Theological Seminaries
ABOUT ST. PATRICK'S SEMINARY
St. Patrick's Seminary
is located in Menlo Park, California, where it prepares men for priesthood
in the Roman Catholic Church.
St. Patrick's Seminary was founded on a vision over one hundred years
ago. Throughout its history it has been staffed by the priests of the
Society of Saint Sulpice and by others who share their vision of priestly
formation. St. Patrick's Seminary has prepared more than 2,000 priests
who have served the people of God in the western United States and Pacific
Rim.
Through the guidance of the Archdiocese of San Francisco - in association
with its other sponsoring Bishops, St. Patrick's Seminary provides a program
of priestly formation with a particular emphasis on preparing seminarians
for pastoral service in parishes and other diocesan ministries. Religious
communities also enroll candidates for education and training.
St. Patrick's Seminary is fully accredited as a graduate educational institution
by the Association of Theological Schools, the Western Association of
Schools and Colleges, and the Congregation for Catholic Education in Rome.
Additional
Information (website)
The North American College
Back in 1855, Pope Pius IX asked the bishops of the United States to open
a seminary in Rome, where young men from far away America could prepare for the priesthood.
On December 8, 1859, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, twelve seminarians
from the United States entered the "North American College," located
in a renovated 250-year-old former convent on the Via dell' Umiltá, right down the hill from
the papal residence on the Quirinale, and the College officially opened. There the seminary flourished
until World War II, when the crisis forced it to close temporarily. After the war, the
bishops of the United States decided to build a new seminary, located on the Janiculum Hill
overlooking the Vatican. This spacious, modern, attractive facility was dedicated by Pope
Pius XII on October 14, 1953. There the College prospers to this day.
Actually, the North
American College comprises a variety of programs. First is the seminary on the Janiculum, where men from the United States prepare for
the diocesan priesthood back home. Secondly is the Casa Santa Maria, located in the
original College building on the Via dell' Umiltá in downtown Rome, where about
seventy American priests reside while doing graduate work in theology and other fields of ecclesiastical
study. A third component of the College is the Institute for Continuing Theological
Education, a three-month sabbatical program for priests offered twice a year, located
as well on the Janiculum. Finally, the college administers the Bishops' Office for U.S.
Visitors to the Vatican, located at the Casa Santa Maria, which assists pilgrims to make
their journey to Rome as spiritually fruitful as possible, especially by seeing the Holy
Father.
An essential part of the College as well is the generous support system
of bishops, vocation directors, alumni, and benefactors, and a development office
which promotes all the facets of College life.
Blessed John XXIII National Seminary
Blessed John XXIII National Seminary is a Roman Catholic professional and graduate theological institution dedicated uniquely to the preparation of seminarians thirty years of age and older responding to a call to priestly ministry. Its program is based on the Ratio Fundamentalis of the Holy See, the Program of Priestly Formation of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Post Synodal Exhortation of Pope John Paul II, Pastores Dabo Vobis. It fosters the human, spiritual, academic and pastoral formation of its seminarians. The program especially respects and utilizes the life experiences of its seminarians as it prepares them for ordained ministry.
College Seminaries
Mount Angel Seminary
Mount Angel Seminary
comprises a Graduate School of Theology and a College of Liberal Arts in the Benedictine tradition whose primary purpose is the
education and formation of men for the Roman Catholic priesthood. The School of
Theology also admits qualified lay men and women who are interested in pursuing
a theological education. The seminary is committed to academic excellence,
to holistic formation, and to providing a solid foundation for growth in the spiritual
life.
For over one hundred years Mount Angel Seminary has served the needs of dioceses and religious communities throughout the United States, Canada,
and the nations of the Pacific.
Mount Angel Seminary is a fully accredited academic institution, and its
policies and mission are written in conformity with The Program of Priestly Formation
of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Bishop White Seminary
Bishop White Seminary
is the only college seminary program in the State of Washington and is able to serve dioceses in Alaska, Idaho, Montana and Oregon.
Each student living at Bishop White Seminary is assisted in developing a deep intimacy between himself and Jesus Christ. This communion with Christ should inspire both his intellectual and personal formation.
A student's intellectual formation is provided by Gonzaga University. Each student is required to major in philosophy while also studyiung communication skills, history, Sacred Scripture and the Tradition of the Roman Catholic Church.
A student's personal formation is accomplished with the assistance of a priest advisor. This formation advisor helps the student develop a set of personal goals and objectives to meet those goals.