Catholic Shrines and Places of Interest in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
About the founding of Pennsylvania:
William Penn’s “holy experiment” of religious toleration was the founding principle of the Province of Pennsylvania, established in 1682 as a safe haven for his fellow Quakers and other persecuted religious minorities. Despite opposition from England’s King Charles II (who initially resisted granting the charter), Penn used a significant debt owed to his family by the Crown to secure the land grant in 1682, establishing a colony built on peaceful principles and representative government
The Mass was celebrated publicly as early as 1707 (unheard-of in England and its colonies at the time) and Old Saint Joseph’s Church, the first Catholic church in Philadelphia, was built in 1733. Following the American independence from England, which had been officially recognized with the Treaty of Paris in 1783, the Catholic population increased from forty people at that time to about eight thousand by 1790
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has many shrines of interest to Catholic travelers and was the location of the World Meeting of Families that coincided with the visit of Pope Francis in 2015.
Among the Shrines & Churches here in the city of Philadelphia are:
Basilica Shrine of the Miraculous Medal (including the Shrine of Our Lady of Kibeho)
Carmelite Monastery: Relics of Saint Therese, Saints Louis and Zelie Martin
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul (shrine of Saint Katherine Drexel)
Convent of Divine Love (perpetual Adoration Chapel)
National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia
National Shrine of Saint John Neumann
There are also two other significant shrines outside the city, but still within the Diocese of Philadelphia:
The National Shrine of Częstochowa (Doylestown)
Saint Gianna Beretta Molla Shrine (Warminster)
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