The oldest division of the Athenaeum is Mount St. Mary's Seminary of the West. The seminary has as its mission the preparation of candidates for ministry as ordained presbyters in the Roman Catholic Church. Therefore, only Catholic men who are sponsored by a Catholic diocese or a Catholic religious community as potential candidates for ordination to the presbyterate can be admitted to the seminary and its professional degree program. A student in this program must meet the requirements of the Program of Priestly Formation (PPF) of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (1992 Edition) concerning educational, pastoral and spiritual formation.

As the life of faith is born and nurtured in the life of community, so also the program leading to ordination presumes a residence either in the seminary community of Mount St. Mary's or in another house of formation. In this environment the student continues his individual, social and spiritual development while appropriating and integrating theological learning and pastoral experiences. Mount St. Mary's Seminary includes both the Master of Divinity Program of the Theologate as well as the propaedeutic program of Pre-theology.

If you would like to have more information about Mount St. Mary's Seminary, please contact Rev.Kyle Schnippel (513-421-3131) Director of Vocations, or visit the Vocations Office webpage.