Our Lady Help of Christians (Archdiocese of Philadelphia (Latin Church), Abington)

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Our Lady Help of Christians
Dedication: Our Lady Help of Christians
Type/Classification: Territorial Parish
Non-Parochial: No
Operated By: Diocesan clergy
Venerated Saints: None specified
Diocese: Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Deanery:
Address: 1500 Marian Rd., Abington, Pennsylvania 19001
City: Abington, PA
Subdivision: Pennsylvania
Country: United States
County: Montgomery County
Website: Website
Founded: 1953
School: No
Email: None specified
AI Confidence: 7/10
Review Level: 0/5


Our Lady Help of Christians is a territorial parish of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, located in Abington, Pennsylvania, in Montgomery County. The parish is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady Help of Christians and serves a suburban community north of Philadelphia.

The parish was established on December 8, 1953—the Feast of the Immaculate Conception—on the eve of the 1954 Marian Year proclaimed for the Archdiocese.[1] It was one of ten parishes founded that year under various titles of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Archbishop (later Cardinal) John F. O'Hara in preparation for the Marian Year.[2]

Our Lady Help of Christians is not a shrine, basilica, or cathedral, and it is not operated by a religious order; it functions as a standard territorial parish of the Archdiocese, ministering to Catholics within its assigned boundaries.

History

Archbishop John F. O'Hara established Our Lady Help of Christians Parish on December 8, 1953, naming it in anticipation of the upcoming Marian Year. Reverend (later Monsignor) Joseph D. Shallow was appointed the parish's founding pastor, and early Masses were celebrated in an existing residence on the property that also served as the rectory.[3]

In the parish's early years, a school and convent were constructed before the church itself, and Mass was celebrated in the school gymnasium while the permanent church building was under construction. The church was completed in November 1963.[4] In recognition of the parish's founding and its Marian dedication, the road on which the parish sits—formerly Folly Road—was renamed Marian Road.[5]

On December 8, 2013, the parish marked the 50th anniversary of the dedication of its church with an anniversary Mass celebrated by Archbishop Charles Chaput.[6] In 2013, the parish school was merged with St. David School in nearby Willow Grove to form Queen of Angels Regional Catholic School; the former parish school building has since been used by other educational tenants.[7]

Special features

  • One of ten parishes established under titles of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia during the 1953–1954 Marian Year
  • The parish's street, Marian Road, was renamed in honor of the parish's Marian dedication
  • Celebrated the 50th anniversary of its church dedication with a Mass offered by Archbishop Charles Chaput in December 2013

Relics

According to established Catholic tradition, the main altar of the church contains deposited relics, as is customary in dedicated churches. Specific details regarding the saints associated with these relics are not documented in publicly available sources.

Architecture and Art

Exterior features

The current church building was completed in November 1963, following a period in which parish Masses were held in the school gymnasium during construction.[8] Specific details regarding the architect and exterior architectural style are not documented in publicly available sources.

Interior features

Details on the layout and finishes of the church interior are not documented in publicly available sources.

Stained Glass Windows

Specific information on the church's stained glass windows is not documented in publicly available sources.

Statues and Sculptures

Specific information on statuary within the church is not documented in publicly available sources.

Other Artwork

No further devotional artwork is documented in publicly available sources.

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Media

No media found for this saint.

Related parishes

Template:OtherSaintParishes

External links

Social media

Official Social Media

References

  1. ↑ "Our Parish History". Our Lady Help of Christians Parish. https://olhcabington.org/about-us/our-history. 
  2. ↑ "Our Parish History". Our Lady Help of Christians Parish. https://olhcabington.org/about-us/our-history. 
  3. ↑ "Our Parish History". Our Lady Help of Christians Parish. https://olhcabington.org/about-us/our-history. 
  4. ↑ "Our Parish History". Our Lady Help of Christians Parish. https://olhcabington.org/about-us/our-history. 
  5. ↑ "Our Parish History". Our Lady Help of Christians Parish. https://olhcabington.org/about-us/our-history. 
  6. ↑ "Abington parish marks half-century of church built in Mary's name". CatholicPhilly. https://catholicphilly.com/2013/11/news/local-news/abington-parish-marks-half-century-of-church-built-in-marys-name/. 
  7. ↑ "Abington parish marks half-century of church built in Mary's name". CatholicPhilly. https://catholicphilly.com/2013/11/news/local-news/abington-parish-marks-half-century-of-church-built-in-marys-name/. 
  8. ↑ "Our Parish History". Our Lady Help of Christians Parish. https://olhcabington.org/about-us/our-history. 
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