History of Holy Spirit Seminary

The diocese of Parramatta was established in 1986. Bishop Bede Heather was the first Bishop.

It has always been understood that a diocese takes great care to be active in the preparation of its own priests.

From 1986 the students for the priesthood for Parramatta diocese did their training in the seminary of the archdiocese of Sydney while undertaking pastoral work in our own diocese, not very far away.

In 1993 a House of Priestly Formation was established in the suburb of St. Marys, near Penrith, in Sydney’s Greater West.

At first, new students for the Priesthood were resident here while following a year’s course to introduce them to priestly life in the diocese. This course evolved into a Propaedeutic Programme recommended in the Apostolic Exhortation “Pastores Dabo Vobis” (I will give you shepherds) given by Pope John Paul II.

As time went on the house became the permanent residence for the student priests of the diocese who followed their academic courses at Catholic Institute Sydney.

In February 2008 the number of candidates for the Priesthood in this diocese had swelled to eleven and so Bishop Kevin Manning formally established the house as a seminary. This has been a significant event in the life of the diocese, especially among the priests, who can easily identify with the diocesan seminarians and offer prayerful support for those who will be working alongside them in the future.