Joseph Seminary entry 201 Seminary Av jeh

St. Joseph's Seminary and College, sometimes referred to as Dunwoodie after the

Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as enum ...

neighborhood it is located in, is the major

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, ...

of the

Archdiocese of New York The Archdiocese of New York ( la, Archidiœcesis Neo-Eboracensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in the State of New York. It encompasses the borough ...

.Remigius Lafort, S.T.D., Censor,
The Catholic Church in the United States of America: Undertaken to Celebrate the Golden Jubilee of His Holiness, Pope Pius X. Volume 3: The Province of Baltimore and the Province of New York, Section 1: Comprising the Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn, Buffalo and Ogdensburg Together with some Supplementary Articles on Religious Communities of Women.
'. (New York City: The Catholic Editing Company, 1914), p.294. Its primary mission is to form men for the priesthood in the Catholic Church. It educates men destined to serve within the Archdiocese and other

archdiocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

s and

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...

s both in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

and abroad. Once called the "

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

of Seminaries" for its thorough education and strict discipline, St. Joseph's Seminary holds a reputation as one of the more prestigious and theologically

orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...

Roman Catholic seminaries in the United States. As both a

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

and seminary, it has been

accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

both through

Middle States Commission on Higher Education The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (abbreviated as MSCHE and legally incorporated as the Mid-Atlantic Region Commission on Higher Education) is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit membership organization that performs peer evalua ...

and the

Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) A pontifical ( la, pontificale) is a Christian liturgical book containing the liturgies that only a bishop may perform. Among the liturgies are those of the ordinal for the ordination and consecration of deacons, priests, and bishops to Holy O ...

, respectively. It can, thus, offer the degrees of

Master of Divinity For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and div ...

and S.T.B. to seminarians who have fulfilled the proper academic requirements. Those who maintain an acceptable

grade point average Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements for varying levels of achievements in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (usually A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a numbe ...

and fulfill other academic requirements are eligible for a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

. Attached to the seminary is an Institute for Religious Studies which prepares candidates for the

diaconate A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

and offers non-seminarians, both

laity In religious organizations, the laity () consists of all members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-ordained members of religious orders, e.g. a nun or a lay brother. In both religious and wider secular usage, a layperson ...

and

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

, an opportunity to earn a M.A. With the inter-diocesan collaboration from the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Diocese of Rockville Centre, the formation of laity and permanent deacons, as well as the continuing education of priests will be through the Sacred Heart Institute, located at the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception, Huntington, Long Island, New York, beginning in September 2012. The seminary also serves as the major seminary for the Community of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, who study alongside the diocesan seminarians, but live off campus at a

friary A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

in Yonkers. The seminary is about 16 miles north of the Cathedral of Saint Patrick in

midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildin ...

History

The

had operated seminaries at Fordham (once affiliated with what is now

Fordham University Fordham University () is a Private university, private Jesuit universities, Jesuit research university in New York City. Established in 1841 and named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the The Bronx, Bronx in which its origina ...

) staffed by diocesan and, later,

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

priests, and then

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Çan ...

. In 1864 Archbishop McCloskey established St. Joseph's Provincial Seminary at

, New York, which trained priests for the Archdiocese until it was relocated to Dunwoodie in 1896. In 1896, under Archbishop

Michael Corrigan Michael Augustine Corrigan (August 13, 1839May 5, 1902) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the third archbishop of New York from 1885 to 1902. Early life Michael Augustine Corrigan was born August 13, 1839, in Ne ...

, the seminary was transferred to

Yonkers Yonkers () is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. Developed along the Hudson River, it is the third most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City and Buffalo. The population of Yonkers was 211,569 as enum ...

under the charge of the

Sulpicians The Society of Priests of Saint-Sulpice (french: Compagnie des Prêtres de Saint-Sulpice), abbreviated PSS also known as the Sulpicians is a society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men, named after the Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris, ...

."Sulpicians in the United States",

Catholic Encyclopedia The ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'' (also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedia'') i ...

Originally it was staffed by

and diocesan priests. The Seminary hosted

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

in 1995 and

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereig ...

on April 19, 2008. They each led an afternoon prayer service and visited with the seminarians. On April 4, 2019, the Seminary hosted the incorruptible heart relic of St. Jean Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests. The relic was venerated by more than 2,000 people while it was at the seminary.

Intellectual life

In addition to offering the degrees of M.Div., S.T.B., and M.A., the seminary, through its various chairs, hosts visiting scholars throughout the academic year. Seminarians are given the opportunity to take part in interreligious discussions with students of non-Catholic seminaries of the metropolitan area. Each spring, the seminary publishes ''The Dunwoodie Review'', successor to the early 20th century ''New York Review'' (1905-1908). Previously published at least annually and bi-annually from 1961 until 1974, the journal has been annually published since 1990 as a student-managed theological journal whose content is provided by seminary faculty members and students.

Seminary formation

The seminary's primary mission is to educate men studying for the priesthood. In doing so, it seeks to inculcate a structured schedule of public and private prayer. Besides four years of academic work, students are required to take part in charitable activities. Seminarians pray together three times a day, at Morning and Evening prayers and at Mass. From Monday through Thursday the

Blessed Sacrament The Blessed Sacrament, also Most Blessed Sacrament, is a devotional name to refer to the body and blood of Christ in the form of consecrated sacramental bread and wine at a celebration of the Eucharist. The term is used in the Latin Church of t ...

is exposed for two hours for private adoration by the seminarians. Each year, approved seminarians progress towards the Priesthood by receiving various ecclesiastical ministries and eventually Holy Orders. Those in first year are instituted as

Lector Lector is Latin for one who reads, whether aloud or not. In modern languages it takes various forms, as either a development or a loan, such as french: lecteur, en, lector, pl, lektor and russian: лектор. It has various specialized uses. ...

s and often receive Candidacy in solemn rites. Those in the second year of study receive the official ministry of

Acolyte An acolyte is an assistant or follower assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession. In many Christian denominations, an acolyte is anyone performing ceremonial duties such as lighting altar candles. In others, the term is used ...

. The beginning of the fourth year is usually when the order of

Deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chu ...

is conferred. The bishop of a seminarian's diocese ordains him to the Priesthood at the Cathedral of that seminarian's diocese, usually after the seminarian's final semester at the seminary has been completed. New priests are immediately assigned to serve in a parish.

Seminary functions

The seminary's main building serves many other archdiocesan functions. The priest personnel board meets weekly. Pre-Cana conferences for those preparing for the sacrament of Matrimony are hosted monthly. Each year around Christmas, the archdiocesan choir performs in the chapel. On campus is one of the archdiocesan tribunals and the studio of ITV for schools. Throughout the year, both days of prayer and days of further education are scheduled for the clergy of the archdiocese. On campus was also the St. John Neumann Seminary Residence and Hall, which in collaboration with St. John's University in

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

offered courses in philosophy equivalent to a B.A. for men studying for the priesthood. Students now attend the Diocese of Brooklyn's Cathedral Seminary House of Formation in Douglaston, Queens, New York. Beginning in August 2012, St. Joseph's Seminary has been the major seminary for the Archdiocese of New York, the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Diocese of Rockville Centre.

Faculty

Rectors

* Edward R. Dyer, S.S. 1896-1902 * James F. Driscoll, S.S 1902-1909 * John P. Chidwick 1909-1922 * James T. McEntyre 1922-1930 * Arthur J. Scanlan 1931-1940 * John Michael Fearns 1940-1956 * Charles O'C. Sloane 1956-1958 * Francis Frederick Reh 1958-1962 * Thomas A. Donnellan 1962-1964 * Edwin B. Broderick 1964-1968 * Edward J. Montano 1968-1973 * Austin B. Vaughan 1973-1979 * John J. Mescall 1979-1982 * Edward M. Connors 1982-1985 * Edwin F. O'Brien 1985-1989 * Raymond T. Powers 1990-1994 * Edwin F. O'Brien 1994-1997 - Named Archbishop of Archdiocese of Military Services * Francis J. McAree 1997-2001 * Peter G. Finn 2001-2007 *

Gerald Thomas Walsh Gerald Thomas Walsh (born April 25, 1942) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as an auxiliary bishop and vicar general of the Archdiocese of New York. He was rector of St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, New York, fr ...

2007–2012 * Peter Ignatius Vaccari 2012-2019 * James Massa 2020-Present

Notable faculty

* Lorenzo Albacete * Sara Butler, M.S.B.T. (2001-2009) * Joseph Augustine Di Noia, O.P. (2004-2005) * Francis P. Duffy * Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R. * J. M. Lelen * William Bartley Smith (1971-2009)

Notable alumni

Charles John Brown Charles John Brown (born 13 October 1959) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as an apostolic nuncio since 2012. He is currently the apostolic nuncio to the Philippines. Before entering the diplomatic se ...

— Archbishop, Papal Nuncio to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

(2020–present) *

Terence Cooke Terence James Cooke (March 1, 1921 – October 6, 1983) was an American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of New York from 1968 until his death, quietly battling leukemia throughout his tenure. He was named a cardin ...

— Cardinal (from 1969), Archbishop of New York (1968-1983) * Stan Fortuna — priest of the Community of Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, musician * Philip Joseph Furlong — Auxiliary Bishop of the United States Military Vicariate (1956-1971) *

William Lombardy William James Joseph Lombardy (December 4, 1937 – October 13, 2017) was an American chess grandmaster, chess writer, teacher, and former Catholic priest. He was one of the leading American chess players during the 1950s and 1960s, and a contem ...

— World Junior Chess Champion (1957), tutor to World Chess Champion Bobby Fischer, priest (1967-1980) * Henry J. Mansell — Archbishop of Hartford, Connecticut (2003-2013) *

Theodore Edgar McCarrick Theodore Edgar McCarrick (born July 7, 1930) is a laicized American bishop and former cardinal of the Catholic Church. Ordained a priest in 1958, he became an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York in 1977, then became Bishop of Metu ...

— Cardinal (2001-2018), Archbishop of Washington (2001-2006) * Timothy A. McDonnell — Bishop of Springfield, Massachusetts (2004-2014) *

James Francis McIntyre James Francis Aloysius McIntyre (June 25, 1886 – July 16, 1979) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Los Angeles from 1948 to 1970, and was created a cardinal in 1953. He was a highly successful buil ...

— Cardinal (from 1953), Archbishop of Los Angeles (1948-1970) *

John P. Meier John Paul Meier (August 8, 1942 – October 18, 2022) was an American biblical scholar and Roman Catholic priest. He was author of the series ''A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus'' (5 v.), six other books, and more than 70 articles ...

— priest of New York, professor of Scripture at the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

John Joseph Mitty John Joseph Mitty (January 20, 1884 – October 15, 1961) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the third Bishop of Salt Lake City (1926–1932) and the fourth Archbishop of San Francisco (1935–1961). Ea ...

— Archbishop of San Francisco (1935-1961) * Patrick Aloysius O'Boyle — Cardinal (from 1967), Archbishop of Washington (1947-1973) *

Edwin Frederick O'Brien Edwin Frederick O'Brien (born April 8, 1939) is an Americans, American prelate of the Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Church. He has been a cardinal since 2012 and headed the Order of the Holy Sepulchre from 2011 to 2019. O'Brien served as arch ...

— Cardinal (from 2012), Archbishop of Baltimore (2007–2011) * Frank Pavone — priest, Director of

Priests for Life Priests for Life (PFL) is an anti-abortion organization based in Titusville, Florida. PFL functions as a network to promote and coordinate anti-abortion activism, especially among Roman Catholic priests and laymen, with the primary strategic goal ...

, founder of Missionaries of the Gospel of Life *

Dennis Joseph Sullivan Dennis Joseph Sullivan (born March 17, 1945) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as vicar general and auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York, Archdiocese of New York in New York City until he r ...

— Bishop of the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey (2013–present) *

David Tracy David W. Tracy (born 1939) is an American theologian and Roman Catholic priest. He is Andrew Thomas Greeley and Grace McNichols Greeley Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Catholic Studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School. In 2 ...

— Catholic theologian, University of Chicago Divinity School professor (1969-2008) * Michael Voris — layman, founder of RealCatholicTV and Church Militant.

Notes

Sources

* Shelley, Thomas J. ''Dunwoodie''. Christian Classics Inc.: Westminster, Maryland, 1993.

External links

* *
The Dunwoodie Review
(St. Joseph's Seminary Theological Journal) official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Joseph's Seminary, Dunwoodie Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York Catholic seminaries in the United States Universities and colleges in Westchester County, New York Education in Yonkers, New York Educational institutions established in 1896 Schickel & Ditmars buildings 1896 establishments in New York (state)