Profile
He follows the fishermen’s steps toward priesthood
Since he was a kid, Thomas O'Donald loved spending time on the water at Rehoboth Bay fishing, crabbing, boating. As a priest to be ordained May 21, he will soon be fishing in the manner of the apostles. See the next in our series on the four men to be ordained priests for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Would-be football coach will be a new priest this May
Mark Cavara always loved football, and he sees parallels between coaching and priestly ministry. When he is ordained soon he will continue a recent string of vocations from his home parish, St. Agnes in West Chester. See the next in our series on the four men to be ordained priests for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
From Temple to cathedral: One man’s path to priesthood
Matt Biedrzycki might have laughed at the idea of becoming a priest while at Northeast Catholic High School. But while attending Temple University, he had a conversion experience through the Newman Center and began discerning the call to priesthood. See the first in our series of profiles of the four men to be ordained priests for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on May 21 at the cathedral.
From playground to pro hoops, Beck remains a Philly guy
Ernie Beck has been a basketball star and fan his whole life, from Southwest Philly to Penn to the Philadelphia Warriors. The devout Sacred Heart parishioner still loves the game and roots for the local teams.
New vicar sees the beauty of multicultural Catholic Church
Vincentian Father Gregory Semeniuk is the Philadelphia Archdiocese's new head of cultural ministries, a task he sees as blending sacraments and catechesis with social ministry programs.
She affirms life, right to the end
As a hospice-care nurse, Bunny Dugan believes she is called to accompany people as their life ends and they go into the next, where “God is preparing a place for us.”
Malvern’s new man aims to focus on forgiveness
After a successful career in social services, Mark Poletunow, the new president of Malvern Retreat House, wants to help people deepen their relationship with Jesus, who can heal their brokenness.
In rapidly changing field, he keeps Catholic identity constant
James Amato, new secretary for Catholic Human Services, has seen seen a lot in his 32 years of social work in the Philadelphia Archdiocese. He knows how to adapt to new models of care and government funding.
A look back on a life of leading the helpers’ of God’s children
Joseph J. Sweeney Jr. retired as head of the 2,300 employees of Catholic Human Services of the Philadelphia Archdiocese. He reflects on his La Sallian education and 31 years of service to the church.
Malvern Retreat chief steps down, but not out of Catholic life
A longtime teacher and educational leader, and former seminarian, James Fitzsimmons reflects on retirement from the oldest and largest Catholic retreat center in the country.