Canonization of Saint John Neumann

At the age of 48, Bishop John Nepomucene Neumann passed away on January 5, 1860 from a heart attack. In his short time as bishop of Philadelphia, Neumann built 89 churches, set up the modern Catholic school system, introduced the Forty Hours Devotion, and founded the Third Order of Saint

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Alliance of Catholic Women

In the fall of 1916, a new organization, the Alliance of Catholic Women (ACW) of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, was officially founded with the approval of Archbishop Prendergast. The Alliance’s constitution stated that it was “organized for the allying of all charitable, educational, civic, and social activities of Catholic women.”[1]

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41st International Eucharistic Congress

In 1976, Philadelphia hosted a major event unrelated to the bicentennial celebrations. It was the 41st International Eucharistic Congress (IEC), which brought Catholics together from around the world to celebrate and discuss a theme connected to the Eucharist. The history of the event dates back to 1881, when a one

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Dougherty’s Movie Boycott

On May 23, 1934, Cardinal Dougherty called on all Catholics living in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to boycott motion picture theaters.[1] By doing so, Dougherty declared it sinful for any of the area’s 800,000 Catholics to enter a movie theater. In his letter to the priests of the Archdiocese, Dougherty

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