St. Peter and St. Paul Interdiocesan Major Seminary (SPEPAL; Portuguese: Seminário Maior Interdiocesano de São Pedro e São Paulo; Tetum: Semináriu Maior Interdiosezanu São Pedro no São Paulo) is a Roman Catholic seminary located in Dili, Timor-Leste. Established in 2000 as the country's first and only major seminary, it serves the Archdiocese of Dili and the dioceses of Baucau and Maliana. It is located in Fatumeta.
Seminário Maior Interdiocesano de São Pedro e São Paulo | |
| Established | 10 July 2000 |
|---|---|
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Rector | Miguel Arcanjo da Costa |
| Undergraduates | 250+ (2024) |
| Location | , |
| Campus | Urban |
| Language | Portuguese, Tetum |
| Dioceses served | Dili, Baucau, Maliana |
History
editThe seminary was jointly established in 2000 by Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo and Bishop Basílio do Nascimento.[1]
The first group of 17 seminarians was ordained in 2006. In 2007 there were 15 ordinations and 4 in 2008.[2]
All Church properties are seen as sanctuaries in East Timor. In 2006 camps for internally displaced people occupied by thousands of East Timorese families who fled their homes in the civil strife which broke out in April–May, were located in or around Dili, including the seminary.[3]
However, the Church is not immune to violence. On June 27, 2006, during the East Timorese crisis, anti-Alkatiri demonstrators threw rocks at the seminary, destroying toilets set up by the UN for refugees sheltering in the seminary.[4]
Now Carmelite students in East Timor who are preparing for the priesthood no longer need to travel to Indonesia but can study at the diocesan seminary at Fatumeta. They now study the Portuguese language and take their seminary classes in Portuguese and Tetum.
The seminary has grown to the extent that the first year students, the largest group, have to use the dining hall and recreation room for their studies. In 2010 there were 85 seminarians.[2] In 2020 this had grown to 150 students, which was expected to increase to 190 students in 2021.[5] In 2018, Father Martinho Gusmao was rector of the seminary.[6] In 2019 he had been replaced by Father Eduardo de Almeida.[7]
Rectors
edit- Alberto Ricardo da Silva (2000–2004)[8]
- Miguel Arcanjo da Costa (2024–present)[9]
Notable people
editFaculty
edit- Leandro Maria Alves, Bishop of Baucau from 2023–present; served as formator at the seminary from 2008–2011[10]
- Norberto do Amaral, Bishop of Maliana from 2010–present; served as professor of dogmatic theology and prefect of studies at the seminary from 2007–2010[11]
- Justino Guterres, academic, diplomat, and Ambassador of Timor-Leste to the Holy See 2007–2010; taught anthropology and sociology at the seminary from 2001–2006[12][13]
- Vicente Guterres, politician; taught philosophy at the seminary from 2001–2006[14]
- Alberto Ricardo da Silva, Bishop of Dili from 2004–2015; served as the seminary's first rector from 2000–2004[8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ UCANews March 13, 2018
- ^ a b Mission Today Issue 15 2010
- ^ Bulletin of the Peter Trust, UK. AUTUMN 2007
- ^ "Fresh violence sweeps Timor capital". Television New Zealand. AAP. June 28, 2006. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
- ^ Messenger of St. Anthony, January 2020, p. 37
- ^ UCANews May 14, 2018
- ^ UCANews September 27, 2019
- ^ a b "ÁSIA/TIMOR LESTE - Nomeação do Bispo de Dili e do Bispo de Baucau" [ASIA/EAST TIMOR - Appointment of the Bishop of Dili and the Bishop of Baucau]. Agência Fides (in Portuguese). 2004-03-06. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "Seminário Maior Interdiocesano de São Pedro e São Paulo Fatumeta". Conferência Episcopal Timorense (in Tetum). 2024-03-16. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "ASIA/TIMOR - Appointment of Bishop of Baucau". Agenzia Fides. 2023-04-26. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "ASIA/EAST TIMOR - Diocese of Maliana erected, first Bishop appointed". Agenzia Fides. 2010-01-30. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "Das diplomatische Korps beim Heiligen Stuhl". Die Apostolische Nachfolge (in German). Archived from the original on 2016-01-25. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "Timor-Leste Ambassador Decorated by the Vatican". Government of Timor-Leste. 2010-05-26. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ "Vicente da Silva Guterres". Parlamento Nacional de Timor-Leste. Retrieved 2025-04-27.