Local News
Faith meets expertise
By Lou BaldwinSpecial to The CS&T Mary Flannery, who was recently appointed director of marketing and public relations at Malvern Retreat House, the nation’s largest Catholic retreat center, had quite a different career plan when she entered college. After childhood in Blue Bell and education at Gwynedd-Mercy Academy, she entered Georgetown University, where she graduated […]
Twins for life
By Lou BaldwinSpecial to The CS&T Twins Maura and Briana Druding definitely have pro-life genes in them. Seniors at Archbishop Ryan High School in Northeast Philadelphia, they are lifers with Ryan for Life. Members since their freshman year, the girls made their fourth trek to Washington, D.C., for the annual Rally and March for Life […]
At 86, a priest still on the move
By Lou BaldwinSpecial to The CS&T Father Joseph T. Murphy takes seriously the line from his ordination rite almost 64 years ago, “Thou art a priest forever.” Despite his 86 years and having suffered a stroke last year he still celebrates Mass regularly for the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart in Wyncote and the people […]
Continuous commitment to the Church
By Lou BaldwinSpecial to The CS&T Joe Briscella’s parents knew what they were doing when they gave him his baptismal name. Like his great patron saint, Joe is really a behind-the-scenes guy. Think of him as an ordinary man who does extraordinary things. “I don’t like things to be about myself,” he said. “I’m a […]
Life-long city man promotes vocations from inner city
By Lou BaldwinSpecial to The CS&T Royal E. (Gene) Brown believes in commitment. Although he is a vice president of treasury services for Independence Blue Cross, where he has been employed for 34 years, and could live anywhere he wants, he’s still committed to his South Philadelphia neighborhood of birth and St. Charles Borromeo Parish. […]
Faith cornerstone of shop, owner
By Elizabeth FisherSpecial to The CS&T Ava Puma once earned a six-figure income and drove a Porsche. She lived the good life until a terrible accident changed her forever. Now, she said, she lives a more blessed life. Puma is the owner of the Ave Maria Shop, a vast Catholic religious store in Morrisville that […]
Uniting Iraqi families in America
By Lou BaldwinSpecial to The CS&T UPPER UWCHLAN – Jesus never elaborated much about the Good Samaritan, other than that he saw a need and acted when others didn’t. Chances are, he wasn’t coming down that road to purposely do a good deed, and he probably looked around to make certain the robbers who assaulted […]
Fulfillment found in service to noted addiction rehab
By Lou BaldwinSpecial to The CS&T KING OF PRUSSIA — Karl Sprow, a community relations representative for Father Martin’s Ashley in Havre de Grace, Md., bases his own spirituality on the Serenity Prayer of American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr: “God grant me the serenity to change accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the […]
Meet ‘the Rambo of the Ambo’
By Lou BaldwinSpecial to The CS&T PHILADELPHIA – Deacon William E. Champagne was honored for his 16 years of service as a permanent deacon by Our Lady of Hope Parish on North Broad Street last Saturday. At this point his service is limited to faithful witness because at 81 he is living with dementia. It’s […]
Twins spread joy, help Santa
By Christie L. ChicoineCS&T Staff Writer One is more efficient when sorting presents, the other is a better gift wrapper, but twins Andrew and Nicholas Shafer are both equally enthused when it comes to making sure all kids receive a Christmas gift. The 18-year-old seniors from La Salle College High School in Wyndmoor, Montgomery County, […]