Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, Archbishop of Philadelphia, will be available to discuss the upcoming Canonization of Katharine Drexel on

Friday, September 15, 2000
3:00 p.m.
Archdiocesan Office Center
Room 915
222 North 17th Street
Philadelphia


Also present will be Monsignor Louis D'Addezio, Co-chair of the Executive Committee for the Canonization of Katharine Drexel. Monsignor D'Addezio is coordinating the Archdiocesan pilgrimage to Rome.

Cardinal Bevilacqua will be a concelebrant at the Canonization Mass in Saint Peter's Square in Rome at 10:00 a.m. on October 1, 2000 (4:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time). After Katharine Drexel is canonized, Philadelphia will be the only diocese in the United States with two saints. Saint John Neumann was canonized on June 19, 1977 at Saint Peter's Basilica. He served as Bishop of Philadelphia from 1852 until his death in 1860.

Katharine Drexel was born into the wealthy Drexel banking family in 1858. She dedicated her life and fortune to caring for poor Native and African American people. She founded nearly sixty schools and missions before her death in 1955. Pope John Paul II has decreed that the restoration of two people's hearing can be attributed to the intercession of Mother Katharine Drexel.

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Editor's Note: Please note that this is will be the Cardinal's only media availability prior to his departure for the canonization in Rome on September 27th.

Contact
Catherine L. Rossi
Director
215-587-3747