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Letter: Rare opportunity to see St. Patrick's Seminary

All of us at St Patrick's Seminary were delighted to see our magnificent chapel featured on the front page of the Almanac's Oct. 24 Section 2 that accompanied Barbara Wood's article on The Irish Connection.

St. Patrick's Seminary has been in Menlo Park since 1898 and it bears an Irish name in honor of the first seminarians here — many of whom arrived from Ireland — as well as our founding archbishop, Archbishop Riordan, who served as archbishop of San Francisco from 1884 until his death in 1914.

Today we educate future priests representing many countries — including Vietnam, Mexico, El Salvador and the Philippines — as well as the western United States.

We offer community members of all faiths a unique opportunity to see the campus and chapel at our annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Monday, Nov. 26.

The ceremony, which will be led by our rector, Fr. James McKearney, accompanied by our choir, Schola Cantorum, begins at 5 p.m. Those who arrive earlier can sample a variety of homemade international foods served by our seminarians, and anyone who wishes to take part in a library tour, which I will lead, should contact me at the seminary, 320 Middlefield Road in Menlo Park, next to the fire station.

Lauren John St. Patrick's Seminary