Patricia Cooney Hathaway, PhD is Professor of Spirituality and Systematic Theology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. She received her doctorate from Catholic University of America, where she specialized in the areas of Systematic Theology, Spirituality, and Human and Spiritual Development. She was awarded a Research Assistantship for Fr. Paul Philibert, O.P. during her years of study and taught an undergraduate course in “Faith and Human Development.” She was also elected President of the Religious Studies Student Association. She has a certification in Spiritual Direction from the Shalem institute of Spiritual Formation.

She was Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology and Director of the Spiritual Direction Program at the Washington Theological Union for two years before coming to Detroit.

In 1987, Dr. Cooney Hathaway served on the academic curriculum committee that designed the Master’s of Divinity, Master of Arts in Theology, and Masters of Arts Pastoral Studies for Sacred Heart Major Seminary. 

She became a full time member of the faculty in 1988. She served as chairperson for the MA/MAPS degree committee from 1994 to 2015. She was appointed chairperson of the STL Degree committee in 2017. In addition to her teaching and committee work, Dr. Cooney Hathaway co-authored a grant proposal which was awarded by the Lilly Foundation for 1.5 million dollars for the education and formation of ecclesial lay ministers. She has been the Project Director for the implementation of this grant. She also received the Pope Paul II Memorial, The Splendor of Truth Award, by the Catholic Lawyers Guild, Diocese of Lansing, Michigan.

Dr. Cooney Hathaway is currently Associate Editor of Human Development Magazine, a quarterly publication for people involved in fostering human and spiritual growth of others. This magazine, published by Guest House, Lake Orion, Michigan, is written for persons involved in religious leadership and formation, spiritual direction, pastoral care, education, counseling, healthcare and those interested in the development of the whole person.  

She has published a book, Weaving Faith and Experience. A Woman’s Perspective. (http://amazoncom/Weaving-Faith-Experience-Perspective-Spirituality/dp/0867169044) a part of a Call to Holiness Series on Catholic Women’s Spirituality published by St. Anthony Messenger Press. This book received the Catholic Books Awards, Gender Issue Category, 2011. 

Dr. Cooney Hathaway also writes a column on lay spirituality for Sacred Heart’s awarding –winning magazine, Mosaic. (Click here to view her latest posts (http://mosaic.shms.edu/category/columns/livinginthelight/)  She was a columnist for the Michigan Catholic newspaper from 1989-1995. 

Dr. Cooney Hathaway has been involved in the ministries of spiritual direction and pastoral counseling for over twenty years.  She is a member of the Catholic Theological Society of America. She has done extensive lecturing nation-wide in the areas of theology, spirituality and the relationship between human and  spiritual development. She is married to Judge Thomas M.J. Hathaway and has a son, Thomas Jr. and a daughter, Victoria.