Apply to the Casa Santa Maria

Part I. – Application for Residence to the Casa Santa Maria
Part II. – Application to the Italian Consulate in the U.S.A. for your Visa
Part III. – Italian Language Preparation
Part IV. – Planning Your Arrival Date
Part V. – Orientation to the Casa Santa Maria

Part I. – Application for Residence to the Casa Santa Maria

The process for admission to the Casa Santa Maria (CSM) begins with the submission of the “Application for Residence” to the Superior of the Casa found here:

Download Application in PDF Format

Each applicant must have a valid (unexpired) passport before submitting this application.

Applications and accompanying materials should be sent via FedEx to: Superior, Casa Santa Maria, Piazza della Pilotta 1, 00187 Roma.

Please send an appointment letter addressed to you by your bishop (or major superior) assigning you to studies in Rome.  The letter must bear an official endorsement from the Apostolic Nuncio in Washington. It should be submitted to the Casa along with your completed application (download link above) along with 10 passport-size photos.

Please provide a summary curriculum vitae along with your application for Casa residence. A model can be found below.

Expect a response from the Casa Superior once all your materials have been received and reviewed.

A letter of acceptance and invitation from the Rector of the Pontifical North American College endorsed by the Holy See will be sent to you.  This document will be required for applying for a visa from the Italian consulate nearest you in the U.S.A.

MODEL CURRICULUM VITAE:

  1. NAME / ADDRESS / PHONE / FAX / E-MAIL
  2. Date and Place of Birth; Names of Parents and Siblings
  3. Current assignment (including address)
  4. Education: years; name of school; city, state; degree(s).
    1. Other graduate or professional school(s)
    2. Theology / Major Seminary
    3. Philosophy
    4. Undergraduate (include major)
    5. Secondary
    6. Elementary
  5. Ordination
    1. Ordination to Diaconate: Date / Place
    2. Ordination to Priesthood: Date / Place
  6. Pastoral Assignments
    1. Years: Title, Parish, City, State
    2. Years: Studies
    3. Years: Other assignments (chaplain, etc.)
  7. Elective Office in the Diocese (office, years)
  8. Other Significant Experience(s)
  9. Memberships / Clubs / Societies / Associations
  10. Interests / hobbies
  11. Languages (listening, reading, speaking, writing)
  12. Publications / Articles published
  13. Date / Signature

Part II. – Application to the Italian Consulate in the U.S.A. for your Visa

Casa priests studying in Rome should apply for a Student Visa. Contact or search the website of the Italian Consulate in the U.S.A. that covers the region in which your state of residence is located for their visa application requirements. This is the consulate through which you will apply for the visa. (Note: This will likely involve submitting your passport to consular officials while the visa is processed.)

Priests moving to the Casa from the Janiculum Hill campus of the PNAC may be able to continue to use their student visa to finish their studies. Please check with the respective responsible staff members to be sure.

The student visa is valid for a limited time.  Therefore it will be necessary to begin the process for Italian Residency (Permesso di Soggiorno) as soon as you arrive in Italy. Adherence to the Italian residency requirements is necessary for remaining in the country and for the granting of your diploma at the end of your studies. Before you do anything else in Italy, you must start the Permesso di Soggiorno process within 8 days of your arrival in Italy. Casa staff will assist you.

Part III. – Italian Language Preparation

Some of the ecclesiastical universities and institutes require an Italian proficiency exam as part of your enrollment. Please be sure to check your specific school’s or degree program’s admissions requirements and plan accordingly.

You must apply for and arrange your own Italian language program. If you know of priests who have studied in Rome you may benefit from seeking their recommendations and comments on the available schools and their housing options. There are several options available to consider:

In Italy…

Assisi – Accademia Lingua Italiana: group and individual sessions. (www.aliassisi.it). The website lists various boarding options, though a few priests have also resided at Casa Papa Giovanni (casapapagiovanni@yahoo.it, +39(075)812467), where meals are included.

Siena – Dante Alighieri School: group courses and individual sessions; various room and board options (www.dantealighieri.com). A few priests have also recommended investigating these room/board options, including full board and access to a chapel: Hotel Alma Domus (www.hotelalmadomus.it) and Casa del Clero “S. Ansano” (email: alberto.cortonesi@arcidiocesi.siena.it). Dante Alighieri also has schools in Viterbo and Ischia (near Naples). See their website for more information.

Verbania – The Italian School at Il Chiostro: one-on-one sessions with an instructor; room and board are at the Hotel Il Chiostro, a former monastery turned into a hotel owned and operated by the Diocese of Novara. There is a chapel on the grounds with the Blessed Sacrament for daily Mass and private adoration. (www.chiostrovb.it/en – click on “about us” and then “links” to get to the Italian School’s website, www.theitschool.it)

Perugia – Università per Stranieri di Perugia (www.unistrapg.it)

Searching the Internet, one may discover other language schools in nearly every major Italian city. Housing arrangements and access to a local parish for Mass are important considerations, so do not hesitate to make your needs known when applying to a language school.

In the United States…

Middlebury Language Schools of Middlebury College, Vermont (West Coast Campus): offers an intensive program running from mid-June to early August where individuals sign a pledge to speak only the target language during one’s stay. Housing is in college dorms with other students. In the past some priests were able to arrange with the school to room with other priests or to have a single room near other priests and seminarians in the program. (www.middlebury.edu/language-schools) In 2014, Middlebury moved the Italian School from their Vermont campus to a West Coast partner campus located at Mills College in Oakland, California.

Here in Rome…

There are at least three options for Casa priests in September: 1) private tutoring with a teacher who assists both seminarians at the NAC and priests here at the Casa; 2) an Italian course at your particular university (most have courses in September); 3) the Dante Alighieri school here in Rome.

Part IV. – Planning Your Arrival Date

Plan to arrive at the Casa ahead of the Casa Orientation in order to settle in and/or to begin the registration/enrollment procedures for your studies at your specific university or institute. Be sure to check your university or institute’s Ordo (school catalog) and their website for important registration information, including deadlines, office hours, and tuition payment information. Each school has its own registration procedures and requirements so it is not practical to list them here.

Once you settle on a date to travel to Italy, please send an e-mail to the Casa Superior and the Secretary (csm.secretary@pnac.org) indicating your expected date and time of arrival.

New residents planning to arrive during the summer months in order to pursue their language study are advised that the Casa is closed to student residents during most of July and all of August. Since the Permesso di Soggiorno process should begin immediately, arrangements can be made through the Casa staff for brief lodging on the seminary campus while the Casa is closed.

Part V. – Orientation to the Casa Santa Maria

a.) Shipping Personal Belongings to the Casa

An Air Freight Service is recommended if you cannot bring items with you in checked luggage and carry-on bags on your flight. FedEx is most dependable but can also be the most expensive. You will find more detailed shipping information in the Casa Santa Maria Orientation Guide, including some ideas on how to save on shipping cost. A specific procedure for billing your shipment through the PNAC will be included along with the Casa Santa Maria Orientation Guide as a separate .PDF file. Please review this information before you ship anything.

b.) Mandatory Orientation at the Casa

All priests new to the Casa Santa Maria (including priests returning to the Casa for additional studies after a few years away) are required to attend the Casa Santa Maria Orientation.

The orientation begins during the fourth week of September before most universities and programs start classes. More details will be sent to you separately. A full schedule of the orientation’s required events will be placed in your Casa mailbox a few days before orientation begins. There is scheduled free time during the orientation and several events are optional, but the orientation schedule is relatively full.

Even new residents who are not strangers to Rome can benefit from the orientation program and assist others who are new to Rome.

Orientation also introduces you to many of the people who provide services to the Casa or to the U.S. Church/Pilgrims here in Rome that live and work alongside us. Some additional information will be gathered from you, so it will be helpful to keep copies of your application documentation and personal medical information.