TheSejny Priest Seminary orSejny Theological Seminary (Lithuanian:Seinų kunigų seminarija) was a Catholic priestseminary established inSejny (nowPoland) in 1826. The courses lasted five years. Up until its dissolution in 1926, the seminary was an important center of Lithuanian culture, educating many prominent figures of theLithuanian National Revival.
The Sejny Seminary was established by bishopMikołaj Jan Manugiewicz to address shortages of Lithuanian-speaking priests.[1] At first the seminary was small. Later, when seminaries inTykocin (1863) andKielce (1893) were closed and merged, the Sejny Seminary grew to 60–80 students.[2] A large portion of the students were sons of Lithuanian peasants fromSuvalkija.
In 1915, duringWorld War I, the seminary was evacuated into Russia (firstMogilev, thenSaint Petersburg).[2] In 1919 the seminary returned to Sejny, but the town was at the center of thePolish–Lithuanian War. After the Polish seizure of Sejny after anuprising done by thePolish Military Organisation in August 1919, the Lithuanian students and faculty were expelled into Lithuania, where the seminary continued in Zypliai and Gižai.[2] In 1926 the Sejny Seminary was renamed toVilkaviškis Priest Seminary and ceased to exist.
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