St. Edward Seminary
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St. Edward Seminary (sometimes "St. Edward's Seminary") was an institution for developing Catholic priests in Washington state, USA. Named for Saint Edward the Confessor and located in the city of Kenmore, it operated for 46 years before closing in 1976. The seminary and most of its grounds now constitute Saint Edward State Park.[1]
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[edit] History
- 1920s: The land for the seminary is purchased by Bishop Edward J. O'Dea[2], using his own personal inheritance, and donated to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle for the purpose of building a seminary for diocesan priests[1]
- October 13, 1930:[1] Bishop O'Dea blesses the cornerstone for construction.
- 1931: St. Edward Seminary opens, staffed by priests of the Sulpician Order (also known as Society of St. Sulpice), a teaching order.
- 1935: Major seminary classes are added.
- 1939: The first class of 12 men is ordained.
- 1958: St. Thomas the Apostle Seminary opens on the higher ground of the property; St. Edward resumed its status as a minor seminary exclusively.
- 1969: The Carole Ann Wald Swimming Pool was dedicated, named for the sister of a seminary student, by their father a major donor, now provides indoor/year round public swimming programs for all ages and abilities, home practice facility to nearby Inglemoor High School Viking men [1] and women [2] swim teams, and Seattle Sychronized Swimming group which expects to have representation on the 2008 Olympic Team.
- 1976: Due to declining enrollment, St. Edward’s closes. The high school program continues for a short time at JFK High School in Seattle.
- 1977: The State of Washington buys most of the property (316 acres)[1] with the assistance of a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant from the National Park Service and the Washington Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation. The property becomes Saint Edward State Park. The grounds of Saint Thomas Seminary (renamed Saint Thomas Center) are leased to Bastyr University.
- 1997: The former seminary building is placed on the Washington State Heritage Register.[1]
- 2005: Bastyr buys out its leased property.
- 2005: Washington State Parks begins a land-use planning project for Saint Edward State Park.
- Autumn 2006: Saint Edward Seminary nominated to the National Register of Historic Places
- 2007 With elevated public attention drawn by Citizens for Saint Edward Park(C4SEP), the State Legislature allocated $500k toward evaluation of the building's condition from the aggregate effects of years of underfunded and deferred maintenance, and $500k for immediate and sorely needed repairs.
- April 2007: Saint Edward Seminary listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
[edit] Nomenclature
The proper name is "St. Edward Seminary"; however, it is frequently referred to as "St. Edward's" perhaps for ease of pronunciation.
[edit] Notable Alumni
- His Grace Most. Rev. Raymond Hunthausen
- Mike Murphy (Washington politician)
- Dennis DePape, a local architect, who has graciously served the Kenmore community on the planning commission and town taskforce.
- More alumni can be found at the St. Edward Alumni Association
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d e "Your guide to Saint Edward State Park", Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission; document P&R 45-87000-1 (12/02)
- ^ 1931: St. Edward's Seminary Dedicated. Archdiocese of Seattle. Retrieved on September 23, 2007.
