Local News
Suspended priest arrested for sexual assault, related charges
Father Andrew McCormick, a 56-year-old archdiocesan priest, was arrested late Thursday, July 26 and charged with seven counts related to the sexual assault of a then 10-year-old altar boy in Philadelphia in 1997. The priest was arrested and charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child, […]
Local Catholics give $132K to retired religious
Catholics of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia donated $132,314 to support retired religious women and men this year, according to a letter of thanks dated July 6 from Most Precious Blood Sister Janice Bader, executive director of the National Religious Retirement Office to Archbishop Charles Chaput. Sister Bader, whose office sponsors the annual national appeal, said […]
Holy Family U unveils plans for senior/student housing, athletic fields near NE Philly campus
Some of the details are yet to be worked out, but the planned acquisition of the 32-acre site of the former Liddonfield Housing Project in Philadelphia’s Upper Holmesburg section will go a long way toward easing overcrowding at the main campus of Holy Family University, located 1.4 miles north in Torresdale. On July 20, Estelle […]
At 50, St. Hilary’s still a welcoming parish in Rydal
Archbishop John Krol must have been in a theological mood in 1962. Three of the five parishes established that year were named for doctors of the Church. St. Hilary of Poitiers in Rydal, which is named for a 4th century theologian, was among them. It was founded on June 6th out of territory taken from […]
Archdiocese welcomes not one, but two new superintendents of schools
The one shall become two. Former archdiocesan Superintendent of Schools Mary Rochford, who retired at the end of the school term in June, is succeeded by two women in a position that splits the responsibilities Rochford held. Dr. Carol A. Cary is the new Superintendent of Secondary Schools and Jacqueline P. Coccia is the new Superintendent of Elementary Schools, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s Office of Catholic Education (OCE) announced July 19.
Friends reflect on Bishop-elect Nelson Perez before his ordination July 25
When Felicia Navarro thinks of Bishop-elect Nelson J. Perez, she feels a sense of irony. Navarro felt called by God to leave her hometown in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, on Long Island in New York, two years ago to become the director of religious education (DRE) at St. Cecilia Parish in Coatesville, Chester County. […]
Former coach arrested for allegedly making false claims of sex abuse against other coaches
A former lacrosse coach at Lansdale Catholic High School was arrested July 17 in Montgomery County for allegedly sending false claims of sexual abuse by coaches at the school in anonymous emails to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Timothy Udinski, who last coached boys’ lacrosse at Lansdale Catholic in the 2010-2011 season, was charged with harassment and stalking by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.
More than a slogan: St. Thomas More grads plan to support Catholic schools ‘forever more’
Their web site is “stmforever.com” and the alumni of St. Thomas More High School, which had a brief run in West Philadelphia from 1936 to 1975, truly mean it. It easily has one of the most active and loyal alumni bases in the Archdiocese and they annually show their affection for their old school and […]
IHM congregation installs new general superior, leadership team
IMMACULATA, Pa. (CNS) — Sister Lorraine McGrew was installed as general superior of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, along with other members of the congregational leadership team, at a ceremony in the chapel of the Villa Maria House of Studies in Immaculata. Sister McGrew and her team will provide spiritual leadership […]
Franklin Institute speakers address mix of science and religion
Science and religion came together in an unusual way July 12 at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. As part of its exhibit on the Dead Sea Scrolls, running until Oct. 14, the institute is hosting a seven-part lecture series about topics that compliment the scrolls. Hillary Olson, director of Integrated Programming, said planners of the […]