News
St. Mary of Providence ready to have fun
St. Mary of Providence Center will hold its annual festival and open house Sunday, Aug. 19 from 1 to 6 p.m. at the center, 227 Isabella Rd., Elverson. The festival will include tours of the historic Potts Mansion, food, raffles and fun and games for the whole family. Parking is free, and the event will […]
Erie, Pa. diocese gets new bishop
Pope Benedict XVI appointed Msgr. Lawrence T. Persico, a priest of the Diocese of Greensburg, in western Pennsylvania, as bishop of Erie, Pa., July 31. Bishop-elect Persico was born in Monessen, Pa., in 1950 and was ordained a priest in 1977. Currently he is vicar general for the Greensburg Diocese and pastor of St. James […]
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, […]
Syrian opposition groups appeal for cease-fire
ROME (CNS) — Representatives of a dozen Syrian opposition groups called for a cease-fire in their homeland and the beginning of an internationally mediated dialogue to bring democracy to the country. Meeting in Rome July 25-26, the groups, which included some inspired by Islam, said they are “firmly opposed to any discrimination based on religious […]
Perkasie sisters competing for U.S. at Olympics
Two Mount St. Joseph Academy graduates will represent the United States at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Katie (class of 2008) and Julia (class of 2009) Reinprecht of Perkasie, Bucks County, have each been named to the U.S. women’s field hockey team. The sisters took a year off from their studies at Princeton University […]
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 […]
Bishop Nelson Perez ordained in N.Y. diocese
ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (CNS) — At a joy-filled liturgy rich in symbolic tradition, the Diocese of Rockville Centre’s two newest auxiliary bishops were ordained at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre July 25. Introducing Bishops Nelson J. Perez and Robert J. Brennan, Bishop William F. Murphy, who heads the diocese, instructed the congregation to “see […]
Bishop says ‘false hearsay’ linking him to claim hurts diocese, family
WHEELING, W.Va. (CNS) — Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of Wheeling-Charleston said the “false hearsay statements” made against him at the recently concluded Philadelphia trial of two priests on sex abuse-related charges have hurt him, his family and the people of his diocese. In a July 23 letter to the priests and people of the Wheeling-Charleston […]
CRS: Funding for relief aid did not violate church teaching
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholic Relief Services said that $5.3 million in emergency funding it provided to the humanitarian organization CARE in 2010 under a U.S. government grant did not violate Catholic teaching. In postings on its website July 20 and July 24, the U.S. bishops’ international development and relief agency explained that the money it […]
Faith-based AIDS workers defend efforts at White House meeting
WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholic and other faith-based workers defended their efforts against the worldwide AIDS pandemic in a meeting at the White House after a United Nations official cautioned that any restrictions in services based on religious belief could result in reduced support from funders. The workers said during the July 24 meeting that their […]