About ITI

A Catholic university ordered to the sources.

ITI Catholic University forms students in theology, liberal arts, prayer, and community so that study becomes a way of seeking truth and serving the Church.

Mission

Four pillars hold the ITI mission together.

ITI was founded in the intention of Pope St. John Paul II for the study of Catholic theology as a unified whole, with particular attention to marriage and family.

Its mission joins international Catholic life, a bridge between East and West, direct study of Scripture and the great theological masters, and a community that lives and prays together.

These are not separate features. They work together as one form of education: truth studied from the sources, tested in conversation, and lived in prayer and friendship.

Quick Facts

Institutional profile at a glance.

1996

Founded

2021

Renamed ITI Catholic University

115

Enrollment

1:4

Faculty-student ratio

26

Teaching faculty

30k

Library volumes

22

Countries represented

EN

English-speaking programs

History

Founded for theology, marriage, family, and East-West encounter.

The institute began from concerns Pope St. John Paul II raised in the 1990s: marriage and family, formation after the Soviet era, and deeper understanding between the Eastern and Western traditions of the Church.

  1. 1995

    First students began classes at the Gaming campus in Austria.

  2. 1996

    International Theological Institute founded under the founding vision of Pope St. John Paul II.

  3. 1997

    On the Feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope St. John Paul II sent a message for ITI's birth and opening.

  4. 2009

    Campus moved to Schloss Trumau near Vienna, with classrooms, library, and administration in the historic castle.

  5. 2018

    The three-year Bachelor in Liberal Arts began.

  6. 2023

    Prof. DDr. Bernhard Dolna succeeded as President and Rector.

Pontifical Identity

Ecclesial study, not detached religious studies.

ITI is an ecclesiastical Catholic university with sacred theology at its center. Its canonical degrees, ecclesiastical faculty, and institutional mission are tied to the Church's intellectual and pastoral service.

This identity shapes what is studied and how it is studied: theology as a unified whole, in fidelity to the Church, from the sources, for mission.

Accreditation

Recognized by Church and State.

ITI states that all degrees, the ecclesiastical faculty, and the institution are internationally accredited by the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Holy See. It also states that the degrees and institution receive recognition by the State of Austria.

Canonical degrees

STB, STL, and STD belong to the sacred theology degree path and serve ecclesial academic formation.

Additional programs

ITI also grants the Bachelor in Liberal Arts and Master of Studies on Marriage and the Family.

Austrian context

The university is housed in Schloss Trumau, south of Vienna, and operates within Austrian recognition structures.

Patron Saints

Three patrons, three gifts.

St. Therese of Lisieux

Doctor of the Church, associated with the Little Way: humble fidelity, hidden fruitfulness, and trust in God.

St. Thomas Aquinas

Doctor of the Church and guide for theological studies, especially through clarity, order, and contemplation of truth.

St. Zdislava of Lemberk

Wife and mother, patronal witness for family life, domestic spirituality, and the ITI attention to marriage and family.

Administration

Leadership and service for the university mission.

The current official administration page lists ecclesial leadership, rectorate, academic leadership, finance, formation, student life, admissions, and operational staff.

Ecclesial leadership

  • His Excellency Mag. Josef Grunwidl, Grand Chancellor and Archbishop of Vienna.
  • His Eminence Dr. Christoph Cardinal Schonborn, OP, Grand Chancellor emeritus and Archbishop of Vienna emeritus.

Academic leadership

  • Prof. DDr. Bernhard Dolna, President and Rector.
  • Prof. Dr. habil. Michael Wladika, Vice-Rector and Dean, BA and STB Program Director, STD Program Director.

Administration

  • Sebastian Hoogewerf, Director of Finance and Administration.
  • Juraj Mistina, Admissions Officer.
  • Annika Seebauer, Student Administrator.

Formation and campus

  • Very Rev. Yuriy Kolasa, Head of Formation Program.
  • Very Rev. Juraj Potocky Terek, Chaplain and Director of Student Life and Development.
  • Emil Vasvari, Campus Facilities Manager.

Faculty

A small, international faculty close to students.

The official Quick Facts list 26 teaching faculty and a 1:4 faculty-student ratio, with tutorials and seminars in groups of 3 to 15 students.

Faculty teach theology, philosophy, patristics, Scripture, moral theology, natural philosophy, classical languages, marriage and family, canon law, history, literature, and Catholic social thought.

Ordinary professors

Includes Prof. DDr. Bernhard Dolna, Prof. Dr. habil. Michael Wladika, and Prof. Dr. habil. Michaela C. Hastetter.

Associate and visiting faculty

Faculty expertise spans Scripture, dogmatic theology, fundamental theology, patristics, moral theology, canon law, and more.

Seminar culture

Small groups support direct conversation, careful reading, active questioning, and sustained formation in judgment.

Download Hub

Core institutional documents and resources.

A compact path to official source pages, academic documents, and founding materials. Exact PDFs live on the official ITI site.

Contact

Reach the right office.

For general questions, admissions, academic requirements, financial aid, and vocational discernment, ITI publishes direct contact routes through the main office.

Admissions

Prof. Dr. habil. Michael Wladika is listed as Head of the Admissions Committee.

admissions@iti.ac.at

Visit and Apply

Come to Trumau, meet the community, and see how study, prayer, and shared life belong together.