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A TIME TO SEARCH
1966 - 1976
In the wake of the Second Vatican Council, "involvement" became the key word at St. Henry's Prep Seminary.
The seminarians became involved in projects and activities that increased the public's awareness of St. Henry's and its purpose cf existence. Apostolic works, engagements of the choir, speech meets, and athletic contests brought the seminarians into contact with the public that appreciated the zeal, the sportsmanship and the talent of these young men.
Under principal Fr. James Rohr, OMI, the curriculum was revamped to give the students a chance in choosing fields of concentration. Further revamping took place in 1972 in the Religion and English departments under Father Rohr's successor, Fr. James Allen, OMI.
To encourage participation of the laity in the life of the seminary, Fr. Francis Zachman, OMI, invited a lay advisory board to lend a hand in some of the decision-making processes at the school. After Fr. Robert Elmer, OMI, became rector in 1968, he lead the way in establishing the Parent-Teacher Organization to share some of the burdens and responsibilities of the faculty. The Ladies' Auxiliaries of St. Henry's Seminary continued their fine work of helping to support the school with quilt socials and auctions.
St. Henry's family grew in 1969 when students from the recently closed LaSalette Seminary in Jefferson City, Missouri, transferred to Belleville along with several LaSalette priests who became part of the seminary staff. A further merger occurred in 1971 when Our Lady of the Ozarks, the Oblate seminary in Carthage, Missouri, ceased to operate as a high school seminary.
Under the leadership of rector Fr. Don Joseph Paris, OMl, the faculty again re-evaluated its goals and purposes. St. Henry's would continue to help boys recognize and respond to the "initial signs 0f vocation to the Ministerial Priesthood or the Religious Life." As it had been the dream of the pioneers of St. Henry's, a missionary thrust would continue to inspire all aspects of life at the seminary: "The unique focus of all teaching and learning at SHPS will be the communication of a 'sense of Mission,' i.e. so as to lead to the perception of the Gospel-message as applicable to The concerns and problems of contemporary man."
