See scenes from the June 22 blessing and dedication by Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of the historic papal cross—first erected for Pope St. John Paul II’s 1979 Philadelphia visit, later located at the former St. Charles Borromeo Seminary’s Overbrook campus, and now permanently placed and blessed at Malvern Retreat House.
The cross stood for more than four decades at the former campus of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary at City and Lancaster avenues before being refurbished and installed on the Malvern Retreat House’s 125-acre property in fall 2024. Read our coverage from the blessing here. (Photos by Sarah Webb)
A crowd gathers around the Saint John Paul II Papal Cross during its dedication ceremony at Malvern Retreat House on June 22. The cross, originally constructed for the pope’s 1979 Mass in Philadelphia, now stands as a permanent fixture on the retreat house’s grounds. (Photo by Sarah Webb)
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