October 16, 2024
Providence College receives $1.09 million grant for ‘Come to the Table’ project
Providence College has been awarded a $1.09 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to establish “Come to the Table,” a program to enhance children’s participation in prayer and worship by supporting families in the practice of the shared family meal as preparation for the sacramental meal of the Eucharist.
The program is funded through Lilly Endowment’s Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative, a national initiative designed to help Christian congregations more fully and intentionally engage children in intergenerational corporate worship and prayer practices.
Holly Taylor Coolman, Ph.D., assistant professor of theology, will serve as the principal investigator for the grant and will collaborate with the Diocese of Providence and St. Pius V Catholic Church and its parish school, located across the street from the college.
“Come to the Table” will integrate digital and printable resources with in-person resources, including workshops and meals, to equip participants in bringing families to the table and making the family meal a place of both spoken and embodied prayer, Coolman said. The resources, accessible through the diocese and a dedicated website, will be preparation for key milestones such as baptism, First Communion, and marriage preparation.
Over the next five years, the initiative will endeavor to empower hundreds of families and children, she said.
“I am thrilled that Lilly Endowment has seen the potential in this project,” Coolman said. “Whether connecting a younger couple to a mentor couple in their home, offering resources to celebrate the important days together, or in practical help to get dinner on the table, I believe this initiative will enrich the lives of many children and their families.”
Providence Collegeis one of 91 organizations nationally receiving funding through the latest round of the initiative. The organizations represent and serve congregations in a broad spectrum of Christian traditions, including Catholic, mainline Protestant, evangelical, Orthodox, Anabaptist, and Pentecostal faith communities. Several organizations are rooted in Black church and Hispanic and Asian American Christian traditions.
College President Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. ’78, ‘82G, expressed gratitude to Lilly Endowment for the award.
“The integration of prayer and worship with family life is essential to the practice of our faith, and mealtime can be an important part of the day to do so,” Father Sicard said. “I look forward to the execution of this proposal in concert with our two outstanding partners, the Diocese of Providence and St. Pius V parish and school.”
Coolman, who has a Ph.D. from Duke University, has been a member of the Providence College faculty since 2009. Her latest book, Parenting: The Complex and Beautiful Vocation of Raising Children, was published in January 2024 by Baker Academic.
“Congregational worship and prayer play a critical role in the spiritual growth of children and offer settings for children to acquire the language of faith, learn their faith traditions and experience the love of God as part of a supportive community,” said Christopher L. Coble, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for religion. “These programs will help congregations give greater attention to children and how they can more intentionally nurture the faith of children, as well as adults, through worship and prayer.”
