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.
St. Mary’s conferred the degree of Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa on Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, Norway at its graduation ceremony in May. Bishop Varden delivered the commencement address.
Read the entire Press Release below; or view/download the document.
ST. MARY’S SEMINARY & UNIVERSITY CONFERS HONORARY DEGREE ON NORWEGIAN BISHOP ERIK VARDEN
For immediate release: January 29, 2026
Media Contact: Sean Caine | 443-857-4372
Father Phillip Brown, PSS, President-Rector of St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland, announces that St. Mary’s will confer the degree of Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa on Bishop Erik Varden of Trondheim, Norway at its graduation ceremony in May. The honorary degree was proposed by St. Mary’s faculty and unanimously approved by its Board of Trustees, chaired by Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore. Bishop Varden will also deliver the commencement address.
Bishop Varden is one of the foremost writers and speakers on spirituality today, having a broad international impact. “It is a privilege to confer this degree on Bishop Varden, with whom St. Mary’s is developing a special friendship,” said Father Brown. “St. Mary’s has been working in a concentrated way for several years towards the renewal of the spiritual life of priests, consistent with the longstanding mission of the Society of St. Sulpice, beginning with the spiritual life of its seminarians. It is the conviction of St. Mary’s, following that of Fr. Jean-Jacques Olier, Founder of the Society, that renewal of the Church will result from renewal of the priesthood, which will result from a renewal and deepening of the spiritual life of priests beginning in the seminary.” St. Mary’s is starting where it really counts: in the interior spiritual life of our seminarians, along with dedica building a strong program of human formation in support of the spiritual life and sound, sensitive pastoral sensibilities.”
Bishop Varden was ordained in 2011. He holds a doctorate in theology from Cambridge University and STL from the Pontifical Oriental Institute. He taught at the Pontifical Athenaeum in Rome and entered Mount St. Bernard Abbey, a Trappist monastery, in 2002 where he was elected Abbot in 2015, later being appointed bishop of the Territorial Prelature of Trondheim.
Bishop Varden is a prolific author, with works appearing in Communio, Cistercian Studies Quarterly, Nouvelle Revue Théologique, The Tablet, Church Life Journal, and First Things. He has published five books on spiritual theology and is considered an authority on the subject. His 2023 book, Chastity: Reconciliation of the Senses, was positively reviewed in Cistercian Studies Quarterly, Pastoral Review, First Things, American Benedictine Review, and Teología y Vida. A reviewer in Cistercian Studies Quarterly observed that his book would “benefit every Christian and perhaps every person, Christian or not.”
May 8, 2026 | Featured News, St. Mary's News
Bishop Varden gave remarks at the 2026 Commencement on May 6....
May 5, 2026 | Featured News, St. Mary's News
A Mass of Thanksgiving was held in honor of Father Phillip Brown, PSS, President-Rector in the St. Mary’s Seminary chapel April 30. Father Brown will be retiring at the end of June after a decade of service to the seminary, the first Catholic seminary in the United States. ...