Local News
Priest a constant at Conwell-Egan
For 54 years, Father Fidelis Weber has walked the halls of Conwell-Egan (formerly Bishop Egan) High School in Fairless Hills. While the name and location of the school has changed over the decades, Father Fidelis, teacher of English, Spanish and religion, and director of the guidance office, has remained a constant. The Third Order Regular […]
Legatus members meet new CRS president
How many social or professional organizations precede their monthly dinner with confessions, the rosary and Mass? Probably not many, but Legatus does. In 1988 when Thomas Monaghan, the founder of Domino’s Pizza, established Legatus as an organization for Catholic business leaders and their spouses, he modeled it somewhat after Young Presidents, a similar organization that […]
Father Schifalacqua, pastor emeritus of Our Lady of Loreto Parish, dies at 93
Father Ildebrando E. Schifalacqua, 93 and a priest for almost 69 years, died in West Cape May, N.J., April 27. Born in South Philadelphia, the son of the late Ildebrando Schifalacqua and the late Ida De Sanctis Schifalacqua, he was educated in Philadelphia public schools and briefly at Roman Catholic High School before entering a […]
Archdiocese of Philadelphia joins Great Schools Compact
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia schools and the public and charter schools of Philadelphia took what could be a major step forward in cooperation on April 23 when the Archdiocese formally joined the Great Schools Compact which seeks to provide increased access to higher performing schools throughout the city. Archbishop Charles Chaput signed the formal document […]
Priests’ trial continues in Philadelphia
The witness described with dignity and composure the horrific details of the sexual abuse he said he endured as a boy from a former priest, Stanley Gana, during testimony last week at the trial of two priests of the Philadelphia Archdiocese. Father James J. Brennan, 48, faces a charge of attempted rape of a boy […]
Father Connell Maguire, a former U.S. Navy chaplain, dies at age 94
Father Connell J. Maguire, 94, a U.S. Navy chaplain for 26 years, died in Florida April 12. Born in Glenties, Ireland, the son of the late Bernard and Catherine (Gallagher) Maguire, he migrated to America with his family at age 11. The family settled at first in Mount Airy and then Chestnut Hill and he […]
Gender equality brings economic empowerment to all, CRS adviser says
VILLANOVA, Pa. (CNS) — Empowering women and girls makes good economic sense. That’s the message Carrie Miller, senior technical adviser for health and HIV with Catholic Relief Services, brought to a roomful of Villanova University students April 18. Miller, who has worked in 10 countries since joining the overseas aid and development agency for the […]
Papal Foundation to present Pope with major donation for charity
Nearly 80 members and guests of the U.S.-based Papal Foundation will travel to Rome to present Pope Benedict XVI with a major gift to fund his charitable programs worldwide. The presentation will be made during a private audience with the Holy Father on April 21. The Papal Foundation was founded in 1988 to provide sustainable […]
Three new members appointed to Archdiocesan Review Board
Three new members have been appointed to the Archdiocesan Review Board, the consultative panel that advises the Archbishop of Philadelphia throughout the process of addressing allegations of sexual abuse of minors, evaluating clerics’ suitability for ministry, and the continual review of archdiocesan policies and procedures related to these matters. With the appointment of these new […]
Archbishop Chaput announces his final decisions for four Parish Planning Areas
Archbishop Charles Chaput, having been advised by the Strategic Planning Committee, and reviewing all proposals, has announced his final decisions for the first four Pastoral Planning Areas (PPAs) in the Archdiocese that were examined for possible parish mergers and closures. Pastors of involved parishes received phone calls on Tuesday, April 10, informing them of the […]