Several Diocese of Allentown seminarians received academic degrees May 17 at the Concursus, or graduation ceremony, of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary near Philadelphia.
Bishop Alfred Schlert attended the graduation.
Third Theology seminarians receiving Master of Divinity degrees were Nikolai Brelinsky, cum laude; Keaton Eidle, cum laude; and Aaron Scheidel, magna cum laude.
Receiving a Master of Arts degree was Miguel Ramirez, Fourth Theology.
All four were ordained Transitional Deacons in the Diocese of Allentown on May 20.
Jeffrey Tomczyk, First Theology, received a special award for excellence in homiletics.
Kolbe Eidle, Fourth College, received a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude. He also received special awards for excellence in the study of English literature, Latin, and history.
Seminarians typically complete four years of College studies and four years of Theology while studying to become a priest.
“I am proud of our graduates for their academic accomplishments,” said Father Mark Searles, Director of Vocations. “Academics is one of the four pillars of formation to become a priest, with the others being pastoral, spiritual, and human formation.”
On behalf of the St. Charles Seminary Board of Trustees, Archbishop Nelson Pérez conferred the seminary’s honorary degree, a Doctor of Laws degree, honoris causa, to Philadelphia native Helen Alvaré, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Robert A. Levy Endowed Chair in Law and Liberty at Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University.
Alvaré delivered the last graduation ceremony Concursus address at the seminary’s Wynnewood campus before its relocation to Lower Gwynedd in 2024.