St. John Paul II Seminary is a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

diocesan

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 Priesthood (Catholic Church), Catholic priests. They are generally ...

located at 145 Taylor Street in northeast Washington, D.C. The seminary is owned and administered by the

Archdiocese of Washington The Archdiocese of Washington is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. Its territorial remit encompasses the District of Columbia and the counties of Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, P ...

and was founded in 2011 by Cardinal Donald Wuerl. The seminary is named after Pope St. John Paul II. St. John Paul II Seminary is located near the

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a large minor Catholic basilica and national shrine in the United States in Washington, D.C., located at 400 Michigan Avenue Northeast, adjacent to Catholic University. ...

and the campus of

The Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...

, where the seminarians receive their academic formation. After completing their philosophy requirements, the seminarians transfer to a major seminary for the completion of their priestly formation.

History

Cardinal Donald Wuerl established the seminary on May 1, 2011. The site of the seminary was the former seminary for the

Society of the Atonement The Society of the Atonement, also known as the Friars and Sisters of the Atonement or Graymoor Friars and Sisters is a Franciscan religious congregation in the Catholic Church. The friars and sisters were founded in 1898 by Paul Wattson as a reli ...

, which was originally built in 1951. After the Archdiocese of Washington purchased the building for office usage, the building was then re-configured as a seminary for pre-theology and college seminarians. The new seminary opened on October 22, 2011; the first feast day of the recently beatified John Paul II. Cardinal Wuerl celebrated the Opening Mass; remarking, “The men who will be formed here are preparing to be priests of this millennium, the agents of the Holy Spirit renewing the face of the earth and the voice of the New Evangelization calling all people near and far to embrace the Lord Jesus." Concelebrants for the Opening Mass included Cardinal William Wakefield Baum, Theodore McCarrick, auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of Washington, retired bishops, and founding rector Msgr. Robert Panke. The seminary serves the Archdiocese of Washington and the surrounding dioceses. The seminary also hosts other minor seminarians from other dioceses around the nation who are studying at Catholic University of America.

Rectors

Faculty

The faculty consists of a Rector, Vice-Rector and Dean of Men, Director of Spiritual Formation, and adjunct formation advisors and spiritual directors. Nearly all of the faculty are priests of the Archdiocese of Washington.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint John Paul II Seminary Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington Catholic seminaries in the United States Educational institutions established in 2011 2011 establishments in Washington, D.C.