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.
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.
Members of the St. Mary’s community have an impact far beyond our Baltimore location. These are some of the latest examples.
Drs. Eric Mabry and Innocent Smith, O.P. were presenters at Villanova University’s 46th International Patristic, Medieval, and Renaissance Conference (PMR). The conference was held October 15-17, 2021 on the theme “Cum Dilatasti Cor Meum: Knowledge, Affect, and the Dilation of the Heart.”
Fr. Innocent presented on “Beauty, Devotion, and the Medieval Liturgy” during the session on Beauty and Emotion in Christian Material Culture.
Dr. Eric Mabry presented on “Paratum cor meum, Deus: Christological Affectivity in Medieval Exegesis of the Psalms” during a session on Medieval Exegesis. He also chaired the session on the Theology of Bonaventure.
Fr. William Burton, O.F.M., S.T.D. is presenting an adult formation series on “Paul & the Early Church” at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, Charles Street, Baltimore. The 4-part series takes place on the first four Tuesday evenings of November.
St. Mary’s own music director, Samuel Rowe, directed the Schola Cantorum at First Vespers of All Saints at the Baltimore Basilica on Sunday, October 31. See fb.me/e/KvakrABu.
On November 15, St. Mary’s Seminary & University collaborated with Saint Luke Institute to host an evening for Bishops during their November meeting in Baltimore. St. Mary’s President Rector, Rev. Phillip Brown, P.S.S. and Saint Luke’s CEO, Rev. David Songy, O.F.M. Cap. gave brief presentations during the dinner. St. Mary’s was also represented by six seminarians.
St. Mary’s already partners with Saint Luke Institute on a number of initiatives including candidate assessments, counseling, and human formation. Several Saint Luke staff members have done workshops in pastoral skills for seminarians and resourcing for faculty and formators.
Dr. Michael Gorman, Raymond E. Brown Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology, attended the Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting in San Antonio, TX from November 20-23. He was a respondent in a session devoted to Pauline Theology, specifically the meaning of justice in the letters of Paul.
See last month’s “On the Road”…
On Tuesday, November 16, Bishop Robert Barron of Los Angeles visited St. Mary’s seminarians for a question-and-answer dialogue. He answered questions about discernment, preaching, and how to evangelize in our modern world.
This past summer, Mary Pat Seurkamp, Ph.D. was named chair of the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. Dr. Seurkamp, who is the president emerita of Notre Dame of Maryland University, is a former member of the Board of Trustees of St. Mary’s Seminary & University who continues to serve on the Education & Formation Committee of the Board. She brings more than 40 years of experience in higher education administration and governance to these roles.
MHEC is Maryland’s higher education coordinating board which establishes statewide policies for the state’s public and private colleges and universities and for-profit career schools. MHEC also administers state financial aid programs for students
Dr. Seurkamp chaired the board of the Council for Independent Colleges (CIC) from 2003 through 2005 and is a senior advisor for the New Presidents Program. She led the Maryland Independent College and University Association Board (MICUA) from 2008 to 2011, served on the board and executive committee of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and was chair of the Maryland Hospital Association Board. She is a founding partner of MPK&D, a higher education consulting firm.
Dr. Seurkamp, a magna cum laude graduate of Webster University (’68) with a B.A. in psychology, holds a M.A. in counseling from Washington University, and a Ph.D. in higher education from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is a graduate of Maryland Leadership ’99 and was recognized as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women, Circle of Excellence, by The Daily Record. She lives on the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, with her husband, Bob.
Members of the Saint Mary’s community have an impact far beyond our Baltimore location. Recent examples include:
St. Mary’s Raymond E. Brown Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology, Dr. Michael J. Gorman, was selected by Northern Seminary to give the 2021 Brady Theology and Mission Lectures on September 23 and 24 at the seminary in Lisle, IL (Chicago). The event was livestreamed. More on the Northern Seminary website…
On October 4, St. Mary’s Robert F. Leavitt Distinguished Service Professor of Theology, Rev. Dennis J. Billy, C.Ss.R., traveled to Long Island, NY to record two upcoming programs for the Catholic Faith Network. The programs will discuss the relationship between Catholic Spirituality and Catholic Moral Teaching. They are part of the series, Encounter, featuring Bishop John Barres of the Diocese of Rockville Centre.
On Thursday, October 14 the Thomistic Institute at Rutgers University presented a lecture by Prof. Matthew Dugandzic on “The Thomistic Understanding of the Soul.” The lecture was given on the campus of Rutgers in New Brunswick, NJ.
On October 18, St. Mary’s President Rector, Rev. Phillip J. Brown, P.S.S., and four seminarians attended the Annual Saint Luke Institute Benefit at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington D.C.
In the photo: [from left to right] Mr. Andrew McCarroll (Diocese of Scranton, 2nd year), Mr. Michael Boris (Diocese of Scranton, 3rd year), Archbishop Christophe Pierre (Apostolic Nuncio), Rev. David Songy, O.F.M. Cap., S.T.D., Psy.D. (President and CEO, Saint Luke Institute), Rev. Phillip J. Brown, P.S.S., J.D., J.C.L. (President Rector, St. Mary’s), Rev. Mr. Brian Norris (Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, 4th year), Rev. Msgr. John J. Enzler (President and CEO, Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Washington and Recipient of the 2021 Saint Luke Award), Mr. C.J. Wild (Diocese of Buffalo, 1st year), and Wilton Cardinal Gregory (Archbishop of Washington).
ST. MARY’S SEMINARY & UNIVERSITY invites you to a piano recital by Rev. Paul Maillet, P.S.S.
Bach: Selected Chorale Preludes Schubert: Sonata in A Major, D. 664 Rachmaninov: Moments Musicaux, Op. 16
Sunday, November 14, 2021 • 3:00 pm St. Mary’s Chapel at St. Mary’s Seminary & University Light reception to follow
Free and open to the public, but we encourage you to RSVP: rsvp@stmarys.edu
Before discerning a call to the priesthood, Paul Maillet received critical acclaim and international recognition for his performances with orchestra and in recital. He studied under full scholarship with Cécile Genhart at the Eastman School of Music. An alumnus of the Peabody Conservatory, he studied with Leon Fleisher and received the prestigious Artist’s Diploma.
“Maillet remains a fluent technician who boasts a particularly lovely quality of sound and who excels in subtlety of voicing. Most of all he has something to say, feelings to express and thoughts to communicate….Maillet’s playing is about his spirit, about his beliefs, about his experience of life…” The Boston Globe
“One of the best of the many brilliant students who have emerged from Leon Fleisher’s studio. He’s a pianist with an abundance of technique, a beautiful tone, and a deep streak of poetry.” The Baltimore Sun
On September 1, 2021 St. Mary’s opened its academic year with a “Mass of the Holy Spirit” (sometimes called a “Red Mass” after the liturgical color for the Holy Spirit and the vestments worn). The Most Rev. William E. Lori, Archbishop of Baltimore, was the presider and homilist. The principal concelebrants were Rev. Phillip Brown, P.S.S., President-Rector of St. Mary’s Seminary & University, Rev. Paul Maillet, P.S.S., Vice-Rector of St. Mary’s, and Rev. Gladstone Stevens, P.S.S., St. Mary’s Academic Dean. Deacons for the liturgy were Rev. Mr. Kenneth Lukong, Archdiocese of Baltimore, and Rev. Mr. Brian Norris, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown.
Included in the celebration was a special rite after Communion in which new members of the St. Mary’s community–seventeen new seminarians, four priests from Cameroon studying for the Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL), and two new faculty members–inscribed their names in the St. Mary’s Covenant Book. After the inscriptions, al faculty and students recited “The St. Mary’s Covenant” dedicating themselves to their studies and a life of community in formation as practiced in the tradition of the Society of Saint Sulpice.
Following the conclusion of the Mass, all faculty, students, and seminarians gathered with Archbishop Lori for the annual community photo.
The final phase of renovations to the living areas of the seminary have been completed, bringing to an end the two-year construction project and an even lengthier period of planning and organization. The project reimagined a 1929 dormitory-style collection of small rooms built for hundreds of seminarians–along with communal bathrooms and showers, and fitness and recreation areas–in need of updating. These were converted into modern, welcoming–yet far from luxurious–residential floors with over 100 small suites (created by combining two former small dormitory rooms) plus lounges, small kitchens, and prayer rooms.
Each suite contains space for a bed, a study area, a reading chair, and a private bath. The fitness room has been completely renovated with modern equipment to promote healthy physical development and care. Scattered among the seminarian rooms are suites for the Sulpician faculty members as well. Sulpician faculty live among the students as a “formational community” or communauté éducatrice in the words of Jean-Jacque Olier, founder of “The Society of the Priests of the Seminary of St. Sulpice” in Paris, France in the 1600s.
The project is much more than a the renovation of a building. It is actually a part of the wider re-commitment and revitalization of the entire process of human formation at the seminary. Human Formation is considered one of the four “pillars,” or dimensions, of Roman Catholic priestly formation (along with spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation). At St. Mary’s, human formation is a cornerstone to priestly formation. “We are forming men to be healthy, happy, holy, and mature priests–the kind of priests the people of God deserve,” says Fr. Phillip J. Brown, President-Rector of St. Mary’s Seminary & University.
Providing living spaces for adult, mature young men (and older, as well) is a key aspect to this formational goal.
The last of the renovated rooms was blessed on Monday, August 30. A Mass of Gratitude and reception for the contractors and companies involved in the renovation was held on September 10 (picture below).
St. Mary’s welcomes two new members of the Seminary/School of Theology faculty: Rev. Innocent Smith, O.P. and Dr. James Starke.
Dominican Father Innocent Smith, who is also a Missionary of Mercy appointed by Pope Francis, has ministry, teaching, and research specialties in homiletics, liturgy, sacramental theology, ecclesiology, and sacred music. He joins the faculty as Assistant Professor of Homiletics. He will also serve as the Director of Spiritual Life Programs. See his full faculty description and C.V….
Dr. James Starke most recently served as Director of the Office of Divine Worship for the Catholic Diocese of Arlington. Dr. Starke and his family live in Arlington, VA and enjoy spending time in nature parks, visiting museums, and playing sports. He joins the faculty as Assistant Professor of Systematics. He will also serve as Director of Liturgy. See his full faculty description and C.V….
Over the summer St. Mary’s has done a complete renovation of the servery with beautiful new flooring, lighting, and technical upgrades. SAGE, our new food service provider, has done a complete revision of the menu to provide new offerings, healthy choices and always-available information. Digital communications have been deployed with the SAGE dining services app for easy access to menus, nutritional information and recipes as well as opportunities to give feedback and view events.
Get started with the “Touch of SAGE” mobile app for both Android and iOS:
See you in the refectory!
On August 24, St. Mary’s Seminary & University welcomed 17 new seminarians to the newly renovated Baltimore seminary. They were greeted by a large orientation team of current students across all classes, from Pre-Theology to those in their four (and final) year.
The new arrivals come from diverse backgrounds and regions. At St. Mary’s, they will study for the priesthood for the (arch)dioceses of:
Two new seminarians are members of the Trinitarian Order. And four priests from two dioceses in Cameroon arrived to study for the Licentiate of Sacred Theology (STL) degree.
This results in a total of 80 men studying at the Roland Park seminary.
Following their arrival, the new seminarians commenced multiple days of orientation and introduction to life, prayer, study, and pastoral service in the seminary. Beginning Tuesday, August 31, they opened their year with several retreat days. Classes began on Thursday, September 2.