As Philadelphia prepares to host the 2015 World Meeting of Families and the Papal visit, the World Meeting of Families - Philadelphia 2015 and IBM announced on Wednesday, July 22, that a new mobile app – "Go Philadelphia!" – will help hundreds of thousands of visitors and residents navigate the city. The app will provide information about the region's cultural institutions and family-friendly events taking…
Two winters ago, a spate of punishing snowstorms took a toll on families who were already teetering on the brink of solvency – from losing hundreds of dollars of groceries during power outages to having fallen trees decimate uninsured residences. Despite the region’s affluence, the many families left homeless strained area service agencies and overloaded shelters, prompting an emergency meeting organized by United Way of…
My son stayed up until 11:30 p.m. on July 4th to see the televised Philadelphia fireworks. 6ABC did that good a job with the hype hours before. He just knew he would see the letters U-S-A sparkling in the sky. Personally, I expected a Liberty Bell shape to burst over the Museum of Art. The Liberty Bell is a local and national symbol. It is…
The word transcend as a verb means to “go beyond the limits of.” This past week, we as a nation officially transcended our Judeo Christian principles which have been the bedrock of America for more than 239 years. I am one who believes that America has never been truly a “Christian” nation. What is true is that the vast majority of our laws had been…
The Vatican released the comprehensive itinerary for Pope Francis' journey to the United States, including his schedule for Philadelphia on Sept. 26-27, which will close the six-day journey, said an archdiocesan press release. Pope Francis will take part in eight public events in Philadelphia, in addition to his arrival and departure from Atlantic Aviation. The following reflects the chronological order of confirmed Papal events for…
Did you notice? This column has a new name and a new by-line. I thank Rabbi Eric M. Rosin for piloting this column and for nominating me to succeed him. The Jewish tradition has a funny way of making what is old new again. The political Zionists of the 19th century sought to create an altneuland (German for old-new land) and the modern city of…
The Franklin Institute has announced plans to host the exclusive East Coast destination of “Vatican Splendors." The exhibition, which begins Sept. 19, is timed to take place during the historic Papal visit on Sept. 26 and 27 and the 2015 World Meeting of Families Congress in Philadelphia from Sept. 22 to Sept. 25, said a press release from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. It will explore…
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26) As you read this you might be thinking that this cannot be right. After all, this is Jesus, the Prince of Peace, the God who loved the world so much…
Even if you’ve never seen the movie, “The Graduate,” you’ve heard lines from it. You’ve heard the career advice that a family friend sagely offers Dustin Hoffman’s confused character as they walk together next to the family pool during his graduation party: “Plastics, my boy, plastics.” You’ve heard songs from the memorable Simon and Garfinkel soundtrack. You may even recall the awkward exchange when the…
The Supreme Court will rule gay marriage is constitutional. This is progress for gay marriage activists but it is also progress for Christians who oppose same sex marriage. That sounds counterintuitive, but here’s what I mean. For the last 200 years, the United States saw tremendous growth of the Christian Church. According to Gallup, church attendance was greatest between 1940 and 1970. During these 30…
The World Meeting of Families - Philadelphia 2015 announced on Monday, April 27, that its online volunteer registration is now officially open to the public. With more than 10,000 volunteers needed for the World Meeting of Families Congress (Sept. 22-25) and Papal Visit (Sept. 26-27), individuals 18 years of age and older can now register at http://worldmeeting2015.volunteerhub.com/ for the opportunity to play a crucial role…