Baltimore seminary gets largest lay endowments in 212-year history

Published: 2003-11-19

BALTIMORE (CNS) -- Calling it a historic occasion, the president, faculty and seminarians of St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore expressed gratitude Nov. 5 at the $7.5 million endowment of five faculty chairs in theology, the largest lay contribution to be given to the nation's oldest Catholic seminary. They said they see the contributions as a vote of confidence in the priesthood and its future during a time in which the clerical sex abuse scandal had cast a pall over the church in the United States. "What a marvelous expression of lay support," declared Sulpician Father Robert F. Leavitt, president-rector of St. Mary's, who said the endowment of the chairs "is going to enable us to recruit and retain the highest caliber faculty possible." "This is a great sign of hope in the future," said Father James Mazzone, a faculty member since 1998. "This is quantified hope," said seminarian Shane Matthews. The newly endowed chairs include the France-Merrick university chair in theology, the Richard and Barbara Fisher chair in social ethics, the Henry J. and Marion I. Knott chair in homiletics, the Bunting family chair in Old Testament studies, and the France-Merrick Foundation's Robert F. Leavitt distinguished service chair in theology.

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