News
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.
Work, decent wages give people dignity, help families, says bishop
WASHINGTON (CNS) — On the 75th anniversary of the creation of a federal minimum wage, Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., addressed a Senate hearing June 25 about the importance of fair wages and the dignity of work. He said, “The new bishop of Rome, Pope Francis, recently remarked that work ‘fills us with […]
Vatican acquires archive of pope’s former archdiocesan TV station
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican Television Center has acquired and can distribute hundreds of hours of television images of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires from 2005 until his election as Pope Francis in March. The images were filmed by Canal 21, the television station owned by the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires; the […]
Knights set record for giving $167 million, 70 million volunteer hours, in 2012
The Knights of Columbus set a new all-time record for charitable donations and service hours in 2012, according to the results of an annual survey of activity by the New Haven, Conn.-based fraternal organization for the year ending Dec. 31, 2012. The Knights’ financial contribution for the year grew by more than $9.4 million to […]
At Vatican, Salt and Light Television screens documentary on synod
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As the Catholic Church prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the world Synod of Bishops in 2015, the Vatican and Canada’s Salt and Light Television thought it was time to let more people into the synod hall. The result is the documentary, “Go and Teach,” which was screened June 26 […]
European churches welcome EU move to link aid to religious freedom
OXFORD, England (CNS) — Churches in Europe have welcomed pledges by the European Union to make financial help for countries around the world conditional on their protection of religious freedom. The Brussels-based Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community, COMECE, said June 25 that action was needed “given the systematic and increasing violations […]
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.
St. Gabriel’s Hall wins award for keeping resident boys healthy, fit
St. Gabriel’s Hall of Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia recently won a Silver Award and $1,000 from the HealthierUS School Challenge, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As part of the challenge St. Gabriel’s improved the health of its students by offering healthy items on its school lunch menu […]