A Journey of Faith, Community, and Leadership
Sister Frances Vista is a member of the Daughters of Charity who ran an indigenous youth ministry in Alaska and now runs the Daughters of Charity’s social service ministry, Give Me a Chance, in Utah. A love of learning and a desire to learn more about the church ultimately lead her to Gonzaga’s online Master’s in Theology and Leadership (MATL) program. Below, she shares more about her journey.
Why did you decide to return to school for a master's degree?
The last time I had a formal Theology class was when I was in initial formation when I entered the community, forty-three years ago. As years went by, I realized that my love of learning is very important to me. I needed to know more about church history, historical church traditions, and the cultural impacts of religion, and understand the connection between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Therefore, when the opportunity came along, I took advantage of it.
Why did you choose the Master's in Theology & Leadership program? Why Gonzaga?
I chose MATL for my own personal growth with the knowledge that the concepts taught in these courses would help me in my ministry. I chose Gonzaga because it has a good reputation as a fine institute of learning. The fact that I could receive a scholarship solidified this decision. Without this scholarship I would not have had the opportunity to earn this master’s degree.
How did the flexibility of the program allow you to balance work, life, and school?
The flexibility of this program allowed me to work on my studies when I could work it into my schedule. A set schedule would not have worked for me. When I started this degree program. I was working for the Archdiocese of Anchorage-Juneau, as the Director for Catholic Native Ministry. These classes were beneficial for my ministry working with spiritual formation for the Alaska Natives. The flexibility of this program enabled me to work fulltime and still be able to complete all the required work for this program.
In the MATL program we say, "all faiths welcome," how was your experience?
The experience of "all faiths welcome," was a very positive experience for me. I enjoyed the diverse faith backgrounds of my cohort members. It was great to have my classmates share their different faith experiences. Various backgrounds made this a very informative class. It demonstrated that one’s faith grows when experienced from various points of view.
We often hear from people that the program helped them deepen their own faith. Did you have a similar experience and if so, how?
The MATL courses helped me to better understand the cultural history of Christianity, like the difference between the Eastern and the Western Church, the scriptures, the Church Fathers, the Doctors of the Church, and moral theology. All these courses helped deepen my faith.
What are some skills you developed and how have you used them in your life and/or career?
The program opened my eyes to ethical reasoning like building frameworks to analyze moral dilemmas and evaluate leadership decisions systematically. It increased my understanding of different leadership skills and enhanced my spiritual discernment practice.
What was your experience with the faculty?
I enjoyed each and every one of them. Their different styles and approach in teaching gave me an appreciation of uniqueness of different expertise in the field. All my professors were not only supportive of my studies but also appreciative of my commitment to serving God’s people.
What was your immersion experience like?
Despite the reality that our classes were online, we were still able to know and connect deeply with our cohort members. The summer immersion was very helpful in getting to know the cohort members, the professors and the university.
What would you say to anyone considering Gonzaga’s Master’s in Theology and Leadership?
The MATL program is excellent; the choice of courses was very good. It is a lot of hard work while holding a ministry/job, but it is all worth it.