Fr. Kevin Seasoltz, O.S.B., has been appointed rector of Saint John's Seminary,
Fr. Kevin appointed
effective July 1, St. Cloud Diocese Bishop Jerome Hanus, O.S.B., and Saint John's
Abbot Jerome Theisen, O.S.B., have announced. Fr. Kevin will succeed Fr. Mark
rector; Saint John's
Willenbring, a priest of the Diocese of St. Cloud who has served as rector since
1984.
assumes control of
.
Fr. Kevin, a monk of Saint John's Abbey, received a doctorate in canon law from
the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., in 1962. Since that time he
semInary
has taught courses in liturgy, canon law, sacramental theology and spirituality at
Catholic University's School of Religious Studies. Fr. Kevin has been an adjunct
professor in Saint John's Graduate School of Theology for the past 12 years.
In conjunction with the appointment of a new rector, Bishop Hanus and Abbot Jerome announced revision of the 1949 agreement between the Diocese of St. Cloud and Saint John's Abbey concerning the seminary. For 38 years the diocese has owned and managed the seminary building and provided personnel for the seminary program. Under the new arrangement the diocese will continue to assist in staffing the seminary, but will transfer ownership of St. Cloud Hall, the seminary building, to Saint John's. The seminary program will continue under the auspices of the Abbey and the University.
Saint John's has been included in the 1988 editions of Selective Guide to Colleges and
The Best Buys in College Education. Both books were edited by Edward B. Fiske, education editor of The New York Times, and published by Times Books.
The fourth edition of the Selective Guide to Colleges includes facts and essays on 295 of "the best and most interesting institutions in the nation." In addition, each college and university is rated on a scale of one to five in the areas of academics,
Fr. Kevin
social life and quality of life. Saint John's received a rating of "three" in each category. "Despite its idyllic setting, the academic focus at Saint John's is decidedly real
Saint John's noted as
world," says Fiske in the Selective Guide. "The university's chief strengths lie in preprofessional fields, most notably the premedical and prebusiness programs.
a college "best buy"
Students also praise economics, accounting and the natural sciences, and the forests on and around the campus are a boon for the field biology offerings. An innovative management program places majors in control of computer-simulated corporations. Students interested in the liberal arts will find excellent programs in theology, music, English, humanities and medieval studies. There is also a new program in classical studies."
The second edition of The Best Buys in College Education is a listing of over 200 colleges and universities that offer a "high-quality education in relation to what the consumer pays in the form of tuition, fees, room and board." The description of each institution includes a freshman profile, SAT / ACT scores, expenses, need�based financial aid, non-need freshman awards and money-saving options. Saint John's University and the College of Saint Benedict are listed jointly by Fiske.
"SaintJohn's and Saint Ben's share a common academic program that encourages cross-registration of all courses and a unified liberal arts core curriculum:' says Fiske in the book. "Students from both schools are divided evenly in a two�semester 'First-Year Symposium' and again in the 'Senior Seminar: where they struggle with complex social and ethical issues. With nearly 15 acres per student, the twin programs offer students double benefits, with libraries, academic programs and two independent agendas."
The School of Theology will offer a master of arts program in liturgical music
School of Theology
beginning this summer, according to Daniel Finn, dean. The program is intended to offer a strong academic foundation for musicians who
to offer music degreehave strong music leaderships skills and are sensitive to liturgical and pastoral needs. Participants in the program will have the opportunity for individual instruction in organ, voice, choral conducting and cantorial techniques.
SAINT JOHN'S
