The St. Charles Borromeo Fund for Vocations and Seminarians

The next application period for grants from the St. Charles Borromeo Fund will begin in January 2022.

 

The St. Charles Borromeo Fund for Vocations and Seminarians assists with the education and formation of seminarians within the Diocese of Bridgeport. These seminarians undergo their studies at the St. John Fisher Seminary and the Redemptoris Mater Seminary.

In 2021, Foundations in Faith awarded $110,000 in grants to three Diocesan ministries through the St. Charles Borromeo Fund. Learn more about them below:

 

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.

 

St. Charles Seminary: Will help fund tuition for two college student seminarians and two pre-theology 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 was a leading figure of 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 November 4.