American College of the Immaculate Conception

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The American College from the Naamsestraat.
The American College from the Naamsestraat.

The American College of the Immaculate Conception, or the American College at Louvain, is a Roman Catholic seminary in Leuven, Belgium. The College's current rector is Monsignor Ross Shecterle of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.[1]

Contents

[edit] History

The College was founded in 1857 by the bishops of the United States, under the leadership of Bishop Martin J. Spalding of Louisville and Bishop Peter Paul Lefevere of Detroit. Its founding purpose was twofold: to train young European men to serve as missionary priests in North America and to give American seminarians the opportunity to study at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.[2]

The front gate of the American College, which maintains some of the stonework from the college's predecessor, Aulne College.
The front gate of the American College, which maintains some of the stonework from the college's predecessor, Aulne College.

The college grew rapidly in its early years, most notably under the lengthy rectorship of John De Neve, the college's second rector. It is estimated that approximately eight hundred priests trained at the American College served in the American missions during the second half of the nineteenth century. They served in dioceses and vicariates all across the United States, and had a huge impact on the young American Church.[3] Many served as bishops of newly-formed dioceses, including the "Apostle of Alaska" Charles John Seghers; the second archbishop of San Francisco, Patrick Riordan; and the founding bishops of Boise and Helena, Alphonse Glorieux and John Baptist Brondel.

The college continued to train young men for service to the Church in the United States into the twentieth century under the rectorship of Jules De Becker. The seminary remained open even through the First World War, preserving some of the books and treasures of Leuven, including the famous medieval statue of the Sedes Sapientiae, through the conflict and the widely-decried burning of Louvain by German troops. During the war, the college took on the roles of emergency hospital and dispensary of food and clothing, at times helping as many as fifteen hundred people per day. The seminary survived the war and continued to operate until 1939, when it was forced to close just before the Second World War. [2]

A stone carving of a Native American chief in the facade of the American College, reflecting the college's historic commitment to the American missions.
A stone carving of a Native American chief in the facade of the American College, reflecting the college's historic commitment to the American missions.

Since its 1952 re-opening under the rectorship of Thomas Francis Maloney, the college has educated and formed hundreds of priests for the Church in the United States. In addition to its primary mission of seminary formation, the American College has expanded to accommodate priests and religious seeking higher education degrees at the university and offers a variety of sabbatical opportunities for priests, religious, and lay ecclesial ministers from around the world.

The college's signature song is a Marian hymn, O Sodales, which dates to 1862.

[edit] Location

The American College is located within the city of Leuven, along the Naamsestraat (Dutch: Namur Street). Leuven lies within the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussel, and the Cardinal Archbishop of Mechelen-Brussel, Godfried Danneels, is the ordinary.

The college has always had a close relationship with Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, particularly its faculty of theology. KUL's Maria Teresa College, which hosts the faculties of theology and canon law, lies but a five minute walk away from the American College.

[edit] Sponsorship and governorship

The seminary is sponsored and overseen by the Catholic bishops of the United States. It is one of only two "national" seminaries for the United States in the sense of sponsorship by the conference of bishops as a whole, the other being the North American College in Rome.

The grounds of the American College. The college's main building is visible through the trees.
The grounds of the American College. The college's main building is visible through the trees.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops oversees the college by way of the Committee for the American College, which functions as a board of directors. Fourteen U.S. bishops sit on that committee, and the committee chair is Most Reverend David Laurin Ricken of the Diocese of Cheyenne. The college also has an advisory board, made up of both lay and clerical supporters of the college. That advisory board is chaired by Mrs. Kathy Assaf.[4]

At present, there are twelve seminarians in formation at the college. Their sponsoring dioceses are: Boise, Butuan, Canton, Congregation of Holy Cross, Madison, Milwaukee, Olomouc, Orange, Samoa-Apia, and Spokane.[5] At least three more dioceses will be sending additional seminarians for the 2008-2009 academic year: Cheyenne, Portland, and Rochester.

[edit] Mission

The primary mission of the American College remains the formation of priests with a missionary spirit. In the years since its founding, the College's alumni have gone forth to serve as many of the priests, professors, and missionaries of the Catholic Church in North America. To this day, the College continues to form and educate young men for the priesthood, primarily for dioceses in the United States. In addition to the classes offered by the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, the College seminary provides a comprehensive program of human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation for seminarians.

The college also hosts graduate students pursuing higher studies in theology or canon law, sent by their dioceses or religious congregations. For many years, the American College has also run a semester-long sabbatical program for priests, religious, or laity sent by their dioceses or religious congregations. Both the graduate students and sabbaticals take classes through the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven while living at and participating in opportunities provided by the college.

[edit] Rectors

The front foyer of the American College. The painting of Peter Kindekens, the college's founding rector, greets visitors to the seminary.
The front foyer of the American College. The painting of Peter Kindekens, the college's founding rector, greets visitors to the seminary.

[edit] Episcopal Alumni

Over the years, a number of graduates of the American College have been appointed to the episcopacy. Bishop-alumni of the college include:

The reredos of the American College's chapel of the Immaculate Conception.
The reredos of the American College's chapel of the Immaculate Conception.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Milwaukee Priest is Named Rector in Louvain. Zenit News Agency. Retrieved on 2007-03-21.
  2. ^ a b The American College: A Historical Perspective. The American College of Louvain. Retrieved on 2007-02-22.
  3. ^ Codd, Kevin, and Brian Dick: The American College of Louvain: America's Seminary in the Heart of Europe, page 47. Peeters, nv, 2007.
  4. ^ The American College Boards. The American College of Louvain. Retrieved on 2007-04-15.
  5. ^ Residents of the College: Seminary. The American College of Louvain. Retrieved on 2007-04-15.