“Forming young men for the priesthood,” that’s what Cathedral Seminary House of Formation did for 55 years. The Cathedral Seminary House of Formation in Douglaston is steeped in history. It has served the Dioceses of Brooklyn and Rockville Centre and the Archdiocese of New York.
Let’s step back to 1914. The Diocese of Brooklyn established Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception. It started as a six-year minor seminary. Students attended a four-year high school. They then completed a two-year college program. Those wanting to be priests entered a major seminary afterward.
Fast forward to 1967. Archbishop Bryan J McEntegart restructured Cathedral College. The Brooklyn and Queens campuses became four-year seminary high schools. The college programs moved to Douglaston as an independent four-year college seminary. Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception was born. The inaugural class had 38 students. Twenty-two of them eventually became priests. By the early 1970s, over 370 students attended the college. They could choose from over a dozen majors.
Now picture the early 1970s. Over 370 students bustling around the campus. Imagine the intellectual energy and spiritual fervor.
However, times changed. The number of young men choosing the priesthood declined. Brooklyn Cathedral closed in 1985. Cathedral College closed in 1987. The last degrees were granted in 1988.
But the story doesn’t end there. In 1987, Bishop Francis J Mugavero established the Immaculate Conception Center. It was located on the site of the former Cathedral College. Part of the property was sold. The money funded the renovation of the building. The Diocese of Brooklyn now had its first pastoral center.
The Immaculate Conception Center became a hub. It housed residences for priests. It included the Cathedral Seminary Residence of the Immaculate Conception. The center also served as a retreat and conference venue.
More change came in 2011. Cardinal Dolan and Bishops DiMarzio and Murphy formed the St Charles Borromeo Partnership. This consolidated resources. It aimed to foster the formation of seminarians more efficiently. The Immaculate Conception Center became the Cathedral Seminary House of Formation.
In October 2022, a significant announcement was made. The dioceses would move the majority of seminary operations to St Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers. The minor seminary at Cathedral House of Formation shut down in 2023. Pre-Theology seminarians moved to Yonkers. College seminarians would study out of state.
Yet, the Cathedral Seminary House of Formation continues to evolve. It now hosts graduate-level theology programs. These programs are for diaconate formation and lay faithful.
Though the seminary program closed, the legacy of Cathedral Seminary House of Formation endures. It adapted to meet the changing needs of the Church. Its impact on the community remains strong.