St. Joseph's Regional Seminary, Allahabad

Our History

St. Joseph's Regional Seminary completes100 years of its existence in February 2019. Situated in the heartland of Hinduism, Indian culture and traditions, the Seminary has always given a missionary slant to the formation of priests. The seminary admission register indicates 1770 admissions and so far it has trained nearly 910 indigenous priests who are working in North India.

It was venerable Bishop Angelo Poli, OFM, Cap. who started the Seminary with just two students in 1919 at Kurji, Patna. Three years later, when Patna was established as a separate diocese, Bishop Poli had the Seminary shifted to Allahabad. From 1919 to 1942 the Capuchin Fathers of the Bologna Province administered the Seminary and contributed to its gradual growth. Frs. Bartholomew, Fidelis Mary, Jeremiah and Conrad de Vito (later became the Bishop of Lucknow), all Capuchins, were the Rectors under whose care the Seminary progressed in the formation of diocesan priests.

From 1942 to 1949, the French Canadian Capuchins saw to the administration of the Seminary and the formation of the future priests. Fr. Jerome Malenfant (later to become the Prefect Apostolic of Gorakhpur – Varanasi), Fr. Bernard and others, with the collaboration of the diocesan clergy on the staff, gave a missionary dimension to the priestly formation.

In 1944 the Seminary celebrated its Silver Jubilee. During all these years the Capuchins alone were working in the Northern territories. Since the suppression of the order, no Jesuit had come to work in the North. Bishop Leonard Raymond invited the Society of Jesus to take up the rectorship and spiritual care of the Seminary. Fr. M. D. Archangelo, SJ is one of the rectors of the Seminary remembered the most. From 1949 to 1973 the Jesuit Fathers looked after the Seminary.

The year 1969 marked the Golden Jubilee year. Day scholars from Society of St. Paul, the Indian Missionary Society and the Norbertine Order came to the Seminary as they had their study houses in the vicinity.

In 1973, under the Chairmanship of Bishop Alfred Fernandes, St. Joseph's Seminary was raised to the status of the Regional Seminary and new statutes were drawn up by the Bishops of the Region. Since then the Seminary has been governed by the Board of Bishops of the Agra Ecclesiastical Province and administered by the diocesan clergy. Msgr. Vincent Castellino, Fr. Dhiranand Bhatt, Fr. Henry Patrao, Fr. Joe Castellino, Fr. Joseph Kaithathara (Bishop Emeritus of Gwalior), Fr. RoqueD'Costa, Fr. RaphyManjaly (former Bishop of Varanasi and present Bishop of Allahabad), Fr. V. Sebastian and Fr. Francis D'Souza were the diocesan priest-rectors the Seminary has had so far. Presently Fr. Ronald Tellis is heading the institution.

It was Fr. Joe Castelino who was instrumental in getting the Seminary affiliated in April 1989 to the Pontifical Urban University in Rome. Therefore, the students of this Seminary have the opportunity to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in Theology. The Seminary is fully committed to the Church's mission of dialogue and proclamation. For the past 100 years it has been the endeavour of this Seminary to make the prophetic words of Pope Leo XIII: “Filiitui, India, administri tibi salutis”, a reality.

The year 2019 is the centenary year of St Joseph’s Regional Seminary. Hundred glorious years have passed by since the time it had begun in the year 1919. Our seminary admission register indicates 1770 enrolments and of them, 910 were ordained priests for the Church in India during the past 100 years. The centenary celebration is scheduled for February 20th and 24th, 2019.

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