Sacred Heart Major Seminary facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sacred Heart Seminary
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	2701 West Chicago Boulevard Detroit, Michigan
Built	1923–1924
Architect	Donaldson and Meier
Architectural style	Collegiate Gothic Revival
NRHP reference No.	82000553
Added to NRHP	December 2, 1982

Sacred Heart Major Seminary is a Catholic school in Detroit, Michigan. It is a place where people study to become priests. It is connected to the Archdiocese of Detroit, which is a large group of Catholic churches in the area.

Sacred Heart is a regional seminary, meaning it serves many areas. In 2016–2017, 107 students were studying to become priests. They came from eleven different church areas and two religious groups. Also, 426 other students were taking classes to learn about their faith. Sacred Heart Major Seminary has been officially recognized by important education groups since 1960.

History of Sacred Heart Seminary

The main building of Sacred Heart Major Seminary viewed from Chicago Boulevard

How the Seminary Started

For many years, leaders of the Catholic Church in Detroit tried to open a school to train their own priests. But each time, it didn't work out. The last try was in 1886, but it closed because it cost too much money.

Then, in 1919, something new happened. Bishop Michael J. Gallagher started Sacred Heart Seminary. At this time, many people were moving to Detroit to work in the growing car industry. Bishop Gallagher realized he needed local priests to help all the new Catholic families. He couldn't just rely on priests from other places.

This first Sacred Heart Seminary started by teaching the first two years of high school. Over the next two years, they added more high school classes. The first group of students graduated in 1922. After that, college-level classes were added.

A New Building for Students

Soon, the seminary had too many students for its small buildings. After raising money, Bishop Gallagher bought a large piece of land in 1923. He started building a new, bigger school. The bishop was very excited, saying, "It's God's work! God wills it!"

The new building opened on September 22, 1924. It was designed in a style called Gothic Revival, which looks like old European castles and churches. This new school was located across from one of Detroit's fancy neighborhoods. The first college students graduated in 1926. They became priests in 1930. Many important Detroit families helped pay for the new building.

Mid-Century Years and Growth

In 1931, Sacred Heart Seminary officially started giving out degrees. In 1937, the Detroit church area became an archdiocese, which is a bigger church region. The seminary celebrated this big change. During World War II, many students and teachers helped the war effort. They raised money to buy ambulances for the armed forces.

The number of students changed a lot during the war. In 1941, fewer students graduated. But by 1950, the number of graduates jumped up again. To fit more students, the seminary changed some large dorm rooms into private ones.

In 1944, the college students raised money to buy movie projectors. This was a special treat for the students, who usually stayed on campus. These old projectors are still in the auditorium today, though they don't work anymore.

High School Expansion and Closing

The seminary kept growing. By 1959, it was clear that having both high school and college programs in one building was too much. A new building, the Cardinal Mooney Latin School, was built for the high school students. It opened in 1961. However, in 1970, the high school program at the seminary closed. Only the college-level program remained.

A Visit from the Pope

In 1987, something very special happened. Pope John Paul II visited Detroit! His first stop was Sacred Heart Seminary. He even arrived by helicopter, landing right on the seminary grounds. The Pope met each student studying to be a priest.

The Pope's visit was a huge event for the seminary and the city. He also gave speeches and held a large church service for many people.

New Education Programs

In 1969, the seminary started a program to train permanent deacons. These are church leaders who help priests. In 1980, the seminary was allowed to offer more types of degrees, including associate, bachelor's, and graduate degrees. In 1991, important groups recognized the seminary's graduate programs, like the Master of Divinity.

A special grant helped the seminary improve its programs for people studying to be lay ministers. These are people who work for the church but are not priests.

Re-founding the Seminary

In 1988, another seminary in the area closed. So, Sacred Heart was re-founded to take on more students and programs. It added a Graduate School of Theology to its College of Liberal Arts. It was then renamed Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

The seminary building also got a big makeover. Workers replaced windows, updated electrical wiring, cleaned the outside, and fixed classrooms. They also made the parking lot bigger.

Institute for Lay Ministry

Also in 1988, the Institute for Ministry (IFM) was created. Its goal was to find, teach, and train lay people to work in church ministries. They offered different programs for students who were not studying to be priests. In 2016, the institute changed its name to the Institute for Lay Ministry (ILM). This new name better showed its main purpose: to train lay church workers.

Special Theology Degrees

In 2004, Sacred Heart reached two big education goals. It created six special teaching positions. That same year, the Vatican approved Sacred Heart to offer two special church degrees: a Bachelor in Sacred Theology (STB) and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL). These degrees are "ecclesiastical," meaning they are recognized by the Catholic Church worldwide.

The STL degree focuses on something called the "New Evangelization." This idea, made popular by Pope John Paul II, encourages Catholics to have a deeper connection with Jesus. It also asks the Church to share the basic message of the Gospel with people in modern countries who might have lost their Christian faith.

Sacred Heart's STL program is focused on helping students become good church leaders. It teaches about social issues from a Catholic view, family and life ethics, and new ways to teach faith. It also prepares students for advanced studies. Since 2014, this program has been mostly online and is only for priests.

Campus Improvements

Dorm Renovations

As more students joined Sacred Heart, the seminary decided to improve its buildings. In 1997, 29 new rooms and a priest's living area were added to the graduate dorm. The leader of the seminary said this growth showed that God was blessing their work.

In 2010, work began to fix up another dorm that had been closed since the 1970s. Over two years, ten new dorm rooms for students studying to be priests were added. They also built a lounge, a new bathroom, and a laundry room.

Technology and Building Upgrades

Starting in 2003, the seminary began adding "smart classroom" technology to all its classrooms. This included building a special area for distance learning with video conferencing. This allowed students to take classes from other locations. The first interactive courses were broadcast in 2004.

The liturgy lab, where students practice church services, was also updated in 2004. It got a new whiteboard, sound system, and a camera to record student sermons. To make it feel more like a real church, they added a baptismal font, an altar, a confessional, and pews.

These 2004 renovations also created more office space for teachers. An old area that held heating equipment was removed. In its place, 12 new faculty offices were built.

Running Track

Thanks to a generous donation, the seminary built a quarter-mile running track in 2014. It is for students, priests, teachers, and staff. The track is named after Bishop Walter J. Schoenherr, a former student and athlete. Students studying to be priests now have an annual track meet there.

Property Expansion

Another donation allowed Sacred Heart to buy six empty city plots next to the campus in 2016. This added 2.5 acres to the seminary's land. The land was cleaned up, and an old apartment building was removed. The seminary plans to use this land for more parking as its programs grow. The seminary leader said buying this land helps make the area more beautiful and safer.

It's interesting to know that Sacred Heart used to own this land but had to sell it during the Great Depression to stay open. The seminary also plans to move its main entrance to Chicago Boulevard.

Architecture and Design

Gothic Revival Style

The seminary building is built in a style called Gothic Revival. This style was popular for school buildings in the early 1900s. It looks like old Gothic cathedrals and colleges. The building was designed by Donaldson and Meier, a famous Detroit architecture company. They designed many well-known buildings in Detroit.

Chapel Windows

The beautiful stained glass windows in the main chapel were made by Emil Frei, Incorporated, from Germany. The large window in the front shows Jesus after he rose from the dead, surrounded by his twelve apostles. It also shows symbols of the Seven Sacraments and angels. The side windows show different religious scenes, like the life of Jesus and various saints.

Later, in the early 1990s, a Michigan artist named Margaret Bouchez Cavanaugh designed the windows for the college and graduate dorm chapels. These windows have a more modern, flowing style. The graduate dorm chapel windows show the Creation Story from the Bible. The undergraduate dorm chapel windows show the Life of Christ and the Holy Spirit coming down at Pentecost.

Pewabic Tile

The first-floor hallways and chapels at Sacred Heart have a very large collection of Pewabic ceramic tile. This tile is famous for its unique colors and shiny surface. It was developed in Detroit by Mary Case Perry Stratton in 1903. The tiles have colorful flower designs and zig-zag patterns. Pewabic Pottery is still active today, making beautiful tiles and art.

Chapel Fire Restoration

In 2009, there was a fire in the main chapel roof. After the fire, the seminary decided to fix and restore the chapel. Skilled workers spent months repairing the stone, repainting the ceiling, cleaning the stained glass windows, and installing new lighting. The wooden pews were removed and refinished. The walls were cleaned of soot from the fire and years of candle smoke.

Specialists also cleaned and repaired the artistic wooden carvings of the Stations of the Cross. These carvings were made in the 1930s by an artist from Austria. The goal was to make the chapel look just like it did when it first opened in the 1920s.

National Register Listing

The Sacred Heart Seminary building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. This means it is recognized as an important historical building.

Leaders of Sacred Heart Seminary

Here are the people who have served as the main leader, called the Rector, of Sacred Heart Seminary:

• Dennis L. Hayes (1919–1926)
• Daniel J. Ryan (1926–1940)
• Henry E. Donnelly (1940–1952)
• Albert A. Matyn (1952–1964)
• Francis X. Canfield (1964–1971)
• Thaddeus J. Ozog (1971–1976)
• Bernard J. Harrington (1977–1985)
• F. Gerald Martin (1985–1988)
• John Clayton Nienstedt(1988–1994)
• Allen Henry Vigneron (1994–2003)
• Steven C. Boguslawski, O.P. (2003–2006)
• Jeffrey Marc Monforton (2006–2012)
• Todd J. Lajiness (2012–present)

What Students Can Study

College Programs

Sacred Heart Major Seminary offers different types of degrees and certificates. For college students, they have:

• A certificate in Catholic theology.
• Basic diplomas in music ministry and Catholic theology.
• A two-year degree called the Associate of Arts in Ministry.
• Three bachelor's degrees: Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Theology, Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, and Bachelor of Philosophy (for students who already have a bachelor's degree).

Graduate Programs

For students who want to continue their studies after college, Sacred Heart offers three Master's degrees:

• Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies
• Master of Arts in Theology
• Master of Divinity

They also offer a graduate diploma in pastoral ministry.

Special Church Degrees

Sacred Heart also offers two special degrees recognized by the Catholic Church: a Bachelor in Sacred Theology (STB) and the Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL). The STL degree, started in 2004, focuses on the "New Evangelization." Since 2014, this program has been mostly online and is only for Catholic priests. In 2017, 42 priests from many different places were enrolled in this program.

Both of these special church degrees are given out by the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome, through Sacred Heart. The seminary also has a graduate certificate in the New Evangelization for anyone who wants to study this area without getting a full degree.

Interesting Facts

The "Black Jesus" Statue

Sacred Heart Seminary is very close to where a major event happened in Detroit in 1967. During this time, on July 23, three men went onto the seminary grounds. They painted the face, hands, and feet of the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue brown. This life-sized statue was put up in 1957.

The painting of the statue caused a lot of discussion. Some people were upset, calling it vandalism. Others saw it as a symbol of ethnic pride and fairness.

The statue's features did not stay painted brown for long. On September 14, three white men painted the statue white. This made some community leaders angry, as they thought the seminary leaders ordered it to be repainted white. So, on September 17, the seminary decided to paint it black again. This was to show that Christ is for all people, no matter their skin color.

Today, the face, hands, and feet of this statue, now known as "The Black Jesus statue," remain painted black. The seminary has decided that it will always stay this way. One former seminary leader said, "The Sacred Heart statue is no longer just a symbol of the seminary. It is now an icon of universal appeal."

Students Who Became Bishops

As of June 2017, 31 students who studied at Sacred Heart have become bishops. Bishops are important leaders in the Catholic Church. Two recent graduates, Gerard Battersby and Robert Fisher, became auxiliary bishops of Detroit in 2017. Another former leader of the seminary, Michael Byrnes, became an archbishop in Guam in 2016.

Helping the Global Church

Five teachers from Sacred Heart have helped the Catholic Church around the world. They have served on important councils or commissions of the Vatican. For example, Dr. Mary Healy is on the Pontifical Biblical Commission, and Dr. Janet Smith has advised the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

Images for kids

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  The tower of Sacred Heart Major Seminary.