Study the Bible in a Year

Registrations for 2024-2025 are now closed. Stay tuned for more offerings from the Institute of Catholic Theology!

The ‘Bible in a Year’ podcast from Ascension Press is wildly popular, and we love it.

But it’s only a first step. When he was with us, Cardinal Ratzinger said “The word of God draws each of us into a conversation with the Lord: the God who speaks teaches us how to speak to him (Verbum Domini #24).” The beauty of the Bible is that it can be continually read, prayed and studied.

That’s what we do here at the ICT; we offer the next step by reading, praying and studying the Sacred Scriptures. Over an academic year, we study the key books, themes, and figures of the Bible. By doing so, we deepen our understanding of the Lord’s plan for our lives and enjoy times of fellowship with Catholics from throughout Arizona and abroad.

Our course is entitled ‘Word of God: Scripture and Tradition’ (ICT 102) and is a year-long course over the Fall and Spring semesters.

This course allows the student to be guided in deeper study, have their questions answered, interact with students and professors and deepen their love for Christ.

42 hours of continuing education are available for Catholic school teachers, deacon and catechists.

Registrations are Closed for the 2024-2025 academic year

Location: Classes are currently taking place at:

- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish, Tempe. No zoom option available.

- St. Thomas Aquinas, Avondale. Zoom option for distance students available.

- St. Bridget Parish, Mesa. No zoom option available.

Registrations for 2025-2026 will open in Summer 2025. Stay tuned!

Instructor

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish

Bill Marcotte

Bill Marcotte and his wife Beth have been long-standing parishioners at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Tempe. In the early 1990s, Bill served as the Youth and Young Adult Director at OLMC and has since held various roles within the Diocese of Phoenix. Currently, he is the Parish Manager of St. Gabriel the Archangel in Cave Creek, AZ. With over 30 years of experience in Catholic pastoral ministry at both parish and diocesan levels, Bill also brings extensive knowledge in parish organizational management. Before his appointment to St. Gabriel's, Bill was the Assistant Director of the Institute of Catholic Theology and served as the Pastoral Associate \ Parish Manager at St. Andrew the Apostle. He also spent over five years as the Diocese of Phoenix Director of Youth and Young Adult Evangelization. Additionally, Bill teaches Old Testament for the Kino Catechetical Institute and the Word of God: Scripture and Tradition course for the Institute of Catholic Theology. Bill holds a Master of Theology degree from the University of San Francisco. He and Beth, married since January of 1987, have five adult children and nine grandchildren.

Instructor

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church

ICT Fellow Will Wright, MA

Will Wright lives in Phoenix with his wife and sons and is a History and Religion Teacher at St. John Paul II Catholic High School. He is an adjunct instructor and Institute Fellow with the Institute of Catholic Theology in Phoenix and an instructor at the Kino Catechetical Institute. He is also a regular author for the website Catholic-Link English, many of his articles have been featured on “The Best of Catholic Blogging” column on the National Catholic Register website, and has been published with Adoremus Bulletin and SpiritualDirection.com. Will earned a Bachelor’s Degree in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also holds a dual course of study Master’s Degree in Catechetics & Evangelization and Theology & Christian Ministry from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He is currently enrolled with Pontifex University and working towards a Doctorate in Theology (ThD).

Instructor

St. Bridget Catholic Church

James Spina

James Spina is a passionate speaker and loves to proclaim the Truths of the Catholic faith. James is a retired police officer after 25 years of service and worked a variety of assignments including bicycle patrol, gangs, narcotics, and fugitive apprehension. Afterwards, he taught at Saint Mary’s Catholic High School as a theology teacher for five 5 years and has been teaching classes on a variety of biblical topics at Saint Bernard of Clairvaux for the past 3 years. James has been married to his beautiful wife, Nancy, for 23 years, and they have three children: Clayton, Calley, and Boston. Additionally, James and Nancy taught NFP to engaged and married couples in the Diocese of Phoenix for 17 years, and James was a presenter to teenage boys in the diocese’s C.A.L.L. program for several years. James has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from ASU, a Masters degree in counseling/human relations from NAU, and a second Masters degree in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville.

What our Past Students Say

Participating in the undergrad courses has pulled my focus off the world and all its problems and made me focus on Jesus, His Church, His mother and His truth. Delving deeply into Scripture and the Catechism upgraded my spiritual armor!

- Rebecca, Phoenix

My experience at the ICT brought my understanding of God to a more elevated level; the courses taught me about Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition in-depth, which opened my eyes to a deeper reality of what it means to be a Catholic. My faith, hope, and love for God and His Church advanced when I didn't know that was possible. The ICT courses helped me fill in many blanks to questions I had thought about and needed to know the answers to and answer questions I had been asked before and needed help learning the answers. The ICT experience has changed my life in the most integral ways. I will always be thankful and look forward to the next steps in my learning and sharing of our beautiful faith.

- Kim, Phoenix

Earning Certificate or College Credit

The ICT offers the optional opportunity to work towards a Foundational Certificate in Catholic Theology and credits from Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Students doing homework towards the ICT's Foundational Certificate in Catholic Theology will pay an additional:

- $300
- $150 for Current High School Upperclassmen/College/University Students

Application and payment information will be available after logging into the course.

Students doing homework must register for the course no later than 10 days after the first class.

To receive college credit, an additional charge of $150 per student will be made directly to Franciscan University of Steubenville. Details will be made available at the start of the course. Be sure to check with your college regarding the acceptance of these credits.

For more information about earning our Foundational Certificate in Catholic Theology, click here.

For more information about earning undergraduate credit from Franciscan University, click here.