St. Richard of Chichester Parish
a Catholic parish community in the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Nestled in the heart of South Philly, St. Richard of Chichester Parish
has been serving the needs of the local Catholic community since 1924.
Our goal is to enable all of our parishioners to fully embrace their Baptism into Christ Jesus, and to respond "Yes" to God's invitation to relationship. We are committed to providing ample opportunities for our parishioners to cultivate, sustain, and deepen that relationship so that they may come to boldly profess "Christ Lives in Me!" This website contains valuable information about how we as a parish community accomplish this goal and serves as an excellent resource for information about the life and happenings of our parish community as well as providing ample information on how one can become more involved in parish life. So sit back, surf away, and enjoy!
Prayer to the Holy Family
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in you we contemplate the splendor of true love; to you we turn with trust. Holy Family of Nazareth, grant that our families too may be places of communion and prayer, authentic schools of the Gospel and small domestic churches. Holy Family of Nazareth, may families never again experience violence, rejection and division; may all who have been hurt or scandalized find ready comfort and healing. Holy Family of Nazareth, make us once more mindful of the sacredness and inviolability of the family, and its beauty in God’s plan. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Graciously hear our prayer. Amen.
from Pope Francis’ Amoris Laetitia, March 2016
Current News
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
It is with a heavy heart that I communicate the following to you: Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez has announced the suspension of all public Masses in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, until further notice. This includes Sunday and weekday Masses with the faithful.
Of course, all of this is because of the growing concern of the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the directives provided by government and health department officials at the local, state, and national levels. These measures will be re-evaluated pending future developments. I will continue to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass privately for the arranged intentions.
The celebration of Confirmation, currently scheduled for April 27, and the celebration of First Communion, currently scheduled for May 2, are postponed as per the directives of the Archdiocese. New dates have not yet been determined. More information will be shared with families as it becomes available.
Saint Richard Church will be open for private prayer from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 4:30 pm on Saturdays, and 7:00 am to 12:00 Noon on Sundays. An important part in allowing this is for all of us to keep reasonable social distancing. Baptisms, Confessions (Saturday 3:30 pm – 4:15 pm) and Marriages and funerals are to take place as usual but with due regard for the limitation of participants and reasonable social distancing
Together, let’s pray that the Lord’s gift of peace will help to settle our anxieties and fears. Also, let us continue to pray for the people whose lives have been impacted by the coronavirus as well as those who continue to care for them. I will provide additional updates as they become available.
May God bless us and Mary keep us,
Father John R. Weber
When Should You Make an Act of Spiritual Communion?
The most common occasion for making an Act of Spiritual Communion is when we cannot fulfill our obligation to attend Mass on a Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation, whether because of illness or bad weather, or some other reason outside of our control. You can make an Acts of Spiritual Communion at any time and make multiple times a day—even on days when we have been able to receive the Eucharist. Each Act of Spiritual Communion that we make increases our desire to receive sacramental Communion, and protects us until we can receive Holy Communion sacramentally again.
ACT OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION (St. Alphonsus Ligouri)
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
New Video Series for Children
Your children will fall in love with Brother Francis in JoyToons! Did you know that your FORMED subscription includes inspirational, engaging content for your children, like JoyToons? FORMED includes a wealth of children's e-books and movies to help your children build a relationship with the Lord and introduce them to the lives of the saints. See the info below to obtain your free subscription.
Get FORMED
St. Richard parishioners have free access to an exciting new website which provides the best Catholic programs, movies, audio talks, and eBooks on the Catholic faith. It offers amazing Faith Formation in an engaging style with the best Catholic teachers, authors, and speakers, on-demand 24/7. From prayer and formation, to family and children's movies, FORMED.org has it all in one place. Watch the FORMED preview below to learn more about what's available, and then check below for how to get access to this amazing content.
To Register for FORMED and start your Free On-Demand access:
- Go to Formed.org
- Enter our PARISH CODE: Y8HV6H on the homepage
- Create a personal account with your username/email and password
- Start enjoying the best Catholic content all in one place!
IMPORTANT: DO NOT sign up as an "Individual" – the parish access code above provides more content than the individual subscription.
Then in the future, just login by going to Formed.org and entering your username/email and password.
NEW FORMED.ORG APP AVAILABLE
It is now eve easier than ever for you to enjoy your subscription to FORMED! Just download the FREE FORMED app and start enjoying great video and audio wherever you go. Be the first to getthe FORMED app and share it with your friends and family.
Learn more at app.formed.org
Prayers for Everyday
We have created a PDF document that contains everyday prayers for families and individuals. You can access the document here.
Special Needs Class Forming for CCD
All children can learn about our Faith and receive Sacraments. If you have a child, or know of a child, who is autistic or who has a similar disability, please call Maryellen Carroll at the Rectory at 215-468-4777 or via email. A special class is being designed to meet the needs of these children.
Parish Boundaries
Our parish boundaries are Broad St. from Oregon Ave. to Government Ave; to Delaware River; to Schuylkill River; to a point established by air line extended due west from said bridge approach; to 25th St.; to Oregon Ave.; to Broad St.
Parish Registration
If you've just moved into the area, please contact the Rectory as soon as possible to register or complete our online registration form in less than five minutes. Registration is necessary to receive weekly offering envelopes. One must also be registered with a parish in order to serve as a godparent for Baptism or sponsor for Confirmation.
A wide variety of people dedicate themselves to serving St. Richard Parish. These include, clergy, religious, and lay persons. Click here to see members of our pastoral and administrative staffs.
St. Richard Church is home to dozens of organizations and groups -- there really is something for everyone. Take a look at our directory of activities and organizations and see if there's something that interests you.
If you're looking for a way to share your God given gifts and talents with the parish community, then check out our volunteer page where you'll find information on the various ministries here at St. Richard. Everything you need to know to get you started is listed for each ministry, including contact information.