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Saint John's Seminary, located in the
Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
neighborhood of
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
, is a
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
major
seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological college, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called seminarians) in scripture and theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as cle ...
sponsored by the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Boston () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. Its mother church is the Cathedral of the Holy Cross (Boston), Cathedral o ...
. The current rector is Rev. Msgr. Stephen E. Salocks.


History

In 1864, wealthy Boston merchant James Stanworth acquired a farm on a hill in Brighton known as the Hildreth estate. Stanworth suffered losses in the
Panic of 1873 The Panic of 1873 was a financial crisis that triggered an economic depression in Europe and North America that lasted from 1873 to 1877 or 1879 in France and in Britain. In Britain, the Panic started two decades of stagnation known as the "L ...
and his heirs found he owed substantial debts. Archbishop
John Joseph Williams John Joseph Williams was an American bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the fourth Bishop and first Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Boston, serving between 1866 and his death in 1907. Early life and education Williams was born in Bosto ...
purchased the Hildreth estate and construction of the Boston Ecclesiastical Seminary began in 1881 and was completed in 1884. In 1883, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts granted a Charter to the Seminary to grant degrees in philosophy and divinity. The Archbishop entrusted the seminary to his former teachers, the Sulpicians. Students began classes on September 22, 1884. The First rector was John Baptist Hogan. The Seminary was incorporated under the laws of Massachusetts in 1892. In 1911, the Sulpicians withdrew from the seminary at the request of Archbishop
William Henry O'Connell William Henry O'Connell (December 8, 1859 – April 22, 1944) was an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Boston from 1907 until his death in 1944, and was made a cardinal in 1911. Early life William O'Connell ...
, who preferred a diocesan faculty more familiar with local conditions. Saint John's Seminary adopted its present name in 1941.


Merger with Cardinal O'Connell Seminary

Cardinal O'Connell Seminary, the archdiocesan
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 ...
for high school students in
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts Jamaica Plain is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood of in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Settled by Puritans seeking farmland to the south, it was originally part of Roxbury, Massachusetts, Roxbury. The community seceded from Roxbur ...
, was merged with Saint John's Seminary in 1968. In 1970 its programs were relocated to a Foster Street site in Saint Clement's Hall.


Crisis and recovery after 2000 child sexual abuse scandal

St. John's College Seminary, the division for students with a high school diploma but without an undergraduate degree, closed in 2002. In the wake of the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston sex abuse scandal enrollment declined from a peak of 86 students in the academic year 2001–02 to 34 for 2005–06. Two years later, the seminary recovered to a student population of 63. During the 2000s, nearly all the Seminary's land and buildings were sold to
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...
(BC), the neighboring
Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
-run college. In 2001, Boston College leased St. Clement's Hall, formerly the site of the Seminary's undergraduate division, and it bought the property in June 2004. In May 2007, the Archdiocese sold the Seminary's open land, its library building and several other structures. Rector John Farren, OP resigned and protested the 2007 sale in a letter to Cardinal O'Malley. After the land sales, the campus of the Seminary consists only of Saint John's Hall.


Sexual misconduct scandal and resignations

In August 2018, the rector of Saint John's was placed on administrative leave after two former seminarians claimed on social media that sexual misconduct occurred at the school. The new allegations forced a new investigation by Archdiocese of Boston against Saint John's. On November 22, 2019, the Archdiocese of Boston and former U.S. Attorney Donald Stern concluded that there was some accuracy to the 2018 allegations, such as the expulsion of two students in 2014 for inappropriate sexual conduct, an incident from 2015 where six students received anonymous sexual text messages, and excessive drinking at a 2015 bachelor party which was held on campus. Despite also criticizing Saint John's for having poor leadership, poor financial oversight, and inadequate human formation of seminarians, the joint investigation also concluded that the sexual misconduct which occurred at the seminary was not unlawful. In December 2019, Stephen Salocks, who was named interim rector when the investigation started, replaced Msgr. James Moroney as the Rector of Saint John's Seminary. In addition to promoting Salocks, Boston Archbishop Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley also named Fr. Thomas Macdonald as the new Vice Rector.


Enrollment statistics


Participating dioceses

Most students are from dioceses in New England: in Massachusetts, from the Archdiocese of Boston and the Dioceses of Fall River, Springfield, and Worcester; in Connecticut, from the Archdiocese of Hartford; and also from the dioceses of Burlington, Vermont,
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, New Hampshire, and Providence, Rhode Island. In the academic year of 2014–2015, Saint John's began receiving seminarians from the Diocese of Rochester, New York. That same year, the Diocese of Portland, which encompasses all of Maine, resumed sending seminarians. Saint John's also serves as the seminary for a few men from dioceses outside the U.S. College-level seminary candidates for the Archdiocese of Boston reside at Our Lady of Providence Seminary College in
Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...
and various other institutions.


Academics


Seminary programs

As a major seminary, an institution providing formation for the Catholic priesthood, Saint John's offers a four-year program leading to the
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 ...
degree. There is also a program leading to the
Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) 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. Those admitted to the degree have ...
in Theology. In addition, "Saint John's Seminary offers a two-year program of initial formation for those candidates who are college graduates and have no prior experience of formal preparation for the sacrament of Holy Orders." Those who complete the Pre-Theology Program may qualify to receive a Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil.).


Programs for lay students

The Seminary's Theological Institute for the New Evangelization offers programs for lay people wishing to work in Roman Catholic ministry, leading to the degrees Master of Theological Studies for the New Evangelization, and Master of Arts in Ministry (MAM). These programs are based at a separate campus in accordance with norms of the Holy See. The MAM division of TINE also offers non-credit catechist training programs in evangelization and
apologetics Apologetics (from Greek ) is the religious discipline of defending religious doctrines through systematic argumentation and discourse. Early Christian writers (c. 120–220) who defended their beliefs against critics and recommended their f ...
.


Accreditation

The Seminary is accredited by the
Association of Theological Schools The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) is an organization of seminaries and other graduate schools of theology. ATS has its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. History The ATS was found ...
and by the
New England Association of Schools and Colleges The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC ) is an American educational organization that accredits private and public secondary schools (high schools and technical/career institutions), primarily in New England. It also ...
.


Athletics

Seminarians partake in sports including basketball, football, golf, softball, and soccer, including intramural games with BC club teams. Twice a year St. John's Seminary competes in softball games against Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary (Weston, MA) and Our Lady of Providence College Seminary (Providence, RI). With access to the Margot Connell Recreation Center at
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...
, seminarians contend in intramural basketball and soccer leagues against
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...
students.


Daily life

The daily schedule includes classes and services in chapel. Seminarians have off-campus pastoral assignments at least once per week. Most seminarians also have a "house job", such as
sacristan A sacristan is an officer charged with care of the sacristy, the church, and their contents. In ancient times, many duties of the sacrist were performed by the doorkeepers ( ostiarii), and later by the treasurers and mansionarii. The Decretal ...
or bookstore manager. Each seminarian meets with his
spiritual director Spiritual direction is the practice of being with people as they attempt to deepen their relationship with the divinity, divine, or to learn and grow in their personal spirituality. The person seeking direction shares stories of their encounters ...
twice monthly.


Notable alumni

* Robert Joseph Banks, bishop of Green Bay 1985–2003 * Hugh F. Blunt (1877–1957), priest and poet * George William Coleman, bishop of Fall River since 2003 * Daniel Anthony Cronin, archbishop of Hartford 1992–2003 * Richard Cushing, archbishop of Boston 1944–1970 * John Michael D'Arcy, bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend 1985–2009 * Jonathan DeFelice, OSB, president of
Saint Anselm College Saint Anselm College is a private Benedictine liberal arts college in Goffstown, New Hampshire, United States. Founded in 1889, it is named after Saint Anselm of Canterbury. As of 2024, the college's enrollment was 2,094 students. History ...
* Daniel Francis Desmond, bishop of Alexandria (Louisiana) 1933–1945 * George Albert Guertin, bishop of Manchester 1907–1931 * Daniel Anthony Hart, bishop of Norwich 1995–2003 * William A. Hickey, bishop of Providence 1921–1933 * Alfred Clifton Hughes, bishop of Baton Rouge 1993–2002 and archbishop of New Orleans 2002–2009 * Paul K. Hurley, Major General, 24th Chief of Chaplains US Army * Frederick Kriekenbeek, exorcist and priest in
Cebu Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a ...
* Richard Lennon, bishop of Cleveland since 2006 * Joseph Francis Maguire, bishop of Springfield 1977–1991 * Richard Joseph Malone, bishop of Portland 2004–2012 and bishop of Buffalo 2012–2019 * John Brendan McCormack, bishop of Manchester 1998–2010 * John P. McDonough, Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Air Force * Henry J. Meade, Chief of Chaplains of the U.S. Air Force * Roger Morin, bishop of Biloxi since 2009 * John Bertram Peterson, professor, bishop of Manchester 1932–1944 * Joseph John Rice, bishop of Burlington, 1910–1938 *
Nicholas Samra Nicholas James Samra (born August 15, 1944) is a Syrian American prelate who served as Eparch of Newton in the Melkite Greek Catholic Church from 2011 to 2022. He also served as Apostolic Administrator of the Eparchy of Nuestra Señora del ...
, Melkite Greek Catholic bishop of Newton, appointed 2011 * William Laurence Sullivan (1872–1935), Unitarian minister *
Henry A. Walsh Henry A. Walsh was an American priest of the Archdiocese of Boston. Personal life Walsh was born in Newton, Massachusetts but moved as a child to East Boston where he attended the Chapman School. He then attended Boston College and graduated in 1 ...
, member of the first class from St. John's * James Anthony Walsh (1867–1936), co-founder of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers *
John Joseph Wright John Joseph Wright (July 18, 1909 – August 10, 1979) was an American Catholic prelate who served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy from 1969 until his death. He previously served as Bishop of Pittsburgh from 1959 to 1969 and ...
, professor, first bishop of Worcester 1950–1959, bishop of Pittsburgh 1959–1969, cardinal


Notable faculty

* Romanus Cessario, O.P.,
Master of Sacred Theology Master of Theology (, abbreviated ThM, MTh or MTheol, or ''Sacrae Theologiae Magister''; abbreviated STM) is a post-graduate degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries. It can serve as a transition degree for entrance into a ...
of the
Dominican Order The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic Church, Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilians, Castilian priest named Saint Dominic, Dominic de Gu ...
, professor of systematic theology and member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas. * Christopher J. Coyne, Bishop of Burlington, VT * James Patrick Moroney, rector, professor of liturgy and executive secretary of the ''Vox Clara'' commission * Louis Sebastian Walsh, Bishop of Portland (Maine), 1906–1924 * Michael C. Barber, S.J., Bishop of Oakland, California, director emeritus-Spiritual Formation *Mark O'Connell, J.C.D. '90, Auxiliary Bishop of Boston, Judicial Vicar and Professor of Canon Law


Rectors

Under Sulpician administration: * 1884–89: John Baptist Hogan, S.S. * 1889–94: Charles B. Rex * 1894–01: John Baptist Hogan, S.S. * 1901–06: Daniel E. Maher, S.S. * 1906–11: Francis P. Havey Under archdiocesan administration: * 1911–26: John Bertram Peterson * 1926–33: Charles A. Finn * 1933–38: Joseph C. Walsh * 1938–50: Edward G. Murray * 1950–58: Thomas J. Riley * 1958–65: Matthew J. Stapleton * 1966–66: Lawrence J. Riley * 1966–71: John A. Broderick * 1972–81: Robert Joseph Banks * 1981–86: Alfred Clifton Hughes * 1986–91: Thomas J. Daly * 1991–99: Timothy J. Moran * 1999–2002: Richard G. Lennon * 2002–07: John A. Farren, OP * 2007–12: Arthur L. Kennedy * 2012–18: James P. Moroney ** 2018–2019: Stephen E. Salocks (Interim) * 2019–Present: Stephen E. Salocks


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint John's Seminary, Massachusetts Brighton, Boston Catholic seminaries in the United States Universities and colleges established in 1884 Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston Universities and colleges in Boston 1884 establishments in Massachusetts