THE ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN FRANCISCO

OFFICE OF THE ARCHBISHOP

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ONE PETER YORKE WAY, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94109-6601 (415) 614-5609 FAX (415) 614-5601

MEMORANDUM
To:

Priests of the Archdiocese of San Francisco

From:

Most Reverend Salvatore Cordileone

Date:

October 23, 2016

Re.

Change in Seminary Administration

By now you likely will have heard of the decision of the Provincial Council of the Society of
Priests of St. Sulpice to withdraw completely from St. Patricks Seminary and University
effective June 30, 2017. Fr. John Kemper, Provincial of the U.S. Sulpicians (and also a Trustee
of the Seminary), informed me of this decision Friday afternoon, about two hours before the
commencement of the meeting of the Board of Trustees. He then stayed for the Board meeting
and responded to questions and entreaties by Board members. The decision, however, remains
final.
In anticipation of this meeting, on the Sunday before a conference call was held with members of
the Executive Committee of the Board and Fr. Kemper, and a member of his Provincial Council,
Fr. Dan Moore, in order to apprise them of some concerns that had come to the attention of some
of the Board members and to inform them that at the upcoming Board meeting some ideas would
be proposed and discussed as to how best to address these challenges, one of which was the
possibility of seeking a new collaborative relationship with the Sulpicians. The day before the
Board meeting, however, the Provincial Council for the United States met to deliberate on these
issues, and reached their decision to withdraw entirely from the Seminary.
For 118 years, the Sulpicians have formed priests after the heart of Jesus Christ for the work of
the Church here in the Bay Area and beyond. While this moment is an occasion of sadness and
challenging transition for all of us, it is also one of gratitude to them for having built up our
seminary and contributed to its accomplishments for its entire history until now. This decision,
of course, especially hits close to home here in our Archdiocese, since for most of you Sulpicians
were your beloved teachers, impressive spiritual directors, and sensitive and resourceful
academic advisors. Moreover, a good number of our own priests have themselves served as
Sulpicians, joining those who have filled these roles with great expertise and grace.
I have formed a search committee, consisting mainly of trustees of St. Patricks Seminary, for
proposing a new President-Rector, and the committee will begin its work immediately. Please
join me in praying for our Seminary during this time of transition, and for our Sulpician brothers,
that they will enjoy much success and faithful service to the Church in the endeavors and new
possibilities that lie ahead for them.