A Catholic Anchor in Morton
In the small borough of Morton in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish has stood at the corner of Franklin Avenue for more than a century. Founded in 1907 when the area was still rural farmland dotted with summer cottages from Philadelphia, the parish grew alongside the community, replacing its first church building with the present worship space in 1981 and rebuilding after a 1990 fire destroyed the original rectory. Today the parish serves families, students, and retirees through a packed weekly schedule of Masses, daily Eucharistic Adoration, religious education for every age, and a long list of ministries that knit neighbors together.
From 1907 Farmland to a United Campus
Archbishop Edmond F. Prendergast established Our Lady of Perpetual Help on December 1, 1907, with Rev. James J. Wilson as the founding pastor. The first church was completed in November 1908 on land donated by the Faraday Improvement Company at the corner of Kedron and Franklin Avenues. Many early parishioners were farmers and summer residents from Philadelphia who commuted to their workplaces in the city.
The parish school opened in September 1936 in a homestead sold by Bernard O'Connell on Amosland Road, then moved into a purpose-built school building in October 1949. The Sisters of Saint Francis, who had been traveling from Glen Riddle to teach catechism since 1918, staffed the school for decades. As families multiplied, a new church was dedicated on May 30, 1981. The original 1908 church building was officially closed in December 1989, and a month later both it and the attached rectory were destroyed by fire.
A new rectory, daily chapel, and parish center rose on the property in 1990, and by 2000 six new classrooms and administrative offices connected the parish center with the older school building, physically and spiritually unifying the campus. In 2012, declining Catholic school enrollment prompted an archdiocesan merger. The parish school closed that June and, together with Our Lady of Fatima, became the foundation for a new regional Catholic school that opened on the OLPH campus on September 5, 2012, under the name Our Lady of Angels Regional Catholic School. The statue of the parish's patroness that stands on the school grounds survived the 1990 fire and remains a focal point of the May Procession each year.
Mass Schedule and Reconciliation
Sunday Masses at OLPH are celebrated at 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, and 12:00 Noon, with a Vigil Mass on Saturday evening at 5:00 PM. Weekday Masses are offered at 9:00 AM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. There is no Mass on Wednesdays. Saturday morning Mass is followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is offered every Saturday from 3:30 to 4:30 PM in the church. Confessions can also be arranged by appointment through the Rectory. An Examination of Conscience drawn from the Ten Commandments, Catholic Social Teaching, and other topics is provided in English and Spanish to help parishioners prepare.
Daily Adoration in the Chapel
Eucharistic Adoration is the heartbeat of the parish's devotional life. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the chapel every day from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. The chapel sits adjacent to the Rectory, at the opposite end of the parking lot from the church. Adorers are encouraged to sign up for a regular hour on the board in the chapel vestibule to ensure that someone is always present with the Lord.
The parish hosts several special hours of devotion throughout the week. The Flame of Love Movement leads a weekly Holy Hour of Reparation every Friday from 1:00 to 2:00 PM in the chapel. The Men's COR Meeting, sponsored by Marian Council 3753 of the Knights of Columbus, gathers on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month for a short teaching, sharing, and testimony from guest speakers, with the exception of summer months.
The Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
The parish takes its name from a Byzantine icon that depicts the Christ Child fleeing in haste to His Mother at the sight of two angels showing Him the instruments of the Passion. One tiny sandal slips from His foot as Mary holds Him reassuringly. Her eyes do not look at Jesus but at the viewer, as if to plead with each person to escape and to love her Son. Christ's hands press into her hands, a reminder that in Heaven He has placed into her keeping all graces, to distribute to those who ask her.
The icon is rich with symbolism: the star on Mary's veil names her Star of the Sea, bringing the light of Christ to the darkened world; her dark blue mantle is the color worn by mothers in Palestine; the Greek initials identify the archangels Michael and Gabriel carrying the lance and gall-sop, the cross and nails of the Passion; the red tunic is the color of virgins at the time of Christ; and the golden background represents Heaven itself. A golden crown was placed on the original painting by order of the Holy See in 1867 as a token of the many miracles attributed to Our Lady invoked under the title of Perpetual Help.
Sacraments of Initiation
Adults interested in becoming Catholic or completing their sacraments of initiation join the OCIA program (the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, formerly called RCIA). Sessions begin each fall, and the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Eucharist are received at the Easter Vigil. The parish welcomes non-baptized adults, baptized Christians from other traditions, and Catholics who have not yet received First Communion or Confirmation.
Children preparing for Confirmation begin formal instruction in sixth grade and are generally confirmed in seventh grade, normally in the fall by one of the bishops of the archdiocese. The same requirements that apply to Baptismal godparents apply to Confirmation sponsors, including a Letter of Eligibility obtained from one's own parish. Catholics over 16 who have not been confirmed may receive the sacrament during the Easter season from the parish priest.
First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion are typically received in second grade. PREP students preparing for these sacraments walk through the prayers of Confession and the meaning of the Eucharist with their families during the school year, with First Penance in February and First Holy Communion in early May.
Marriage and Anointing of the Sick
Couples planning to marry at OLPH are asked to contact the Rectory at least six months before the intended wedding date and to attend Pre-Cana instructions. To marry at the parish, at least one party must be a currently registered member in good standing. The Anointing of the Sick is available to anyone facing serious illness, surgery, or advanced age, and Holy Communion is brought to homebound parishioners on Sundays by Extraordinary Ministers and at quarterly visits by the priests.
Children, Youth, and the Parish School
Our Lady of Angels Regional Catholic School serves students on the OLPH campus. Children attending non-Catholic schools receive faith formation through the Parish Religious Education Program (PREP), which meets on Mondays from 4:15 to 5:30 PM for grades 1 through 6. A two-week Summer Intensive is offered as an alternative for returning families who qualify. The program uses Sadlier's Christ In Us curriculum and follows the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's scope and sequence, with mid-year and final assessments for each grade level.
Youth Ministry at OLPH welcomes students in grades 3 through 8 who are parishioners at OLPH or participants in the parish school or PREP. The program combines service, social, and spiritual events throughout the year. Students in grades 7 and 8 meet on the first and third Sunday of each month from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM as part of PREP.
Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered every Sunday during the 10:00 AM Mass for children ages 4 through 10. After the opening prayer, the celebrant calls the children forward and dismisses them with adult leaders to the convent chapel for a Liturgy of the Word geared to their age. They return to their families in the main church before the Liturgy of the Eucharist. No registration or fee is required.
The Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) provides athletic opportunities for students from fifth grade through high school in volleyball, basketball, cross country, track, baseball, softball, and cheerleading. Athletic registration, code of conduct, concussion, return to play, and photo consent forms are available, and all CYO volunteers must complete the Archdiocesan Safe Environment Program.
The Flame of Love Devotion
The Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a church-approved devotion that has spread through the United States since 2013. The parish's Flame of Love ministry hosts a weekly Holy Hour of Reparation on Friday afternoons and makes the FOL Pilgrim Virgin Statue available to visit parishioners' homes for a week at a time. Families who have hosted the statue speak of peace, comfort, healing, and hope, and the accompanying binder and prayer book provide material for private prayer.
Prayer Shawls and a Knitting Circle
The Prayer Shawl Ministry, founded at OLPH in October 2014, gathers knitters and crocheters to create prayer shawls, lap robes, baby blankets, and prayer pockets. Members meet on the second Saturday of the month from October through June, from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. Shawls are given to those facing illness, surgery, grief, or other trials, and a baby blanket is presented at each baptism. In a typical year the ministry produces about 450 prayer pockets, 45 baby blankets, and 25 shawls, with about 15 active members. Yarn is donated and supplied by members.
Music and Liturgical Ministry
Under the direction of Michele Williams and her assistant Beth Wenglicki, the Adult Choir sings at the 10:00 AM Sunday Mass from September through June and at special liturgies including First Holy Communion, Confirmation, Forty Hours, Christmas Eve, the Holy Week Triduum, and Easter. Rehearsals are held on Wednesday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00 PM and on Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 10:00 AM. New members high school age and older are welcome without audition. Cantors and instrumentalists round out the music ministry, leading the assembly in sung prayer.
Other liturgical roles at OLPH include Altar Servers, recruited from fifth grade and up among students at Our Lady of Angels, PREP, and local academies; Lectors, who must be adults or of high school age and trained; and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, who distribute the Eucharist at Mass and bring Communion to the homebound each Sunday. Ushers, open to anyone 13 and older, assist with welcoming, seating, the collection, and tidy-up after Mass.
Parish Life and Outreach
The Bereavement Ministry walks with grieving parishioners through practical help at the time of a loved one's death and through ongoing card-writing and telephone support. The Food Pantry accepts nonperishable donations dropped at the Rectory and distributes them to neighbors in need after a registration process. Twice a year, in January and August, the parish partners with the American Red Cross for a blood drive coordinated by the Respect Life Committee. The parish has run blood drives for more than thirty-five years.
The Respect Life Committee promotes the gospel of life through a pro-life rosary, a Baby Bottle Coin Drive supporting Mothers' Home in Darby, and other initiatives. The Hospitality Committee arranges receptions and refreshments for parish programs and events. Saint Martha's Guild volunteers clean the church and chapel on a rotating weekly schedule. The Saint Thomas Aquinas Book Club meets monthly to discuss a selected religious book, and Scripture Studies are offered on Wednesday mornings as scheduled.
Adult Education classes meet for about five weeks each in the fall and spring, covering topics like the liturgy, Church teachings, and the saints. The parish also supports the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, who have staffed Catholic education on the campus since 1918 and continue their ministry today at Our Lady of Angels. A free parish subscription to Formed.org gives every family access to Catholic movies, audio talks, Bible studies, and children's programming in English and Spanish.
Clergy and Staff
Rev. Philip J. Lowe serves as Parochial Administrator. Rev. Msgr. John M. Savinski is Pastor Emeritus and lives at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. Rev. Msgr. Patrick E. Sweeney is retired and in residence. The parish is served by Permanent Deacon Michael Alexander and Permanent Deacon Ronald F. Kelley, who is retired.
The parish staff includes Lisa Bucholski as Youth Minister, Mary Alexis (Lexie) Velazquez as Director of Religious Education, and Michele Williams as Director of Music. The Rectory Office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, closing at noon on Fridays from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend.