St. Peter Claver

...1906.[12] Eventually, the parish became the mother church for the growing number of Black Catholic churches in the city. The church would continue to play an important part in the lives of Black Catholics until its closure in 1985.[13] Despite the church’s closure, the spirit of the parish lived on

Continue reading

Philadelphia’s Third Archbishop

...The transition in leadership from Ryan to Prendergast seemed to have been fairly seamless, with Prendergast following a course similar to the one his predecessor had set with the goal of catering to the rapidly growing Catholic population and expanding diocese. Multiple parishes and parish schools were erected, especially ethnic

Continue reading

Cardinal Dougherty and His Golden Jubilee

...f over 100 new parishes, Catholicism flourished in the Archdiocese and the number of Catholics continued to increase. Halvey_483 Dougherty’s Golden Jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood was seen as a way to honor his work in expanding the Church as well as celebrating Catholic life in the city.

Continue reading

The Church and Labor

...tates. Archbishop Patrick Ryan was active in labor relations, working on a number of occasions as a mediator between management and labor unions to bring about peace resolutions. In a 1953 Labor Day speech, John Cardinal O’Hara rejoiced in the work that had been done to restore the dignity of

Continue reading