About Mount St. Mary's University · Emmitsburg, Maryland
Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland is America's second-oldest Catholic university, founded in 1808 by French émigré priest Father John DuBois at the foot of St. Mary's Mountain. It houses the largest Catholic seminary in the United States and is the alma mater of 52 bishops, including the first American cardinal (John McCloskey) and Baltimore's current Archbishop William Lori. The university operates within the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and Catholic life on campus is centered in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, where daily Mass and frequent confessions are offered to students, seminarians, and the wider community.
- Established
- 1808
- Patron
- Immaculate Conception (patroness of the seminary); the university itself is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Mount St. Mary's
- Rector
- Rev. Justin Gough (University Chaplain)
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Baltimore
Why belong here
Mount St. Mary's offers daily Mass in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception — twice on Sundays and every weekday — plus frequent confession, weekly Eucharistic adoration with praise music and seminarian-led prayer teams at Frassati Nights, and OCIA for students exploring Catholicism. The Center for Campus Ministry welcomes students of all faiths to integrate faith, vocation, and leadership, while the on-campus National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes draws more than 400,000 pilgrims a year for Mass in English and Spanish, adoration, confession, and First Saturday devotions. For anyone seeking a deeply Catholic community rooted in over 200 years of tradition — including the country's largest Catholic seminary — the Mount is a singular place to pray, learn, and serve.
Mass times at Mount St. Mary's University
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 10:00–10:50 AM and 6:00–6:50 PM (Chapel of the Immaculate Conception)
- Monday 11:30 AM–12:00 PM
- Tuesday 4:30–5:00 PM
- Wednesday 11:30 AM–12:00 PM and 6:50–7:50 PM
- Thursday 4:30–5:00 PM
- Saturday and Sunday 10:45–11:45 AM at the National Shrine Grotto
- Any time by appointment — [email protected]
Adoration times
- Tuesday 12:00–4:00 PM (National Shrine Grotto)
- Saturday 10:45–11:45 AM (National Shrine Grotto)
- Sunday 10:45–11:45 AM (National Shrine Grotto)
- Wednesdays 6:50 PM — Frassati Nights Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception
History of Mount St. Mary's University
Mount St. Mary's was founded in 1808 by Father John DuBois, a French émigré priest who had arrived in America in 1791 bearing a letter of introduction from Lafayette. DuBois bought land near Emmitsburg on the mountain Catholic colonists had christened 'St. Mary's Mountain' and built Saint-Mary-on-the-Hill church in the grotto (1805–1807). In 1808, when the Sulpicians closed their preparatory seminary at Pigeon Hill, Pennsylvania, DuBois welcomed the seminarians to Emmitsburg, and the Mount was officially born. He was joined in 1812 by Fr. Simon Gabriel Bruté, whom President John Quincy Adams called 'the most learned man of his day in America.' In the summer of 1809, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton came to live at the Mount for six weeks before moving down the road to found the Sisters of Charity, beginning a relationship between the school and the Daughters of Charity that endures today.
The 'Cradle of Bishops' and Episcopal Legacy
Throughout the nineteenth century the seminary trained an extraordinary number of America's Catholic leaders. Early episcopal alumni include John McCloskey (first American cardinal, Archbishop of New York), John Hughes (first Archbishop of New York), John Purcell (first Archbishop of Cincinnati), William Quarter (first Bishop of Chicago), George Carroll (first Bishop of Covington), Richard Whelan (first Bishop of Wheeling), and Francis Gartland (first Bishop of Savannah). Today the Mount claims 52 episcopal alumni, among them the current Archbishop of Baltimore, William Lori, and Blessed Stanley Rother, the martyred Oklahoma missionary priest.
Presidential Succession
Priests led Mount St. Mary's from its founding in 1808 until 1971, when John J. Dillon, Ph.D. became the first lay president. The current 27th president is Gerard J. Joyce, Ph.D., who took office in 2024 after serving as the 26th president Timothy E. Trainor's successor. Each president's tenure is documented on the university's Presidential History page.
- 1st Rev. John DuBois (1808–1826)
- 2nd Rev. Michael Deburgo Egan (1826–1829)
- 3rd Rev. John McGerry (1829)
- 4th Rev. John Purcell (1829–1833)
- 5th Rev. Francis Jamison (1834–1838)
- 6th Rev. Thomas Butler (1838–1872)
- 7th Rev. John McCaffrey (1872–1877)
- 8th Rev. John McCloskey (1877–1880)
- 9th Rev. John A. Watterson (1880–1881)
- 10th Rev. William Hill (1881–1885)
- 11th Rev. William Byrne (1885–1897)
- 12th Rev. Edward P. Allen (1897–1906)
- 13th Rev. William L. O'Hara (1906–1912)
- 14th Rev. Denis J. Flynn (1912–1937)
- 15th Rev. Bernard J. Bradley (1937–1961)
- 16th Rev. John L. Sheridan (1961–1967)
- 17th Rev. Robert R. Kline (1967–1971)
- 18th John J. Dillon, Ph.D. (1971–1977) — first lay president
- 19th Rev. Hugh J. Phillips (1977–1993)
- 20th Robert J. Wickenheiser, Ph.D. (1993)
- 21st Rev. James N. Loughran, S.J. (1994–2003)
- 22nd George R. Houston Jr. (2003–2015)
- 23rd Simon Newman (2015–2016)
- 24th Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D. (2016–2024)
- 25th Gerard J. Joyce, Ph.D. (2024–present)
University Leadership Today
The university is led by its 27th president, Gerard J. Joyce, Ph.D., whose office is in 205 Bradley Hall on the Emmitsburg campus. Pastoral and liturgical life is coordinated by the Office of the University Chaplain (Rev. Justin Gough) and the Center for Campus Ministry. The seminary is headed by Vice President and Seminary Rector Rev. Michael Romano, S.T.L., a priest of the Diocese of Camden ordained in 2007 whose prior assignments include the Pontifical North American College in Rome and the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore.
- President: Gerard J. Joyce, Ph.D. (27th president)
- University Chaplain: Rev. Justin Gough
- Vice President & Seminary Rector: Rev. Michael Romano, S.T.L.
- Senior Executive Assistant to the President: June Miller
Center for Campus Ministry
The Center for Campus Ministry is part of the Division of Mission and Ministry and works closely with Student Life, the Center for Service, and the Seminary to enrich students' communal and spiritual lives. Rooted in Catholic identity but embracing students of all faiths and Christian denominations, the Center integrates faith, vocation, and leadership. It is located in 151 McGowan Student Center, open Monday–Friday 8:30 AM–5:00 PM, and reachable at 301-447-5223.
- Frassati Nights — Wednesdays with Eucharistic Adoration, praise and worship music, confession, seminarian-led prayer teams, and fellowship
- OCIA — Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (meets weekly; contact Krysti Patient at 301-447-5030)
- Mass is not required of Mount students, but Catholics are encouraged to fulfill their Sunday obligation
Office of the University Chaplain
The Office of the University Chaplain is an extension of the university's core mission of forming ethical leaders. Headed by Rev. Justin Gough — a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore ordained in 2020 whose specialty is dogmatic theology (liturgy, sacraments, and ecclesiology) — the office partners with the Director of Campus Ministry and Inclusive Excellence and Belonging initiatives. It participates in major university ceremonies and offers spiritual resources for all students, regardless of faith tradition.
- Ceremonies: Mass of the Holy Spirit, Baccalaureate Mass, September 11 remembrance, Veterans Day, ROTC Commissioning
- Ecumenical: welcomes students of all faith traditions to participate in Catholic prayer and programming
- Supports students in finding a place of worship within their own religious tradition
Mount St. Mary's Seminary
Mount St. Mary's Seminary is the second-oldest Catholic theologate in the United States, founded in 1808 by Fr. DuBois and joined in 1812 by Fr. Bruté. It is a diocesan seminary of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and possesses public juridic personality under canon law. With over 2,600 priestly alumni, the seminary is a founding member of the National Catholic Education Association and trains seminarians for dioceses across the North, South, and Midwest. Graduate study is also open to a limited number of non-seminarians.
- Rector: Rev. Michael Romano, S.T.L. (126 McSweeny Hall / Seminary complex, 301-447-5295)
- Patronage: Immaculate Conception, St. (per canonical statutes)
- Famous alumni include Blessed Stanley Rother (martyr) and dozens of bishops and cardinals
National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes
The National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes sits on the mountain above the main campus at 16330 Grotto Road. Its stone replica of the Lourdes Grotto was built by Mount seminarians in 1875 — one of the oldest American replicas of the French shrine. Proclaimed a Public Oratory and National Shrine by the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 1958, it now welcomes more than 400,000 pilgrims annually. Monsignor Hugh Phillips was its first director and erected the iconic 25-foot statue of the Virgin Mary atop the Pangborn Memorial Campanile (1964).
- Mass: Mon–Fri 11:00 AM; Sat 12:00 PM; Sun (English) 12:00 PM; Sun (Español) 2:00 PM
- Adoration: Tue 12:00–4:00 PM; Sat and Sun 10:45–11:45 AM
- Confession: Sat and Sun 10:45–11:45 AM
- First Saturday Devotion after 12:00 PM Mass every First Saturday
- Executive Director: Dawn Walsh (301-447-5606)
- Chaplains: Fr. Theodore Trinko, IVE and Fr. Cesar Ramirez, IVE
- Features: Pangborn Campanile, John Hughes Cabin, Mother Seton's Rock, Miller Family Visitors' Center (2013)
Catholic Identity Committee
The University Chaplain serves on the Mount's Catholic Identity Committee, a leadership body representing all aspects of campus life — academic affairs, student life, the seminary, and the National Shrine Grotto. The committee ensures the Catholic mission animates every dimension of university life.
Notable Visitors and Milestones
The Mount has welcomed an extraordinary roster of national and international figures. President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered the 1958 sesquicentennial commencement; Robert Kennedy visited the same year. Saint Teresa of Calcutta blessed the campus in 1975 and returned in 1995. President Barack Obama spoke at the 2015 National Fallen Firefighters Memorial service on campus. Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, spoke on campus in 2018.
Quick Facts
Formerly known as Mount Saint Mary's College and Seminary (1808–2004), the university adopted its current name on June 7, 2004. It enrolls approximately 2,411 students (fall 2024) across the College of Liberal Arts, the Richard J. Bolte School of Business, and the School of Natural Science and Mathematics. The school colors are blue, white, and bronze; the mascot is Emmit S. Burg; athletics compete in NCAA Division I (MAAC). Its motto is 'Spes Nostra' — 'Our Hope.'
- Motto: Spes Nostra (Our Hope)
- Mascot: Emmit S. Burg
- Colors: Blue, White, and Bronze
- Affiliations: ACCU, NAICU, CIC; NCAA Division I (MAAC)
- Founded: June 6, 1808
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. John DuBois1808–1826
Founder and first president; later Bishop of New York (1826–1842).
- Rev. Michael Deburgo Egan1826–1829
Second president.
- Rev. John McGerry1829
Third president (brief tenure).
- Rev. John Purcell1829–1833
Secured the Mount's first Maryland state charter in 1830; later Archbishop of Cincinnati.
- Rev. Francis Jamison1834–1838
Fifth president.
- Rev. Thomas Butler1838–1872
Seventh president; served the longest tenure of the 19th-century priest-presidents.
- Rev. John McCaffrey1872–1877
Eighth president.
- Rev. John McCloskey1877–1880
Ninth president; later Cardinal, first American cardinal.
- Rev. John A. Watterson1880–1881
Tenth president; oversaw the construction of the Lourdes Grotto replica in 1875.
- Rev. John McCloskey1881
Returned briefly as eleventh president.
- Rev. William Hill1881–1885
Twelfth president.
- Rev. William Byrne1885–1897
Thirteenth president.
- Rev. Edward P. Allen1897–1906
Fourteenth president.
- Rev. William L. O'Hara1906–1912
Fifteenth president; later first Bishop of Scranton.
- Rev. Denis J. Flynn1912–1937
Sixteenth president.
- Rev. Bernard J. Bradley1937–1961
Seventeenth president.
- Rev. John L. Sheridan1961–1967
Eighteenth president.
- Rev. Robert R. Kline1967–1971
Nineteenth president.
- John J. Dillon, Ph.D.1971–1977
Twentieth president; first lay president.
- Rev. Hugh J. Phillips1977–1993
Twenty-first president.
- Robert J. Wickenheiser, Ph.D.1993
Twenty-second president (interim).
- Rev. James N. Loughran, S.J.1994–2003
Twenty-third president.
- George R. Houston Jr.2003–2015
Twenty-fourth president.
- Simon Newman2015–2016
Twenty-fifth president.
- Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D.2016–2024
Twenty-sixth president.
- Gerard J. Joyce, Ph.D.2024–present
Twenty-seventh and current president.