Local News
Parish-to-parish procession celebrates the Eucharist in Bucks County
When St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish, Yardley, and St. John the Evangelist Parish, Morrisville, held their second annual joint Corpus Christi Procession on June 2, they were following a time-honored tradition that one does not usually see in this part of the world. Locally it traces back a couple of years ago to when Lisa Kopernowski, a member of St. Ignatius Parish, saw a Corpus Christi procession from somewhere in Europe on the Internet, and she was intrigued. “What a great idea,” she thought, “why don’t we have Corpus Christi processions in America?”
Papal honors bestowed on two local Catholics
Donna Farrell, the former communications director for the Philadelphia Archdiocese and Richard V. McCarron, former archdiocesan secretary of Catholic education, both received papal recognition at a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput June 2 at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul.
15 men ordained deacons at Cathedral
Archbishop Charles Chaput ordained 15 married men of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to the permanent diaconate on Saturday, June 1 at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul. Almost all of the new deacons are college graduates and in keeping with the trend of Catholic migration to the suburbs, only one is a member of a Philadelphia parish.
Assignments for clergy in Archdiocese announced
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput announces 99 changes in assignment for priests and deacons in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Parishes in four regions of Philadelphia Archdiocese to merge July 1
Twenty-four parishes will merge into 10 as a result of the latest wave of parish consolidations in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s parish planning initiative. Archbishop Charles J. Chaput accepted the recommendations for the mergers from the Archdiocesan Strategic Planning Committee, and pastors at the affected parishes informed parishioners during all Saturday evening and Sunday morning Masses June 1-2. The mergers, in which the parishes will form new, consolidated parishes with some of the churches becoming worship sites, are occurring in four geographic areas: Lower Northeast Philadelphia, Northwest Philadelphia, West Philadelphia and Delaware County.
Graduate School of Theology confers degrees on laity, religious
More than 30 lay people and religious sisters received degrees or certificates at graduation ceremonies May 25 of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Graduate School of Theology and Program of Catholic Studies.
Jenkintown parishioner earns top honors at Boston College graduation
Jenkintown resident Claire Kelly Geruson graduated with cum laude distinction from Boston College on May 20 and received the Rev. Edward H. Finnegan, S.J., Award, given to the student who best exemplifies the spirit of the college's motto, "Ever to Excel," and presented to Geruson from among some 2,200 students of her graduating class. She is a 2009 graduate of Mount St. Joseph Academy in Flourtown and Ancillae Assumpta Academy in Wyncote.
Graduation ceremonies planned for 17 archdiocesan high schools
The schedule for baccalaureate Masses and commencement exercises for the graduating seniors of the 17 high schools of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in coming days is as follows:
Pact allows Bishop Shanahan students to study engineering through Widener U
Students of Bishop Shanahan High School, Downingtown, who aspire to be engineers can get a jump start on their college education thanks to an agreement signed May 29 with Widener University. Starting this fall qualified junior and senior Bishop Shanahan students can start taking Widener School of Engineering courses at a rate of only $500 per two-credit course – discounted significantly from the normal $2,440 cost -- and can earn up to four credits toward their engineering degree before graduating from high school.
All Saints, St. John Cantius parishes to merge in Philadelphia
Two parishes in the Bridesburg section of Northeast Philadelphia will merge beginning July 1, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced Sunday, May 26. All Saints Parish and St. John Cantius Parish will merge to become a new parish at the site of St. John Cantius, with All Saints Church remaining “a worship site for the time being,” according to a statement by the archdiocese.