St John Vianney Seminary,

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, is the National Seminary for the Roman Catholic Church in South Africa. The institution is a training facility and House of Formation under the auspices of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC).

History

St John Vianney was opened on 14 April 1948, by Archbishop Martin Lucas SVD, initially it was housed in temporary quarters at Queenstown prior to the completion of constructing the seminary in

Waterkloof Waterkloof (Afrikaans for "Water Ravine") is a upmarket suburb of the city of Pretoria in the Gauteng province of South Africa, located to the east of the city centre. It is named after the original farm that stood there when Pretoria was founded ...

, Pretoria. In 1950 the seminary moved to Pretoria, it was officially opened in March 1951 and staffed by Irish Franciscans. In the climate of

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

, St. Vianney initially catered for

white South Africans White South Africans generally refers to South Africans of European descent. In linguistic, cultural, and historical terms, they are generally divided into the Afrikaans-speaking descendants of the Dutch East India Company's original settlers, ...

, where as another seminary was set up St Peter's Seminary in Pevensey, KwaZulu-Natal, then in

Hammanskraal Hammanskraal is a functional, trans-provincial region anchored in northern Gauteng Province, South Africa. The region consists of multiple, residential, industrial and commercial areas in a decentralized settlement pattern. History The historica ...

and later in

Garsfontein Garsfontein is a residential suburb of the city of Pretoria in the Gauteng province of South Africa. It is a well-developed area, lying to the east of the city centre, close to the Menlyn Park shopping center. Education Garsfontein is served by ...

, to train indigenous priests so catered for the black Africans, and from 1956 administered by the

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

. The BA in Theology began being offered in 1967. Theology students were able to gain a Bachelor of Sacred Theology (BST) degree issued through the Pontifical Urban University, Rome, which the seminary had become affiliated to in 1964. From 1948 until 1998, the Seminary was administered by the

Franciscans , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

. To make up for the departure of the Franciscans, a number of

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

academics joined the staff of the seminary. In 1995 the seminary signed an agreement with the

University of South Africa The University of South Africa (UNISA), known colloquially as Unisa, is the largest university system in South Africa by enrollment. It attracts a third of all higher education students in South Africa. Through various colleges and affiliates, U ...

(Unisa) for the delivery of

post-graduate Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree. The organization and stru ...

Catholic theological studies undertaken through Unisa. Also in 1995 the link with the Pontifical Urban University, Rome was renewed. In 1999 the Higher Diploma in Ministry, which had been introduced a year earlier by Rector Dlungwane, was validated by the South African Qualifications Authority. As a private education provider, the Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil) and Bachelor of Theology (BTh) degrees are registered with the South African governments' Council on Higher Education. The Bishops decided to close St Peter's seminary, in Garsfontein, east of Pretoria, and in 2008 philosophy students became part of St John Vianney seminary.Requiem for a Seminary
by Mathibela Sebothoma, The Southern Cross, September 26, 2007.

Rectors/Presidents

* Fergus Barrett OFM, (1948-1966) * Norbett Carroll OFM, (1967-1972) * Bernard Frank Doyle OFM (1972-1976) * Myles Russell OFM (1977-1984) *

William Slattery William Slattery, O.F.M., is an Irish-born Franciscan who served as Bishop of Kokstad from 1993 to 2010, before being appointed Archbishop of Pretoria and Bishop of South Africa, Military. William Mathew Slattery was born in County Tipperary ...

OFM, (1985-1991), later Archbishop of Pretoria * Graham Rose, (1991-1997), alumni and first non-franciscan rector, Bishop of Dundee * Mlungisi Pius Dlungwane, (1997- 2000) the first black rector. * Mike Lewis SJ, (2000-2001) acting rector * Sithembele Sipuka, (2000-2008), Alumnus, lecturer, now Bishop of Mthatha, President of the SACBC * Enrico Parry (2008-2011), alumnus, professor dean, vice-rctor before being rector/president of the seminary, also served as acting rector of St. Peter's seminary(2006-2007) * Molewe Machingoane, (2011-2015), * Paul Manci, (2015-2018) * Mons. Masilo John Selemela, (2019- 2022) * Wellington Ncedo Siwundla, (2022- ) St John Vianney Seminary Installs New Rector And Welcomes New Seminarians
by Daluxolo MMoloantoa, The Southern Cross, February 20, 2023.

Alumni

* Father

Cyril Axelrod use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , other_names = , years_active = , occupation = , education ...

OBE, is a deaf, a now also blind, Redemptorist priest * Archbishop Stephen Brislin, Archbishop of Cape Town * Bishop

Reginald Cawcutt Reginald Michael Cawcutt (25 October 1938 – 5 August 2022) was a South African Roman Catholic prelate. Cawcutt was born in Rugby, Western Cape. His father, Wilfred, was a well-known horse trainer. He studied for the priesthood at St Joh ...

, Auxiliary Bishop of Cape Town * Bishop

Michael Gower Coleman Michael Gower Coleman (19 April 1939 – 17 December 2011) was the Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Born in Mafeking in 1939. He was educated at Laerskool Zeerust, Transvaal and at Christian ...

, Bishop of Port Elizabeth * Archbishop

Abel Gabuza Abel Gabuza (23 March 1955 – 17 January 2021) was a South African prelate of the Catholic Church who was Archbishop Coadjutor of the Archdiocese of Durban from 9 December 2018 and until his death in 2021. He was Bishop of Kimberley from 2010 to ...

, Archbishop Coadjutor of the Archdiocese of Durban * Fr.

Bonaventure Hinwood Bonaventure Hinwood (12 February 1930 – 8 September 2016) was a Roman Catholic priest and Afrikaans poet. Hinwood was the first South African to join the Irish Province of the Franciscan Order in Pretoria, South Africa. Conversion to Roman ...

OFM, franciscan priest and Afrikaans poet. * Bishop Joseph Kizito, Bishop of Aliwal * Bishop Robert Mogapi Mphiwe, Bishop of Rustenburg * Bishop Graham Rose, former rector, Bishop of Dundee * Bishop

Vincent Mduduzi Zungu Vincent Mduduzi Zungu (born April 28, 1966) is a South African Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. Zungu was born in Mbongolwane, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, on April 28, 1966. He studied philosophy and theology at the Major Seminary of St. ...

, Bishop of Port Elizabeth

References

{{South African universities Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pretoria Seminaries and theological colleges in South Africa Educational institutions established in 1948 Catholic seminaries in Africa Catholic Church in South Africa 1948 establishments in South Africa