Our Mission

Immaculate Conception Seminary is a House of Formation for the Roman Catholic priesthood and the School of Theology of Seton Hall University.

As a House of Formation, the Seminary offers men preparing for the priesthood the personal, academic, ministerial and spiritual formation essential for their conversion to Jesus Christ and for their commitment to a life of service to the Church.

As a School of Theology, the Seminary provides: a theological and philosophical foundation for men and women pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies; a theological foundation and a pastoral and spiritual formation for men and women preparing for ministries among the people of God; a theological foundation for men and women desiring to pursue doctoral studies; and varied opportunities for continuing theological education.

Approved by the Board of Overseers - March 23, 2017

Our Vision

ICSST is a faith-filled learning community where future pastoral leaders, missionary disciples, and students of theology come to know and love God more deeply and to be equipped to build up the Body of Christ in the spirit of the New Evangelization. We are committed to:

• high quality academic programs and faculty

• excellent spiritual, human, and pastoral formation for our students

• mission-driven and effective institutional practices

• clear communication of our good work

• mutually supportive relationships and collaborations with strategic partners

• a culture of holiness, integrity, and care.

Approved by the Board of Overseers – December 11, 2023

Imago Dei Statement

As a Catholic community, obedient to the Magisterium, we at Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology believe that God, in His unsurpassable love for us, desires the beatitude and fulfillment of all His children. Knowing that we are loved in this way, we are committed to promoting human flourishing in all its beauty, richness, spirituality, and depth and supporting all members of our community in the gradual process of sanctification. We affirm that each human being possesses inalienable dignity as a child of God and moral responsibility for themselves and their neighbor.

Catholic teaching urges us to welcome authentic human differences as a transformative sign of God’s infinite goodness and beauty and, through our Catholic mission, to engage in respectful dialogue with all people, created as they are in God’s image (cf. Gen 1:27). We regard unjust inequality, oppression, and bigotry as results of human sinfulness that are antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and a poison to our communities. We are committed to critical self-examination and compassionate action in our pursuit of justice for all, and we remain dedicated to hospitality, solidarity, and enlightenment as our pathways for seeking together all that is true and good and beautiful.

Heeding Jesus’ command to love one another (cf. Jn 13:34), we emphasize our ongoing commitment to be an engaged and engaging community where all – including the most vulnerable - can find a place to grow and to flourish, not only within our School, but also in our larger local, national, and global communities. In the hopes of realizing Jesus’ prayer “that they may all be one” (Jn 17:21), we aspire to be a community of true fellowship in the Holy Spirit where all members may contribute to building up the one Body of Christ.

Approved by the Board of Overseers – December 11, 2023