The Bishop’s Bank

...ative population, these immigrants met the needs of a rapidly growing city looking for a pool of ready labor. Irishmen filled the manufacturing and construction jobs of an expanding industrial city. Irish women served as domestic servants, an occupation that was becoming an essential part of the lifestyle of the

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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

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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

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Archbishop Ryan

...focused on serving minorities in the community by serving on the Board of Indian Commissioners (appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt) and opening the first African-American parish, St. Peter’s Claver.[12] His work with the underserved could be seen most clearly in his connections with Saint Katharine Drexel. After the death of

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