Posted December 31, 2008

Christians in the Archdiocese prayed for peace in Pakistan Jan. 3 following the assassination of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. In December, they would pray again after deadly terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India.

Reflecting the ethnic spanersity of the Archdiocese, Honduran Catholics filled Visitation B.V.M. Church in Philadelphia to commemorate the feast of Our Lady of Suyapa, patroness of Honduras.

Darby, Delaware County, is home to a growing community of Nigerians, including Catholics from that country and others who have become members of Blessed Virgin Mary Parish.

Catholics from 50 nationalities attended the annual Migration Mass at the Cathedral in March. The Mass included prayer petitions in nine languages and sacred music sung by 11 choirs of various nationalities.

San Antonio Archbishop Jose Gomez addressed Hispanic leaders during a visit to Philadelphia April 15. It was followed by the third annual convocation of Hispanic Ministry held at St. Charles Seminary and attended by religious, lay and archdiocesan representatives working in ministry to the region’s growing Catholic Latino population.

A videoconfrence link at the Catholic Institute for Evangelization enabled immigrants to speak to their families in Latin America and China free of cost. The link was made possible by Jim and Jacki Delaney, parishioners of St. John Baptist Vianney in Gladwyne.

Hispanic Catholics from across the Archdiocese gathered at the Cathedral for the annual Hispanic Heritage Mass, celebrated by the Cardinal.

Catholics welcomed the debut of a weekly Spanish-language TV Mass in late October, the product of collaboration between the Archdiocese and the Telemundo network.