Just over two years ago, the Augustine Institute established our new home in St. Louis, a city named for a king who believed that the renewal of society begins with the renewal of souls. As our Graduate School of Theology continues to establish its roots in this city, we are also grateful to grow in collaboration with our new ecclesial home, the Archdiocese of Saint Louis.

This partnership invites all in our Graduate School to participate more fully in the life and mission of the local Church. For us, theological study is an essential means of forming women and men who place their intellectual gifts at the service of the Church, like Saint Louis IX. This formation reflects our response to the call to love God with all our minds (Matthew 22:37) and to use our gifts “to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10).

The Saint Louis the King Scholarship is a new expression of our commitment to this call, as well as of the growing relationship between the Graduate School of Theology and the Archdiocese. Made possible through a generous endowment, the scholarship will support a graduate student’s two-year Master’s degree in Theology, Pastoral Theology, or Catholic Education. The scholarship covers full tuition and room and board on our campus in St. Louis. An essential part of this scholarship is an apostolic internship within the Archdiocese.

For Dr. Tim Gray, President of the Augustine Institute, the scholarship also serves as a sign of gratitude for the warm hospitality the Graduate School has received in our new home:

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15). Starting with God’s gift of salvation in Christ, gift-giving and gratitude are a basic pattern of Christian life. The gift of the St. Louis the King endowment and the scholarship it funds will provide a wonderful way for us to say thank you to the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, whose welcome to the Augustine Institute has been such a tremendous gift. We are honored and delighted by the opportunity to form St. Louis the King scholars who will be able to serve the Archdiocese with zeal and excellence, for God’s glory and the good of His Church.”

Through a separate scholarship, some of our graduate students already serve in apostolic internships throughout the Archdiocese. These internships allow our students to bring their classroom studies into the everyday life of the Church while gaining practical experience in parish or school ministry.

MA Pastoral Theology student Laura Miller, a St. John Paul II scholar, has served as an apostolic intern in the Western Vicariate Office. The office supports 50 parishes in the archdiocese's western region, giving her firsthand pastoral experience. She says of her internship:

“Being able to directly apply what I am learning has kept the goal for pastoral work prominent: the salvation of souls. I have had the privilege to learn more about catechetical processes—ranging from planning to execution to follow up—which has directly influenced how I approach, evaluate, and participate in my internship. It has shown me the wisdom of my mentor's gradual and systematic approach (modeled on the Divine Pedagogy), helped me to present prayer holistically, sharpened my skills for evangelization, and much more."

At All Saints Academy (St. Ferdinand and St. Norbert campuses) and North County Parish School of Religion, Angela Garcia, Coordinator of Religious Education, has welcomed Augustine Institute graduate students into the life of her parish and school communities. As a mentor, she works closely with our student interns and reflects on her experience working alongside them:

“At the beginning of September 2026, I was blessed to be introduced to three wonderful young women from the Augustine Institute Graduate Program. They are a true joy, filled with the love of Jesus and our Catholic faith, and willing to do whatever is asked of them. All three of them are hard workers. Whenever and wherever they are, they are wonderful role models for all the students at both campuses.”

In addition to those serving at All Saints Academy and the Western Vicariate, our graduate students are currently serving across the Archdiocese at a variety of locations, including, St. Patrick’s Center, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Chesterton Academy of St. Louis, St. Gerard Majella Parish, Respect Life Apostolate, St. John Paul II Preparatory School, and St. Anthony the Great Parish.

St. Louis the King scholars will take part in similar apostolic internships, building on the work already being carried out by our students throughout the Archdiocese. Named for Saint Louis IX King of France, this new scholarship draws inspiration from a ruler who understood that true leadership begins with a life devoted to the service of God. Reflecting on the importance of his baptism, Saint Louis wrote, “It is a greater thing to be a child of God than to be the ruler of a Kingdom. This last I shall lose at death, but the other will be my passport to an everlasting glory.” In him, prayer, study, virtue, and mission were woven into a single coherent life—the very model of formation our graduate programs hold before our students.

As we continue to make St. Louis home, we are deeply grateful for the generosity and hospitality that make these opportunities possible for our students and look forward to the continued growth of our relationship with the Archdiocese.

We pray for a Saint Louis the King scholar who will embody the saint’s selfless devotion to God and the Church, serving the Archdiocese “with zeal and excellence, for God’s glory and the good of His Church.”

Saint Louis IX, pray for us!

We invite prospective students to join us in the pursuit of knowing God and serving the Church by applying to be our first St. Louis the King scholar: apply by January 18th at grad.augustine.edu.