St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry explained

St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry is a private Catholic graduate school in Rochester, New York. It has existed in its current form since 2003 but has existed in previous forms since 1893.

History

St. Bernard's original institution was Saint Bernard's Seminary, founded in 1893 in Rochester. Standing for 98 years in its original location on the north side of Rochester, it also educated men and women for lay ministry,^[1] and was one of the first U.S. seminaries to accept laity.^[2] The St. Bernard's Seminary building still exists and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is currently known as St. Bernard's Park, a senior living apartment community, which completed at $27.98 million renovation in 2021.^[3]

On 25 September 1981, Saint Bernard's Seminary was granted by the New York State Education Department an amendment to its charter, changing its corporate name to St. Bernard's Institute. The campus was relocated to that of Colgate Rochester Divinity School, sharing the buildings, including the library, and cross-registering students for classes that fit both schools' curricula. The institute also opened an extension in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany in autumn 1989.^[1]

In 2003, St. Bernard's assumed its current name and moved to its own facility on French Road in Rochester, New York. It has been there ever since and offers four graduate degrees in theology, pastoral studies, divinity, and Catholic philosophy - all of which can be taken online.

It is the official repository for the writings and papers of the noted evangelist and author, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who was Bishop of Rochester.^[4]

See also

• Saint Bernard's Seminary

Notes and References

1. Web site: History . . . 2014-10-05 . In 1981, St. Bernard's Seminary was closed, and St. Bernard's Institute was born and entered into a covenant relationship with Colgate Rochester Crozer. It moved to the CRCDS campus, where it remained until 2003. It was finally able to build a new campus nearby, and changed its name to St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry. But through these changes it has remained in covenant partnership with CRCDS. .
2. Web site: St. Bernard's History. 2018-09-28 .
3. Web site: Renovation complete on St. Bernard's Park senior apartments . September 30, 2021 . rbj.net . Rochester Business Journal . 2023-05-22.
4. Web site: Course Catalog 2017-2018 . St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry . . 2018-09-28 . Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, the sixth bishop of Rochester and an internationally recognized writer and preacher, designated St. Bernard’s as the repository of his books, papers, and memorabilia. The Sheen Archives now contain a complete collection of the more than 90 books published by the Archbishop (with translations of some works in eight languages), his 2500 volume personal library, several hundred audio cassettes, approximately 200 video recordings of his telecasts, together with other personal effects that form a legacy of enduring significance. The collection is housed at the Diocesan Archives of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester..