September 23 is the feast of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, popularly known as Padre Pio. Padre Pio was a Capuchin priest who is famous because his body was marked by the wounds of Christ. Saint Francis of Assisi, whose feast […]
The Bishops of the United States are concerned that many Catholics do not understand Catholic teaching about the Holy Eucharist and do not appreciate the significance of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. We Catholics believe that the […]
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is initiating a major change in the way it will train its future priests. For many years, Saint Charles Seminary has been a massive presence in Wynnewood and hundreds of priests have been trained there. However, […]
Saint John Church is known for its young adult ministry, Jack’s Yacs (Saint John’s Young Adult Community). When I arrived as pastor in September,2022, young adult outreach was defunct. It disappeared during the long Covid shut down and it had […]
Many people from many places have told me how they used to regularly come to Saint John Church to pray and to “make a visit” to the Blessed Sacrament or to light a candle at our Lourdes Shrine. People remember […]
Today’s Gospel is the most disturbing story about Jesus in the New Testament. A pagan woman, not a Jew, came to Jesus to beg for the healing of her daughter. Jesus responded with a seemingly rude response, “It is not […]
On Saturday, August 26 our Jack’s Yacs young adults will “Light the City”. However, this is not just a young adults event. Everyone is welcome. We will begin with a vigil Mass at 7 PM, followed by some instructions and […]
Saint John Church is a place of prayer and peace in the midst of our busy Center City. During the course of a week, we offer 22 public Masses. Each Mass requires one or more lay volunteers, readers, extraordinary ministers […]
Three Capuchin friars from Bavaria arrived in Pittsburgh in 1873: Father Hyacinth Epp, Brother Eleutherius Guggenbichler, and Father Matthew Hau. Two years later a group of Westphalian (Germany) friars, headed by Father Anthony Schuermann, set up another foundation of Capuchin […]
Father Benjamin F. Madden, OFM Cap, died at St. Augustine Friary in Pittsburgh, PA, on Friday, 14 July 2023. He was 90. He was born on March 10, 1933 in Cumberland, Maryland. At his baptism at SS. Peter & Paul […]