St Mary's College ( cy, Coleg Mair) was a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

in Aberystwyth,

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

, in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. It was the only Roman Catholic diocesan seminary founded in Wales. Also, as it trained priests in the

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province, Argentina). Historically, it has ...

, it was the only post-reformation Roman Catholic college of its kind. It was founded in 1904 in

Holywell Holywell may refer to: * Holywell, Flintshire, Wales * Holywell, Swords, Ireland * Holywell, Bedfordshire, England * Holywell, Cambridgeshire, England * Holywell, Cornwall, England * Holywell, Dorset, England * Holywell, Eastbourne, East Susse ...

and moved to Aberystwyth in 1936. It was closed in 1970 and now houses the

Welsh Books Council The Books Council of Wales (previously known as the Welsh Books Council) or Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru was established in 1961. Today it is funded by the Welsh Government. The council's aims are to promote the interests of Welsh language books and Engl ...

History

Foundation

In 1895, the Vicar Apostolic of the Wales was created and the first bishop was Francis Mostyn. He wanted a Welsh diocese to have a Welsh bishop and a bilingual clergy so he sought a college that would train future priests in the

. In 1904, he opened St Mary's College (Coleg Mair) in

. From 1908 to 1910, John Hugh Jones worked there, translating various religious writings into Welsh. The college lasted for 30 years before it closed because of a lack of finances.Journal of Welsh religious history – Vol. 1 New series 2001 The Roman Catholic Church and evangelism in twentieth-century Wales
from National Library of Wales retrieved 17 February 2014

Reopening

In 1936, the

Bishop of Menevia The Bishop of Menevia is the Ordinary of the Latin Rite Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia in the Province of Cardiff. The Diocese of Menevia covers an area of roughly consisting of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshi ...

, Michael McGrath invited the

Carmelites , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Ca ...

to reopen the college in Aberystwyth and staff the local church of Our Lady of the Angels and St Winefride. It was established in Aberystwyth by Fr Pat Geary O.Carm, who went on to become the Superior of the Carmelites in England and Wales.Patrick Geary
from

Carmelites , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Ca ...

retrieved 17 February 2014 One noted teacher there from 1936 was

Saunders Lewis Saunders Lewis (born John Saunders Lewis) (15 October 1893 – 1 September 1985) was a Welsh politician, poet, dramatist, Medievalist, and literary critic. He was a prominent Welsh nationalist, supporter of Welsh independence and was a co-founde ...

, he worked with Fr Geary, and one of their pupils was the poet John Fitzgerald. Another student was Daniel Mullins who came to the college in 1944, learned Welsh at the college and became the Bishop of Menevia in 1987. After World War II, the Carmelites realised that an expansion was needed, so some of the staff and students were moved to set up a

minor seminary A minor seminary or high school seminary is a secondary day or boarding school created for the specific purpose of enrolling teenage boys who have expressed interest in becoming Catholic priests. They are generally Catholic institutions, and de ...

in Tregib Manor in

Llandeilo Llandeilo () is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated at the crossing of the River Towy by the A483 on a 19th-century stone bridge. Its population was 1,795 at the 2011 Census. It is adjacent to the westernmost point of the ...

and the college in Aberystwyth was to become focussed on the training of mature students for the priesthood. In 1966, the college in Llandeilo was sold and the building was demolished soon after. In 1970, St Mary's College was also closed and the building was bought by the

who continue to reside there.St Marys College Aberystwyth
from Peoples Collection Wales, retrieved 17 February 2014 In 2004, the Carmelites moved from Our Lady of the Angels Church in Aberystwyth to Our Lady Queen of Peace Church in

Llanelli Llanelli (" St Elli's Parish"; ) is a market town and the largest community in Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is located on the Loughor estuary north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarth ...

References

{{authority control Former theological colleges in Wales Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia Buildings and structures in Aberystwyth Former Catholic seminaries Catholic Church in Wales Catholic universities and colleges in Wales

History

Foundation

Reopening

See also

References