ST. CHARLES
Carthagena, Ohio
MISSIONARIES OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD, C.PP.S.
HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES
Why the name St. Charles? St. Charles Borroneo (1538-1584) is known for organizing seminaries for training priests. The primary purpose of St. Charles was to be a seminary for training priests.
In the year 1844, Precious Blood Missionary Father Francis DeSales Brunner brought with him from Switzerland 7 priests and 7 brothers to begin a mission for serving German speaking settlers living in Ohio.
Around the year 1835, Afro-Americans were given a tract of land and a boarding school named Emlen Institute in the settlement named Carthagena which received its name from Cartagena, Columbia, South America, in turn after Carthage, Africa. After some years, the experiment failed and the establishment was no longer in use. Emlen Institute and 200 acres of land were purchased in 1861 by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood to become a training center for Precious Blood priests and brothers.
This first building became known as Old Abbey. It was enlarged and served many purposes. What was then called the "new" seminary was built in 1878 and replaced some of the functions of the Old Abbey as both buildings continued to be used. The number of students, staff and other residents continued to grow and what we call the present main building was finished in 1922 and has replaced both the Old Abbey and the "new" seminary building. The number of philosophy and theology seminarians reached as high as 120. The theologate school closed in 1969.
Theology students now attend the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Presently St. Charles is the home for retired priests and brothers. A cemetery lying south of the main building was plotted in 1900 and serves as the burial grounds for priests and brothers of the Society.
This picture was taken back in 1961. The main building looks much the same as it did back then. The only noticeable difference is the landscaping, and there also have been a few more farm buildings added since then.