University of Mary launches world’s first Catholic Montessori institute

On the 118th anniversary of Dr. Maria Montessori’s inaugural Casa dei Bambini in 1907, the University of Mary unveiled a groundbreaking initiative: the Catholic Montessori Institute (CMI)—the world’s first and only global center dedicated to advancing Catholic Montessori education. 

The announcement, made during a campus-wide University of Mary meeting, marks a historic milestone in Catholic education. CMI will serve as a centralized hub for academic collaboration, professional development, and resource accessibility—all uniquely grounded in both Montessori pedagogy and Catholic theology. 

The Catholic Montessori Institute is the fruit of a long-held dream by Dr. Maria Montessori and is now being fulfilled by a few seasoned Montessorians including JoAnn Schulzetenberg, a Montessori educator and now CMI’s executive director. Her years of prayerful reflection and practical experience culminated in a providential meeting with University of Mary President Monsignor James Shea.   

“Several years ago, I was seated next to Msgr. Shea at a wedding. I had been praying and reflecting on the state of Montessori education in the United States,” Schulzetenberg recalled. “I pitched the idea to Monsignor Shea to create an entirely new Montessori training that would be authentically Catholic.”  

Shea recognized that this vision fit seamlessly within the mission of the University of Mary.   

“This past fall, the University of Mary hosted a Catholic Montessori Conference, and the response was impressive,” Shea said. “With people coming from all over the country, it was evident there was a significant hunger for this kind of formation. Ultimately, Catholic Montessori isn’t just about education, it’s about meeting Jesus in the classroom, in the work of the hands, and in the freedom of a child ordered to God.”   

Montessori education continues to flourish, with an estimated 22,000 programs across 110 countries—and nearly 4,000 in the United States alone, according to the American Montessori Society (AMS). Yet until now, no central institution has focused on uniting this method with Catholic identity and theological depth.   

“There is not any other Catholic Montessori Institute in the United States. This is the first of its kind,” Schulzetenberg said. “CMI will be a place to truly help other Catholic Montessorians connect and be supported.”  

One of the pillars of the Institute will be focusing on an openness to working together across all cultures that will be important to maintaining and growing the relationships with the broader Montessori community. CMI’s model is designed to preserve and build upon the enduring foundations laid by both the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and AMS, combining their strengths within an authentically Catholic context. 

“Both AMI-certified and AMS-certified educators will collaborate to build out the institute,” added Schulzetenberg. 

Initially, students and educators seeking certification through CMI will begin their training via an approved AMI training program hosted by the University of Mary. These courses will be delivered both in-person and online over the course of a year, culminating in oral and written examinations. Upon successful completion, students will earn an AMI diploma. The trainings offered next summer will be for the Assistant to Infancy (0-3) and Primary levels (3–6-year-olds).  

Students already have the opportunity to pursue a fully online Master of Education in Catholic Montessori through the University of Mary, and CMI’s long-term vision includes customized Catholic Montessori training and expanded support services for educators and schools. Catholic schools may also apply for CMI membership to receive access to a wealth of benefits—including expert consultations, ongoing formation, resources, and operational tools.   

The Catholic Montessori Institute is intentionally built to serve a wide spectrum of needs across Catholic Montessori education. Through its programs, CMI will provide educators with professional development opportunities, spiritual retreats, and mentorship steeped in Catholic theology. A dedicated online hub will offer best practices, a national job board, and other valuable resources tailored to the needs of Catholic Montessori schools and practitioners.  

CMI reflects and advances the University of Mary’s mission, which has been entrusted to it by the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery. Rooted in the Benedictine tradition, the university is committed to forming leaders who are professionally excellent and deeply grounded in faith, service, and community. These same values—hospitality, respect for the dignity of every person, and a spirit of service—are also foundational to the Montessori method. At the heart of Montessori education is the intentional formation of the adult, who in turn cultivates these values in children, echoing the Benedictine ethos of nurturing both the individual and the community at large.  

In uniting these two traditions, the University of Mary recognizes a profound harmony between Benedictine and Montessori principles—each emphasizing human dignity, peaceful living, and purposeful service. By launching CMI, the university boldly fills a global need, creating a center for Catholic Montessori thought, training, and renewal that serves both the broader Montessori community and the Church.   

To help educators and school leaders plan ahead, the Catholic Montessori Institute offers the following timeline of key events and milestones:   

• October 16-18—National Catholic Montessori Conference, hosted by the University of Mary, drawing educators from across the country and beyond for keynote sessions, breakout workshops, and community-building.   

• Fall 2025—Registration for the first CMI hosted AMI training   

• Summer 2026—First official CMI/AMI Montessori training cohort begins  

• Pilgrimage Offerings—CMI will sponsor an immersive pilgrimage to Amsterdam and Italy, visiting key sites in Dr. Maria Montessori’s life—from her birthplace in Chiaravalle to her final resting place in the Netherlands. The trip offers spiritual renewal and vocational inspiration for educators and supporters alike.   

“These pilgrimages are not only journeys of learning,” Schulzetenberg said. “They are sacred encounters with the roots of a vocation—a chance to walk where Dr. Montessori walked, to pray where she taught, and to experience her vision with fresh eyes.”   

Dr. Maria Montessori once said, “An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking. It involves the spiritual development of man, the enhancement of his value as an individual, and the preparation of young people to understand the times in which they live.”   

The Catholic Montessori Institute takes that charge seriously—forming educators to lead classrooms with not only precision and love, but also Gospel-centered hope.   

“I was deeply touched that, by the Grace of God, this dream has become a reality on the exact date of when Dr. Maria Montessori began her first Casa dei Bambini in 1907,” Schulzetenberg reflected. “I knew that God was blessing this new path forward—and that Maria Montessori would be so proud to have her work continue in such a beautiful way.” 

For more information about the Catholic Montessori Institute, the degree program, or upcoming training and travel opportunities, visit Online.UMary.edu/CMI.