Conception
Seminary College
Conception, Missouri

Conception Seminary College
2006-2008 Catalog

What's New at Conception Abbey?

'The Work of God' - Prior's Journal

Conception Seminary
College

Historical Sketch

The history of Conception Seminary College is closely identified with that of Conception Abbey and the Benedictine Order. That order traces its beginning to St. Benedict, who lived from 480-547 and devised a monastic way of life, outlined in his Rule, that sought to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ through prayer, humility, and community living. During the Middle Ages, Benedictine monasteries were established throughout Europe, including one at Engelberg, Switzerland in 1120 A.D.

FOUNDATION AND VISION

From that abbey, in 1873, Fr. Frowin Conrad and a small band of aspiring monks, came to Northwest Missouri to establish a new monastery. They had been invited by the local bishop and the Irish and German settlers of the small village of Conception, Missouri, to provide pastoral care and a monastic witness on the frontier.

The new monastery expanded quickly and was able to build a permanent monastery building in 1880 and a magnificent church in 1891. When “New Engelberg Abbey of the Immaculate Conception” was incorporated under Missouri law in 1882, its charter laid out the set purpose of “conducting schools (a college and a seminary, fostering and promoting intelletual science and arts) and of encouraging agricultural and other useful industries.”

A SCHOOL FOR ITS TIME

In 1886, the monks established the College of New Engelberg and built its first building (what later came to be known as St. Damian Hall, demolished in the 1970s). Instruction was offered at high school and junior college levels, with a choice between classical and commercial curriculums, attracting both those aspiring to a secular profession and those intending to become diocesan or Benedictine priests. During the next half century the school grew in class sizes, faculty credentials, science labs, honor societies, sports programs and educational methods. St. Maur Hall was built in 1902 and St. Michael Hall in 1929 to accomodate this growth.

CHANGES IN SCOPE AND EMPHASIS

An important transformation took place in 1942, when the monks decided to change the school’s objectives and its name, and to restrict enrollment at all levels to candidates for the priesthood. The school, now called Conception Seminary, offered a full 12-year program of high school, college and graduate studies in theology. As the student body increased, especially after World War II, St. Joseph Hall was added in 1952 and the high school division was transferred to a new Benedictine foundation at Elkhorn, Nebraska, near Omaha in 1956.

The college division of the seminary was accredited in 1961 and approved for membership in the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. A surge of enrollment followed, necessitating the building of St. Benedict Hall in 1964 and Marian Hall in 1966. In 1967 Conception Seminary established the Pastoral Formation Center in Kansas City where theology students received pastoral experience in an urban setting. However, in 1972 the school of theology was reluctantly closed, due to the sudden decrease in enrollment that followed the generalized turmoil in American society of the late 1960s.

FOCUS ON THE SEMINARY COLLEGE

Modifying its name to reflect a more particular focus, Conception Seminary College since 1972 has gained yearly in strength. The focus on college seminary has allowed students to enjoy a richer educational experience, more opportunities for leadership and better organization of the entire formation program. Accreditation has been regularly renewed, financial strains have been reduced, and endorsements from Church leaders have multiplied and held firm.

In 1982 a full-scale pre-theology program was added for candidates with undergraduate degrees but lacking the philosophical training and seminary formation necessary for admission to theology schools. In addition, in 1989, the school inaugurated a program to provide theological training to candidates for the permanent diaconate. In 1998, the Language, Culture and Church Program (LCC) was instituted to serve students whose first language is not English, but who aspire to serve as priests in the United States.

THE FUTURE

At the heart of Conception Seminary College is the commitment to assist men who discern Christ’s call to priesthood to grow in respect for human learning, in strength of character, in holiness and in their own commitment to serve others.