Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, will celebrate Mass to begin the new school year at Saint Katharine Drexel School in Chester, Delaware County. Cardinal Rigali will spend time with the students after Mass and greet each one individually.

9:00 a.m.
Friday, September 8, 2006
Saint Katharine Drexel Parish
1920 Providence Avenue
Chester, Delaware County

Cardinal Rigali announced at the Saint Katharine Drexel Feast Day Mass on Friday, March 3, 2006 at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter and Paul that the school would remain open for the 2006-2007 school year while interested parties worked on a plan to keep Catholic Education open, affordable and available to the young children of the city of Chester for years to come. To this end, the Sisters of Saint Francis in Glen Riddle along with Neumann College in Aston as well as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Parish of St. Katharine Drexel in Chester are working on plans for a co-sponsored institution that will be called Drexel/Neumann Academy which will open in the Fall of 2007. Drexel/Neumann Academy will continue the mission of both Saint Katharine Drexel and Saint John Neumann in providing Catholic education to the immigrant, Hispanic and African American children who make up the majority of the population in Chester.

Katharine Drexel, a Philadelphia native, devoted her life to serving the poor. In 2000, she was canonized by Pope John Paul II. For more information on Saint Katharine Drexel Parish School, visit www.stkatharinedrexelparish.org.

Contact
Meredith Wilson
Communications Specialist
215-587-3747