Profile
Growing the faith and selling all the tea in China
Temple University professor and devout Catholic John Smagula sees "the hand of God" in his travels to China, where he helps poor Catholic farmers market their tea to make money and to evangelize.
Special parents see the blessings of raising special twins
The Schueller family of Warrington faces the hard work presented by the special needs of their children. Parents Tom and Lorraine don’t focus on the challenges, because with any family, there are always challenges.
Insider writes the book on healthy marriage and family
Christopher Roberts is one of the lead authors of the catechesis for the World Meeting of Families used by parishes and families. He and his wife are Ph.D. theologians, but they're really offering church teaching on family life from their lived experience.
Pregnant at 16, Anne chose adoption for her baby
After marrying and raising three sons, Anne Hinnegan now tells the story of her own teenage crisis, the loving support her parents gave and the choice she made for the life of a daughter she has never met.
What Mom’s love can do
One woman’s compassion to help her lonely and underfed elderly neighbors became the driving force behind Aid For Friends 40 years ago. Today the Schiavone family keeps her mission going strong by providing 460,000 free meals, and company, each year to old and sick people.
Adopting an attitude for life
In the first of CatholicPhilly.com’s series “Faithful Families,” examining Catholic families in the preparatory time before the 2015 World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, meet two Montgomery County couples who between them have adopted seven children. The two moms also teach young people the value of adoption as a choice for life.
He’s living with epilepsy, and on a mission
Dan Dougherty of St. Luke Parish in Glenside lives a full, active life as he works through the difficulties of epilepsy and other challenges that help him see God’s plan for his life.
Serving up the Gospel at home and abroad
Tim Masterson loves his job bartending in Media, but his true vocation is using his spare time to help people in the poorest parts of the world. At his own expense he goes from B.V.M. Parish in Darby to Southeast Asia and Latin America, bringing his Catholic faith and his generosity.
Some seeds take time to cultivate
Deacon Michael Pascarella, who has been named to lead the permanent diaconate ministry in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, hesitated when he heard God’s call to ordained ministry as a child, as a young man, and as a family man. Then he answered, and by grace, his life and ministry are full.
Menna helping children to fall in love with Jesus
As the new head of the Philadelphia Archdiocese’s Office of Catechetical Formation, Ann Menna works enthusiastically with parishes to find new and exciting ways to make the Catholic faith attractive to young people.