News
St. Joseph Prep students collect 22,000 books for book bank
Adrienne Jacoby, executive director of Philadelphia Reads accepted 22,000 new and gently used children’s books collected by Joseph Coyle’s English class at St. Joseph Preparatory Academy. The Dec. 21 donation is the single largest donation of books to the Book Bank — a free teacher book store operated by Philadelphia Reads.
For Pope, 2011 was year of evangelization, travel and technology
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — An interfaith meeting in Assisi, a new book on Jesus of Nazareth and a website-launching tap on an iPad were among the highlights of 2011 for Pope Benedict XVI. Although the year saw a further cutback in individual papal audiences, the 84-year-old Pope still enjoyed a productive and busy 12 months, […]
Midnight Masses canceled in Iraq because of growing security concerns
LONDON (CNS) — Chaldean Catholic officials have canceled traditional Christmas Eve midnight Masses because of security risks. Chaldean Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk in northern Iraq told the agency Aid to the Church in Need that Christians will spend Christmas in “great fear” because of the risk of new attacks.
Youth perform “Live Nativity” at St. Robert Parish
On Thursday, Dec. 15, the St. Robert Bellarmine Youth Ministry Program in Warminster presented “Live Nativity – The Christmas Story Comes to Life.” The main cast and crew included students from St. Joseph/St. Robert School, PREP, and parish youth through 12th grade. Supporting cast consisted of live sheep, donkeys and llamas. […]
More than 1,000 attend Cardinal John Foley’s funeral Mass
One thing was crystal clear at the Dec. 16 funeral for Cardinal John P. Foley, 76, at Philadelphia’s Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul. The man was loved. Technically the thousand or so at the Mass were mourners, but the word just doesn’t seem to fit, because it was basically a happy gathering remembering […]
Pope advances sainthood causes of Marianne Cope, Kateri Tekakwitha
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI advanced the sainthood causes of Blessed Marianne Cope of Molokai and Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. He also formally recognized the martyrdom of 64 victims of the Spanish Civil War and advanced the causes of 18 other men and women. During a meeting Dec. 19 with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect […]
A loving remembrance of John Cardinal Foley
Click on links to 35 articles, reflections, photo galleries and videos about the late Cardinal John P. Foley’s life and his enduring legacy. In the CatholicPhilly.com’s comprehensive package: Funeral coverage, obituary, statements from Pope Benedict XVI and Archbishop Charles Chaput; and homilies by Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Thomas and New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, plus video […]
Parish schools demonstrate season’s spirit of giving
In Holland, St. Bede the Venerable students visited homebound parishioners during the annual Advent Day of Prayer Dec. 13. Seventh grade students joined seniors for lunch; kindergarteners and eighth grade students sang Christmas carols after the meal.
Dr. Rosalie Mirenda, president of Neumann University, on Cardinal Foley
I am writing to add my voice to the scores of others that have already sung the praises of John Cardinal Foley. Truly a man of the people, Cardinal Foley could engage anyone in genuine conversation because of his heartfelt belief that every human being is a child of God and worthy of sincere respect. […]
Archbishop Timothy Dolan’s homily for Cardinal John Foley’s funeral Mass
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us!” It is the celebration of that mystery of the Incarnation that we await this Advent season, as we long to hear those inspired poetic lines from the Prologue of the Gospel of John the Evangelist on Christmas morning. It is the mystery of the ongoing […]