| St. Anthony's Mission House | |
|---|---|
.jpg) St. Anthony's Mission House's original location in Highwood, Bergen County, New Jersey. | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Catholic Church |
| Rite | Latin Church |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Defunct |
| Ownership | Society of African Missions |
| Location | |
| Location | New Jersey |
| Country | United States |
| Architecture | |
| Date established | October 11, 1921 |
St. Anthony's Mission House and Theological Seminary was a Catholic minor seminary for the Society of African Missions founded in Highwood, Bergen County, New Jersey. It was spearheaded in 1921 by Fr Ignatius Lissner, SMA as an interracial institution to educate men for the priesthood.
The seminary served as one of several Catholic seminaries founded during the early era of Jim Crow as an avenue for African-American priests specifically, amid widespread opposition to the idea of Black Catholic priests in the United States.
St. Anthony's was relatively short-lived, producing only a few African-American priests (the first being the 11th in history) before moving to Tenafly and shuttering in 1926 due to racism among the US bishops.
As of 2022, the SMA property in Tenafly is a formation house and residence that celebrates liturgy daily, and serves as the headquarters of the SMA's American province. The property also houses the province's African Art Museum.