Local News
Caregivers Are Not Alone, and a New Ministry of St. Alphonsus Parish Offers Them Support
The Maple Glen, Montgomery County parish becomes the fifth in the Archdiocese to launch Nourish for Caregivers on April 16 to give practical, emotional, and spiritual aid to those caring for spouses, aging parents, children, and others.
1,162 Catholics Enter Local Church This Year, Up 62% in a Year
The dramatic rise in new Catholics receiving baptism and the other sacraments of Christian initiation this Easter is nearly double that of 10 years ago, especially among young adults.
St. Francis’ Mission Lives on in Local Parishes, Ministries
In this Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi, the saint’s charisms of prayer and service are active in parishes named for him and in several organizations that serve the marginalized and care for creation.
All-Catholic Orchestra Performs Composition by One of its Alums
The annual concert held last month featured 60 musicians from local Catholic high schools. They presented a piece by professional composer Natalie Dolan, who played in the orchestra from 2016 to 2019.
Art of Jesus’ Death, Resurrection Leaves Parishioners ‘Awestruck’
A pair of brothers and their friends employed model-building skills to create an artistic tableau of five scenes capturing the events of Holy Week and Easter at Queen of Peace Parish in Ardsley.
Catholic Teacher Seeks Life-Saving Gift of Living Kidney Donor
Christina Behan, who teaches at Queen of Angels Catholic School in Willow Grove, leans on the power of prayer and good will from family, friends, strangers, and young students as she awaits a kidney transplant.
Area’s Catholic, Jewish Teens Become Friends in Faith
Pope John Paul II High School in Royersford and Barrack Hebrew Academy in Bryn Mawr continued a decades-long Catholic-Jewish dialogue that helps students grow in understanding of one another.
Deacons Hear One of Their Own Speak of Serving Those With Mental Illness
Deacon Ed Shoener, whose own daughter died by suicide, told a gathering of permanent deacons how to minister to the 20% of parishioners struggling with mental health issues.
Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez Appoints Reverend Eric J. Banecker as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Father Banecker, currently Pastor of Saint Mary Magdalen Parish in Media, will succeed Father Philip G. Bochanski as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia. The appointment takes effect June 15th.
‘The Son Always Rises’: SonRise Festival Offers Devotion at Dawn
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown brought Archbishop Pérez and about 60 young adults to a pre-Holy Week eucharistic encounter.