About Alvernia University · Reading, Pennsylvania
Alvernia University is a private Franciscan Catholic university in Reading, Pennsylvania, founded in 1958 by the Bernardine Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis. Originating from a 1926 orphanage and high school operated by the Bernardine Franciscan order on what is now Mount Alvernia, the institution began as a college for the sisters before opening to lay women in 1961 and to men in 1971. It received its Pennsylvania charter in 1960, gained university status in 2008, and today enrolls roughly 2,800 students on a 121-acre suburban campus under the motto "To Learn, To Love, To Serve." As a "Distinctive Franciscan University in the Catholic and liberal arts traditions," Alvernia integrates faith, service and intellectual life through its Mission & Ministry division, daily and Sunday Mass, RCIA, retreats, service learning and Alternative Breaks.
- Established
- 1958
- Diocese
- Diocese of Allentown
Why belong here
Alvernia's Mission & Ministry offers a robust liturgical and spiritual life on a residential campus: a Sunday evening community Mass in Holy Savior Chapel (Veronica Hall), weekday Masses in Sacred Heart Chapel, RCIA preparation in partnership with Saint John Baptist de la Salle Parish, regularly scheduled confessions, a full retreats program (including the First Year Serve retreat at St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia), student-led and busy-person retreats, the Agape Latte faith-storytelling series, small faith groups like Brew Crew and Catholic Fellowship, the Fromm Interfaith Award, and a Franciscan Pilgrimage course to Assisi and Rome. Every student graduates having completed 40 hours of community service, and Service Learning courses connect classroom work with local partners through the Holleran Center for Community and Global Engagement.
Mass times at Alvernia University
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 6:00 PM – 6:50 PM (before the 7:00 PM Mass, during school year), or by appointment
History of Alvernia University
Alvernia University traces its roots to 1894, when four Bernardine Franciscan Sisters and a novice, including Sister Veronica Grzedowska (Mother Veronica), left their Polish motherhouse to teach children of Polish immigrants in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania. A year later, on their way home from a meeting with their bishop in Harrisburg, the sisters' train stopped in Reading, Pennsylvania — and they never left. The order established an orphanage, then a high school, on a 10-acre parcel near the center of the city, naming the site Mount Alvernia. Francis Hall, completed in 1925 and dedicated in 1926 as St. Francis Orphanage, became the institution's anchor building. In 1958 the high school was reorganized as Alvernia College, a liberal-arts school for the sisters. Alvernia received its Commonwealth of Pennsylvania charter in 1960, was accredited by the Middle States Commission in 1967, and progressively expanded — admitting its first lay women in 1961 and its first men in 1971 (commuters) and 1973 (residents). On Sept. 25, 2008, the college celebrated its 50th anniversary and was granted university status by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, taking the name Alvernia University.
- 1894 — Bernardine Franciscan Sisters arrive in Pennsylvania from Poland
- 1925 — Francis Hall built; 1926 — dedicated as St. Francis Orphanage
- 1958 — Founded as Alvernia College for the Bernardine sisters
- 1960 — Receives Pennsylvania charter to award B.A. and B.S. degrees
- 1961 — First lay women admitted; 1967 — first Middle States accreditation
- 1971 — First male commuting students; 1973 — first male residents
- 2008 — Granted university status as Alvernia University
A Franciscan and Catholic Identity
Alvernia describes itself as a "Distinctive Franciscan University in the Catholic and liberal arts traditions." The Bernardine Franciscan Sisters, its founders, are members of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis — a tradition rooted in St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi and the lay Franciscan movement that swept medieval Italy and Europe. As a Catholic university, Alvernia educates the whole person within a framework of Christian values and Catholic Social Thought; as a Franciscan university, it fosters a caring, inclusive community built on "right relationships" in which all are "brother and sister" to one another.
- Core values: collegiality, peacemaking, service, contemplation, humility
- Commitment to serving the underserved and dialogue on social justice
- University motto: "To Learn, To Love, To Serve" (Latin: Doceat Christus vos facere)
- Religious affiliation: Roman Catholic, founded by the Bernardine Sisters of St. Francis
Mission & Ministry
The Division of Mission, Diversity & Inclusion (MDI) is the institutional hub for mission-centered inclusive excellence. Its Office of Mission & Ministry supports the spiritual, service, community-engagement, inclusivity, and justice work of the university, organizing Catholic, Ecumenical and Interfaith services, retreats, Study Abroad, Pilgrimage and Alternative Break experiences. Programs such as Reading Collegiate Scholars, the Reading Youth Initiative, Clare's Cupboard and Achieve Personal Excellence extend the university's reach into the wider Reading community.
- Office of Mission & Ministry
- Division of Mission, Diversity & Inclusion (MDI)
- Student access and support initiatives: Reading Collegiate Scholars, Reading Youth Initiative, Clare's Cupboard, Achieve Personal Excellence
Catholic Identity and Worship
Catholic identity at Alvernia is expressed through three pillars: Worship, Education and Service. Every Sunday evening during the academic year the university community gathers for Mass in Holy Savior Chapel, Veronica Hall, and weekday Masses are celebrated in Sacred Heart Chapel. The Office partners with Saint John Baptist de la Salle Parish to provide RCIA for students, faculty and staff seeking full initiation into the Catholic Church, and supports retreats and Alternative Breaks in the U.S. and abroad as an expression of Catholic faith in action.
- Sunday evening community Mass — Holy Savior Chapel, Veronica Hall
- Weekday Mass — Sacred Heart Chapel
- RCIA in partnership with Saint John Baptist de la Salle Parish
- Retreats and Alternative Breaks
Spiritual Life and Retreats
The Spiritual Life pillar of Mission & Ministry fosters a sacred encounter with one's own identity and call to faith. Opportunities include the First Year Serve retreat (volunteering at St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia, paired with reflection), student-led retreats, Busy-Person Retreats designed for those unable to step away for a full day, the Agape Latte coffeehouse speaker series, and small faith groups such as Catholic Fellowship, Brew Crew (men's spirituality), InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and the Interfaith Coffee Hour.
- First Year Serve retreat (St. Francis Inn, Philadelphia)
- Student-led and Busy-Person retreats
- Agape Latte speaker series
- Catholic Fellowship Group, Brew Crew, InterVarsity, Interfaith Coffee Hour
Service Learning and the Holleran Center
The Holleran Center for Community and Global Engagement, established by Dr. Thomas Flynn in 2006, cultivates strategic partnerships that strengthen both campus and community life. Service to others is embedded in Alvernia's Franciscan heritage: all undergraduates are required to complete at least 40 hours of community service before graduating, and Service Learning courses let students draw meaningful connections between classroom learning and work with food banks, mentoring programs, environmental projects, social-justice initiatives and other community-based partner organizations.
- 40-hour community service graduation requirement
- Service Learning courses (15 service hours upon completion)
- International programs such as DPT 700: Physical Therapy Practice in a Global Environment
- Real World Learning Award — supports internships, study-away, non-domestic service and undergraduate research
- Days of Service and Alternative Breaks
Pilgrimage and Global Engagement
Global engagement is woven into Alvernia's mission, with programs ranging from Alternative Break service trips to the intercollegiate Franciscan Pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome. THE 355 — Franciscan Pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome — is a 3-credit travel course that immerses students in the cultural and spiritual sites of St. Francis and St. Clare, fulfilling the Human Diversity requirement.
- THE 355 Franciscan Pilgrimage to Assisi and Rome
- Study Abroad opportunities
- International Alternative Break service trips
Interfaith Engagement and Awards
Alongside Catholic life, Alvernia embraces an interfaith and ecumenical spirit through its Campus Minister for Abrahamic Faith & Culture and partnerships such as InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. The Fromm Interfaith Award, established by Alvernia and Michael and Susan Fromm in fall 2012, awards a $1,000 scholarship each year to a junior or senior who demonstrates a commitment to interfaith dialogue and submits a plan for a project to be implemented in the upcoming academic year.
- Fromm Interfaith Award — $1,000 scholarship for interfaith dialogue projects
- Campus Minister for Abrahamic Faith & Culture
- InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (SGA-sponsored)
Campus and Community
Alvernia occupies a 121-acre suburban campus on St. Bernardine Street in Reading, Pennsylvania, atop the slopes of Mount Alvernia — the same hill where the Bernardine Sisters established their American motherhouse in the 1890s. The university is NCAA Division III, with the Golden Wolves competing in the MAC Commonwealth Conference; school colors are maroon and gold, and current president is Glynis Fitzgerald. The address of the Mission & Ministry office is 400 St. Bernardine Street, Reading, PA 19607.
- 121-acre suburban campus
- Colors: maroon and gold; mascot: Golden Wolves (NCAA Division III)
- President: Glynis Fitzgerald
- Enrollment: ~2,796 students (fall 2024)
- Affiliations: ACCU, AFCU, CIC, NAICU