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On April 20, 2026, a group of Kansas City Serrans from both the SerraKCK club and the JOCO Serra Club were introduced to the Pontifical College Josephinum, a seminary in Columbus, OH. The visit was made possible, in part, through the generosity of both Serra Clubs, the Serra Club of Topeka, KS, and an invitation from Archbishop Shawn McKnight. "The Josephinum," as the seminary is known familiarly, will be one of two seminaries to which men from the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas will be sent for philosophy and theology studies. Read on to learn more.

On April 20, 2026, a group of Kansas City Serrans from both the SerraKCK club and the JOCO Serra Club were introduced to the Pontifical College Josephinum, in Columbus, OH (photo left). The visit was made possible, in part, through the generosity of both Serra Clubs, and occurred at the invitation of Archbishop Shawn McKnight. "The Josephinum," as the seminary is known familiarly, will be one of five seminaries to which men from the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas will be sent for philosophy and theology studies. The archdiocese will have seminarians at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, St. John Vianney Seminary in Denver, Pope Saint John XXIII Seminary in Boston and Conception Seminary College in Conception, Missouri, as well. 

The Good Shepherd Dinner at the Josephinum is an annual fund-raising event held at the seminary, the proceeds of which go to assisting leadership in carrying out the seminary's mission: to provide initial formation to men so that they can participate in the ministerial priesthood of Jesus Christ, “Head and Shepherd, Servant and Spouse.” The Serra Clubs of Kansas City, Kansas, and Johnson County in Kansas joined in contributing to the sponsorship of a table at the Good Shepherd Dinner.

At the event, two men were honored for their service to the Josephinum: Reverend Monsignor Frank P. Lane of the Diocese of Columbus and Mr. William R. Burleigh of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Ordained in 1967, Monsignor Lane has devoted nearly six decades to priestly ministry in Ohio and beyond, serving the Church in a wide range of pastoral, academic, and leadership roles, including 15 years at the Josephinum as Vice Rector, Academic Dean, Director of Recruitment, and member of the Board of Trustees. Msgr. Lane was recognized with The Good Shepherd Award, the highest honor bestowed by the seminary. It recognizes individuals who exemplify qualities of a good shepherd in promotion of vocations and support for the seminary and its seminarians. The award was named after Pope Leo XII who granted the seminary its pontifical status in 1892. 

A nationally respected journalism and civic leader, Mr. Burleigh served as President, CEO, and Chairman of The E.W. Scripps Company and has been a devoted supporter of the Josephinum, including nine years of service on its Board of Trustees. Mr. Burleigh was honored with The Pope Leo XIII Award, which is one of the highest honors bestowed by the seminary and recognizes an individual for support of the Church, the priesthood, vocations, and the mission of the Josephinum.

As noted in a recent article in The Leaven, a very special presentation occurred during the evening's events when Cardinal Cristophe Pierre, outgoing Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, announced that Father Steve Beseau, priest of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and rector of the Josephinum has been appointed a Chaplain of His Holiness, with the title "Monseigneur," by Pope Leo XIV. At right is a photo, with Msgr. Beseau (center) holding the letter of appointment and sharing a congratulatory handshake with Archbishop McKnight (right), along with Cardinal Chrostophe Pierre (left). This was, indeed, a very special moment for all from ArchKCK who were present in the room.

A night stroll from the Jessing Center, where the Good Shepher Dinner was held, to a parked car yielded a beautiful view (photo below right) of the lighted tower of the Josephinum. Our hotel was just a few minutes from the seminary campus, a very convenient commute for visitors to the seminary facility. 

The morning following the Good Shepherd Dinner, the ArchKCK Serrans were treated to a tour of the Josephinum after sharing breakfast with seminarians in the seminary refectory. The Josephinum is both a collegiate seminary and a theological seminary, providing for formation of young men throughout their educational experience. The morning began with Mass in the seminary's beautiful St. Tiberius Chapel (photo left), celebrated by Bishop Ralph O’Donnell, of the Diocese of Jefferson City, MO (photo bottom right). Concelebrating priests of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas included Archbishop McKnight, Fr. Dan Morris, and Fr. Timothy Skoch, who are pictured with Bishop O'Donnell as he greeted congregants at the start of the liturgy. The tour included visits to another chapel in the college seminary facility, common spaces of the facility including two coffee bars being established, one in the collegiate seminary and and one in the theology seminary, and a walk around a portion of the 75-acre campus. The group was treated to coffee by collegiate seminary baristas. They did make a rather good café mocha!

As the morning tour of the seminary drew to a close, a photo op unfolded on the front steps of the main building on the seminary campus. The photo at left is of some of those who ventured to Columbus for the event including (back row, from left) Phil Punswick (Serra KCK), Jim Merwald (Serra KCK), Mike and Ginny Skoch (JOCO Serra); (front row, from left) John Weber (JOCO Serra), Marissa Easter (Archdiocesan Director of Communications), Jay Soldner (photographer and writer for The Leaven), and Dave Stanley (Serra KCK). Not pictured but also in attendance with the Serrans was Pat McAnany (Serra KCK). 

That archdiocesan seminarians will begin to study at the Josephinum relates to the fact that Archbishop McKnight is both a graduate of the seminary and current president of the seminary's Board of Trustees. People may ask why is the seminary referred to with the term, "pontifical"? 

The Pontifical College Josephinum is a Roman Catholic seminary and private university in Columbus, Ohio. It was founded by Rev. Joseph Jessing, a German immigrant to the United States in 1867 who was ordained to the Catholic priesthood in 1870. Fr. Jessing founded the Josephinum in 1888 to prepare seminarians for the many German-speaking communities in the United States at that time. The college was granted the status of a Pontifical College in 1892 by Pope Leo XIII, making it the only pontifical seminary in North America. The institution is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS). What began as an orphanage (The St. Joseph Orphan Asylum) for boys in 1876 at Fr. Jessing's first parish eventually grew into the Collegium Josephinum by 1888, as young men began to desire study for the priesthood. The orphanage gave young men both a Catholic education and training in a variety of trades including agriculture and book printing and binding. Because he desired that the Josephinum continue after his death, Fr. Jessing asked that the institution be placed under the protection of the Holy See. As noted above, Pope Leo XIII granted Jessing's request in 1892, and Collegium Josephinum officially became known as Pontifical College Josephinum, the only pontifical seminary outside of Italy.

The vison of the Pontifical College Josephinum is to form holy, generous, adaptable, and resilient priests dedicated to pastoral ministry in the 21st century.