CTU Story

Inspired by an address at Rockefeller Chapel of Cardinal Leo Josef Suenens, a leader of the Second Vatican Council, the Dean of the University of Chicago Divinity School urged that a Catholic school of theology be founded in Hyde Park.

In 1967 CTU purchased the former Aragon Hotel in Hyde Park as its urban “campus” and contracted to have its classes in the neighboring Sinai Temple school building.

The CTU Board of Trustees appointed Rev. Paul Bechtold, CP, as the first president of CTU. A gracious man and expert educator, he was the glue that kept the new enterprise on track.

After a summer of political turbulence in Chicago, CTU launched a bold new collaborative initiative, beginning its classes in the educational center of Sinai Temple in September 1968.

with Rabbi Hayim Perelmuter as charter faculty member joining Rev. John Pawlikowski, OSM as co-founders of the program.

With the assistance of DePaul University, CTU received full accreditation from the Association of Theological Schools of the United States and Canada.

Alacia Lakey, a graduate of Yale University, was the first lay woman student at CTU. She would be the first of a growing stream of lay women and religious to join CTU.

Upon the retirement of Rev. Bechtold, Rev. Alcuin Coyle, OFM, a Franciscan educator and theologian from New York, was appointed CTU’s second president.

Two of its outstanding biblical professors, Rev. Carroll Stuhmueller, C.P. and Rabbi Hayim Perelmuter, created a semester long program for CTU students in the Holy Land.

For the third president of CTU, the Board of Trustees turned to Rev. Jack Linnan,CSV, a highly respected member of the Faculty.

Recognizing the growing importance of the Hispanic community in the United States Church, CTU launched a program in Hispanic studies, one of the first in the country.

With the retirement of Rev. Linnan, the Board of Trustees appointed Donald Senior, CP, a member of the CTU Bible faculty, as its fourth president.

At the direction of the newly elected Pope John Paul II, the Vatican initiated a visitation of all U.S. seminaries. With the support of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, CTU won full approval of its structure and mission.

To become more accessible, especially for lay students, CTU began offering courses in the evenings and on weekends and inaugurated a Summer Institute.

In collaboration with the Archdiocese of Chicago, CTU began a scholarship and formation program for African-American lay ministers serving in Chicago.

As a true friend of CTU, the school awarded an honorary doctorate to Cardinal Bernardin on the 25th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. In his remarks, the Cardinal asked CTU to continue to support the pastoral mission of the Council.

On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, CTU began an annual major fund raising event that honored peacemakers from all walks of life.

Matching its innovative Augustus Tolton program, CTU, in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Chicago, initiated a scholarship and formation program for lay Hispanic ministers.

After serving 8 years as president, Rev. Senior returned to the faculty and the CTU Board elected as its fifth president, Rev. Norman Bevan, CSSP, a former formation director at CTU and provincial superior of his Spiritan community.

As part of its first major capital campaign “Bold and Faithful,” CTU established the Cardinal Bernardin Center to promote his legacy and signature issues. The Cardinal himself, shortly before his death, wrote the charter for the Center.

With the retirement of Rev. Bevan, the CTU board turned again to Rev. Donald Senior, CP, to resume the office of president. All told he would serve 23 years as CTU’s president.

With the blessing and encouragement of the famed president of the University of Notre Dame, the popular sabbatical program he began moved from South Bend to CTU and Chicago.

Supported by the generosity of James and Catherine Denny, CTU inaugurated a unique program in Islamic studies to promote dialogue and mutual respect between Christians and Muslims. Dr. Scott Alexander was appointed its founding director.

CTU’s strong commitment to continuing education was enriched with the transfer of the internationally recognized program to prepare formation directors for religious orders and seminaries from Saint Louis University to CTU.

With a major grant from the Lilly Endowment, CTU’s Bernardin Center created a program for high school students, introducing them to rich social justice teaching and practice of Catholicism.

With a major grant from the Lilly Endowment, CTU’s Bernardin Center created a program for high school students, introducing them to rich social justice teaching and practice of Catholicism.

In response to the need for priests, religious and lay ministers, the Bernardin Center established an intensive vocational program for young adults. Rev. Robin Ryan, C.P., a member of the CTU faculty was its founding director.

One of the programs closest to the heart of Cardinal Bernardin’s was the Catholic Common Ground initiative, designed to reduce polarity within the Catholic community. In 2007 this signature program found its home in CTU’s Bernardin Center.

CTU and DePaul University forged an educational alliance to share faculty, students, and programs, bringing together a major school of theology and the country’s largest Catholic University.

With the retirement of Rev. Donald Senior, CP, Rev. Mark Francis, CSV, former CTU faculty member and Superior General of the Viatorians, was elected CTU’s sixth president.

Building on its history of collaboration among religious communities, CTU inaugurated a Center devoted to the study and advancement of religious life.

To mark its 50th anniversary, CTU launched the “Forward in Faith” capital campaign to strengthen its educational program for the future.

On January 1, 2021, Sr. Barbara Reid, OP, became the first woman president in the history of CTU, serving as the eighth president of Catholic Theological Union and the first woman religious to lead the school of theology and ministry.

The inauguration took place on March 6, 2022, due to COVID-19.