America's first Catholic seminary, founded 1791, preparing priests and offering ecumenical theological education.
St. Mary's Seminary offers theological education through two main divisions. The Seminary itself focuses on priestly formation with accredited degree programs in theology. The Ecumenical Institute of Theology, established in 1968, offers graduate-level programs including Master of Arts in Theology, Master of Arts in Christian Ministries, Master of Divinity pathways, Doctor of Ministry, and various certificates in biblical studies and theology. All programs are available both on-campus in Baltimore and online. The institution is accredited by the Association of Theological Schools and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
St. Mary's Seminary was founded in October 1791 by the Sulpician Fathers (Society of the Priests of Saint Sulpice) who fled France during the Revolution. It was the first seminary established in the United States after independence. The institution was chartered as a civil college by Maryland in 1805 and formally established as a theological seminary by Pope Pius VII in 1822, becoming the first ecclesiastical faculty in the US authorized to grant degrees in the name of the Holy See. The seminary relocated to its current 40-acre campus in the Roland Park section of Baltimore in 1929. In 1974, the institution's name was changed to St. Mary's Seminary and University to reflect its expanded graduate programs and departments.
The main campus occupies 40 acres in the Roland Park section of northern Baltimore, featuring a Beaux Arts Classical Revival style central building designed by Maginnis & Walsh of Boston. The historic St. Mary's Seminary Chapel, built in 1806 in Neo-Gothic style by architect J. Maximilian M. Godefroy, remains on the original downtown Baltimore site and now serves as St. Mary's Spiritual Center and Historic Site. The Marion Burk Knott Library is the largest specialized theological library in the Baltimore area and houses the collected papers of biblical scholar Fr. Raymond E. Brown. The institution also maintains the Mother Seton House, a historic home with exhibits on St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
St. Mary's has produced numerous prominent Catholic leaders, including Cardinal James Gibbons (ninth Cardinal Archbishop of Baltimore), Blessed Michael McGivney (founder of the Knights of Columbus), and many bishops and archbishops across the United States. Alumni have served as bishops in major dioceses including Detroit, Saint Louis, Mobile, and Richmond. The seminary's influence expanded significantly in the late 19th century under Superior Alphonse Magnien (1878–1902). Pope John Paul II visited the seminary in 1995, the first papal visit to Baltimore, and used the front lawn as a helicopter pad.