In less than a week I’ll be home in Philadelphia and hopefully – finally – back to the normal life of a great diocese. I use that word “great” deliberately. What makes Philadelphia unique is not its legacy, or industries, or universities, or cultural centers. All these things are important, but they’re just words until we remember the people who give them life.

En menos de una semana estaré en casa en Filadelfia y espero –finalmente– de regreso a la vida normal de una gran diócesis; uso deliberadamente la palabra «gran». Lo que hace único a Filadelfia no es su legado, o industrias o universidades o centros culturales. Todas estas cosas son importantes, pero son sólo palabras hasta que recordamos a las personas que les dan vida.

The StoneMor Scholars initiative was announced in August 2015 and provides one freshman student at each Archdiocese of Philadelphia high school with a partial scholarship, in the amount of $3,000 per scholar, during the 2015-2016 school year.

The Papal Choir of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will be performing at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.

Throughout his recent visit to Philadelphia, Pope Francis showed great sensitivity to the beauty and challenges of everyday family life, and people rightly responded with gratitude and enthusiasm.

Saint Mary of the Assumption (Philadelphia) will no longer serve as a worship site of Saint John the Baptist Parish (Philadelphia) and will close as a Roman Catholic Church

Bishop Michael J. Fitzgerald will be the principal celebrant and homilist at the Annual World Mission Sunday Mass. After the once-in-a-lifetime World Meeting of Families and Papal Visit, the celebration this year is even more special. The Mass commemorates the vital work of Mission churches throughout the world and the support extended to their efforts by the faithful of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

The Church can be truthful without being merciful. But she can’t be merciful without being truthful.

A medida que el Sínodo de los Obispos sobre la Familia cierra su segunda semana en un enjambre de atención de los medios de comunicación y algunas interpretaciones muy diferentes, podría ser un buen momento para recordar un punto simple.