The library originated with the St. Thomas Seminary in 1907, and has grown through the years to become one of the premier theological libraries in the country, with a collection of over 150,000 volumes.

The library is named in honor of Urban J. Vehr, Archbishop of Denver for over 35 years (1931-1967), who actively promoted the seminary and its library, bequeathing his personal collection to the institution. In addition to standard works on Catholic theology and history, the Vehr Library houses some rare works not available in many other places.

These include the following:

Acta Sanctorum, 69 volumes on lives of the saints in Latin, edited by the Bollandist Benedictines, first published in 1643.

Patrologiae cursus completus, over 400 volumes by the Greek and Latin Fathers in their original languages, edited and published by Jacques-Paul Migne, in Paris in the later 1800s.

Corpus Christianorum, an ongoing series, which now contains over 300 volumes, updates and expands on that of Migne, published in Turnhout, Belgium.

Collectio Conciliorum, 53 volumes from ecclesiastical synods and councils through Vatican I, edited by John Dominic Mansi.

Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, an ongoing Spanish series, now containing 590 volumes, which publishes the most significant works of theologians, from the early Church to the present.

Sources Chretiennes, an ongoing series, now up to volume 440, which publishes the works of the Greek and Latin Fathers in their original language with an additional French translation.

Annales Minorum, 25 volumes of Franciscan history, edited by Luke Wadding, published in the 1700s.

Biblia Latina cum Glossa Ordinaria, four-volume facsimile reprint of the Vulgate with standard commentary from the Middle Ages, beginning with the first printed edition, Strassburg 1480/8 1.

Full runs of periodicals starting from the date listed:

Library Main  

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E.M. Womack Collection

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History

Special Holdings