Like many dioceses, the Diocese of Phoenix has dozens of seminarians, but all of them were sent elsewhere for their seminary formation -- until now. In partnership with the University of Mary’s Mary College at Arizona State University (ASU), the Diocese of Phoenix is opening their own local seminary – Nazareth Seminary.
Fr. Kurt Perera, Director of Vocations and House Formator for the Diocese, explains why having seminarians close by matters:
Seminarians are being formed with their boots on the ground — praying in our parishes, serving in our ministries, and walking with our people. They are not just learning theology; they are learning the rhythm of life in the diocese they are in.
This integrated approach to seminarian formation is a more recent development in priestly formation. Rather than these years being spent in a centralized institution, Phoenix seminarians will have varied stages of formation.
Filling a gap
“Many young men today lack essential life experiences that used to be more common. Nazareth fills that gap with formation that is practical, grounded, and rooted in reality,” Fr. Perera explains, “teaching men not just how to be priests, but how to be holy, healthy, and present priests.”
Here’s what Nazareth Seminary shared about what these seminary years will look like:
• Propaedeutic Stage (Years 1-2): Freshman and sophomore seminarians complete general studies while immersed in an intentional community life.
• Spirituality Year (Year 3): Seminarians relocate to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Scottsdale for focused spiritual formation.
• Discipleship Stage (Years 4-5): Upperclassmen return to full-time academics at Mary College at ASU, majoring in Catholic Studies and Philosophy while living in parish-based seminarian houses.
• Configuration and Vocational Synthesis Stages (Graduate Level): Seminarians enter advanced theology studies and remain integrated in pastoral life, living in smaller fraternity-based houses attached to local parishes.
The rector of Nazareth Seminary, Fr. Paul Sullivan, says that with this approach they are keeping in mind this exchange that occurs during every ordination:
Bishop: Do you know him to be worthy?
Priest: After inquiry among the Christian people and upon the recommendation of those responsible, I testify that he has been found worthy.
Fr. Sullivan emphasizes that this testimony is an important responsibility. “Our hope is that the seminarian will know his diocese (parishes, priests, bishops, religious etc.) and be known by his diocese (his talents, abilities, gifts etc.) by way of doing formation in his home diocese.”
A formation revolution?
Still, Nazareth Seminary will accept not only seminarians from the Diocese of Phoenix, but also others from throughout the region. They report they are already receiving inquiries from other dioceses and religious orders.
“The more I reflect on this model, the more I believe it could be a tremendous revolution for priestly formation in the Church,” said Fr. Sullivan. “This approach allows dioceses to truly know their men before ordination, and it gives seminarians a level of pastoral engagement that was previously unheard of.”
Scott Lefor, Director of Mary College at ASU, agrees.
“The Church is responding to the signs of the times,” he said. “Seminarians today need a formation experience that meets them where they are, strengthens their interior freedom, and integrates them fully into the life of the Church before ordination. Nazareth Seminary is doing exactly that.”
Mary College, ASU, and the Diocese of Phoenix
The partnership between University of Mary, Arizona State University, and the Diocese of Phoenix is seen by Nazareth Seminary as the “fulfillment of a providential plan.”
University of Mary, while located far away in North Dakota, has had a presence at ASU since 2012 in the form of a satellite location called Mary College. This partnership provided a really solid foundation for what the Diocese of Phoenix was looking for.
“The University of Mary was already thriving in its mission at ASU, and the diocese recognized the strength and fidelity of our academic programs,” said Lefor. “Once the seminary was announced, all that was needed was a small expansion of faculty. Everything else — the curriculum, the community, the Catholic formation — was already established.”
Getting started
Seminarians looking toward potential ordination in 2030 have already started to take advantage of classes at Mary’s College for their Discipleship Stage. In 2026, seminarians will also be welcomed on campus for their final (Configuration and Vocational Synthesis Stages) stages of formation.
Fr. Perera has a vision for the impact of this integrated program of formation that Nazareth Seminary offers:
“Nazareth Seminary is not merely a place where seminarians are educated — it is where men are deeply formed. Our hope is that this seminary will ignite a renewal of priestly vocations across the Diocese of Phoenix, not just in number, but in depth and maturity.”
Fr. Perera hopes this unique, local model “will not only attract new vocations but retain them — because these men are not being trained in isolation or abstraction, but immersed in the life of the very people they will one day serve, living with the formators who see them day in and day out. In short, Nazareth Seminary is helping our future priests fall in love with the people and parishes of Phoenix from day one.”
