About DeSales University · Center Valley, Pennsylvania
DeSales University is a private Catholic university in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales (OSFS). Founded in 1964 as Allentown College of Saint Francis de Sales and renamed DeSales University in 2001, it sits on more than 400 acres in the Lehigh Valley and is rooted in the Christian Humanism of its patron, St. Francis de Sales. The university serves roughly 3,300 traditional, ACCESS adult-learner, and graduate students, integrating Salesian spirituality into academics, campus ministry, retreats, and service. Daily and Sunday Masses are offered in Connelly Chapel, and the Center for Faith and Justice coordinates liturgical life, faith-sharing, the Ryan Leadership Institute, and more than 24,000 annual hours of service through the Center for Service and Social Justice.
- Established
- 1964 (chartered May 27, 1964; classes began September 1965)
- Patron
- St. Francis de Sales (Bishop and Doctor of the Church; patron saint of writers, journalists, and the deaf)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Allentown
Why belong here
DeSales University is a place where students can grow intellectually, spiritually, and in service to others within an explicitly Catholic, Salesian community. Daily and Sunday Mass are offered in Connelly Chapel, with regular Reconciliation, monthly Eucharistic Adoration, RCIA, faith-sharing groups, retreats, and pastoral counseling coordinated through the Center for Faith and Justice. The Center for Service and Social Justice logs more than 24,000 student service hours annually, with clubs such as Best Buddies, Colleges Against Cancer, Rise Against Hunger, and Alpha Phi Omega, plus domestic and international service trips during breaks. The Salesian Honors Program, Ryan Leadership Institute, and faculty-led travel to places like Rome, France, and the Holy Land let students integrate faith, leadership, and learning in the spirit of St. Francis de Sales.
Mass times at DeSales University
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Tuesday 10:00 AM – 10:30 AM in the Connelly Chapel Sacristy
- Wednesday 3:00 PM – 3:30 PM in the Connelly Chapel Sacristy
- By appointment with any campus priest
Adoration times
- First Wednesday of each month, 6:00 PM in Connelly Chapel
Catholic Identity & Salesian Heritage
DeSales University is firmly and publicly committed to the principles of Roman Catholic doctrine and morality, while guaranteeing freedom for the academic pursuit of truth. The institution describes itself as guided by the spirituality of St. Francis de Sales and St. Jane de Chantal — a Salesian spirituality grounded in humility, gentleness, and the maxim 'Live Jesus.' Christian Humanism, the legacy of the patron saint, frames the university's view that every dimension of human life — physical, intellectual, social, moral, aesthetic, and religious — can be enlightened by the Gospel. The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, founded in Troyes, France in 1876 by Father Louis Brisson at the urging of Mother Mary Chappuis (Visitation), sponsor the university and continue to staff key leadership, chaplaincy, and faculty roles.
- Patron: St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
- Sponsoring congregation: Oblates of St. Francis de Sales (OSFS)
- Feast Day celebrated annually on January 24 with a community service project
- Salesian motto: 'Live Jesus' (from Matthew 11:29)
History of DeSales University
Founded in 1964 at the request of the first Bishop of Allentown, the Most Reverend Joseph McShea, and staffed by the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales opened to freshmen in September 1965 with 156 students. It became co-educational in 1970, was accredited by Middle States in 1969–1970, and added ACCESS continuing education in 1977 and graduate programs in nursing, management information systems, education, and business through the 1980s and 1990s. In 2001 it became DeSales University, reflecting its academic and spiritual growth. Today DeSales enrolls roughly 3,300 traditional and adult learners in undergraduate and graduate programs.
- 1962: Planning begins
- May 27, 1964: Charter granted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- September 1965: Classes begin (156 male freshmen)
- 1970: Becomes co-educational
- 1977: ACCESS adult-learner program founded
- 1984: Master of Science in Nursing begins
- 1988: Master of Science in MIS; Easton extension campus opens
- 1991: MBA program launched
- 1998: First Catholic college in the U.S. with a marriage and family studies major
- January 1, 2001: Officially becomes DeSales University
Campus Ministry & Spiritual Life
Campus Ministry & Spiritual Life at DeSales is a proud member of the Catholic Campus Ministry Association (CCMA). It coordinates daily and Sunday Mass in Connelly Chapel, the sacrament of Reconciliation, monthly Eucharistic Adoration, RCIA, faith-sharing groups, retreats, pastoral counseling, and the Liturgical Choir. The office is led by Rev. Daniel (Dan) Lannen, OSFS (University Chaplain) and Magdalene Riggins (Director of Campus Ministry). Daily Mass is suspended during winter break, and Mass times are subject to the academic calendar.
- University Chaplain: Rev. Daniel Lannen, OSFS ([email protected], ext. 1393)
- Director of Campus Ministry: Magdalene Riggins
- Office: 117 Dorothy Day
- Phone: 610-282-1100, x1393
Center for Faith and Justice
The Center for Faith and Justice is the hub for Salesian formation on campus, organized around three areas: education, dialogue, and outreach. It houses Campus Ministry, the Forum for Ethics in the Workplace, the Salesian Honors Program, the Faith & Reason Honors Program, and partnership ventures that bring together professionals from healthcare, business, sports, and communications to address ethical concerns in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.
- Faith & Reason Honors Program
- Forum for Ethics in the Workplace
- Tony and Norene Salvaggio Salesian Honors Program
- Partnership ventures in healthcare, business, sports, and communications
Center for Service and Social Justice (CSSJ)
Through the Center for Service and Social Justice, DeSales students contribute more than 24,000 hours of service each year to local, national, and international communities. The center coordinates one-time service projects, ongoing tutoring and mentoring, service clubs, alternative break trips, and an AmeriCorps VISTA placement focused on community health. The university's commitment is articulated through its Character U program and the DeSales Experience.
- Service clubs: Best Buddies, Colleges Against Cancer, Rise Against Hunger, Alpha Phi Omega
- Alternative Service Experiences: national and global trips during breaks
- One-time service: Habitat builds, Miracle League, Victory House
- Sustainable tutoring and mentoring programs
- AmeriCorps VISTA community-health placement
Ryan Leadership Institute
Developed in collaboration with the Catholic Leadership Institute of Philadelphia, the Ryan Leadership Institute is a two-year Catholic-Salesian leadership formation program for selected juniors and seniors. It blends ten two-hour BE IT discussion sessions, off-campus LEAP (Leaders Experiential Adventure Program) retreats, senior-year workshops, and a culminating DO IT service project in which students serve in a leadership role on a campus team, club, or organization.
- LEAP: three-day off-campus retreat at start of junior year
- BE IT: ten two-hour evening meetings across the academic year
- DO IT: senior-year service leadership project
- Co-missioning ceremony at the end of the program
Leadership and Key Staff
DeSales is led by Oblate priests and lay administrators in a shared governance model. The current president, Rev. James J. Greenfield, OSFS — a 1984 alumnus of Allentown College — succeeded earlier Oblate presidents including Fr. Bernard O'Connor, OSFS, and Fr. Peter J. Leonard, OSFS. The Vice President for Mission, Rev. Kevin Nadolski, OSFS, Ph.D., is a former Catholic high school teacher and principal, vocation director, seminary director, and Oblate assistant provincial who holds degrees from Temple University, Catholic University of America, the DeSales School of Theology, and Fordham University.
- President: Rev. James J. Greenfield, OSFS — Office: Chappuis Hall; 610-282-1100, x1860
- Chief of Staff / VP for Mission / Asst. Professor of Education: Rev. Kevin Nadolski, OSFS, Ph.D. — Office 118 Chappuis Hall; ext. 1580
- University Chaplain: Rev. Daniel (Dan) Lannen, OSFS — Office 117 Dorothy Day; ext. 1393
- Director of Campus Ministry: Magdalene Riggins
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. James J. Greenfield, OSFSpresent (current president since 2020s)
Current president; 1984 alumnus of Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales
- Rev. Bernard O'Connor, OSFS
Earlier DeSales president, quoted in 2015 coverage celebrating the school's 50th anniversary
- Rev. Peter J. Leonard, OSFS
Dean of Graduate Education; 1980 DeSales graduate, profiled in 2015 anniversary coverage