collageOn opening day at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary Aug. 20, 165 young men either began or are continuing their studies for the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and dioceses around the country.
Actually 75 are studying for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, according to Bishop Timothy Senior, who is beginning his eighth year as rector of St. Charles.
“We have one who is studying in Rome, one who is studying in Mexico and one who has been accepted but is working for a year before entry,” he said.
Of the 165 seminarians, 44 are new men this year, with 19 of them beginning their studies for the Philadelphia Archdiocese. As is more typical of this generation, 13 of the 19 have come to the seminary post-college, with only six entering for their first year in the College Division.
A century ago boys would often enter the seminary even younger, completing junior and senior high school years at St. Charles. This practice was discontinued because it was thought boys of that age were too young to make a mature lifetime commitment. But some of a tender age really are convinced of their vocation: The late Cardinal Dennis Dougherty was turned down at St. Charles as too young when he was 14 so he studied for two years at a Canadian seminary before finally enrolling at St. Charles at age 16.
While St. Charles Seminary may look very much like the seminary Bishop Senior graduated from 34 years ago, the program of studies has definitely changed.
A new seminarian, helped by his little brother, moves in on the first day at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. (Photo by Zinjin Iglesia)
“Traditionally, St. Charles has always had an impeccable reputation for its academic formation,” he said. “We have a tremendous faculty for teaching theology and philosophy in a manner that is always faithful to the magisterium of the church.”
One of the greatest innovations in recent years was the introduction of the Spiritual Year, a program in which the seminarians focus entirely on their spiritual formation rather than academic classwork. Based on comments from recently ordained priests, they find that year the most satisfying of their time in seminary formation.
Bishop Senior explained that men who are coming in post-college begin their Spiritual Year immediately, while post-high school seminarians usually experience it after their second year in the College Division. The program is hosted off the Wynnewood campus at St. Matthew Parish in Conshohocken.
Traditionally the Catholic high schools are a source for religious vocations. This year, Bishop Senior noted, three of those entering are graduates of Lansdale Catholic High School — two June grads, one post-college.
While spirituality and theological studies have always been necessary parts of seminary formation, in recent years due in large part to the clergy abuse scandal, much greater attention is being given to human formation, particularly forming affective maturity, Bishop Senior said.
“It is an integration of sexuality, preparing for a life of chastity, promoting interpersonal skills, conducting oneself in a mature way to be an effective priest,” he said.
“It’s helping the men to work through whatever struggles they may have, working with whatever issues they may have. There are many seminarians today who come from a family that has divorce. That would have been rare when I was a seminarian.”
Regarding the scandal and how in the past so many disordered men were being ordained, “I can’t speak to how it happened,” Bishop Senior said. “All we can do is make sure that it is eliminated.”
He pointed to the fact that today there is much more psychological screening even before candidates are admitted to the seminary.
One interesting phenomenon is that just as America has become less Eurocentric in its population, so too has St. Charles Seminary.
At this point 30 percent of the seminarians are Hispanic or non-Caucasian, according to Bishop Senior.
“We have seminarians from Hispanic countries, seminarians from Vietnam, Korea, Bangladesh,” Bishop Senior said. “We are very multicultural.”
Back in the early days of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, most of the young men ordained were Irish.
Looking at the St. Charles records of those ordained in Philadelphia from 1815 to 1824 we have Denis Carroll, Bernard Keenan, Thomas Heyden, Thomas Diven, Patrick Dwen, Patrick Rafferty, Michael Egan, James Smith and Patrick Duffy.
Today’s seminarians are much more international. In fact three of the new seminarians are starting off in ESL courses (English as a Second Language).
Clearly St. Charles Seminary represents the diversity of the Universal Church, changing as it must to address the challenges of the 21st century of the Christian era.
***
The 19 men newly admitted to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia include:
Allen T. Blehl, Spiritual Year
Kenn Ngoc Bui, I College
Charles H. Cappelli, Spiritual Year
Alexander B. Cross, Spiritual Year
Joseph C. Doherty, Spiritual Year
Joseph G. Donahue, Spiritual Year
James J. Doroba, I College
Samuel M. Dugan, Spiritual Year
Bernard 0. Ekeagwu, Spiritual Year
Michael R. Fairorth, I College
Reece C. Hoyer, Spiritual Year
John J. McCabe, I College
Brother Joseph Mosko, Pre-Theology I
Peter (Nho) V. Nguyen, ESL
Bao Quoc Nguyen, ESL
Kenneth Omeke, ESL
Zachary J. Shepardson, I College
Christian M. Thompson, Spiritual Year
Michael G. Topley, I College
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st charles borromeo seminary degrees
Undergraduate Courses
Did you know that the School of Theological Studies offers undergraduate college level courses in Theology?
Admission is open to all and courses may be taken for credit or audited.
What better place to grow in your knowledge of the Faith than at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, reputable for its academic excellence and traditional teachings in the Catholic Faith?
Our experienced and dynamic faculty provides outstanding instruction on our beautiful campus. Undergraduate coursework through the School of Theological Studies fosters a greater knowledge and a deeper appreciation of the Catholic Church, its theological traditions, and its pastoral mission. It also serves as a prerequisite program for those who need college level theology and/or philosophy to be considered for acceptance into the Graduate program.
Undergraduate Admissions
It’s easy to apply online! Evening classes are scheduled during the week, making it convenient to pursue your academic goals at your own pace.
Applicants for admission to an undergraduate course are required to have a high school diploma or its equivalent. Students whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), Princeton, NJ. TOEFL scores are to be sent directly to the School of Theological Studies.
The administration reserves the right to limit the number of students per class, as well as to cancel any course because of insufficient enrollment.
Undergraduate Course Application Process
- Begin the online application HERE. The non-refundable application fee is $20, payable online by credit/debit card. The application includes a 250-300 word essay to explain the applicant’s reasons for pursuing undergraduate courses, events that led to this decision, and plans for the future.
- Request official transcripts from all high schools, colleges/ universities attended be sent to:
Suzanne Mulrain, Coordinator
School of Theological Studies
Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary
100 East Wynnewood Road
Wynnewood, PA 19096 - Request a letter of recommendation from the pastor of your home or service parish or another staff person familiar with your personal background and experience. These should be mailed directly to:
Suzanne Mulrain, Coordinator
School of Theological Studies
Saint Charles Seminary
100 East Wynnewood Road
Wynnewood, PA 19096Letter of recommendation can also be emailed to STS@SCS.edu by the letter writer.
Acceptance Rate, Yield, and Headcounts
For the academic year 2021-2022, the acceptance rate is 100.00% where a total of 6 students (6 men and 0 women) have applied to Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary-Overbrook and 6 (6 men and 0 women) students have been admitted to the school.
Among them, 6 male and 0 female students have enrolled into Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary-Overbrook and its yield, also known as enrollment rate is 100.00%. The following table shows the admission statistics including admission stats, acceptance rate, and yield.
| Total | Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Admitted | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Enrolled | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Acceptance Rate | 100.00% | 100.00% | – |
| Yield (Enrollment Rate) | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Admission Requirements
Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary-Overbrook requires 2 item(s) (High School Record (or Transcript), Recommendations) and recommends 1 articles (TOEFL) to submit to their applicants. In addition, 1 item(s) (High School GPA) are considered but not required to submit.
| High School GPA | △ |
|---|---|
| High School Rank | ✗ |
| High School Record (or Transcript) | ✔ |
| Completion of College Preparatory Program | ✗ |
| Recommendations | ✔ |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies | ✗ |
| Admission Test Scores | ✗ |
| TOEFL | ✓ |
| Other Test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.) | ✗ |
Calendar System and Accepted Credits
The calendar system at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary-Overbrook is Semester. Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary-Overbrook accepts Dual Credits, Advanced placement (AP) Credits. Next table describes credits that Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary-Overbrook accepts.
| Calendar System | Semester |
|---|---|
| Dual Credits | ✔ |
| Credits for Life Experiences | ✗ |
| Advanced placement (AP) Credits | ✔ |
| Credit for military training | ✗ |
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