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.
Dr. John Macias joined St. Mary’s Seminary in 2022. He earned a B.A. in philosophy from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the Center for Thomistic Studies at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. His dissertation focused on the political work of Alasdair MacIntyre. Dr. Macias has published articles on Thomistic natural law, politics, and education.
Dr. Macias brings experience and enthusiasm for teaching to St. Mary’s. He is deeply committed to the formation of good and holy priests, and he is eager to share the Catholic intellectual tradition with seminarians in their preparation for ministry. The gospel offers answers to the deepest needs of the human heart, and Dr. Macias passionately communicates the relationship of philosophy and faith to modern men and women. He has previously taught at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University, University of Mary, and St. Gregory’s University. Dr. Macias has also served the Church through teaching ethics and natural law within the context of training instructors for Creighton Model fertility care courses, as well as acting as lector during Mass.
Dr. Macias is a native of Wichita, Kansas where his mother and father still live. He has one sister, a nephew, and two nieces. During his free time, Dr. Macias enjoys golfing, musical theater and opera, and attending professional sports.
“The only real sadness, the only real failure, the only great tragedy in life, is not to become a saint.” Leon Bloy
Father Hy has been a member of the Society of St. Sulpice since 2000. He received his doctorate in dogmatic theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. After six years of teaching at St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore and three years at Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, he joined the faculty of Theological College and also taught Foundations of Catholicism at The Catholic University of America.
As a native of Vietnam, Father Hy has contributed significantly to the faith formation and growth of the Vietnamese community living in the U.S. and in Vietnam. He has been Chair of the Theological Committee of the Federation of Vietnamese Catholics in the U.S. since 2006, lectured widely to the Vietnamese community in America, has published numerous writings in several Vietnamese journals in the U.S. and in Vietnam, and regularly conducted retreats and workshops for Vietnamese clergy and laity. He edited, in Vietnamese, the book Marriage and Family (published in spring 2015). He has also lectured regularly at many Catholic gatherings, including the Los Angeles Congress, Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the Faith Formation Conference of the Bay Area. Since 2002, he has been hosting the half-hour live talk-show radio program “Learning Our Catholic Faith,” which is broadcast once a month by more than 40 different stations in the U.S., including in California, Texas, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, and Virginia. It has also aired in Australia. Father Hy served as an interpreter for Vietnamese attending the World Family Conference in Philadelphia in September 2015 and was a speaker at the Convocation of Vietnamese Priests of the U.S. in October 2015.
Ms. Leelamma Sebastian is the Director of Pastoral Formation at St. Mary’s Seminary & University, having joined the faculty in the summer of 2020. Originally from Kerala, India, she has lived most of her life in California and Hawaii, and she has two adult daughters who live and work in the San Francisco Bay area.
Ms. Sebastian holds master’s degrees in Counseling Psychology and Organizational Leadership. Before joining the St. Mary’s faculty, she served as Program Director for the Social Ministry Office in Honolulu, Hawaii; Program Director for the Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos, California; Formation Advisor and Associate Director of Pastoral Year at St. Patrick’s Seminary and University, Menlo Park, California; and Marketing Operations Manager for the University Marketing and Communications Department at Santa Clara University, California.
Service to the Church
Recommended Reading
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 1 Corinthians 12:4–6
Dr. James Starke joined the St. Mary’s faculty in 2021. He is a liturgical scholar with experience in graduate education, academic research, and diocesan ministry. He holds a licentiate in sacred theology from St. Mary’s Seminary & University and a doctorate in Liturgical Studies and Sacramental Theology from The Catholic University of America.
Prior to working at St. Mary’s, he served as Director of the Office of Divine Worship of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington and as an instructor for seminarian courses at CUA. Since 2020 he has served on the national board of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions—elected as chair of the board in 2023—and since 2023 he has served as the chair of the Liturgical Commission of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Dr. Starke’s professional interests include methodology for liturgical theology, liturgical tradition, liturgy and spirituality, and religion and science. In the classroom he seeks to connect research in these areas with the pastoral and spiritual needs of today, especially as discerned from his experience preparing diocesan and parochial liturgies, ministering as an episcopal master of ceremonies, forming lay and ordained ministers, and serving on diocesan liturgical and arts commissions.
Dr. Starke and his family live in Arlington, VA. They enjoy spending time in nature parks, visiting museums, and playing various sports. Dr. Starke also enjoys reading non-fiction books on science, history, and art.
He who said, “This is my body,” and by His word made it so, also said, … “what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me” (Matt 25:45). Indeed, the former needs a pure soul, not coverings, but the latter requires much attention. St. John Chrysostom, Homily 50 on the Gospel of Matthew