From the Pastor: 10.31.10

FROM THE PASTOR: Oct. 31, 2010 When did Halloween become an American holiday of major proportions?  When I was a kid, not so many decades ago, there were no strings of pumpkin lights, inflatable lawn ghosts, or elaborate porch displays that required blueprints and cost a pretty penny to execute.  Halloween was innocent fun for little kids, although grown-ups enjoyed it, too, seeing it through the kids’ eyes. It was, at least in my neighborhood, more about the “treats” than the “tricks.”  We hadn’t yet learned to worry about childhood obesity and the negative...

Homily: 10.31.10

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J. – Pastor Old St. Joseph’s Church, Philadelphia 31st Sunday in OT-C – 10/31/10 – 7:30 a.m. Do you all know the Randy Newman song, “Short People”?  It starts: “Short people got no reason, short people got no reason, short people got no reason to live!  They got little hands, little eyes, they walk around tellin’ great big lies!  They got little noses, and tiny little teeth, they wear platform shoes on their nasty little feet!  Well, I don’t want no short people, don’t want no short people, don’t want no short...

Presentation by the Ecumenical and Inter...

Chair Person Bob Culleton will lead a panel of Committee members in a presentation to share with other members of the Parish Community the Committee’s experiences in interfaith dialogue and how it has helped their own faith formation.

Homily: 10.24.10

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J. – Pastor Old St. Joseph’s Church, Philadelphia 30th C – 10-24-10 – 6:30 p.m. It’s easy to read – or rather to misread – the parable we have just heard as a melodrama.  We come to the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector with two millennia of Christian interpretation which has preconditioned us to see the Pharisee as Snidely Whiplash, a stereotypical villain twirling his mustachios and laughing up his sleeve.  In fact, if we saw this on the stage, we might spontaneously boo and hiss the Pharisee’s entrance.  Similarly, we have...

From the Pastor: 10.24.10

FROM THE PASTOR: Oct. 24, 2010 I suspect that like myself, most of you were horrified at the late September news story concerning a freshman suicide at Rutgers University.  Tyler Clementi, an accomplished violinist who was only 18 years old, had negotiated in advance with his roommate for private use of their shared dorm room one evening.  What he didn’t know is that the roommate could (and would) activate a webcam from a girlfriend’s room.  Catching Mr. Clementi in an intimate encounter with another young man, the roommate broadcast the video feed live over the...

Homily: 10.24.10

Fr. Dan Ruff, S.J. – Pastor Old St. Joseph’s Church, Philadelphia 30th Sunday Year C – 10-24-10 – 9:30 a.m. (Children) Once upon a time, there was a TV show called the “Rugrats.”  It was about the adventures of a bunch of babies and toddlers. The oldest one was a girl named Angelica.  She was nearly 5, and she thought of herself as very nearly grown up.  As a result, she tended to think of herself as really special, and at times, she was even a little bit bossy. Anyway, sometimes at night, when her mom reminded her, she would say her bedtime prayers. ...

Outreach Fundraiser September 24th ̵...

Our Outreach Fundraiser on Friday, September 24th, 2010 was a tremendous success thanks to many businesses and individuals. The delicious foods and beverages were generously provided by the following merchants. In appreciation for their generosity, we kindly ask you to support their establishments. Chef’s Table Catering 231 South Street, Philadelphia, PA www.chefsmkt.com 215.925.8360 Cooperage Wine and Whiskey Bar 601 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA (Corner of 7th & Sansom Sts. in the Curtis Center) www.cooperagephilly.com 215.226.2667 Iovine Brother’s Produce &...

Outreach Mission

Our Mission: With hope in God’s goodness, we meet as a group of men who share common problems, pain, sorrows, joys and success. Many of us share problems in addiction, homelessness, poverty, mental or emotional disorders, and spiritual emptiness. We desire holistic healing of our bodies, minds and spirits. We pray that this will be the first step in turning our lives around.

Events: Website Launch

The Web site is launching on November 28th! Please come and check it out. We are excited to show it to you!

From the Pastor: 10.17.10

FROM THE PASTOR: October 17, 2010 Well, if they had told us a month ago that we would need a jacket in the evenings these days, we would have said they were crazy…  But it seems, “global weirding” notwithstanding, that fall has come again.  For those of us who live our lives (even vicariously) on a “school calendar,” September and October can seem filled with frenetic activity after the “lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.”  Interesting to ponder, then, that nature is actually moving in the opposite direction.  Fall is a time for the earth, the plants, the...