Three new priests ordained for Archdiocese

Archbishop Charles Chaput ordained Sean Loomis, John Stokely and Thomas Viviano to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on Saturday, May 18 at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul.

Six men ordained transitional deacons

Archbishop Charles Chaput ordained six new transitional deacons on Saturday, May 11 at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary. The deacons will serve in a parish during the next year prior to their expected ordination as priests in May 2014.

New rosary garden at Our Lady of the Assumption blessed by Archbishop

Archbishop Charles Chaput visited Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Strafford, Chester County, on Sunday May 5.  After celebrating the 11:30 a.m. Mass in the church, the archbishop led the congregation outside to the new rosary garden and blessed it. Afterward Msgr. Joseph Marino, pastor, led the people in praying the rosary. Parishioners stood on stones representing each bead as they prayed along. (Photos by Sarah Webb)

Bishop Joseph McFadden: A life of service to the Church

Bishop Joseph McFadden, who died May 2 in Philadelphia, served the Archdiocese of Philadelphia first as a priest after his ordination in 1981, and then as a bishop after ordination to the episcopate in 2004. Photos by Sarah Webb and others show his loving service, prayerfulness and friendliness throughout his 65 years.

Rite of Institution to the Ministry of Lector

Six seminarians from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, along with eight men from the dioceses of Allentown, Harrisburg, Raleigh and Trenton, were instituted in the ministry of lector on Saturday, April 27 at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.

The wartime parish — scenes from a Philadelphia priest chaplain in Afghanistan

Starting last April, Father Stephen McDermott, a Philadelphia priest and U.S. Army chaplain, spent a year ministering to the service personnel and civilians in Afghanistan. The priest was recently awarded the Army’s Bronze Star Medal for his ministry. Our photo gallery shows scenes from what he considers his far-flung parish. See our full story.

Blessed Virgin Mary Parish celebrates 100th Anniversary

Blessed Virgin Mary, Darby, where Archbishop Charles Chaput celebrated a 100th anniversary Mass on Sunday, April 14, is diverse — it always was and probably always will be.

Charismatic Renewal at St. Mary Magdalen Parish

The annual Catholic Charismatic Conference, “The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength,” was celebrated April 6 at St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Media, where approximately 400 joyful Catholic Charismatics converged. (Photos by Sarah Webb)

Triduum marks the end of the Lenten season

The summit of the Church’s liturgical year is the Easter Triduum — from the evening of Holy Thursday to the evening of Easter Sunday.

The following photos by CatholicPhilly.com staff photographer Sarah Webb capture the liturgies of the Triduum this year in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Stations of the Cross: A meditation in glass

The Stations of the Cross began as the practice of pious pilgrims to Jerusalem who would retrace the final journey of Jesus Christ to Calvary. Later, for the many who wanted to pass along the same route, but could not make the trip to Jerusalem, a practice developed that eventually took the form of the 14 stations currently found in almost every Catholic church in the world. The images of this popular devotion shown here with quotations from Scripture, are from St. Anne Church in Philadelphia. (Photos by Sarah Webb)