STAFF
OFFICE HOURS AND CONTACT
INFORMATION
MASS TIMES
DIRECTIONS
HISTORY OF NATIVITY BVM
PARISH
PHOTO TOUR
STAFF
Rev. Edward H. Bell, Pastor
Rev. Daniel Cavanaugh, Senior Priest, Parochial Vicar
Rev. Msgr. Charles V. Devlin, Retired, In Residence
Donna Maddox, Secretary
Cookie Magee, Parish Services Director
Christiane Manko-Morgan, Liturgical Music Director
David Minnick, Business Manager
Victoria Walsh, Administrative Assistant
Visiting Priests
Rev. Msgr. Kevin T. McMahon, St. Charles Seminary
Rev. Augustine M. Esposito O.S.A., President Msgr. Bonner High School/Archbishop Prendergast High School
Rev. Dennis Weber, Cardinal Krol Center
School
Mary Anne Johnston, Principal of the School
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CONTACT
INFORMATION
Nativity BVM Rectory
Office Hours: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Monday -
Thursday
9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Friday
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday
9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Sunday
Phone: 610-566-0185
Fax: 610-566-2873
Address: 30 East Franklin Street, Media, PA
19063
Nativity BVM School
Office Hours: 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM, Monday -
Friday
Phone: 610-566-6881
Fax: 610-566-3910
Address: Franklin and Gayley Streets, Media, PA
19063
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MASS TIMES
Weekdays
8:00 a.m.
Saturday
8:00 a.m.
Vigil 5:00 p.m.
Sunday
7:00 a.m.
8:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m.
10:15 a.m.
12:00 noon
Holy Days of Obligation
Vigil
7:00 p.m.
8:00 a.m.
12:05 p.m.
7:00 p.m. on the Holy Day
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DIRECTIONS
To Nativity BVM Church
We are located at 30 East Franklin Street in the
heart of Media, PA.
Directions from Interstate 476 (the Blue Route),
-
Take
exit #3 towards Media (you will merge onto
Baltimore Pike going south)
-
Drive on
Baltimore Pike for 1.2 miles
-
Make a
left onto S. Monroe Street.
-
Make first right on Franklin
Street and Nativity BVM is on your left.
To Nativity BVM School
We are located at Franklin and Gayley Street
in the heart of Media, PA.
Directions from Church (walking directions)
As you exit Nativity BVM Church, you would make
a right to walk one block down Franklin Street
Make a right onto Gayley Street
Nativity BVM School is on your left.
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HISTORY
OF NATIVITY BVM PARISH
The parish
of Nativity BVM came into being through
necessity. Chester County, which had been
founded in 1682 by William Penn, was divided in
1786 and the southeastern section was separated
and called Delaware County with Chester being
the county seat. In 1851 the court records were
moved to Media. There were several years of
debate and even the Supreme Court became
involved before Media was recognized as the
county seat of Delaware County.
As the
population grew, so did the religious needs of
the people. Even though the Catholics
represented a small percentage of the
population, they were very determined to
practice their religion openly. To serve their
needs, the Jesuits from St. Joseph's Church in
Philadelphia had established mission stations at
various points outside of the city. One was at
Ivy Mills, the estate of Thomas Wilcox on the
West Branch of Chester Creek. Mass was said
there by traveling missionaries from 1720 until
1852 when the present parish of St. Thomas the
Apostle was established and a permanent pastor,
Reverend Thomas Kyle, O.S.A., was appointed.
Once a month he would travel to Media to the
parish mission which was called the Holy Name of
Mary Mission. In 1862 a piece of land in the
center of Media Borough was purchased and the
first church (the present day "Brick Building")
was erected and dedicated in September of that
year. Media continued to be a mission station of
St. Thomas until November 1868 when Father Henry
L. Wright left Ivy Mills and became the pastor
of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Parish in Media.
Within a
few months a three-story brick rectory was
built. In May of 1869 the sacrament of
Confirmation was conferred in the parish for the
first time and its first Forty Hours Devotion
was held the following week during the feast of
Corpus Christi.
Media continued to expand, its reputation as a
resort town brought the wealthy Philadelphians
to its quiet, peaceful streets during the summer
months. In 1873 Father Wright purchased
adjoining property with the intent of building a
new Church. The newly constructed gray stone and
blue granite church was dedicated on November 5,
1882 with Bishop William O'Hara of Scranton,
Pennsylvania officiating. After 30 years of
dedication to the people of his fledgling
parish, Father Wright's health declined and in
1894 he was succeeded by Father Francis Aiden
Brady.
Growth
continued under Father Brady's pastorship. A
horse and buggy and a stable in the back of the
rectory were added. A new rectory was built to
replace the one burned down in the fire of 1903.
The Esbey mansion and adjoining land on the
corner of Baltimore and Monroe Streets were
purchased and turned into the parish school.
This was dedicated and opened in 1912. It had
two lay women teachers. Later the Sisters of St.
Fancis from the Glen Riddle Convent came to
staff the school. Although the numbers of
parishioners continued to increase, its
boundaries became small with the establishment
of St. Francis in Lenni in 1894, Our Lady of
Perpetual Help in Morton in 1907, and St.
Anastasia in Newtown Square in 1912. In 1916
Father Brady was transferred to St. Coleman's in
Ardmore. His successor was Monsignor James P.
McCloskey, recently returned from Jaro in the
Philippines Islands where he had been vicar
general to Bishop Dennis Dougherty. Several
months later His Holiness, Pope Benedict XV
appointed him to the Bishopric of the Diocese of
Zamboanga, the Philippines, and Bishop McCloskey
was succeeded in Media by the Reverend Lawrence
Deering. His pastorate lasted thirty years and
was notable for the kindness and caring he
extended to his flock. It was during his time at
Nativity that the yellow fever epidemic struck
in the area in 1918. Father Deering, the
seminarians who came to assist the doctors and
nurses at Elwyn, and the sisters from the parish
engraved their names on the hearts of many in
Media because of their untiring efforts during
this difficult time. Another parish purchase was
made, the old annex of the Shortlidge Academy,
then the home of Dr. Wolfe, which now became the
convent for the Sisters of St. Francis.
Upon the
death of Father Deering in 1943, Rev. Joseph
McCaffrey came to Nativity. Ill health forced
him to move to upstate Pennsylvania after a few
months and Reverend George Shay, sent by
Cardinal Dougherty to "fix up" Nativity, became
the new pastor. Although the parish was
debt-free, there were many repairs which needed
to be done. General restoration of the "brick
building" and then renovation of church property
were first on the agenda. These were followed by
the construction of a new school building and
then renovation of church property were first on
the agenda. These were followed by the
construction of a new school building on the
plot of ground adjoining the convent on Gayley
Street. The new school was opened in September
1953 and student enrollment immediately
increased. Just eight months later Father Shay
collapsed while saying Sunday Mass. He died a
month later.
The next
pastor of Media, Reverend Thomas J. Kelley, came
directly from St. Charles Seminary where he had
been a professor for 17 years. Building,
improving and rebuilding continued to be the way
of parish life. The sacristy was completely
revamped, a new wing was added to Father Brady's
rectory and the "crying room" was built. The
church steeple was reinforced and renovated. The
parish area continued to shrink as new parishes
were established with Our Lady of Charity in
Brookhaven, St. John Chrysostom in Wallingford,
St. Pius X in Broomall, St. Kevin's in
Springfield, St. Mary Magdalene in Upper
Providence and SS. Simon and Jude in Westtown.
The school enrollment, however, increased to
over 350 pupils and in May of 1961 the
cornerstone was laid for a new addition to the
school. Four years later the school library was
established. Greater emphasis was placed on the
CCD classes which were taught on both the grade
school and high school levels. In 1960 the title
Right Reverend Monsignor was conferred on Father
Kelley.
The years
continued to roll along. The 100th anniversary
of the parish was celebrated in 1968 and an
excellent parish history of the Nativity of the
Blessed Virgin Mary Parish was published by
Father Peter D. Burke, the assistant pastor.
Father Kelley retired in 1971 and Reverend James
Bradley became the new pastor. General upkeep
and maintenance of the parish property and
facilities with ever-increasing costs continued
through the 80's. The Christmas Bazaar,
organized and engineered by the women of the
Della Robbia group in the parish, became a
yearly source of addition revenue for the
pastor's projects. A Home and School Association
was established in January 1972, with Andrew
Polk as the first president. This is now in its
27th year and continues to be one of the most
dynamic groups within the parish. Nativity
School underwent its first Middle States
evaluation in 1982, passing with flying colors.
This achievement was repeated in 1992. Although
the enrollment has lessened these past several
years, the school continues to be a shining star
in the Archdiocesan galaxy. The Sisters of St.
Francis and the lay faculty have worked magic
with their students who go on to higher
education and continue to shine. Although these
Sisters are no longer teaching at Nativity
School, we all have fond memories and grateful
appreciation for them.
Father
Bradley's pastoral term ended with his
retirement in 1991. Reverend Francis Giliberti,
who previously had spent several years in
residence at Nativity, became the new pastor
with the challenge to prepare for yet another
significant event in the saga of Nativity
parish, the celebration of its 125th
anniversary.
Our parish
was truly blessed when the Sisters, Servants of
the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus arrived on 5 July
1994, to staff our parish school. Sister Clare
Marie was named Superior and second grade
teacher, Sister Jacinta Maryam taught 6th, 7th,
and 8th grade classes. Sister Faustina Anne was
named Principal and Sister Maria Anna assisted
the principal and attended Neumann College.
These Sisters also teach in our C.C.D. Program.
3 March
1996 was a sad day in the Archdiocese of
Philadelphia when the announcement was made that
His Eminence John Cardinal Krol had died. On 29
April 1999, Father Giliberti was named a
Domestic Prelate of our Holy Father, Pope John
Paul II. The investiture was held on 14 June
1999, with Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua investing
Monsignor Giliberti with his red clerical
cassock at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter
and Paul.
In
February 1999 Monsignor Giliberti announced the
restoration of our parish Church to celebrate
the new millennium, the parish community quickly
supported this major endeavor, which included
the liturgical painting of the Church,
restoration of the Stations of the Cross, new
doors, new chandeliers, new kneeling pads and
book racks in the pews, new granite aisles, new
marble sanctuary floor, sanctuary furniture,
oriental carpets and the restoration of the
organ and all the church candlesticks and holy
water fonts. The parish was also blessed with a
new Conference Room/Library addition. The Church
was solemnly dedicated on 28 September 1999 by
His Excellency Joseph F. Martino, Auxiliary
Bishop of Philadelphia.
What is
truly amazing is the fact that the new addition
and the complete restoration of the Church were
paid in full on 1 September 1999, thanks to the
generosity, support, and sacrifices of our
parish family. In June 2001, in consultation
with Father Welsh, the Parish Pastoral Council,
and the Finance Committee, Monsignor Giliberti
proposed plans for the restoration and
renovation of the school. This major endeavor
began with Msgr. Giliberti presenting his plan
to the entire parish community. The proposal
included a three-year plan to replace the 170
windows, four new sets of doors, all new
lighting, new desks and chairs for the students
and work stations for the teachers, new carpets
in every classroom, a new science lab and an
upgraded computer lab (which was helped by our
parish school winning KYW's award of ten new
computers). In addition to the above work, the
entire school was painted in new and vibrant
colors. As always, the parish community
responded with outstanding support. Within three
weeks all the classrooms, Principal's Office,
reception area, teachers' lounge, science lab,
computer lab - a total of twenty rooms were
donated by parishioners. The restoration has
been a great success due to the generosity and
support of the parishioners.
The parish
school has been completely transformed into a
magnificent institution of learning. Not only
was the school building renovated, we are also
very proud of our principal and our faculty. We
are truly blessed to have such a fine school, on
that is clean and safe, an environment that is
conducive to learning and totally rooted in
Christ and His Church. (Please visit our school
web site for more information).
In October
2002, our parish school underwent a Middle
States Evaluation to renew our accreditation.
Under Father Welsh's and Sister Mary Daniel's
leadership a Steering Committee composed of
teachers, Mrs. Michele Northington, Mrs. Mary
Jane Driscoll, and Mrs. Sue Hogan, prepared for
the visit with a year's preparation of committe
meetings and input from the Home and School
Association and our school parents. Their
dedication has paid great dividends.
We have been informed by the Middle States
Accreditation Team that Nativity School is
commended for promoting a positive Christian
atmosphere among the school community; for
encouraging an atmosphere of mutual respect and
cooperation; for the dedication of its teachers,
and for its strong parental involvement and
support. The parish community is commended for
its innovative ways of procuring resources to
meet the school's needs; for providing programs
that meet the needs of both students and
families; for its resourcefulness and commitment
to the continued advancement of the school.
The school
has also received commendation in the area of
Student Services; for implementing the
enrichment program entitled "Challenge" which
offers students in grades 7 & 8 exposure to many
career options, and for initiating an Honors
Math Program.In the area of Computer Curriculum,
the school is commended for obtaining computers
and a Smart Board to enhance students'
technology skills and acquiring software that
supplements various curriculum area.
Our school
has also been commended in the area of Science;
for utilizing hand-on lessons in the classrooms
and the use of the science lab so the students
learn to respect and discover the world around
them; for committing school/parish funds to
outfit the lab; for being resourceful in
gathering donated supplies from parishioners and
St. Joseph's University; for acquiring the most
current edition of science textbooks in grades K
through 8; for establishing the position of
Science Lab Coordinator to facilitate science
research and experimentation at all grade
levels.
The school
is commended for the dynamic leadership and
organization that inspires faculty, staff,
parents, and student; for the cooperative
efforts of the Nativity B.V.M. School community
which strives to educate and nurture the whole
child; for reflecting this philosophy throughout
the school community. The resources of the
school have been commended for its dedicated,
professional staff who possess a strong sense of
purpose; for exhibiting strong interpersonal
skills among professional and support staff; For
its clean, safe and child-centered surroundings.
The school is also commended for the strategic
goals set in its Faith in Action Plan and the
successful projection and execution of the plan.
It was
also noted by the Accreditation Team that
Nativity School is clearly working to reach the
goals stated in the Self-Study. Much has been
done and is currently being done to ensure an
excellent academic, spiritual, and social
development atmosphere for the children. The
Pastor, his assistant, the Principal, and the
entire staff are commended for their dedication
to the students at Nativity B.V.M. School.
Although
this capsule history mentions only pastors and
properties and who came when and what happened
then, this is only a small part of the story of
Nativity B.V M. Parish in Media. Buildings are
only the structures, it is the people who bring
them to life. The people are the parish. Young
and old, man and woman, priest, sister, lay
person - from the small group who gathered in
Catholic community in the newly built church in
1862 to the 1600 families who comprise our
parish roster today - each alone and joined
together are the essence of Nativity B.VM. Each
has made a contribution to the history of this
parish and please God, there will be others to
come after us who will continue the story of
Nativity and our quest of praising God and
serving man.
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