The only downside is that the story was written before the dynamic, break-the-mold mayor, John Linder, lost the Democrat primary on May 19, to State Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland, a man whose political record consists mostly of pandering and hackery.
Claude de Botton (right) at the Delaware County Veterans Memorial at its dedication in 2013. He is proposing a Hall of Prayers to be added to it.
Kudos to developer Claude de Botton who is ever working to improve and expandf the Delaware County Veterans Memorial on West Chester Pike in Newtown Square, Pa.
de Botton, who donated the land on which the memorial was built has outlined a plan for the Hall of Prayers that would be the second phase of the monument
The hammer beams and uprights tight against the wall at Holy Myrrh-Bearers Eastern Catholic Church in Ridley, Pa. The stone outcrop upon which the wooden structure is resting is called a corbel.
Holy Myrrh-Bearers Eastern Catholic Church is now in service in Ridley and a hero whose story deserves to be sung is Bill Rhoads of Rhoads Plumbing and Heating of Springfield.
Leiper closed in January 2012. The existing building was erected in 1850 a year after a fire destroyed the original one built in 1819, the cornerstone for which can still be seen in an inside hallway.
Anyway, when the Archepachy acquired it, it was in bad shape. The hammer beams that supported the arches that supported the ceiling had pulled from the wall. The gaps were obvious. Consultants were advocating expensive and unattractive solutions which included removing the beautiful but heavy slate roof and replacing it with an ugly commercial, metal one.
Rhoads, who had done work for Saints Peter and Paul and who was picked to guide the process of upgrading the kitchen and HVAC at the new facility, had a notion that the beauty of the structure could be saved along with much money.
He researched the architecture and learned that the original builders neglected to install the necessary bolts fastening important uprights to the wall. These uprights connected the hammer beams to the interior corbels hence they supported the entire roof.
Rhoads realized that all that may be needed was jacking the beams back against the wall and installing bolts. He ran his idea by engineers and the Ridley code enforcers and got a green light.
Hence it was done, and a church and history were saved.
What could have been a bland, utilitarian building is now warm place of worship and one of Delaware County’s most beautiful churches.
Eastern Catholics are self-governing churches in full communion with the Pope. Roman Catholics can fully participate in Eastern Catholic services just as Eastern Catholics often attend Roman Catholic services. This of course means the mutual reception of the Holy Eucharist.
The church is named for the women who went to anoint the body of Jesus after his crucifixion and found the tomb empty, along with Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who prepared the Lord’s body for burial. The women who found the empty tomb are Mary the Mother of God, Mary Magdalene and Martha, who were the sisters of Lazarus; Mary, the mother of James and Joses; Mary, the wife of Cleopas; Joanna, the wife of Chuza; Salome, the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee; and Susanna.
Eastern Catholics are self-governing churches in full communion with the Pope. Roman Catholics can fully participate in Eastern Catholic services just as Eastern Catholics often attend Roman Catholic services. This of course means the mutual reception of the Holy Eucharist.
Archbishop Stefan Soroka greeted at Holy Myrrh-Bearers First Mass
The washing of the altar is occurring behind the iconostasis.
Delaware County Pa.’s newest church was consecrated, today, April 18. Holy Myrrh-Bearers Eastern Catholic Church, 900 Fairview Road, Ridley, albeit with a Swarthmore address, is the combination of the congregations of Saints Peter and Paul Church in Clifton Heights and Holy Ghost Church in Chester, both of which held their final masses last weekend, and Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Philadelphia which closed in 2004.
The altar being prepared the day before the ceremony.
The inside is a thing of beauty with red and sand-colored walls graced with large bright icons. The iconostasis — a wall of icons and religious paintings that separates the nave from the sanctuary — comes from Holy Ghost.
The alter was custom made and hand-carved by Igor Deervyanyy of Artsacrum, Louisville, Ky. It is a work of art. It was donated in memory of the Dearden, Urbach and Chambers family by Francis R. Dearden.
The ceremony was led by Archbishop Stefan Soroka, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Philadelphia for Ukranians. Co-celebrants were Bishop John Bura, who is the archdiocese auxiliary bishiop; Bishop emeritus Basil H. Losten, John N. Ciurpita, the church pastor; and Joseph Szupa, chancellor.
Master of ceremonies were Very Rev. Edward Higgins and Rev. Walter Pasciznky.
Sanctifying the altar started with washing it with water. It was then scrubbed with soap — Ivory, in this case, due to its lack of additives. Wine was then poured upon it in in the shape of a cross. A pouring of rose-water, also in the shape of a cross, followed this. The rose-water was mixed spikenard, the perfume that was used to anoint the feet of Jesus.
Relics relating to Saint Stephen, the First Martyr, Saint Dorothea of Caesarea and Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych of Polotsk were placed in a cavity in the center and sealed with wax. Icons representing each of the four Evangelists were placed in spots prepared at the altar’s corners and also sealed with wax.
The altar was then vested with the vesting cloths sprinkled with holy water. The antimension, holy Gospel Book, and hand cross then placed with each getting a sprinkling of holy water. After this the table of oblation– where the bread and wine are prepared for the Eucharist — was placed.
The church was then incensed and sprinkled with holy water in a procession of clergy. The western door and the southern and northern windows were then anointed with oil.
And so the church was sanctified.
The Holy Myrrh-Bearers for whom the church is named were the women who went to anoint the body of Jesus after his crucifixion and found the tomb empty, along with Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, who prepared the Lord’s body for burial. The women who found the empty tomb are Mary the Mother of God, Mary Magdalene and Martha, who were the sisters of Lazarus; Mary, the mother of James and Joses; Mary, the wife of Cleopas; Joanna, the wife of Chuza; Salome, the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee; and Susanna.
The first Mass is 11 a.m., tomorrow, April 19.
Eastern Catholics are self-governing churches in full communion with the Pope. Roman Catholics can fully participate in Eastern Catholic services just as Eastern Catholics often attend Roman Catholic services. This of course means the mutual reception of the Holy Eucharist.
Holy Myrrh-Bearers is the site of the former Leiper Presbyterian Church which was founded in 1819 and closed in 2012. Presidents Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison and James Buchanan worshiped at Leiper Presbyterian at the invitation of Leiper family members.
Kudos to Charlie Frindt, Raman Ishwar, Abigail Pearse and Schafer Hudson Ortyn and the rest of the Penncrest Hi-Q team for winning the 2015 National Hi-Q Competition on April 16.
Hi-Q is an academic quiz competition for high school students that was founded in Delaware County in 1948 by the Scott Paper Co.
A Kids’ Expo sponsored by state Sen. Tom McGarrigle (R-26) will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, May 16 at the Gauntlett Center, 120 Media Line Road, Newtown Square, Pa. 19073.
Along with informational tables featuring representatives from state and county agencies and local organizations, there will be free refreshments, face paintings, games and a moon bounce.
Ray Lewis, in his Philadelphia Police captain’s uniform, describes problems in policing.
A retired Philadelphia police captain with a reputation for controversy and the mayor of Chester, Pa. were among those who described police realities and potential reforms to a crowd of about 20, yesterday, April 12, at a symposium on community policing sponsored by Democracy Unplugged.
The event was held at Swarthmore Borough Hall on a beautiful, sunny Sunday spring afternoon.
The captain, Ray Lewis, made international headlines with his association with Occupy Wall Street. He said those who run police departments suffer from a “John Wayne syndrome” which affects hiring decisions. This leads to officers not inclined to maintain good community relations.
Lewis said if the applicant scores high on sensitivity and empathy he is not hired.
He also said training is poorly prioritized with almost all of it directed towards physical fitness, firearms and unarmed combat.
“Police work is 95 percent social work,” he said.
He stressed the importance of good training officers and said that dispute mediation and stress management should be emphasized. Lewis, who served 19 of his 26 years in inner city Philadelphia, said that his training officer was a womanizing, brutal, drunken thief. He said that just the nature of the job hardens one.
Lewis encouraged video recording police encounters by passersby.
“Good cops will love being recorded,” he said albeit he said praise has to accompany such recordings.
Lewis said that he believed that unlike in the United Kingdom, American police need to carry firearms.
He said his support for Occupy Wall Street came from his suspicion that most billionaires are lawless sociopaths.
Lewis was wearing his captain’s uniform which got him so much grief during the OWS demonstrations.
Chester Mayor John Linder said 533 guns have been confiscated from criminals in his crime-ridden city since he took office in 2012.
“People are solving problems with guns,” he said.
Chester Mayor John Linder
Linder also took issue with certain shibboleths regarding diversity. He said that 24 of the 100 officers that serve his predominantly black city are African-Americans with five being Hispanic and the rest being white.
“My goal is to get police officers, good police officers,” he said. “My view is if we get people who reflect the hue, fine, but quality comes first.”
He thought the racial turmoil over recent incidents is overblown.
“I hear this all the time ‘what about Ferguson?’ I say what about Chester?”
Linder who as a young man took part in civil rights era protests expressed the opinion that these outcries are cyclical.
“How do you get rid of Fergusons? Get responsible police.”
He noted the Chester Police Department has had very few allegations of using excessive force.
“If you are professional, I’ll back you 100 percent,” he said. If you are not professional I’m going to deal with you 100 percent.”
Linder said that the urban environment is not as stable as it used to be.
“Calls come in too quick,” he said. “There is no time to sit down and make a friend.”
Swarthmore Police Chief Brian Craig spoke regarding policing in the suburbs.
Craig, a former Philadelphia police officer, said what he found to be a shocking difference was parking meters.
“In my first six months, 50 percent of my time was dealing with parking meters,” he said.
He said police work has gotten more dangerous than it was when he started in 1971. He cited drugs, the 9/11 attacks and the Columbine High School massacre.
He noted that the local police followed procedure regarding the 1999 school massacre setting up a perimeter as they were trained. The procedure, however, failed to account for the killings still occurring inside. Craig said the procedure has now been changed.
Craig emphasized the importance of community relations. He said that on the 25th anniversary of Philadelphia Columbia Avenue race riots, one of the local TV news stations appeared to be trying to stir the pot for an encore. He said, however, community outreach stopped it.
Regarding budget matters, Craig noted that school districts get their requests in first and overwhelmingly get the bigger piece of the pie.
William Taylor Reil, a constitutional scholar, warned of widespread ignorance of the Constitution among law enforcement. He said, for instance, that the Pennsylvania constitution made the sheriff the highest law enforcement officer in the county, a circumstance that is routinely ignored. He noted that county sheriff is an elected office unlike most police officials.
Reil also took issue with the term “law enforcement officer” having replaced “peace officer.”
“Law enforcement means don’t question just do what it says,” he said.
Libertarian activist Darren Wolfe spoke on community policing. He said privately run police departments could save money and be more effective. He cited as examples mall security guards and security companies hired by gated communities.
The moderator was David Easlea and the introduction was made by Bob Small.
Archbishop Stefan Soroka presents parishioner Lillian Pecko with a certificate of service at the final Mass, tonight, April 11, at Saints Peter and Paul Byzantine Rite Catholic Church in Clifton Heights.
DemocracyUnplugged will host Sunday a symposium on 21st century policing.
On the panel are Swarthmore Police Chief Brian Craig; Chester Mayor John Linder; Ray Lewis, a retired Philadelphia Police captain; William Taylor Reil of Chester County Sheriff’s Brigade; and Darren Wolfe of Community Policing.
It starts 2 p.m. at Swarthmore Borough Hall, 121 Park Ave., Swarthmore, Pa. 19081. There will be a question and answer session.
