HOSP ITALIT Y
SACRED HEART MAJOR SEMINARY
Sees Largest Graduating Class
Since School’s Refounding
102 Graduates Earn 112 Diplomas, Degrees or
Certificates this Year; More than Half are Lay Students
Daniel Meloy
T
he Holy Spirit continues to call more souls to grow in understanding of
the faith, as for the second straight year, Sacred Heart Major Seminary
has seen its largest graduating class since the school’s refounding.
On April 27, 102 graduates earned 112 de-
grees, diplomas or certificates at the Detroit
school’s annual commencement. The total tops
last year’s numbers — 98 graduates who earned
114 certificates, diplomas or degrees — making it
the largest graduating class since Sacred Heart
was re-established as a major seminary in 1988.
“For the last two years we have had a record
number of graduates, and that is a really good
sign,” said Msgr. Todd Lajiness, rector and pres-
ident of Sacred Heart Major Seminary. “It is a
sign of a vibrant, healthy environment. Part of
that is our admissions team working really hard
with recruiting and making sure our students
stay on course to graduation.”
This year’s class is composed of 57 lay stu-
dents, 32 seminarians studying for the priest-
hood, and 13 members of the clergy.
Sacred Heart has experienced an average of a
four percent increase in enrollment growth in
the past five years.
Msgr. Lajiness credits the work of people
involved with admissions at Sacred Heart in
making sure those pursuing a degree are stay-
ing on track, despite any possible obstacles to
graduation.
“When you move people to graduation, you
are dealing with all sorts of factors that can
stop someone from graduating,” Msgr. Lajiness
said. “It requires a lot of attention on the part
10
of an institution to keep people moving. And
I’m really appreciative, very grateful for advisers
and our faculty and administrators who work
really closely with our students to help them get
through the program.”
Thirty-three lay students earned a Certificate
in Catholic Theology, the most-awarded degree
at this year’s commencement, followed by 14
students — seven lay and seven studying for
the permanent diaconate — earning a Master
of Arts in Pastoral Studies, and 10 seminarians
earning Bachelor of Philosophy.
The number of laity earning degrees is a sign
of the seminary’s role in the new evangeliza-
tion, Msgr. Lajiness said.
“I do think people are really excited about
learning more, and I think it is certainly part
of the vision spelled out in Unleash the Gos-
pel of getting people a lot more engaged with
the encounter, growth and witness to Jesus
Christ,” Msgr. Lajiness said. “St. Augustine has
this wonderful line, and I’m paraphrasing here,
but it’s, ‘The love of the one we know becomes
a love more deeply the more we know about
them. And as we love more deeply, we desire to
know more about Him.’ And so, we’re excited
with more and more people wanting to know
more about Christ.”
Daniel Meloy is a staff writer for the Detroit Catholic.
Sacred Heart Major Seminary | Mosaic | Summer 2019