St. Stanislaus Seminary
Encyclopedia
St. Stanislaus Seminary is a former Society of Jesus
(Jesuits) seminary
in Florissant, Missouri
. It was the longest continuously operated Jesuit novitiate
in the United States
.
. The main building, now known as the Old Rock Building, was built in 1840 from limestone
quarried by the Jesuits. Pierre-Jean De Smet
was based in St. Stanislaus Seminary for some years. Another early student was Peter Joseph Arnoudt
.
The seminary was closed in 1971 due to a lack of religious vocations. Two years earlier, it had already transferred its collegiate program to Saint Louis University
. Most of what was left of the property, 35 acres (141,640.1 m²), was sold to The Missouri District of The United Pentecostal Church International
, and the property now houses Gateway College of Evangelism
. The Old Rock Building and 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of land remained Jesuit property until 2003.
to become part of the Museum of Art there.
, and it has walls 3 foot (0.9144 m) thick. The wooden parts came from walnut
, logged from the property by the Jesuits, and the brick
s were also made on site. The seminary fed itself with an orchard
, a chicken
ranch
, a cattle
barn
, wheat
field
s, vineyard
s, a butcher
shop, a creamery
and a bakery
. The former farm property is now a St. Louis County
park
.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
(Jesuits) 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...
in Florissant, Missouri
Florissant, Missouri
Florissant is a second-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in northern St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The city has a total population of 52,158 in 2010 census.-History:...
. It was the longest continuously operated Jesuit novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Working life
The seminary was founded in 1823 as some log buildings and a large farm to feed the missionaries. It was named for Stanislaus KostkaStanislaus Kostka
Stanisław Kostka S.J. was a Polish novice of the Society of Jesus. In the Catholic Church as Saint Stanislaus Kostka....
. The main building, now known as the Old Rock Building, was built in 1840 from limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
quarried by the Jesuits. Pierre-Jean De Smet
Pierre-Jean De Smet
Pierre-Jean De Smet , also known as Pieter-Jan De Smet, was a Belgian Roman Catholic priest and member of the Society of Jesus , active in missionary work among the Native Americans of the Midwestern United States in the mid-19th century.His extensive travels as a missionary were said to total...
was based in St. Stanislaus Seminary for some years. Another early student was Peter Joseph Arnoudt
Peter Joseph Arnoudt
Peter Joseph Arnoudt was a Belgian Jesuit writer on devotional subjects.-Life:...
.
The seminary was closed in 1971 due to a lack of religious vocations. Two years earlier, it had already transferred its collegiate program to Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
. Most of what was left of the property, 35 acres (141,640.1 m²), was sold to The Missouri District of The United Pentecostal Church International
United Pentecostal Church International
The United Pentecostal Church International is a Pentecostal Christian denomination, headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Hazelwood, Missouri. It is a part of the Oneness or "Apostolic" portion of the Pentecostal Movement, and was formed in 1945 by a merger of the former Pentecostal Church,...
, and the property now houses Gateway College of Evangelism
Gateway College of Evangelism
Gateway College of Evangelism is a Bible college in Florissant, Missouri, near St. Louis. It is affiliated with the United Pentecostal Church International. It is currently not accredited, but offers 2-year and 4-year degrees.-History:...
. The Old Rock Building and 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) of land remained Jesuit property until 2003.
Museum
In 1973, the seminary became the Museum of the Western Jesuit Missions, but closed again in 2001, the museum moving to Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
to become part of the Museum of Art there.
The property
The property was largely self-sufficient in its day. The current building was built by the seminarians and brothers with limestone from the banks of the Missouri RiverMissouri River
The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...
, and it has walls 3 foot (0.9144 m) thick. The wooden parts came from walnut
Walnut
Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
, logged from the property by the Jesuits, and the brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
s were also made on site. The seminary fed itself with an orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
, a chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
ranch
Ranch
A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
, a cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
barn
Barn
A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...
, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
field
Field (agriculture)
In agriculture, the word field refers generally to an area of land enclosed or otherwise and used for agricultural purposes such as:* Cultivating crops* Usage as a paddock or, generally, an enclosure of livestock...
s, vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s, a butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
shop, a creamery
Creamery
In a dairy, the creamery is the location of cream processing. Cream is separated from whole milk; pasteurization is done to the skimmed milk and cream separately. Whole milk for sale has had some cream returned to the skimmed milk....
and a bakery
Bakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
. The former farm property is now a St. Louis County
St. Louis County, Missouri
St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. Its county seat is Clayton. St. Louis County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area wherein the independent City of St. Louis and its suburbs in St. Louis County, as well as the surrounding counties in both Missouri and Illinois all...
park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
.