Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary

Last updated
Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary
TypeSeminary
Active1907 (1907)–1985 (1985)
Religious affiliation
 Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Catholic Church)
Location
Esopus
,
New York

Coordinates: 41°50′21″N73°57′36″W / 41.83917°N 73.96000°W / 41.83917; -73.96000

Mount St. Alphonsus Seminary (later Mount St. Alphonsus Retreat Center), located in Esopus, New York, was an American Roman Catholic seminary founded in 1907 by the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, more commonly known as the Redemptorist Fathers and Brothers. It operated as a seminary until 1985, after which it became a center for meetings and spiritual retreats for the people of the Hudson Valley in New York. In 2012, the Mount ceased operations and was leased to the Bruderhof Communities who use the building for their Mount Academy. [1]

Contents

History

Upon the arrival of some Belgian Redemptorists in the United States in 1838, they began the mission work for which they had been established in Italy a century earlier by their founder, Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori, C.Ss.R., a bishop and noted spiritual writer, among the Native Americans who lived along the frontier of the young nation. By 1850, the nine Redemptorist communities in the United States were formed into the independent Province of Baltimore. [2]

A seminary was soon opened in Maryland for the training of the young candidates to the Congregation. By the beginning of the 20th century, however, it was felt by the Redemptorists that the locales they had chosen for their seminarians had not been healthful. In 1904, with financing by the family of Father Augustine Duper, C.Ss.R., a native of the Bronx, the decision was made to move the seminary to Esopus, where they had purchased a 235-acre property, which eventually grew to over 400 acres. [3]

The main portion of the building was designed by William Licking; the chapel was designed by Brother Max Monz, C.Ss.R. [4] in Romanesque style. Upon completion of construction in 1907, theological studies began to be given at the seminary for the young men of the province. The school also served as a locale for many activities of the local Catholic population. Additionally, the faculty provided spiritual care to their neighbors at a mission chapel in the town, as well as assisting the Church of the Presentation parish in neighboring Port Ewen, [4] and Sacred Heart Church in Esopus. They oversaw, as well, a small cloistered monastery of Redemptoristine nuns located on the grounds. [5]

In 1985, due to the declining numbers of students, the decision was made by the province to relocate their seminarians to study at the Washington Theological Union in Washington, D.C. [3] The seminary building was then refashioned into a retreat center, serving people in the greater New York area, New Jersey and Connecticut. It was also a popular site for weddings due to the beauty of the grounds. By the time the seminary closed, some 1,300 Redemptorist seminarians had been ordained as Catholic priests there. [2]

Because of their aging membership, in 2011 the leaders of the province determined they could no longer maintain the Mount and the entirely facility would have to be closed. It was felt that this would free them to continue their primary ministry to the poor and most abandoned. The Mount Seminary then closed as of January 1, 2012. [2]

In May 2012, the property was leased by the Bruderhof community, that is currently using it as a community location that houses its Mount Academy high school for the young of their religious community. [3] [6] The chapel has been left intact. [7]

Notable alumni

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Joseph's Seminary and College</span>

St. Joseph's Seminary and College, sometimes referred to as Dunwoodie after the Dunwoodie neighborhood of Yonkers, New York in which it is located, is the major seminary of the Archdiocese of New York. Its primary mission is to form men for the priesthood in the Catholic Church. It educates men destined to serve within the Archdiocese and other archdioceses and dioceses both in the United States and abroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redemptorists</span> Catholic missionary order

The Redemptorists officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, abbreviated CSsR, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men. It was founded by Alphonsus Liguori at Scala, Italy, for the purpose of labouring among the neglected country people around Naples. It is dedicated to missionary work and they minister in more than 100 countries. Members of the congregation are Catholic priests and consecrated religious brothers

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Banchong Chaiyara</span>

Philip Banchong Chaiyara C.Ss.R. is the bishop of the Roman Catholic diocese of Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Eccleston</span> American archbishop

Samuel Eccleston, P.S.S. was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the fifth Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Maryland from 1834 until his death in 1851.

Francis Xavier Murphy was a Redemptorist chaplain and theology professor. He is best known for his articles about the Second Vatican Council, first published in The New Yorker magazine under the pseudonym Xavier Rynne.

The Order of the Most Holy Redeemer, also commonly known as the Redemptoristines, is a female contemplative religious order of the Catholic Church. It was formed in 1731, and is the female counterpart to the Redemptorists.

The Redemptorists of Australia and New Zealand are a province within The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer is a Roman Catholic missionary order which was created in 1732 by Saint Alphonsus Liguori at Scala, near Amalfi, Italy for the purpose of labouring among the neglected country people in the neighbourhood of Naples.

Aloysius Joseph Willinger (1886–1973) was an American member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, commonly known as the Redemptorist Fathers, and a prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Ponce from 1929 to 1946, and Bishop of Monterey-Fresno from 1953 to 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Hickley Gross</span>

William Hickley Gross, C.Ss.R., was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who was a member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Savannah in Georgia (1873–1885) and archbishop of the Archdiocese of Oregon City in Oregon (1885–1898).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help</span> Historic church in Massachusetts, United States

The Basilica and Shrine of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a Roman Catholic basilica in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, sometimes known as "The Mission Church". The Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province have ministered to the parish since the church was first opened in 1870.

William Tibertus McCarty, C.Ss.R. was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. A Redemptorist, he served as bishop of the Diocese of Rapid City in South Dakota from 1948 to 1969. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, from 1943 to 1947.

James Edward McManus was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. A Redemptorist, he served as Bishop of Ponce in Puerto Rico (1947–1963) and as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of New York (1963–1970).

Bernard Joseph Nolker, C.Ss.R. was an American member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, commonly known as the Redemptorists, who served as a missionary in Brazil for 45 years. He was named the first Bishop of the Diocese of Paranaguá in 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph W. Tobin</span>

Joseph William Tobin, CSsR, is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. A member of the Redemptorist order, he has been the archbishop of Archdiocese of Newark in New Jersey, since 2017. He previously served as the archbishop of Archdiocese of Indianapolis in Indiana from 2012 to 2016 and as secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSAL) from 2010 to 2012. He has been a cardinal since November 19, 2016.

Edward Joseph Gilbert is a 20th- and 21st-century American-born bishop of the Catholic Church in the Antilles. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Roseau in Dominica, from 1994-2001. He was the Archbishop of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago between 2001-2011.

Francis Jeremiah Connell, C.Ss.R., was a Redemptorist priest, professor, author, and noted Catholic American theologian. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts and died in Washington, D.C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary</span>

Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary is a Roman Catholic college seminary located in Indianapolis, Indiana, within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. The seminary takes its name from Bishop Simon Bruté, first bishop of the Diocese of Vinncennes, who came to Vincennes, Indiana from Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, in 1834. Bishop Simon Bruté Seminary has provided college-level seminary formation since 2004. Seminarians from 8 dioceses across the Midwestern United States reside at the seminary and take classes at Marian University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Immaculate Seminary</span>

The Seminary of Mary Immaculate was a former Catholic seminary, located in Northampton, Pennsylvania. It opened in 1939 to train candidates for the Congregation of the Mission, commonly called the Vincentian Fathers, and operated until 1990. The facilities then served as a retreat center. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2022.

Esopus is a hamlet located in the town of Esopus, in Ulster County, New York. It is located south of Ulster Park on route 9W. Esopus is within the Kingston metro area. The name Esopus comes from the name of the Native American tribe who lived in the area.

References

  1. ↑ "The Mount Academy". The Mount Academy. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
  2. 1 2 3 "Our History". The Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province. October 13, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Garber, Mary Ann. "Now-closed Mount St. Alphonsus has a storied history", The Criterion, Archdiocese of Indianapolis, November 30, 2012
  4. 1 2 "A Century of Blessings: Mount St. Alphonsus, Esopus, NY". The Redemptorists.
  5. ↑ Mitchell, Paula Ann (June 20, 2012). "Bruderhof buys Mount St. Alphonsus for $21.5 million, plans high school for its children". The Daily Freeman. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  6. ↑ staff. "Capella Festiva & Bruderhof choir to perform in stunning Esopus chapel". Hudson Valley One. Retrieved 2017-05-24.
  7. ↑ "Life Among The Bruderhof". The American Conservative. Retrieved 2017-12-28.
  8. ↑ "Chaplain (Major General) John A. Collins". United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 2012-07-24. Retrieved 2011-10-03.
  9. ↑ Bunson, Matthew (2010). 2010 Catholic Almanac . Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor. p.  402.
  10. ↑ Curtis, Georgina Pell (1961). The American Catholic Who's Who. Vol. XIV. Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Walter Romig.
  11. ↑ "Francis X. Murphy, C.Ss.R. Papers", Baltimore Province of the Redemptorists Archives
  12. ↑ "Biography of Joseph W. Tobin". Archdiocese of Newark.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.