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St. Mary's Seminary & University

Sabbaticals at St. Mary’s

It has been an experience that has far surpassed my expectations.  Anyone would be hard pressed to find a better location. Fr. Timothy Moyle, Diocese of Pembroke, Ontario, Canada

brochure for Priest Sabbaticals at St. Mary's.

View/Download Sabbaticals Brochure…

Description/Goals

St. Mary’s offer a Sabbatical program that is designed with the priest himself, tailored to his goals. Each Sabbatical experience is different because each priest pursues individual goals.

Priests ordained ten years or more and who have been approved by their bishops or religious superiors are invited to apply.

Professor and students in class.The core of the Sabbatical is the opportunity to audit classes in the School of Theology and St. Mary’s Ecumenical Institute and to sit in on other offered programs during his Sabbatical time ( see “Additional Opportunities” below). Onsite spiritual direction is available and the greater Baltimore-Washington area is home to numerous other intellectual, spiritual, and cultural programs and locations.

Additional Opportunities

  • Other programs of which to take advantage:
  • Dunning Lecture in the fall semester.
  • Carroll Lecture in the spring semester.
  • Onsite workshops, conferences, and formation sessions for priests (Preaching, Liturgy, Pastoral Ministry, etc.).
  • Distance learning opportunities.

Staff are also ready to assist you in accessing other services and opportunities in the Baltimore/Washington area (these services are not included in the cost of the sabbatical):

  • Counseling services with St. Luke Institute.
  • Diet and wellness programs with a number of area health providers.
  • A listing of area museums, galleries, theaters, sporting events, etc.

Featuring…

Liturgy in St. Mary's Chapel and photos of the new fitness center.

  • A forty-acre campus with paths, mature trees, and a Marian grotto.
  • Two chapels and an oratory for prayer and worship.
  • Hospitality areas for fraternity and socials.
  • Hotel-quality guest rooms, each with a private bath, climate control, study area, phone, voice-mail, and Wi-Fi.
  • A state-of-the-art conference room.
  • St. Mary’s Knott library, including the Raymond Brown collection, the John Paul II Center, and the largest collection of resources for theological inquiry in the Baltimore area.
  • The Associated Archives that comprise the combined archives of St. Mary‘s Seminary & University, the U.S. Province of the Society of St. Sulpice, and the Archdiocese of Baltimore (the latter including some of the earliest experiences of Catholics in the United States).
  • A fully equiped fitness center.
  • Outstanding food service.
  • A community of faculty, formators, staff, and seminarians renowned for their hospitality and service.
More About St. Mary’s

Process for Registration

  1. A priest, bishop, or religious superior makes an inquiry to the Center.
  2. The Center responds to assess interest.
  3. If there is interest in applying, the Center sends an Information Form to be filled out by the priest-inquirer and returned to the Interim Director of the Center. She will review it and set up a Zoom (online) meeting.
  4. The Interim Director and the priest-inquirer will review the Information Sheet together and the inquirer will discuss his Sabbatical vision and goals with the Interim Director. She will answer any questions and/or document the questions that must be researched for
    the inquirer.
  5. The Interim Director then emails back the answers to any questions that were researched.
  6. The priest-inquirer responds to the process by stating that he will check with his bishop or religious superior and let the Interim Director know the decision.
  7. If the priest-inquirer has received permission to attend, this is communicated to the Interim Director and a formal invitation is extended. The Center makes reservations and arrangements for the sabbatical.

For more information and to inquire about registration and the facilities, contact:

Center for Continuing Formation
St. Mary’s Seminary and University
5400 Roland Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21210
410-864-4102

center (at) stmarys.edu