Local News
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.
Indian Catholics celebrate their faith and ethnic heritage
Two parish communities of the Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara Catholic rites joined to celebrate their shared Indian heritage and Christian faith with a Mass and party including Indian food, music and dance.
Is addiction sin or sickness? A complex and timely inquiry
In our series “The Opioid Epidemic: A Catholic Perspective,” moral theologians offer guidance not only for people seeking healing in this time of national drug abuse emergency, but also for society and the world.