Seton Hall Announces Second Recipient of the Monsignor Edward Ciuba Fellowship

The Center for Catholic Studies at Seton Hall University is pleased to announce Grace Huegel as the second recipient of the Monsignor Edward Ciuba Fellowship and the 2026–27 fellow.

The fellowship honors the legacy of Monsignor Edward J. Ciuba ’55, a cherished priest of the Archdiocese of Newark and former seminary rector and professor at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology. Awarded annually, the fellowship supports projects that bring Seton Hall faculty and graduate students into deeper collaboration with Catholic parishes, schools, ministries and organizations. The fellowship carries a $5,000 stipend, paid in two installments over the course of the project.

Through the fellowship, Huegel will develop a practical pastoral mental health resource to help Catholic priests recognize and respond to mental health concerns while maintaining a strong pastoral presence. Her project will draw on conversations with diocesan priests, consultation with Catholic mental health professionals and established frameworks such as Mental Health First Aid.

About Grace Huegel
Huegel is a graduate student in Seton Hall’s Professional Counseling program. Her experience spans clinical mental health and parish ministry, reflecting a commitment to compassionate, holistic care that attends to psychological, emotional and spiritual well-being.

As a mental health graduate intern at The Samaritan Center at the Jersey Shore, Huegel has provided outpatient psychotherapy, intake and risk assessments, treatment planning, crisis stabilization, safety planning and suicide risk assessment.

She previously served as a pastoral associate at the Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine in Freehold, New Jersey, where her work included adult faith formation, pastoral support groups, crisis support and collaboration with clergy.
Huegel also previously served as a graduate assistant with the Center for Catholic Studies, supporting research, communications and interdisciplinary programming.

Grace Huegel’s Fellowship Project

Huegel’s project responds to a need she encountered in parish settings: Priests are often among the first people approached by individuals experiencing emotional or psychological distress, yet they may not always have clear guidance, practical tools or referral pathways for complex situations.

Huegel plans to develop a short, accessible booklet for priests in the Diocese of Trenton. The resource will offer practical guidance on recognizing when someone may need additional mental health support, navigating sensitive conversations and making appropriate referrals while sustaining a pastoral presence.

“Authentic healing invites us toward both holiness and wholeness, where faith and mental health work together to support the flourishing of the whole person,” Huegel said.

“We are very excited to welcome Grace Huegel as our next Monsignor Ciuba Fellow,” said Patrick Manning, Ph.D., director of the Center for Catholic Studies. “Grace’s work on mental health addresses an urgent need in our community and will provide an invaluable service to clergy and parishes. It is also exciting to have our first graduate student fellow following on our first faculty fellow last year.”

Huegel also recently co-authored research with Krista Figueroa that was published in the American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research. Learn more in “Seton Hall Graduate Student’s Research Published.”

A Fellowship for the Future
The Monsignor Edward Ciuba Fellowship continues Monsignor Ciuba’s legacy by supporting work that is intellectually grounded, pastorally responsive and attentive to the needs of the Church today.

For more information, visit the Monsignor Edward Ciuba Fellowship webpage or contact the Center for Catholic Studies at [email protected] or (973) 275-2525.

Categories: Faith and Service, Research