Local News
Professor at Seminary, Villanova U Named to Vatican Committee on History
Last month Pope Leo XIV named Dr. Francesco Cesareo a member of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, which works “to preserve and nurture historical truth,” said the distinguished professor of history.
St. Charles Seminary Releases Annual Report
St. Charles Borromeo Seminary welcomed 140 seminarians during the 2025-26 academic year and celebrated 20 ordinations to the priesthood in 2026, according to its latest annual report.
‘American Idol’ Finalist to Headline 12th Annual AbbeyFest
Performer Danny Gokey will cap the day-long celebration of the Christian music festival, which includes Mass and adoration, for the second year at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown.

Photo features
St. Francis of Assisi Dedicates Rebuilt School Building After 2024 Fire
The Delaware County school community gathered Sept. 1 to celebrate the dedication and blessing of its rebuilt primary building, which was destroyed by a fire in October 2024.
Photos: Seminarians Return to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary
Seminarians returned to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary Aug. 25 for the start of the 2026-27 academic year, marking 195 years of priestly formation. See a photo gallery.
Spirituality
Work of Healing Relationships Done With Love, in Model of Jesus’ Passion
The readings for this Sunday concern reconciliation when the bonds of communion among persons are damaged or broken. Jesus directs us to work together, with His help, to heal those wounds, writes Msgr. Joseph Prior.
The Messiah Who Suffers, and Calls Us to Follow
God saves us not by avoiding suffering but by bearing it, entering into it and transforming it from within, and showing us the way we should follow Jesus each day, writes Father Eric Banecker.
Vatican News
This Week: Church Aids Victims of Nepal Floods, Works for Peace in Ukraine
CatholicPhilly presents a weekly roundup of international news from Vatican News, the official news portal of the Holy See. The following report on the week of August 23, 2026 links to stories on VaticanNews.va.

People and Events
Archdiocesan Office of Catholic Education Announces HR Leadership Transition
The Office of Catholic Education announced Aug. 19 that longtime Human Resources Director James J. Molnar will transition to a part-time leadership development role Oct. 1 as Jessa Lodovici, a veteran Archdiocesan HR manager and Rising Stars Leadership Program graduate, prepares to succeed him.
Local Parishioner Named to Xavier Society for the Blind’s Board of Directors
Bill McCann, founder of the assistive music technology company Dancing Dots and a parishioner of St. Isaac Jogues Parish in Wayne, has been appointed to the board of directors of Xavier Society for the Blind.
Dr. Allison Vinci Appointed Principal of Archbishop Carroll High School
Archbishop John Carroll High School has named longtime administrator Allison Vinci, Ed.D., as its next principal following more than two decades of service in academic and leadership roles at the Radnor school.
Commentaries
The Difference One Person Can Make
Our smallest acts of love, including especially the gift of our active listening to the people God has placed in our lives, have tremendous value, writes Anne DeSantis.

USCCB
U.S. Bishops’ Initiative to Inform Communities on the Danger of Abortion Pills Includes Prayer, Education, and Advocacy
Calendar of Events
Philadelphia Legal Community Invited to Gather for Annual Red Mass
The annual Red Mass will bring members of the Philadelphia legal community together for prayer and reflection.
National Centre for Padre Pio Announces Feast Day Celebrations
The National Centre for Padre Pio will host ten days of prayer, family activities, and Italian traditions from Sept. 14 to Sept. 23, honoring the Feast of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina.
Cantus Angelorum Cathedral Children’s Choir Open House Sept. 19
Young singers in grades 3-12 and their families are invited to learn more about the Cathedral’s children’s choir at an Open House Sept. 19.
250th Anniversary
Quakers’ Toleration Led Skeptical Young Nation to Accept Catholics as Americans
Catholics were present in colonial America but faced restrictions and discrimination. In Philadelphia, the cradle of religious liberty, they found freedom to worship and earned respect from their peers.
Not All Were Patriots: Remembering American Catholics Loyal to the British Crown
While many noted 18th century Catholics sided with the American patriots during the Revolution, numerous lesser-known Catholics sided with Crown forces – and paid a price when they left Philadelphia.
Catholics Had Prominent Roles in Last 3 Milestone Celebrations of America’s Founding
The large-scale commemorations of 1876, 1926, and 1976 in Philadelphia saw contributions and leadership from the Catholic community, a local historian points out.
George Meade’s Catholic Faith Made Him a Merchant of the Revolution
The Philadelphia philanthropist and father of 10 played a major economic role in funding the American colonists’ eventual victory over the British empire.
Catholic Faith Shaped Commodore John Barry’s Life, Service in American Revolution
The Irish immigrant’s legacy and his imprint on the United States Navy affords him a permanent place of honor in Philadelphia.


