Kay Mach, a South Bend, IN, native, spent 36 years of her life in Indianapolis. In 2009, she was a registered nurse and director of youth ministry for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Caring for others came natural to Kay, but she knew she wanted to enhance her own formation to be better equipped to help others enhance their own formation.
Kay learned of Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology through the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, and began taking weekend classes. When she first came to Saint Meinrad she was going through a difficult time in her personal life.
“Being on the Hill gave me a chance to take myself out of the struggles I was dealing with, and also the opportunity to find peace and healing,” she shares.
She also experienced great personal growth, especially in her faith life.
In 2016, Kay graduated from Saint Meinrad with a master’s degree in pastoral theology. She remembers many individuals who impacted her time at Saint Meinrad, both faculty and students.
“My gosh, in the seven years I spent coming to Saint Meinrad I encountered people from many different backgrounds and experiences. The wisdom and sense of community that was built in those weekend visits with my peers was very valuable,” she says. “I had many mentors who guided me, and still do. They challenged me and gave me great insight into how to be truly present to others.”
The unique experience of being on the Hill is something Kay cherishes most about her time as a student here. She says she can still hear the monks chant and she misses it.
“Not only the classroom instruction and the prayer experiences, but the whole environment around you is a very sacred space. It provided the opportunity to be in touch with God and take time to talk to Him and connect with Him,” shares Kay. “It wasn’t just an education. I gained the wisdom of instructors. I had community. I had spirituality. I had silence, and I had healing,” Kay states.
After graduation, Saint Meinrad helped open future doors for Kay. She spent time in Ethiopia working with Catholic Relief Services.
“I don’t think I would have had that opportunity had I not had the formation and education from Saint Meinrad,” she says.
She then pursued clinical pastoral education which lead her back to healthcare. In 2018, Kay moved back to South Bend from Indianapolis to be closer to her family and is now serving at Holy Cross Village as the director of mission integration and pastoral care. Holy Cross Village is a retirement community where individuals come in independently and then go through the continuum of care as their needs change. She loves that she can intertwine her background as a registered nurse with the education she received at Saint Meinrad.
“I will say that I am a better minister of healthcare having had formation at Saint Meinrad,” Kay shares. “My time at Saint Meinrad makes me think about what I can do to help those who are dealing with healthcare issues and make their lives better by trying to model the healing ministry of Jesus.”
Contact Us
Click the following link to contact our admissions office for more information about our Graduate Theology Programs and how they can help you to grow academically and spiritually.