Philadelphia’s First Catholic Cathedral
...races its history to 1763, when a second church was needed for the growing number of Catholics in the city. Built on land originally bought to serve as a cemetery for Old St. Joseph’s, Old St. Mary’s was referred to as “Mission Number 1” as St. Joseph’s was seen as
Parish and School Closing
...2, Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua announced plans to examine the closing of a number of parishes in North Philadelphia and the city of Chester. Both areas saw a major decrease in parishioners, with both areas losing around 60% of registered members from 1970 to 1990. Due to this and lingering financial
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
Monsignor Francis X. Meehan
...ts Simon and Jude in West Chester. During his time as pastor, a new parish center was built in 1991, followed by a new church in 2005. Additionally, Monsignor Meehan expanded lay ministries and groups, establishing a Men’s Bible Study and Evangelization Committee, to name a few. Monsignor Meehan would