Hunting Park: Kensington Pastor Unifies Church Communities Through Charity And Outreach
In August 2009, Stephen Thompson was ordained as a pastor. Now a senior pastor at House of Triumph, located in Kensington, Thompson helps run community-oriented programs at the church. These programs include food outreach dinners twice a week and group addiction counseling twice a month. The church also holds a free market outreach once a month […]
Passyunk Square: Father Vincent Farhat Pays Homage To His Family With Unconditional Love In And Out Of Church
Vincent Farhat (pictured above), pastor at St. Maron’s Catholic Church located at 1013 Ellsworth St., has taken the guidance from his upbringing to provide love and compassion to all people. Farhat’s relationship with his family has led him to dedicate his life to his church and to his faith. The 53-year-old Lebanese American was born […]
Frankford: Keep The Faith In Frankford President Inspires Hope In Frankford’s Faithful
Since the closing of St. Joachim’s parish and Mater Dolorosa churches in the region three years ago, its members were given no choice but to merge into the Holy Innocents parish. However, for Keep The Faith In Frankford’s President and Executive Director Pat Smiley, the church’s closing showcased the strength its church members had on the […]
South Philadelphia: Christ Church Reaching One Neighborhood at a Time
Love Christ, love each other, love our city. It is the motto pastor Jeff Boettcher of Christ Church South Philadelphia holds his congregation to. Boettcher’s goal is to get the community excited about the teachings of Jesus Christ. Boettcher has been preaching on 2nd and Moore streets for three years since relocating from New Jersey. Being […]
East Oak Lane: Church Leader Creates Kitchen Program to Bring Members Together
Oak Lane Presbyterian Church, located in the East Oak Lane area of the city, offers many programs geared toward creating a tight-knit congregation. The church’s pastor, the Rev. Judith Brackett, had this goal in mind when she created her Tuesdays in the Kitchen with the Pastor program, which allows members of the congregation to spend time with her, […]
Olde Kensington: Imam Aims To Build Stronger Ties Within The Community
Mohamed Shehata, an imam at Al-Aqsa Islamic Society, was born and raised in Egypt. An imam at a mosque typically leads prayer and leads the mosque. Shehata came into the Philadelphia community in 2001 after accepting the offer of leading the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society community. Since then, he has worked on building better relationships between Muslims and […]
Logan Square: Philadelphia’s Mormon Temple Expected to be Completed by Summer 2016
It has been nearly three years since The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began constructing its Philadelphia temple (above). Standing tall on Vine Street, between 17th and 18th streets, there are only a few more additions needed before it is open to the public next summer. However, the temple is only one of three […]
Olney: Music School Serves as Cultural Beacon for Residents
Situated on the crowded commercial blocks of Olney dwells one of the last bastions of music education in the community. The Gibson School of Music and Arts seeks to preserve musical tradition in the community through inspiring its youth by teaching them the value of the creative arts. This year marks the institution’s 20th anniversary. According […]
Center City: Freedom Church Keeps Their Young Crowd Engaged
Walking by the Prince Theater at 9 a.m. on a Sunday and you will wonder, “What are all those lights doing on so early?” That’s because Freedom Church is preparing for their weekly Sunday morning worship at 9:30 a.m. Rather than a formal church building, this parish uses the performing arts theater for its service, along with […]
Olney: Francis Festival Makes Its Way To Cardinal Dougherty High School
In celebration of Pope Francis’ arrival in Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families, approximately 3,000 Vietnamese Roman Catholics gathered at Cardinal Dougherty High School to celebrate. “That’s not a church,” objected one child as his mother led him through the flag-festooned gates. The scene at the school doors defied his observation. Dozens of priests […]