East Aurora, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Buffalo Catholic Diocese is putting Christ the King Seminary up for sale. The asking price is $5.3 million for some 100 acres of property.
Rich Suchan with the Diocese says the seminary closed in 2020. "We had an operation that was financially difficult to maintain," says Suchan. The diocese and board sent students to seminaries in Rochester and Baltimore.
Suchan compares the 100 acres to a small college campus. "There's renovated classroom and office space, a 460-seat auditorium, a chapel, a large library, six dormitories, a large commercial kitchen and dining hall, a recreation building, and a full gymnasium," says Suchan. He says the new owner could keep the property as an educational institution or developed into residential or senior citizen housing.
Christ the King Seminary originally began at St. Bonaventure University in 1857 when it was founded by the Franciscan Fathers of the Order of Friars Minor. In 1974, the seminary moved to East Aurora.
The Diocese assumed sponsorship and administration of the seminary in 1990.