Catholic Sites and historic churches to visit in & around Philadelphia

UPDATED - Aug 2, 2015

With the World Meeting of Families coming to Philadelphia, plus the fact that I live in the Philly suburbs, I’ve decided to write a list of Philadelphia area Catholic sites.  The below list is pretty exhaustive, but I’m sure I might be missing something.  If I am, please let me know and I’ll add them to the blog.  God Bless!

Cathedrals

• Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul – http://www.cathedralphila.org
• Cathedral of Immaculate Conception (Cathedral of Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia) – http://www.ukrcathedral.com
• Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Cathedral of the Diocese of Camden – less than 5 miles away from the Cathedral for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia – 1.5 blocks away from Broadway subway station on PATCO Speed-line [Philadelphia’s red line subway line]) – http://www.camdencathedral.com

Shrines

• The National Shrine of St. John Neumann (take a taxi there and call one to pick you up afterwards) - http://www.stjohnneumann.org

• The National Shrine of St. Katharine Drexel (easy taxi ride or car rental) - http://www.katharinedrexel.org
• The National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia (easy access from Broad Street Subway, Ellsworth – Federal Station, top of stairs) - http://www.saintritashrine.org
• Shrine of the Miraculous Medal and Museum (Art Museum of over 500 pieces of Catholic art, by appointment only) - http://www.cammonline.org
• The National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa (in Doylestown, PA; worth the drive) - http://www.czestochowa.us
• Shrine of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla - http://www.saintgianna.org
• Relics of St. Therese of Lisieux and her parents, the Blessed Louis & Zelie Martin - http://discalcedcarmelitesphila.org/liturgical-schedule/
• The National Centre for Padre Pio (Totally worth the drive in Barto, PA; Diocese of Allentown) - http://www.padrepio.org   (added 5/28/2015)
• Statue of Our Lady Queen of Peace (a large statue of the Blessed Mother, over looking Interstate 295 and the Delaware Memorial Bridge, in New Castle, Delaware; Diocese of Wilmington) http://www.ourlady-de.org

Historic Churches

• Old St. Joseph’s (first Catholic parish, founded in 1733 & founded St. Joseph’s University) - http://www.oldstjoseph.org
• Old St. Mary – (First Cathedral of Philadelphia and built in 1763) - http://www.oldstmary.com
• Holy Trinity Church (built in 1784, now has Latin Mass on Sundays at noon – part of Old St. Mary Parish) - http://www.oldstmary.com & http://www.latinmassphila.org
• St. Augustine Church (same Augustinians who founded Villanova University) – http://www.st-augustinechurch.com
• St. John the Evangelist (former Cathedral of Philadelphia – home to Capuchin Friars with Catholic Gift Shop) - http://www.stjohnsphilly.com
• St. Patrick Church (20th and Locust Streets)
• Sts. Agatha & James Church (next to the campus of UPENN) - http://www.saintsaj.org
• St. Bridget Church (home church to Princess Grace Kelly) - http://www.stbridgeteastfalls.org/2831-2

Catholic Art and other Exhibits

• Philadelphia Museum of Art (the European Art exhibits on the 2nd floor contain lots of Catholic paintings, relics, prayer books, & altars, archways and stonework from real Churches) – http://www.philamuseum.org
• Princesses Grace Kelly’s Bride's Manual: A Manual of Catholic Devotion with Mass for the Marriage Ceremony and the Nuptial Blessing - http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/152527.html
• NOTE:  Rumor has it that the Museum will also have a special exhibit from the Vatican during the World Meeting.
• La Salle University’s Museum of Art – http://www.lasalle.edu/museum
• Art Museum at the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal (over 500 pieces of Catholic art, by appointment only) - http://www.cammonline.org/index.php?/shrine/art-museum
• Treasury of Faith Museum (of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia) - http://www.ukrarcheparchy.us/index.php?categoryid=23
• The Augustinian Historical Institute (part of Villanova University’s Augustinian Institute, by appointment only) - http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/mission/augustinianinstitute/ahi/collections.html
• Franklin Institute - Vatican Splendors Exhibit (added 8/2/2015) - http://www.worldmeeting2015.org/about-the-event/vatican-splendors/
• Penn Museum - Sacred Writings: Extraordinary Texts of the Biblical World  (added 8/2/2015) - http://www.penn.museum/press-releases/1213-sacred-writings.html

Catholic Colleges in and around Philadelphia

• St. Charles Borromeo Seminary – www.scs.edu
• Villanova University – www.villanova.edu
• St. Joseph’s University – www.sju.edu
• La Salle University – http://www.lasalle.edu
• Rosemont College – http://www.rosemont.edu
• Cabrini College – www.cabrini.edu
• Chestnut Hill College – www.chc.edu
• Gwynedd Mercy University – http://www.gmercyu.edu
• Holy Family University – www.holyfamily.edu
• Immaculata University – http://www.immaculata.edu
• Neumann University – http://www.neumann.edu
• Manor College (an Ukrainian Catholic Junior College) – http://www.manor.edu

Some Eastern Catholic sites

• Cathedral of Immaculate Conception (Cathedral of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia) – http://www.ukrcathedral.com
• St. Maron Maronite Church (Antiochian Rite, Lebanese)  - http://www.saintmaron.org
• St. Mark’s Armenian Catholic Church (Armenian Rite) - http://stmarksarmenianchurch.org
• St. Jude Syro-Malankara Catholic Church - http://www.syromalankarausa.org/content/st-jude-syro-malankara-catholic-parish
• St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Church - http://www.syromalabarphila.org
• St. John Neumann Knanaya Catholic Mission of Philadelphia (Syro-Malabar Rite) - http://www.knanayaregion.us/philadelphia.htm
• Holy Ghost Byzantine Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite, Ruthenian) - http://www.holyghostphila.byzcath.org

Other Philadelphia Catholic entities

• Collegium Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture (at the University of Pennsylvania) - http://collegiuminstitute.org
• Catholic Philopatrian Literary Institute - http://thephilo.org
• American Catholic Historical Society - http://www.amchs.org
• The Augustinian Institute (at Villanova University) - http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/mission/augustinianinstitute.html
• Masses sponsored by the Office for Pastoral Care for Migrants and Refugees - http://migrantsandrefugeesphilly.org/mass-schedules/
• The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia - http://www.catholicfoundationphila.org
• Catholic Professionals of Greater Philadelphia - http://www.catholicpros.com/
• National Catholic Bioethics Center - http://www.ncbcenter.org
• Catholic Medical Association - http://www.cathmed.org
• Catholic Leadership Institute - http://www.catholicleaders.org
• Catholic Life Institute - http://www.freeandfaithful.com
• The Faithful Traveler (often seen on ETWN) - https://www.thefaithfultraveler.com and http://www.patheos.com/blogs/thefaithfultraveler