News
New ideas, personal touch lead to whopping rise in Seminary Appeal
Generally speaking, if you run an annual fundraising campaign and the end result is 10 percent over the previous year, you can consider it a great success. If that’s true what would you call a 74 percent increase? That’s the case with the annual St. Charles Borromeo Seminary Appeal. Last year's appeal raised $1,595,705. This year's raised $3,051,668, up $1,455,963. It's an all-time high, and counting.
Beyond fundraising, St. Charles Seminary’s rector lays plans for stronger footing
In retrospect, 2012-13 St. Charles Seminary Appeal “was a great appeal,” said the seminary’s rector, Bishop Timothy C. Senior. “I think this is about the present and the future and it is a realization that St. Charles Seminary is alive and well there is a real sense of the future."
Media parish hosts holy hour to pray, reflect on religious freedom
When all else seemingly fails, prayer is still the answer. At Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Media, a Holy Hour for Religious Freedom was observed on the evening of Monday, July 1. This was a parish response to this year’s Fortnight for Freedom, the June 21-July 4 period of prayer and action called for by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in light of what is seen as assaults on religious liberty.
Bishop urges House to resist cutting, restructuring nutrition programs
WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The House of Representatives passed a bill that defers funding for SNAP, once known as food stamps. The nutrition and agricultural sections of the farm bill have long been joined together in an effort to amass votes from urban and rural lawmakers for each other's interests, but the House leadership said it would deal later with nutrition issues.
St. Raymond’s partnership creates new school playground
It’s been over two years in the planning, but the wait was worth it. St. Raymond of Penafort School in the Mount Airy-Cedarbrook section of the city has a brand new playground which officially opened in mid-June, just in time for the parish summer camp.
St. Hubert’s alumnae plans ‘Bambies on the Beach’ trip
The St. Hubert Alumnae Association will host “Bambies by the Beach” on Saturday, Aug. 10 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Keenan’s Irish Pub at 113 Olde New Jersey Avenue in North Wildwood, NJ. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door. Limited spots are available for round-trip bus transportation from St. Hubert’s to Keenan’s […]
Vatican updates laws; pope expands jurisdiction of Vatican court
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has approved a major updating of the criminal laws of Vatican City State, including in areas dealing with child abuse and terrorism financing, and has ruled that any Vatican employee can be tried by the Vatican court for violating those laws. The laws were adopted by the Pontifical Commission […]
United Nations asks Vatican to account for all sex abuse allegations
GENEVA (CNS) — A United Nations’ committee concerned with children’s rights is requesting that the Vatican provide complete details about every accusation it has ever received of the sexual abuse of minors by clergy. The Committee on the Rights of the Child, which monitors implementation of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, […]
Men’s conference featuring Ukrainian Catholic archbishop coming to Yardley
All men are invited to a conference just for men Monday, July 15 at St. Ignatius Church, located at 999 Reading Avenue in Yardley. Msgr. Ralph Chieffo and Msgr. Myron Grabowsky will lead the men’s ministry event. The guest speaker will be Archbishop Stefan Soroka of the Ukrainian Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The event begins at […]
Deacon Harper of St. Athanasius Parish dies at 67, known for spirituality, service
Deacon Sidney M. Harper, 67, a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, died June 29. Born in Philadelphia the son of William and Edna Harper, he attended St. Elizabeth School, Holy Child School and Cardinal Dougherty High School and Cheney University. “Our parents weren’t Catholic, but we went to Catholic school and were raised Catholic,” said his sister, Beverly Harper. “My parents insisted we go to Mass every Sunday, and every morning, before anyone else was awake, Sidney and my mother would pray together.”