University of Saint Mary of the Lake

William Quarter, the first bishop of Chicago, oversaw the creation in 1844 and early development of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake to ordain more priests to serve the growing diocese.[3] However, due to financial problems, the seminary was forced to close in 1866.

In 1921, Archbishop George Mundelein reopened the facility as Saint Mary Of the Lake Seminary to deal with another priest shortage. He also wanted to create an American clergy to unite all the different Catholic ethnic groups.[4] In 1926, Saint Mary opened a new campus church, designed by Chicago architect Joseph W. McCarthy.[5] In 1926, Saint Mary hosted the 28th International Eucharistic Congress.

In September 1929, the Sacred Congregation for Seminaries and Universities in Rome granted a charter to Saint Mary, allowing it to grant pontifical academic degrees. In 1934, this authority became permanent. Saint Mary became the first pontifical university in the United States.[6] Monsignor Reynold Henry Hillenbrand served as rector of St. Mary from 1936 to 1944.[7]

In 1961, Archbishop Albert Meyer opened the Niles College campus in Niles, Illinois as a site for the two-year liberal arts program. The Mundelein campus now hosted second and third year college classes in philosophy, followed by a four-year theology curriculum. Under Cardinal John Cody, the undergraduate program was transferred to Loyola University of Chicago as the Niles College of Loyola University. Saint Mary now became a graduate school of theology only.

In 1971, Saint Mary affiliated with the Association of Theological Schools. Cardinal Cody, appointed the Reverend Thomas J. Murphy as the fifth rector of Saint Mary on September 15, 1973.[8]

In 1976, Saint Mary inaugurated a Doctor of Ministry degree and celebrated the 50th anniversary of its first ordinations. Archbishop Joseph Bernardin revised the graduate program at Saint Mary to bring it in compliance with the Program of Priestly Formation, written by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. In 1986, Bernardin opened the Center for Development in Ministry at St. Mary. The new center provided continuing education for clergy, religious and laity.

In 1986, Saint Mary of the Lake Seminary returned to its original name of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake (USML). The archdiocese renamed the graduate school as Mundelein Seminary. In 1996, Mundelein Seminary was visited by members of the Bishops' Committee on Seminaries. After meeting with faculty and students, the committee gave a strong recommendation to the seminary program.

Cardinal Francis George in February 2000 transferred the three archdiocesan programs of ministry formation to Mundelein Seminary:

• Lay Ministry Formation Program
• Diaconate Formation Program
• Instituto de Liderazgo Pastoral (Pastoral Leadership Institute)

The archdiocese transferred the Center for Development in Ministry to the archdiocesan Pastoral Center. Mundelein Seminary now became the center for the formation of priests, deacons and lay people. The USML board of advisors decided to adopt a formal name, the University of Saint Mary of the Lake / Mundelein Seminary. This follows the style of most pontifical universities, which have a formal name and a common name. Also in 2000, Cardinal George established the Liturgical Institute at USML

In 2007, USML published The Mundelein Psalter. It is the first complete one-volume edition containing the approved English-language texts of the Liturgy of the Hours, with psalms that are pointed for the chanting of the Divine Office. On September 22, 2012, Sister Sara Butler, a USML professor and a member of the International Theological Commission, became a papally-appointed expert at the 13th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization.

Monsignor Dennis J. Lyle was the outgoing rector and president of the seminary and university; he was succeeded on July 1, 2012, by the Reverend Father Robert Barron. Father Thomas A. Baima is the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, coordinating the schools and institutes of the university. On December 3, 2012, Elizabeth Nagel was named to succeed Father John G. Lodge as president of the (mostly lay and postgraduate) Pontifical Faculty of Theology.

In 2021, USML celebrated its centennial. Approximately 116 seminarians from 24 dioceses were enrolled that year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] In 2022, the University received a grant from the Lilly Endowment to help fund development of a project to integrate new pedagogical methods into formation programs for seminarians, priests and lay leaders.[9]