“Ever wonder where future priests, catechists and missionaries prepare for their calling?” We stand before the Wyższe Seminarium Duchowne Stowarzyszenia Apostolstwa Katolickiego. This seminary has a rich history tied to the Stowarzyszenie Apostolstwa Katolickiego. It is located in Ołtarzew near Ożarów Mazowiecki.
The Wyższe Seminarium Duchowne Stowarzyszenia Apostolstwa Katolickiego plays a vital role in training individuals for service within the Catholic Church. Here, students spend six years in preparation. They study to become priests, catechists and missionaries.
The seminary’s affiliation with the Wydział Teologiczny Uniwersytetu Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego adds to its academic rigor. This affiliation happened on January 28, 2004.
In 2005, the Wyższe Seminarium Duchowne Stowarzyszenia Apostolstwa Katolickiego boasted a faculty of 46. This included 13 habilitated doctors, 24 doctors and 9 masters.
The Wyższe Seminarium Duchowne Stowarzyszenia Apostolstwa Katolickiego has a long history. In 2007, the seminary celebrated two important anniversaries. These were the 100th anniversary of the Pallottines’ presence in Poland. It also marked the 80th anniversary of the seminary itself.
The seminary’s roots trace back to 1907. Father Alojzy Majewski and other brothers settled in Jajkowce near Lviv. Father Majewski established Collegium Marianum near Wadowice in 1909. It served as a novitiate. World War I disrupted plans to build a seminary.
Courses in philosophy moved to Suchary in 1926. Theology students continued studies elsewhere. They went to Limburg an der Lahn and the Gregorianum in Rome. Some attended Bobolanum in Lublin. Others studied at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Warsaw.
Pallottines acquired a building in Ołtarzew in 1927. It was formerly an agricultural school. Father Franciszek Pauliński became rector. In May 1927, Father Alojzy Majewski became rector. From that year the history of the Pallottine Higher Theological Seminary in Poland began.
All clerics were housed in Suchary from 1932-1935 due to financial difficulties. A seminary library was established there too. A group of 36 theology students arrived in Ołtarzew in September 1936. Construction of a seminary building began in spring 1937. Alfons Wędrychowski designed it.
Klerycy returned from vacation in late August 1939. They prepared for the new school year despite political uncertainty. The invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 disrupted these plans. Residents left Ołtarzew on September 7. They returned in small groups a month later. The German army briefly used the building as a hospital. Lectures resumed in Ołtarzew in November.
Sisters of the Pallottine Order have served in the Ołtarzew seminary since February 1934.
The Germans took over the seminary building again in June 1942. They organized a military hospital there in 1944. Lecturers and clerics had to stay in Kopiec and with the Bernardine fathers in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska until the end of the war.
After the war, a printing house was established. The Pallottinum publishing house started in Poznań in 1948. The church construction was completed in 1948. Bishop Wacław Majewski consecrated the seminary church on May 2, 1948. It was dedicated to the Queen of Apostles.
Normal seminary activities resumed. Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński consecrated the church on May 16, 1953. The seminary continues to serve as a center for religious learning. It prepares men for their roles within the Catholic Church. The Wyższe Seminarium Duchowne Stowarzyszenia Apostolstwa Katolickiego stands as a testament to faith. It is a place of learning and spiritual growth.