Home Care In Gwynedd Valley, PA

The Rev. Stephen L. Maco got off the bus and entered the place of his spiritual, priestly formation — St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.

“I wanted to take one last look,” said Maco, a longtime Allentown Diocese priest who studied at St. Charles. “Lots of fond memories. It was a wonderful place.”

The seminary, part of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, in the suburb of Wynnewood in Montgomery County, will be relocating in the summer to a $54.5 million college at nearby Gwynedd Mercy University, also in lower Montgomery County. St. Charles was founded in 1832; it has been at the current site since six years after the Civil War ended — 1871.

Though the seminary stopped public viewings since the decision to move, the Lehigh Valley Serra Club requested a tour to give local residents — many of whom have studied at St. Charles over the years — a last glimpse of the historical site.

“We invited people across the diocese,” said Jack Norman, president of the Serrans, an organization that fosters religious vocations. He said the bus riders represented at least 10 parishes, while about 15 men from the five-county Allentown Diocese are seminarians. St. Charles also has candidates from more than a dozen dioceses in the U.S. and other countries.

Over nearly two centuries, St. Charles has hosted notables, including two saints: Pope St. John Paul II and St. Teresa of Calcutta. Pope Francis resided at the seminary during his two-day stay in Philadelphia for the September 2015 World Youth Day, his first apostolic visit to the United States. Four other popes stayed there too.

The seminary houses many archives of the archdiocese, and a walk along its hallways reveals a collection of religious art and portraits of archdiocesan leaders. An “Eakins Room,” so-named for the many portraits by Philadelphia artist Thomas Eakins, features some of his paintings lining its walls.

But the seminary’s core mission is to prepare men for service in the priesthood. The several Lehigh Valley seminarians who escorted the Serrans and other guests answered questions about life in the seminary and later shared a meal with the pilgrims.

The visitors also participated in vespers, an evening prayer service in St. Martin of Tours Chapel. The chapel more closely resembles a cathedral, with large, stained glass windows and walnut pews, most of which are arranged in a fashion known as “antiphonal,” or directly across from one another.

One priest’s reflections

Maco studied at St. Charles during the 1960s but detoured from religious studies, leaving the seminary to teach and study law.

“I just felt called to come back,” said Maco, 78, of his return to St. Charles. He was ordained in 1976 and served the Allentown Diocese ever since.

He recalled getting up at 5 a.m. for mandatory prayers, and having little time to venture off the grounds and explore the Philadelphia region.

“They [the seminarians] called it the West Point of seminaries because it was so tough,” he said. “Your day started, and you were on a roll until the day came to an end.”

Like today’s trainees, Maco spent one day a week in the field, volunteering at the archdiocese’s St. Lucy School for Children with Visual Impairments. Friday nights, he said, were spent walking the perimeter of the school, whose front entrance on East Wynnewood Road is across from tony houses.

“The only thing we got out to was to register for the [military] draft, which was still in effect at that time, or to go to the dentist,” Maco said. “Other than that, we were here from September [the first day when seminarians unpacked was known as ‘Trunk Day’], we got home Thanksgiving morning, and we had to be back here by 7 o’clock Thanksgiving night.”

Today’s seminarians

The seemingly spartan life Maco described contrasts somewhat with that of today’s seminarians, including Tyle D. Davis and Robert F. Rienzo.

For example, Davis, a Southern Lehigh High School and DeSales University grad, said the morning prayer time is not mandatory; he estimated about 40% of the seminarians attend. Saturdays are “free days” during which seminarians can leave the grounds.

Amid studies and worship, the seminarians can participate in athletics, including an inter-seminary soccer tournament and a “Cassock Classic” Frisbee tournament that draws hundreds of young people from outside the seminary, Davis and Rienzo said.

“The ‘solemnness’ of chapel is very important, sitting communally” and building fraternity, said Rienzo, a graduate of Emmaus High School and Notre Dame University. “But all the human stuff is good too.”

Davis and Rienzo, who will be ordained after finishing studies at the new seminary, on Thursdays leave St. Charles and drive to the Lehigh Valley, gaining experience with pastors or others at various parishes locally. Davis is serving at St. Anne Church in Bethlehem, while Rienzo is in south Bethlehem at Holy Infancy parish.

Owen R. Fitzgerald, a 2021 graduate of Notre Dame High School in Bethlehem Township, noted the historic seminary, with everything from living quarters to indoor recreation being connected on the inside, was built for priestly formation. The long hallways of St. Charles, like an indoor cloister with repeating arched doorways, were designed to be a place for quiet contemplation.

“That’s what I like about being here,” Fitzgerald said, acknowledging he is still deciding about the priesthood. “The seminary is a place of discernment.”

His mother, Colleen Fitzgerald of Lower Saucon Township, said her son is discerning “one day at a time.” She said the contemplative environment at St. Charles affords him that opportunity.

Vocational discernment is the process by which men and women in the Roman Catholic Church recognize their role in the church and world. That might include choosing the life of a layperson or becoming ordained as a clergy or consecrated religious life.

“It’s such a beautiful piece of history and architecture; the artwork is phenomenal,” Colleen Fitzgerald said. “It’s so beautiful to walk the halls. So it is sad that it’s closing, but I think it’s great that they’re going to Gwynned Mercy, and I’m excited about the new location.”

Allison and Michael Civitella of Easton, whose son Dominic is among the local seminarians, said they have visited several times, each time in awe.

“There is an overwhelming peace, at least for me,” Michael Civitella said. “I can’t explain it, but you feel like you’re home when you’re here. It’s also overwhelming to think in our secular world, there are men like this that want to give their lives to God.”

Said Allison Civitella: “It’s such a sacred, holy place. You feel like you’re in a holy place.”

Reason for relocating

Archdiocesan leaders discussed moving and occupying a smaller footprint since at least 2013, according to the Rev. Keith Chylinski, who is in his second year as St. Charles rector. In May 2019, church leaders sold the 73-acre campus to Main Line Health, a health care system serving portions of Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, but have continued to occupy the site until the lease expires in August.

While the church has struggled in recent years amid sex-abuse scandals, reducing the number of enrolled seminarians, Chylinski said the decision was based more on operational factors and costs.

“The figure was in the tens of millions of dollars just for deferred maintenance,” said Chylinski.

Many of St. Charles’ buildings are not in use, Chylinski said. The campus used to have 500-600 seminarians in the mid-1960s, but more recently has seen about 150 candidates per year, Chylinski said.

Chylinski, who spent six years in formation and taught at St. Charles before becoming rector, had mixed feelings about the move. He’s excited, but it is hard letting go of the history.

“It’s where God spoke to you, or he was forming you to the priesthood,” the rector said. “So those places where you were praying, learning or struggling, or you’re feeling all this joy in that preparation … the place itself has a lot of meaning.”

Seminarians repeated similar sentiments about what the current seminary means to them, and what they are looking forward to at the new St. Charles.

Dominic C. Civitella, 27, who is in his fourth year, said he first experienced annoyance and anger at relocating. He said like one of the Roman Catholic prayers in a liturgy known as Stations of the Cross, in which Jesus Christ is stripped of his clothes before being crucified, the church is shedding or having to downsize as a reality of its state in today’s world.

But anger turned to anticipation for Civitella, a Notre Dame High School graduate.

“This is the will of God, and so I’m excited just to do that,” he said. “I’m OK with that now.”

At the dinner in the refectory, Maco sat at a table with fellow classmates Daniel Molesky of Allentown and Nick Colasanti of Pottstown, neither of whom became priests.

“Although I didn’t stay, it was an education that literally changed my life,” said Colasanti, who wound up marrying and working as a teacher, financial adviser and hypnotist.

Maco said the periods cut off from family and the secular world helped him bond with Molesky and Colasanti, along with others who became priests.

“The guys who will be coming in will never experience what was an incredible experience, and the fraternity that evolved from it,” said Maco, who was a teacher, administrator and coach at various diocesan schools. He said the men, including those like Molesky and Colasanti, who went on to other vocations, still gather and reminisce.

“I can’t imagine that it would be like any other institution, in a sense,” he said, “because you’ve become so interdependent with one another, and those bonds last. Where else does that happen?”

Morning Call reporter Anthony Salamone can be reached at asalamone@mcall.com.

GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gwynedd Mercy University is excited to name Jane H. Tang, PhD, RN, NE-BC as the new Dean of the Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing and Health Professions. She will succeed Dr. Ann Phalen, who recently left the University after serving in the role since 2018. Dr. Tang assumes her new role today.

Dr. Tang brings to the University a wealth of higher education leadership experiences that align with the University’s mission and values. Dr. Tang has served in a number of leadership roles, the most recent being Professor and Chair of the Division of Nursing at Immaculata University, where she’s served as Chief Academic Nursing Officer since 2017. Joining Immaculata in 2005, Dr. Tang also served as the Director of the MSN program for 10 years. She was instrumental in developing several Nursing Programs, including launching a new EdD in Higher Education with a nursing education concentration and transforming Immaculata’s BSN program, among other achievements.

“Gwynedd Mercy University is thrilled to welcome such an innovative and accomplished leader to our team,” said Gwynedd Mercy University President Deanne H. D’Emilio, JD. “Dr. Tang will bring her knowledge and expertise of nursing and other healthcare fields to expand the impact of the Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing and Health Professions and support the University in meeting the urgent need for more highly qualified, compassionate healthcare professionals.”

Dr. Tang obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Midland Lutheran College and both her Master of Science in Nursing and PhD in Nursing Administration from the University of Iowa. Dr. Tang is a fellow of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Leadership for Academic Nursing Programs and is an ANCC Board Certified Nurse Executive. The focus of Dr. Tang’s research and scholarship has been primarily in the areas of Evidence-Based Practice and Nursing Services Administration, including nursing workforce, job satisfaction, and nurse retention and turnover. Dr. Tang has obtained extramural funding and maintained a record of publications. Dr. Tang is an editorial board member of the Asian Nursing Research Journal.

“I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to lead and serve the Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing and Health Professions. I look forward to the shared vision that will prepare distinctive GMercyU graduates to address the healthcare needs of today and the future,” said Dr. Tang.

Dr. Tang is joining the Gwynedd Mercy University community at an exciting time marked by new initiatives to enhance the student experience, including numerous campus transformations. The new Frances M. Maguire Healthcare Innovation Center and Campus, set to open in 2025, will provide students with access to state-of-the-market technology and enhanced opportunities to work in interprofessional teams. Nursing students will collaborate with respiratory care, public health, psychology, social work, occupational therapy and students in other majors to learn how to provide holistic patient care, a best practice in healthcare.

“We are confident that Dr. Tang will play an essential role in helping the University achieve its vision of becoming the Catholic University leader in professional and healthcare education,” said President D’Emilio.

About Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Mercy University prepares students to become top professionals in the fields of allied health professionals and nursing, arts and sciences, business and education. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1948, Gwynedd Mercy University is a co-educational institution offering more than 40 bachelor’s, master’s, and associate degree programs as well as two doctoral programs on a full- and part-time basis. The University’s Main Campus is situated on 145 private acres on Sumneytown Pike between routes 309 and 202 in Gwynedd Valley, Montgomery County. The University also offers on-ground and fully accelerated degree programs for working adults. Learn more at gmercyu.edu, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary will spend $10 million to buy a portion of Gwynedd Mercy University’s campus to establish a new home, Gwynedd and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia said Monday.

The seminary, which sold its palatial Wynnewood property in 2019 for $43.5 million, continues to occupy the site under a lease.

The new campus will cover 15 acres on the northern border of Gwynedd Mercy’s property. The university occupies 314 acres on Sumneytown Pike between Routes 309 and 202 in Lower Gwynedd Township. The parcel being sold has two buildings, including a 204-bed resident hall.

As part of the agreement, the Maguire Foundation, a West Conshohocken-based private foundation that supports education here with an emphasis on Catholic institutions, will donate $3 million to Gwynedd Mercy.

“The Saint Charles Seminary community is thrilled to have found such a wonderful new home, and grateful for the generous support of the Maguire Foundation in making this transaction possible,” said Bishop Timothy C. Senior, the seminary’s rector.

St. Charles Borromeo and Gwynedd Mercy are not merging, and the extent of their affiliation will be worked out in the future, Senior said. The goal is for the move to be completed in time for the 2024-25 academic year.

St. Charles Borromeo had 147 seminarians at the beginning of the spring semester, Senior said. Its students come from 14 dioceses, mostly in the Mid-Atlantic, and from six religious congregations, such as the Vincentians. A person starting seminary after high school has a nine-year program of study before he can be ordained as a priest. It starts with four years as an undergraduate, followed by a one-year spirituality program and then four years of post-graduate studies.

Gwynedd Mercy had just under 3,000 students, including part timers, for the 2019-20 school year. It plans to add space at other dorms to accommodate students who would have stayed at Alexandria Hall, which is part of the sale, a spokesperson said.

The agreement with Gwynedd Mercy brings the seminary closer to a goal set in 2013 to reduce its footprint from the 75 acres it has occupied for generations at the intersection of City and Lancaster Avenues in Lower Merion. The seminary was founded in 1832 and moved to that location in 1871.

The initial plan was to vacate the college building that was built in 1928 and dominates the view of the property from Lancaster Avenue and consolidate on the back end of the campus. The strategy was to sell or lease 45 acres for development and keep 30 acres for the seminary, using money from a sale for renovations.

That plan, with a price tag of $50 million for the renovations, was too costly, Senior said during a January meeting of the Lower Gwynedd Township Board of Supervisors. That’s why, in 2016, the seminary decided instead that it would seek a new home at a local university.

The seminary in 2017 said it was exploring a potential affiliation with Neumann University, but no deal happened because the land, which the seminary would have acquired from Neumann’s sponsors, the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, was too expensive.

Meanwhile, the seminary sold its campus to Main Line Health in May 2019, but agreed to lease it back for up to five years.

Talks with Gwynedd Mercy began later that year. “We were excited about the possibilities of bringing two well-respected Catholic institutions of higher education together in one location,” Gwynedd Mercy University president Deanne H. D’Emilio said.

The availability of a dormitory was a big selling point for the seminary, Senior said.

The seminary said it plans to build a new chapel and student life center, which will include a dining hall, classrooms, library, administrative offices and fitness center, plus additional housing for seminarians and resident faculty. But it had no estimate of the cost.

The proposed move of the seminary received a enthusiastic reception at Lower Gwynedd supervisors’ meeting. “The fact that it’s moving here took my breath away when I first heard about it,” board chair Mark G. Grey said during that session.

At the end of June, the seminary had more than $50 million in cash and investments, but will need to raise additional money to fulfill its plans for the new campus and to build its endowment.

The archdiocese’s finances have been improving. Former Archbishop Charles J. Chaput launched a review of the seminary in 2012 as the archdiocese’s central financial office was contending with a nearly $18 million loss that year. Long-term deficit spending under Chaput’s predecessor had left the church in a financial free-fall.

Cost-cutting helped the archdiocese recover financially. Among the steps taken were headquarters layoffs and the sale of properties, including nursing homes, for $145 million.

GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gwynedd Mercy University today announced that an affiliate of Beacon Capital Partners, LLC purchased a 150-acre piece of property that sits adjacent to the University’s Main Campus on Sumneytown Pike for $31.5 million. A portion of the proceeds from the sale will be used to support strategic investments that align with the University’s vision of becoming a Catholic university leader in professional and healthcare education. More details on those plans will be shared later this month.

The University made the decision to sell the property following a careful review of its space needs as part of a recently completed University Facilities Master Planning process, and significant interest from potential buyers.

“Just as our decision to purchase this property presented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire a prime piece of real estate, the decision to sell it at this time will move the University forward in achieving our vision for the future,” said Gwynedd Mercy University President Deanne H. D’Emilio, JD. “We remain focused on transforming our existing campus by adding more state-of-the-art facilities and technologies that support innovative teaching and learning initiatives designed to enhance existing programs and support new market-responsive programs. We are pleased we were able to come to an agreement with Beacon, which will use the property to support advancements in life sciences fields, an area that aligns with our focus on professional and healthcare innovation.”

Beacon is a leader in the development of state-of-the-art life science research and development facilities and is focused on expanding its footprint in the Philadelphia area.

“This acquisition demonstrates our commitment to supporting suburban Philadelphia as a hub for life science research as it drives life-changing innovation. We’re looking forward to working with the township in a thoughtful way to create a development plan that includes public spaces and life science training for the community,” said Steve Purpura, President Life Sciences, Beacon Capital Partners. “We fully expect it will be the next chapter in the long history of innovation in the area, as well as bringing high-quality jobs and tax revenue.”

Gwynedd Mercy University has recently embarked on a number of improvements to existing campus facilities and plans to make more changes over the next 24 months. More details on those plans will be shared shortly.

“As we approach our 75^th anniversary and emerge from the pandemic with a clear vision and plan for the future, we are excited by the many opportunities the sale of this property presents for our current students and future alumni,” said D’Emilio. “Our reputation for preparing Distinctive Mercy Graduates who make a real and lasting difference in the communities where they live and work is well known and we look forward to offering our students even more opportunities to achieve their dreams.”

About Beacon Capital Partners, LLC

Beacon Capital Partners is a private real estate investment firm with a 75-year legacy of successful real estate development, ownership, and management. Beacon invests in high-quality office and life science properties in core markets with highly educated workforces. Beacon has refined a proprietary investment sourcing model and developed a robust operating platform to transform properties into distinctive workplaces that attract today's tenants. This hands-on approach transforms properties through innovative design, state-of-the-art connectivity, modern amenities, risk management, and award-winning sustainability initiatives. From Fortune 100 firms to the leading innovative and growth companies, Beacon’s tenants are proud to call its distinctive workplaces home. Beacon is headquartered in Boston with offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. For additional information, please visit www.beaconcapital.com.

About Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Mercy University prepares students to become top professionals in the fields of nursing and other health professions, arts and sciences, business, and education. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1948, Gwynedd Mercy University is a co-educational institution offering more than 40 bachelor’s, master’s, and associate degree programs as well as two doctoral programs on a full- and part-time basis. The University’s Main Campus is situated on 160 private acres on Sumneytown Pike between routes 309 and 202 in Gwynedd Valley, Montgomery County. The university also offers on-ground and online degree programs for working adults. Learn more at gmercyu.edu, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Contacts

GMercyU: Kirsten Swanson Office of Public Relations 267-448-1400 ext. 21400 swanson.k@gmercyu.edu

BEACON: Maureen Richardson River Communications 914-686-5599 mrichardson@riverinc.com

Like many colleges across the nation, Gwynedd Mercy University has been reevaluating its campus footprint to ensure it’s making the best use of its physical assets moving forward.

The small, Catholic college in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania, about 30 minutes from Philadelphia, recently sold 150 acres of land for $31.5 million to Beacon Capital Partners LLC in Boston. The college purchased the land in 2018 from pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. for about $12 million, confirmed university President Deanne D'Emilio. At the time of the purchase, which included a 157,000-square-foot building, the university's board of trustees saw an opportunity to double the size of the campus and outfit the facility to complement its health care programs.

The recent sale boosts Gwynedd Mercy’s $41 million endowment by 74%, D’Emilio said. The transaction's proceeds give the school breathing room after undergrad enrollment dipped during the pandemic.

The Business Journals recently spoke with D’Emilio about the real estate sale, including how the proceeds will be invested, and what the future holds for Gwynedd Mercy. The following is an edited transcript of the conversation.

Why did you decide to sell the land?

We bought that property in 2018. At the time we purchased it, we had a vision of using the building. We were going to expand it. Selling it was not part of the plan. Between 2018 and now, we discovered that we had more than adequate space on the main campus. We also started to look at what would we need to do to fit out that building and started looking at the cost. At the same time, the pandemic was going on and the real estate market started to really heat up. We started to get unsolicited offers on the property. For all of those reasons, the board decided to explore a possible sale. We hired a broker to put feelers out there. We had significant interest in the property. It just made complete sense, even though it was completely different than what we had anticipated when we bought it. We're much better off now than we ever thought we would be when we purchased the property. Our vision was to become a Catholic university leader in professional and health care education and so we felt like we could accomplish that with the sale better than we could keeping the property.

Is that because you can now invest more in health care programs?

The money is freshly in the bank from the closing at the end of February. It increased our endowment by about 74%. The board and I will be thinking very carefully about how we will invest in the university. But yes, we will certainly invest in the health care innovation that we had planned to do originally when we purchased the property. Gwynedd Mercy is known for its outstanding health care programs, so we wanted to build on that strong reputation that we have. When you look at the market, in terms of job growth, that definitely supports the growth in health care. We want to build on the future innovation in health care. We want to be on the frontline of that.

Could you talk about enrollment during the pandemic?

Enrollment was definitely affected by the pandemic at the undergraduate level. At the graduate level, it has actually increased in the last couple of years. I would say that, like most schools, in the next few years we will be in a recovery mode in terms of the undergraduate enrollment. We are moving forward. We haven't changed course.

We're seeing more Catholic colleges pursue mergers or partnerships with other schools right now. Is that something that's on your radar at this point?

It's always on the radar because as you said, it's a conversation that honestly has been going on since before I arrived at the university five years ago in the Catholic college Philadelphia space. It is not on our agenda at the moment for Gwynedd Mercy, but like I said we are always hearing about it and we have to be aware of what's going on in the region. Right now we are focused on that vision and strategic goal of building on this momentum in health care. We feel we're pretty well positioned for that right now.

Five years down the line, where do you see the college?

I hope to be able to accomplish the goals that we set out in the strategic plan, including a new health care innovation center on the campus. We hope to do some upgrades of our campus. I don't see the university growing just because of where we are but stabilizing after the pandemic and reaching that vision of being the Catholic university leader in professional health care education. We’ll also start some new programs in the next five years.

We’ve noticed more schools going after adult learners with the regional demographic declines of 18-year-old students. Is that something that you're also considering?

Yes, we've been in that market for a while now. We’ve been doing online delivery for a number of years and the adult population tends to lean more towards either online or low-residency and we have both here. We are agile enough that we can adapt to whatever the next need is, so we absolutely will want to capitalize on people who have some credits and have not completed their degrees. There's quite a few of those in this part of the country. We want to respond to those needs.

Are you working with companies on training and workforce development opportunities for their employees?

We are actively engaged in conversations with different companies and organizations about those training and workforce development programs. That is an initiative in our strategic plan. (The university is in talks with health care providers, education organizations, and retail corporations about workforce programs).

What would you say to people who doubt the future survival of small college campuses?

I would say I bring a mix of optimism and realism. There’s no question that there are challenges in higher education, and certainly in small, private, independent institutions of higher education without question. I would also say that people still understand and recognize quality experience when they see it and when they feel it. We will continue to create those "wow" experiences here and continue to deliver a quality education. That will never go away. It will never go out of style. It will always attract people. That's what we build our programs around, and that's why people continue to come here. The predictions about the demise of a lot of these schools in most cases has been overstated. Some will absolutely not endure. But, we are strong. We will continue to carry on the tradition that the (Sisters of Mercy of the Americas) started almost 75 years ago.