Local News
Parishioners are speaking of faith — in 20 languages
The latest head count figures in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia show a diverse tapestry of people worshiping God in the liturgy at their parishes each weekend in English, Spanish and 18 other languages.
Parish Mass attendance drops again, but cultural diversity surging
Last year’s October Count showed 222,371 Catholics attended weekend Masses during the month in the 217 parishes of the archdiocese. The figure is down from 234,453 in October 2015 after Pope Francis' visit to the city.
Free course, study guides help Christians learn of persecution
Christians face persecution in countries around the world. A new free online course and materials from the University of Notre Dame help individuals, parish groups and schools learn about the issue and ways to help.
Blind priest of Allentown Diocese sees no obstacle in serving his flock
Father Bernard Ezaki, who studied at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, uses the power of the spoken word, and humor, to overcome blindness and serve his parishioners in Easton, Pa.
They listened for God’s voice in the New Mexico wilderness
Five local young men joined a group of some 100 participants last month for two weeks of hiking through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northeastern New Mexico on the St. George Trek, a vocations retreat.
Indian Catholics celebrate their faith and ethnic heritage
Two parish communities of the Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara Catholic rites joined to celebrate their shared Indian heritage and Christian faith with a Mass and party including Indian food, music and dance.
Is addiction sin or sickness? A complex and timely inquiry
In our series “The Opioid Epidemic: A Catholic Perspective,” moral theologians offer guidance not only for people seeking healing in this time of national drug abuse emergency, but also for society and the world.
Nazi salute ‘compounds the obscenity’ of racism, Archbishop Chaput says
Last weekend's violence in Charlottesville matters because it's a snapshot of our public unraveling into real hatreds brutally expressed and a collapse of restraint, the archbishop said in a statement.
Clergy assignment changes announced
Archbishop Charles Chaput approved the following nine appointments for priests and a permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Half of archdiocesan high schools to see leadership changes
At nine of Philadelphia’s 17 archdiocesan high schools, the 2017-18 school year will open with four schools welcoming a new president, four welcoming a new principal and one with both a new president and new principal.