March 2009

Dear Brother Alumnus,

The spiritual vision of the Most Reverend Francis Patrick Kenrick became a reality in 1832 when he opened the doors of his home on Philadelphia’s Fifth Street and established our Seminary.  Four moves and thirty-nine years later, Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary found its permanent home at Overbrook in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. 

Over these past one hundred and seventy six years, Saint Charles Seminary has continued to open its doors to young men seeking to answer the call of Christ.  Our Seminary, in all its locations, has been built, not with rich bequests and lavish endowments, but on the many small gifts of prayers and alms from those sharing Bishop Kenrick’s vision to provide a house of formation for our future priests.

This annual Priest Alumni Appeal is a unique opportunity for us as priest-alumni both to give back to the Seminary and to support the current classes in formation – to open the doors of Saint Charles today to the men answering the same call we ourselves have answered.  In these challenging economic times, our gifts to this year’s Alumni Appeal will go where they are needed the most:  directly to our seminarians, providing scholarships and medical insurance assistance for those most in need.

Your help is needed now more than ever.  Our seminarians and the entire Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary Community are grateful for the sacrifices that you have made in the past. On behalf of the Seminary, thank you!  The numerous vocations from across the country studying at Saint Charles need us to be more generous than ever in this year’s Appeal.  I make a special request to those who, for whatever reason, have not made a donation to the Alumni Appeal in the past or in recent years.  Please join our efforts in assisting our seminarians in their formation toward life and ministry as Priests of Jesus Christ.

Our prayers for vocations to the Priesthood are being answered.  Your contribution to our Priest Alumni Appeal will help us to see our prayers fulfilled as Saint Charles Seminary continues to open its doors and send forth well trained priests to join with us in service to Christ and His Church.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Reverend Zachary William Navit, MA, MDiv (1994)
President, Priest Alumni Association