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American College of the Immaculate Conception

April 14, 2024

The American College of the Immaculate Conception, or the American College of Louvain is a former Roman Catholic seminary in Leuven, Belgium. Founded in 1857, it was operated by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to prepare European priests for service in the United States and to provide a residence for Americans priests studying at the Catholic University of Louvain.

The American College closed in June 2011 due to low enrollment and a faculty shortage; its building was turned over to the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven) for student housing.

Former American College from Naamsestraat
Former American College, Louvain

History edit

19th century edit

The American College was founded in 1857 by American bishops under the leadership of Bishop Martin J. Spalding of Archdiocese of Louisville and Bishop Peter Paul Lefevere of Archdiocese of Detroit. It was created to train young European men to serve as missionary priests in North America and to give American seminarians the opportunity to study at the Catholic University of Louvain.[1] The college's signature song was a Marian hymn, O Sodales, authored by Gustave Limpens in 1862.

 
The front gate of the former American College, containing stonework from the college's predecessor, Aulne College

The College grew rapidly in its early years, most notably under the rectorship of John De Neve, its second rector. Over 800 priests trained at the American College served in dioceses and vicariates during the second half of the 19th century across the United States.[2] Some of the priests were eventually appointed as bishops of newly formed dioceses:

20th century edit

The college continued to train young men for service to the Church in the United States into the twentieth century under the rectorship of Jules De Becker. it remained open during German occupation in First World War. The college staff hid many documents and other valuable items of Leuven, including the statue of the Sedes Sapientiae, The staff converted the college into an emergency hospital and dispensary of food and clothing. At its peak, the college was assisting 1,500 Leuven residents per day.

With the declaration of war in 1939, the college closed.[1] It reopened in 1952 under the rectorship of Father Thomas Maloney. The college expanded to accommodate the increased number of American priests and brothers wanting to study at the Catholic University. It also began offering sabbatical opportunities for priests, religious, and lay ecclesial ministers from all nations.[3][4]

In 1968, a major ethnic dispute known as the Leuven crisis erupted in Belgium between the Flemish-speaking population and the Walloons (French speakers). To resolve the dispute, the Catholic University of Louvain was split into KU Leuven in Leuven and the Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. The American College, remaining in Leuven, maintained ties with both new institutions.[1]

Sponsorship and governorship edit

The American College was sponsored and overseen by American Catholic bishops through the USCCB. The other American-sponsored college in Europe was the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

 
The grounds of the American College. The college's main building is visible through the trees.

The college was overseen by the Committee for the American College, its board of directors. Fourteen American bishops sat on the committee; the last committee chair was Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay. The college also had an advisory board of lay persons and clergy.[5]

At the close of the 2010–2011 academic year, there were nineteen seminarians in formation with the college. Their sponsoring dioceses were: Boise, Cheyenne, Congregation of Holy Cross, Green Bay, Lublin, Madison, Milwaukee, Orange, Portland (Oregon), Rochester, Salford, and Spokane.[6]

Mission edit

The primary mission of the American College was the formation of priests who would serve the Catholic Church in North America. In addition to the classes offered by KU Leuven the College provided a comprehensive program of human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation for seminarians.

The college also hosted graduate students studying canon law and theology in Leuven. The college ran a semester-long sabbatical program for priests, religious, or laity sent by their dioceses or religious congregations. Both the graduate students and sabbaticals took classes through KU Leuven while living at and participating in activities at the college.

Closure edit

On November 22, 2010, the USCCB released a statement:

"Due to the small number of seminarians and available priest faculty, the American College of the Immaculate Conception in Leuven, Belgium, has announced its closure in June 2011."[7]

On August 19, 2011, the USCCB, the American College board, KU Leuven and UCLouvain signed an agreement on the future use of the American College property.[8] The facility was renovated in 2013 to serve as housing for Mater Dei and the St. Damien Community students, and for American researchers studying philosophy, theology and canon law at KU Leuven and UCLouvain.

Rectors edit

 
The front foyer of the American College. The painting of Peter Kindekens, the college's founding rector, greets visitors to the seminary.

Episcopal alumni edit

Over the years, a number of graduates of the American College have been appointed to the episcopacy. Bishop-alumni of the college include:

 
The reredos of the American College's chapel of the Immaculate Conception.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c . The American College of Louvain. Archived from the original on 2006-10-20. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
  2. ^ Codd, Kevin, and Brian Dick: The American College of Louvain: America's Seminary in the Heart of Europe, page 47. Peeters, nv, 2007.
  3. ^ Kevin A. Codd, "The American College of Louvain", The Catholic Historical Review,XCIII, No. 1, (2007).
  4. ^ Dick, John. . Ncronline.org. Archived from the original on 2013-09-21. Retrieved 2013-10-02.
  5. ^ . The American College of Louvain. Archived from the original on 2006-10-19. Retrieved 2007-04-15.
  6. ^ . The American College of Louvain. Archived from the original on 2006-12-06. Retrieved 2007-04-15.
  7. ^ "(Office of Media Relations) American College in Leuven, Belgium to Close in 2011". USCCB. 2010-11-22. Retrieved 2013-10-02.
  8. ^ "USCCB News:Heritage of American College In Leuven, Belgium Preserved By USCCB And K.U.Leuven". Usccb.org. 2011-08-22. Retrieved 2013-10-02.

External links edit

  • 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia Entry on The American College
  • USCCB Statement on the Closing of The American College of Louvain
  • USCCB Statement on the Preservation of the Heritage of The American College of Louvain

50°52′23″N 4°41′58″E / 50.87306°N 4.69944°E / 50.87306; 4.69944

April 14, 2024
american, college, immaculate, conception, american, college, louvain, former, roman, catholic, seminary, leuven, belgium, founded, 1857, operated, united, states, conference, catholic, bishops, usccb, prepare, european, priests, service, united, states, provi. The American College of the Immaculate Conception or the American College of Louvain is a former Roman Catholic seminary in Leuven Belgium Founded in 1857 it was operated by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops USCCB to prepare European priests for service in the United States and to provide a residence for Americans priests studying at the Catholic University of Louvain The American College closed in June 2011 due to low enrollment and a faculty shortage its building was turned over to the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven KU Leuven for student housing Former American College from NaamsestraatFormer American College LouvainContents 1 History 1 1 19th century 1 2 20th century 2 Sponsorship and governorship 3 Mission 4 Closure 5 Rectors 6 Episcopal alumni 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksHistory edit19th century edit The American College was founded in 1857 by American bishops under the leadership of Bishop Martin J Spalding of Archdiocese of Louisville and Bishop Peter Paul Lefevere of Archdiocese of Detroit It was created to train young European men to serve as missionary priests in North America and to give American seminarians the opportunity to study at the Catholic University of Louvain 1 The college s signature song was a Marian hymn O Sodales authored by Gustave Limpens in 1862 nbsp The front gate of the former American College containing stonework from the college s predecessor Aulne CollegeThe College grew rapidly in its early years most notably under the rectorship of John De Neve its second rector Over 800 priests trained at the American College served in dioceses and vicariates during the second half of the 19th century across the United States 2 Some of the priests were eventually appointed as bishops of newly formed dioceses Bishop Charles John Seghers foundee of the Alaska mission Bishop Patrick Riordan of the Archdiocese of San Francisco Bishop Alphonse Glorieux of the Diocese of Boise Bishop John Baptist Brondel of the Diocese of Helena20th century edit The college continued to train young men for service to the Church in the United States into the twentieth century under the rectorship of Jules De Becker it remained open during German occupation in First World War The college staff hid many documents and other valuable items of Leuven including the statue of the Sedes Sapientiae The staff converted the college into an emergency hospital and dispensary of food and clothing At its peak the college was assisting 1 500 Leuven residents per day With the declaration of war in 1939 the college closed 1 It reopened in 1952 under the rectorship of Father Thomas Maloney The college expanded to accommodate the increased number of American priests and brothers wanting to study at the Catholic University It also began offering sabbatical opportunities for priests religious and lay ecclesial ministers from all nations 3 4 In 1968 a major ethnic dispute known as the Leuven crisis erupted in Belgium between the Flemish speaking population and the Walloons French speakers To resolve the dispute the Catholic University of Louvain was split into KU Leuven in Leuven and the Universite catholique de Louvain UCLouvain in Louvain la Neuve Belgium The American College remaining in Leuven maintained ties with both new institutions 1 Sponsorship and governorship editThe American College was sponsored and overseen by American Catholic bishops through the USCCB The other American sponsored college in Europe was the Pontifical North American College in Rome nbsp The grounds of the American College The college s main building is visible through the trees The college was overseen by the Committee for the American College its board of directors Fourteen American bishops sat on the committee the last committee chair was Bishop David Ricken of the Diocese of Green Bay The college also had an advisory board of lay persons and clergy 5 At the close of the 2010 2011 academic year there were nineteen seminarians in formation with the college Their sponsoring dioceses were Boise Cheyenne Congregation of Holy Cross Green Bay Lublin Madison Milwaukee Orange Portland Oregon Rochester Salford and Spokane 6 Mission editThe primary mission of the American College was the formation of priests who would serve the Catholic Church in North America In addition to the classes offered by KU Leuven the College provided a comprehensive program of human spiritual intellectual and pastoral formation for seminarians The college also hosted graduate students studying canon law and theology in Leuven The college ran a semester long sabbatical program for priests religious or laity sent by their dioceses or religious congregations Both the graduate students and sabbaticals took classes through KU Leuven while living at and participating in activities at the college Closure editOn November 22 2010 the USCCB released a statement Due to the small number of seminarians and available priest faculty the American College of the Immaculate Conception in Leuven Belgium has announced its closure in June 2011 7 On August 19 2011 the USCCB the American College board KU Leuven and UCLouvain signed an agreement on the future use of the American College property 8 The facility was renovated in 2013 to serve as housing for Mater Dei and the St Damien Community students and for American researchers studying philosophy theology and canon law at KU Leuven and UCLouvain Rectors edit nbsp The front foyer of the American College The painting of Peter Kindekens the college s founding rector greets visitors to the seminary Peter Kindekens Archdiocese of Detroit 1857 1860 John De Neve Archdiocese of Detroit 1860 1891 John Willemsen Archdiocese of Mechelen 1891 1898 Jules De Becker Archdiocese of Mechelen 1898 1931 Pierre de Strycker Archdiocese of Mechelen 1931 1939 Thomas Francis Maloney Diocese of Providence 1952 1960 Paul D Riedl Diocese of Springfield 1960 1970 Clement E Pribil Archdiocese of Oklahoma City 1970 1971 Raymond Francis Collins Diocese of Providence 1971 1978 William J Greytak Diocese of Helena 1978 1983 John J Costanzo Diocese of Pueblo 1983 1988 Thomas P Ivory Archdiocese of Newark 1988 1992 Melvin T Long Diocese of Salina 1992 1993 David E Windsor Congregation of the Mission 1993 2001 Kevin A Codd Diocese of Spokane 2001 2007 Ross A Shecterle Archdiocese of Milwaukee 2007 2011Episcopal alumni editOver the years a number of graduates of the American College have been appointed to the episcopacy Bishop alumni of the college include nbsp The reredos of the American College s chapel of the Immaculate Conception Matthew Francis Brady 1893 1959 Bishop of Burlington 1938 1944 and Bishop of Manchester 1944 1959 Edward Kenneth Braxton 1944 Auxiliary Bishop of St Louis 1995 2001 Bishop of Lake Charles 2001 2005 and Bishop of Belleville 2005 2020 Jean Baptiste Brondel 1842 1903 Bishop of Vancouver Island 1879 1883 and Bishop of Helena 1884 1903 Ferdinand Brossart 1849 1930 Bishop of Covington 1915 1923 Charles Albert Buswell 1913 2008 Bishop of Pueblo 1959 1979 Alphonse Liguori Chaupa 1959 2016 Auxiliary Bishop of Rabaul 2000 2003 and Bishop of Kimbe Papua New Guinea 2003 2008 Francis Joseph Christian 1942 Auxiliary Bishop of Manchester 1996 2018 Edmund Michael Dunne 1864 1929 Bishop of Peoria 1909 1929 Shelton Joseph Fabre 1963 Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans 2006 2013 Bishop of Houma Thibodaux 2013 2022 and Archbishop of Louisville 2022 Present Joseph John Fox 1855 1915 Bishop of Green Bay 1904 1915 Alphonse Joseph Glorieux 1844 1917 Vicar Apostolic of Idaho 1884 1893 and Bishop of Boise 1893 1917 Charles Pasquale Greco 1894 1987 Bishop of Alexandria 1946 1973 Francis Janssens 1843 1897 Bishop of Natchez 1881 1888 and Archbishop of New Orleans 1888 1897 Egidius Junger 1833 1895 Bishop of Nesqually 1879 1895 Jean Nicolas Lemmens 1850 1897 Bishop of Victoria 1888 1897 Stephen Aloysius Leven 1905 1983 Auxiliary Bishop of San Antonio 1956 1969 and Bishop of San Angelo 1969 1979 Camillus Paul Maes 1846 1915 Bishop of Covington 1885 1915 Thomas Francis Maloney 1903 1962 sixth rector of the American College and Auxiliary Bishop of Providence 1960 1962 Russell Joseph McVinney 1898 1971 Bishop of Providence 1948 1971 influential in reopening the college in 1952 Theophile Meerschaert 1847 1924 Bishop of Oklahoma 1891 1924 Robert Edward Mulvee 1930 2018 Bishop of Wilmington 1985 1995 and Bishop of Providence Henry Joseph O Brien 1896 1976 Archbishop of Hartford 1945 1968 John Joseph O Connor 1855 1927 Bishop of Newark 1901 1927 Bertram Orth Bishop of Victoria 1900 1908 David Laurin Ricken 1952 Coadjutor Bishop of Cheyenne 1999 2001 Bishop of Cheyenne 2001 2008 and Bishop of Green Bay 2008 present Patrick William Riordan 1841 1914 Archbishop of San Francisco 1884 1914 Charles Jean Seghers 1839 1886 Bishop of Vancouver Island 1873 1878 1884 1886 Archbishop of Oregon City 1880 1884 and Apostle of Alaska John Lancaster Spalding 1840 1916 Bishop of Peoria 1877 1908 and co founder of The Catholic University of America William Stang 1854 1907 Bishop of Fall River 1904 1907 Augustine Van de Vyver 1844 1911 Bishop of Richmond 1889 1911 Edward Weisenburger 1960 Bishop of Salina 2012 2017 and Bishop of Tucson 2017 present Alexander Mieceslaus Zaleski 1906 1975 Bishop of Lansing 1965 1975 See also editList of colleges of Leuven UniversityReferences edit a b c The American College A Historical Perspective The American College of Louvain Archived from the original on 2006 10 20 Retrieved 2007 02 22 Codd Kevin and Brian Dick The American College of Louvain America s Seminary in the Heart of Europe page 47 Peeters nv 2007 Kevin A Codd The American College of Louvain The Catholic Historical Review XCIII No 1 2007 Dick John The American College s contributions National Catholic Reporter Ncronline org Archived from the original on 2013 09 21 Retrieved 2013 10 02 The American College Boards The American College of Louvain Archived from the original on 2006 10 19 Retrieved 2007 04 15 Residents of the College Seminary The American College of Louvain Archived from the original on 2006 12 06 Retrieved 2007 04 15 Office of Media Relations American College in Leuven Belgium to Close in 2011 USCCB 2010 11 22 Retrieved 2013 10 02 USCCB News Heritage of American College In Leuven Belgium Preserved By USCCB And K U Leuven Usccb org 2011 08 22 Retrieved 2013 10 02 External links edit1917 Catholic Encyclopedia Entry on The American College St Mary Basilica Archives USCCB Statement on the Closing of The American College of Louvain USCCB Statement on the Preservation of the Heritage of The American College of Louvain 50 52 23 N 4 41 58 E 50 87306 N 4 69944 E 50 87306 4 69944 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title American College of the Immaculate Conception amp oldid 1173620423, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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