Saint Francis de Sales Seminary
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary is a Catholic seminary founded in 1845 that forms men for ordination to the priesthood, serving 11 dioceses across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Pacific Northwest through a multi-year priestly formation program, with annual formation costs exceeding $60,000 per seminarian funded primarily via donations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1845
- HeadquartersSaint Francis, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Saint Francis de Sales Seminary does
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary is a private 501(c)(3) Catholic seminary founded in 1845 by Bishop John Martin Henni in Milwaukee to serve the spiritual and pastoral formation needs of German Catholic immigrants. Today the seminary operates from a 70+ acre campus on the shores of Lake Michigan in St. Francis, Wisconsin, and serves as the primary priestly formation institution for 11 Catholic dioceses spanning the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Pacific Northwest. It delivers a four-stage formation program (Propaedeutic, Discipleship, Configuration, and Vocational Synthesis) integrating human, spiritual, pastoral, and intellectual dimensions in alignment with the USCCB Program of Priestly Formation, culminating in a Master of Divinity degree and ordination to the priesthood.
The seminary's core product is the priestly formation program, with intellectual formation delivered in partnership with Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin, and a companion college discernment program delivered with Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona, Minnesota. Supporting assets include the Salzmann Library (80,000+ volumes, member of the SWITCH consortium), the annual De Sales Invitational inter-seminary basketball tournament, and a comprehensive seminary catalog. The seminary has 85 seminarians enrolled for the 2025-2026 school year and over 4,200 graduates serving the worldwide Church.
The seminary is donation-funded rather than tuition-funded, with per-seminarian formation costs exceeding $60,000 annually. Revenue streams include a multi-year Zeal for the Lord's House Capital Campaign (more than $75,000,000 raised to date), annual giving appeals, planned giving and bequests, gifts of appreciated stock, and two major annual fundraising events (Seminary Golf Outing and Annual Seminary Dinner). A major campus renovation, restoration, and expansion project is currently underway, funded in part by the Zeal campaign. Go-to-market is community-led: candidates are recruited through diocesan Vocation Offices and an eight-step screening process that includes interviews, psychological and physical examinations, and recommendations.
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Saint Francis de Sales Seminary
- Legal name
- Saint Francis de Sales Seminary
- Website
- https://sfs.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1845
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Saint Francis de Sales Seminary is a Catholic seminary founded in 1845 that forms men for ordination to the priesthood, serving 11 dioceses across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Pacific Northwest through a multi-year priestly formation program, with annual formation costs exceeding $60,000 per seminarian funded primarily via donations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Catholic Seminary / Theological Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Religious Organizations (8131)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical) (EDAHAKAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Seminaries (Graduate Theology & Ministry) (EDAHAKAA), Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)
Keywords
Where Saint Francis de Sales Seminary is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Francis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Capital Campaign Donations: The Zeal for the Lord's House Capital Campaign has raised more than $75,000,000. Major gifts are solicited through a Campaign Cabinet and Major Gift Committee. The campaign includes planned giving options.
- Annual Giving and Appeals: Consistent annual giving sustains the seminary's mission of forming priests. Contributions support seminarian education and formation costs.
- Fundraising Events: Two major annual fundraising events: Seminary Golf Outing and Annual Seminary Dinner. These events raise funds for priestly formation.
- Planned Giving: Long-term giving opportunities including bequests, wills, and estate planning to support the seminary's future.
- Gifts of Stock: Donors can gift long-term appreciated securities for tax advantages, deducting fair market value while avoiding capital gains tax.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Seminarian Formation Cost |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels9 records
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary delivers a comprehensive Catholic priestly formation program that integrates human, spiritual, pastoral, and intellectual dimensions across four sequential stages (Propaedeutic, Discipleship, Configuration, and Vocational Synthesis). The program is offered to men discerning a vocation to the Catholic priesthood on behalf of eleven sponsoring dioceses and culminates in a Master of Divinity degree and ordination to the priesthood. A companion college program in partnership with Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary supports younger discerners pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy.
Product overview
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary offers a single unified product: priestly formation for the Catholic priesthood. The core offering is a four-stage formation program (Propaedeutic, Discipleship, Configuration, and Vocational Synthesis) integrating human, spiritual, pastoral, and intellectual dimensions. Academic instruction is delivered in collaboration with Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology. A companion college program, partnered with Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary, serves younger discerners. Supporting offerings include Salzmann Library (80,000+ volumes), the annual De Sales Invitational basketball tournament, and a comprehensive seminary catalog. The seminary also conducts a capital campaign (Zeal for the Lord's House) and various fundraising events.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Priestly Formation Program A comprehensive Catholic priestly formation program integrating human, spiritual, pastoral, and intellectual dimensions across four sequential stages (Propaedeutic, Discipleship, Configuration, Vocational Synthesis), culminating in a Master of Divinity degree and ordination to the priesthood. Offered to men discerning a vocation on behalf of eleven sponsoring dioceses.
- College Program A college-level formation program for young men beginning discernment of a priestly vocation while still in college; partnered with Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona, Minnesota, leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy before entering major seminary formation.
- Salzmann Library A Catholic library serving the general public with more than 80,000 volumes focused on ministry, theology, and canon law, including a particularly strong canon law collection. Member of the SWITCH consortium of seven academic libraries in the Milwaukee area sharing the TOPCAT online catalog.
- De Sales Invitational Basketball Tournament An annual invitational basketball tournament bringing together 18 Catholic seminaries from across the United States to foster brotherhood, fraternity, and community among seminarians.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 4,200 graduates serving the worldwide Church
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Saint Francis de Sales Seminary
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Sacred Heart Seminary and School of TheologycoreIntellectual formation for seminarians is provided in collaboration with Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. Seminarians attend academic courses four days a week at this institution while residing at Saint Francis de Sales Seminary and participating in formation programs.
- Immaculate Heart of Mary SeminaryminorCollege program partnership where young men discerning priesthood can attend Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona, Minnesota while beginning their formation. Graduates obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy.
- De Sales Invitational Tournament SponsorsminorAnnual basketball tournament sponsors including Tom & Lynne VanHimbergen, Kevin & Linda Steiner, Pat Connaughton (Milwaukee Bucks), Alec & Alexa Ingold, Duane & Connie McAllister, Sendik's Food Market, Festival Foods, The Milwaukee Legatus Chapter, Order of Malta Federal Association, and others. Sponsors underwrite the weekend tournament.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mundelein Seminary: University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary is the major seminary of the Archdiocese of Chicago, forming priests for the Midwest. It is highly comparable in scale, multi-diocesan recruitment model, and four-dimensional formation program.
- Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary: A national Catholic seminary in Weston, Massachusetts, specifically focused on formation of later-vocation men (second-career seminarians). Highly comparable in M.Div. program delivery and four-dimensional formation, though differentiated by its later-vocation focus.
- Kenrick-Glennon Seminary: Archdiocese of St. Louis seminary in Shrewsbury, Missouri, providing priestly formation and theological degrees for the Midwest. Comparable in regional positioning, diocesan sponsorship model, and M.Div. curriculum.
- Pontifical College Josephinum: A pontifical Catholic seminary in Columbus, Ohio, formed directly under the Holy See rather than a single diocese, training priests for service nationwide. Comparable in mission, formation stages, and graduate theological degrees.
- Mount St. Mary's Seminary: The oldest Catholic seminary in the United States, located in Emmitsburg, Maryland. It offers priestly formation leading to the M.Div., serving multiple U.S. dioceses with a comparable multi-stage formation structure and graduate theological curriculum.
- Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology: Located in Hales Corners, Wisconsin, Sacred Heart Seminary is Saint Francis de Sales' primary academic partner and is the institution where the seminary's seminarians complete intellectual formation for the Master of Divinity. It is the closest functional peer, operating in the same geographic and denominational space.
- Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary: Located at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota in Winona, MN, this seminary runs the College Program that feeds Saint Francis de Sales' discernment pipeline. It is a direct peer in Catholic priestly formation at the undergraduate/pre-theology level.
- St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology: A Benedictine-run Catholic seminary in southern Indiana that forms priests and offers theological graduate degrees. It is a direct comparable in mission, geographic Midwest positioning, and four-dimensional formation approach - Saint Francis de Sales' 'Shoremen' basketball team even competes against St. Meinrad in the De Sales Invitational.
- Theological College: The national Catholic seminary on the campus of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. It forms priests for dioceses nationwide with a comparable M.Div. curriculum and residential formation model, making it a direct peer in priestly formation.
Broad incumbents
- Catholic University of America - School of Theology and Religious Studies: The national university of the Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. Its School of Theology offers priestly formation tracks and graduate theological degrees, representing a broader institutional incumbent that overlaps with Saint Francis' intellectual formation mission.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary social profiles
Digital presenceSaint Francis de Sales Seminary financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles23 records
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Saint Francis de Sales Seminary
What does Saint Francis de Sales Seminary do?
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary delivers a comprehensive Catholic priestly formation program that integrates human, spiritual, pastoral, and intellectual dimensions across four sequential stages (Propaedeutic, Discipleship, Configuration, and Vocational Synthesis). The program is offered to men discerning a vocation to the Catholic priesthood on behalf of eleven sponsoring dioceses and culminates in a Master of Divinity degree and ordination to the priesthood. A companion college program in partnership with Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary supports younger discerners pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy.
Is Saint Francis de Sales Seminary a public or private company?
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Saint Francis de Sales Seminary founded?
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary was founded in 1845. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Saint Francis de Sales Seminary based?
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary is headquartered in Saint Francis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Saint Francis de Sales Seminary make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Capital Campaign Donations are the primary driver. The others are annual Giving and Appeals, fundraising Events, planned Giving and gifts of Stock.
Who are Saint Francis de Sales Seminary's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mundelein Seminary, Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary, Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, Pontifical College Josephinum, Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology, Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary, St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology and Theological College. Catholic University of America - School of Theology and Religious Studies is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Saint Francis de Sales Seminary have an API?
No public API is recorded for Saint Francis de Sales Seminary.
What industry is Saint Francis de Sales Seminary in?
Saint Francis de Sales Seminary's product category is Catholic Seminary / Theological Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAKAM, Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical), with a secondary code of EDAHAKAA, Seminaries (Graduate Theology & Ministry). Its NAICS code is 61131 and its SIC code is 8200.