we hope it will ease part of the financial difficulty for those who will be DREs in the future.”                                                                   

The University of St. Thomas School of Theology is dedicated to providing outstanding theological education in the Roman Catholic tradition to develop the intellectual, spiritual and pastoral skills necessary for ordained and lay ecclesial ministry. The University of St. Thomas School of Theology is committed to preparing and sending forth qualified ministerial leaders to serve the Church, particularly throughout the Southwestern United States.

Those interested must first apply for admission to UST’s School of Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary. Visit www.stthom.edu and click on “Schools and Centers for Excellence” to explore the theology graduate programs. Once an application is submitted, applicants should contact Jan-Louson Abasolo at 713-525-2174 regarding the scholarship application, which has an Oct. 1 deadline. Archdiocesan employees are excluded from consideration for this scholarship.