Major Seminary in Bruges

TheMajor Seminary in Bruges,in DutchGrootseminarie,is a centre for training and formation in theRoman Catholic Diocese of Bruges,formerly used as theseminaryfor preparing candidates for thediocesan priesthood.It is located on the Potterierei inBruges.

The Heilige-Maagd-Mariakerk of the Grootseminarie in Bruges

Seminary garden

History

Since 2018, candidates for the priesthood from all Flemish dioceses have been trained at theJohannes XXIII Seminary, Leuven,but the Major Seminary in Bruges continues to provide other educational opportunities, such as theTheologische academieand theSchool voor geloof.The seminary has a large library and is housed in the 17th-century buildings of the formerTen Duinen Abbey,established in Bruges byBernard Campmansin 1627. The buildings also house a branch of theUnited Nations Universitywhich works closely with theCollege of Europe.

Presidents

The president of the seminary was one of the leading priests of the diocese and usually anhonorary canonof thecathedral chapter.

The presidents:

• Louis-Joseph Delebecque(1798-1864) - president 1833-1838
• Livinus Bruneel(1798-1885) - president 1838-1869
• Petrus Dessein (1811) - president 1869-1884
• Henri Delbar (1833-1894) - president 1884-1899
• Henri Vandenberghe(1848-1932) - president 1899-1907
• Kamiel Callewaert(1866-1943) - president 1907-1934
• Achiel Verhamme (1891-1959) - president 1934-1952
• Maurits De Keyzer (1906-1994) - president 1952-1961
• Joris Van Eeghem (1921-1999) - president 1961-1970
• Paul Declerck(1922-1981) - president 1970-1981
• Adelbert Denaux(born 1938) - president 1981-1992
• Eric Vanden Berghe(1948-2006) - president 1992-2006
• Koen Vanhoutte(born 1957) - president 2006-2016
• Philippe Hallein(born 1972) - president 2016-2018

Further reading

• Adelbert Denaux & Eric Vanden Berghe (eds.),De Duinenabdij en het Grootseminarie te Brugge,Tielt, 1984
• Kurt Priem,Het Grootseminarie te Brugge, de voormalige Duinenabdij,Bruges, 2009

External links

Media related toGrootseminarie van Bruggeat Wikimedia Commons

• Official website