Saint Joseph Seminary College (also known as St. Ben or St. Ben's) is a Catholic seminary in

Saint Benedict, Louisiana Saint Benedict (also Cedar Hill) is an unincorporated community in St. Tammany Parish St. Tammany Parish (french: Paroisse de Saint-Tammany) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana named after Tamanend, the legendary Lenape Chie ...

. Founded in 1891, it is operated by the Benedictine monks of Saint Joseph Abbey and the dioceses in the ecclesiastical provinces of New Orleans and

Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ...

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''Saint Joseph Seminary College Faculty Handbook'', "Historical Sketch"
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Academics

The college is accredited by the

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is an educational accreditor recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This agency accredits over 13,000 public and priv ...

and offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

in either liberal arts or religious studies to men seeking eventual ordination as

priests A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in p ...

in the Roman Catholic Church. The college also has a two-year pre- theology program for students who have already attained a college degree. After attending Saint Joseph Seminary College, seminarians wishing to continue priestly studies will attend a graduate seminary. In the past, Saint Joseph Seminary College has also offered degrees with majors in psychology, history, and English.

Bonfire football game

There is also the tradition of a flag football game, called Bonfire, between St. Ben's and the graduate seminary of New Orleans,

Notre Dame Notre Dame, French for "Our Lady", a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, most commonly refers to: * Notre-Dame de Paris, a cathedral in Paris, France * University of Notre Dame, a university in Indiana, United States ** Notre Dame Fighting Irish, th ...

. This tradition has gone on for well over 70 years. The annual game takes place in a field on the vast property of the Abbey the Friday before Thanksgiving. The students at St. Ben's spend weeks building a massive bonfire out of the downed trees on the surrounding forests owned by the Abbey. After the game, the two seminaries join to share in fellowship and traditional Louisiana foods around the bonfire.

Notable alumni

* Jules Jeanmard, first bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana * Bernard Francis Law,

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

and archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts *

John Clement Favalora John Clement Favalora (born December 5, 1935) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Miami from 1994 to 2010 and as bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria in Louisiana from 1986 to 1989 and as ...

, archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Miami, Florida *

Joseph Nunzio Latino Joseph Nunzio Latino (October 21, 1937 – May 28, 2021) was a bishop of the Catholic Church in the United States. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Jackson in Mississippi from 2003 to 2013. Early life and career Joseph Latino was born ...

, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi *

Ronald Paul Herzog Ronald Paul Herzog (April 22, 1942 – April 12, 2019) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, who served as Bishop of Alexandria in central Louisiana from 2005 to 2017. Biography He was born in Akron, Ohio. A child of a marria ...

, current bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana * Robert William Muench, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Baton Rouge, Louisiana * Glen John Provost, current bishop of the Diocese of Lake Charles, Louisiana * Gregory Michael Aymond, current archbishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Louisiana *

Shelton Joseph Fabre Shelton Joseph Fabre is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as the Archbishop of Louisville since March 30, 2022. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux from 2013 to 2022 and was auxiliary bishop of the Ar ...

, current bishop of the

Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

Notes

External links

Official website
{{authority control Benedictine colleges and universities Catholic seminaries in the United States Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Educational institutions established in 1889 1889 establishments in Louisiana