Testimonials
“Being enrolled in this Graduate Program has helped me to increase my love for Christ and his Church because of the solid teaching and spiritual nourishment it has provided me. The professors are impeccable and the program is incredibly stimulating and authentically Catholic”
- Drew Zagursky
“What I like most about STS’s masters program is the orthodox education I am receiving. All of my professors are extremely passionate about Catholic Theology and are dedicated to passing on to their students the beautiful teachings of the Church in all its fullness.”
- Brooke Hewitt
“My experience at St. Charles both challenged and deepened my faith life in ways I could not have imagined prior to beginning my studies. The professors and resources I had access to at the Seminary revealed a depth and beauty to the Catholic Faith I had not experienced before. I graduated from STS with a deeper love for Christ and His Church, and with a passion to share that love in a more profound way with my family, friends, parish, and community.”
- Heather Maigur
“STS is an ideal place for the study of theology. There is a real sense of fellowship among the students, which contributes to a warm and supportive classroom environment. The graduate program has exceeded my expectations and I will truly miss STS once my studies are complete!”
- Jose Quintana
“I was born in a nuclear family of seven siblings, (all males). I had a zeal of becoming a Catholic priest when I was growing up in Nigeria, but I never accepted this grace to priesthood from God. Finishing my college in Nigeria, I decided to become a full businessman. Though I did become a successful businessman, yet the professional life I was pursuing never seemed totally right for me. I was troubled on whether to become a priest or to remain in the business. After fervent prayers and consulting my pastor on what to do, fortunately, God did show me signs as I requested. In three of my dreams, I saw three priests telling me that I had to leave my business and enter seminary, otherwise they would deal with me. I never took these dreams and the warnings seriously until those priests revisited me again with the same warning, but this time not in my dream but in a trance as I was praying. At the disappearance of these three priests, I was unable to hear again. I became deaf. This time I decided to ask God for mercy and promise God that if I could hear again, I would serve him. God did restore my ears after seven days, and not hesitating, I flew to the seminary as I promised. Due to my age at this time, I was unable to join a diocesan seminary in Nigeria, but a Religious Order (Luminaries of the World Missionary). After completing my Philosophical studies with the religious Order in 2016, unfortunately for me, the Order was closed down due to the death of its founder. Because of this all the seminarians in the congregation had to leave. I didn’t know what to do this time. Whether to go back to my business or to start again to look for another seminary. At this point, the only hope was in God alone.
God willing, I was invited by my cousin to the United States in the same year. While in the United States, I was able to contact the vocation director, Fr. Steve DeLacy of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in order to continue my discernment to the priesthood. After a rigorous application processes, I was accepted as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. Archbishop Emeritus of Philadelphia. Currently, I am in my III Theology and I pray for God’s grace in my vocation.”
– Kenneth Omeke, Archdiocese of Philadelphia
“I was a seminarian for ten long years in Sri Lanka even before I came to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. But ever since I began my formation here at Saint Charles, I have been experiencing a drastic improvement in my academic life and an amazing progress in my spiritual journey. For the past three years, the things that I have learned, the friendships that I have established and the bonds that I have solidified are enormous thanks to this hallowed place. I had an undying desire for the Sacred Scriptures. Like a deer that thirsts for the running streams, I thirsted for the Word of God. Saint Charles Seminary has allowed me to quench that deep thirst in my soul for all these years. I am so grateful for all the professors who taught me about the unfailing love of God in order to make me what I am today. I consider this a great privilege and a blessing to be a part of Saint Charles’ family. My stay at Saint Charles Seminary has “given me wings to fly on high”
– Pramod Ranjuna Perera, Archdiocese of Colombo, Sri Lanka
– Tony Schukei, Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska
“It was a crisp morning and I was nearing the end of a run with some fellow seminarians. My legs were tired, I was breathing heavily, but the one thing that kept me going was the fact that the end was close at hand. Out of the blue, Daniel Rice, one of the seminarians I was running with, piped up and changed our course. Instead of taking the easy path back to the seminary, he led us around a corner and waiting for us was a monster of a hill. Any consolation I had was dashed as we began the trudge up the hill. In between gasps for breath and in an attempt to quell my growing frustration, I said to Daniel: “It’s a good thing I love you, bro.” His response was instantaneous, with a huge smile spread across his face, seemingly unfazed by the miles we had just run: “Dude, I’m doing this because I love you.”
It was a moment that captured one of the best and most rewarding aspects of my experience since entering St. Charles Borromeo Seminary: the friendships I have formed. I have found that these friendships are much more than just a side-effect of the formation process, however. It is precisely in the context of relationships that we are called to live as disciples of Jesus Christ. Our knowledge of the Scriptures and theology is not wholly complete until we start living the truths that are contained within. The friendships that I’ve made have given me the opportunity to integrate what I’ve learned in the classroom into the way I live my life. Our primary vocation, as St. Thérèse pointed out, is to love and we cannot learn to love simply sitting in a classroom. We can only grow in our capacity to love by loving those around us.
The way of love is rarely the easiest, as Daniel showed me that morning. What I’ve been reminded of since coming to St. Charles though is that I don’t have to run it alone. I’ve been blessed to make friends who are willing to go the extra mile with me, who are there to challenge and encourage me when things get tough, and to celebrate victories as I am formed into the man God has called me to be. After all, the ultimate race we run is not a morning jog back to the seminary, but a marathon to eternal life in heaven.”
- Jordan Evans, Diocese of Arlington, Virginia
- Bohdan Vasyliv, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia
- Daniel Reuwer, Diocese of Arlington, Virginia
- Robert Lane, Diocese of Raleigh, North Carolina
“It is time to express thanks and gratitude to the Most Rev. Archbishop Nelson Perez, Archbishop Emeritus Chaput, Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary’s rector Bishop Keith Chylinski, faculty priests and staff members of the seminary for their abundant love and generosity for this seminarian from the Mymensingh diocese of Bangladesh. It is hard to express in words the gratitude when someone gets an unimaginable gift beyond anything he could have expected in his life. It happened in my life.
I had never dreamed before that I would have been able to come to the United States to study theology and form myself to be a future priest. But the Archdiocese of Philadelphia made it possible. It was not easy to continue studying theology here when I do not have great knowledge of the English language. So, I was sent to an intensive program to improve my English language skills called ESL at St. Joseph’s University. After completing my English intensive program, I started studying theology at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary.
The library at Saint Charles is very enriching. Having access to a library like this is a new thing for me here. When I have difficulty finding my favorite and assigned books, I can find it in the online library or in its catalog system. Our librarian borrows books from other university libraries for me. Back in my country, it is not possible to have recently published books to read. Many times, we read books when they are ten or fifteen years old. They are out of date.
Saint Charles has a huge campus. When I am stressed, I can go for a walk outside or to the gym for a workout. If I am ever sick, I can use my health and dental insurance which is covered by the Seminary. I forgot the meaning of hungriness here because the refectory at the seminary provides food to nourish me.
There are many chapels at our seminary. The liturgy and music are wonderful. Even though I do not have a good voice to sing, I sing because I am inspired and encouraged by the music. Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary is the best seminary ever which I will miss when I go back to Bangladesh next year. I am getting the best theological education and the best spiritual formation here.”
- Nobel Pathang, Diocese of Mymensingh, Bangladesh
- David Slusarick, Diocese of Greensburg
- Adam Johnson, Diocese of Trenton
“In January of 2021, the college seminary for the Diocese of Bridgeport officially closed and our bishop, Bishop Frank Caggiano, made the decision to send my brother seminarians and I to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. I could not be more grateful for that decision. Being away from my family and discerning God’s will for my life during a global pandemic has been stressful, but St. Charles has provided me with a firm foundation rooted in faith, fraternity, and formation. Whether or not I am called to the priesthood, I know that my time here at St. Charles will help me be a better man and disciple of Jesus Christ and aid me in discovering my vocation.”
