Catholic Diocese in Kansas Announces New Seminary - a Realization of a 20 Year Old Plan


Wichita Formally Establishes St. Philip Neri Seminary
The vision for a diocesan seminary in the Diocese of Wichita did not begin in 2026. In the early 2000s, diocesan leadership explored the possibility through commissions, feasibility studies, and extensive discussion. While the idea generated significant interest, the project was ultimately shelved, awaiting the right moment, the necessary resources, and the providential circumstances that would allow it to flourish.

WICHITA, Kan. — Later this month, the Diocese of Wichita will officially establish St. Philip Neri Seminary, canonicalizing what was previously known as the St. Joseph House of Formation. The move places Wichita among roughly two dozen dioceses in the United States operating a canonical college-level seminary.

St. Philip Neri Seminary is the seminary of the Diocese of Wichita, forming men in the propaedeutic and discipleship stages of priestly formation. Founded in 2017 as the St. Joseph House of Formation, St. Philip Neri Seminary prepares seminarians for major seminary through integral human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation. Rooted in a home environment characterized by charity, prayer, study, and fraternity, the seminary seeks to cultivate a life modeled after the Holy Family of Nazareth.

In this Q&A, Bishop Carl A. Kemme reflects on the seminary’s decade-long growth, its canonical significance, and why the "Apostle of Rome" was chosen as its patron.

  1. Establishment of a Canonical Seminary: The Diocese of Wichita is officially elevating the St. Joseph House of Formation into St. Philip Neri Seminary, making it a canonically recognized college seminary acknowledged by the Vatican’s Dicasteries for Clergy and Culture/Education.

  2. Rare Milestone for a Smaller Diocese: Having a dedicated college seminary is rare for a diocese of Wichita's size, as most are located in large archdioceses. It currently serves seminarians from Wichita as well as the nearby Kansas dioceses of Salina and Dodge City.

  3. Growth and Scope: What began nine years ago as a planned two-year discernment program expanded through a partnership with Newman University into a full four-year undergraduate program plus a propaedeutic (preparatory) year. Enrollment sits at a planned cap of 42 to 43 seminarians to maintain a close-knit community.

  4. Leadership Changes: Fr. Chad Arnold, formerly the house director, becomes the seminary's official Rector, taking on canonical responsibilities and a formal oath of fidelity.

  5. Selection of the Patron Saint: Bishop Kemme and Fr. Arnold chose St. Philip Neri—a 16th-century Roman priest known for his joy, humor, and pastoral warmth—to inspire future priests to engage modern culture with approachable, joyful witness.

    Sources - https://catholicdioceseofwichita.org/a-seminarys-origin-and-future-a-qa-with-bishop-kemme/ and https://spnseminary.com/about/

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