Learning from the Past
The Pastoral Committee of Holy Family Home had an idea – Let’s learn from the Past to Live the Gospel joyfully Now! And so, a group of Resident history buffs gathered on Saturday for four weeks to watch and discuss a video on the story of Catholic Philadelphia. Of course, our Residents could tell the story of Catholic Philly themselves. Rose Adams’ life has spanned 101 years of that history in the Archdiocese. Dorothy Gomes, 93 has vivid memories of the reverent way her family referred to Cardinal Dennis Dougherty as “THE Cardinal” because of his continuation of St. Katharine Drexel’s work for people of color, and she still sings the praises of her Alma Mater, Hallahan Catholic High School! Kathy Balkenhol, 77, an alumna of “MBS and West Catholic” proudly presents her own personal coverage of the parochial school system founded by St. John Neuman; etc.
So, what did we learn from the Past to Live the Gospel joyfully Now? All agreed that the video, “Urban Trinity,” seemed to be the fruit of much in-depth research and seemed to recount both the good and the not-so-good sides of the story of Catholic Philadelphia with honesty. This made us ever more grateful for Jesus’ fidelity to his promise to his Church, “I will be with you always.” He is still with us, no matter what! The conclusion of the video inspired hope. It made us feel good about our present Archdiocese under Archbishop Nelson Perez, striving to embrace all, old-time members and new-comers alike, with the Father’s mercy and wise guidance. We can face the future with joyful confidence in God’s unfailing love!
