Gwynedd Mercy University welcomes new residents to Lower Gwynedd-based campus
More than 20 seminarians moved into Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary’s new campus at Gwynedd Mercy University last week.
“Everyone’s been nice. The older guys have been helping,” said Lucas Bastian, a first-year student from the Diocese of Harrisburg. “It’s been a very easy transition thus far, and the new campus is just beautiful.”
In 2021, an agreement of sale was signed allowing the seminary to relocate from Overbrook to the 160-acre Gwynedd Mercy campus in Lower Gwynedd. The sale included roughly 15 acres of space on the campus’s north border as well as two existing buildings.
Most Reverend Keith Chylinski, the seminary’s Rector, said that the Overbrook campus’s large, aging buildings prompted the move.
“At its peak, we had about 600 seminaries. Currently we have about 140,” said Chylinski. “So we don’t need all the space that’s there, and it became too difficult to maintain all the old buildings.”
While the finishing touches are still underway, the large-scale renovations have been completed. Chylinski expressed delight at the new campus’s scenery and modern buildings.
“There’s a lot of light and nature. I’m excited with the newness and the beauty,” said Chylinski. “Everything works. There are no leaks or drafty windows.”
Among many features, the campus includes classrooms equipped with smart boards as well as a main chapel, cafeteria, rectory and a library. Many items from the old campus adorn the new buildings, such as stained-glass windows, murals and statues.
Photo by John Worthington - MediaNews Group“Even though it’s a new place, a lot of the stuff we had at the old seminary came with us,” said Griffin Schalepfer, a veteran seminarian. “And we have beautiful new buildings.”
“We tried to bring a lot of the beautiful things from the older campus, and it’s built in a newer style,” said Charlie Cappelli, a veteran seminarian. “I feel really at home. The campus feels like home.”
This year’s class includes 140 seminarians drawn from 14 partner dioceses and religious communities, with 71 seminarians preparing to serve the Church of Philadelphia. The seminary has two divisions, a four-year undergraduate philosophy program and a four-year graduate theology program, as well as single-year spiritual programs and an online program. Students can spend a maximum of nine years at the seminary before being ordained a priest.
Chylinski cast a positive outlook for the seminary’s new campus.
“It’s very kind and welcoming the reception we’ve received from Gwynedd Mercy University,” said Chylinski. “The environment here is gonna create a lot of enthusiasm in the community.”
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