Mission Statement
From its establishment as a free-standing seminary in 1923 by the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Notre Dame Seminary has, as its primary mission, the preparation of men for ministerial priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church. The seminary, through an integrated and balanced program of priestly formation, seeks to prepare pastors for the Church in the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd.
As a graduate school of theology, the seminary offers those preparing for the priesthood the Master of Divinity degree program of study. The Master of Arts in Theological Studies is also offered, especially to non-seminarian applicants preparing for leadership and catechetical roles in the Church, and to anyone seeking to deepen his or her understanding of Catholic theology. Additionally, a pre-theology program prepares seminarians to enter the graduate theology program.
While primarily preparing men to serve as priests in the southern region of the United States, Notre Dame Seminary participates in the missionary activity of the Church by promoting a spirit of mission among its candidates for priesthood and by assisting certain missionary dioceses in other areas of the world.
History
The establishment of a diocesan seminary in lower Louisiana was a keen concern of Bishop Louis Dubourg (1815 – 1826). It also proved a point of honest disagreement between himself and Bishop Joseph Rosati, C.M., the first Rector of St. Mary’s Seminary of the Barrens in upper Louisiana (1818), and his coadjutor since 1824. Rosati reasoned that, although property was available for a seminary on a thousand-acre site donated for that purpose by Father Bernardo de Deva in Plattenville on Bayou Lafourche, priests were too scarce in both upper and lower Louisiana to assure staffing adequately a second seminary.
Dubourg’s plan was finally realized by Bishop Antoine Blanc (1835-1860) who, in 1838, negotiated an agreement with Father John Timon, C.M., Superior of the Congregation of the Mission or Lazarist Fathers, to open a seminary in Platteville next to Assumption Church on Bayou Lafourche.
The official name of the institution was “The Ecclesiastical Diocesan Seminary of St. Vincent de Paul,” but it was popularly known as Assumption Seminary. The first rector was Father Bonaventure Armengol, C.M. In describing the building, the editor of the 1839 issue of the Catholic Almanac noted, “The house … is 75 feet long, 50 feet deep and two stories high, with a basement.”
This brick building housed seminarians until 1855 when fire completely destroyed it. The students moved to Faubourg Bouligny, a New Orleans suburb, and lodged in the rectory of St. Stephen’s Church on Napoleon Avenue.
Three years later a building was erected next to St. Stephen’s and served as a seminary staffed by Lazarists until 1867 when it was suppressed due to the financial distress of the diocese following the Civil War. Despite the shortage of funds, another effort was made little more than a decade later to establish a diocesan seminary. At the end of his life, and just before he sailed to Rome for the First Vatican Council, Archbishop Jean Odin, C.M., had plans drawn up for a building to be constructed next to the Old Ursuline Convent (then his residence) on the site of the former Ursuline chapel which had been known as St. Mary of Consolation. This building was functioning by the end of 1870, at which time Napoleon Joseph Perche was the new Archbishop. Although by 1873 this seminary, which was much later remodeled to become St. Mary’s Italian School, had forty students and was staffed by priests of the archdiocese, it too succumbed to financial pressure and was closed in 1881. Nearly another twenty years passed before it was decided to reopen the seminary that had been built in the Faubourg Bouligny district next to St. Stephen’s Church; however, Archbishop James H. Blenk, S.M., rescinded that decision after only seven years.
Two years after his arrival as Blenk’s successor, Archbishop John W. Shaw (1918-1934) called a meeting of laymen at his Esplanade Avenue residence for the purpose of discussing with them the ways and means of erecting a substantial building on a site acquired in 1910 through the efforts of Father Francis Prim, a pastor of Mater Dolorosa Church in the Carrollton section of New Orleans.
An outcome of the August 20, 1920, meeting was the launching of a capital campaign. By the following January the campaign netted close to $1 million from some 50,000 subscribers. Encouraged by this broad-based display of interest and generosity towards a permanent major seminary, the Archbishop commissioned the architect, General Allison Owen, to draw plans for Notre Dame Seminary.
The corner stone was laid for the handsome chateau-like building on May 7, 1922. The seminary began functioning on September 18, 1923, with 25 students from the three Louisiana dioceses registering for philosophical and theological courses. In 1925, the present Archbishop’s residence was built next to the seminary.
From the beginning of the seminary until 1967, the Marist Fathers of the Washington Province were in charge. The first rector was Father Charles Dubray, S.M. The number of students remained small through the formative years, not exceeding 60 until September 1932.
In the early 1950’s, as enrollment proved too large for the 90 students’ rooms, Archbishop Joseph Francis Rummel (1935-1964) dedicated funds raised to memorialize his 25th anniversary of Episcopal consecration and his 50th in the priesthood for the erection of St. Joseph Hall. The architect for this building, which was also close to $1 million, was Jack J. H. Kessels.
St. Joseph Hall has some student and faculty rooms, houses the seminary library with a capacity of 200,000 volumes, and has an auditorium attached. Previously, Archbishop Rummel had provided a permanent brick residence on the campus for the Sisters of the Holy Family, which is now occupied by the Order of Discalced Carmelites and is now known as the John of the Cross House of Studies.
During his relatively short tenure as apostolic administrator and archbishop, the Most Reverend John P. Cody (1962-1965) laid the groundwork for the emergence of Notre Dame Seminary into a provincial seminary exclusively for theological students. Prior to the establishment in 1964 of the St. John Vianney Preparatory School, also located in the Carrollton section, diocesan seminarians normally spent six years at St. Joseph Preparatory Seminary (established by the Benedictines at Gessen, Louisiana in 1891) and then six more years at Notre Dame Seminary.
St. Joseph Seminary College (at St. Benedict, Louisiana since 1902) became a four-year college seminary in 1968, serving principally the province of New Orleans. It serves as the local feeder institution for Notre Dame.
In addition to the Marist Fathers, diocesan priests and others of specialized competence have been professors and lecturers at Notre Dame Seminary since the arrival of Archbishop Philip M. Hannan in 1965.
In 1984 a special evaluation team created by the Vatican for the purpose of studying and advising American seminaries visited Notre Dame Seminary. In 1993, Notre Dame Seminary completed its 70th year of service to the Archdiocese of New Orleans and to the Gulf South Region. In 1995 a self-study was conducted and was followed by visits from the accrediting agencies.
A few noteworthy events have occurred which have become a part of the seminary’s history. Outstanding among these has to be the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1987. Not only was this the first visit of any Roman Pontiff to New Orleans, but for the two nights of his sojourn here, the Pope slept in the adjoining residence of the Archbishop. The first enthusiastic group to greet the Pope were the Notre Dame seminarians.
In 1993, the archdiocese celebrated its bicentennial. Many different events marked the year-long festivities: special liturgical services, an exhibit at the New Orleans Museum of Art, the publication of a nearly 700-page volume of collected essays, gatherings for the young and events for the faithful. The faculty and seminarians were active participants at many of the events. A substantial benefit for the seminary was designated from the Capital Campaign, which was begun by Archbishop Francis B. Schulte.
In 1997, the first history of Notre Dame Seminary was published and entitled, The History of Notre Dame Seminary. It was written by Reverend Mark Raphael who was a student at the time. This history was produced for the 75th anniversary of the seminary’s opening, a jubilee celebrated throughout the academic year of 1998-1999 with an Open House in September, a special Eucharistic Celebration in October, and a special Alumni Day celebration in February 1999.
As a graduate school and a seminary, Notre Dame Seminary continues to be a center of theological studies and of formation for the priesthood and to many outside of the seminary community.
Location
Notre Dame Seminary is located in the Carrollton section in the heart of New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans, “the Crescent City,” is a center of commerce and industry in the South with an exciting and fascinating past that can be relived daily in its enchanting French Quarter. New Orleans offers numerous opportunities for entertainment, cultural activities, exhibits and fine dining.
New Orleans is a world-renowned center of festivities. Mardi Gras, the high point of the entertainment year, culminates weeks of lavish balls and pageantry with elaborate parades throughout the city. In the spring, Jazzfest features local, national, and international musical entertainment, arts and crafts, and delicious food. New Orleans is home to a professional football, professional basketball and a minor league baseball teams. The city is also the home of the Sugar Bowl football classic and operas by the New Orleans Opera House Association. Other musical events include various pop concerts and, of course, good old “New Orleans Jazz.”
Library
The Robert J. Stahl M. Memorial Library, which houses more than 95,000 volumes, including 12,000 bound periodicals, is located in St. Joseph’s Hall. The library consists of two floors of stacks shelving; a dedicated reference room which also houses the bound periodicals collection; a writing lab; and an internet research center. A quiet study area with seating for 34 persons is scheduled to open in early 2009.
The book and periodical collection reflects the purpose and objectives of the seminary. The library subscribes to approximately 165 periodicals titles.
For research work or other specialized projects, students of Notre Dame can borrow books from other libraries through the LALINC (Louisiana Academic Library Information Network Consortium) program and through inter-library loan. The bibliographic holdings of the library are fully accessible through the online catalog.
Seminarians and students enrolled in the school respect the honor system and have free access to the library at any time. Persons not enrolled in Notre Dame, including alumni and members of the religious community at large, have borrowing privileges. Students who attend schools which are part of the LALINC system also have borrowing privileges. For LALINC patrons, the following restrictions apply:
- An appointment with a library staff member must be made by calling (504) 866-7426, ext 3700.
- Books are loaned for three weeks and may be renewed once.
- A barcode for the LALINC card must be issued by the library office.
For online access to the library card catalog please use the following link: www.lib.nds.edu.
Accreditation
Notre Dame Seminary was incorporated in 1948 by the State of Louisiana as a non-profit educational institution with the power to confer degrees. It operates under a charter drawn up in 1970, revised in 1975, and again in 1995. The seminary is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) to award the degrees of Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and Master of Arts in Theological Studies (M.A.). Contact SACS at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097 or call (404) 679-4500; and ATS at 10 Summit Park Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15275-1103 or call (412) 788-6505.
Notre Dame Seminary is owned by the Archdiocese of New Orleans. It is operated by a Board of Trustees including ex-officio the Archbishop of New Orleans as President, a Vicar General of the Archdiocese, the President-Rector of the Seminary, and other appointed members for an aggregate of 15 trustees.
The seminary has been approved by the Louisiana Board of Regents and the Louisiana State Department of Education. It is in partnership with Loyola University of New Orleans, Our Lady of Holy Cross College, St. Joseph Seminary College and Xavier University of New Orleans.
Notre Dame Seminary is also a member of the American Catholic Philosophical Association, the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers, the Association of Theological Field Education, the Catholic Association of Teachers of Homiletics, the Catholic Theology Society of America, the College Theology Society, the Federation of Seminary Spiritual Directors, National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the National Catholic Education Association, the Midwest Association of Theological Schools, the Society of Christian Ethics and the Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers.
Respect for Equality
Notre Dame Seminary adheres to the principle of equal educational and employment opportunities without regards to race, sex, color, creed, age or national origin. This policy extends to all programs and activities supported by the seminary. In addition, Notre Dame Seminary conscientiously seeks to comply with all applicable legislation concerning nondiscrimination in employment practices and in development of personnel, concerning the protection of faculty and student rights of privacy and access of information concerning accommodations for the handicapped.
Bearing in mind that language reflects, reinforces and creates social reality, the seminary expects class conversation and written work to employ language that respects the equal dignity and worth of all human beings. Notre Dame Seminary believes in the equality of all people and respects the dignity of people from all races, cultures, religions and ideological preferences.