Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, Archbishop of Philadelphia, will dedicate Casa Carmen Aponte, an elderly affordable supportive housing project in North Philadelphia. Casa Carmen Aponte is jointly sponsored by Catholic Social Services and the Norris Square Civic Association. The ceremony will consist of a brief prayer service, remarks and a ribbon cutting.

Saturday, September 16, 2000
12:00 p.m. - Blessing Service
12:20 p.m. - Ribbon Cutting
2121-2137 North Howard Street
Philadelphia


The complex is named for Carmen Aponte, the first administrator of the Norris Square Senior Center, who passed away three years ago and who first envisioned the site as a future housing complex for seniors. It is a four-story structure which will provide housing for 35 residents. The project is unique in that construction occurred on top of the existing Norris Square Senior Center, on the first floor of the building. The Senior Center serves approximately 60 to 80 seniors per day.

Norris Square Senior Housing is funded with federal, state and municipal monies. Funding was arranged in part by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Cardinal Bevilacqua presided at the groundbreaking on October 1, 1999

Those scheduled to participate in the formal program include Mayor John Street; the Honorable Nelson Diaz, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; Reverend Monsignor Timothy Senior, Secretary of Catholic Human Services; Pat DeCarlo, Norris Square Civic Association; and Reverend William Gage, Pastor, Norris Square Presbyterian Church and member, Board of Directors, Norris Square Senior Housing.

###

Contact
Donna Crilley
Broadcast and Media Specialist
215-587-3747