Dear Friends in Jesus Christ,

As Sacred Heart Major Seminary begins our 106th academic year in this building—and our 108th year as an institution—we are reminded of the enduring legacy of faith and formation that has shaped generations of Church leaders. From our founding in 1919, Sacred Heart has stood as a beacon of theological education and spiritual formation, serving the Archdiocese of Detroit and the universal Church with unwavering commitment.

This past May, 84 seminarians, diaconate candidates, and lay students graduated, continuing a tradition of service that spans more than a century. Now, we welcome a new class of students who have chosen to deepen their formation through our undergraduate, graduate, ecclesiastical, and certificate programs. Whether studying on our historic Detroit campus, online or at parish satellite locations, these men and women are part of a legacy that continues to shape the future of the Church.

Among the new students are men who have entered the seminary to discern a vocation to the priesthood. Their decision to pursue this path is a testament to the enduring call of Christ and the strength of Sacred Heart’s mission. With your support, we are preparing future priests, permanent deacons, and lay ministers to carry the Gospel into a world that needs faithful witnesses more than ever.

I am excited to share the recent opening of our newly remodeled auditorium. Thanks to generous donors like yourself, this state-of-the-art venue will host seminary formation lectures, plays, concerts, and many more community events. Completion of this project builds on the legacy of this space and ensures our campus can host events, like the upcoming Nicaea at 1700: The First Council and the "Way Together" conference, for many years to come. 

Sacred Heart’s story is not only written in the lives of its students and faculty—it is written in the generosity of its supporters. Your prayers and gifts have sustained this seminary through decades of change and challenge, allowing it to remain a vital center for theological education and evangelization.

Will you help us continue this legacy with a gift to launch the 2025 academic year? Your support today ensures that Sacred Heart remains a place where tradition and mission meet—where the Church’s future is formed in the light of its past.

Trusting in the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ,

Very Rev. Stephen P. Burr

Rector/President