St. Peter Claver
On March 26, 1889, Archbishop Patrick Ryan wrote to Mother Katharine Drexel to inform her that he had secured a priest to minister to the Black Catholics in Philadelphia.[1] There had been a growing need for a dedicated ministry for some time. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, Black Catholics
Starting from Scratch: The Story of Msgr. Hawks and St. Joan of Arc Parish
Msgr. Edward Hawks was born Feb 17, 1878 in Southern Wales. He moved to Canada to study for priesthood in the Anglican church. During the Open pulpit controversy, he converted to Catholicism and was ordained by Archbishop Prendergast in 1911. He served as a chaplain in the Canadian Expeditionary Force
Serra Club of Philadelphia
The goals of Serra International are twofold. First, Serra clubs are to foster vocations and assist in the education of young men to the priesthood. Second, they are to further Catholicism through enduring friendships among Catholic men. These goals were aligned with the creation of the Pontifical Work for Priestly
10th Synod
On December 8, 2000, Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua called for an Archdiocesan Synod to be held in 2002.[1] He planned it to build upon the years of preparation that were done for Catholic Life 2000 and the new Catholic millennium. A synod is a “group of selected priest and other member