By Sue Denny • Posted December 5, 2025

The year was 1955.

Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine was introduced to the public.

The Western television series “Gunsmoke” debuted on CBS.

Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald’s franchise.

Coca-Cola was sold for the first time in cans.

In Philadelphia, Archbishop John Francis O’Hara (who was named a cardinal in 1958) hosted a Christmas party for children served by then-Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. A new tradition was born.

The initial party was small, simple, and stately. Archbishop O’Hara greeted his young guests, dressed in their Sunday best, as they waited patiently in a receiving line. “Good afternoon, your Eminence,” each child recited, just as they had rehearsed.

Fast forward to 2025. The annual Christmas party has evolved over seven decades into a year-round fundraising initiative known as the Archbishop’s Benefit for Children. Its purpose is to raise money to support more than a dozen Catholic Charities of Philadelphia (CCoP) programs for children, youth, and families throughout the Philadelphia region

Amy Stoner, outgoing party organizer and retiring director of Catholic Charities’ Community Based and Housing and Homeless Services Division, says today’s celebrations are larger, less formal, and far more elaborate than early productions.

“We have changed with the times,” said Stoner.“ We try to do things that capture the kids’ attention.”

The focus remains on the fun and the religious message. The party is a beloved tradition, much anticipated by kids and adults alike. Even employees from the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown in Center City Philadelphia, the longtime party venue, look forward to it.

“It’s one of our favorite events of the year,” said hotel general manager Chuck Goldberg.

The Dec. 9 bash is expected to draw 500 children, primarily in PreK through grade 4, who benefit from the charitable agency’s community-based and residential programs.

Father Christopher M. Walsh, pastor of St. Cecilia Parish in Northeast Philadelphia, says the party reflects the heart of the Church’s mission. He has served as the emcee for at least eight years.

“This is a first-class event for kids who are often from difficult circumstances,” said Father Walsh. “They are served. They are cared for.”

Pre-party activities kick off at 12:30 p.m. with a live Nativity scene – complete with a camel, donkey, and sheep – at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center across from the Sheraton.

Children will then move to the hotel and ride the escalator to a ballroom festively decorated around this year’s theme, The Nutcracker.

Stoner says they try to focus on a Christmas theme and “weave in the birth of Christ and the real meaning of Christmas.”

At 2 p.m., Father Walsh will take the stage to welcome guests including Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez, and friends from St. Cecilia school and parish. The latter will perform an original skit that incorporates elements of The Nutcracker and the Christmas story, the biblical account of Jesus’ birth.

Guests will enjoy refreshments, costumed characters, singers and dancers, and performances by the St. Rose of Lima children’s choir. Actor and singer Kamal Bostic-Smith, a former CCoP employee, will also perform.

No Christmas party would be complete without a visit from Santa Claus. During event preparations, organizers asked invited guests to provide their Christmas “wish list.” Santa and his elves (student volunteers from archdiocesan and private Catholic high schools) will distribute wrapped presents donated by local schools and Archdiocesan Pastoral Center employees.

Festivities will conclude with a special surprise to celebrate the milestone anniversary.

“It’s going to be over the top,” Stoner promised.

“Events like these are the Catholic Church at its best,” Father Walsh said. “People coming together, sharing their gifts, and giving glory to God. It’s a great way to celebrate the birth of Jesus.”

Stoner has organized the annual celebration for 20 years with a small team of co-workers. For the past decade,  CCoP employee Cindy Volkert has assisted with planning and preparations. She credits Stoner and her tireless efforts for the party’s huge success.

“Amy is the guiding force behind the Archbishop’s Christmas Party,” Volkert said. “She is involved in every detail, always with a focus on how to make the party special for the kids.”

As a Delaware County social worker, Stoner brought a group of  children to her first party in 1987. She hasn’t missed one in 38 years. When asked to recall her most vivid memories, Stoner immediately mentioned Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M., Cap. One year, the party theme was “Rudolph,” and Stoner said she somehow persuaded Archbishop Chaput to wear reindeer antlers.

“From that moment on, no matter what the theme was, we would make the most over-the-top hat for him,” she recalled. He wore a shepherd’s cap on his head and a drum around his waist for the Little Drummer Boy party and donned a railroad conductor’s cap when the party theme was the Polar Express.

“Every year people were surprised that I could talk him (Archbishop Chaput) into it,” Stoner said. “A lot of people thought this was out of character.”

He embraced it for the kids.

Past themes have included the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Las Posadas, “Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus!”, the Christmas Sneaker Ball, and most recently the Archbishop’s Christmas Jam.

After a nearly four-decade career, Stoner is retiring at the end of December, so this is her last year as chief party planner.

“I just want to leave this joyfully, not sad,” she said. “It was great to be a part of it. It was as memorable for me as it was for the children.”

To learn more about the Archbishop’s Benefit for Children or to make a donation, visit https://archbishopsbenefitforchildren.org.

For more information about Catholic Charities of Philadelphia, visit ccphila.org.