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San Carlos Seminary, the Archdiocesan Seminary of Manila, was the first diocesan seminary established in the Philippines. Its birth was decreed by King Philip V of Spain who, on ๐๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ถ๐น ๐ฎ๐ด, ๐ญ๐ณ๐ฌ๐ฎ, ordered the establishment of a seminary in Manila for the formation of the diocesan clergy, as envisioned by the Council of Trent.
On December 8, 1707, the seminary was blessed and inaugurated by Archbishop Francisco Cuesta and was named the Royal Seminary of San Clemente, in honor of the reigning Pope Clement XI.
In 1715, the name of the seminary was changed to Real Seminario de San Felipe, in honor of the king's patron saint. During the next decade, civil authorities turned San Felipe into a university; consequently, seminarians had to take most of their Philosophy and Theology courses at the Jesuits' Colegio de San Jose and the Dominicans' Colegio de Santo Tomas. However, the University of San Felipe was short-lived, and by 1730, the seminary was returned to the exclusive use of the seminarians.
Years later, as part of the reforms being instituted, the Jesuits' Colegio de San Ignacioโlocated on Calle Real de Palacio (now General Luna Street) and Calle Escuela (now Victoria Street)โwas converted into the diocesan seminary. In 1786, it was bestowed another name: REAL SEMINARIO CONCILIAR DE SAN CARLOS.
The seminary building was heavily damaged during the earthquake of 1889, forcing the seminarians to move once again. The Vincentian Fathers, who had been in charge of the seminary since 1862 in accordance with the wishes of Queen Isabela II, transferred the students to their Casa del Campo in San Marcelino. Three years later, Archbishop Pedro Payo constructed a building for seminarians on Arzobispo Street, beside the new San Ignacio Church.
In 1905, Archbishop Jeremias Harty placed San Carlos under the care of the Jesuits. Three years later, San Carlos returned to Intramuros, joining the Jesuit-run Colegio de San Francisco Javier on Padre Faura until it was closed in 1913. Archbishop Harty later found another location for the San Carlos Seminary in a renovated building (now Don Bosco) in Mandaluyong, and the Vincentians were again put in charge.
For two centuries, the archdiocesan seminary was shuttled between locations, being lodged whenever it was convenient for the archdiocese or the congregation in charge. It was not until the years of calm after World War II that the archdiocese could begin fulfilling a vision: to have a permanent building for the formation of future priests that would be the largest and most modern seminary in the country.
Through the unstinting and untiring efforts of Archbishop Gabriel Reyes, the first Filipino Archbishop of Manila, this cherished dream became a reality in the early 1950s. San Carlos Seminary was finally granted its own 5-hectare site in San Pedro (now Guadalupe), Makati. Construction began, and on January 24, 1953, His Eminence Norman Thomas Cardinal Gilroyโthen legate-a-latere to the ongoing First Plenary Council of the Philippinesโinaugurated the new San Carlos Seminary building.
Twenty years later, in 1973, His Eminence Rufino Cardinal Santos, the first Filipino Cardinal, installed the first Filipino diocesan rector of San Carlos, Fr. Oscar Cruz (who later became an Archbishop). On June 29, 1987, the San Carlos Graduate School of Theology and the Archbishop Gabriel M. Reyes Memorial Library were completed and blessed by His Eminence Jaime Cardinal Sin, Archbishop of Manila, and His Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Archbishop of Cebu.
Some of the historic events that took place at San Carlos Seminary include:
The Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (January 20 โ February 17, 1991)
The 6th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (January 10โ19, 1995)
The grace-filled visit of His Holiness Pope John Paul II (January 15, 1995)
The National Pastoral Consultation on Church Renewal (January 20โ27, 2001)
Through the years, the seminary has produced many dedicated and zealous men for the mission of the Church. Distinguished alumni include Padre Gomez and Padre Zamora, priest-martyrs who inspired Philippine independence; Cardinal Rufino Santos; Cardinal Ricardo Vidal; and many bishops and priests who have dedicatedly served the local Church.
During the Ordinary Jubilee Year of Hope 2025, the Seminary Chapel became one of the Jubilee Churches of the Archdiocese of Manila. It was dedicated to seminarians, religious, missionaries, deacons, priests, and bishops, and was formally opened by Rev. Fr. Rolando Garcia, Jr., Rector of San Carlos Seminary.
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