Archdiocese Sponsors Traditional Marriage March

The Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia is the sole sponsor of its kind supporting a traditional-marriage march in D.C.

When organizers and activists march on Washington D.C. in support of traditional marriage, only one archdiocese in the country will be recognized as a sponsor of the event: ours. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia is currently the sole diocesan sponsor of the upcoming Marriage March on March 26. The event is planned in conjunction with the Supreme Court’s hearings on the constitutionality of California’s Proposition 8, which outlawed same-sex marriages in California. “We believe it is imperative that political leaders, the media, and the culture see that we care about protecting marriage enough to stand up and march for it,” the group said on its website. Supporters of the march include several state and national pastor groups…

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Star Thrower

9:44 am on Thursday, March 28, 2013

You better find an alternate way of comprehension roid .. the 100 times the number of sexual abuses by teacher than by priest .. stands on its own merit - and if you do the math and divide 4.5 M by 11,000 it actually appears more than 400 times the number .. seems you are still posting nothing whatsoever, to refute the findings that I referenced .. my credibility continues upward old boy, while …   more ›

Archdiocese of Phila Merges Parishes

Two North Philly parishes are being combined.

Schools to Reopen Wednesday

Both public and parochial schools back to normal Oct. 31.

After two days being shut down by Hurricane Sandy, public and parochial schools will reopen Wednesday. The Archdioceses of Philadelphia and the School District of Philadelphia announced Tuesday afternoon that city schools are ready to teach students Oct. 31. "Archdiocesan high schools and parish elementary schools in the city of Philadelphia will re-open on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012 on a normal schedule," spokesperson Kenneth Gavin said. However, that's not an across the board opening for Catholic schools.  "Decisions regarding the re-opening of Archdiocesan high schools and parish elementary schools in the suburban counties are made on the local level. School families in those areas should check normal communication channels to see if …

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Archdiocese: Schools to Form Independent System

Faith in the Future Foundation will manage new Philadelphia Catholic school system.

Continuing a year of restructuring, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced Tuesday it would create a new independently managed Catholic school system for area high schools and special education schools. In a press conference at St. Hubert's High School in Northeast Philadelphia, Archbishop Charles Chaput said the Faith in the Future Foundation—which oversaw the mergings and closings of elementary schools earlier this year—would manage 17 high schools and four special education schools beginning Sept. 1. Chaput said the independent system would focus on major fundraising, enrollment management, marketing and cultivating best practices in leadership and education. "The willingness of lay leaders with a love for Catholic education to step …

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Archdiocese Promotes Two Admins to Superintendent Positions

Dr. Carol A. Cary and Jacqueline P. Coccia will serves as leaders for secondary and elementary schools, respectively.

Two officials within the archdiocese were promoted to lead parochial schools for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, according to a news release Thursday. Dr. Carol A. Cary and Jacqueline P. Coccia were named superintendents for the 17 secondary and 123 elementary schools, respectively. Both immediately took roles—unlike the School District of Philadelphia's new superintendent, who won't start until October. "The Archdiocese of Philadelphia undertook an extensive, national search and looked to outside counsel to ensure that we selected candidates that best exemplify the skill-set needed to lead the students of the Archdiocese in the 21st century," said Bishop Michael Fitzgerald in a news release. He oversees Catholic Education for the …

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Sad, Reflective Goodbye From Closing Manayunk Churches

St. Lucy's, St. Josaphat's and St. Mary's held final masses Sunday.

Local historian Sylvia Myers should know a lot about St. Lucy's Church in Manayunk—at age 88 she's spent a bulk of her life coming to the corner of Green Lane and Smick Street for Sunday service. On July 1, Myers and many parishoners at St. Lucy's, St. Mary of the Assumption and St. Josaphat's Catholic Churches gathered for the final time to say goodbye to their closing churches. Myers baked a cake to honor the church's passing. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia had decided Manayunk couldn't support five separate Catholic parishes financially or through attendance, and Sunday marked the final services before the churches merge into St. John the Baptist and Church of the Holy Family. Each of three churches was founded more than 100 years ago …

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Final Mass for Three Manayunk Churches

St. Mary of the Assumption, St. Lucy's and St. Josaphat's to close Sunday.

Three of Manayunk's five Catholic churches will celebrate mass for the final time Sunday. St. Mary of the Assumption, St. Lucy's and St. Josaphat's will close their churches, with parishioners merging into St. John the Baptist and Church of the Holy Family after July 1. Each church will mark one last mass Sunday. Below are times for final services: The services will be followed by light refreshments. Members from the three churches will also lead the July 4 Parade in Roxborough on Wednesday. In addition, July 8 marks the first mass at the new parishes.

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Three Closing Catholic Churches Lead July 4 Parade

Sts. Lucy, Josaphat and Mary's churches march in last parade.

Manayunk's three closing Catholic churches will say goodbye to the community on July 4. During the 182nd Independence Day parade in Roxborough, St. Mary of the Assumption will lead the procession, with members from St. Lucy's and St. Josaphat's accompanying them. The event is organized by the 21st Ward Fourth of July Association, Assistant Parade Marshal Carol Spangenberg said. "It's so sad for these churches and their members for them to close. We will all miss them," she said. Earlier this year, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced that Manayunk's five Catholic churches would merge at two sites—St. John the Baptist and Church of the Holy Family. Although the three buildings will be available for weddings, funerals and Holy Days, for…

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IHM Students Earn National First in Math Honors

Andorra Catholic school places in top 100 of 4,000 U.S. schools.

Outpacing more than 4,000 schools nationwide, the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in Andorra earned First in Math honors. Students at the elementary school ranked among the top 100 schools nationwide to compete in the competitive math online program. More than 4,000 public, parochial and private schools vied for mathematics supremacy. Twenty-one schools within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia cracked the top 100. In addition to the in-school component, IHM encouraged parents to keep the math success going in the summer. The school reminded parents recently that First in Math accounts stay active through July 31—so hit those math problems. Nearly 1.4 million students are active nationally in the program for grades K to 8. The …

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