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During the 30-year life of the original seminary, about 350 graduates were ordained to the priesthood, mainly for the Archdiocese of Edmonton but also for dioceses across Canada.
Twenty five priests of the Archdiocese served as chaplains in Canada and overseas during the two World Wars; two were wounded. Veterans were also an important source of priestly vocation, as twenty enlisted men from wars were ordained in the years following the hostilities.
By the 1950s, priestly vocations were thriving, and Archbishop MacDonald began planning the construction of a modern campus for St. Joseph Seminary. The St. Albert Trail building, dedicated by Archbishop Jordan in 1957, would serve the seminary for 50 years – but not without a few transformations. St. Joseph Seminary on St. Albert Trail was completed just before the Second Vatican Council in Rome. Archbishop Jordan returned from the Vatican Council inspired by its calls to engage the laity in the mission of the Church and foster ecumenical outreach. One result was the addition in 1969 of Newman Theological College, a place where lay people could study theology alongside seminarians and religious. Another transformation occurred in 1990, with the arrival of the Priests of Saint Sulpice. During the first 15 years, three of the seminary rectors were appointed bishops, one of whom, Marc Ouellet, pss, would become a cardinal.
The two institutions occupied the same building until relocation was forced by a provincial government decision to route a major traffic corridor next to the campus. The transformation was completed in 2010-11 when the college and seminary moved into distinct new buildings on 84th Street, a property that was previously a home to the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity. Over the years, more than 525 men who answered the call of Christ have gone forth from the seminary to serve parishes across Canada.
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