Catholic Theological College

At Catholic Theological College our emphasis on personal reflection and pastoral service, combined with our excellence in academic rigour, enables us to offer students opportunities for deeper understanding of our faith and ways to explore how faith can contribute to our contemporary world.

Welcome

Catholic Theological College is a place of learning and research in a wide range of fields associated with the Christian faith. It offers opportunities for deeper understanding of our faith and for exploring the ways in which that faith can contribute to our contemporary world. Studying at CTC is a chance to be enriched by this reflection, drawing on the Catholic tradition, in a community that is committed to pastoral service of the Church.

The College brings together a stimulating and supportive mix of lay men and women, religious, and those preparing for the priesthood, with students of all ages and backgrounds. Some attend just a few lectures for personal interest, others complete undergraduate or postgraduate awards, with a growing number pursuing research in masters or doctoral degrees.

At the heart of CTC is the Daniel Mannix Library, which continues to add new scholarly resources to a collection that has been built up over more than ninety years. Its shelves of books and journals are surrounded by open and airy study spaces, which encourage its users to take up and read (Tolle lege), as the College motto suggests.

I hope that you will hear an invitation to join us at CTC, to deepen your understanding of the riches of our faith.

History

Catholic Theological College (CTC) was established in 1972 by a group of dioceses and religious orders which agreed to act together as a confederated body in academic matters. This federation currently comprises the Archdioceses of Melbourne and Hobart, the Dioceses of Ballarat, Sandhurst and Sale, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the Salesians of Don Bosco, the Conventual Franciscan Friars, the Dominican Friars, the Missionaries of God’s Love, the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Society of the Divine Saviour (Salvatorians). CTC also has seminarians attending from other dioceses and formation houses including: the Archdiocese of Adelaide, the Diocese of Port Pirie, Darwin, Wollongong, and the Capuchin Friars.

CTC is committed to the highest standards of teaching and research in philosophy and theology, within the Catholic tradition. It collaborates in the Church’s mission to spread the Gospel, and provides academic formation for people committed to the pastoral service of the Church.  In 1973, CTC became a Recognised Teaching Institution of University of Divinity, which was constituted as a degree-granting body by the Parliament of Victoria in 1910.

CTC Campus

The College is conveniently located in East Melbourne, beside the Fitzroy Gardens, and on the edge of the Melbourne CBD. Its buildings bring together the historic bluestone of the original Parade College and the award-winning architecture of Gregory Burgess. CTC also offers programs at approved off-campus locations.

CTC is located on the sovereign and unceded country of the Wurundjeri nation. We pay our respects to their elders, who have cared for this country since its creation, and commit ourselves to work towards a more just settlement for all Indigenous people.

Facilities available to students

Student Common Room
A dedicated area for students to gather and meet informally during the weeks of the teaching semester.

Tea and coffee making
Facilities are available in the Student Common Room.

Mannix Library
Includes individual study spaces for quiet work.

Free WiFi
Available throughout the campus.

Chapel
Open to students and staff for private prayer throughout the week, and to attend scheduled devotions and Masses.

Mannix Library

Mannix Library serves the needs of students and staff of Catholic Theological College and the wider University of Divinity community.

The Library provides access to over 130,000 print and over 150,000 electronic book and journal volumes, as well as a range of other online resources. It supports teaching and research in biblical studies, theology, philosophy, church history, pastoral studies, and a range of associated disciplines, with an emphasis on the Catholic tradition.

Collection Strengths and Specialties

Philosophy, Biblical Studies, Systematic Theology, Church History, Patristics, Moral Theology and Canon Law, Pastoral Studies.

Special Collections

Rare Books (including Early Imprints and Incunabula), the Catholic Heritage and Hibernica (Irish history and literature) collections, Corpus Christianorum, Migne’s Patrologia Latina and Patrologia Graeca, Delphin Latin Classics, an Antiquities collection of coins and artefacts, the Knights of Malta Collection, the ISCAST Science and Religion Collection, and the Archbishop’s Library (including a separate Archbishop J.A. Goold Collection).

Dominican Studium Library

Off-site:  816 Riversdale Road, Camberwell, VIC 3124

The Library is a specialised library focusing on the history and intellectual and spiritual heritage of the Dominican Order and cognate fields. The library holds over 40,000 items and a sizeable polyglot periodicals collection.

Collection Strengths and Specialties

Philosophy, Theology, Scripture, Church history, Patristics, Dominicana and Thomistic philosophy and theology.