Rooted in the Incarnation, Formed by Community, Sent to Serve
Shaped by Prayer, Practice, and Pastoral Encounter within an Incarnational Anglican/Episcopal Identity
A Renewal of the Cathedral-School Tradition
In a bold renewal of the ancient cathedral-school tradition, the Mercer School of Theology and the Cathedral of the Incarnation joyfully announce the launch of Cathedral College: a groundbreaking seminary experience that unites rigorous academics, holistic spiritual formation, and embodied Anglican / Episcopal identity within a vibrant community of prayer. Designed for both residential and commuter seminarians, college life is centered in the Cathedral Close at Garden City: the first Cathedral Town in America.
Formation Rooted in the Incarnation
Cathedral College emerges from a deep commitment to the centrality of the Incarnation, “the Word made flesh,” and to the sacramental life—at the heart of formation for ordained ministry. Here, theology is not primarily an intellectual pursuit; it is a lived encounter with Christ—touched, tasted, and seen in the sacraments, shared among a close-knit group of seminarians and faculty mentors. Sacramental grounding shapes every aspect of the curriculum, ensuring that the formation of Anglican priests for the Episcopal Church and the broader Anglican Communion is rooted in the mysteries of Baptism, Eucharist, reconciliation, and healing.
A Community of Prayer, Study, and Spiritual Direction
Our learning community is distinguished by one-on-one mentoring, small group tutorials in all canonical areas, and a shared sacramental life. Ongoing spiritual direction ensures that academic learning is always accompanied by prayerful introspection. Spiritual formation is enriched by the presence and participation of the Center for Spiritual Imagination and the new monastic Community of the Incarnation. Seminarians become steeped in the contemplative practices and charisms of Benedictine stability, Carmelite contemplation, and Franciscan simplicity, shaping a pattern of prayer, silence, and hospitality that weaves through rigorous academic study.
Embedded in the broader spiritual formation program of Cathedral College is a two-year accredited academic program culminating in a challenging M.A. in Theology, conferred by the University of the West Indies. This degree replaces the historically recent standard of the M.Div. with a more focused, integrative approach to graduate-level study that fosters a rich understanding of contextual Anglican theology, pastoral imagination, and sacramental fluency. Our partnership with Codrington College in Barbados offers our seminarians the unprecedented opportunity to share resources and learn alongside their peers who engage the Anglican tradition from within a Caribbean context.
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Preparing Priests for the Church and the World
Upon completion of their studies and integrated experiences in Clinical Pastoral Education and field placements, graduates will not only possess a robust theological education but also a rooted sacramental identity, ready to serve as priests and spiritual directors equipped for both global realities and local congregational leadership in the Episcopal Church and beyond.
Experience Cathedral College
Come and experience the vitality of Anglican formation that is at once ancient and future-facing, sacramental and scholarly, intimate and globally aware. Discover what it means to be shaped by the Incarnation, in all its beauty and challenging depth, for the building up of Christ’s Church in the world Jesus came to serve.
For its first three years, admission to Cathedral College will be by invitation only, in prayerful consultation with diocesan bishops throughout the Church, extended through the Bishop of Long Island and the Dean of Cathedral College.
The Very Rev. Dr. Michael T. Sniffen
Dean
The Very Rev. Dr. Michael T. Sniffen is Dean of the Cathedral of the Incarnation and concurrently the Dean of Mercer School of Theology. Fr. Sniffen has won awards in pulpit oratory and manner, as well as pastoral leadership and innovative ministry. He was a steward of the 2008 Lambeth Conference of Bishops in London and has been honored with a Luce Fellowship at the Center for Christianity in Global Contexts. He is also a founding member of the New Monastic Community of the Incarnation. His academic work has been in Liturgical Studies at Drew University from which he received the M.Div., M.Phil. and Ph. D. degrees.
Dr. Laura Nelson
Associate Director of Academic Programs
Dr. Laura Nelson obtained her Ph.D. in Philosophy from Fordham University and has taught at various universities in the tri-state area, including Hofstra University, Molloy University, Pace University, and The New School. She specializes in Ethics, Philosophy of Religion, and the intersections between contemporary analytic and continental philosophy. Current research interests include the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and the fortunes of the Just War Tradition. She has also worked in educational I.T., and writes for Public Seminar, Medium, and Substack. In addition to her role as faculty member, Dr. Nelson is the Associate Director of Academic Programs for Cathedral College.
CRUX CHRISTI NOSTRA CORONA
The Cross of Christ is our Crown.