The seminary enrolls on average over 150 full-time residential seminarians each year. They represent more than 25 dioceses from the U.S., and overseas. Seminary students have opportunities for many extracurricular activities including intramural sports and registered student organizations. Additionally the Seminary sponsors social activities such as concerts, lectures, film series and fine arts programs and trips to cultural events in nearby Washington, Gettysburg, Baltimore and our annual pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Seminarians partner with others on campus, such as the Center for Campus Ministry, for events like this Eucharistic Procession.
The Student Government Association (SGA) speaks on behalf of the seminary student body before the rector, faculty and wider Mount St. Mary’s University community. The SGA Constitution in included as part of the Seminarian Handbook (pdf).
The SGA’s Executive Board consists of a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer, elected from each of the five seminary classes (Pre-theology, I, II, III and IV). The seminary SGA president represents the seminary on the wider MSM University's SGA.
Each class is represented by a class president, class secretary, class treasurer, liturgy/spiritual life representative, and academic representative.
House Committees promote seminary life and formation and meet monthly, or at least every two months to discuss concerns and improvements. They maintain minutes and report their proceedings to the SGA President. They include the following:
Working Committees assist in the operations of the seminary that involve more than one man and require more coordination that a simple house job. They include, but are not limited to the following:
Seminary student life is connected and full of opportunity. Here are some of the student groups our seminarians participate in:
A men's organization that focuses on serving God, the Catholic Church, and nation. In 1919, The Knights of Columbus were granted permission to form a council on campus—the first and longest standing council at a Catholic college. The chapter will celebrate its centennial in 2019.
The Legion of Mary is a lay, international organization whose primary focus is to evangelize and win the world back to Christ through Mary. Our Seminary is blessed to have a branch, a praesidium, of the Legion in which the seminarians can foster their devotion to the Blessed Mother and spread the Good News to nursing home residents and to those encountered on door-to-door missions.
A prayer group that celebrates through music and worship.
Inspired by St. Maximilian Kolbe, these students and seminarians grow in their knowledge and love of their faith through a devotion to Mary. Meeting regularly for spiritual talks, formation and prayer.
Moving always towards the love of God and love of neighbor without distinction, the Friends of St. Joseph are individuals who share the mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph and Consociates by engaging in a ministry of prayerful support.
Small groups of approximately four or five seminarians gather regularly for fellowship, prayer, confidential conversation and mutual support. These sessions offer a vehicle through which to manifest the compassion of Christ to one another, as each man undergoes the normal challenges of seminary life.
These auditioned groups of singers present sacred music across campus at various liturgies, events, and concerts. The main group is the Vespers Schola, which has produced several professional recordings, but seminarians also participate in the Latin Schola, the Spanish Schola, and the Contemporary Schola.
The seminary's New Evangelization Club started visiting college campuses on the east coast as a voluntary activity during the fall and spring semester breaks. This is now a mandatory event for all seminarians to participate in at least one such event during their time in the ordination formation program and is noted on the transcript. Seminarians take charge of all aspects of planning and execution of the Evangelization Trips each semester.
An invitation to family and friends of current seminarians to visit the Seminary for the weekend during mid-October to learn more about the seminarians' journey in preparation for the Holy Priesthood, as well as daily seminary life.
The seminary periodically invites the Mount community and other friends to tour the Seminary Complex and join the seminarians for a liturgy at the University's Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, led by the renowned Seminary Schola. Details regarding our next open house will be announced.
The seminary community walks to the Supreme Court in the annual "Right to Life" march, each January with the Human Life International Pro-life Missionaries to the World.
This Eucharistic retreat weekend for high school students was started by the Mount seminarians about 20 years ago in preparation for the Jubilee Year 2000. It was such a great success that the seminarians decided to continue it even after 2000 and maintain their own webpage to promote the annual Mount 2000 retreat.
Learn MoreA podcast sponsored by Mount St. Mary’s Seminary that seeks to evangelize the world by informing and inspiring its listeners with the words and works of those who carry out the mission of priestly formation.
The Sports Chaplaincy Program is an opportunity for seminarians to serve as a designated spiritual guide and resource for current Mount St. Mary's University Division 1 athletic teams.
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