Saint Joseph Seminary College
Encyclopedia
Saint Joseph Seminary College, also known as St. Ben or St. Ben's, is a private
four-year seminary
college
founded in 1891. It is operated by the Benedictine Monks
of Saint Joseph Abbey and the dioceses of the ecclesiastical provinces of New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama
. The 1200 acres (4.9 km²) piney woods campus is located in St. Benedict, Louisiana, north of Covington
.
The college is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
and offers bachelor of arts
degrees in philosophy
in either liberal arts
or religious studies
to men seeking eventual ordination as priests in the Roman Catholic Church
. The college also has a two-year pre-theology
program for students who have already attained a college degree. After attending Saint Joseph Seminary College, seminarians wishing to continue priestly studies will attend a graduate seminary. In the past, Saint Joseph Seminary College has also offered degrees with majors in psychology, history, and English.
It has a long history of forming men to the priesthood for the Gulf South region. Those who attend St. Ben's experience the unique gift of the Benedictine Order, a refined liturgy. The Liturgy of the Hours sung in community as well as the special liturgies throughout the year are a source of spiritual inspiration to the seminarians and the locals.
There is also the tradition of a flag football game, called Bonfire, between St. Ben's and the graduate seminary of New Orleans, Notre Dame
. This tradition has gone on for well over 70 years. The annual game takes place in a field on the vast property of the Abbey the Friday before Thanksgiving. The students at St. Ben's spend weeks building a massive bonfire out of the downed trees on the surrounding forests owned by the Abbey. After the game, the two seminaries join together to share in fellowship and traditional Louisiana foods around the bonfire.
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
four-year seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
founded in 1891. It is operated by the Benedictine Monks
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
of Saint Joseph Abbey and the dioceses of the ecclesiastical provinces of New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. The 1200 acres (4.9 km²) piney woods campus is located in St. Benedict, Louisiana, north of Covington
Covington, Louisiana
Covington is a city in and the parish seat of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,483 at the 2000 census. It is located at a fork of the Bogue Falaya and the Tchefuncte River....
.
The college is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
and offers bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degrees in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
in either liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
or religious studies
Religious studies
Religious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...
to men seeking eventual ordination as priests in the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. The college also has a two-year pre-theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
program for students who have already attained a college degree. After attending Saint Joseph Seminary College, seminarians wishing to continue priestly studies will attend a graduate seminary. In the past, Saint Joseph Seminary College has also offered degrees with majors in psychology, history, and English.
It has a long history of forming men to the priesthood for the Gulf South region. Those who attend St. Ben's experience the unique gift of the Benedictine Order, a refined liturgy. The Liturgy of the Hours sung in community as well as the special liturgies throughout the year are a source of spiritual inspiration to the seminarians and the locals.
There is also the tradition of a flag football game, called Bonfire, between St. Ben's and the graduate seminary of New Orleans, Notre Dame
Notre Dame Seminary
Notre Dame Seminary is a resident, accredited graduate theological school in New Orleans, Louisiana, founded in 1923 for the education of men to be priests of the Roman Catholic Church. The building, located at 2901 South Carrollton Avenue, was constructed between 1922-1923, and was designed by...
. This tradition has gone on for well over 70 years. The annual game takes place in a field on the vast property of the Abbey the Friday before Thanksgiving. The students at St. Ben's spend weeks building a massive bonfire out of the downed trees on the surrounding forests owned by the Abbey. After the game, the two seminaries join together to share in fellowship and traditional Louisiana foods around the bonfire.
Notable alumni
- Jules JeanmardJules JeanmardJules Benjamin Jeanmard was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Lafayette in Louisiana from 1918 to 1956.-Biography:...
, First Bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette, LouisianaRoman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in LouisianaThe Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana is an ecclesiastical division of the Catholic Church in the United States. The oldest church in the diocese is the parish church of St. Martinville, dating back to 1756. The diocese was created on January 11, 1918 from the western part of the Archdiocese of New... - Bernard Francis Law, CardinalCardinal (Catholicism)A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
and Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Boston, MassachusettsRoman Catholic Archdiocese of BostonThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the New England region of the United States. It comprises several counties of the state of Massachusetts... - John Clement Favalora, Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Miami, FloridaRoman Catholic Archdiocese of MiamiThe Archdiocese of Miami is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States of America. Its ecclesiastic territory includes Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties in the U.S. state of Florida. The archdiocese is the metropolitan see for the Ecclesiastical Province of Miami,...
- Joseph Nunzio LatinoJoseph Nunzio LatinoJoseph Nunzio Latino is the current Roman Catholic Bishop of Jackson .-Early life and career :Latino was born in New Orleans, Louisiana....
, Current Bishop of the Diocese of Jackson, MississippiRoman Catholic Diocese of JacksonThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Jackson is a diocese in the ecclesiastical province of Mobile, in the southern United States of America. Its ecclesiastical jurisdiction includes the northern and central parts of the state of Mississippi, an area of . It is the largest diocese, by area, in the United... - Ronald Paul HerzogRonald Paul HerzogRonald Paul Herzog is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the eleventh and current Bishop of Alexandria in central Louisiana.-Biography:...
, Current Bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria, LouisianaRoman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria in LouisianaThe Diocese of Alexandria is the Roman Catholic diocese for central Louisiana, based in Alexandria, with its see at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral... - Robert William MuenchRobert William MuenchRobert William Muench is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the fifth and current Bishop of Baton Rouge, having previously served as Bishop of Covington from 1996 to 2002.-Early life and education:...
, Current Bishop of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, LouisianaRoman Catholic Diocese of Baton RougeThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge, officially in Latin Dioecesis Rubribaculensis, is a Latin Rite diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of New Orleans.... - Glen John ProvostGlen ProvostGlen John Provost is the current bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lake Charles since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 6 March 2007....
, Current Bishop of the Diocese of Lake Charles, LouisianaRoman Catholic Diocese of Lake CharlesThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Lake Charles , is a particular church located in southwest Louisiana . It is a fairly new diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, being founded on January 29, 1980. It is suffragan to the Archdiocese of New Orleans.The diocese is administered from the city of Lake... - Gregory Michael AymondGregory Michael AymondGregory Michael Aymond is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the fourteenth and current Archbishop of New Orleans...
, Current Archbishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, LouisianaRoman Catholic Archdiocese of New OrleansThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, officially in Latin Archidioecesis Novae Aureliae, is an ecclesiastical division of the Roman Catholic Church administered from New Orleans, Louisiana... - Shelton Joseph Fabre, Current Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, LouisianaRoman Catholic Archdiocese of New OrleansThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, officially in Latin Archidioecesis Novae Aureliae, is an ecclesiastical division of the Roman Catholic Church administered from New Orleans, Louisiana...