In March 2013, a College Division Task Force was appointed by Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary's Board of Trustees to conduct a thorough review of its College Division and the future viability of that program. The task force's objective was to recommend a strategic plan to be implemented over the next three to five years to ensure a vibrant, sustainable house of formation and education for future generations of seminarians and lay students.

The task force recently completed its work and unanimously recommended that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia re-establish Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary College as a new, reborn, free-standing College seminary, welcoming students from the United States and beyond. By changing the structure and governance of the Seminary, Saint Charles Borromeo will be rebranded and marketed as a totally renewed institution, maintaining academic excellence and high standards of preparation for the evangelical and pastoral work of future priests. The servant leaders who emerge from the process of formation will be equipped to sow the seeds of the Good News and bring others to Christ in the complex and often secularized environment of our world.

"Implementing the recommendations of the task force will allow the College Seminary to grow in size and adapt to the needs of today's students," explains Bishop Timothy Senior, Rector of Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. "We're taking a nationally recognized college program to the next level. Considering the overwhelming support and resources available to us, the potential for the College Seminary is unlimited."

The Seminary's Theology Division buildings, which will eventually house the entire Seminary community, will be repurposed into state-of-the-art facilities. To plan for this renovation, Saint Charles has engaged HHF, L.P. as a consultant for the Request for Proposals for the development of the buildings and property that currently house the College Division. HHF, L.P. will help ascertain the potential value of the portion of Seminary property which could be leased or sold. Renovations will also be funded in part by allocations from the Heritage of Faith Vision of Hope Capital Campaign, the sale of select pieces of artwork from the Seminary's collections, and a new capital campaign focused solely on the Seminary.

"The task force members and I acknowledge with gratitude Archbishop Charles Chaput and Bishop Timothy Senior for their trust and confidence in our work and its integrity," says Dr. Rosalie M. Mirenda, Chair of the Seminary College Division Task Force. "We pray that the work accomplished and the report provided are truly assistive to the Board of Trustees Of Saint Charles Seminary and that the College Program will stand as a distinctive institution of higher learning that enthusiastically welcomes students from our archdiocese, as well as across the United States and beyond, preparing them for life and for the journey to the priesthood."

Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary has served as a leading institution in the formation of Catholic men for the Priesthood in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and dioceses throughout the country for over 180 years. As the Seminary evolves in the coming years, the four pillars of human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral growth will remain strong. The changes will allow the institution to serve as the premier and most complete house of priestly formation in the country.

Contact
Kenneth A. Gavin
Director of Communications
215-587-3747