About The Citadel · Charleston, South Carolina
The Fr. Lee A. Selzer Newman Center is the Catholic campus ministry serving The Citadel, the historic military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Located within Mark Clark Hall at 171 Moultrie Street, the center (originally founded as the parish of Christ the Divine Teacher in 1967) ministers to Catholic cadets, faculty, and staff of the Corps of Cadets through weekly Sunday Mass, OCIA (formerly RCIA) formation, fellowship gatherings, retreats, and a chapel choir. The ministry falls under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Charleston and is operationally tied to Sacred Heart Parish; it was suppressed as a parish in 2013 by Bishop Guglielmone and rebranded as a campus-ministry department and then, in 2020, as the Fr. Lee A. Selzer Newman Center in memory of a Citadel Class of 1990 alumnus who was ordained a priest for the diocese.
- Established
- 1967
- Diocese
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston
Why belong here
The Fr. Lee A. Selzer Newman Center offers Catholic cadets at The Citadel a Sunday-evening Mass with confession beforehand, a weekly OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) program for those seeking baptism, first communion or full communion with the Catholic Church, two retreats a year (fall and spring), a Monday-evening fellowship gathering, and a Catholic choir that sings at Mass and joins combined-choir events at Christmas. It is one of the few places on a demanding military campus where cadets of any background can step out of the rigors of cadet life, study Sacred Scripture together, and find ongoing pastoral support from a diocesan campus minister.
Mass times at The Citadel
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Sunday 4:00–4:50 PM (1615–1650) during the academic year
The Fr. Lee A. Selzer Newman Center at The Citadel
The Fr. Lee A. Selzer Newman Center at the Citadel is the Catholic campus ministry of The Citadel, the historic military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Housed inside Mark Clark Hall (171 Moultrie Street), the center welcomes Catholic cadets, faculty, staff and their families, as well as anyone curious about the Catholic faith. It operates under the pastoral jurisdiction of the Diocese of Charleston and is functionally tied to Sacred Heart Parish in Charleston. The center's mission is to bring the Gospel to cadets in the midst of a rigorous military-college formation: to assist, console, and evangelize, and to help cadets encounter Jesus Christ through the Mass, the sacraments, Scripture, fellowship, and retreats.
- Open to all cadets, faculty, staff, and visitors
- Operates under the Diocese of Charleston
- Pastoral link with Sacred Heart Parish, Charleston
- Campus location: Mark Clark Hall, 171 Moultrie Street, MSC 58
History of Catholic Ministry at The Citadel
Catholic worship on The Citadel's campus began in 1967 with the blessing of the chapel and offices inside Mark Clark Hall. Bishop Unterkoefler of the Diocese of Charleston worked with Citadel President Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark to establish the Catholic presence on March 22, 1967. For forty-three years the community was served as the territorial parish of Christ the Divine Teacher. In May 2013 Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone suppressed the parish (effective June 1, 2013), transferring its territory, patrimony, goods, and debts to Sacred Heart Parish. In August 2020 the campus-ministry spaces were renovated and the program was renamed the Fr. Lee A. Selzer Newman Center in honor of Rev. Lee Allen Selzer, a 1990 Citadel graduate who was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Charleston in 2002.
- 1967-03-22: Chapel and offices blessed and opened as Christ the Divine Teacher parish
- 2013-05-24: Decree of suppression issued by Bishop Guglielmone; effective 2013-06-01
- 2013-06-01: Parish territory and assets transferred to Sacred Heart Parish, Charleston
- August 2020: Spaces renovated; rebranded as the Fr. Lee A. Selzer Newman Center
Faith Formation & OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults)
The center offers OCIA — the updated name for the former RCIA — for cadets and others seeking full communion with the Catholic Church through Baptism, Confirmation, or First Communion. Classes meet on Thursday evenings in Mark Clark Hall, Room 220, beginning at 6:30 PM, and typically run 45 minutes to an hour. Weekly faithful attendance is expected in preparation for the Easter Vigil.
- OCIA classes: Thursdays at 6:30 PM, Mark Clark Hall Rm. 220
- Open to those seeking Baptism, First Communion, or Confirmation
- Easter Vigil reception of the Sacraments of Initiation
Fellowship, Bible Study & Retreats
Catholic life at The Citadel extends beyond Sunday Mass into a regular schedule of fellowship and formation. A weekly Monday-evening Catholic Fellowship Gathering meets at 6:30 PM in Grimsley Auditorium, supplemented by Scripture study and reflection during the week. Two overnight retreats are offered each academic year — one in the fall and one in the spring — providing cadets space to step out of the rigors of military-college life and grow in community and prayer.
- Fellowship Gathering — Mondays 6:30 PM, Grimsley Auditorium
- Bible study and Scripture exploration series during the week
- Fall Retreat (annual)
- Spring Retreat (annual)
Music Ministry — Catholic Choir
The Catholic Choir provides music at every Catholic liturgy on campus and represents the ministry beyond The Citadel. The choir participates in the Combined Choirs for Christmas and travels to neighboring Catholic parishes several times a year. Operational support comes from a dedicated Catholic Choir Discretionary Fund, with annual expenses typically in the $2,000–$4,000 range for music, travel, and related costs.
- Catholic Choir sings at all Catholic liturgies on campus
- Combined Choirs for Christmas
- Travels to nearby Catholic parishes during the year
- Director not salaried by the choir fund
Support the Ministry — Scholarships, Endowments, Funds
The Fr. Lee A. Selzer Newman Center is funded through a blend of endowed scholarships, an alumni endowment, and discretionary funds. The Citadel Catholic Alumni Endowment underwrites a priest and secretary on campus and stood at $452,358 (with a stated $1,000,000 goal). Catholic Citadel Scholarships total approximately $470,000 and prefer Catholic cadets. Annual operating expenses run $8,000–$12,000 from the Catholic Discretionary Fund and $2,000–$4,000 for the Catholic Choir Discretionary Fund. Gifts to endowed accounts are made through The Citadel Foundation.
- Citadel Catholic Alumni Endowment — $452,358 (goal $1,000,000)
- Catholic Citadel Scholarships — ~$470,000 total
- Catholic Discretionary Fund — $8,000–$12,000/yr in expenses
- Catholic Choir Discretionary Fund — $2,000–$4,000/yr in expenses
- Frank J. De Marco III Scholarship
- Kerr Family Scholarship
- Ogier Family Scholarship
- 1st Lt. Christopher I. Stoddard Memorial Scholarship
- Citadel Council Knights of Columbus Scholarship
- Rev. Lee Selzer Class of 1990 Memorial Scholarship
Knights of Columbus — Citadel Council
The Knights of Columbus maintain a council at The Citadel linked to the campus ministry, including the Citadel Council Knights of Columbus Scholarship administered by the center. The K of C is the principal lay Catholic fraternal organization supporting Catholic cadets and alumni of the college.
- Citadel Council Knights of Columbus
- Citadel Council Knights of Columbus Scholarship (preference for Catholic cadets)
Sacraments and Holy Days
The center celebrates the Eucharist on Sundays and offers Reconciliation beforehand. Those seeking Baptism, First Communion, or Confirmation are prepared through the OCIA program. Because the campus ministry is not a territorial parish, Holy Days of Obligation are observed through the schedule of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the parish to which Christ the Divine Teacher's territory was annexed in 2013.
- Eucharist — Sundays 5:00 PM (academic year)
- Reconciliation — Sundays 4:00–4:50 PM
- Baptism, Confirmation, First Communion via OCIA
- Holy Days of Obligation: see Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Contact and Visiting
Mail and visits are directed to the center's campus box: The Citadel, MSC 58, Charleston, SC 29409. The street address is 171 Moultrie Street. The office phone is 843-953-7693 and the campus minister's email is [email protected]. Visitors to the secure military-college campus should check in at the gates and consult The Citadel Department of Public Safety.
- Address: 171 Moultrie Street, MSC 58, Charleston, SC 29409
- Phone: 843-953-7693
- Email: [email protected]
- Check in at The Citadel gates when visiting
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Dennis B. Willeyuntil 2013
Last pastor of Christ the Divine Teacher Parish; consulted by Bishop Guglielmone before the parish was suppressed effective June 1, 2013.
- Rev. Lee Allen Selzerordained June 8, 2002; d. August 13, 2007
Citadel Class of 1990, the only priest ordained for the Diocese of Charleston in 2002, served in Columbia, Newberry, Laurens and Joanna; assigned to the Hispanic community of Charleston at his death. Honored in 2020 by the renaming of the campus ministry center.