Dear Friend in Christ,

We encounter the Church in so many of the people who are part of our lives: family, fellow parishioners, friends and men and women we work with. But also in those that serve or work in the Church: priests, deacons, catechists and lay men and women who give themselves to be of service to the Lord and His flock.

We rely on them in moments of joy and sorrow, and we trust them to help us grow in faith and live that faith more fully. But before they can serve well, they must be formed.

The men who, God-willing, will be ordained to the priesthood in Spring 2027 currently studying at MTSM

That preparation is at the heart of the work of Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology (MTSM). For nearly 200 years, MTSM has helped form men and women to serve the Catholic Church, and that mission remains as important today as it has ever been. While much has changed in the Church and in our world since MTSM first opened its doors in 1829, the need for faithful, well-prepared people to serve the Church has never changed.

The people who come to MTSM are not here simply to earn a credential. They come because they have felt a call to serve the Church and have said yes. That yes requires courage, discernment and sacrifice. Our responsibility is to help them discern that call, deepen their relationship with Christ and prepare them to serve His people faithfully.

You already experience the fruits of our work in your own Catholic community. The priest who celebrates Mass in your parish. The deacon who serves at the altar and accompanies people through important moments in their lives. The teacher who helps your children and grandchildren encounter the Catholic faith. The catechist who shares our faith with children and families. The lay leader who gives generously of his or her time and talents to strengthen the greater community.

MTSM seminarians in Dr. Christopher Holman’s Liturgical Music & Vocal Skills course

The people who serve the Church carry an enormous responsibility. How they are formed matters because they carry that formation into every parish, school and community they serve. The work of MTSM matters—not only for the Church today, but for the Church we will hand on to the next generation.

The people in formation here now will carry what they learn and the faith that’s deepened into lives of service, just as those who came before them have done. The next generation will encounter the Church through these people, just as we have encountered it through those who came before us. Ensuring that MTSM is ready to accompany the next generation of people who answer that call is part of our responsibility to the Church.

I invite you to share in that responsibility with a gift to MTSM. In supporting MTSM, you help strengthen the Church not only for today, but for the generations who will come after us.

Thank you for helping us form faithful servants for the Church we will hand on to the next generation.

Sincerely Yours in Christ,

The Very Rev. Anthony R. Brausch
President & Rector

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