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 compiled a selection of online and published resources for those interested in learning more about Maryland in the American Revolution and the Founding Era.
Online Projects and Resources
Maryland State Archives
Finding the Maryland 400
Finding the Maryland 400 is a website dedicated to Maryland’s first Revolutionary War soldiers who saved the Continental Army in 1776. You can learn more about the lives of these soldiers, their military service, and their communities through this website.
Military and Pension Records – American Revolution
Maryland State Papers
The Scharf Collection
Revolutionary War Papers
Revolutionary War Records
Other Agencies and Organizations
Daughters of the American Revolution – Revolutionary War Patriots markers across Maryland
Findings the Roots of the American Revolution in Frederick County
Maryland Center for History and Culture – The Unfinished Revolution
Maryland Historical Trust – Reconstructing the Revolution Era Cultural Landscapes and Military Encampments
Maryland Military Department – 250th Anniversary of the Revolutionary War: Maryland Militia’s Role in the Founding of the United States
Maryland 250
Maryland Society of the Sons of the American Revolution
Maryland Center for History and Culture
National Park Service – Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Road
Patriots of Color Database
Southern Maryland National Heritage Area – The American Revolution
Visit Annapolis – The 18th Century & George Washington in Anne Arundel County
Published
Maryland Catholic Community
Chris Beneke. Free Exercise: Religion, the First Amendment, and the Making of America. Oxford University Press, 2024.
Michael D. Breidenbach, Our Dear-Bought Liberty: Catholics and Religious Toleration in Early America. Harvard University Press, 2021.
Robert Emmett Curran, Papist Devils: Catholics in British America, 1574-1783. The Catholic University of America Press, 2014.
Maura Jane Farrelly. Papist Patriots: The Making of an American Catholic Identity. Oxford University Press, 2012.
M. Virgina Geiger. Daniel Carroll II: One Man and His Descendants, 1730-1798. Priv. publ., 1979.
Thomas O’Brien Hanley. The American Revolution and Religion; Maryland 1770-1800. The Catholic University of America Press, 1971.
Thomas O’Brien Hanley. Revolutionary Statesman: Charles Carroll and the War. Loyola University Press, 1983.
Ronald Hoffman, in collaboration with Sally D. Mason. Princes of Ireland, Planters of Maryland: A Carroll Saga, 1500-1782. University of North Carolina Press for the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, 2000.
Annabelle M. Melville. John Carroll of Baltimore: Founder of the American Catholic Hierarchy. Scribner, 1955.
Charles H. Metzger. Catholics and the American Revolution: A Study in Religious Climate. Loyola University Press, 1962.
Kevin Starr. Continental Achievement: Roman Catholics in the United States: Revolution and the Early Republic. Ignatius Press, 2020.
Maryland – General
Charles Albro Barker. The Background of the Revolution in Maryland. Yale University Press, 1940.
Esther Mohr Dole. Maryland During the American Revolution. Waverly Press, 1941.
Barry Windsor Fowle. The Maryland Militia During the Revolutionary War: A Revolutionary Organization. University Microfilms International, 1987.
Christopher New. Maryland Loyalists in the American Revolution. Tidewater Publishers, 1996.
Patrick K. O’Donnell. Washington’s Immortals: The Untold Story of an Elite Regiment Who Changed the Course of the Revolution. Grove Press, 2017.
Bernard C. Steiner. Western Maryland in the Revolution. Johns Hopkins Press, 1902.
Kathryn Sullivan. Maryland and France, 1774-1789. University of Pennsylvania press, 1936.
Philip Thomas Tucker. How the Irish Won the American Revolution: The Forgotten Heroes of America’s War of Independence. Skyhorse Publishing, 2020.
Published Primary Records
Journal and correspondence of the Maryland Council of Safety, Aug.29, 1775-Mar.20, 1777. Maryland Historical Society, 1892-1897.
Gaius Marcus Brumbaugh and Margaret Roberts Hodges. Revolutionary Records of Maryland. Genealogical Pub. Co., 1978.
Bettie Stirling Carothers. Maryland Oaths of Fidelity, 2 vols. Priv. publ., 1974.
Raymond B. Clark. Maryland Revolutionary Records: How to Find The & Interpret Them. Priv. publ., 1976.
Raymond B. Clark. Marylanders in the Index of Revolutionary War Pension Applications. Priv. published, 1982.
Eugene Clements and F. Edward Wright. The Maryland Militia in the Revolutionary War. Family Line Publications, 1987.
Martin I. J. Griffin. Catholics and the American Revolution, 3 vols. Priv. publ., 1907-1911
Paul Heinegg. List of free African Americans in the American Revolution: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, and Delaware: (followed by the French and Indian War and colonial militias). Clearfield, 2021.
Michael Joseph O’Brien. A Hidden Phase of American History; Ireland’s Part in America’s Struggle for Liberty. Dodd, Mead and Company, 1919.
Henry C. Peden. Maryland public service records, 1775-1783: A compendium of the men and women of Maryland who rendered aid in support of the American cause against Great Britain during the Revolutionary War. Willow Bend Books, 2002.
Henry C. Peden, Jr. Revolutionary Patriots of Maryland, 1775-1783: A Supplement. Willow Bend Books, 2000.
Henry C. Peden, Jr. Revolutionary patriots of Maryland, 1775-1783: Second Supplement. Willow Bend Books, 2002.
Henry J. Retzer. The German Regiment of Maryland and Pennsylvania in the Continental Army, 1776-1781. Family Line Publications, 1991.
Harry Wright Newman. Maryland Revolutionary Records: Data obtained from 3,050 pension claims and bounty land applications, including 1,000 marriages of Maryland soldiers and a list of 1,200 proved services of soldiers and patriots of other states. Reprint. Southern Historical Press, Inc., 2019.