St. Augustine's Seminary

St. Augustine's Seminary is the archdiocesan seminary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto, and is located by the shore of Lake Ontario in Scarborough. It is a member of the Toronto School of Theology.

St. Augustine's Seminary
MottoSolis Instar, Sola Regnet Caritas
Motto in English
May Love, Like the Sun, Reign Alone[1]
TypeSeminary
Established1913
AffiliationRoman Catholic Church
RectorRev. Edwin Gonsalves
Academic staff
11 full-time, 4 part-time and 26 adjunct
Location
Scarborough
,
Ontario
,
Canada
CampusSuburban
ColoursBurgundy and white   
AffiliationsATS, TST
Websitestaugustines.on.ca
St Augustine's Seminary, Toronto

History

St. Augustine's Seminary was established in 1913 to train diocesan priests. The land which the Seminary was built was originally that of farmer and Anglican Adna Pherrill (1816-1892). Its construction was funded entirely by Eugene O'Keefe, a wealthy Toronto brewer and philanthropist who died months before its completion.

The Beaux-Arts architecture structure is topped off with a copper clad dome. The architect was Arthur W. Holmes who designed numerous buildings in Toronto, such as St. Patrick's Church, Holy Name Church as well as St. Michael's College, part of the University of Toronto. He modelled the college chapel on the refectory of Queen's College, Oxford.[2]

In 1969 the Toronto School of Theology was created as an independent federation of 7 schools of theology, including the divinity faculties of St. Augustine's Seminary. Within its own federation, University of Toronto granted all but theology or divinity degrees. Since 1978, by virtue of a change made in its charter, the university has granted theology degrees conjointly with St. Augustine's Seminary and other Toronto School of Theology member institutions.[3]

Its nearby building for the seminary was unused. The space is currently used by St. John Henry Newman Catholic High School, whose doors opened in 1973.

Architects Bogdan Newman Caranci Inc. were responsible for performing an assessment of the building's condition, which was followed by a restoration project.

Mission

St. Augustine's Seminary is the Major Seminary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto. It also welcomes candidates from elsewhere. Although the main goal is the preparation of candidates for ordained priesthood in the Catholic Church the seminary also prepares men and women aspiring to other ministries in the Church.

Programs

St. Augustine Seminary and Institute of Theology offer the following programs which combine spiritual formation, theological education and field training:

  • Pontifical Baccalaureate of Sacred Theology (STB) and Master of Divinity (M.Div.)
  • Master of Theological Studies (MTS)
  • Master of Religious Education (MRE)
  • Diploma programs in Theological Studies and Diploma in Lay Ministry
  • Philosophy program

Residence

St. Augustine Seminary provides residence for candidates to the priesthood. Other students live in off-campus housing.

Burial Grounds

A list of notables buried at St. Augustine:

See also

References
  1. "St. Augustine's Seminary". Canadian Heraldic Authority. Retrieved 2012-04-30.
  2. Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada 1800-1950 retrieved 4 February 2014
  3. "University of Toronto" The Canadian Encyclopedia.

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