Construction crews were moving dirt Monday morning, Sept. 29, managing a work site that Catholic Charities of Philadelphia aims to make part of a greater “City of God.”
That hymn rose from the voices of Catholic leaders, community advocates, business leaders, government partners, and the Archbishop Ryan High School choir echoing above the din of construction work to mark the groundbreaking ceremony for St. Katharine Drexel Place, a new senior affordable housing community spearheaded by Catholic Housing and Community Services (CHCS), a ministry of Catholic Charities of Philadelphia (CCoP).
>>>Photos: Catholic Charities Breaks Ground on Northeast Philly Senior Residence
“This space will be transformed and become a testament to the Church’s commitment to our beloved seniors in this community,” said Auxiliary Bishop John J. McIntyre during the ceremony and prayer service.
“With open hands and ready hearts, we now turn to God at the beginning of this project. We bring in prayer, our hopes and dreams for this new building dedicated to St. Katharine Drexel. We seek her intercession for the protection and safety of all those who will work on this site.”
Catholic Housing and Community Services Director Suzanne O’Grady Laurito speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for St. Katharine Drexel Place on Sept. 29. (Bradley Digital)
“It brings such joy,” said CHCS Director Suzanne O’Grady Laurito. “We see people on the day they sign their leases. They are crying. These are our seniors, our elders. They should be revered.”
“Our seniors on fixed incomes have great challenges, so to get them into safe, affordable housing that’s really beautiful, that reflects their innate God-given dignity, it’s just transformative for them,” she added.
The former friary for Franciscan priests and brothers who formerly taught at Archbishop Ryan, located next to the high school at 11051 Academy Road in Northeast Philadelphia, will be rehabilitated while builders construct a new three-story addition.
The community will feature 48 one-bedroom units for income-eligible seniors aged 62 and older. CHCS will offer case management, health services, and recreational activities at the location.
“The moment they walk across that threshold, they have their own home,” said CCOP Secretary and Executive Vice President Heather Huot.
“It’s a place of dignity, and it is a place where they can age gracefully and with a supportive and loving community around them.”
Leaders hope to complete construction and open by the fall of 2026.
The building has not been in regular use since 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic. Archbishop Ryan was involved with the building from the time the school opened in 1966. The school repurposed the building during the 2000s as residences for students from Asia.
“You also have all the technical complications. This is an old building,” said O’Grady Laurito.
“We had challenges with streets and just with a host of other things that we had to resolve including legal complications. I believe eight or nine different law firms were involved. These deals are complicated, but they’re so worth it, because the need for affordable housing is really critical.”
The former friary next to Archbishop Ryan High School, now being rehabilitated as part of the St. Katharine Drexel Place project, will soon house affordable senior apartments in Northeast Philadelphia. (Bradley Digital)
The $24 million project forged the efforts of numerous constituents across diverse political and economic lines, all within a private-public partnership spanning city, state and federal stakeholders, contracting and technical firms, private donors, and business partners.
“It’s a mix of tax credits, city funding, and alternative means of funding,” said O’Grady Laurito. “Pulling all of that in that capital stack is so complicated. CHCS also put in some of our own funds loaned into the development. We’re really fortunate that we have supporters and we’re in a place where we can do that.”
The community’s location at Archbishop Ryan also offers an opportunity for future service learning-experiences by students, and enabling them to build relationships that bridge the generational gap.
“It is our first location adjacent to an active Catholic high school, so what we are really foreseeing here is a lot of collaboration and activities between both the high school students and our residents, which will really just be a wonderful benefit to both communities,” said Huot.
“Seniors are often battling isolation and at times they also have feelings of not being valued as they grow older, so I think this gives them an opportunity to continue to share the skills and the experiences that they’ve learned with the younger generation. Then the younger generation (can) get them excited about some of the new technology and things that are going on in the world. It’s really a wonderful connection between both young and old.”
Leaders hope the result of the construction isn’t just a residence for seniors in economic need, but inspiration for the community at large.
“It is just so edifying, so encouraging,” said O’Grady Laurito. “The end product is this fabulous housing, but the heart of that story is everybody working together in something that is really positive, and needed to make a difference in the lives of our fellow human beings.”
St. Katharine Drexel Place is the eighth affordable senior living community developed and operated by CCoP. It joins:
– Father Augustus Tolton Place (Southwest Philadelphia)
– Nativity B.V.M. Place (Port Richmond)
– St. Francis Villa (Kensington)
– St. John Neumann Place I and II (South Philadelphia)
– St. Joseph Place (Collingdale)
– St. Rita Place (South Philadelphia)
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