The Mater Dei Institute in Dublin formally became a college of Dublin City University (DCU) yesterday, at a signing ceremony attended by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern. The agreement was signed by the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Desmond Connell, patron and manager of the institute, and Dr Daniel O'Hare, president of DCU.
All the institute's awards, including degrees, will now have DCU accreditation. The institute offers a teaching degree in religion and the humanities, as well as post-graduate courses in religious education and in pastoral care for school chaplaincy. It has more than 300 students taking subjects such as English, history, music, education and religion to degree level.
Most of its graduates teach religion and other arts subjects in secondary schools, while postgraduates of its chaplaincy courses work as chaplains in schools, many of them lay people.
In a short address, the Taoiseach stressed the important role of religion teachers "in enabling young people to have a sense of self-worth and personal dignity", while chaplains played "a pivotal role in co-ordinating pastoral care services and in being available to students, staff and parents".
Dr Connell warmly welcomed "the insertion of religious education as a subject and a profession into the Irish university system". The link between DCU and the Mater Dei Institute had much to offer "as a catalyst in bringing about a much needed dialogue between faith and culture at third-level education", he said.
Father Lane said yesterday's signing was "a good day for teachers, especially teachers of religious education". It was also an important development in the professional training of chaplains in the area of pastoral care and would allow Mater Dei develop further new courses and programmes.
