Christ the King Seminary

1930-1974

On May 5th 1930, a fire burned down the church, monastery and seminary building. An addtion was added to Devereux Hall that summer and the friars were temporarily moved there. As President and Rector, Fr. Thomas Plassmann, O.F.M. was responsible for building a new home for the seminary. He traveled to Rome and on August 29, 1932 met with Pope Pius XI to discuss contruction of a new seminary. This meeting would be the origin of the name "Christ the King."

The facade of the original building after the fire of May 5, 1930. The interior was gutted completely and the structure razed to the ground.

Construction of the new seminary was scheduled to begin in June of 1933, however, The Great Depression and World War II would delay it until November of 1948. Construction, led by architect Brother Cajetan Baumann, O.F.M., of the Holy Name Province, would be completed in 1952. The new facility was named Christ the King Seminary. A quarter of a century later, it became Francis Hall.

Construction Christ the King Seminary. This photo shows the framework and two lower floors completed, while the chapel and upper floors are still in progress.	The cornerstone laid by Revered John T. O'Hara, C.S.C., D.D. for Christ the King Semiary on October 16, 1951. To his right stands Reverend Peter Biasiotto, O.F.M.

Following the Second Vatican Council of 1959, the seminary underwent an academic overhaul. Previously, Friars were encouraged to remain distant from students, despite playing sports and attending mass with them. The Council then began to encourage seminarians to engage with the wider world, stating the field experience would become part of the curriculum. Between 1963 and 1975, the program saw considerable curriculum reform. Part of this would be the development of a graduate program for Master of Arts in Theological Studies and a professional ministerial program for a Master of Divinity degree.

By 1974, the general curriculum was the main source of enrollment. In order for St.Bonaventure Univsersity to qualify for Aid to Certain Independent Colleges and Universities Program (also known as the Bundy Aid) changes were made to its corporate structure, with Christ the King being separated from the University.

Following the closure of other seminaries in the Diocese of Buffalo, concerns arose over the lack of master's programs avalible for theology. In May 1974, St. John Vianney Seminary proposed that the two seminaries combine. On June 28th, Christ the King Seminary began operating separately from the University and on August 11th, the seminary accepted the proposal to combine with St. John Vianney Seminary. On September 27, 1974, the 1974 Charter Addendumm titled "Relocation to East, Aurora, New York," was approved, and Christ the King Seminary moved to St. John Vianney Seminary's campus with the name Christ the King being retained for the combined unit.

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Material from For the Spread of the Kingdom: A History of Chirst the King Seminary by Dennis A. Castillo (2007)