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.
The priesthood, as St. John Paul II said, is both a gift and a mystery. He taught that the foundation of any calling to the priesthood begins in baptism, which for the Holy Father, was the most important event in his life of faith. Over this year I will offer a series of reflections on a priestly calling. Following the lead of St. John Paul II, I will begin with a reflection on discipleship. I would suggest that the Gospel of St. John provides a model in the call of the disciples in Jn 1:35-51. You may wish to read Jn 1:35-51 before continuing with my reflections in this article.
In the first chapter of the Fourth Gospel we hear of John the Baptist sending his disciples to follow after Jesus. As they do so, Jesus, who has been described in the Prologue as the Word “who is with God and the Word who is God,” turns around and speaks a human word for the very first time. He asks, “What are you looking for?” It is a simple question, but one of the most fundamental questions of life. The two disciples call Jesus by the title “Rabbi” and answer the question of Jesus with the question, “Where are you staying?” At a surface level their question is also simple – they want to know in what place Jesus is spending his time. At a deeper level, a level always present in the Fourth Gospel, the reader is directed to look where Jesus always stays/dwells. His true dwelling place is with God. He is the one that the Prologue has already described as “ever at the Father’s side.” Jesus’ response is that they should, “Come and see.” Again, at one level this is a simple instruction to follow after him for a time. At the deeper level, it is an invitation to be with Jesus who is God’s very presence among us. The Gospel then rather matter-of-factly tells us that the disciples stayed with him that day.
However, there is one more element in the disciples’ encounter. The Gospel describes how the first thing that one of the disciples, Andrew, did was to go to his brother Peter and tell him that he had found the Messiah. He then brings him to Jesus so that Peter too may have his own encounter. With this movement the encounter of the first disciples with Jesus both ends and begins again. The Gospel story sets out a series of movements in the encounter. These movements involve an invitation from Jesus, and a response from the disciple which includes recognition of who Jesus is. After that recognition, a communion, or staying with Jesus, follows which then sends the new disciple forth to bring someone else to Jesus.
This pattern repeats itself with Philip who, after encountering Jesus, brings his brother Nathanael to Jesus. He tells him we have found the one spoken of in Moses and the prophets. In his encounter and dialogue with Jesus, Nathanael grows in his understanding of Jesus and calls him, “the Son of God and the King of Israel.” Each disciple in this scene encounters Jesus and establishes a relationship with him that leads to further insight and strength for mission. But more goes on in this paradigmatic story. The titles given to Jesus by the various disciples are progressively more solemn. We move from Rabbi/Teacher, to Messiah/Anointed, to the one who fulfills the law and the prophets, to the Son of God. In this model encounter described by the Evangelist we, the readers, receive an instruction in who Jesus is for us too. However, this Christological lesson does not end with the mere human insights of disciples. In the last verse of the chapter, Jesus, the Word of God, speaks a solemn conclusion not just to Nathanael but to all the disciples that have gathered around him. He says, “Amen, Amen I say to you, you will see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” Jesus speaks with divine authority and reveals that he is the true and only connection between God and human beings. Using the image of Jacob’s ladder from Genesis 28, Jesus shows how God and humans are now in union through and in his very person and presence. The description of this union is the end of the story of the call of the first disciples; the union itself is the goal of all discipleship. This call and its ultimate union with God continues with you.
I hope this first brief reflection helps you to think about God’s call in your life. As his disciple you will then be open to his voice, which may be a silent as a whispering breeze, which will call you to deeper commitments to him.
Next, Dimensions of Formation…