SCHEAP

Space for Laughter in the Spirit Our Conversation with St. Charles Borromeo Seminary

Cassidy Sproehnle, Gwynedd Mercy University Synodal Fellow

One of the goals for the Synodal Fellows from GMercyU was to connect with St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. The new location for the seminary was purchased from Gwynedd a few years ago and the seminary opened in Fall 2024. Since then, I had noticed that many students had questions and misconceptions about the seminary, and the three of us wanted to have a conversation to bridge the two campuses. There was mutual interest on both sides for having a conversation like this, and so we planned a Conversation in the Spirit on February 10th. I invited 10 students from Gwynedd and they met with 6 seminarians from St. Charles to reflect on the prompt “share an experience or story that shows what called you to the institution you are studying at currently.”

The Conversation in the Spirit model was perfect and made this conversation exactly what we were looking for. Though the method was unfamiliar to most people in the room, it gave everyone the space to share their journeys and where they could come together. Even though the participants were hesitant, they were willing to connect with each other in a new way.

Additionally, the conversation gave us a jumping off point for where we could further connect. Some opportunities we brainstormed were rosary walks, collaborative service opportunities, and even fun things like Gwynedd vs. St. Charles basketball games. The best things about this conversation were the laughter that filled the room at times and that once the conversation ended, people stayed simply to chat and deepen the relationship. This conversation was the fulfillment of one of our goals for the semester and proved what the Holy Spirit can do when given the space to work in people’s hearts.