News
Powerful preacher, devoted Deacon Champagne dies at 83
Deacon , 83, a retired permanent deacon previously assigned to Our Lady of Hope (formerly Holy Child) Parish, Philadelphia, died Sept. 9. Born Baptist, he was brought to the Catholic faith through the example of his future wife Lenora Robinson. He was actually received into the Church while serving in the U.S. Army and they […]
Permanent deacon and Polish WWII veteran dies at 89
Retired Permanent Deacon Boleslaw S. Wojewadka, who served in St. Hedwig and St. Katharine Drexel Parishes in Chester and Sacred Heart Parish in Clifton Heights, died Sept. 8. Deacon Wojewadka was born May 14, 1923 near Tarnopol, which was then part of Poland. He was taken from his home by the Russians in 1940 near […]
Pastor of Ascension Parish suspended for abuse allegations
Father Michael Chapman, 56, pastor of Ascension of Our Lord Parish in Philadelphia, has been placed on administrative leave by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput following allegations of sexual abuse of minors. The priest was suspended in March 2011 for an alleged violation of the Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s guidelines […]
At workshop for catechists, Archbishop Chaput tells how to ‘render unto God’
The 150 or so catechists who attended the Sept. 13 Fall Professional Development Day at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary were in for a special treat – their own catechist for the day was Archbishop Charles Chaput. His topic — issues to consider in this election year, especially life issues — was at the top of […]
Archdiocese’s shore home for priests sold for $4.5 million
A vacation house at the South Jersey shore used by generations of elderly priests was sold at auction by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for $4.5 million Sept. 15. Steve and Ilene Berger of Newtown Square won the bidding at $4.125 million for Villa St. Joseph by the Sea, a 19-room, 9,800-square-foot mansion in Ventnor, N.J., […]
Getting ready for a Year of Faith
Before I was a bishop and even before I became a priest, I was a Capuchin Franciscan. The Capuchins were a reform movement within the Franciscan community. They wanted to get back to the real St. Francis; the radical, simple St. Francis. History calls Francis the vir Catolicus — the embodiment of everything a Catholic believer should be; a person filled with faith, joy, simplicity, courage, charity and zeal for Jesus Christ. Francis had all these qualities, and of course even non-Catholics remember him because of his love for life and nature, and his witness for peace.
Archbishop announces clerical appointment
Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M.Cap., has appointed Most Reverend Joseph F. Martino as Vicar for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, effective immediately.
Pope Benedict arrives in Lebanon as ‘pilgrim of peace’
BEIRUT (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI arrived in Lebanon Sept. 14, saying that he came “as a pilgrim of peace, as a friend of God and as a friend of men.” In his remarks at a welcoming ceremony at Beirut’s airport, Pope Benedict praised Lebanon, with a mixed population of Christians and Muslims, for its […]
Gov. Corbett, Archbishop Chaput rally for education at Bonner/Prendie
The Faith in the Future Foundation used a Sept. 13 visit to an assembly at Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, a large contingent of state legislators and Archbishop Charles Chaput as a backdrop to unveil “E20K: Educate 20,000” an ambitious program to increase enrollment in the high schools to 20,000 students in coming years.
Woman marks 100th birthday with balloon ride
Miriam Krause’s wish to celebrate her 100th birthday by going on a hot air balloon ride came true Sept. 11 thanks to the Twilight Wish Foundation, the Doylestown organization that grants wishes for seniors. Miriam is a resident of St. Martha Manor, a skilled nursing home of Catholic Health Care Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, […]