Welcome to Santiago de Compostela, Pilgrims!
Introduction
Today “La Asunción Minor Seminary Lodge” operates both as a Seminary and as a School and provides lodging for pilgrims.
Under the guidance of The Archbishop, this Centre continues to be the Minor Seminary of the Diocese of Compostela, which meets the needs of the diocese and collaborates with the Universal Church. As a School, it is open to students who are interested in in humanistic, academic and Christian learning.
The Seminary also provides lodging for Pilgrims who are visiting.
The Minor Seminary´s History
The Seminary was founded by The Archbishop Fray Rafael Velez in 1829 in the building of San Clemente, which today is the IES Rosalia de Castro. In 1868 The Cardenal Garcia Cuesta managed to move the Seminary to the magnificent building of San Martin Pinario, a former Benedictine abbey. The building was abandoned and dilapidated and presented a desolate appearance as a result of the neglect into which it had fallen.
There was a grave lack of space in the Seminary as a result of an increase in the number of seminaries, and consequently, García Cuesta requested the use of the well-preserved San Clemente Seminary to the Government of Queen Isabel II, in exchange for the dilapidated Monastery of San Martin, located close by the Cathedral and the Archbishop's Palace.
From 1868 until today, the Seminary of Compostela has been carrying out its activities in this building. During the 1930s, the increase in students, the educational demands of that time and the poor condition of the building forced the Compostela prelates, especially Friar Zacarías Martínez Núñez and Monsignor Muniz Pablos, to carry out a series of bespoke construction works.
In 1947, a section of the Seminary was moved to the Hospital of San Roque, although the building did not meet the required conditions for such a mission.
When D. Fernando Quiroga Palacios was appointed Archbishop of Santiago, he found the two headquarters of the Seminary in a state of disrepair. Consequently, he immediately set out plans to carry out the full restoration of the Monastery of San Martin and build a new ‘Minor’ Seminary. Quiroga Palacios was promoted to cardinal in 1953 and in that year, began the ‘La Asuncion Minor Seminary´construction.
Cronology
- 1st March, 1953. Cardinal Quiroga Palacios placed the first stone.
- The company Cachafeiro started the building work, over the plans of José María de la Vega Samper. Antonio Fernandez Duran was the head foreman and The Reverend Longa Arturo Bermudez, was appointed Administrator and Supervisor of the building work by The Cardinal.
- 30th September 1955. After finishing the first part of the building, the first class of 224 students were enrolled.
- Between 1956-1957 there were already 1124 students enrolled.
- 2nd October 1957 Monsignor Antoniutti, The Pope's Nuncio in Spain, accompanied by Cardinal Quiroga Palacios and by Monsignor Nóvoa Fuente, Assistant Bishop of Compostela, blessed the new Seminary.
- 10th September 1958. The head of the Spainish state, Francisco Franco Bahamonde, formally inaugurated the seminary.
- On the 21st September 1967, Cardinal Quiroga Palacios kindly requested that the Ministry of Education and Science create, in accordance with the laws at that time, the `La Asuncion Minor Seminary School” in the city of Santiago de Compostela.
- From 1968, until the present day, studies undertaken in the ‘Minor’ Seminary are equivalent to those taken in secondary and high schools in the Spanish State.
