Saint Stephen Seminary was a diocesan minor

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

staffed by the Sulpician Fathers in the diocese of Honolulu that closed in 1970. The seminary land was founded in 1946 when the Diocese of Honolulu obtained the 22 acre (89,000 m²) estate of Harold K.L. Castle, which was built in 1927. It is located above Maunawili valley in the Koolaupoko district of the island of

Oahu Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island of O ...

. It currently serves as the residence of the bishop of Honolulu. At its peak the seminary accommodated some 70 high school and college students from

Guam Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic cent ...

, other Pacific Islands and the State of Hawaii. The seminary flourished in the 1950s and '60s, but dwindled and closed in the early 1980s. After the seminary's closure, the Cullinan Building was transformed into a diocesan center housing various officers of the diocesan

curia Curia (Latin plural curiae) in ancient Rome referred to one of the original groupings of the citizenry, eventually numbering 30, and later every Roman citizen was presumed to belong to one. While they originally likely had wider powers, they came ...

. Since the episcopate of Msgr. John Scanlan, the seminary grounds have also housed a

Carmelite monastery Carmelite Monastery (Sisters of Mercy Convent) is a historic monastery at 400 E. Carpenter Street in Stanton, Texas. It was built in 1882 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. The property was also designated a Recorded ...

discalced A discalced congregation is a religious congregation that goes barefoot or wears sandals. These congregations are often distinguished on this account from other branches of the same order. The custom of going unshod was introduced into the West b ...

nuns from

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...

. Currently, candidates for priestly formation in the Diocese of Honolulu attend the

metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a typ ...

seminaries of

Saint Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers ...

Mountain View, California Mountain View is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Named for its views of the Santa Cruz Mountains, it has a population of 82,376. Mountain View was integral to the early history and growth of Silicon Valley, and is t ...

, and

Saint Patrick Saint Patrick ( la, Patricius; ga, Pádraig ; cy, Padrig) was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints b ...

Menlo Park, California Menlo Park is a city at the eastern edge of San Mateo County within the San Francisco Bay Area of California in the United States. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay on the north and east; East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, and Stanford to the south ...

Notable faculty and alumni

Prior to his elevation to the episcopate as auxiliary bishop of Honolulu, Msgr. Joseph Ferrario, was a professor of Greek and Latin at Saint Stephen's. Among his many students was Roman Catholic deacon and Hawaiian

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolish (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who addresses an audienc ...

Frank Delima Franklin Wilcox Napuakekaulike De Lima (born July 8, 1949) is an American comedian from Hawaii. Biography Frank De Lima is one of Hawai’i's most popular and beloved comedians. For over 40 years, this award-winning comic has been entertainin ...

, known for his sardonic portrayal of a fictitious Roman prelate, ''Monsignor Vermicelli''.

References

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu
Catholic seminaries in the United States Seminaries and theological colleges in Hawaii Private high schools in Hawaii Schools in Honolulu County, Hawaii Educational institutions established in 1946 Educational institutions disestablished in 1970 1946 establishments in Hawaii Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu 1970 disestablishments in Hawaii {{Hawaii-university-stub