New Students, Fall 2003

A Roman Catholic’s journey:
Maria Borsato

Maria Borsato was a lay chaplain at John Cabot Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario, when attending seminary in Philadelphia became a possibility. Her spouse, Gavin Fernandez, had been accepted at Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia. "We decided to live apart for a year, and then I would apply for a leave of absence to join him in his second and final year of studies," Maria says. Enter the seminary. "I’m excited about theology and biblical studies," Maria says, "and I’d like to improve my pastoral care skills." She had been studying part-time toward a Master of Divinity Degree at Regis Catholic College at the University of Toronto. A Regis Dean recommended LTSP as an ideal place to advance her coursework while the couple was in Philadelphia. "I was attracted to the ‘liberal’ theology of the school and its diversity," she says. "Approximately one-third of the students are non-Lutheran. I’ve benefited so much already from the environment at LTSP. I have been warmly welcomed. And being in an interdenominational environment has helped me to understand better my own faith tradition. I am very excited to see what plans God has in store for me in the future."