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.
Pastoral Formation from Storia Studio on Vimeo.
As envisioned in the 1992 document, Pastores Dabo Vobis, pastoral formation at Saint Mary’s is one of the four pillars of our priestly formation program. For some time now Saint Mary’s has been a national leader in pastoral formation. Our program is designed to prepare seminarians to become faith-filled and inspiring pastors for the diverse and complex parishes of today and tomorrow. Our goal is to help seminarians to translate their solid theological education and their personal spirituality into dynamic pastoral leadership.
Saint Mary’s pastoral program consists of five integrated components: ministerial service, academic courses, workshops, theological reflection and pastoral team learning. To accomplish its goal of forming pastors for the twenty-first century, the program is focused on the pastoral and organizational dynamics of today’s parishes. All of our theology courses have defined pastoral outcomes.
Assisting in the RCIA program.
In the Pre-theology program students are assigned to pastoral settings in which they serve the poor and suffering. During the theology years, seminarians serve in at least three parishes and a local hospital. We partner with selected pastoral sites, learning parishes (of diverse size and ethnicity) as well as the pastoral departments of hospitals in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
In these settings, students learn the fundamentals of parish ministry and become familiar with the basics of parish administration and leadership. Under the supervision of a local pastor or hospital chaplain, and with help from lay leaders, seminarians join pastoral learning teams to reflect theologically and pastorally on the needs and challenges of parish life today.
Three key concepts shape our program:
Fr. Ed Griswold teaching Homiletics
As a key component of Pastoral Formation, Saint Mary’s provides a two semester Homiletics program that seeks to develop seminarians into effective preachers. The program emphasizes the formation of a spiritual, pastoral, and theological imagination for more effective preaching of God’s Scriptural Word.
In further support of their field education experiences, our students’ course work covers a wide variety of disciplines vitally important for parish ministry. These courses include Canon Law, Catechetics, Ecumenism, Pastoral Care and Counseling, Evangelization, as well as Pastoral Administration and Leadership. In addition, each year students participate in a Pastoral Skills Workshop on a specific, contemporary pastoral issue. These workshops include: Bereavement Ministry, Multi-Cultural Diversity, Conflict Transformation, Youth Ministry and Evangelization in the Parish.
In sum, our Pastoral Formation Program aims to form pastors for the 21st century in the spirit of our great Pastoral Pope Francis who told a gathering of newly ordained priests that they must “carry out the ministry of Christ the priest with constant joy and genuine love, attending not to your own concerns, but to those of Jesus Christ… You are pastors, not functionaries…”