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.
More than 750 alums of St. Mary's Ecumenical Institute are making a difference in Baltimore, in Maryland and D.C., West Virginia and Pennsylvania, and around the world.
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.
The third annual meeting of the Moral Theology & Seminary Teaching conference will take place on April 25 and 26, 2025 at St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore, MD. The conference is open to all Catholic moral theologians, but the focus of the conference is specifically on seminary teaching. This year, participants are encouraged to submit papers on topics that are perhaps neglected in moral theology and that would be particularly beneficial for seminarians to learn about. Nevertheless, papers on any topic within the field of moral theology will be considered.
Anyone who is interested in presenting at the conference should fill out the online form and attach a 300-word abstract of their proposal. The time allotted for each presentation will depend on the number of participants, but it is anticipated that each presenter will be given a total of 30 minutes to give a presentation and field questions. Anyone who is interested in attended but not in giving a paper is certainly welcome to fill out the form below to indicate their interest in attending and assure that there will be space for them.
If you wish to present a paper, please submit your abstract by November 30, 2024.
The cost of attendance – including room, board, and registration – will be about $300. Once it is clear how many people expect to attend, a follow-up communication will be sent including a hard figure for the cost, travel information, and other logistical details. Travel stipends for graduate students may be available.
Those who present papers at this conference will be invited to submit their papers for publication in a special issue of Lux Veritatis, the journal of the Sacra Doctrina Project.
Please address any questions to Matthew Dugandzic at [email protected].
St. Mary’s celebrates October 3 as “Founder’s Day.” When Bishop John Carroll sent a request to the Society of Saint Sulpice in France, to establish the first Roman Catholic seminary in the new United States of America, the Sulpicians sent Fr. François Charles Nagot along with some companions and seminarians to begin St. Mary’s.
When Fr. Nagot and his companions arrived in Baltimore, they took possession of Baltimore’s old One-Mile Tavern on the edge of the city. There, on October 3, 1791, they began the first classes with the five seminarians they brought with them from France. Since then, St. Mary’s marks October 3rd as “Founders Day.”
On this Founders’ Day, the daily Mass was celebrated in honor of the occasion. The presider was Fr. Maximilian Maria Jaskowak, O.P., Instructor of Moral Theology. Below is Fr. Maximilian’s homily for the celebration:
In 1791, when then-Bishop Carroll wrote the Society of Saint-Sulpice, requesting its immediate assistance in founding the first seminary for the United States of America, these beautiful words doubtless came to mind:
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so, ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”
Happily, the Society of Saint-Sulpice responded to the Bishop of Baltimore in the affirmative. Four men set out, and in July 1791, they arrived on American soil for the first time. After purchasing an old tavern on the edge of Baltimore City, they repurposed the place, and dedicated it anew. And so, it happened. The One Mile Tavern became a seminary, and the Sulpician Fathers, the first formators of diocesan priests in the United States of America.
Classes commenced for the first time on October 3, 1791—that is, 233 years ago today. Since its foundation, tens of thousands of men (perhaps hundreds of thousands) have attended this great and historic institution. These same men—principally, though not exclusively immigrants themselves—have been formed by the Sulpician Fathers under the mantle of Mary, to whom this seminary is dedicated. From the very beginning, Mary has played a vital role in the formation of every man who has studied at this, her seminary. She once walked the halls of the old tavern; she still graces the house on Paca Street. She is here even now, admiring her seminarians and instructing her sons in the ways of God. And to those who complete their studies, to those who receive a call to orders, Mary speaks to them thus:
“Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. […] Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’”
Whatever we might think or believe about St. Mary’s Seminary, whatever we might critique or lament from the past century (whatever we might complain or contest in the present moment), we cannot dispute the reason for our founding, nor can we evade the generosity of God in the face of a depleted and seemingly faithless generation. Did he not say himself: “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few?” We must not forget that the Sulpician Fathers came to the United States at the invitation of Bishop Carroll, but even more to the point: they came at the invitation of Jesus and Mary. This seminary—St. Mary’s Seminary & University—would be nothing without the Lord’s invitation. The very existence of this seminary is a sign of God’s providential care for his people. It is a promise of his fidelity to the Church. It is a token of his love for the world.
The world has, of course, changed since 1791. At that time, the sitting president was George Washington, and the see of Baltimore was not yet an archdiocese. Two centuries may separate us from the founding of this seminary, but its mission—our mission—has never wavered; it has never changed. The Sulpician Fathers founded this place to form priests of Jesus Christ. And they founded it because of a need, a need for priests to serve the United States of America.
Today, in the year of Our Lord 2024, this very same need remains. We need priests to serve the Church in the United States. Now, as then, we need men who do not live for themselves, but live for others. We need men who will fight against mediocrity and settle for nothing less than a life of holiness. We need men who pray, and from that prayer, unabashedly proclaim their love for God in a godless world. We need men who preach against the encroaching lies of secular society, who defend the liberties upon which this great nation is founded, including the right to life, to religious freedom, to freedom of speech. We need men who promote the good of marriage and the integrity of parental rights. We need men who are willing to die to themselves, so that only Jesus may live within.
On this Founder’s Day, in which we celebrate the humble beginnings and historical patrimony of St. Mary’s Seminary & University, let us ask the master of the harvest to look favorably upon his laborers, so that this institution may carry out its mission for several centuries more.
St. Mary, Seat and Mother of All Wisdom, pray for this, your seminary.
Rev. Phillip J. Brown, P.S.S., President-Rector of St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore, America’s first Roman Catholic seminary, announced that Deacon Edward J. McCormack will serve as St. Mary’s inaugural Director of Human Formation. Deacon McCormack brings a quarter-century of formation experience, serving most recently as a member of the Formation Faculty in the position of Director of Pastoral Formation at Theological College, The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
As Director of Human Formation, Deacon McCormack will also serve as Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Homiletics, beginning in his new roles in the 2024-25 academic year.
“I bring to St. Mary’s my 25 years of experience in formation work, a love of theology, a passion to improve preaching, and a desire to cooperate with Christ as I serve the seminarians, faculty, and staff of St. Mary’s,” Deacon McCormack said of his new role.
In the role of Director of Human Formation, Deacon McCormack will oversee the seminary’s comprehensive program of human formation, which seeks to properly balance and integrate the four dimensions of priestly formation (human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral) to maximize seminarians’ human formation and development. In collaboration with the Rector and Formation Team, the Director of Human Formation will coordinate seminary life, psycho-social services, fitness, nutrition, and recreation to assist seminarians in maintaining a balanced seminary experience.
Recognizing the growing importance and need in this area, St. Mary’s identified the endowment of the Director of Human Formation position as one of the four priorities of its successful $25 million-dollar campaign. St. Mary’s has prioritized its Human Formation program, as well as its integration with the other dimensions of formation.
“Deacon McCormack’s long and diverse experience in priestly formation makes him an ideal person to lead St. Mary’s Human Formation program,” Father Brown said. “We are fortunate to have his leadership and expertise in this critical position, which is designed to ensure that our seminarians are well formed humanly, spiritually, academically, and pastorally for ordination to the priesthood.”
Deacon McCormack has a Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America and a Master of Arts in Theology from Immaculate Conception Seminary in South Orange, New Jersey. Prior to joining the faculty at Theological College, Deacon McCormack served as Associate Professor of Christian Spirituality at Washington Theological Union, where was Chair of the Spirituality Department. An award-winning professor, he has taught graduate level courses in Systematic Theology, Christian Spirituality and has trained men and women for ministry in the Church for 22 years. He was ordained to the permanent diaconate for the Archdiocese of Washington in 2013.
From St. Mary’s President Rector, Rev. Phillip J. Brown, P.S.S.:
Dear St. Mary’s Seminary & University Community Members,
Former Provincial Superior Fr. Gerald L. Brown, P.S.S. died on August 11th, 2024 after a long illness. Fr. Brown joined the Society of St. Sulpice in 1966 as a priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco for which he was ordained in 1964. In 1985 Fr. Brown was elected as the Provincial of the U.S. Province of Sulpicians and he served two terms in that position during which he expanded the missionary efforts of the Province in Central Africa (Zambia) and also in San Antonio, Texas. As Provincial, Fr. Brown was a member of the St. Mary’s Seminary & University Board of Trustees ex officio, and was very involved in the Seminary’s Bicentennial Celebrations (1991) and the opening of the Center for Continuing Formation in 1996. On October 8th, 1995 Fr. Brown joined Cardinal William Keeler in welcoming Pope St. John Paul II to St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore.
Fr. Brown is survived by two sisters and several other family members. His funeral will be held at Our Lady of the Angels Parish in Catonsville on Monday, August 19th at 11 a.m. followed by burial in the Sulpician Cemetery nearby.
May he rest in the Lord’s Peace!
Fr. Phillip J. Brown, P.S.S. President Rector St. Mary’s Seminary & University
St. Mary’s President-Rector, Fr. Phillip J. Brown, P.S.S., presents his next Reflections from the Park–a “pastoral letter” sharing thoughts for the St. Mary’s Community. This reflection focuses on fostering discernment in the formation of seminarians, thoughts arising from a visit to the tomb of St. Charles Borromeo, patron saint of seminarians.
Fr. Brown writes:
“The idea of “formation” has deep roots in Sacred Scripture. In Genesis 2:7 we read “… the LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” The essential insight regarding formation for the priesthood is that it is God’s work, not our own…It is God who “forms” priests. “Formators” must be open to God acting in them, just as any priest is a conduit of God’s grace, not some work of his own: God’s will accomplished through the promptings of the Holy Spirit.”
View/Download the complete reflection as PDF.
Or, read the full text below:
#2 February 27, 2024 Baltimore, Roland Park Neighborhood
Formation 1: Discernment
I spent a couple of days in Milan during my trip to Italy in December, just before returning to Baltimore. I went to Milan for three reasons: to visit a good friend; to visit the Basilica of St. Ambrose; and to visit the Cathedral (Duomo) to spend some time praying at the tomb of St. Charles Borromeo, the Patron Saint of Seminarians. I’ll write about St. Ambrose, for whom I have a special devotion, in a future reflection, but today I’d like to reflect on what seminary formation is really about, inspired by my visit to the tomb of St. Charles Borromeo.
Charles was born in 1538 to an ancient and noble Lombard family. His mother Margaret was from the Medici family of Florence. Her brother was elected Pope in 1559 and he called Charles to Rome to work in the Curia. Made a cardinal in 1560, he organized the final session of the Council of Trent in 1562-63, then returned to Milan as Archbishop in 1565. He diligently implemented the decrees of the Council, especially those which called for the establishment of seminaries for the training of priests and was eventually declared the Patron Saint of Seminarians and seminaries. Our small chapel at St. Mary’s is named after St. Charles Borromeo for that reason.
Milan had not had an archbishop for 80 years and clergy and laity had drifted from the teachings of the Church. St. Charles labored to reform Italy’s largest archdiocese. The selling of indulgences and Church offices, a major cause of the Protestant Reformation, was prevalent; monasteries were “full of disorder” and many religious were “lazy, ignorant, and debauched” (Susan Swetnam in My Best Teachers Were Saints).
St. Charles believed the failings that led to the Protestant Reformation were due to ignorant clergy. He emphasized sound education in Catholic doctrine, beliefs, and practices in his seminaries, which greatly improved men’s readiness for the priesthood. He founded a lay fraternity, the Oblates of St. Ambrose, a “Third Order” and early opening for lay people to serve the mission of the Church.
He was a leading figure in the Church’s response to the Protestant Reformation, along with St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Philip Neri, which included the founding of seminaries. He is directly linked therefore to the mission of Jean-Jacques Olier who founded the Society of St. Sulpice.
The idea of “formation” has deep roots in Sacred Scripture. In Genesis 2:7 we read “… the LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” The essential insight regarding formation for the priesthood is that it is God’s work, not our own. God works through seminary “formators”, but it is God’s work not our own. It is God who “forms” priests. “Formators” must be open to God acting in them, just as any priest is a conduit of God’s grace, not some work of his own: God’s will accomplished through the promptings of the Holy Spirit. One of the first principles of Fr. Olier was, “Abandon yourself to the Holy Spirit” (se laisser à l’Esprit Saint)! That is what we encourage seminarians to do here at St. Mary’s: Abandon yourself to the Holy Spirit; allow yourself to be led by the Holy Spirit; listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit; allow your thoughts, feelings and actions to be prompted by the Holy Spirit, not your own will, and God will lead you where He wishes you to be; God will form you into the person He wants you to be. When your desires become what God desires for you, when you acquire the dispositions of Christ and see the world as Christ saw the world, you will find what you are looking for; you will find your happiness; you will be the vessel of grace you long to be and God wants you to be. You will flourish humanly and spiritually, and you will be configured to Christ, which will make you an effective and beloved minister of the Gospel and you will find your happiness and fulfillment.
Seminary formation is a great adventure, a great quest to discover oneself and be “formed” according to God’s plan. As said in Jeremiah 1:4-5: “The word of the LORD came to me: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you.” God knew us even before we were formed in our mothers’ wombs! We are created by God to be who God created us to be. This understanding is distinctly counter-cultural today, but it is the authentic Christian view of who and what we are, a foundational insight that underlies seminary formation. It is the work of seminary formators to help each seminarian clear away the underbrush (distractions and obstacles to discovering his true identity and calling). Formation for the priesthood is all about coming to understand what I was called to be even before I was formed in my mother’s womb; understanding this as the pathway to fulfillment, flourishing, and happiness for those who are called, and a lifetime of profound service to God, the Church, and the people of God.
God does not call priests alone as individuals. He calls communities of people with a particular identity whom priests are called to serve; whom priests call together, form, and minister to as individuals and as a whole. The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us:
62 … God formed Israel as his people by freeing them from slavery in Egypt. He established with them the covenant of Mount Sinai and, through Moses, gave them his law so that they would recognize him and serve him as the one living and true God, the provident Father and just judge, and so that they would look for the promised Saviour.
63 Israel is the priestly people of God, “called by the name of the LORD,” and “the first to hear the word of God,” the people of “elder brethren” in the faith of Abraham.
64 Through the prophets, God forms his people in the hope of salvation, in the expectation of a new and everlasting Covenant intended for all, to be written on their hearts.
We as Christians are the people of God of the New Covenant, the new priestly people of God which the Church tells us “subsists” in the Catholic Church. The divisions among Christians are unfortunate, and something of a mystery, but it is no mystery that the pastoral ministry of Catholic priests occurs mainly in the parishes of the Catholic Church. The essential thing to remember is that the call to priesthood comes from God, and that formation for this ministry is the work of God. It involves first and foremost discernment: listening for the voice of God and the promptings of the Holy Spirit and responding to that call and God’s plan for our lives and for His Church. This succeeds to the extent that we abandon ourselves to the Holy Spirit, allowing God to act in us and through us. Seminary formation is about disposing seminarians toward an openness to that call, and a willingness to follow wherever it may lead. These principles, inspired by the writings and spirit of Jean-Jacques Olier and St. Charles Borromeo, continue to guide our work of seminary formation at St. Mary’s.
We, too, live in a time of reform following a great Church Council. We live in times when many have drifted from the teachings of the Church, and many have been scandalized by disordered and even debauched behavior on the part of ministers of the Church, including priests and religious. But perhaps we are on the cusp of a great renewal of the faith and the Church’s ministry, just as Olier and St. Charles were. May we live in that hope. St. Charles Borromeo, patron saint of seminarians, and Jean-Jacques Olier founder of the Society of St. Sulpice, pray for us that this will be the case. Through your intercession may we be filled with energy so our efforts will flower in a new generation of faithful and holy priests whose abandonment to the Holy Spirit will lead to a great flowering of Christian faith and the Catholic Church in the years ahead.
In the next Reflections from the Park, I will write about the human dimension of formation, the foundation for all the other dimensions of priestly formation, and how our outlook on human formation continues to be influenced by Olier, St. Charles Borromeo and St. Ambrose.
Fr. Phillip J. Brown, P.S.S. President-Rector
St. Mary’s showed Unity in Diversity with a Lunar New Year celebration on February 8, 2024. The seminary hosted Vietnamese Catholics in the DC and Baltimore Areas for an evening of events. Rev. Hy Nguyen, P.S.S., Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, presided at Mass. The Vovinam Potomac Martial Arts in Silver Spring MD entertained the community with the Lion Dance and some Tai Chi Martial Arts performance. A traditional dinner followed.
Date: March 21, 2024 Time: 7:00 pm Location: Laubacher Hall, St. Mary’s Seminary & University
Dr. Brad Wilcox will give the Annual Carroll Lecture on March 21. The lecture is titled “In God We Trust: The Relationship Between Faith and Family Today.”
Brad Wilcox is Professor of Sociology and Director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, the Future of Freedom Fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, and a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. The author of Get Married: Why Americans Should Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families and Save Civilization (Harper Collins, 2024), Wilcox studies marital quality, marital stability, and the impact of strong and stable marriages upon men, women, and children.
The author and editor of six books, Wilcox has written for scientific journals such as The American Sociological Review and The Journal of Marriage and Family, as well as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and National Review. A Connecticut native, he now lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with his wife and family.
This event is free and open to the public, but registration is requested. Register at: https://CarrollLecture2024.eventbrite.com
View/download a one-sheet flyer for this event.
In Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization University of Virginia sociologist Brad Wilcox explains how our ruling class publicly disparages marriage—the institution most likely to deliver prosperity and happiness to ordinary Americans—while privately embracing it.
This book will be available for purchase. Dr. Wilcox will sign copies.
The annual Carroll Lecture is given in honor of John Carroll, first bishop in the United States, who called upon the Society of Saint Sulpice to come to Baltimore and open the first Roman Catholic seminary in the new nation in 1791.
St. Mary’s President-Rector, Fr. Phillip J. Brown, P.S.S., presents the first in a series of Reflections from the Park—a “pastoral letter” sharing thoughts for the St. Mary’s Community. This reflection is prompted by both the feast of Epiphany and a Christmas trip to Rome, especially a visit to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
As Fr. Brown writes:
“I travelled in Italy during the Christmas vacation, which gave me some food for thought for beginning again some reflections as pastor of the seminary community, drawing on my life as a pastor and Rector, and in the context of St. Mary’s mission of forming priests after the heart of Jesus who are confident, skillful, sensitive, and effective as ministers of the Gospel and leaders of Catholic Christian communities.”
#1 January 7, 2024 Baltimore, Roland Park Neighborhood
Epiphany
During the Covid Pandemic I wrote a series of letters we called Letters from the Park as a way of keeping in touch after our seminarians were sent home, and throughout the “lockdown” period. I have wanted to resume something like that ever since, to share some theological and pastoral reflections on matters of current interest. I travelled in Italy during the Christmas vacation, which gave me some food for thought for beginning again some reflections as pastor of the seminary community, drawing on my life as a pastor and Rector, and in the context of St. Mary’s mission of forming priests after the heart of Jesus who are confident, skillful, sensitive, and effective as ministers of the Gospel and leaders of Catholic Christian communities.
Our seminarians return for the spring semester on Sunday, January 7, the Feast of the Epiphany. This Feast celebrates the Magi’s arrival at the manger of Jesus to see what the star and their studies led them to want to see: the Birth of a great King, whom we recognize as the Savior of the World foretold by prophets of old. As we reflect on Epiphany, Christmas 2023 has already started receding into the past as we enter Ordinary Time. There is a progression in the liturgical year, beginning with anticipation of the Birth of Jesus during Advent, arriving at our celebration of his Birth, then moving into our walk through his life and ministry during Ordinary Time, punctuated by our celebration of his Passion, Death and Resurrection during Lent, Holy Week, and Easter.
As I reflect on this progression, a common theme occurs to me that first appears at Epiphany. The Magi came to see what they had been anticipating, what the people of Israel have been waiting for throughout their history: the Birth of a great King, the Birth of a Messiah who would be the Savior of the World, Who would save the human race from the debacle resulting from the sin of our first parents. Christians, followers of Christ, still live in anticipation of His Second Coming, the final and complete fulfillment of the Salvation of the World. The common theme I discern is not what we anticipate as a result of religious formation, study and belief, but rather what we see when we arrive at the manger with the Magi and open our eyes, our minds, and our hearts to what is right there in front of us.
According to the Gospel of John, the day after Jesus’ baptism two of his disciples heard John declare “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” They followed Jesus and when he noticed them, he asked “What are you looking for?” They said “Rabbi (which means Teacher), where do you stay?” He said to them, “Come and see,” and they went and stayed with him. The next day he came upon Philip and said, “Follow me”. Philip then sought out Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses spoke of in the law—the prophets too—Jesus, son of Joseph from Nazareth.” Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip replied, “Come, see for yourself.”
We all have a natural curiosity, a yearning to see for ourselves what’s “out there”, especially whatever might help us understand our lives better and the point of it all. In response to that natural curiosity, our yearning to “know what it’s all about”, God attracts us by various means to come and see for ourselves. Jesus, God come to earth as a human being, says “Come and see.” Philip says to those who are curious, “Come, see for yourself.” The mark of disciples and of those called to be ministers of his Gospel, it seems to me, is saying to others: “Come and see; come and see for yourself.” It’s not about elaborate argumentation, or efforts to convert others, or eliciting an explicit “act of faith”. It’s simply about encouraging others to “Come and see; come and see for yourself.” That’s what evangelization is all about: a call to “Come and see; come and see for yourself.”
Seminary formation is about forming men to say to others, “Come and see; come and see for yourself”. Then about their making available what is there to be seen: Jesus Christ present in the Eucharist and the other sacraments; present in the Word of God proclaimed; Jesus Christ present in others, especially the poor, for those who will simply open their eyes, their minds and their hearts to see.
I visited the Basilica of Mary Major in Rome during my trip, where Pope Sixtus III constructed a “cave of the Nativity” shortly after the basilica was completed in 432 A.D. Pilgrims began to bring fragments of what was reputed to be the crib of Jesus in Nazareth to Rome, which were incorporated in the shrine at Mary Major. Were the fragments really from the manger in which Jesus lay? Who can say? We know that the crib in Nazareth had long been an object of veneration and pilgrimage. Whether or not it was actually the crib in which our Savior lay seems to me beyond the point, to succumb to a modern worldview preoccupied with history and science and authenticating objects as “the real deal”. What’s important, it seems to me, is not the object but the veneration; the sense of the sacred that believers invest in these objects used as a focal point for reflection and prayer, for veneration and worship. What is venerated and worshipped is not the object but what it represents. As though if the crib preserved at St. Mary Major were not the actual crib in which Jesus lay it would call into question whether he ever lay in a crib; if he ever was born; if he was actually the Son of God, born into our world as a human being in order to save us. What we worship, what we venerate, what we give thanks for, what we rejoice in, what we wonder at, is Salvation accomplished through saving events. Coming and seeing these objects of veneration helps us to reflect on those events and, aided by hearing and studying the Word of God, helps us call to mind the meaning of those events. Coming to see and to understand, to perceive in our hearts the meaning of these sacred events fills us with hope, a hope that leads to perseverance, whatever the challenges faced in living out our lives on earth.
Visiting these places considered holy, and focusing attention on the objects they preserve for us that help us call to mind and reflect on the mysteries of our faith, is worthwhile and edifying. It cultivates a lively faith and sustaining hope, whatever is going on in our lives. I recommend visiting places considered holy, and reflecting on the mysteries of faith they inspire us to call to mind. In a very human way, they strengthen and help to sustain our faith and hope in the promises of our faith. They reinforce our sense of the reality of what our faith tells us life is all about. With all the others who have heard the call of God, the call of Jesus to “come and follow me”, I say as his first disciples said, as so many have said throughout the ages and continue to say: “Come and see; come and see for yourself.” As Christmas and Epiphany pass, come and see, come and see for yourself in the events of Jesus’ life, in his teaching, and in his call to us during Ordinary time the saving mystery of our Salvation.
On November 27, 2023, at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, DC, a reception was held to mark the elevation by Pope Francis to the College of Cardinals of His Eminence Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America. Invited attendees from St. Mary’s Seminary & University included (from left to right) Rev. Fredrik Hansen, P.S.S. (cand.), Dean of Seminarians, Rev. Lawrence B. Terrien, P.S.S., Associate Professor of Systematic Theology (and former Superior General of the Society of Saint Sulpice), and Rev. Phillip J. Brown, P.S.S., President-Rector of St. Mary’s.
With the closure of the seminary department of the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) in 2014, the publication of Seminary Journal ended. Recently, En Route Books and Media, LLC, in partnership with WCAT Radio, assumed stewardship of Seminary Journal under the leadership of General Editor, Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, OP.
Working with St. Mary’s faculty member, Rev. Dennis Billy, C.Ss.R., plans for the reintroduction of the journal were put in place. Fr. Billy coordinated the efforts of multiple St. Mary’s faculty members to produce all the content for the Spring 2023 issue of Seminary Journal, the first in over seven years. Over 10 faculty authored 8 articles. In a brief introduction to the issue, Fr. Billy describes the two-year process of faculty collaboration in the renewed journal.
The journal is available as a free PDF download from seminaryjournal.com and print copies are available through amazon.com.
As part of the re-launch, WCAT internet radio’s “The Catholic Bookworm” podcast series produced 8 episodes with individual St. Mary’s faculty members to discuss their respective articles in the issue. All segments are available on the podcast webpage at https://wcatradio.com/thecatholicbookworm/.
The faculty interview subjects/article authors on the podcast are: