Go inside St. Thomas Chapel
Hartford, Connecticut
Earlier this week I gave a talk on the life of Bishop Bonaventure Broderick, the Hartford, Connecticut native famous for running a gas station as a bishop in Millbrook, New York.
I’ve given several talks about the bishop, in Pittsburgh and Millbrook, but the opportunity to speak in his hometown and with the clergy of the Archdiocese of Hartford was particularly gratifying — also noteworthy was the venue: the archdiocesan and pastoral center at the historic St. Thomas Seminary.
The cornerstone for this huge building was laid in 1928 and dedicated and opened as a minor seminary in 1930. Until 1942, the Seminary mainly educated only seminarians for the Diocese of Hartford, then from fall of 1942 seminarians began arriving from other dioceses across New England. In the mid 1950s a two-year college program was added.
Today, St. Thomas is known as The Archdiocesan Center at St. Thomas Seminary and serves as a Retreat and Conference Center and also houses the Archbishop O'Brien Library which is open to the public.
In 2007, Archbishop Henry J. Mansell dedicated the Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin Residence for retired priests with apartment suites built in two of the four former dormitory halls.
Most impressive is the chapel — I’ve posted a link under the photo that takes you to a unique viewing experience allowing you to walk around, go up to the choir loft, etc. Very cool technology. Please take a look — you won’t be disappointed.
