 
The
Society of Jesus, the "Jesuits", begun in 1540 by St. Ignatius
Loyola, has historically been a teaching and missionary Order.
The Jesuits arrived in Maryland in 1634. The first Catholic
Mass in Philadelphia was celebrated on the present site of
Old St. Joseph's in 1732.
Since
then both Jesuits and laity at Old St. Joseph's have fostered
an atmosphere of dialogue, mutual respect, and a common quest
for truth and meaning.
"We
bless and thank God for the people of faith, Africans, Asians,
Europeans, Latin Americans, who have worshiped and served
in this church in the last 150 years. By the tens of thousands,
they have come here to worship God...experience forgiveness...celebrate
their marriages, baptize and educate their children...bury
their dead... counsel the confused and console the bereaved.
"Our
desire for the ensuing years is to maintain the same vision
of being faithful companions of Jesus in the service of God's
people so that God's kingdom might be revealed a little more
in our world."
From
the celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Dedication
of the present church building
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"Notes from the
Alley"
a newsletter from the OSJ Historic Preservation
Corporation.
Please
click the link below to read the inaugural issue.
NOTES
FROM THE ALLEY, OCT. 2007
The present St. Joseph's church is the third in Willings Alley.
The first was the 1733 chapel of Father Joseph Greaton, S.J.,
one of a small group of English Jesuits who came to the American
colonies in the 18th century.
That tiny chapel tucked away in a Philadelphia alley played
an important role in establishing the principles of religious
freedom in America. When religious liberty was challenged
at St. Joseph's in 1734, it was upheld by the Provincial Council
under William Penn's charter of Religious Liberties. Those
principles of religious freedom later became a part of the
Constitution of the United States.
The second church, built in 1757, continued to serve Philadelphians
throughout the Revolutionary War, the Constitutional Convention
and the naming of Philadelphia as the nation's capital. Fifty-one
years later in 1808, it saw Philadelphia become a diocese.
The present church, the third, was consecrated in 1839. During
the past 163 years it has seen the tiny settlement along the
Delaware transformed into a major metropolitan area. As we
enter the twenty-first century, in the midst of dynamic social
and political changes, the simple brick edifice in Willings
Alley remains - to remind us of our history, where we came
from and who we are.
Preservation of
the historic buildings of Old St. Joseph's is the highest
priority of the Corporation. We take our stewardship very
seriously. No repairs or design changes are made without considering
the impact on the historic fabric of our centuries-old buildings.
This has not always been true, and much has been lost since
the 18th century. To avoid such loss in the future, many historic
records and artifacts are now deposited for safekeeping in
our archives. The Archives have become an important resource
for decisions about maintenance, repair and preservation at
Old St. Joseph's.
Now you can support the preservation of "the Church in the
Alley" through a donation to the Old St. Joseph's Historical
Preservation Corporation, a nonprofit corporation whose sole
purpose is to maintain and preserve the Jesuit buildings in
Willings Alley, Philadelphia. Grants, major gifts, and donations
of stock or property are gratefully accepted. Please remember
Old St. Joseph's Historical Preservation Corporation in your
will.
We hold these buildings in trust for those who come after
us. Please help us preserve Old St. Joseph's for future generations!
Old St. Joseph's Historic Preservation Corporation Board of
Directors:
Fr. Mark F. Horak,
S.J.
Gregory
Alexander
Bobbye
Burke
Carmen
Croce
Dennis Faucher
Ed Grusheski
Dan Joyce ( ex-officio
representing Fr. Timothy Brown, S.J., Provincial, Maryland
Province)
Lorraine Knight (ex-officio
representing Finance Council)
Robert Palestini, Ph.D
(ex-officio representing Tim Lannon, St. Joseph’s University)
Boyd Patterson
David Roarty (ex-officio
representing Parish Pastoral Council)
Inquiries may be directed to Fr. Mark Horak, S.J., President,
at (215)923-1733 (mhoraksj@oldstjoseph.org) or Bobbye Burke,
historian and archivist (215) 923-1733.
Because
noe people can be truly happy though under the Greatest Enjoyments
of Civil Liberties if Abridged of the Freedom of theire Consciences
as to theire Religious Profession and Worship.
from
William Penn's Charter of Privileges for Pennsylvanians 1701
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