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Our Parish History: Our First Christmas

This is the third article in a series. Here are the links for the first two parts:

Our Founding: June 12, 1953
The First Parish Meeting

Every family looks forward to Christmas.  It is a time of getting together, exchanging gifts and an outpouring of love and good cheer.  Saint Joseph Parish is part of the family of God and the Church, so it was natural that the family of Saint Joseph’s would look eagerly toward their first Christmas together in 1953.

One looking back with the perspective of years, can only imagine what must have been the thoughts and feelings of those first parishioners as they gathered for their first Christmas Mass together.  How like the Holy Family were these parishioners!  They had no church building they could call their own, they possessed no altar but they had the most precious thing they could offer – themselves.  As they gathered at Saint Helena’s Hall, the parishioners witnessed the coming again of their Lord in the Eucharist.  It was a proud pastor, Rev. Francis J. Hennegan, and parishioners who listened to the Christmas carols played on the organ donated to the parish by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Brookover who, although not members of Saint Joseph Parish, endeared themselves to all by their generosity.  Mrs. Brookover accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Edward Irvine of Melrose Avenue in leading the parishioners in singing Christmas carols.

Excerpts from the Saint Joseph Church, Cheltenham, Silver Jubilee Memorial Book
(written in 1978 by Rev. John B. DeMayo)

Next week: The First Rectory

God Bless You, Vera & John!

John and Vera

John, Father Harrison and Vera

Our Parish Secretary, Miss Vera Halper, and our Parish Maintenance Man, Mr. John Lauer, are retiring on June 30, 2016.

We thank them for their many decades of faithful service to our parish and we pray that God will bless Vera and John and their families with good health and lots of relaxation during their well-earned retirement years.

God Bless You Vera and John

Our Parish History: The First Parish Meeting

This is the second article in a series.  Click here for the first part.

The wise steward and pastor of the new Saint Joseph Parish, Rev. Francis J. Hennegan, set out immediately to become well acquainted with his people and the various situations of a parish.  To accomplish this, Father Hennegan called for a meeting of the parishioners at the Melrose Country Club for the evening of July 13, 1953.  The facilities of the country club had been procured through the generosity and efforts of several parishioners and friends.

This first meeting was an important meeting because here would be established the spirit and enthusiasm as well as the direction the new parish would take.  Parishes are built on prayer, sacrifice and goodwill.  Therefore, is was necessary that the 153 dedicated people who attended this first meeting knew full-well the great labor they were undertaking in building up the Body of Christ.  The first item on the agenda was a parish census.  Who were the parishioners of Saint Joseph and how many souls were within the parish boundaries?  It was essential for the progress of the parish to answer these two questions.

Continue reading →

Happy Father’s Day!

Fathers DayWe wish all the dads in our Saint Joseph Parish family a very happy Father’s Day.

If you forgot to make plans to celebrate with your dad, it is not too late – our International Buffet takes place today at Presentation B.V.M. Hall from 3pm to 6pm.

God our Father, in your wisdom and love you made all things. Bless these men, that they may be strengthened as Christian fathers. Let the example of their faith and love shine forth. Grant that we, their sons and daughters, may honor them always with a spirit of profound respect.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.

 

Book of Blessings
Prepared by International Commission on English in the Liturgy
A Joint Commission of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences,
The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1989

June 12, 1953…

Father Hennnegan

Our Founding Pastor, Rev. Francis J. Hennegan

On May 22, 1953, the Archbishop of Philadelphia,  John O’Hara, announced the establishment of a new parish dedicated to Saint Joseph, the patron of the Universal Church, to be situated in Cheltenham Township in Montgomery County.  The new parish would be made up of parts of Holy Angels and Saint Helena in Philadelphia and Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Cheltenham.

At the same time as Archbishop O’Hara announced the establishment of Saint Joseph Parish, he also announced the appointment of the founding pastor, Rev. Francis J. Hennegan, then assistant pastor at Saint Gabriel Church in Philadelphia.  Father Hennegan would assume the arduous task of starting the new parish on Friday, June 12, 1953.

Continue reading →

Action Alert!

In April 2016, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed House Bill 1947. If this bill passes in the Senate, civil claims that are currently time-barred would be revived until the victim reaches age 50, but only if that abuse occurred in a non-profit setting.  Public schools and agencies would still be protected by sovereign immunity. Nonprofit and private organizations like Catholic parishes and schools could be sued for past cases, but not public schools.  The bill is scheduled to go to the Senate the week of June 13.

For information about the bill, click here.

To contact your state senator and governor,  click here.  The time to act is now!

Congratulations, Bishop-elect Deliman!

Msgr DelimanCongratulations and prayerful best wishes are extended to Msgr. Edward M. Deliman who has been named an Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia by Pope Francis.

Then-Father Deliman was Parochial Vicar (Assistant Pastor) of Saint Joseph Church, Cheltenham from June 1973 through June 1977 – his first assignment as a priest!

Archbishop Chaput will ordain Bishop-elect Deliman to the episcopacy on August 18, 2016 in the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.  Please pray for Bishop-elect Deliman as he prepares for his new responsibilities.

 

The Eucharist: Source and Summit of Mercy

Year-of-Mercy-English-CLEARAll great things, moments, and events have a source. Teams who win have a strong coach, fast cars have a powerful engine, and those who give have a big heart. The same holds true for us as disciples of Jesus Christ. We have a source, which is the Eucharist.

“The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’ The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ himself, our Pasch.” (CCC 1324)

In this Year of Mercy, Pope Francis is inviting us to rekindle our relationship with the source of mercy. The Eucharist is what fuels our parishes, feeds our families, and comforts our hearts. This gift is the source and strength of our love and mercy to the poor, needy, and abandoned.

“Anyone who wishes to give love must also receive love as a gift. Certainly, as the Lord tells us, one can become a source from which rivers of living water flow (cf. Jn 7:37‐38). Yet to become such a source, one must constantly drink anew from the original source, which is Jesus Christ, from whose pierced heart flows the love of God (cf. Jn 19:34).” (Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est)

‐Fr. Jason Buck, Parochial Vicar, St. Andrew Parish, Newtown

How to Live It

  • Consider committing to 1 hour a week or 1 hour a month before the Blessed Sacrament.
  • Consider receiving the Eucharist more than once a week.
  • Bring a friend, relative, or coworker to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
  • Make a quick visit to the Blessed Sacrament during the week.

Quote from Catholic Tradition

“Do you allow yourselves to be gazed upon by the Lord? But how do you do this? You look at the tabernacle and you let yourselves be looked at . . . it is simple! ‘It is a bit boring; I fall asleep.’ Fall asleep then, sleep! He is still looking at you. But know for sure that he is looking at you!” ‐Pope Francis

“In the heart of Jesus, which was pierced, the kingdom of heaven and the land of earth are bound together. Here is for us the source of life. This heart is the heart of the Triune Divinity, and the center of all human hearts… It draws us to itself with secret power, it conceals us in itself in the Father’s bosom and floods us with the Holy Spirit. This heart, it beats for us in a small tabernacle where it remains mysteriously hidden in that still, white host.” ‐St. Edith Stein

June 19: International Buffet

28th Annual International BuffetSaint Joseph’s 28th Annual International Buffet will be held at Presentation B.V.M. Hall on Sunday, June 19, 2016 from 3pm to 6pm – less than three weeks from now!!

Please sign-up to help prepare a dish to represent your ethnic heritage.  Use the sign-up form at the end of this post.

Please purchase your tickets in advance:
$10 for adults; $5 for children over 6 years old; free for children under 6 years old!

Come join us for a wide variety of international cuisine,
fun, music, dancing and more!

SIGN-UP TO HELP WITH THE INTERNATIONAL BUFFET:

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Thank you for your response. ✨

 

 

May 30: Memorial Day

Memorial DayToday, May 30, 2016, is Memorial Day.  We remember the many brave men and women who have given their lives throughout the history of our great nation – those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect us from harm and to protect the freedoms we enjoy every day.

Mass will be celebrated at Saint Joseph Church today at 9:30am.

Heavenly Father,
On this Memorial Day,
we pray for those who courageously laid down
their lives for the cause of freedom.
May the example of their sacrifice
inspire in us the selfless love of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Bless the families of our fallen troops,
and fill their homes and their lives with your strength and peace.
In union with people of goodwill of every nation,
embolden us to answer the call to work for peace and justice,
and thus, seek an end to violence and conflict around the globe.
We pray through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

May 29: Corpus Christi

Corpus ChristiToday, Sunday, May 29, 2016, is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus (Corpus Christi).

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1407 The Eucharist is the heart and the summit of the Church’s life, for in it Christ associates his Church and all her members with his sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving offered once for all on the cross to his Father; by this sacrifice he pours out the graces of salvation on his Body which is the Church.

May 22: Divine Mercy 101 Video

This Sunday, May 22, we will show Divine Mercy 101 with Father Chris Alar, MIC.  The video will be shown in the Parish Community Room immediately following the 10 am Mass.

Deepen Your Understanding of Divine Mercy
Divine Mercy is the urgent message of hope for our world. Learn the powerful devotion and graces associated with it in this dynamic DVD presentation with Fr. Chris Alar, MIC, filmed live at the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
Divine Mercy 101 provides a clear and consice overview of Divine Mercy and the role and mission of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), the apostle of Divine Mercy whom St. John Paul II called “a gift of God to our time.”
Those who are new to Divine Mercy as well as those looking to achieve an advanced level of knowledge will find this presentation ideal. The instructional format makes it perfect for religious education classes, prayer groups, and individuals.
Jesus told St. Faustina, “Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy.”

The Good Samaritan

Our 3rd and 4th grade CCD students, under the direction of their catechist Mr. Carmelo Jacinto, recently produced a two minute video on The Good Samaritan.  Please take a moment to revisit this familiar story with an important message: