Bulletins
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Parish News
Attention SCRIP customers
Any SCRIP purchase made by June 30th will go towards this years vouchers amount. Make sure we have what you need in stock by emailing marybeth@stcatherineschurch.org with your desired SCRIP inventory items. Turnaround time is typically five business days.
Any SCRIP purchase made by June 30th will go towards this years vouchers amount. Make sure we have what you need in stock by emailing marybeth@stcatherineschurch.org with your desired SCRIP inventory items. Turnaround time is typically five business days.
The 2023 Mass book is now open and we are ready to schedule your Masses. For the time being we ask that you keep your Mass requests to four at one time.
This will ensure that everyone has a fair chance to obtain their chosen dates.
This will ensure that everyone has a fair chance to obtain their chosen dates.
The Hall will be open for live-stream of ALL Masses. Masks are required for people during Masses in the Hall. Communion will be brought to the Hall. A reminder that this has been a continued practice at SCS every Sunday for the 9:00am and 11:15am Masses and we will continue to do this for the foreseeable future.
****For those who will be celebrating Mass at home: We will be live streaming on Facebook and YouTube the 9:00am Mass on Sunday. ****
****For those who will be celebrating Mass at home: We will be live streaming on Facebook and YouTube the 9:00am Mass on Sunday. ****
For 2020-2021 the Father Keeney Council Knight of the Year was none other than our wonderful Pastor, Father Joseph Rymdeika.
Our council routinely selects one Knight to identify as the Knight of the Year. This is an incredibly difficult task as every Knight contributes in varied and unique ways to the council, to our parish and the the community at large. Knights are involved in just about every ministry at Saint Catherine's and are involved in local government, schools, public service agencies, other non-profit, athletic events and others too numerous to list.
2020 and 2021 presented unique challenges. Restrictions on the conduct of mass and the sacraments. Limitations on visiting the sick or helping others in need. But one Knight was steadfast in his resolve to maintain and redouble his efforts. Where some were being inundated with angst, he proclaimed, as did Saint John Paul II "Be Not Afraid". He extended parish outreach through the use of social media to bring the mass to those at home until they could return. He was able to safely continue conducting the sacraments of baptism, marriage, anointing of the sick and others. He was the steadfast rock we could count on during the storm.
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RCIA
Classes are forming now for anyone who is thinking about becoming Catholic or would like to know more about their Catholic Faith. We are also in need of faith filled people to help facilitate this program for adults. Please contact Keith McClain at 215-672-2881 or psd@stcatherineschurch.org. |
CALLING ALL COOKS!
Caring for Friends (formerly Aid for Friends) needs volunteers to help stock the freezer with food for deliveries to the homebound. Storage trays are available in the back of the Narthex. It’s easy to make a few extra portions when you are doing your regular meal prep. Meals may be taken to the freezer in the basement of the parish office during regular business hours.
Caring for Friends (formerly Aid for Friends) needs volunteers to help stock the freezer with food for deliveries to the homebound. Storage trays are available in the back of the Narthex. It’s easy to make a few extra portions when you are doing your regular meal prep. Meals may be taken to the freezer in the basement of the parish office during regular business hours.
Blessing of the Animals 2021
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St. Catherine's Young Adults: St. Catherine's Young Adults is a faith community of young adults (20s and 30s), focused on deepening faith and fostering a sense of community. Currently, we meet on the first Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm. We start with celebrating the Holy Mass, followed by a speaker/video/reflection and lively discussion. We'd love for you to join us! For more information, please email scsyoungadults@gmail.com |
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St. Catherine of Siena CPR Classes
CPR, AED, Adult, Child, Infant Classes are offered every 3rd Thursday of each month from 5:45-9:00 pm in the school. Each course is a 3 hour class with hands-on training. Classes include Heartsaver (layperson), and Healthcare Provider level instruction. Proceeds go to SCS Parish.
Contact Lee Faden at 215-896-5444 or Lfaden@aol.com
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Altar bread and wine memorials are available for you to purchase. This is a wonderful way to honor the memory of a loved one.
The donation is $100 for each and you can choose to do one or both. Please call the parish office at 215-672-2881 to make arrangements. 
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Statement regarding the charges brought against the former principal of Our Lady of Mercy Regional Catholic School
In the effort for transparency, I share with you the letter sent to OLM parents. St. Catherine of Siena Church subsidizes the school through the parishioners who attend there. Here is the statement:
March 22, 2022
Dear OLM School Families,
We write to update you regarding a matter of importance to our school and parish communities. Since late last year we have communicated on multiple occasions regarding Mr. John McGrath, who previously served as our principal. In the fall of 2021, he was placed on leave from his position.
Subsequently, a unanimous decision was reached by all three pastors charged with oversight of our school along with our board of limited jurisdiction that it was in the best interest of the OLM community for Mr. McGrath not to return as principal. We later clarified that his leave and eventual dismissal were not related to child safety matters. During the period of Mr. McGrath’s leave a detailed review of school financial records confirmed suspected irregularities pertaining to usage of the school’s credit card and violations of school policy. The irregularities in question involved Mr. McGrath’s use of the card for expenses that were personal in nature. This behavior took place primarily during the summer and fall of 2021 and resulted in approximately $30,000 of unauthorized expenditures.
We take our obligation as stewards of school and parish resources seriously and have controls in place to safeguard financial integrity. This matter was discovered because those controls functioned as designed. With the assistance of the Archdiocese, we made a report to local law enforcement and have cooperated with detectives during the course of their investigate work, which has now concluded.
Today, Mr. McGrath surrendered to authorities. He faces seven felony charges including but not limited to theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, and receiving stolen property as well as a misdemeanor charge for unsworn falsification to authorities. These criminal charges are serious and disturbing. We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement as the criminal matter enters its next phase and we will seek full restitution. It was paramount for us not to interfere with that
process in any way so we ask for your understanding as to why information about this development was not shared sooner.
We recognize and value the trust you place in all of us – the OLM Pastors, Board Members, administration, faculty and staff – to partner with you as we all seek to provide a safe and authentic Christian community where our youth can reach their God-given potential. Ours is a collaborative mission. Jesus is at its center, and its sole purpose is to serve the needs of our children. We are deeply grateful to all of you for your support of OLM and its mission, especially during a period that has been anxiety laden for many of you. So too, we are deeply grateful to all our faculty and staff who daily witness to their selfless dedication by their generous care of our children.
Please know of our prayers for you and your families during this Season of Lent as we prepare for the Risen Christ filled with hope by the promise of the Resurrection.
Rev. Msgr. Brian P. Hennessy
Pastor, Saint Alphonsus Parish
Rev. Msgr. Stephen P. McHenry
Pastor, Saint Anthony of Padua Parish
Rev. Joseph F. Rymdeika
In the effort for transparency, I share with you the letter sent to OLM parents. St. Catherine of Siena Church subsidizes the school through the parishioners who attend there. Here is the statement:
March 22, 2022
Dear OLM School Families,
We write to update you regarding a matter of importance to our school and parish communities. Since late last year we have communicated on multiple occasions regarding Mr. John McGrath, who previously served as our principal. In the fall of 2021, he was placed on leave from his position.
Subsequently, a unanimous decision was reached by all three pastors charged with oversight of our school along with our board of limited jurisdiction that it was in the best interest of the OLM community for Mr. McGrath not to return as principal. We later clarified that his leave and eventual dismissal were not related to child safety matters. During the period of Mr. McGrath’s leave a detailed review of school financial records confirmed suspected irregularities pertaining to usage of the school’s credit card and violations of school policy. The irregularities in question involved Mr. McGrath’s use of the card for expenses that were personal in nature. This behavior took place primarily during the summer and fall of 2021 and resulted in approximately $30,000 of unauthorized expenditures.
We take our obligation as stewards of school and parish resources seriously and have controls in place to safeguard financial integrity. This matter was discovered because those controls functioned as designed. With the assistance of the Archdiocese, we made a report to local law enforcement and have cooperated with detectives during the course of their investigate work, which has now concluded.
Today, Mr. McGrath surrendered to authorities. He faces seven felony charges including but not limited to theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, and receiving stolen property as well as a misdemeanor charge for unsworn falsification to authorities. These criminal charges are serious and disturbing. We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement as the criminal matter enters its next phase and we will seek full restitution. It was paramount for us not to interfere with that
process in any way so we ask for your understanding as to why information about this development was not shared sooner.
We recognize and value the trust you place in all of us – the OLM Pastors, Board Members, administration, faculty and staff – to partner with you as we all seek to provide a safe and authentic Christian community where our youth can reach their God-given potential. Ours is a collaborative mission. Jesus is at its center, and its sole purpose is to serve the needs of our children. We are deeply grateful to all of you for your support of OLM and its mission, especially during a period that has been anxiety laden for many of you. So too, we are deeply grateful to all our faculty and staff who daily witness to their selfless dedication by their generous care of our children.
Please know of our prayers for you and your families during this Season of Lent as we prepare for the Risen Christ filled with hope by the promise of the Resurrection.
Rev. Msgr. Brian P. Hennessy
Pastor, Saint Alphonsus Parish
Rev. Msgr. Stephen P. McHenry
Pastor, Saint Anthony of Padua Parish
Rev. Joseph F. Rymdeika
Statement of Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez Regarding Safety As Mass Obligation Resumes
“Ensuring the health and welfare of those entrusted to the pastoral and temporal care of our Church, especially as we navigate a global pandemic, is a paramount priority as the Archbishop of Philadelphia. During this time of acute hardship and struggle, I have worked in conjunction with the Catholic Bishops of Pennsylvania and the senior administration of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to implement best practices intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and protect those most vulnerable.
As the COVID-19 landscape evolved, we continuously re-evaluated those efforts in consultation with public health officials and based on data.
As your Shepherd, I am called to provide the Eucharist in a safe environment. To that end, I ask that you prioritize your own health and the health of your neighbors and faith communities.
As previously announced, the Catholic Bishops of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are reinstating the obligation to attend Mass in person on Sundays and holy days beginning on Sunday, August 15, 2021. However, by longstanding Church law, this obligation does not apply to those who are
Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez
Archbishop of Philadelphia
“Ensuring the health and welfare of those entrusted to the pastoral and temporal care of our Church, especially as we navigate a global pandemic, is a paramount priority as the Archbishop of Philadelphia. During this time of acute hardship and struggle, I have worked in conjunction with the Catholic Bishops of Pennsylvania and the senior administration of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to implement best practices intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and protect those most vulnerable.
As the COVID-19 landscape evolved, we continuously re-evaluated those efforts in consultation with public health officials and based on data.
As your Shepherd, I am called to provide the Eucharist in a safe environment. To that end, I ask that you prioritize your own health and the health of your neighbors and faith communities.
As previously announced, the Catholic Bishops of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are reinstating the obligation to attend Mass in person on Sundays and holy days beginning on Sunday, August 15, 2021. However, by longstanding Church law, this obligation does not apply to those who are
- sick;
- have a serious health risk;
- live in a household with those at risk;
- serve as primary caregivers to those at risk;
- have serious anxiety or concerns about being in a large-group setting due to COVID-19; or
- are unable to attend Mass in person
Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez
Archbishop of Philadelphia
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