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.
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.
In these pages, you will learn about the seminary at St. Mary’s Seminary & University. After being welcomed by our President-Rector, Rev. Phillip J. Brown, P.S.S., you will find information about our Sulpician Tradition, the faculty, the administration and staff, the Board of Trustees, and the community life of the seminarians in formation.
The process of becoming a priest is established by the Vatican in the document, Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis (The Gift of the Priestly Vocation). This document has been adapted for use in the United States as the Program of Priestly Formation in the United States of America (sixth edition).
Learn more about this journey.
Intellectual formation is one of the four dimensions of priestly formation. Each seminarian must achieve a Master of Divinity degree before ordination, though some also pursue additional degrees.
Those called to the ministry of Reader and Acolyte will be instituted at a special Mass in St. Mary’s Chapel at 4:30 PM on Tuesday, February 28, 2023. Most Rev. Barry C. Knestout, Bishop of Richmond, will preside.
The 2023 annual Carroll Lecture at St. Mary’s Seminary & University will be given by George Weigel. He takes the title from his most recent book in which he explains the necessity of Vatican II and explores the continuing relevance of its teaching in a world seeking a deeper experience of freedom than personal willfulness. …
Easter Break for students is April 3-April 14, 2023
Current students (seminarians) can access information required for their ongoing classes here.
Alumni have access to “Class Notes” published twice a year, as well as the Annual Alumni Day celebration each October. Please keep your information current using the update form in the alumni pages.
The seminary currently serves 13 dioceses in the United States and Canada as well as the Diocese of Zhao Xian in the Peoples Republic of China. Several religious orders have also sent seminarians as well. Bishops and Vocation Directors may also request a special information packet about St. Mary’s.
St. Mary’s Seminary & University has been blessed by the generosity of many benefactors. Every gift, no matter its size, is welcomed. Each gift builds a stronger foundation as we prepare the kind of priests the people of God truly deserve.