WASHINGTON (April 7, 1998) -- The American College of Louvain, one of two U.S. seminaries in Europe owned and administered by the American Bishops, has undertaken an aggressive self-study in preparation for the development of a strategic plan for institutional development. The Very Rev. David Windsor, Rector and President of the seminary, launched the year-long study with the assistance of the seminary's advisory board and the approval of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee for the American College of Louvain.

The first phase of the study, completed last December, included a survey of all heads of U.S. dioceses with the aim of seeking their vision for the American College of Louvain and its role in the formation of priests to serve the Church in the United States.

Conducted by the Chairman of the Bishops' Committee, Bishop Frank Rodimer of Paterson, New Jersey, the survey yielded an impressive amount of data. Nearly seventy percent of the American Bishops responded. While the survey focused on the American College of Louvain, a significant amount of additional information collected may contribute to a national agenda of priorities and concerns related to American seminaries.

Analysis of the data has been used, in part, to select fifteen percent of the bishops for personal interviews regarding the seminary. Rev. Ronald Nuzzi, Ph.D., of the University of Dayton's Center for Catholic Education, is conducting interviews this spring. The project's Steering Committee is headed by Msgr. John J. Scanlan of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC. The research project and data analysis are being coordinated by Rev. Nathan Zodrow, OSB, of Mount Angel Seminary and Abbey in Oregon as part of a Ph.D. internship at the University of Dayton in Ohio.

The final report is expected to be made at the November meeting of the Committee of Bishops in Washington. The research data, along with other interviews and program review, will form a foundation for the strategic plan for the 141-year-old seminary located twenty-five miles east of Brussels at the historic University of Louvain, founded in 1426.

For more information, contact Msgr. Scanlan at the office of the American College of Louvain, USCC/NCCB, 3211 4th St., N.E., Washington, D.C. 20017, 202-541-3108; FAX: 202-541-3322.

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