1912

July 31, 2017

During the summer of 1912, John J. Ferreck, a Philadelphia investment broker, attended a retreat at Mount Manresa Jesuit Retreat House in Staten Island, New York. Inspired, Ferreck wanted to create a similar retreat experience for laymen in the Philadelphia area. Archbishop Edmond Prendergast granted Ferreck’s request— St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, Pennsylvania was selected as the site for these retreats.