Philadelphia’s First Bishop
...ffered the safety of religious tolerance, but 50 years passed before great numbers of Catholics settled in the colony. The English-born Jesuit, Reverend Joseph Greaton, lived in Maryland as early as 1720, and traveled to Philadelphia to offer Mass and administer the sacraments. By 1729, Father Greaton had taken up
Archbishop Ryan
...5, respectively.[10] Ryan was also active in labor relations, working on a number of occasions as a mediator before management and labor unions to bring about peace resolutions. The most notable was the city’s trolley car strike in 1885-1886. Ryan, serving as chairman of the negotiating committee, helped broker a
Parish and School Closing
...ey_667J_009 Halvey_667J_013 Halvey_677J_024 Parishes Merge In 1992, 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
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
...mainly a story of the Church in Washington D.C., Philadelphia would have a number of important connections to the building of the shrine, including Reverend Bernard McKenna, who acted as Shahan’s secretary from 1915-1929 and then as the first director of the shrine from 1929-1933.[6] McKenna was born in Philadelphia