Pontifical North American College
Encyclopedia
The Pontifical North American College is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome
, Italy
educating seminarians for the dioceses in the United States
and providing a residence for American priests
studying in Rome. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed
Pope Pius IX
and was granted pontifical status by the Holy See
in 1884. The formal incorporated name for the College is The American College of the Roman Catholic Church of the United States. Oversight of the College is given to the Catholic bishops of the United States, as well as the Holy See's Congregation for Catholic Education.
, located in Leuven
(Louvain), Belgium
, was founded in 1857, two years before the institution of the Pontifical North American College.
The Pontifical North American College was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX
in a former Dominican and Visitation Convent, the Casa Santa Maria, located in central Rome near the Trevi Fountain
. It was granted pontifical status by the Holy See in 1884 and was incorporated in the United States by a Special Act of the Maryland Legislature in 1886 under the name "The American College of the Roman Catholic Church of the United States".
Until the outbreak of the Second World War, all the College's students resided at the Casa Santa Maria. During the War, the various national seminaries in Rome were temporarily closed by Pope Pius XII
and non-Italian students returned to their home countries. When the war ended and the seminaries re-opened, the Roman Catholic Church in America
had experienced such an increase in vocations to the priesthood that the Casa Santa Maria could no longer accommodate the many seminarians whom United States bishops wanted to send to Rome for their priestly formation and university studies. To respond to that situation, the Roman Catholic bishops of the United States authorized construction of a new Seminary complex on the Janiculum Hill
overlooking the Vatican
. The complex was built on the grounds of Villa Gabrielli al Gianicolo, whose land they had purchased in 1926.
Pope Pius XII dedicated the newly-built Seminary on December 8, 1952, the annual Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
. The Casa Santa Maria then became a residence for ordained United States Catholic priests pursuing advanced studies in Rome. In 2009 and 2010, a historic eighteenth century residence on the Janiculum Hill Campus was renovated to provide a new home, the "Casa O'Toole", for the College's continuing formation program for priests ordained ten years or more; and a new convent was built for the religious Sisters who make up part of the College staff.
. It has received numerous illustrious visitors, including four Popes, President
John F. Kennedy
, and the Rev. Billy Graham
.
Administration of the College has been delegated by the Holy See to the Catholic bishops of the United States, subject to the oversight of the Holy See's Congregation for Catholic Education
.
The Board of Governors of the College consists of one diocesan or auxiliary bishop
from each of the fifteen regions into which the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is divided. The current Chairman of the Board of Governors is the Most Reverend John J. Myers
, Archbishop of Newark
; and the current Rector of the College is the Reverend Monsignor James F. Checchio, a priest of the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey
.
For the 2010–2011 academic year, enrollment in the Seminary is approximately 250; at the Casa Santa Maria approximately 75; and at each of two continuing formation sessions, approximately 30.
Enrollment in the College is available to properly qualified Catholic seminarians and priests who are citizens of the United States of America, nominated for such enrollment by a diocesan bishop of the United States of America, and approved for enrollment by the Rector. Enrollment in other cases is by decision of the Board. The students of all departments may attend any Pontifical University or other educational institution approved by the Holy See. Human, pastoral and spiritual formation is provided by the faculty of the College.
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
educating seminarians for the dioceses in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and providing a residence for American priests
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
studying in Rome. It was founded in 1859 by Blessed
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
and was granted pontifical status by the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
in 1884. The formal incorporated name for the College is The American College of the Roman Catholic Church of the United States. Oversight of the College is given to the Catholic bishops of the United States, as well as the Holy See's Congregation for Catholic Education.
History
The Pontifical North American College, while the more well-known of the United States Bishops' two national seminaries, is actually the younger of the two institutions. The American College of the Immaculate ConceptionThe American College of the Immaculate Conception
The American College of the Immaculate Conception, or the American College at Louvain, was a Roman Catholic seminary in Leuven, Belgium, which operated under the auspices of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops...
, located in Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
(Louvain), Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, was founded in 1857, two years before the institution of the Pontifical North American College.
The Pontifical North American College was founded in 1859 by Blessed Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
in a former Dominican and Visitation Convent, the Casa Santa Maria, located in central Rome near the Trevi Fountain
Trevi Fountain
The Trevi Fountain is a fountain in the Trevi rione in Rome, Italy. Standing 26 metres high and 20 metres wide, it is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world....
. It was granted pontifical status by the Holy See in 1884 and was incorporated in the United States by a Special Act of the Maryland Legislature in 1886 under the name "The American College of the Roman Catholic Church of the United States".
Until the outbreak of the Second World War, all the College's students resided at the Casa Santa Maria. During the War, the various national seminaries in Rome were temporarily closed by Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
and non-Italian students returned to their home countries. When the war ended and the seminaries re-opened, the Roman Catholic Church in America
Roman Catholicism in the United States
The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church in full communion with the Pope. With more than 68.5 registered million members, it is the largest single religious denomination in the United States, comprising about 22 percent of the population...
had experienced such an increase in vocations to the priesthood that the Casa Santa Maria could no longer accommodate the many seminarians whom United States bishops wanted to send to Rome for their priestly formation and university studies. To respond to that situation, the Roman Catholic bishops of the United States authorized construction of a new Seminary complex on the Janiculum Hill
Janiculum
The Janiculum is a hill in western Rome, Italy. Although the second-tallest hill in the contemporary city of Rome, the Janiculum does not figure among the proverbial Seven Hills of Rome, being west of the Tiber and outside the boundaries of the ancient city.-Sights:The Janiculum is one of the...
overlooking the Vatican
Vatican Hill
Vatican Hill is the name given, long before the founding of Christianity, to one of the hills on the side of the Tiber opposite the traditional seven hills of Rome...
. The complex was built on the grounds of Villa Gabrielli al Gianicolo, whose land they had purchased in 1926.
Pope Pius XII dedicated the newly-built Seminary on December 8, 1952, the annual Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
. The Casa Santa Maria then became a residence for ordained United States Catholic priests pursuing advanced studies in Rome. In 2009 and 2010, a historic eighteenth century residence on the Janiculum Hill Campus was renovated to provide a new home, the "Casa O'Toole", for the College's continuing formation program for priests ordained ten years or more; and a new convent was built for the religious Sisters who make up part of the College staff.
Structure and enrollment
The College now consists of a Seminary, which prepares candidates for the Catholic priesthood; the Casa Santa Maria, for priests in post-graduate studies, the continuing formation Institute for Continuing Theological Education (ICTE) and the Bishops' Office for U.S. Visitors to the Vatican, which serves pilgrims who come to Rome from the United States. The College also serves persons who travel to Rome from the United States on College or Holy See matters, particularly members of the United States Conference of Catholic BishopsUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
. It has received numerous illustrious visitors, including four Popes, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
, and the Rev. Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
.
Administration of the College has been delegated by the Holy See to the Catholic bishops of the United States, subject to the oversight of the Holy See's Congregation for Catholic Education
Congregation for Catholic Education
The Congregation for Catholic Education is the Pontifical congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for: seminaries and houses of formation of...
.
The Board of Governors of the College consists of one diocesan or auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
from each of the fifteen regions into which the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is divided. The current Chairman of the Board of Governors is the Most Reverend John J. Myers
John J. Myers
-References:...
, Archbishop of Newark
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark
The Archdiocese of Newark is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in northern New Jersey, United States. Its ecclesiastic territory includes all of the Catholic parishes and schools in the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Union, Hudson and Essex .-History:Originally established as the Diocese of...
; and the current Rector of the College is the Reverend Monsignor James F. Checchio, a priest of the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey
Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden is a particular church or diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, located in New Jersey, United States, and presides over Roman Catholic parishes and schools in the six southern New Jersey counties of Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland,...
.
For the 2010–2011 academic year, enrollment in the Seminary is approximately 250; at the Casa Santa Maria approximately 75; and at each of two continuing formation sessions, approximately 30.
Enrollment in the College is available to properly qualified Catholic seminarians and priests who are citizens of the United States of America, nominated for such enrollment by a diocesan bishop of the United States of America, and approved for enrollment by the Rector. Enrollment in other cases is by decision of the Board. The students of all departments may attend any Pontifical University or other educational institution approved by the Holy See. Human, pastoral and spiritual formation is provided by the faculty of the College.
Rectors
- Bernard Smith, O.S.B. (1859–1860) Pro-rector
- William G. McCloskeyWilliam George McCloskeyWilliam George McCloskey was an American Catholic priest, who became Bishop of Louisville, Kentucky.-Life:He was sent to Mount St. Mary's College, Emmitsburg, Maryland in 1835...
(1860–1868) - Francis Silas ChatardSilas ChatardSilas Francis Marean Chatard was a Roman Catholic Bishop of Indianapolis in the United States.He was born Francis Chatard in Baltimore, Maryland on December 13, 1834...
(1868–1878) - Louis Hostelot (1878–1884)
- Augustin J. Schulte (1884–1885) Pro-rector
- Denis J. O'ConnellDenis J. O'ConnellBishop Denis J. O'Connell was an Irish Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Richmond in Virginia. He was born in Donoughmore, Ireland. He was ordained a priest in 1877 in Richmond at the age of 28, after studies in Rome at the Pontifical North American College. After serving as assistant to...
(1885–1895) - William H. O'ConnellWilliam Henry O'ConnellWilliam Henry O'Connell was an American cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Boston from 1907 until his death, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1911.-Early life:...
(1895–1901) - Thomas F. Kennedy (1901–1917)
- Charles O'Hern (1917–1925)
- Eugene S. Burke (1925–1935)
- Ralph Leo HayesRalph Leo HayesRalph Leo Hayes was a 20th century bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Helena in the state of Montana from 1933–1935, and as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Davenport in the state of Iowa from 1944-1966...
(1935–1944) - J. Gerald Kealy (1945–1946) Pro-rector
- Martin John O'ConnorMartin John O'ConnorMartin John O'Connor was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as rector of the Pontifical North American College and president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications ....
(1946–1964) - Francis Frederick RehFrancis Frederick RehFrancis Frederick Reh was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Charleston , rector of the Pontifical North American College , and Bishop of Saginaw ....
(1964–1968) - James Aloysius Hickey (1969–1974)
- Harold P. Darcy (1974–1979)
- Charles M. Murphy (1979–1984)
- Lawrence M. Purcell (1984–1990)
- Edwin Frederick O'BrienEdwin Frederick O'BrienEdwin Frederick O'Brien is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He is the current Pro-Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 29 August 2011...
(1990–1994) - Timothy DolanTimothy DolanTimothy Michael Dolan is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He is the tenth and current Archbishop of New York, having previously served as Archbishop of Milwaukee and Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis ....
(1994–2001) - Kevin P. McCoy (2001–2005)
- James F. Checchio (2005 to date)
See also
- Clericus CupClericus CupThe Clericus Cup is an annual association football tournament contested by teams from the Roman Colleges, which are seminaries of the Catholic Church located in Rome. During the fourth season , the tournament involved sixteen schools and fielded players from 65 countries, with the majority coming...
- The American College of the Immaculate ConceptionThe American College of the Immaculate ConceptionThe American College of the Immaculate Conception, or the American College at Louvain, was a Roman Catholic seminary in Leuven, Belgium, which operated under the auspices of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops...
, the Pontifical North American College's "older sister" in Leuven, Belgium