Steve Doody, MPS ’09, of Baton Rouge offers some reflections on what he, as a full-time lawyer, is doing with his Master of Pastoral Studies degree from the Loyola Institute for Ministry.

What I am "doing" with my LIM degree? The answer is "nothing," at least externally. Although I am enriched personally by my LIM studies, and although I may "do" something with my M.P.S. in the future, the truth right now is that I am "doing" nothing with it.Instead, I am still practicing law full time.A more nuanced statement, is that in all I do, whether in my job as a lawyer, in my interaction with colleagues at work, in my family and personal relations, I try to apply what I learned at LIM. But no one "sees" that from the outside as something I am "doing" with my degree.

Every once in a while I will return to New Orleans to attend a session of my old prayer group that still meets weekly,and I know that I am able to contribute much more to that group discussion than I used to, and that is directly attributable to my LIM studies. My prayer group friends comment that they see a difference in me, that I obviously have learned much and can speak with more authority than I used to, before my LIM studies. To me, that is something I am "doing" with my LIM degree.

Right now I am writing a paper on the history of the Bible, a project I am undertaking as my way of continuing my LIM studies on my own. I read three books on the subject during the summer, I made copious notes during my readings, and I am now assimilating those notes in a paper. i.e., I am doing what I would have done at LIM if I were still there and taking a course on bible history. I have no idea if I will do anything with what I am writing, maybe publish it, maybe use it in some future class if I ever have the chance to teach, maybe nothing except collect dust on my book shelf at home. In any case, to me this is an example of what I am "doing" with my LIM degree.

Bottom line: I loved my LIM studies, I would and have recommended LIM to others, I think I am using my LIM degree and "doing" good things with it.