Local News
Archbishop Ryan student takes pro-life stance seriously
By Lou BaldwinSpecial to The CS&T Casey Schwartz, a member of Northeast Philadelphia’s Our Lady of Calvary Parish and a senior at Archbishop Ryan High School, traveled to Washington for the Jan. 22 annual March for Life, but she skipped the rally and march and headed straight to the source. Her day was spent giving […]
St. Luke teacher receives accolade
By Christie L. ChicoineCS&T Staff Writer GLENSIDE – Had Elva M. FitzGerald not put family first, she most likely would be working as a forest ranger today. Instead, FitzGerald, 56, has devoted nearly three decades to a teaching career at St. Luke the Evangelist School in Glenside, a job that came to be when she […]
A lifetime devoted to catechesis
By Christie L. ChicoineCS&T Staff Writer HILLTOWN – Catechist. Director of Parish Religious Education for the Philadelphia Archdiocese. President of the Archdiocesan DRE Association. Coordinator of Assessment in the Office of the Catechism of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award honoree. Marie C. Scanlon, 71, has held many catechetical titles, […]
Two decades as a ‘seminary mother’
By Christie L. ChicoineCS&T Staff Writer WYNNEWOOD – A wife and mother of five grown daughters, the executive secretary of the Archdiocese’s Vocation Office for the Diocesan Priesthood at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary always believed she would have a son. God works in mysterious ways. “I always wanted a little boy,” said Lucille Nazzario, 68, […]
Santa Claus enjoys gift-giving mission
By Lou BaldwinSpecial to The CS&T “I really am Santa Claus,” he said. “Call me St. Nicholas or St. Nick if you like. “Never,” he added with a twinkle, “call me Old Nick. He’s quite a different fellow.” There he sat in his ermine-trimmed crimson suit and stocking cap, which by trick of the soft […]
‘I can’t live without God in my life’
By Lou BaldwinSpecial to The CS&T PHILADELPHIA -If you are looking for programs in Hispanic ministry at Holy Innocents Parish in the Juniata Park section of Philadelphia Ani Figueroa is the go-to person, which means she’s pretty busy because Hispanics have become the majority ethnicity in the parish. Originally from Salina, Puerto Rico, and formerly […]
A family brought together by God
By Lou BaldwinSpecial to The CS&T It was what they call an unplanned pregnancy. “Jane” was in her late teens and unmarried with a baby on the way. The best thing, she thought, was to have an abortion. But she kept putting it off; maybe part of her was repulsed by the idea. Finally, in […]
A wrapping Christmas ‘elf’
By Christie L. ChicoineCS&T Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD – As a Santa’s helper, 18-year-old Julia McGrath is all set for the December duties and festivities that accompany the archdiocesan-sponsored Operation Santa Claus: collecting toys, cutting reams of wrapping paper, unraveling spools of curling ribbon, sorting, wrapping, bagging, boxing and delivering presents to children in need. A […]
Couple are ‘heart and soul’ of parish
By Lou BaldwinSpecial to The CS&T We really shouldn’t be writing about Patrick and Mary Ann Purcell. They never did anything that great and there are so many other people we could write about. That’s what they both say, but you be the judge. The Purcells, both 82, have been the heart and soul of […]
Beneficial’s president receives Barry Award
By Lou BaldwinSpecial to The CS&T As the recipient of the American Catholic Historical Society’s John Barry Award at the Union League of Philadelphia Nov. 20, Gerard P. Cuddy joins a distinguished list of presidents of Beneficial Bank who have been similarly honored. Former presidents George Knight, Joseph McLaughlin and John Gallagher also received the […]