St. John Vianney College Seminary
Encyclopedia
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...
, founded in 1959 by Archbishop Coleman Carroll
Coleman Carroll
Coleman Francis Carroll was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Miami from 1958 until his death in 1977.-Biography:...
, the first bishop of the Archdiocese of Miami
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami
The 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,...
. The goal of the institution is to form men for the diocesan priesthood
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....
by focusing on the pillars of formation: human, spiritual, pastoral, and academic. When the 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...
first opened, the curriculum was for four years of high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and then two years of college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
. After graduation
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
from Vianney, the men were expected to enter a major seminary to continue their journey. In 1976, however, the school changed its format and it is now a four-year college program focusing on philosophy.
The Vincentian Fathers
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
The St Vincent de Paul Society is an international Roman Catholic voluntary organization dedicated to tackling poverty and disadvantage by providing direct practical assistance to anyone in need. Active in England & Wales since 1844, today it continues to address social and material need in all...
opened and ran the school, but in 1975 the Archdiocese of Miami assumed responsibility for the direction of the seminary. The seminary serves men of all the Catholic
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"...
dioceses in the state of Florida, as well as other seminarians from various dioceses throughout the United States and the world. In accordance with the cultural makeup of Southern Florida, the seminary bills itself as bilingual, allowing seminarians the opportunity to interact, pray and socialize in both Spanish and English.
The present rector of the seminary is Very Rev. Roberto Garza, former Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Miami. Father Garza was appointed to the position in June 2010 by Archbishop Thomas Wenski
Thomas Wenski
Thomas Gerard Wenski is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is currently Archbishop of Miami, having been appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on April 20, 2010 and installed on June 1, 2010...
.
In 2010, there were 63 students enrolled.