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, […]
The Gospel of Matthew tells us that Magi, wise men, saw a star that was unusual, not supposed to be there. These men were astrologers who studied the night sky and who saw a start that was new. The night […]
Christmas isn’t a day; it is a season. There is a silly controversy in society over whether we should say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays”, or perhaps “Seasons Greetings”. For us Christians, this season is a sacred time and the […]
We celebrate Christmas this week. Jesus was born among the poor in a cave near Bethlehem where animals were kept. The first witnesses to the holy birth were shepherds. While the Jewish and Roman leaders slept in their homes, the […]
Beginning on Christmas, the Catholic Church will begin the celebration of a “jubilee year”. Jubilee celebrations harken back to the Old Testament where every 50 years all debts were to be forgiven and all slaves freed. Ever since 1300, when […]
For the past two and a half years, Christ in the City missionaries have been attending our 12:05 weekday Masses. These young Catholics walk the streets of Center City befriending our homeless neighbors. This year there are 17 missionaries in […]
For months now, I have been telling you that we must soon begin a capital project and raise one million dollars. The patio behind the church is crumbling and under that deteriorating patio are the mechanical systems that keep our […]
My fellow Americans. We recently elected Donald Trump as president of the United States. Some of you reading my words are happy; others of you are not happy at all. I was in Hong Kong on election day. I was […]
I write this message from Hong Kong where I am preaching the annual retreat to the bishops and priests of Hong Kong and Macau. When I was assigned to Saint John the Evangelist Church in 1991, I began to work […]