Historical Fragments: Facts about St. John Seminary

Published: September 10, 2011

Diocese of Little Rock archives

Young men studying at St. John Seminary in the 1940s wear the full cassock and collar required of all students beginning with their fresh man year in high school. Morris Hall, home to upperclassmen, is seen behind them.

Diocese of Little Rock archives

Since its founding in 1911, seminary burses were set up for $5,000 in memory or honor of a family member, parish or priests. By 1948 the interest derived from the burse was no longer sufficient to educate one man in the seminary for one year, but the $5,000 minimum was still honored as a complete burse. In 1961 earnings from a $5,000 burse covered about a quarter of one seminarian's tuition for one year.

In 1940 the seminary started a home study service primarily to educate non-Catholics. Catholic and Protestant laymen and women were invited to participate in the correspondence courses, which were graded by the seminarians. In 1948 the chairman of the study service was a young George Tribou. The seminary also served lay people by offering summer retreats, first for men only in 1934 and later for women and married couples.

By 1948, more than 200 men had been ordained from there. In 1949, it was estimated that 80 percent of the priests in the diocese were trained there.

In 1947, The Guardian, predecessor to Arkansas Catholic, reported the seminary's highest enrollment with 127 seminarians, including 39 new students from 13 states. Fourteen of the new seminarians had served in the war. In 1948 the number increased to 148 seminarians from 23 dioceses. Forty-one were studying for the Little Rock diocese.

In 1950 Bishop Fletcher dedicated an outdoor stations of the cross on the grounds. He blessed the Sacred Heart Grotto and stations "located in the lovely section of the pine studded seminary grounds."

In 1950 the Morris Hall chapel was constructed immediately behind the hall and connected with the building. The building's rotunda and marble steps were removed to make room for the chapel. Up until the chapel was built, the seminarians had to use the gymnasium and a smaller chapel for Mass. In October 1951 Cardinal Samuel Stritch of Chicago came to Little Rock again for the dedication of the $150,000 chapel. At that time, students from 38 dioceses had studied at the school. It was named the Chapel of St. John the Baptist in honor of late Bishop Morris.

In 1950 alumni met in the fall, with the largest contingency of priests from outside Arkansas coming from Dallas, Nashville and Kansas City, Kan.

In May 1952, in connection with Vocations Week, the seminary hosted its first Vocations Day for 500 boys. That year 15 priests from Arkansas and several other dioceses were ordained

In 1961 Father Adam Micek introduced a new vocations program for eighth-grade boys. On the weekend, boys could spend the weekend at St. John Seminary. They wore cassocks and participated in activities.

Marking its 50th anniversary in 1961, the seminary opened with 167 seminarians: 40 in high school, 29 in junior college, 33 in philosophy and 65 in theology. Four hundred had studied there over the past five decades.

The seminary was divided into sections: minor seminary and major seminary. The minor seminary was for those in high school and the first two years of college. The major seminary was the last two years of college and four years of theology.

The refectory (dining hall) was staffed by the Olivetan Benedictines of Holy Angels Convent in Jonesboro.

Read about the 100th anniversary of St. John Seminary.