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.
Fr. Maximilian Maria Jaskowak, O.P. is a solemnly professed friar of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph (Eastern Province, USA). He joined the faculty of St. Mary’s Seminary & University in the fall of 2023.
Fr. Maximilian holds a Licentiate of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception (the Dominican House of Studies) in Washington, D.C. His present research, on the topic of priestly spirituality, relies upon the sapiential insights of St. Thomas Aquinas and several authors from the French School of Christian spirituality.
In addition to his teaching and mentoring responsibilities at the seminary, Fr. Maximilian regularly assists with the Catholic chaplaincy at Johns Hopkins University. He is also the co-founder and co-director of The COR IESU Project, a preaching initiative of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph, dedicated to the work of priestly formation. In his spare time, Fr. Maximilian enjoys the occasional lawn game (such as bocce ball, corn hole, croquet, spike ball, etc.) with family and friends.
Selected Courses Taught
Service to the Church
Recommended Reading
Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. William Shakespeare [“Twelfth Night” (Act 2, Scene 5)]
Dr. Brent Laytham has been at St. Mary’s since 2012, when he was appointed as Professor in the School of Theology and Dean of St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute. Dr. Laytham came to Baltimore from North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, where he taught systematic and moral theology for eleven years. An ordained United Methodist, Dr. Laytham was a pastor for eight years in North Carolina. There he became active in ecumenical endeavors, including more than a decade as Coordinator of the Ekklesia Project, many years on the board of The Liturgical Conference, and service on accreditation teams of the Association of Theological Schools.
Dr. Laytham received his Ph.D. from Duke University. His scholarship makes connections among Scripture, liturgy, theology, and culture. In 2017, he attended Harvard’s Institute for Management and Leadership in Education.
Rats and roaches live by competition under the laws of supply and demand; it is the privilege of human beings to live by the laws of justice and mercy. Wendell Berry
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
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