Brother James Gavin, who served at Saint John’s for many years and who is now deceased, did not like the way that Americans celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. Brother James was born and raised in Ireland. He was appalled that Americans […]
People sometimes say to me, “have a good Lent”. I reply, in jest, “No, I hope that you have a miserable Lent”. After all, Lent is supposed to be grim, isn’t it? As a young child, we gave up something […]
Pope Francis is critically ill and no one knows the outcome of his illness. Catholics are praying for him. On February 10, the Holy Father issued a letter to all bishops of the United States about immigration. This letter was […]
This Saturday, February 22, we had our annual Firefighters’ Mass to pray for all firefighters and especially those who gave their lives protecting the lives and property of others. Fire is a fierce and sometimes cruel force. We were horrified […]
Since announcing the capital campaign, I have been uneasy. We have prepared materials to explain the need and I know that there are many people who love Saint John’s. So why uneasy? Because we need a lot of money. What […]
Happy Valentine’s Day! Valentine’s Day is the most romantic day of the year, a day for young people to spend time with their beloved ones. On Valentine’s Day, people also recall all loved ones–parents, grandparents, children. There is a tinge […]
Saint John’s is a beautiful Church, old and often needing repairs, but overall well maintained. However, we now face a serious crisis, a predicament that threatens Saint John’s survival! Behind the church and friary, there is a courtyard. The courtyard […]
On January 5, the feast of the 4th bishop of Philadelphia, Saint John Neumann, the current bishop, Nelson Perez, released a pastoral letter. Archbishop Perez considers his 2025 letter to be pivotal in his leadership of the Archdiocese and he […]
On Saturday, January 11, at 1:02 AM, a man climbed the fence on Ludlow Street and slipped into our cemetery. He crossed the cemetery and quickly climbed the wall of the church, using one of the large plaques as support. […]
Two of the four Gospels tell the story of the birth of Jesus, though from different perspectives. However, both introduce Jesus to the world as a poor child, who prefers the company of poor and outcast people. In Luke’s Gospel, […]