St. Joseph Catholic Seminary
St. Joseph Seminary is a Roman Catholic diocesan Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Charlotte. The seminary itself is temporarily on the campus of St. Ann Catholic Church in the St. Joseph Monastery formerly used by the Poor Clares, while a more permanent seminary is built near the campus of Belmont Abbey College in 2018. In the meantime, seminarians are commuting regularly to Belmont Abbey for regular core classes.[1]
| St. Joseph Minor Seminary | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
Belmont , NC | |
| Information | |
| Type | Seminary |
| Motto | Noli Timere (Do not be afraid) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholicism |
| Patron saint(s) | St. Joseph |
| Founded | March 19, 2016 |
| Sister school | Belmont Abbey College |
| Rector | Rev. Matthew Kauth |
| Gender | Male |
| Age range | 18 to 30 |
| Number of students | 26 |
| Medium of language | English, Latin |
| Area | Belmont, NC |
| Campus type | Monastery |
| Mascot | Lion |
History
The St. Joseph Seminary was created as a result of a rise in vocations in the Diocese of Charlotte.[2] These vocations are attributed primarily to the Quo Vadis Days summer camp, which was instituted in the diocese in 2013. The camp hosts young men from rising high school freshmen to rising college seniors.[3] Traditionally, the diocese has only accepted men with prior college experience, but due to the number of younger vocations coming from the summer camp, the diocese set the seminary in place to be a transition from secular college to seminary formation.[1]
On March 17, 2016, the diocese released a video through their diocesan newspaper, the Catholic News Herald, to explain further details about the proposed seminary, including costs and designs of the building. The video interviews Aaron Huber, a prospective seminarian, as well as Fr. Matthew Kauth, David Hains, and Bishop Jugis.
The Charlotte Diocese officially announced the creation of this seminary at a youth pilgrimage taking place at Belmont Abbey. This official announcement was formally delivered to at the Diocese's yearly youth pilgrimage by Bishop Peter Jugis, notably on the feast of St. Joseph. He noted in his address the location of the seminary being temporarily on the grounds of St. Ann's Church in Charlotte while a new location was looked into at a later date. In his speech, the bishop also announced the appointment of Rev. Matthew Kauth as the rector of the seminary.[4]
In 2017, the diocesan newspaper announced that the seminary had bought land near Belmont Abbey, with fundraising efforts to be started for the building project in fall 2018.[5]
Studies
While in-depth details about the studies the men participate in at this seminary have not been announced, on a general level they work towards a four-year degree in philosophy, in accord with the dogmas of the Church regarding seminary formation. Meanwhile, they will study Latin and Music. This is known as intellectual formation.[6]
References
- "Diocese announces college seminary for future priests - Catholic News Herald - Catholic news from the Diocese of Charlotte". catholicnewsherald.com. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
- "St. Joseph College Seminary - Belmont Abbey College: Private | Catholic | Charlotte, NC". Belmont Abbey College: Private | Catholic | Charlotte, NC. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
- "Quo Vadis Days - Prayer, discernment and fun - Catholic News Herald - Catholic news from the Diocese of Charlotte". www.catholicnewsherald.com. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
- Catholic News Herald, Diocese of Charlotte (2016-03-19), Announcement of St. Joseph College Seminary in Charlotte, NC, retrieved 2016-05-20
- "Bishop Jugis blesses land purchased for college seminary - Catholic News Herald". catholicnewsherald.com. Retrieved 2017-12-04.
- "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Ecclesiastical Seminary". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2016-08-21.