The Divine Word Missionaries played an important role in the establishment of Saint Augustine Seminary.

Historical Summary of the beginnings of St. Augustine Seminary

One of the important historical moments for African American Catholics is the establishment of the Seminary for African American Catholic men in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi. Its significance is not in question.  We remember the ordinations of 1934 and the many ordinations that followed. We remember the beginnings of the African American brothers. Yet, little is known about how all it happened. What were the forces that shaped the opening of the seminary in Greenville, Mississippi in 1920 and the subsequent move to Bay Saint Louis in 1923?  Let us take some time to consider how it all came about.