Mission and Vision
Mission Statement
Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary forms missionary disciples who are shepherds after the heart of Jesus Christ — Catholic priests and permanent deacons, religious and lay men and women — for various forms of ministry and service.
Identity Statement
Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary exists to be, “in its own way, a continuation in the Church of the apostolic community gathered about Jesus, listening to his word, proceeding toward the Easter experience, awaiting the gift of the Spirit” (cf. Pastores dabo vobis, n. 60) as it prepares priests, deacons and other missionary disciples.
Leadership Statement
The Seminary carries out its mission under the leadership of the Archbishop of Philadelphia and a Board of Trustees, guided by the Magisterium of the Catholic Church and her Supreme Pastor, and in accordance with the directives of the Apostolic See and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Vision Statement
Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary will form humble servants, heroic leaders, and holy priests, deacons, consecrated religious and laity.
Values Statement
Staff-driven and internal, the VALUES statement flows from the articulation of
MISSION, IDENTITY, LEADERSHIP, AND VISION
and affirms aspects of life and work together in service of the mission of the seminary
at a critical time of transition
- Humility – we submit to a love for the Truth who is Jesus Christ. Humility enables to proceed in faith and holiness as we help to form priests to be shepherds after the heart of Jesus Christ, and also form deacons, religious and lay men and women for various forms of Catholic ministry.
- Hope – we believe that God is working through all of us in ways that we do not yet see (Hebrews 11:1). With hope, we proceed with vision, creativity, and flexibility, confident that we are under God’s providence.
- Encounter – we create a culture to encounter, seeking to encounter God through all (Colossians 3:11) and allowing others to encounter Christ through us.
- Service – we live a person-centered life of sacrifice and empathy that promotes faith formation and work relations, accompanying each individual on his/her faith and life journey.
- Tradition – we embrace the continuity through our campus life and history, which is rooted in fidelity to Christ and His Church.
Institutional Goals
- Within the context of its mission, Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary will serve the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, partner dioceses, institutes of consecrated life, societies of apostolic life and contemporary ecclesial movements.
- Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary will form priests, deacons, religious and lay men and women who encounter Jesus Christ in the Church’s Sacraments, who deepen their friendship with Him in liturgical and personal prayer, and who grow in this relationship with Him through the study of His teaching.
- Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary will form graduates who will be inspiring workers and effective evangelizers who share with every person the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the Church’s worship, preaching, catechesis, and charitable works.
- Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary will actively collaborate with the Director of the Vocation Office for the Diocesan Priesthood and the vocation directors of other (arch)dioceses and religious communities in fostering the recruitment of candidates for the priesthood and their enrollment in the College Seminary and the Theology Seminary at Saint Charles Borromeo, Overbrook.
