Contact: Kathleen Hohl, 414-769-3494

Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan has announced that Saint Francis Seminary should remain open and the Archdiocese of Milwaukee will renew its commitment to forming ordained and lay Catholic leaders.

“Saint Francis Seminary is the cornerstone for ministerial formation for priests, deacons and lay ecclesial leaders in southeastern Wisconsin,” said Archbishop Dolan. “Since 1845, the seminary has served the archdiocese and served it well.”

Last fall, Archbishop Dolan named an eight-member Commission on Ministerial Formation. Drawing from the Commission’s recommendations, the archbishop identified five specific areas for renewal which include:

• strengthening priestly formation while maintaining a collaborative formational model,
• achieving fiscal solvency, •
• increasing enrollment, •
• collaborating with other institutions, and •
• evaluating the Certificate program to make it more cost-effective, flexible, and accessible.

“The future is bright,” Archbishop Dolan said. “The need is great. The number of candidates for the priesthood is rising. We must be effective stewards of the gifts God has given us. This seminary is a great gift.”

Saint Francis Seminary forms those studying for priesthood, the diaconate and lay ministry for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and beyond. More than 250 men and women regularly attend classes at Saint Francis Seminary which experienced an enrollment increase of 33 percent last fall – the highest in recent history.