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Until the Second World War, most seminarians for
the Byzantine Ruthenian Exarchate of Pittsburgh were
formed in the seminaries of Prešov and Užhorod in
Eastern Europe. The official dissolution of the
Byzantine Catholic Churches by Communist regimes in
Eastern Europe after the war precluded the option of
forming candidates in Europe. It also profoundly
affected the vision of the reigning bishop in the
United States, Daniel Ivancho, who set aside his
plans for a new cathedral and raised the
establishment of a new seminary in America to the
highest priority.
On June 28, 1950, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
incorporated the nascent seminary and on July 5,
1950, Bishop Ivancho broke ground for the facility
on Pittsburgh's Observatory Hill. The seminary's
theological program was inaugurated on October 16,
1950, and the first seminarians were housed in the
current Archbishop's residence.
The faculty was composed of priests who had
completed advanced degrees in Central Europe or Rome
before the war and was augmented by several newly
arrived immigrant priests with impressive academic
credentials.
A new chapel was blessed on February 23, 1952, and
priestly ordinations were held there for the first
time the following day. As enrollment gradually
increased, two additional floors were added over the
kitchen and dining room in 1960 to create a study
hall and a new dormitory. In 1974, the chapel was
completely refurbished with new iconography in
preparation for the seminary's Silver Jubilee in
1975. In its first 25 years, the seminary ordained
166 men to the priesthood for ministry in the
Metropolia.
The next decade brought many structural renovations.
The library was expanded and equipped with more
areas for reading and work. Computers were purchased
for student use. Pastoral seminars brought an array
of speakers to enhance the academic and formational
programs.
In 1998, the Council of Hierarchs appointed an
Advisory Board to assist in the ongoing growth and
development of the seminary. One of the goals of
this Board was to work toward accreditation of the
seminary. In 2000, when the seminary celebrated its
50th anniversary, a fund raising campaign was
initiated to raise needed monies and to satisfy
requirements of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Department of Education and The Association of
Theological Schools (ATS) that the seminary have an
endowment. The campaign was a success with the
seminary raising over $1 million.
In 2001, the Seminary entered into an affiliation
with the Graduate Department of Theology of Duquesne
University. This new collaboration facilitates
cross-registration between the two faculties and
permits students enrolled in the Seminary to earn
the degree of Master of Theology through Duquesne
while completing the bulk of their coursework at the
Seminary.
On April 22, 2003, the Seminary received from the
Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania the long-awaited authorization “to
operate as a degree-granting Seminary” conferring
the degrees of Master of Divinity (M.Div.) and
Master of Arts in Theology (M.A.T.).
In February 2008, The Association of Theological
Schools of the United States and Canada granted full
accreditation to the Seminary.
As the seminary ages, it continues to change to meet
the needs of the Church. It looks to the future and
its role as a Center of Learning, serving people of
all faiths who wish to know more about the theology,
spirituality and tradition of the Byzantine Catholic
Church.
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