St. John's Regional Seminary (Philosophate)Bosco Seva Kendra. Official Site. Internet, accessed 24 September 2008. founded in 1987Handbook and Calendar 2008-2009, St. John's Regional Seminary, Kondadaba, Kothavalasa 535 183, Vizianagaram District. is a propaedeutic seminary equipping students with philosophical training. It is located in the rural town of Kothavalasa in the Vizianagaram District in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Affiliation The seminary is not affiliated to any university.Handbook and Calendar 2008-2009, op. cit. However, the Seminary is listed as a propaedeutic seminary under the Roman Curia.The Roman Curia. Internet, accessed 25 September 2008

The seminary used to offer a two-year course in philosophy. but, from 1999, it began offering a three-year course in philosophy to enable its students to simultaneously pursue the secular graduate degrees of Bachelor of Arts (B. A.) and Master of Arts (M. A.) through the School of Distance Education, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam.

Background St. John's Regional Seminary was founded in 1965J. N. M. Wijngaards, Life and Work. Internet, accessed 24 September 2008. in Ramanthapur, Hyderabad to train Priests for the Catholic Church in Andhra Pradesh. Later in 1987, the seminary was split into two.Handbook and Calendar 2010 -2011, p. 5 The theologiate was retained in Hyderabad while the philosophate was moved to Kothavalasa in the northern circars of Andhra Pradesh.

Authorities and officials According to an agreement signed between the Andhra Pradesh Bishop’s Council and the Salesian Province of St. Joseph, Hyderabad, on 24 May 1993 the management of the seminary has been entrusted to the Salesians of Don Bosco for a period of ten years. The contract was in 2003 for a period of six years. It was renewed again in 2009 for ten more years. The Seminary is overseen by the following Salesians:

Provincial - Rev. Fr. Raminedi Balaraju, SDB Rector - Fr. Koonananickal Jose, SDB Dean - Br. Vincent Castilino, SDB Principal - Fr. Mathiekal Wilson, SDB Administrator - Fr. Cherapanath Rinoy, SDB

Admissions The seminary follows a semester system.Handbook and Calendar 2010 -2011, pp. 5-9 Admission is for Catholic pupils who are eligible to pursue priestly studies and who come from any of the ten Catholic dioceses and two archdioceses in Andhra Pradesh as well as any religious Congregation willing to send their students for Priestly formation.Inferred from List of Students, Handbook and Calendar 2010-2011, pp. 22-24

Staff

Faculty Source:Handbook and Calendar 2010-2011, op. cit. p. 17 Theology and Spirituality, English Fr. K. Jose Fr. S. Devadas Systematic Philosophy Fr. M. Wilson Fr. C. Rinoy Br. V. Castilino

Visiting Faculty Source:Handbook and Calendar 2010-2011, op. cit. p. 18 Sr. Philomena D'Souza, FMA Fr. G. Lazar, SVD Fr. Mark K. Raj, SJ Fr. C. P. Varghese, SDB Fr. Francis Stephen, MSFS Fr. P. Antony Fr. P. Johnson, OFM Cap. Fr. Francis Stephen, MSFS

Other staff Source: Assistant Librarian and Clerk Sri Ch. Sai Ram Computers Sri R. Joseph

Past faculty Bishop G. Prasad

See also Other university-affiliated seminaries in Andhra region Master's College of Theology, Visakhapatnam Bethel Bible College, Guntur

Theological degrees: Doctor of Divinity (D.Div.), Doctor of Theology (Th.D.), Master of Theology (Th.M.), Bachelor of Divinity (B.Div.), Bachelor of Theology (Th.B.), Licentiate in Theology, Licentiate in Sacred Scripture

Members of the Andhra Pradesh Federation of Churches Archbishop M. Joji Bishop G. Prasad Bishop D. M. Prakasam Bishop G. Dyvasirvadam Bishop V. E. Christopher Bishop B. P. Sugandhar

Indigenous scholars B. V. Subbamma Y. D. Tiwari D. S. Amalorpavadass a.k.a. Swamy Amalorananda

References