Thursday, March 14, 2013
The ruling takes effect this fall for Philadelphia-area Catholic Youth Organization teams, the archdiocese announced Thursday.
Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput has directed the archdiocese's Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) football league to begin allowing girls to play, the archdiocese announced Thursday. The league previously had a written policy to exclude girls from full-contact sports. Most people on a panel that recently studied the issue at Chaput's direction recommended preserving the policy, but Chaput decided otherwise, according to the archdiocese's announcement. An 11-year-old Bucks County girl played last fall before archdiocese officials told her she couldn't anymore. Caroline Pla, of Doylestown, and her parents launched a massive petition drive to lobby to change the policy, Doylestown Patch reported. The full statement from the …
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Part of the proceeds from the third-annual Mother of Divine Providence’s carnival will provide financial support to the new regional school.
Mother of Divine Providence (MDP) Catholic Church in King of Prussia held its third-annual Community Carnival Last week and according to organizers, the event has been hugely successful in bringing a closer sense of community from both parishioners and non-parishioners alike. "It’s not difficult at all when you have a community like we do," said Monica Pedano, carnival committee chairperson. "We are so blessed to have the community response that we have had." According to Pedano, the carnival, which took place on the grounds of MDP, was first suggested three years ago by then pastor Rev. Monsignor John Conway with the idea of growing community presence. The carnival has since become the parish’s largest event in terms of participation and …
40.094462
-75.38893
333 Allendale Rd, King of Prussia, PA
Mother Teresa Regional Catholic School
/articles/community-carnival-benefits-new-mother-teresa-regional-catholic-school-in-kop
/locations/7673630
Friday, April 6, 2012
Testimony continues in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia clergy abuse case.
According to Philly.com, a police detective who was once an alter boy at St. Titus Church in East Norriton took the stand yesterday to testify in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia clergy abuse case now underway in a Philladelphia court. The area man told the court that he was molested by Rev. Francis Trauger, in the early 1980s. The former altar boy testified that the priest took him to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary when he was 12-years-old to play basketball and fondled him in the shower. He also said Trauger took him to the Poconos months later and abused him for hours. According to the Archdiocese Trauger, who also served as assistant pastor at St. Matthew's in Conshohocken, was placed on administrative leave in 2003. Learn more about …
Friday, March 23, 2012
A blog called Catholics4Change has released what it's calling "The List Cardinal Bevilacqua Didn’t Want You to See."
With recent reports of priests who once served in the Norristown area being relieved of duty – Father Louis Bier, former pastor of St. Patrick's Church, who was removed from his new post in Springfield and Father Richard Powers, a retired priest who served at St. Patrick's over four decades ago, who was suspended in retirement – area Catholics are searching for answers from the Archdiocese. According to a Catholic blog, area faithful may have more unpleasant news in store for them. Catholics4Change.com, a blog forum for Catholics to share their concerns and questions regarding Church accountability, recently made a post titled, "The List Cardinal Bevilacqua Didn’t Want You to See." In it, they share what they claim is the “list of priests …
Monday, March 19, 2012
The merger of St. Teresa of Avilla in Audubon and Mother of Divine Providence in King of Prussia will be called Mother Teresa Regional Catholic School.
Another update from the Archdiocese on the pending school merger – the new school resulting from the combination of St. Teresa of Avila in Audubon and Mother of Divine Providence in King of Prussia will be called Mother Teresa Regional Catholic School. St. Teresa's was originally slated to merge with Visitation BVM in Trooper, but after a spate of appeals by some schools not happy with impending mergers and reconsideration by the Archdiocese, Visitation will remain open as a parish school. St. Teresa's will merge with MDP instead at that school's location at 405 Allendale Road in King of Prussia. “The name for the new school is a combination containing elements from both of the schools that are coming together,” Kenneth Gavin, associate …
40.0959
-75.39089
405 Allendale Rd, King of Prussia, PA
Mother of Divine Providence
/articles/archdiocese-names-new-school
/locations/6621150
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Father Louis Bier served in Norristown, Manayunk and West Philadelphia before being assigned to St. Francis of Assisi in Springfield to replace Rev. Salvatore Riccio in May of last year.
As the Archdiocese of Philadelphia remains tight-lipped regarding the suspension and examination of Father Louis C. Bier of St. Francis of Assisi Parish here, those who know him hope for more information soon. Joe Maccolini, executive director of the Patrician Society, a non-profit with a food bank and summer camp in Norristown, spoke with Patch about the priest he worked closely with for five years while Bier was pastor of Saint Patrick’s Church from 1997-2002. Bier also served in Manayunk and West Philadelphia before coming to Springfield to replace Rev. Salvatore Riccio last May. Maccolini said he’s remained in contact with him intermittently over years. In a statement issued to inquiring media outlets, the archdiocese said Bier’s …
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Father Louis Bier, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi in Springfield, Pa., has been relieved of his duties as an investigation is being conducted by the Archdiocese.
Answering media requests, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia released a statement regarding the removal of Father Louis C. Bier, pastor of Saint Francis of Assisi Parish in Springfield, Pa. Bier was pastor of Saint Patrick's Church in Norristown from 1997 to 2002. He replaced Rev. Salvatore Riccio in Springfield less than a year ago when Riccio left the parish to become a senior priest at Our Lady of the Assumption in Strafford. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia released the following statement: Father Louis C. Bier, Pastor of Saint Francis of Assisi Parish in Springfield, Delaware County, has been placed on administrative leave by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput. O.F.M. Cap. in response to concerns regarding his suitability for ministry at this …
40.117492
-75.339933
Saint Patrick's Church
714 Dekalb St, Norristown, PA
/articles/archdiocese-springfield-pastors-situation-being-examined
1836613
/locations/6580236
The Philadelphia District Attorney is accusing 42-year-old Anita Guzzardi of using Archdiocese funds to pay her credit card bills from 2005 to 2011.
According to ABC Action News, the Philadelhia District Attorney is charging former Archdiocese of Philadelphia Chief Financial Officer Anita Guzzardi with theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, theft by receiving stolen property, forgery and unlawful use of a computer for using over $900,000 in archdiocese funds to pay her own personal credit card bills. According to Action News, the DA alleges that between 2005 and 2011, Guzzardi used 184 checks from the archdiocese's general fund to pay personal bills. Guzzardi reportedly turned herself in to authorities this morning. The Archdiocese issued a statement saying that "the theft had no effect on the work of the Blue Ribbon Commission or the decision to close or regionalize any school…
Monday, March 12, 2012
Father Louis Bier, a former pastor at Saint Patrick's in Norristown and recently placed at St. Francis of Assisi in Springfield, has been placed on administrative leave.
According to Myfoxphilly.com, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput has placed Father Louis Bier, a pastor at St. Francis of Assisi, on administrative leave over concerns regarding his "suitability for ministry." Bier was told to leave the rectory, but the archdiocese hasn't stated why. It did issue a statement that the action is not due to inappropriate behavior with minors, according to the report. Bier cannot wear clerical garb, publicly represent himself as a priest or exercise public ministry while on leave. Bier was pastor of Saint Patrick's Church in Norristown from 1997 to 2002.
40.117492
-75.339933
Saint Patrick's Church
714 Dekalb St, Norristown, PA
/articles/former-st-patricks-pastor-removed-from-his-new-parish
1836613
/locations/6574320
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Montgomery County Coroner Walter Hofman said Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua died of natural causes.
Montgomery County Coroner Walter Hofman addressed the media in a press conference at Montgomery County Human Services Center today to reveal his findings in the Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua autopsy. According to Hoffman, Bevilacqua's official cause of death was arterial sclerotic cardiovascular disease and contributing carcinoma of the prostate, or prostat cancer. The manner of death was declared as natural causes. Hoffman said there was no injury to the body and no indication of any strangulation or choking and the prescribed medications found in the cardinal's body were all within generally accepted levels. After walking reporters through the series of events leading up to the autopsy, Hofman took questions about Cardinal Bevilacqua's …
40.123523
-75.333231
Montgomery County Human Services Center
1430 Dekalb St, Norristown, PA
/articles/coroner-releases-bevilacqua-autopsy-findings
1266265
/locations/6546342
Richard Weisgrau
1:18 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
Amen Mary. I think the growing number of women police officers, federal law enforcement officers, firefighters, Marines and Soldiers is adequate proof that the 'cement statue' image is finally going away. Here's the Marine Corps slant on women Marines: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/parris-island-leader-women-handle-combat-18744972 I played HS football and made it through Paris Island Marine … more ›