Sacred Heart Major Seminary
Encyclopedia
Sacred Heart Major Seminary is a Catholic
institution of higher learning associated with the Archdiocese of Detroit. It is located at 2701 West Chicago Boulevard, at the western edge of the Boston-Edison Historic District in Detroit, Michigan. In 2006-2007, 93 seminarians and over 400 lay students (full and part time) were enrolled in classes. Sacred Heart Major Seminary has been accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
since 1960; the School of Theology degree programs have been accredited by the Association of Theological Schools since 1991.
The seminary building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982.
established the Sacred Heart Seminary at Martin Place in Detroit. This first incarnation of the seminary offered the first two years of high school. Junior and senior classes were added the next two years, and the first class graduated in 1922; college-level classes were added in the fall. Enrollment outstripped the capacity of Martin Place, and in February 1923 construction was begun on a new facility at the corner of Chicago Boulevard and Linwood. The new building opened on September 22, 1924. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982.
The seminary building is built in the English Tudor Gothic architectural style, with stained glass windows designed by Margaret Bouchez Cavanaugh. The Seminary and chapel contains the largest collection of Pewabic
tile in Michigan. Major donors to the construction of the seminary included prominent Detroit families such as the Fishers
, Crowleys and Van Antwerps.
The first college class graduated in 1926; these graduates were ordained in 1930. The seminary continued to grow, and by 1959, it became apparent that housing both high school and college programs in one building was infeasible. Construction was begun on another building, the Cardinal Mooney Latin School, on the southeast corner of the seminary grounds. This building was completed in 1963. However, in 1970, the seminary high school was closed, leaving only the college-level program. In 1980, the Seminary charter was expanded to offer associate, bachelor and graduate level degrees. In 1989, Sacred Heart Major Seminary was refounded under Cardinal Edmund Szoka. The first graduate degrees were granted in 1993.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
institution of higher learning associated with the Archdiocese of Detroit. It is located at 2701 West Chicago Boulevard, at the western edge of the Boston-Edison Historic District in Detroit, Michigan. In 2006-2007, 93 seminarians and over 400 lay students (full and part time) were enrolled in classes. Sacred Heart Major Seminary has been accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools , also known as the North Central Association, is a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states, that is engaged in educational accreditation...
since 1960; the School of Theology degree programs have been accredited by the Association of Theological Schools since 1991.
The seminary building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982.
History
On Sept. 11th, 1919, Bishop Michael James GallagherMichael Gallagher (bishop)
Michael James Gallagher was the Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Detroit from 1918 to 1937. He was ordained a priest for the diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan on March 19, 1893. On July 5, 1915, he was appointed titular archbishop of Tipasa in Mauritania...
established the Sacred Heart Seminary at Martin Place in Detroit. This first incarnation of the seminary offered the first two years of high school. Junior and senior classes were added the next two years, and the first class graduated in 1922; college-level classes were added in the fall. Enrollment outstripped the capacity of Martin Place, and in February 1923 construction was begun on a new facility at the corner of Chicago Boulevard and Linwood. The new building opened on September 22, 1924. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982.
The seminary building is built in the English Tudor Gothic architectural style, with stained glass windows designed by Margaret Bouchez Cavanaugh. The Seminary and chapel contains the largest collection of Pewabic
Pewabic Pottery
Pewabic Pottery is a studio and school located in Detroit, Michigan and founded in 1903. The studio is known for its iridescent glazes, some of which grace notable buildings such as the Shedd Aquarium and Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Pewabic Pottery is on display...
tile in Michigan. Major donors to the construction of the seminary included prominent Detroit families such as the Fishers
Fisher Body
Fisher Body is an automobile coachbuilder founded by the Fisher brothers in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan; it is now an operating division of General Motors Company...
, Crowleys and Van Antwerps.
The first college class graduated in 1926; these graduates were ordained in 1930. The seminary continued to grow, and by 1959, it became apparent that housing both high school and college programs in one building was infeasible. Construction was begun on another building, the Cardinal Mooney Latin School, on the southeast corner of the seminary grounds. This building was completed in 1963. However, in 1970, the seminary high school was closed, leaving only the college-level program. In 1980, the Seminary charter was expanded to offer associate, bachelor and graduate level degrees. In 1989, Sacred Heart Major Seminary was refounded under Cardinal Edmund Szoka. The first graduate degrees were granted in 1993.
Rectors
- First Rector: Father Dennis L. Hayes (1919-1926)
- Second Rector: Father (later Monsignor) Daniel J. Ryan (1926-1940)
- Third Rector: Monsignor Henry E. Donnelly (1940-1952)
- Fourth Rector: Monsignor Albert A. Matyn (1952-1964)
- Fifth Rector: Monsignor Francis X. Canfield (1964-1971)
- Sixth Rector: Father Thaddeus J. Ozog (1971-1976)
- Seventh Rector: Father Bernard J. Harrington (1977-1985)
- Eighth Rector: Father F. Gerald Martin (1985-1989)
- Ninth Rector: Monsignor John Clayton NienstedtJohn Clayton NienstedtJohn Clayton Nienstedt is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the eighth and current Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, having previously served as Bishop of New Ulm from 2001 to 2007.-Early life and education:...
(1989-1995) - Tenth Rector: Most Reverend Allen Henry VigneronAllen Henry Vigneron-References:-External links:[Oakland Diocese Biography http://www.oakdiocese.org/notes.htm]...
(1995-2003) - Eleventh Rector: Father Steven C. Boguslawski, O.P. (2003-2006)
- Twelfth Rector: Monsignor Jeffrey M. Monforton (2006-present)
Programs
Sacred Heart Major Seminary offers civil degree programs at multiple levels. It offers a two-year undergraduate liberal arts/vocational degree, the Associate of Arts in Ministry; and two bachelor's programs: the Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy (an undergraduate liberal arts degree with a major in philosophy) and Bachelor of Philosophy (a two-year program with a major in philosophy for students who already possess a bachelor degree). Three Master's level degrees are offered: the Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies, Master of Arts in Theology, and Master of Divinity. Sacred Heart also offers two ecclesiastical degrees, the Baccalaureate and the Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.B. and S.T.L.)External links
- Sacred Heart Major Seminary Home page