The Archdiocese of Philadelphia plans to sell part of the art collection at its St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, including five portraits by famous Philadelphia artist Thomas Eakins.
Church officials tell the Philadelphia Inquirer they plan to use the money to help overhaul the seminary's St. Charles' Main Line campus. The seminary will be shrunk in the process, but renovated at the same time.
Bishop Timothy Senior, the rector at St. Charles, says, "We will keep many of the paintings in our collection but the core mission of the seminary is to form men for services in the priesthood. We are not a museum."
Most of the paintings will be sold in an auction through Christie's, the worldwide auction house which has offices in Philadelphia.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
