Community Newsbriefs

Newly merged Tacony parish welcomes new pastor, holds street procession

Bishop Michael J. Fitzgerald (center) celebrates Mass for the installation of Father Joseph L. Farrell (left), pastor of Our Lady of Consolation Parish in the city’s Tacony section Sunday, Aug. 4. Father Tomas J. Dunleavy, dean for the parishes in upper Northeast Philadelphia and lower bucks County (Deanery 11), also concelebrated the Mass. To the […]

St. Jerome parishioners sit under stars for family movie night

Members of St. Jerome Parish in Northeast Philadelphia gathered on the parish lawn June 17 for the first family movie night of the summer. Parishioners young and old enjoyed a beautiful summer evening of community spirit watching “Wreck-It Ralph.” The movie night was hosted by the parents of St. Jerome School.

Church-run youth programs win grant for effort to stop bullying

Two Out of School Time programs (OST) have won a $10,000 grant to support an anti-bullying campaign. The programs, run by Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, serve 50 students in the summer camps at St. Martin de Porres in North Philadelphia and De Paul School in Germantown.

Archbishop Ryan HS hires new principal with long experience at school

James Meredith has been named the new principal of Archbishop Ryan High School in Northeast Philadelphia, where he has been serving as assistant principal for academic affairs since July 2006. Meredith has served in teaching and administrative positions at Ryan since August 2001.

Mass celebrates St. Kateri Tekawitha

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput was the main celebrant and homilist at a Mass of Thanksgiving for the canonization of St. Kateri Tekakwitha on Sunday, July 14. Native American Catholics from across the Archdiocese of Philadelphia attended Mass dressed in their native garb. St. Kateri is the first Native American to be declared a saint. She […]

Doylestown shrine hosts 1,300 for national Bible conference

More than 1,300 people learned about the word of God during the National Catholic Bible Conference held June 21-22 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown. It was the second consecutive year the conference was held in the Philadelphia region. Renowned speakers Jeff Cavins and Scott Hahn (shown at right) joined nine […]

Knights set record for giving $167 million, 70 million volunteer hours, in 2012

The Knights of Columbus set a new all-time record for charitable donations and service hours in 2012, according to the results of an annual survey of activity by the New Haven, Conn.-based fraternal organization for the year ending Dec. 31, 2012. The Knights’ financial contribution for the year grew by more than $9.4 million to […]

St. Gabriel’s Hall wins award for keeping resident boys healthy, fit

St. Gabriel’s Hall of Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia recently won a Silver Award and $1,000 from the HealthierUS School Challenge, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As part of the challenge St. Gabriel’s improved the health of its students by offering healthy items on its school lunch menu […]

Parishioners, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart celebrate 100 years of faith in Ottsville

The centennial celebration of service to St. John the Baptist Parish, Ottsville, by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart culminated with a 2.5 mile procession through the Bucks County town and nine days of special liturgies, including a closing Mass on June 23 celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Timothy C. Senior.

Six women take vows as Little Sisters of the Poor

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York presided at the Mass of Religious Profession as six young women made their first vows as Little Sisters of the Poor on June 1 at St. Ann’s Novitiate in Queens Village, N.Y. The order of sisters operates Holy Family Home for the Aged at 5300 Chester Avenue in West Philadelphia.