Mount Chaplain Father Raymond Harris
to Join Seminary as Formation Director
and Spiritual Director

With the approval of Cardinal William Keeler, Archbishop of Baltimore and Chancellor of Mount St. Mary's Seminary, in a statement released today by Mount St. Mary’s College and Seminary President George R. Houston, Jr., it was announced that Rev. Raymond Harris would join the Mount seminary part-time as a formation advisor and a spiritual director. This will be in addition to his ministry as campus chaplain.

This appointment further strengthens the long-standing relationship between the college and the seminary. It is an outgrowth of the chaplain's efforts to be visible to both constituencies on campus. Fr. Harris already supervises six seminarians in the seminary pastoral field formation program.

Houston commented on Father Harris’s appointment, "With the expiration of his service on two archdiocesan boards this summer, I am confident that Fr. Harris can adequately serve both wing's of this ‘old house’."

Fr. Harris was born in Baltimore, Md., to Jo Anne Cecilia Bradford and the late Raymond Lee Harris, Sr. He graduated from Princeton University, receiving a bachelor of arts degree in religion and went on to complete his studies for the priesthood at Saint Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland. As a seminarian, Fr. Harris served several parish internships in Baltimore, including Saint Anthony of Padua, Saint Cecilia, Saint William of York and All Saints. Fr. Harris’ areas of focus were liturgy, adult religion, education, evangelization, and the pastoral care of the sick.

In May 1994, Mr. Harris graduated from Saint Mary’s Seminary and University obtaining a master of divinity degree. Then Archbishop Keeler ordained him a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore on June 4, 1994, at the Cathedral of Mary our Queen. Fr. Harris is the third African American to be ordained for the archdiocesan priesthood in the history of the archdiocese.

Fr. Harris served as an associate pastor of Saint Anthony of Padua from 1994 to 1995, Saint Anthony of Padua - Most Precious Blood Parish from 1995 to 1997, and most recently at the Church of Immaculate Conception in Towson from 1997 to 2000. While serving the church of the Immaculate Conception, Fr. Harris was responsible for the following area of parish life: liturgy, evangelization, the Rite of Christian Initiation for adults and the adult religious education program. Additionally, Fr. Harris served as the coordinator of parish outreach to the Greater Baltimore Medical Center.

In 2000 Fr. Harris’ vocation has led him to Mount St. Mary’s College to serve as chaplain and director of campus ministry.

For additional information please contact the office of communications at 301-447-5366.