Quigley Seminary is Closing

September 19, 2006

             It is with great sadness but with deep faith that I make you aware that this will be the last year of operation for Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary. Quigley will close at the end of this academic year on June 15, 2007.

            Quigley Seminary has served the Archdiocese of Chicago by teaching young men to listen for God's call in their lives for 101 years. This long tradition has produced priests for the Archdiocese of Chicago as well as a great number of good Catholic laymen who have gone on to distinguished careers and worthwhile occupations. They have served our Church and our local communities well.

            While it is sad to see Quigley close, we know that the world changes and that when God closes one door, He opens another. Declining numbers of students along with exorbitant costs led Cardinal George and the Archdiocese of Chicago to this difficult, but necessary decision. We must be good stewards of the resources that have been entrusted to us. We can assure you that we will continue to help young people around the Archdiocese of Chicago listen for God's call in their lives, especially for that call to the priesthood and religious life, in their lives, in new and generous ways.

            This announcement is sad for our current students, faculty and staff. This will mean a change in high school for our students and a change in employment for our teachers and staff members. I ask your prayers for all of us. I know that God will provide.

            This announcement is also sad for the alumni of Quigley. Whether he is a graduate of Quigley Preparatory Seminary, Quigley North, Quigley South or Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, he is a part of the great Quigley legacy in the Archdiocese of Chicago. This legacy of providing the finest Catholic education, the finest spiritual formation, along with calling young men to consider the priesthood, will not be forgotten and will be honored in new ways. There are many Quigley graduates in the Archdiocese of Chicago and all over the United States who are grateful for their Quigley education and have great memories of their high school years. While the school will close after this year, the Alumni Association will remain intact and reunions will continue to be held.

            In months to come we will provide information on a new program in memory of the Quigley legacy as a way to continue to call young men to the priesthood, The Quigley Scholars. We hope to offer scholarships to students around the Archdiocese who have interest in the priesthood and are willing to participate in a monthly spiritual formation program. I hope all alumni will join me in supporting this program so together, we can honor the memory of Quigley and continue to give the gift of the finest Catholic education to young men, and invite them to consider a calling to the priesthood of Jesus Christ.

 In Christ,

 Very Reverend Peter Snieg

President/Rector