Latest news with #ArchdioceseofPhiladelphia
Herald Malaysia
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Herald Malaysia
Athlete, convert to Catholicism, and future priest: The story of Josh Brooks
Josh Brooks, a native of Delaware County in metro Philadelphia, dreamed of following in the footsteps of his idol LeBron James and becoming a professional basketball player. However, God had other plans for him. Jul 14, 2025 Seminarian Josh Brooks. | Credit: Courtesy of Catholic Philly, official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia By Diego López Marina Josh Brooks, a native of Delaware County in metro Philadelphia, dreamed of following in the footsteps of his idol LeBron James and becoming a professional basketball player. However, God had other plans for him. Today, Brooks is in his third year of university studies at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and is preparing for the priesthood. 'I don't want to just live for myself, but I want to bring the joy God gave me to other people,' Brooks said in a recent interview with Catholic Philly, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Raised in the Baptist faith, Brooks had his first contact with Catholicism when his parents enrolled him at St. Ignatius Loyola Elementary School in West Philadelphia. Later, at Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast High School, his interest in the Catholic faith grew. 'And really slowly, my attention was gravitating toward my Catholic theology classes, where I learned about the identity of the priest. What really attracted me was learning about how the Catholic Church is a universal family, 'cause I didn't have the best family growing up, so that just made me feel like I was called to be part of something special,' Brooks shared. Although during his teenage years he spent a lot of time practicing in order to make the high school basketball team, he ultimately failed to achieve that dream. 'So this left me wondering with the question of what I was going to do with my life if basketball, which was my bid dream, was no longer an option,' he recounted. In his search for meaning, he tried to fill the void with a romantic relationship, but realized his heart longed for something deeper. Uncertain of his calling, he asked the young lady, 'Would you be able to wait for me?' She replied, 'I'm not going to wait for you.' So I looked up at the crucifix and I said to the Lord, 'If she will not wait for me, then who will?' And then I realized the whole time he was waiting for me, for me to accept his love. He said 'You idiot, I have the best love to give you.'' That moment marked a turning point. 'I think I just reacted without thinking, And look what that brought me. It brought me so much joy, this intense fire to just want to be for God and just be for others,' Brooks reflected. At St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, he found not only a vocation, but also brothers. 'I never had any brothers, so I didn't know what having one would be like. So when I entered seminary, you have different guys with different interests, different personalities. At the heart of it all, these guys are trying to build off each other,' he said. Fellow seminarian Sean Barker highlighted Josh's fraternal spirit. At a 'Come and See' retreat 'I walked right in and the first person I saw was Josh sitting in his cassock,' he recalled. 'Just talking to him, getting to know him, I felt more at ease. He cares about and has a great respect and admiration for the deep historical spirituality of the Church.' 'He wants me to be better, he wants me to spend more time in chapel, to take prayer life more seriously, to take academics more seriously...I think that's just him as a role model is what inspires me most,' Baker added. In the interview, Josh highlighted the 'rich tradition and history' of the Catholic Church, but also that it's 'one big family.' He also invited others trying to rediscover their faith to come closer: 'We are an imperfect people, but we are being governed by a God who transcends all things and knows us better than we know ourselves,' he said. What most defines this young seminarian is his deep prayer life and his desire to become a priest. Although his parents are not Catholic, they support his vocation, and he prays every day for their conversion. 'At the heart of our search for the highest form of love, we'll find it here, where we gather at the altar of God and we'll be able to make our dwelling in him,' the young seminarian summed up.--CNA
New York Post
28-06-2025
- General
- New York Post
Catholic priest still bakes pies, enjoys opera and performs daily Mass at age 100: ‘The Lord was wonderful to me'
Throughout his remarkable lifetime, the Rev. James Kelly has baptized thousands of people, married thousands more, ministered to the sick in hospitals, and traveled the world extensively. He became friends with an opera superstar and, yes, even with a saint. The longest-serving priest in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of his ordination and his 100th birthday. He's grateful to have reached these milestones, but nearly didn't after experiencing a health challenge last year that required life-saving surgery. He feels God gave him some extra time and tries to make each day count. 7 Rev. James Kelly, the longest-serving priest in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of his ordination and his 100th birthday. AP 'The Lord was wonderful to me to give me the health and the strength and the energy to travel, to meet beautiful things — God was always giving me surprises,' Kelly says. Born on Jan. 7, 1925, in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Roxborough to a devoutly Catholic family, Kelly's path to the priesthood seems ordained from the start. He loved attending church. Other children dreamt of becoming athletes, doctors, or firefighters. He wanted to be a priest. 'When I was 4 or 5 years old, I'd play Mass,' he says, laughing, as he recalls that his parents were his first congregants. 'I always had a little altar in my room, and I'd have a glass, and some flowers in there, and I'd make a vestment, put a scarf on, and have some candy, and give Communion to everybody.' Kelly wakes up at dawn to celebrate Mass at the retirement living community that he now calls home. He listens to opera. He bakes pies. 7 Kelly was born on Jan. 7, 1925, in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Roxborough to a devoutly Catholic family. AP Memories, parachute jumps, and climbing a bridge to save a life Sitting in his room, Kelly flips through a photo album detailing his journey. He smiles with every page turn, pointing to black-and-white photos of him as a toddler and milestones as a Catholic — his baptism, confirmation, and ordination as a priest. 'I turned down Hollywood!' he says, laughing as he points to the portrait of a dapper, young priest, his hair slicked and flashing a wide smile. He also points to the photo published by a Philadelphia newspaper of the time when he climbed in his Roman collar to the top of a bridge and dissuaded a man from jumping to his death. 7 'I turned down Hollywood!' Kelly says, laughing as he points to the portrait of a dapper, young priest, his hair slicked and flashing a wide smile. AP 'Nobody would climb there, so I climbed up — it was 400 feet high. It was a bitter cold day,' he says. 'I was able to talk to him and break him down emotionally, so he wouldn't jump. I told him, 'What's your grandchild going to say one day: Papa, why didn't you take me fishing?'' He points to other photos of the many ceremonies he proudly led during his 19 years as pastor of Saint Pius X Parish in Broomall, Pennsylvania, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Philadelphia. There are images of him during a vacation in Mexico when he made a parachute jump. Or that one time, when he visited the majestic Iguazu Falls on the border between Argentina and Brazil, which he recalls as one of the most beautiful sights of his life. 'Everywhere you turned, there was a rainbow, there was a mist … the water gushing forth and spray and the colors,' he says. 'It was, as the kids would say, awesome.' Imagination, friends and being grateful for the simple pleasures Imagination, he says, is one of his favorite words, recalling that he wrote his college thesis on it. 'Jesus used his imagination to teach,' he says, in what became an example when he prepared his own sermons. 7 Sitting in his room, Kelly flips through a photo album detailing his journey. AP He treasures other memories, such as traveling to more than 100 countries and meeting Saint Teresa of Kolkata, also known as Mother Theresa. Kelly says the two became friends over the years after meeting in Philadelphia and running into each other at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. The centenarian also shared the time when he took a group of blind children to a live performance of his friend, acclaimed soprano Joan Sutherland. 'I've been fortunate to meet some of the most magnificent, good people in this world, and they've been most generous and gracious to me,' Kelly says. These days, he enjoys simple pleasures: the taste of cherries, a beautiful song, or his favorite meal — roast chicken with mashed potatoes, fresh string beans, and corn on the cob. He loves learning and often attends lectures on music, art history and Egyptology at the Normandy Farms Estates retirement community where he resides in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. 7 'I've been fortunate to meet some of the most magnificent, good people in this world, and they've been most generous and gracious to me,' Kelly says. AP His apartment is decorated with a painting of the Virgin Mary that he drew with chalk, a portrait of his mother, and a note signed by the late Pope Francis. On his bedside table, he keeps an image of Carlo Acutis, the Catholic Church's first millennial-era saint. Kelly is inspired by Acutis, who died at 15 in 2006. Especially Acutis' devotion and how he used his computer skills to create an online exhibit about scores of eucharistic miracles recognized by the church over centuries. The ritual of a humble daily Mass and the secret to a long life Every morning, he wakes up without the need of an alarm clock and says the same prayer: 'Lord, what surprise do you have for me today?' 7 Kelly's apartment is decorated with a painting of the Virgin Mary that he drew with chalk, a portrait of his mother, and a note signed by the late Pope Francis. AP 'I hope it'll be a nice one that I'll love and enjoy. I never know, but I want to thank you for whatever happens today.' After a cup of coffee, he celebrates Mass in his apartment for a few residents of his community. 'When I moved here, I never thought I was going to have a private chapel!' Kathleen Quigley, a retired nurse, quipped after a recent service. 'I just love my faith, and he's such a stronghold of faith that it's wonderful for me to have. I just come right downstairs, have Mass, we talk, he shares his food.' Kelly once ministered to large congregations, but he feels the daily Mass in his living room is as important. 7 Kelly wakes up at dawn to celebrate Mass at the retirement living community that he now calls home. He listens to opera. He bakes pies. AP 'It's not in a beautiful chapel or church. But it's here that I can offer my love and efforts to the Heavenly Father,' he says. After the final prayer, he always remembers to be grateful. 'That's all I can say — two words: thank you. It's wonderful that I have another day, and I might be able to eat some delicious cherries today, and meet people, new friends,' he says. 'God knows what surprises I'll encounter today.' His secret to longevity? 'I drink lots of milk,' he says, laughing. 'And I say lots of prayers.'
Miami Herald
26-06-2025
- Miami Herald
Catholic school teacher had child porn trove with hundreds of pics, PA cops say
A longtime Catholic school teacher accused of possessing hundreds of child pornography images told investigators he had 'too many' to count, Pennsylvania authorities say. Richard Adamsky, a 65-year-old teacher at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic School in Warminster, now faces felony charges of possession of child sexual abuse material and criminal use of a communication facility, according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia said Adamsky was placed on administrative leave after it learned of his arrest. The district attorney's office announced Adamsky's arrest Wednesday, June 25, following a three-month investigation that began when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children tipped off officers about explicit activity on Adamsky's computer, according to an affidavit. The organization reported someone, later revealed to be Adamsky, had uploaded a child porn image into a reverse image search, authorities said. When officers executed a search warrant at Adamsky's home months later, the teacher said he had been searching and downloading child porn images to his computer for four to five years, according to the court documents. Adamsky told investigators that he had 'too many' child porn photos saved and had downloaded hundreds, police said. 'It shakes the foundation of your trust when you have an educator, especially an elementary school educator, engaging in this type of criminal conduct,' Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said during a news conference, WFMZ reported. reported Adamsky taught eighth grade at the Catholic school and was also involved in athletic coaching. The images he was in possession of, according to investigators, involved victims the same age group as the children he taught. Attorney info was not listed for Adamsky as of June 26. Adamsky has been a teacher for more than 30 years, including three decades at Nativity of Our Lord School, WFMZ reported. He has been regarded highly, having been recognized as a 'Who's Who' of American Teachers, according to WPVI. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia called the allegations 'serious and disturbing,' saying it is cooperating in the investigation. The archdiocese said there were 'no complaints of inappropriate behavior with minors' against Adamsky. 'Neither the school, nor the parish, nor the Archdiocese had any indication of alleged wrongdoing on Mr. Adamsky's part until being notified of his arrest earlier today,' the archdiocese said in a statement. 'Based on information provided by law enforcement, it is our understanding that these activities involved Mr. Adamsky's personal electronic devices only and that there were no allegations that he had physically harmed a minor.'
CBS News
21-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
Archdiocese of Philadelphia to hold mass following death of Pope Francis at 88
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia will hold a special mass service on Monday, April 21, after news of Pope Francis' death at the age of 88. The Vatican announced the pope died around 7:30 a.m. local time, one day after he briefly appeared in St. Peter's Square to bless worshippers on Easter Sunday. Archbishop Nelson Pérez , who was appointed as the 14th Bishop and 10th Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia by Francis in 2020, will be the principal celebrant during Mass on Monday at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Peter and Paul. You can watch the service live starting at 12:05 p.m. in the video player above or on our CBS News Philadelphia YouTube channel . Speaking with CBS News Philadelphia's Jim Donovan, Natasha Brown and former news anchor Pat Ciarrocchi Monday morning, Archbishop Pérez recalled the times he met with Pope Francis . "In so many ways, he was like an uncle," Pérez said. "Just very warm, very kind, very humorous. It was just very beautiful." Archbishop Pérez said he often spoke with the pope in Spanish, which is both of their first languages. "He was really always so kind and attentive. And when he spoke to somebody, he looked at them straightly in the eye," he said. "It's a great loss for us, but a great gain for heaven."
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Yahoo
Jurisdiction saves Philly archdiocese from culpability for priest's alleged sex abuse in New Jersey
A claim against the Philly archdiocese for its priest's alleged sexual abuse can't proceed because of jurisdictional issues, New Jersey's top court says. (Photo by William) In a blow for clergy sex abuse victims, the New Jersey State Supreme Court has ruled that a Catholic archdiocese's accountability for an alleged predatory priest does not cross state lines. The decision arose from the case of an Illinois man who accused Michael J. McCarthy, a priest in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from 1965 until he was defrocked in 2006, of molesting him during an overnight stay in Margate in 1971, when he was 14 and a member of McCarthy's parish. The man, identified only as D.T. in court paperwork, sued the archdiocese in May 2020 in New Jersey, one year after state legislators here enacted the New Jersey Child Victims Act. That law created a two-year window, from 2019 to 2021, to allow people to revive previously time-barred civil claims arising from childhood sexual abuse. Thereafter, under the law, victims can sue for childhood abuse before they turn 55 or within seven years of realizing the abuse caused them harm. Most states, including Pennsylvania, do not have such laws, leaving victims seeking justice for long-ago abuse with no legal recourse. But a New Jersey trial court twice dismissed D.T.'s claim, citing a lack of jurisdiction, and an appellate panel upheld the dismissals. On Tuesday, Justice Anne Patterson affirmed the lower courts' decisions. 'The conduct that D.T. alleges — a priest's exploitation of his clerical role to sexually abuse a minor — is reprehensible,' Patterson wrote for a unanimous court. 'The sole issue before the Court, however, is whether our courts may exercise personal jurisdiction over the Archdiocese in the setting of this case.' The short answer is no, Patterson wrote, because the alleged abuse occurred at a private home and McCarthy — not the archdiocese — got permission from D.T.'s widowed mother to take her son on the trip. McCarthy took the teen to Margate specifically so that he could have unsupervised access to him, without his superiors' knowledge, she added. 'There is no evidence that any Archdiocese representative was aware of McCarthy's impending trip, let alone that it assigned McCarthy to take D.T. to New Jersey,' Patterson wrote. 'There is no evidence that McCarthy conducted business on behalf of the Archdiocese in New Jersey, or that the trip entailed any religious or ecclesiastical activities.' McCarthy is one of 23 priests the archdiocese laicized because of credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors; another 42 had credible allegations too but are no longer living. Mark Crawford is the New Jersey director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP. He spent 20 years pushing New Jersey legislators to pass the New Jersey Child Victims Act but hasn't been successful in similar advocacy in Pennsylvania. He called Tuesday's ruling 'tragic for victims of abuse.' He likened it to General Motors denying culpability for a defective car that leaves a New Jersey resident injured, solely because they're headquartered in Michigan. 'A priest doesn't stop acting as a priest because he has crossed a state line,' Crawford said. 'He is still working as a priest whether he is in a church, a library, a school, or a private home. He is always 'on the job.'' The Catholic Church's coverup of clergy sex abuse is well-known, he added. He cited the recent revelation that Diocese of Camden lawyers persuaded a judge in 2023 to keep secret a hearing in which they successfully petitioned to block a state investigation of clergy sex abuse. 'It's just deeply disappointing and makes me angry that our judicial system is protecting entities that knowingly allowed predators to cross state lines and commit crimes and then said, 'Wait a minute, we're not responsible,'' Crawford said. An attorney for D.T. did not respond to a request for comment. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
