St. Mary's Seminary is the first Roman Catholic seminary in the nation: rich in tradition while focused on priestly preparation for the 21st-century.
These pages provide information on the history, personnel, environment, and formation (in the Sulpician tradition) at St. Mary's.
The three pages in this section of our site touch on the very basics of the formation process.
A major part of priestly formation is intellectual formation, accomplished through the pursuit of academic degrees.
Desiring to assist in the strengthening of Hispanic ministry and recognizing the need for well-prepared priests dedicated in-part or in-full to this ministry, St. Mary’s Seminary and University has established a specialized track in Hispanic ministry.
St. Mary’s Propaedeutic Stage implements the vision of the Program for Priestly Formation (6th edition). It takes place in a revitalized and expanded structure on the historic grounds of the original St. Mary’s Seminary in downtown Baltimore. The McGivney House welcomes candidates from all dioceses and is not limited to candidates destined to enter St. Mary’s Seminary & University, but is the recommended program for those who will come to St. Mary’s.
St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute (EI) was founded in 1968 by St. Mary’s Seminary & University, America’s oldest Roman Catholic seminary, in cooperation with ecumenical leaders. St. Mary’s is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools and by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The Ecumenical Institute encourages people of all denominations to explore theological studies in a serious, open-minded, and supportive environment. All EI programs are available wherever you are - on campus in Baltimore, and on-line.
The Ecumenical Institute invites people of all denominations into theological study that pursues excellence and promotes ecumenical understanding and respect. All EI programs are available wherever you are - on campus in Baltimore, and on-line.
St. Mary's Ecumenical Institute has a rolling admissions policy. Students may apply at any time for admission by submitting the appropriate materials.
The Ecumenical Institute offers accredited graduate theological programs for two master’s degrees, several graduate certificates, and introductory explorations.
The post-master’s Certificate of Advanced Studies in Theology (CAS) is designed for individuals who possess a master’s degree in theology (e.g., MAT.), ministry (e.g., MACM), divinity (e.g., MDiv), or a related field and who desire to continue their theological education with a general or focused program of study.
The Doctor of Ministry program roots ministry in the mission of God, the ways God is working in your context, in your ministry, and in you.
Students have a host of resources available to support their theological education, from free parking and a great library to writing assistance and advising.
St. Mary's Ecumenical Institute offers accredited graduate theological education that is intellectually rigorous, personally enriching, and professionally empowering.
Stay connected with St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute after graduation through alumni resources, newsletters, events, library access, discounted audit opportunities, EI apparel, diploma frames, and transcript request information.
General communication and individual contacts
It is the mission of the Center for Continuing Formation to encourage bishops, priests, deacons, and lay ecclesial ministers to engage in human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral growth and to enable processes of growth that are ongoing, complete, systemic, and personalized.
Forming Supervisors for Vocational Synthesis implements the vision of the Program for Priestly Formation (6th edition) for the final stage of preparation for the priesthood.
Conference space rentals include a large room that will seat as many as 58 and smaller rooms that will seat from 4 to 30.
St. Mary's Center for Continuing Formation offers and hosts a variety of continuing formation programs for priests in the spirit of the Bishops' new Basic Plan for the Ongoing Formation of Priests.
St. Mary’s Seminary & University’s Pinkard Scholars is the cornerstone of Youth Theological Studies at SMSU.
For more information about any of our conference facilities or space rentals, please contact our offices directly.
The Marion Burk Knott Library of St. Mary’s Seminary and University is the largest specialized theological library in the Baltimore area, with additional materials in the areas of philosophy, psychology, pastoral counseling and church history, among others. The library receives over 390 periodicals and maintains a collection of 20,000 volumes of bound periodicals. Other holdings include newspapers, microfilm, and audio-visual materials.
The Associated Archives at St. Mary’s Seminary & University opened in the spring of 2002. Located on the campus of the nation’s first Roman Catholic seminary, this program brings together the archives of the Archdiocese of Baltimore (est. 1789), St. Mary’s Seminary & University (est. 1791), and the Associated Sulpicians of the United States (U.S. Province est. 1903), making it one of the most significant repositories for records relating to the early history of the Catholic Church in the United States.
Click here for more information about hours and visitor policies.
This section was created to provide researchers with a brief description of the open collections in the archives of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, St. Mary's Seminary & University, and the Associated Sulpicians of the United States.
The Associated Archives at St. Mary’s Seminary & University has developed a genealogical policy responsive to individuals researching their Catholic roots.
We facilitate personal integration of the human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral dimensions necessary for authentic priestly witness and service in the image of Jesus Christ.
We have selected several members of the Maryland Catholic community to highlight for their significant contributions to the American Revolution and the founding of this county.
Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737-1832) Signer of the Declaration of Independence Founding Father, United States of America
Biography
Charles Carroll of Carrollton was the Maryland Catholic community’s most prominent supporter of the Patriot cause and he played a central role in the struggle for Catholic political and religious rights during the revolutionary and founding periods. Even before the colonies began to question their place in the British Empire, Carroll had concluded that Maryland’s future lay not as subjects of the British crown, but as citizens of a free and independent America. He emerged as a leader of the Patriot party in 1773 after engaging in an editorial debate under the pen name of “First Citizen” in the Maryland Gazette regarding the issue of taxation. From that moment, he cast his future and fortune with the cause for independence. The following year he was asked to accompany Benjamin Franklin and Samuel Chase on an unsuccessful mission on behalf of the Continental Congress to seek aid from Canada. Upon his return, he was elected to serve as a delegate to the Maryland Convention, the first Catholic to hold public office in Maryland since 1692. It was the first in a series of increasingly important political offices he held in the coming years. His leadership was crucial in persuading his fellow Marylanders to support independence for the colonies, which culminated in his signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 as one of Maryland’s representatives to the Continental Congress (1776, 1777-1778, 1780). The only Catholic elected to the body, he has the distinction of being the only Catholic signer of the document. When reflecting on the significance this act, Carroll wrote: “[I] had in view not only our independence of England but the toleration of all sects professing the Christian religion and communicating to them all equal rights” and reflects how central the principle of religious toleration was to his political thought. Upon his return to Maryland, he was elected to the committee that drafted the state’s constitution and declaration of rights that was adopted in 1776. The clause on religious liberty was included largely due to his efforts and made Maryland was one of the first states to grant equal rights to Catholics. Carroll was elected to the State Senate in 1777, where he served for the next twenty-three years. During these years he helped to secure ratification of the state constitution in 1778 and was elected president in 1783. In 1789 he was elected to represent the state in the U.S. Senate (1789-1792), a position he held jointly with his duties in the Maryland Senate. In his role as a U.S. Senator, he was appointed to the Congressional committee that approved and finalized the wording for the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights. He retired from public office in 1800 when he lost re-election to state office. At his death in 1832, he was the last of the Signers to die. In recognition of his many contributions to the founding of this country, the state chose to send a statue of Charles Carroll to represent Maryland in the U.S. Capitol’s statuary hall. Other tributes in Maryland and beyond, include the naming of numerous towns, counties, and schools after him.
Daniel Carroll of Rock Creek (1730-1796) Signer of the U.S. Constitution Founding Father, United States of America
A distant cousin of Charles Carroll of Carrollton and brother to the man who was named the first Catholic bishop in the United States, Daniel’s contributions to the founding of this country have often been overshadowed by his more famous relatives. Although initially reluctant to advocate for independence, once he made the decision to support the Patriot cause he sought elected office and soon emerged as a leader in state politics. He served in the Maryland Senate (1777-1780), including one-term as president, where he was elected to the five-member Council of State (1777-1781), which had oversight of the provisioning of the Continental Army. This was during the period when Maryland had become one of the Army’s chief supplier of troops, food supplies, clothing, and equipment. He represented the state in the Congress of the Confederation (1781-1784), the governing body of the U.S. for the period 1781-1789, where he was a signatory to the Articles of Confederation (1781). After the Revolution, he was appointed a member of the Maryland delegation to the Constitutional Convention, one of just two Catholics to participate. To help prepare, he contacted his cousin, Charles Carroll, who shared with him “A Plan of Government.” Carroll is on record for having spoken 20 times on a range of issues during the debates at the Convention and served on the Committee for Postponed Matters. His influence on the Constitution can be found in the clause that places the authority for electing the U.S. President with the people and not the legislature and in the adoption of the religion clauses in the First Amendment that states that: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Upon signing the Constitution, he returned to Maryland where he actively campaigned for its ratification, which was achieved on April 28, 1788. He dedicated the remaining years of his life to public service, first as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1789-1791), where he gave his attention to the country’s emerging economic system and addressing pressing fiscal matters, and then in his service on a Congressional commission tasked with the responsibility of selecting a new site for the seat of the federal government. Later he was named to the commission that surveyed the property for the site, which included a farm owned by Carroll, to define the boundaries of the District of Columbia. He was forced to resign this position in 1795 due to ill health and died the next year at his plantation near Rock Creek. The chapel he built for his brother, John, on their mother’s plantation, also near Rock Creek, is known today as St. John’s Church, Forest Glen.
Abp. John Carroll (1735-1815) Patriot; Founder, U.S. Catholic Hierarchy
When Rev. John Carroll returned to Maryland from Europe in 1773 after an absence of twenty-five years, he took up the duties of a missionary, travelling by horseback across Maryland and into Virginia to minister to Catholics. When he visited communities, he was introduced to the families who gathered for worship and learned about their daily lives and concerns. As he became more aware of the political climate, he found himself aligned with the Patriot party, believing that Catholics would enjoy greater tolerance and more rights in a free and independent nation. Although reluctant to become engaged in politics, he agreed to accompany a mission sent on behalf of the Continental Congress to seek aid from Canada in 1776. Although the effort was unsuccessful, he earned the esteem and admiration of Benjamin Franklin, who also was part of the mission. He resumed his pastoral duties upon his return from Canada and remained steadfast in his support of the Patriot cause. After the war, he emerged as a leader within the Catholic community. He used his position to advocate for religious freedom, defend of the rights of religious groups, and bring attention to the contributions made by Catholics to the founding of the country. He expressed his hopes for the future of the Catholic community in a letter written after the Treaty of Paris (1783) had been ratified, observing that “our Religious system has undergone a revolution, if possible, more extraordinary, than our political one.” In 1789, he was appointed the country’s first bishop when the Diocese of Baltimore was created. It was under his able leadership that the foundation of the U.S. Catholic Church was laid and it was through his example that he showed his fellow countrymen that one could be both fully Catholic and American.
Gov. Thomas Sim Lee (1745-1819) Prince George’s County Militia; Governor of Maryland
Thomas Sim Lee served his country in uniform and as a public servant. Together with his wife, Mary Digges Lee (1745-1805), they became two of Maryland’s most prominent and vocal supporters of the Patriot cause, who worked closely with many of the Founding Fathers and held the esteem of General George Washington for their service. When the thirteen colonies voted for independence, Lee, a native of Prince George’s County, organized a local militia in which he held the rank of colonel. By 1777 he was a member of the state’s Provincial Council. Two years later, he was elected the second governor of Maryland (1779-1782). While in office, the Maryland Legislature ratified the Articles of Confederation (1781), the last state to do so. With his signature, the Articles of Confederation went into effect, creating the country’s first national government. He later represented the state in the Congress of the Confederation (1783-1784). He returned to the state office when he was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1787. He declined an appointment to represent Maryland at the Constitutional Convention, but played an active role in getting it ratified at the state convention in 1788. He returned to the governor’s office in 1794, after which he made the decision to retire from public life, declining both an appointment to the state senate and another term as governor. He and his wife spent the remaining years of their lives at their plantation, “Needwood,” in Frederick County, where they helped to found St. Mary’s Church in Petersville. He was buried in the Digges family cemetery at Melwood Park, which has since been moved to Mt. Carmel Roman Catholic Cemetery in Upper Marlboro. A World War II Liberty ship was named in his honor.
Mary Digges Lee (1745-1805) First Lady of Maryland
Mary Digges Lee was born into a prominent Maryland family that resided on the plantation, Melwood Park, in Prince George’s County. She married Thomas Sim Lee (1745-1819) in 1771, with whom she had eight surviving children. The example of her faith and piety greatly influenced her husband’s decision to enter the Catholic Church. She became First Lady of Maryland when her husband was elected the second Governor of Maryland in 1779. Sharing her husband’s political views, they became two of the state’s most ardent defenders of the War of Independence. When General George Washington wrote to her husband requesting aid, she called upon the women of Maryland to raise money, sew clothing, and donate much-needed supplies for the Continental Army’s troops. In recognition of these efforts, Washington wrote to Mary expressing his gratitude for the ‘patriotic exertions of the ladies of Maryland in favor of the army.’” When her husband retired from public life, they spent their remaining days on the plantation, Needwood, in Frederick County, where they helped to found St. Mary’s Church in Petersville. She was buried in the Digges family cemetery at Melwood Park, which has since been moved to Mt. Carmel Roman Catholic Cemetery in Upper Marlboro. Lee was inducted into the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame in 1996.
Col. Ignatius Fenwick, Jr. (1736-1784) St. Mary’s County Militia and Maryland Navy; State Legislator
Col Ignatius Fenwick, Jr., of St. Mary’s County served with distinction in the St. Mary’s County Militia and Maryland Navy. A descendant of one of Maryland’s oldest family, Fenwick was commissioned as a major of the lower battalion of the St. Mary’s County militia in the early days of the war. He first saw action when his battalion was called into service to repel the attack of Lord Dunmore’s fleet off the western shore when it sought to occupy St. George’s Island and surrounding territory in July 1776. This was Maryland’s most significant naval engagement during the War of Independence. For his efforts in this battle he was promoted to the rank of colonel and went on to command the Lydia at the Battle of Piney Point in the lower Potomac River (1776) and the privateer Sally which raided British shipping during the Revolution.
In addition to his military duties, Fenwick was a member of St. Mary’s County Committee of Observation (1776) and represented the county at the Annapolis Convention (1776), the body that functioned as Maryland’s provisional government (1774-1776), where he served on the committee that framed the state’s first constitution. After the war, he returned to his plantation, Wallington, in St. Mary’s County, where he served as a justice, 1777-1784, and as a commissioner of the tax, 1779-1784. He is buried in the cemetery at St. Francis Xavier Church, Newtown.
Col. Ignatius Wheeler, Jr. (1744-1793) Harford County Militias; State Legislator
Col. Ignatius Wheeler, Jr., of Harford County was a descendant of one of Maryland’s oldest families. As the eldest son, he inherited the family’s extensive properties in Harford County, including plantations at Deer Park and Belle Farm. Col. Wheeler served his country as a soldier and a public servant. He enrolled in Company No. 16 of the Harford Militia in 1775 and was commissioned a first lieutenant in 1776. Two years later he is listed as serving in the Deer Creek Battalion of the Harford County Militia at the rank of colonel. He represented Harford County at the Annapolis Convention, the body that functioned as Maryland’s provisional government, 1774-1776, where he was a signatory to the Declaration of the Association of the Freemen of Maryland (1775). This document was a call to arms against Great Britain. The act of signing it was a pledge to support the Patriot cause.
During the war, he served as a commissioner responsible for procuring food and supplies for the Harford County militias and later served the county as a justice, 1784-1789, 1791-1793, and as a commissioner of the tax (commissioned 1792). On the state level, he was elected to represent Harford County in the House of Delegates, 1782-1788. Upon completing his service in the state legislature, he retired to his plantation, Deer Park. He is recognized as one of the founders of St. Ignatius Church, Hickory, and is buried in the church’s cemetery.