A Short History of the College Seminary in Chicago

During a time of extreme crisis in the Church, it was decided by the Council of Trent that one reason for the Church's difficulties was the lack of education of those entering the priesthood. In order to remedy this problem, the Council of Trent decreed that seminary education should be provided by the local bishop for all those preparing for priestly ministry. In July 1563, the 23rd session of that Council proclaimed that those preparing for active ministry must have basic academic skills in a wide variety of areas. Four hundred years ago colleges and universities were still rather fluid in their approach to education. Over the centuries, the Church has honed its ratio studiorum (plan of studies) into a definite format. It was thought that six years preparation in the minor seminary where Latin, Greek, and the vernacular were taught should be followed by six years in a major seminary where Philosophy and Theology would be studied. This plan prevailed for over three hundred years.

The United States has always been a nation of immigrants. After 1800, Catholics came to this country in ever increasing numbers. For many years, seminary education, particularly in the eastern part of America followed the model of a six-year minor seminary and a six-year major seminary. At the same time, secular education began to evolve into four years of secondary or high school education, followed by four years of undergraduate or college courses leading to a bachelor's degree. The bachelor's degree was and is seen as the prerequisite for advanced academic work in a graduate school.

The Church in the Archdiocese of Chicago started small. However, it grew rapidly and had big plans for the future. In 1844, Bishop William Quarter obtained a charter for the University of St. Mary of the Lake. This academic charter had the full recognition of the State of Illinois. However, financial and administrative woes plagued the young institution. By 1868, the institution had closed and its students were transferred to St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For the next thirty-five years there was no seminary in Chicago.

In 1905 Archbishop James Quigley founded Cathedral College of the Sacred Heart as a minor seminary with a five-year course of studies. This was a day school; the truncated course of studies would keep the commuter students busy.

In 1915 Archbishop George Mundelein came to Chicago. He desired to have both a major and minor seminary with academic programs recognized by both the Vatican and the State of Illinois. Quigley Preparatory Seminary was dedicated in 1917. Its academic program was the equivalent of four years of high school and one year of undergraduate work.

In 1921 St. Mary of the Lake Seminary opened in Mundelein, Illinois. This was a six-year major seminary program. In 1929 St. Mary of the Lake obtained the ability to bestow pontifical theological degrees from the Vatican. The charter from Illinois allowed it to bestow the B.A. in Philosophy with State recognition.

In order to bring the academic program of the seminary into closer conformity with civil standards, a third year of undergraduate work was added to the Mundelein program in 1940. From 1940 through 1961, the Chicago seminarian would do one year of undergraduate work at Quigley and three years at St. Mary of the Lake resulting in a B.A. in Philosophy recognized by both the Vatican and secular authorities.

The ever-growing number of high school seminarians prompted the end of the five-year program at Quigley. In 1961 Quigley Preparatory Seminary South and Quigley Preparatory North opened as four-year high school programs. At the same time, St. Mary of the Lake Junior College opened in Niles, Illinois with a two-year course of undergraduate studies. The students could now spend four years at Quigley, two years at Niles, and six years at Mundelein.

The Second Vatican Council was in session from 1962 until 1965. The Council encouraged the adaptation of seminary studies to the needs of modern times. In light of this request, the seminary undergraduate program affiliated with Loyola University in 1968. As long as a seminarian took a specific number of courses in Philosophy, he could now major in nearly all the fields offered by Loyola. Niles College of Loyola University was in operation from 1968 until 1994.

In the Fall of 1994 Niles College changed its name to St. Joseph Seminary College of Loyola University and moved to a smaller seminary facility on the Lake Shore campus of Loyola University. St. Joseph continues the proud tradition of undergraduate seminary education.

Today, St. Joseph Seminary serves as the college seminary of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Students are actively recruited from the Chicago Archdiocese as well as other dioceses and religious orders across Illinois and beyond. Many students are graduates of the minor (high school) seminary, but a growing number are coming from outside of the seminary system.

Students attending St. Joseph Seminary enjoy the community focus of a small seminary and the academic challenges offered by Loyola University, one of the largest and most recognized Catholic universities in the Midwestern United States. The seminary environment offers seminarians the opportunity to experience the duties of priesthood while working toward earning a prestigious college education. The Apostolate Program places students in parishes, hospitals and even other countries, where they live the life of a priest, ministering to others and gaining a greater understanding of the values of religious service.

St. Joseph Seminary offers young men interested in priesthood the opportunity to explore the vocation in an environment that nurtures their interest and provides ample opportunity to ask questions and talk about their discernment. It is a school that focuses on guiding the development of the seminarians academically as well as spiritually. St. Joseph Seminary is best defined as a community that believes in the call of God and supporting and preparing those who are called to serve God's people as ordained Roman Catholic priests.

The following is a list of Rector-Presidents of Niles College/St. Joseph Seminary from 1961 to the present:

Very Rev. Msgr. Eugene Lyons, 1961-1971
Very Rev. William Goedert, 1971-1976
Very Rev. Richard Saudis, 1976-1981
Very Rev. John Vlazny, 1981-1983
Very Rev. Robert McLaughlin, 1983-1990
Very Rev. J. Cletus Kiley, 1990-1996
Very Rev. James Presta, 1996-Present

History written and compiled by Father James Presta, Rector, and Father Henry Kricek, instructor of Philosophy, St. Joseph College Seminary.

July 2002