The St. Charles Borromeo Fund for Vocations and Seminarians assists with educating and forming seminarians within the Diocese of Bridgeport.
In 2025, Foundations in Faith awarded $266,474 in general operating support grants to three Diocesan ministries through the St. Charles Borromeo Fund.
Office of Vocations: Will provide marketing materials, multilingual discernment materials, and events to energize outreach to those discerning religious life.
Redemptoris Mater Seminary: Will help fund seminary renovations, including sleeping quarters and common areas.
Diocesan Seminarians: Will help fund tuition, room and board for seminarians from the Diocese of Bridgeport.
About Our Namesake
St. Charles Borromeo was the Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584. Along with St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Philip Neri, he led the Counter-Reformation movement. He was beatified in 1602 and canonized in 1610 by Pope Paul V.
While he was responsible for several Church reforms, among the most significant was his founding of seminaries for priestly education. Understandably, he is the patron saint of bishops, catechists, cardinals, and seminarians, but his patronage also extends to apple orchards, intestinal disorders, and starch makers.
His feast day is celebrated on November 4.
