Are you joining us for our 9th annual day of fun, games and new friends? The Parish Picnic is Sunday, September 12, 2010 after the 12:30 p.m. Mass at Lemon Hill Pavilion in East Fairmount Park, easily accessible via SEPTA. The picnic is held rain or shine, unless hurricane whoever is in town!

If you're coming, call the parish office (215-563-4145) or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) so we know how many burgers to buy AND what you are bringing for our table.
Please R.S.V.P. by August 27.

We grill from about 1:30-3:30 P.M., so we ask that food donations arrive at the picnic site no later than 1:30. Special note: Monetary donations are appreciated to help defray picnic supply costs. Thank you!

Click HERE for directions from St. John's to the picnic. If you can carpool, please let us know. Any questions, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Gert Anthony ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), or call 215-925-3511 anytime before 8 p.m.

There has been a lot of speculation about possible changes in personnel here ever since the recent Chapter of our Capuchin province.  Well, the time has come.  Fr. David Nestler, the Provincial Minister of the Capuchin Province of St. Augustine, announced the following among many changes in personnel on Tuesday evening, July 20th, 2010.  They are listed in order of effective date:

Fr. Roger White is assigned to St. John the Evangelist, Philadelphia, as parochial vicar effective August 1st, 2010.

Fr. Matthew Palkowski is assigned to St. Francis Friary, Harrisburg, for hospital chaplaincy, effective August 15, 2010.

Fr. John Daya is assigned to St. John the Evangelist, Philadelphia, as Pastor and Vicar effective September 13, 2010.

Fr. Francis Yacobi is assigned to the Provincial Hermitage in Wheeling,WV for sabbatical, effective September 13, 2010, until January 3, 2011. He is assigned as Pastor, St. Callistus Parish, Philadelphia and as Assistant Formation Director of the province’s Postulancy Program and Treasurer for Padre Pio friary, Philadelphia, effective January 3, 2011.

You all know Fr. Roger.  I'm sure that you will enjoy having him back with us.  You probably do not know Fr. John Daya.  Fr. John is currently pastor of Our Lady of the Angels Parish, Pittsburgh, and has served several terms on our Provincial council.  You will find him to be a priest of great enthusiasm and energy who is a very highly skilled administrator. Interpersonally, you will know him to be a very kind and compassionate man.  I had the privilege of working with him for a couple of years in York, PA and am still very fond of the work we shared there.  I hope that you will welcome him warmly and enthusiastically.  I will have more to say in the weeks ahead, but I wanted you all to know what is in store for our parish as we look toward the coming Year of Grace.

Peace to your heart,

Fr. Frank

Dear St. John’s Family,

By now I expect that you have heard or read that I am being transferred.  I am going to be a hospital chaplain in Harrisburg.  Since I have never been a full-time hospital chaplain as a priest, it’s both a bit intimidating & exciting.  It was also unexpected, but life is full of surprises.

As with any place, there have been challenges.  I suppose there have been time when I have presented several of you with various challenges as well.  I, therefore, would like to apologize to anyone in the parish whom I have offended. It is would be a pity to leave on poor terms with anyone, if that could be avoided.

I would like to take some time to thank all of you who have been so kind to me over the last couple of years.  I appreciate the welcome you gave to me as well as your support and kindness.  I owe a special thanks to the RCIA team with whom I worked.  You are a dedicated group who do so much for St. John’s.  I would also like to thank the lectors and the acolytes who serve at St. John’s,especially those that serve on Sundays.  You had to deal with my liturgical sense which tends toward “Eastern” at times. This came across particularly in my use of incense, which I am sure some of you will miss.

Thank you very much.

Forgive me if I do not list names, as it would take too long and I am sure to miss someone that I really would not want to miss.  I am grateful to all those who helped so much.  May God bless you.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Matthew