Local News
At 50 years old, Christ the King Parish proud of much, including its school
When Father James Callahan celebrated the 50th anniversary Mass for his parish, Christ the King, in the Morrell Park section of Philadelphia on June 23, it was on the exact date that the very first Mass was celebrated by Father Arthur Woods, the founding pastor. Today its 36 different programs and groups provide ministry from the cradle to the grave and all stops in between.
For kids’ sake, 2 merging city parishes run summer program together
Vacation Bible Schools are always fun. Take the group of 25 or so children attending Bible School at the former Our Lady of Consolation School in the Tacony section of Northeast Philadelphia June 24-28. What was different about this particular Vacation Bible School is it was jointly run by two parishes – Our Lady of Consolation and St. Leo the Great. The two are set to merge at OLC July 1, part of a large wave of mergers in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Planners in both parishes were surprised how smoothly it was going.
St. Gabriel’s sees record 142 graduates receive diploma, tech certification
With 142 young men graduating with a diploma and career technical education certificate, St. Gabriel’s System is marking the most graduates since 1985. Officials attribute the rise to the tracking of court-adjudicated young men and boys who have completed the residential program at St. Gabriel’s Hall in Audubon and to the investments made in a night school, which gives students more options to further their education.
St. John’s Hospice marks 50 years of serving the homeless with gala
St. John’s Hospice, which opened its doors Sept. 7, 1963 to serve the needs of homeless and hungry men in the city of Philadelphia, will celebrate 50 years of service with an anniversary gala to raise funds in support of its mission.
Catholic presence at Battle of Gettysburg still shines 150 years later
They were Poles, Austrians, Germans, Czechs, Italians, Irish -- especially Irish -- and they had one thing in common. They were Catholics, many of them new immigrants but loyal Americans. Seven score and 10 years ago, as Abraham Lincoln might say, many of them participated in the crucial Battle of Gettysburg July 1-3, 1863. Certainly Catholicism was still very much a minority religion in 19th century America, but Catholics were there.
CatholicPhilly.com wins two national Catholic awards
CatholicPhilly.com won two awards from the Catholic Press Association at a presentation June 21, part of the annual Catholic Media Convention in Denver, Colo. The official news website of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and digital successor to The Catholic Standard and Times won third place for “Best General Publisher Website.” The award citation noted CatholicPhilly.com’s […]
Philadelphia’s immigration lessons: How fear and hatred led to 19th century riots
During sectarian riots, two Catholic churches were burned to the ground, another was saved only by military intervention. Virtually every Catholic church in Philadelphia County was threatened. Scores of houses were destroyed and dozens of people were killed. It happened in Philadelphia 169 years ago, but it still has lessons for today. Kenneth W. Milano, a Kensington historian who recently wrote “The Philadelphia Nativist Riots: Irish Kensington Erupts” (History Press, $19.99), gave a lecture on the riots at St. Michael Church (which was rebuilt two years after the riots) on June 20.
U.S. Reps. discuss ‘gross injustice’ of HHS mandate at forum
When does government regulation interfere with the constitutional right of freedom of religion? This question was at the heart of a forum titled “Religious Freedom and the HHS Mandates” held June 21 at the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center in Philadelphia. Among the panelists were U.S. Congressmen Joe Pitts, Diane Black and Chris Smith. All three are strongly committed to the pro-life cause.
New Evangelization, life and family ministry focus of archdiocesan changes
Last June the Archdiocese of Philadelphia created the Office for Life, Family and Laity, with Steven Bozza as director, to lead the local Church’s efforts in those areas. The office represented a consolidation of former offices and personnel. One year later, the office is undergoing another evolution. Starting July 1, it will be reconfigured into […]
Bishop McDevitt grad last of a long line of high-achieving siblings
There had to be a bit of déjà vu for Mike and Mary DiCamillo and their family when Sophia, the youngest of their six children, stepped up to the podium on June 5 at Arcadia University as valedictorian for the Bishop McDevitt High School, Class of 2013, commencement exercises. She is the fourth member of the family to be McDevitt’s valedictorian.