Local News
Judge sees no religious bias against Catholic agency on same-sex foster care
A federal judge swept away claims of religious discrimination by archdiocesan Catholic Social Services and ruled it must provide home assessments for same-sex couples wishing to become foster parents in Philadelphia.
From crack to calculus: St. Gabriel’s Hall grad triumphs as a teacher
Quamiir Trice overcame crime and drugs thanks to a Catholic Social Services program. Now a teacher, he inspires students at the school that changed the course of his life.
Nun-physician has spent much of her life educating young people about NFP
Sister Hanna Klaus is an OB-GYN, a member of the Medical Mission Sisters and best known as founder of the TeenSTAR adolescent sex education program, which is used around the world.
Gethsemani Way pioneers retreat on addiction and spirituality
Based at St. Norbert Parish in Paoli, the addiction recovery ministry drew more than 30 participants from several states last month at Malvern Retreat House. Speakers stressed the role of grace in healing addiction.
Through ups and downs of 125 years, St. Ignatius Parish’s faith endures
The West Philadelphia parish is predominantly African American, although it began as a parish for German Catholics. With help from St. Katharine Drexel's sisters, the Catholic faith has sustained the Black Catholic community.
Our Lady of Hope Parish marks 25 years — and a lot more history
The North Philadelphia parish is the result of a merger of three parishes going back as far as 175 years. Mass attendance is strong by the mostly resident African American congregation, joined by Hispanics and Filipinos.
Special kids enjoy a day of their own at St. Michael’s parish fair
The crowds and sounds can be overwhelming for some children, so for 40 years St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Levittown has set aside one day at its carnival with an easier pace. The fair, begun in 1954, runs through July 8.
Cute, yes, but little ones gain serious skills at Casa del Carmen
Parents of the 5-year-olds who graduated from the Catholic Social Service agency's preschool June 20 know their kids are better prepared academically and socially, with more confidence, thanks to the program.
At-risk teens go from hard knocks to high hopes at St. Francis-St. Vincent
When Mason Rainey's family broke up in North Philadelphia, he was in "rebellion" until he came to a Catholic Social Services program where he learned discipline and loved the staff like family. Now he's a graduate heading to the Navy.
‘Putting Mary everywhere’ goal of St. Veronica’s parishioners
The faithful filled the parish church and its chapel, St. Hugh's, with exuberant worship and energized the streets with prayer during a grand rosary procession last Sunday afternoon in North Philadelphia.