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.
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.
St. Mary’s Seminary & University welcomed four new faculty members this Fall:
Dr. Barnabas Aspray’s first degree is in Computer Science, and for a while he worked as a software engineer for the BBC website before changing career. He completed a theology PhD at Cambridge, and has spent the last four years teaching and researching for the Theology Faculty at Oxford (“the other place” as Cambridge calls it). Dr. Aspray is a regular contributor to “Seen and Unseen”, an online magazine aimed at explaining Christianity to a non-Christian audience. He is founder and host of “Faith at the Frontiers”, a podcast which confronts challenges to the Christian faith with hope. Dr. Aspray grew up mostly in Britain and partly in Ecuador. As an adult he has lived in France, Canada, and the UK, and he looks forward to making America his new home. He will be Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at St. Mary’s.
Fr. Dominic Ciriaco, P.S.S., Rector of Theological College (2020-2023) is a New Jersey native. He attended Caldwell University, received a Master’s of Divinity and a Master’s in Systematic Theology from Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J., and was ordained for the Archdiocese of Newark in 1999. He became a permanent member of the Society of St. Sulpice in 2020 and received his D. Min. degree in preaching from the Aquinas Institute of Theology in 2023. He has authored two books: Witnesses to the Gospel: Reflections on Saints and Others Who Inspire (Authorhouse Publications, 2007) and A Woman for All Seasons: Margaret Anna Cusack “The Nun of Kenmare”: Reflections on Her Life and Liturgical Thought (Leonine Publications, 2015). Fr. Dominic Ciriaco will serve as the Director of the Homiletics Program and Director of Spiritual Life Programs.
Fr. Maximilian Maria Jaskowak, O.P. is a Dominican friar of the Province of St. Joseph (Eastern Province, USA). He entered the Order of Friars Preachers in 2016 and was ordained a priest in 2022. Earlier this year, he earned his licentiate in sacred theology (S.T.L.) from the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. His areas of research include the theology of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Thomist Commentatorial Tradition, Sanjuanist and Teresian Theology, and Josephology. He is currently assigned to the Dominican convent of SS. Philip & James in Baltimore. He will be Instructor in Moral Theology.
Fr. Hy Nguyen, P.S.S., was ordained for the Diocese of Oakland, California, in 1997. He obtained an M. Div. and MA degree in theology from St. Patrick’s Seminary in San Francisco, and his doctorate in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He has taught at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, and served as Vice-Rector and Director of Extern Spiritual Directors at Theological College at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He has also taught at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio and served as the Rector of Assumption Seminary in San Antonio, Texas. As a native of Vietnam, Father Hy has made significant contributions to the faith formation and growth of the Vietnamese community in the United States and Vietnam. Fr. Hy will be Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at St. Mary’s.
August 17, 2024 | St. Mary's News
Former Provincial Superior Fr. Gerald L. Brown, P.S.S. died on August 11th, 2024 after a long illness. Fr. Brown joined the Society of St. Sulpice in 1966 as a priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco for which he was ordained in 1964....
April 23, 2024 | Ecumenical Institute News, St. Mary's Ecumenical Institute
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