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

Continue reading

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

...tholic worship and has given the country a shrine that rivals others from around the world. 1993.018 Box 1; CHRC For more on the Basilica visit our online catalog and our archives for material on the dedication or copies of Salve Regina. [1] “Overview of Shrine History, Significance and Current

Continue reading

World War One Army Chaplains

...chbishop Prendergast in 1906, Father Wolfe served as assistant pastor to a number of parishes including St. Patrick’s and Assumption B.V.M.[4] When the United States entered World War I, Father Wolfe applied to be an army chaplain, being first assigned to Camp Meade in Maryland. In May 1918, he was

Continue reading

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

Continue reading