Pontifical_North_American_College

The Pontifical North American College (NAC) is a Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy, that prepares seminarians to become priests in the United States and elsewhere. The NAC also provides a residence for priests who are pursuing graduate work at other pontifical universities in Rome. The NAC also has a continuing education program for veteran priests.
The NAC is the responsibility of the Holy See's Congregation for the Clergy, which delegates its operation to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) acting through the NAC's episcopal board of governors.
Founded by Pope Pius IX in 1859 to increase the number of American priests, most of the NAC seminarians come from the United States. However, the seminary is open to seminarians from all countries. The college has recently been at the center of major sex abuse allegations, and is currently involved in legal battles associated with the abuse of seminarians.