Local News
Ending DACA will only worsen immigration issues, archbishop says
Archbishop Charles Chaput asks the people of the Philadelphia Archdiocese to "press their federal lawmakers to find a positive legislative replacement for DACA," and prevent the deportation of immigrant young people.
Villanova’s Center for Church Management welcomes new director
Matt Manion, formerly at the Catholic Leadership Institute in Wayne, succeeds founding director Dr. Charles Zech at the Villanova University program that teaches business skills to Catholic professionals, both clergy and laity.
Archdiocesan parishes to take up hurricane relief collection soon
Hurricane Harvey finally is moving on from its battering of Texas and Louisiana, but the collection to address the needs wrought by the storm’s devastation has already begun. Parishioners can contribute to a collection Sept. 16-17.
43 new men push St. Charles Seminary enrollment to highest in 14 years
Young men from high school, college and working professions began their journey toward priesthood on Aug. 22, Move-In Day at the Philadelphia archdiocesan seminary, where enrollment continues to strengthen.
Bank pledges to rectify mishandled church donations
Some donations to the Catholic Charities Appeal and St. Charles Seminary Appeal did not make it into the archdiocese's accounts due to the actions of a TD Bank employee who was fired and faces charges. Parishioners received a letter detailing the matter in recent days.
Parishioners are speaking of faith — in 20 languages
The latest head count figures in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia show a diverse tapestry of people worshiping God in the liturgy at their parishes each weekend in English, Spanish and 18 other languages.
Parish Mass attendance drops again, but cultural diversity surging
Last year’s October Count showed 222,371 Catholics attended weekend Masses during the month in the 217 parishes of the archdiocese. The figure is down from 234,453 in October 2015 after Pope Francis' visit to the city.
Free course, study guides help Christians learn of persecution
Christians face persecution in countries around the world. A new free online course and materials from the University of Notre Dame help individuals, parish groups and schools learn about the issue and ways to help.
Blind priest of Allentown Diocese sees no obstacle in serving his flock
Father Bernard Ezaki, who studied at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, uses the power of the spoken word, and humor, to overcome blindness and serve his parishioners in Easton, Pa.
They listened for God’s voice in the New Mexico wilderness
Five local young men joined a group of some 100 participants last month for two weeks of hiking through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northeastern New Mexico on the St. George Trek, a vocations retreat.