Democrats were pretty low-key on the House floor during debate on HB 300. Here is the entire closing speech of Democratic Leader Matt Bradford before the final vote. pic.twitter.com/SNlg0EYOLG — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 2, 2023 Debate continues on the PA House floor on HB 30
Debate now in PA House Judiciary Comm. on the Fairness Act, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity/expression. Republicans had questions on the language of the measure. Republican Paul Schemel questions bill sponsor Malcolm Kenyatta. pic.tw
It’s likely the case that no one who is dead set on getting an abortion will go to a crisis pregnancy center first, especially lately when there is so much vitriol directed their way. PA Sen. Judy Ward says these centers offer compassion and information. @SenatorJWard pic.twitter.com/
Sen. David Argall is Chair of the Senate Education Committee. He asked PDE Acting Secretary Dr. Khalid Mumin about how much more money is needed for repairs in PA schools, in light of the billions that have already been appropriated by the legislature. @SenatorArgall pic.twitter.com/P
Budget hearings continued today in Harrisburg…PA Dept. of Aging went before House Appropriations Comm. Acting Sec. Jason Kavulich gets this question on services for seniors from Democratic Rep. Gina Curry, who went to Catholic school in Maryland and to St. Joe’s Univ. in Phila. pic.tw
Budget hearings begin in the PA House with Acting Secretary of Educ., Dr. Khalid Mumin, and his staff appearing before the Appropriations Comm. Here, Rep. Clint Owlett asks about Gov. Shapiro’s past comments favoring school choice. Mumin pumps the brakes on those comments. pic.twitter
Sen. Scott Martin says the Governor’s budget has expenses that exceed revenues, even at the most optimistic of projections for money coming into the Commonwealth. @SenatorMartinPA pic.twitter.com/4VLVmqd3QC — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) March 7, 2023 We checked in with Republican R
Right now at the Capitol…PA Sen. Rosemary Brown talks about Senate Bill 37, her legislation on hands-free cellphone use. She is flanked by lawmakers from both parties in both chambers. @SenatorRBrown pic.twitter.com/2wiWLsQsrN — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) February 28, 2023 Just un
I talked with Rep. Kate Klunk this morning about what is going on with the PA House. And about what should be going by this point, nearly two months into 2023. https://fb.watch/j0Bf8i_eyk/?mibextid=qC1gEa https://twitter.com/pacatholic/status/1630245927767379968?s=46&t=BhvQl7L4iZm
The future is looking much brighter for Kennedy Catholic High & Middle Schools along with Saint John Paul II Elementary School—all in Hermitage, PA. The community stepped forward last year to add a much needed financial and organizational boost. IMG_4311
Here’s the first of a two-part look at one of the newest senators in the PA Senate, Republican Rosemary Brown. I visited the Senator in her district office on Thursday. IMG_4260 Here’s part 2 of our conversation with Sen. Rosemary Brown. She talks about two of the bills she is authori
Rep. Bryan Cutler talks about the chaos in the House and about the actions of Speaker Mark Rozzi, a Democrat who was nominated to be Speaker by Republican leadership. Most rank and file Republicans did not vote for Rozzi. IMG_4233 A question about House Republicans looking to Senate R
PA Sen. Judy Schwank has worked very hard on the issue of maternal mortality. Here she talks about her bill to address the problem. The PCC supports this bill and thanks Sen. Schwank for her work on this and a number of other issues to help mothers and newborns. IMG_4215 Got the chanc
We talk with PA Republican House member Barbara Gleim about the revival of her bill to prevent biological males from playing women’s sports in PA. The PCC supports this measure, which made it to the Governor’s desk last summer. IMG_4182
Former state Rep. Frank Ryan talked with us about a number of issues today, including the court ruling on how public schools are funded. He looks at it from the perspective of HB 13, his bill last session on comprehensive school property tax reform. IMG_4095 We visited with PA Sen. Kr
Today’s PCC Capitol Wrap talks about the results and impact of Tuesday’s PA House special elections plus there’s a big court ruling on school funding. IMG_4040
Today’s PCC Capitol Wrap reminds voters in western PA that today is Election Day. PA’s newest Congresswoman talks about police reform on Face the Nation. And we hear from Senator Doug Mastriano talking about one of his bills in the Senate floor. IMG_3999
Today’s PCC Capitol Wrap shares some important dates for the PA budget plus a look at a couple of bills we are looking at to support moms. And a PA House member once again looks to separate the PIAA playoffs into public and private schools. IMG_3939
Today’s PCC Capitol Wrap has more of a Catholic Schools Week theme and takes a look at some good news for Kennedy Catholic High School in the Erie Diocese. It shows how communities respond to help our PA Catholic schools. IMG_3907
Today’s PCC Capitol Wrap features a piece of legislation that we are supporting in hopes of early consideration by the PA House and Senate. It deals with milk banks and how they can save lives across Pennsylvania. IMG_3854
Today’s PCC Capitol Wrap notes that Catholic Schools Week is underway. Also, PA House Republicans hold a public hearing on school funding. Nathan Benefield of the Commonwealth Foundation answers the contention that the Lifeline Scholarship Program would hurt public schools. IMG_3818
Still no PA House or Senate session activity to report on…so today’s PCC Capitol Wrap looks at the latest bill we our focused on to fight human trafficking. IMG_3775
Today’s PCC Capitol Wrap updates the impeachment case against Philly DA Larry Krasner and reveals two more lawsuits against states who try to ban the use of abortion medication. Plus the annual report from a central PA pregnancy center, which continues to do great work. IMG_3754
A bill is being reintroduced in the PA House that would prevent biological males from playing women’s sports. Today’s PCC Capitol Wrap looks at some of the debate on the measure last spring. IMG_3639
Today’s PCC Capitol Wrap has some of the action from today’s rally to kick off National School Choice Week at the Capitol. You’ll hear from Sen. Judy Ward, Sen. John DiSanto and Sen. Scott Martin—all staunch advocates of school choice. IMG_3621
A rally today at the PA Capitol to kick off National School Choice Week. I met Dr. Gina MacKenzie, Principal at St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls in Philly. We talked about what the school has to offer and how folks can help them with their mission. IMG_3616 Had the cha
Today’s PCC Capitol Wrap has in mind the controversial FDA ruling over prescribing abortion medication…by looking back to April of 2020 and the debate over a telemedicine bill that prohibited the coverage of abortions. Democrats opposed the bill while Republicans supported it. IMG_359
Today’s PCC Capitol report talks of Planned Parenthood already scoring a sit-down with the new PA Governor. Inauguration was on Tuesday. And the latest on the PA House situation. IMG_3570
We’re going to provide daily recaps of about a minute or so on what happened for the day at the PA Capitol and on issues outside of Harrisburg that we are focused on. IMG_3491
The PA Senate Education Committee has just passed Senate Bill 84, which the PCC supports. It would change PA law to allow teachers to wear religious clothing or symbols. We have comments from backers of the bill, Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill and Sen. Judy Schwank. https://fb.watch/hZhS_
Here’s a wrap in what went down in the PA House on Tuesday with the election of the new Speaker. This is just what happened on the floor. There were a ton of negotiations and deals made behind the scenes. Still a lot unsettled, like who runs the committees. https://fb.watch/hU3tMgfPN_
The PA House has just voted to impeach Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner by a vote of 107-85, which went generally along party lines. Republicans, like Rep. Bryan Cutler, left, were in support. Democrats, like Rep. Jason Dawkins, voted no. pic.twitter.com/4vxofpnpmu —
PCC Podcast Today’s PCC Podcast has a wrap on today’s committee meeting where articles of impeachment were approved against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. https://fb.watch/gPGfh7MWsI/ Tweets on the story The PA House Judiciary Committee today passed an impeachme
It's Red Ribbon Week! Geibel Catholic students were joined by 5th & 6th graders @ Conn-Area Catholic for a Road Radio USA assembly. Thanks to Jim & his entire crew for sharing a powerful message about making good choices, especially taking a stand against drugs. Celebrate
MILESTONE NEWS: Congrats to @NDGP_FOOTBALL for capturing their 300th win in school history last Friday night over Jim Thorpe 57-40. It comes a couple weeks after Head Coach @philipstambaugh won his 100th game in the Crusaders win over @NSAthletics1. @ND_Crusaders @EPAFootball pic.twit
This Friday night, come cheer on the #BSHS seniors of the football team and marching band as they celebrate Senior Night! The game starts at 7PM vs Coatesville. Let's go, #Shanahan Eagles! pic.twitter.com/9ejvVaIJtc — Bishop Shanahan H.S. (@Bishop_Shanahan) October 12, 2022
A few more from tonight's Dig Pink games! Both JV and Varsity earned a victory over visiting Greensburg Central Catholic. Go Eagles! ?? pic.twitter.com/9sotwmhjz5 — Serra Catholic HS (@SerraCatholic) October 7, 2022 Congratulations to our seniors on the cross country team! #
For October we will focus on families in PA getting proper nutrition as part of our nine-month series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues. Today we look at how many communities in PA are below the poverty level—a big challenge in families getting the necessary nutrition. https://
Congratulations to OC Seniors Meghan Pohl, Elena Mazariegos Adela Holland, Mary Nagy, Olivia Jana, and Bridget Shaver recognized yesterday at the Schenley Oval. #OC2023 #WatchThemSoar pic.twitter.com/KfXeaaz7Ka — Oakland Catholic High School (@OCHS_Pittsburgh) September 28, 2022
GMA 2:1 VMA. Winning is amazing, but the TEAM makes the experience worthwhile!????? #team #grit #justwinbaby pic.twitter.com/ZX2h2mEVsR — GMASoccer (@soccer_gma) September 16, 2022 Checkmate! There was a great turnout for the first official chess club meeting of the year! The ch
? All 9th graders (CP and honors) participated in a celebration of reading! Mrs. D'Amico's, Ms. Schmidt's and Ms. Jeffries' had a post-it gallery reflecting on their favorite things about reading, and then acted out tableaux of 'Klara and the Sun.' pic.twitter.
A huge thank you to all of the TROJANS who participated in the Mission of Mercy service project held at the Convention Center! #ForeverTrue pic.twitter.com/zXklejUzhV — NORTH CATHOLIC FOOTBALL (@NCtrojansFB) August 7, 2022 @OLSH_HighSchool football players volunteering their tim
Young boys and girls worked on their basketball skills last week at @ACCHSVikings where current and alumni players helped with basketball camp for nearly 100 aspiring #scholarathletes. pic.twitter.com/HdHlLpjPHn — AllentownDioceseEDU (@AtownDioceseEDU) July 25, 2022 Congratulati
Thank you to our students who have been leaders at #PrepU these past three weeks. They are always our best ambassadors and have proven that yet again this summer. Thanks for helping these rising 7th and 8th graders feel at home at 17th & Girard. https://t.co/84CmMME82e pic.twitter
July 18th We continue our look at Early Childhood Screenings by talking with Kris Bowman of Ramsey Educational and Development Institute, or REDI. They administer the PA Early Intervention Program in Montgomery County. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1549094658478903299?s=20&
Where's #Shanahan this summer? One group of 29 students traveled to Costa Rica to participate in a service project: painting a medical center. The medical center is visited by a doctor one day a week where he or she helps families in need and refugees from Nicaragua. pic.twitter.c
As the school year comes to a close, we ask you to consider making a gift to West Catholic. Your support makes a difference in our students’ education. Visit https://t.co/foTAZe6mmb or venmo us @WestCatholic Thank you in advance for your support to West? #investinwest pic.twitter.com/
6-30-22 We finish up our stories on breastfeeding by talking again with Colette Acker of the Breastfeeding Resource Center about the culture that exists towards BF in the U.S. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1542502773232631808?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/
Last night our girls started putting in the work for this season. Getting ready to cheer on our @OLSH_HighSchool Chargers! ??? pic.twitter.com/4FQ3noAcJa — OLSH Cheerleading (@OLSHCheer) June 23, 2022 Coach Sola & the Saints wrestling team @ AAU National Wrestling Tournament
Last week, 16 CCHS students participated in the annual Viking Venture at Outdoor Odyssey! This experience allowed the young men to develop their leadership skills, and grow in faith. Viking Venture is made possible due to the financial support of the Class of 1982. pic.twitter.com/jqb
Congratulations to our brothers @LancasterCatho1 on an incredible season! We are so proud of you! pic.twitter.com/v3QYenP3Kq — LancCatholicFB (@LancCatholicFB) June 18, 2022 Congratulations to head coach Sandy Hart and the @CEC_athletics student-athletes as they finished as PIAA
It was a big week for the newest members of @LCCrusaders Family, as partner schools celebrated graduations, officially turning over the #Class2026 to our care! Last night incoming freshmen gathered for welcome picnic @Mater_Dei_CS @corpuschristi_s @StJudeChalfont @MMRSchool pic.twitte
6-16-22 Interesting story here on one person’s belief that the COVID lockdowns are to blame for many moms turning away from breastfeeding and, in turn, contributing to the current shortage in baby formula. pic.twitter.com/1iU3XYFbZF — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) June 16, 2022 https
Congratulations to our Mountain Biking and Ultimate Frisbee teams which just completed its first seasons as Varsity sports! #GoPrep pic.twitter.com/5zDyawjMYO — St. Joe's Prep (@SJPREP) June 10, 2022 The OC Ultimate Team placed 8th in the state tournament and was honored wit
Congratulations to the Class of 2022! #WildcatNation #onceawildcatalwaysawildcat #Magis #classof2022 pic.twitter.com/wWtzCgeCzw — St. Aloysius Academy (@StAloysiusAcad) June 9, 2022 We are just one day away from graduation! The Class of 2022 is busy getting prepped for the cerem
6-10-22 Our focus on breastfeeding continues with a look at the increase in public accommodations for breastfeeding moms. https://fb.watch/dz7s3mmxy1/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1535283771251085313?s=20&t=d8Pb52gE3vOjcBIAujH0rQ 6-9-22 Our series on Maternal &
Today’s PCC Podcast has highlights from this morning’s Senate committee meeting to vote on the Milk Bank measure that we support. Plus there is some good debate on a proposed adjustment to when SNAP benefits are paid out. https://fb.watch/dvqcNassr5/
We continue our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues with more on the subject of breastfeeding. For the next several days we will look at the important work being done by the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank and how the PCC is looking to help them. https://fb.watch/dv4YBuc3q
Through the month of June we will be looking at issues dealing with breastfeeding as part of our nine-month long focus on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues. This coincides with the baby formula shortage. There are warnings from several advocates that breastfeeding is not a solutio
Congrats to @cardinalohara @StHubertBambies @CEC_athletics & @Wood_Vikings on winning District XII Softball titles yesterday and best of luck in states! @PhSportsDigest @CatholicPhilly @AOPS_Schools @PAcatholic @BucksLocalSport @ConwellEgan pic.twitter.com/11X6NzsLvv — AOPat
The OLM Class of 2022 enjoyed a sweet getaway to Hershey Park today. It was a day filled with roller coasters, lots of laughter, smiles and of course Chocolate! Thanks to the teachers and parent chaperones and of course to some great final memories for the Class of 2022! pic.twitter.c
??????????? pic.twitter.com/tkVaE1OuIp — Notre Dame Green Pond HS (@ND_Crusaders) May 26, 2022 Congratulations @LCCrusaders boys lacrosse back to back @PIAASports District 12AA Champions, now onto states @AOPathletics @MaryRedeemer @CYOCorpus @PhSportsDigest @mpcabrey @PAcatholi
Our seniors are just about ready for graduation to begin! pic.twitter.com/s155wdmKMN — Serra Catholic HS (@SerraCatholic) May 25, 2022 Proud of our soon to be @LCCrusaders graduates $34.7+ scholarships/grants awarded to this class @Mater_Dei_CS @MMRSchool @MaryRedeemer #StrayerM
TWO STORIES We continue our look at Postpartum Depression by checking on insurance coverage of doulas. We first check on Medicaid coverage for this important service. https://fb.watch/debX7SvI7e/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1529225446734323713?s=20&t=eb1Doc0yvOetFWAIY4v7
Today’s PCC Podcast (Part 1) has a couple of important election updates along with a House committee vote on a wider application for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit. https://fb.watch/dcSpu5jAch/ There is a second PCC Podcast today!! We have a complete rundown of this morning’s
Continuing our look at Postpartum Depression during the month of May…there is a new drug being tested to treat PPD and major depressive disorder. https://fb.watch/dcSb7Pz-1b/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1528794382161305601?s=20&t=1Apqy-Bo1VMdjAUc8PzRXw
Maria scored 2x and our girls lax team played well against Blackhawk in quarterfinals, but couldn't overcome their top-seeded opponent. Congrats to the team on a great season! S/O to Maria, Lizzie & Emma who all scored over 100 career goals! #ProudOfOurAquinasStudentAthletes ?
Last night, Girls With Guitars and Jazz Band played a collection of songs for the residents of Acts Retirement Life Communities. Gwynedd Girls love to share their skills, passions, and talents with the greater community! pic.twitter.com/0tCpw4ifGZ — Gwynedd Mercy Academy High Sc
This month we have been addressing the issue of postpartum depression and the increasing availability of help. Today we talk with our friend Rep. Kate Klunk about the impact of a recent increase in Medicaid coverage for new moms. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/15251474374967828
Aquinas won big last night, w/ all of the seniors except our goalie scoring at least once against their opponent for a fantastic #lacrosse #SeniorNight. ?Congrats to our seniors, to whom we don't have to say good-bye just yet as the team is headed to playoffs. Go, Crusaders! pic.t
Today, we at Pope John Paul II High School celebrated our Lady through our annual Living Rosary devotion and May Crowning. Our school’s image of the Blessed Mother was crowned by members of our May Court, seniors who embody Christian values. pic.twitter.com/vYAFoD4s7i — Pope Joh
Continuing our series for May on Postpartum Depression. We talk again with Amanda Hunter, a therapist who works with those experiencing postpartum mood disorders. Hunter explains what she went through after a pregnancy. https://fb.watch/cXJjCd7EwI/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/statu
Our look at Postpartum Depression continues with the first in a series of conversations with a Postpartum Therapist who focuses on perinatal and maternal mental health. It was a pleasure to meet and talk with Amanda Hunter, of Everlasting Wellness LLC https://fb.watch/cXJ1Wr6SPN/ http
Continuing our look at Postpartum Depression…we chat once again with Amy Wilt of Dauphin County Doulas. She knows her stuff and articulates it very well. https://fb.watch/cR2gdY6iDC/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1522611797789970432?s=20&t=FmS6ycs-I8Zf12c4DpE7WQ
Celebrating our senior softball players at today's game. Congratulations Arianna Hinton, Emily Ream, Kayleigh Horner and Kylie Kadas! #CrusherPride pic.twitter.com/07OX8IB0dL — Bishop McCort HS (@bishopmccort) May 5, 2022 College coaches make sure you stop at BG we have the
Thank you to @BLOCSPhilly For featuring our Orchestra this evening. #CatholicEducation #ArtAcademy #4YearsOfOrchestra #SteamSchool pic.twitter.com/rAZWcg3800 — St. Hubert HS (@StHubertBambies) May 6, 2022 #MarianSpirit Seniors learned about Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Mo
We continue our look at Postpartum Depression with a study showing how the lock downs made the problem even worse. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1522292858849533954?s=20&t=D1-o9TluzF2qs4nbUQ_fxA https://fb.watch/cPT1mIOmWY/
Continuing our look at postpartum depression…some state lawmakers have proposed legislation to help infants affected by PPD. (Twitter and Facebook links) https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1521906764047953920?s=20&t=9lG87HAd5nEBMUC959HGAw https://fb.watch/cOASufrgIe/
Congratulations to Ryanne Allen, named 4A State Player of the Year and 1st Team All State by PA Sportswriters. It is her 3rd All-State selection and 2nd 1st Team appearance. Ryanne was also named Jordan All-American and overall PA Player of Year by PABCA. Well deserved! pic.twitter.co
HS Choir earned top marks of Excellent and Outstanding at Cavalcade of Choirs at @IUPedu! They were praised for their high level of musicality, their energetic performance and their attention to musical detail by a panel of professional choral conductors & music educators. ? pic.t
After four seasons as the leader of the Bishop Canevin Boys Basketball program, Coach Palmosina will be pursuing other opportunities. Thank you, Coach, for bringing two WPIAL championships and a state title to your alma mater. pic.twitter.com/sStyaspGhz — Bishop Canevin Basketba
Saints in Biology II work as a team to dissect a starfish and analyze all of its components.#STEM pic.twitter.com/0kTj5k19BW — Berks Catholic (@BerksCatholic) April 22, 2022 3rd grade Seder meal! #QOAProud @AOPS_Schools @CatholicPhilly @ArchPhilly @NCEATALK @PAcatholic pic.twitt
Yesterday, we celebrated our senior @SJPLacrosse players before the team's win over Archbishop Ryan.https://t.co/CSITYfjNWP pic.twitter.com/8lGvK7idzm — St. Joe's Prep Sports (@SJPrep_Sports) April 7, 2022 Thank you to everyone that helped make this happen this year. Cou
There's an exciting buzz on the campus of OLM after opening night as over 140 students transform into the beloved characters from the classic "Annie" for their 2nd performance. Doors open at 6:30 PM, show time is 7:00 PM. Tickets are available at the door for $12. pic.tw
commitment #THWND @SJUHawks_WBB pic.twitter.com/62G7HPjOMr — Gabby Casey (@_gabbycasey) April 3, 2022 3 KC girls basketball players named All District 10 Small School All-Stars!? ?? Bellah DiNardo?? Paris Gilmore ?? Layke Fields Congrats girls! #KCPride Check out this article fr
The cast and crew of "Beauty and the Beast" are preparing for their stage debut at @ND_Crusaders next weekend. They highlighted cast members that are also athletes balancing the stage and field with each wearing their team jersey! Get your tickets here:https://t.co/xHW1Yt8ch
HOW SWEET IT IS!! ?? THE CRUSADERS ARE YOUR 2022 STATE CHAMPIONS!!!!! pic.twitter.com/GrxUPspBPQ — Bishop Canevin Basketball (@Canevin_BB) March 24, 2022 Wood Girls are PIAA 4A State Champions! Great job girls! Wood proud! ?@WoodGirlsBball? ?@ArchbishopWood? pic.twitter.com/hGNP
7th Grade Visitation was a success! We welcomed over 100 students of the West Philadelphia Elementary Schools to see why West is best?Thank you to the awesome 7th graders for spending the day with us! We hope you had an amazing time! #futureburrs #visitationday #westisbest pic.twitter
WE LOVE CHOCOLATE!! THE CRUSADERS ARE HEADED TO HERSHEY!! ??#PIAABasketball | @crusaderathdept pic.twitter.com/ILgAqJmuQd — Bishop Canevin Basketball (@Canevin_BB) March 19, 2022 Wood Girls are going to Hershey after 57-44 win over Jim Thorpe. Great job girls! @WoodGirlsBball pi
Opening night for The Masque's spring musical "Me and My Girl" is one week away! Purchase your ticket at the door, or preorder your tickets online: https://t.co/vSVqWhkeId pic.twitter.com/CobB7Ba2jN — Central Catholic (@centralvikings) March 18, 2022 Earlier this w
Congratulations @LCCrusaders @lcladycrusaders on winning 49-41 over Allentown Central Catholic and junior Gabby Casey scoring 1,000 points, they now play Delone Catholic on Wednesday TBD in quarter finals 4A @PIAASports @AOPathletics @PhSportsDigest @PAcatholic pic.twitter.com/GLt72iM
Students, faculty, and staff: check your email to view HERstory Club's Trailblazers and Changemakers newsletter highlighting women in STEM! #Empower_Mercy pic.twitter.com/T3PZAvbZcV — Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School (@GMAHighSchool) March 14, 2022 During this Catholic Sist
Today’s PCC Podcast has more of the spirited give-and-take from this week’s state House budget hearing in Harrisburg with the PA Department of Education.
Today’s PCC Podcast has some good action from Monday’s state House budget hearings with the PA Dept. of Education, which is peppered with questions about funding for our Catholic schools!! https://fb.watch/bHiwvOBpKU/
Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look at the extensive work being done by the Community Based Services segment of Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. https://fb.watch/bHhrh-1oe7/
Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look at the Tri-State Pregnancy Center in northeastern PA. The facility gets help from local Catholics and on-the-spot advice from above! https://fb.watch/bHh3c7Z-Hu/
Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look at the Heart of Tioga Pregnancy Center in Tioga County, PA and the support it gets from parishioners at Holy Child Catholic Church in the Diocese of Scranton. https://fb.watch/bHgvkXjO3Z/
Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look the work being done by Morning Star Pregnancy Services in Harrisburg to help kids build a foundation for strong relationships and avoid problems down the road. https://fb.watch/bECfSEse06/ We’ve all had ou
We continue our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues with a look at Morning Star Pregnancy Services. They do an outstanding job working with women facing unplanned pregnancies. https://fb.watch/bEB-FxMfAj/ The Harrisburg location for Morning Star Pregnancy Services at 2509
Today we have part 2 of our look at Genesis Pregnancy Services under the direction of Wendy Burpee. It’s the third installment in our series on maternal and early childhood issues. https://fb.watch/bEBgfuzR70/ The real boots on the ground work in the pro-life effort come from pregnanc
Defending the title!! Congrats to @Canevin_BB on capturing second straight #WPIAL title from #WTAE https://t.co/jAbYy4ZnfJ — Andrew Stockey (@astockeyWTAE) March 3, 2022 Congratulations to our District Champions! pic.twitter.com/Y4AQitMSYo — Berks Catholic (@BerksCatholic)
OC has launched a new leadership initiative called E3: Engaged, Empowered, Empowering. Last week, the inaugural cohort met for some team building activities. ?#femaleleadership #watchthemsoar pic.twitter.com/gFzBVQLsZN — Oakland Catholic High School (@OCHS_Pittsburgh) March 7, 2
The 4th installment of our series on Maternal and Early Childhood Issues looks at the role the Wolf Administration has played in curtailing Catholic adoption efforts in Pennsylvania. https://fb.watch/bBXX1F6m97/ A woman we’ll call Kelly talked with me about her adoption a number of ye
Today’s PCC Podcast looks at the possibility of Catholics helping refugees from Ukraine, something the PCC was involved with in 1975 after the fall of Saigon. Also we have the exchange between President Biden and a reporter who questions his stance on abortion. And a few more entertai
Our series on maternal and early childhood issues continues today with a two-part story on Genesis Women’s Clinics, focusing on the work of Wendy Burpee. She is the Executive Director of two of the clinics in southeastern PA. Hers is an amazing story of transformation. https://fb.watc
Today we begin our 9-month campaign to highlight maternal and early childhood issues. March will focus on pregnancy centers and adoption. But to start out we wanted to share this story about a young woman from central PA and her unplanned path to motherhood. https://fb.watch/bubfMC5Vm
Today’s PCC Podcast acknowledges the shadow that events in Ukraine cast on all political developments in the U.S. Still, we recap yesterday’s Senate vote in Washington on the radical abortion bill and we have a short excerpt from today’s budget hearings before the PA Senate with Josh
Best Student Section Ever! #AquinasStudentSection #Basketball #OnToSemiFinals pic.twitter.com/wK6R94OPtI — Aquinas Academy (@AquinasAcademy_) February 25, 2022 Good luck this weekend @LCCrusaders @Lcswimteam1 @lc_swim_ as they compete in PCL and Districts @LaSalleUniv @Jennife77
Spirit week is right around the corner! This year, we are expanding the celebration to all who love Mount Saint Joseph Academy. Every gift has an impact on our students—current and future. Make your gift today: https://t.co/QWEq6f8tx3 pic.twitter.com/HIEm7G2Fiy — Mount St. Josep
BISHOP GAINER CALLS FOR PRAYERS FOR UKRAINE Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Diocese of Harrisburg, As we awoke to the tragic news this morning that Russia has invaded Ukraine, I ask you to join me in praying for a restoration of peace in Ukraine and for the Ukrainian peoples in the h
???seniors together since freshman year…love these guys and will miss them ??? pic.twitter.com/f2CiLYnsts — Mercyhurst Prep (@mpslakers) February 16, 2022 Congratulations to Coach Hahn on earning his 400th win as head coach of the Lady Crushers! ? https://t.co/kJmHP1hrOo pic.twi
Mrs. Roach's Junior Religion classes are working hard in the OC Innovation Lab! Each student is working on an individual project from advent calendars to rosary bead holders. #InnovationLab??? pic.twitter.com/Ix5SAEagug — Oakland Catholic High School (@OCHS_Pittsburgh) Febru
Today’s PCC Podcast has highlights from a contentious first session of budget hearings before the PA State House Appropriations Committee. The Dept. of Revenue/Lottery gets grilled by a number of lawmakers. Featured here are Reps. Ryan Warner, Patty Kim, Jesse Topper, Greg Rothman, Ga
???Lady Lakers take the win over Girard…thank you to all that came out to support a good cause …Laker Pride Shooting for a Cure??? pic.twitter.com/0qcAbNfZN4 — Mercyhurst Prep (@mpslakers) February 10, 2022 We love our SHoops seniors! A big crowd was on hand last night to honor
These 16 #womeninSTEM are taking the F=ma national physics exam this morning. This is the first round of “auditions” for the U.S. Physics Team. Best of luck to all! pic.twitter.com/KJckZ17Djk — Mount St. Joseph Academy (@MountStJoseph) February 9, 2022 On Tuesday, February 8th w
Todays PCC Podcast comes in 2 parts! Part 1 focuses here on yesterday’s PA Senate committee hearing on the prospect of legalizing adult-use cannabis. https://fb.watch/b3OL-NAvIe/ Part 2 of today’s PCC Podcast has a quick wrap and lawmaker reaction to the Governor’s budget address. htt
Congratulations and best wishes to our Senior basketball players and families as they celebrated senior night, last night vs Pen Argyl.We are #ndproud of you, Lucas Altmire, Brendan Boyle, Jayden Becker, Sean Howlett and Leo McMenimen. ??? pic.twitter.com/YFM5m96eyo — Notre Dame
Our school community prayed the rosary for missionaries around the world. @AllentownDioces @CathSchoolNews @AtownDioceseEDU pic.twitter.com/6IrAOl23js — SJW School (@stjwschool) February 4, 2022 Mr. Brandon's 6th Graders enjoyed a great day in their Pajamas with Mr. Cappelli
Today’s PCC Podcast talks about how much money Catholic schools save taxpayers….and we look at the progress of a human trafficking bill that is making its way through the Senate. The measure was part of a package of bills introduced last spring. Three of those bills have been signed i
A few stats from our win at WM: ? Paris Gilmore- 21 points in 20 mins + a perfect 4/4 FTs ? Layke Fields with another impressive performance- 14 points,10 rebs, 3 assists & 6 blocks! ??? ? 9 blocks as a team & every girl who played had at least 1 assist.?@tmondokphoto pic.twit
These Bishop McCort forensics students placed in the third round of forensics competition! Ella Leitenberger, Ashley Koontz,Justine Haschak, Charlize Amper, Angelina Kutsick, Jordan Butler, Ian Coyle, Aaron Rodgers. #crusherpride #somethingtobelievein #100yearsofexcellence pic.twitter
Great WIN!! https://t.co/gXRxDGz4Ci — St. Hubert HS (@StHubertBambies) January 21, 2022 Week of work. pic.twitter.com/PRCMhlm6wN — Bishop Canevin Basketball (@Canevin_BB) January 21, 2022 Our Lady Hawks pick up a 68-33 win over visiting Stroudsburg on YOUTH NIGHT. Thank yo
Our #saintsandscholars are on their way to the @March_for_Life in Washington! First stop at the @bmorebasilica for Mass with @BishopSchlert Thanks to the #VikingsontheRoad from @ACCHSVikings for sharing your journey with us today! #studentsforlife pic.twitter.com/qdvgwFeICA — Al
??Bellah joins the 1000 point club!! pic.twitter.com/WFFvbrmPLk — Bob Greenburg (@BobGreenburg) January 14, 2022 New Story: Price Hits 1,000 Point Plateau in BC Boys Hoops Win over Geibel https://t.co/s7gHNITmDG — Bishop Canevin Crusaders Athletic Department (@crusaderathd
Please pray for our Aquinas Academy High School students as they begin their #midterms today! ?Aquinas HS students, have questions while studying? Come to the Midterms Study Open House tomorrow and/or ask a question on the new Aquinas Academic Help Server. #Midterms2022 pic.twitter.co
“Learn continually-there’s always ‘one more thing’ to learn!” -Steve Jobs ?? pic.twitter.com/9wWPo5aBKM — Kennedy Catholic Girls Hoops (@KC_GBB) January 7, 2022 Baron's record night pushes Pope John Paul II past Upper Merion – https://t.co/HqaHNT4G2F pic.twitter.com/da
Physics, biology, and chemistry! Our #saintsandscholars are testing out their hypothesis in science labs in our schools! #handsonlearning #safepresentgrowing @nativitybvm55 @Marian_CathHS pic.twitter.com/oYrkZKyiOx — AllentownDioceseEDU (@AtownDioceseEDU) January 6, 2022 This we
Congrats to the MS team who wrapped up the day with their first victory of the season! pic.twitter.com/v4weNB8WRx — Devon Prep ??? (@DevonPrepBBall) December 30, 2021 PA State Rankings as of 12/30. 4x800mR 1st J Smith’22, J Evans’23, P Danquah’24, J Corbett’22. Mile 1st J
For December @LCCrusaders students collected for others:?229 toys @ToysForTots_USA ?3153 pairs of socks #CodeBlue?100+blankets @ChickfilA ?44 pints @RedCrossPhilly Please consider your donation for end of year giving here https://t.co/VQ2oVBTKKV pic.twitter.com/yPdNt1Zduf — Lans
Varsity Hockey: Bishop McCort 5, Richland 2; Coach John Bradley earns 400th win https://t.co/HXbj75O1ka — McCort Athletics (@crushersports) December 24, 2021 Congratulations to @RomanBasketball for their 65-50 victory over Salesianum tonight in the Wilmington Play-by-Play Showca
It looks like the story of a Grinch invaded a classroom at St. Jane Frances de Chantal School this season! Well done students! Grateful for our students to be learning, creating, and enjoying the fun of the season together! #AdventAnticipation pic.twitter.com/zat4KwGb8o — Allent
Crusaders Win ?? A second half push by Chartiers Valley wasn't enough as Gales snags 28 pts & 8 boards and @AmariEvans0 drops 21 to give Canevin the 8?7?-7?4? victory. pic.twitter.com/zyxzKLtlGx — Bishop Canevin Basketball (@Canevin_BB) December 17, 2021 Another big nigh
Oakland Catholic and Central Catholic choirs usher in the Christmas season with joyous song! ? pic.twitter.com/00ODPGbDhW — Oakland Catholic High School (@OCHS_Pittsburgh) December 15, 2021 Cara Lamina '23 and Trinity Meehan '23 led 20 third and fourth graders at Ancilla
Please check out today’s PCC podcast. We don’t have a position on this but here is the latest on committee activity this week in Harrisburg involving the redrawing of voting districts in PA. https://fb.watch/9YnuIfTwmW/
Here is part 1 of today’s PCC Podcast, which features a House Health Committee hearing yesterday on treatment options for Covid. https://fb.watch/9VOb7kn6Mx/ Here is part 2 of today’s PCC Podcast. It covers this morning’s PA Senate committee vote on a bill to give parents the option o
Our final results are in! West raised a grand total of $55,937 from 135 donors!? Exceeding our goal! We are truly grateful to everyone for their overwhelming support in West Catholic and the mission of the school. Congrats to the class of 1963 for being this year’s champions! pic.twit
Please check out today’s PCC Podcast. It looks at the issue of education funding in PA and at the importance of the Educational Improvement Tax Credit in helping our Catholic schools. https://fb.watch/9G5ptTK4eC/
Please check out today’s PCC Podcast, which brings in a bit of nostalgia and shows the hard road that bills must follow at the PA legislature. https://fb.watch/9G5eNeVpn4/
The PIAA football playoffs are down to the final 4 in each classification. There is at least one Catholic school in each bracket, except for 5-A. Here are the teams that will be in action this coming weekend, followed by Twitter highlights from games played this past weekend. 1-A: Bis
This week, Mrs. Koroly hosted a Thanksgiving Cereal Party with her Pottery classes. This annual event is a chance for students to share a meal with friends, eating cereal out of their own homemade ceramic bowls! ? Happy Thanksgiving! ? pic.twitter.com/TlOcaRCYoS — Oakland Cathol
Congratulations to #ND soccer on a fantastic season! We could not be more proud of your accomplishments this year. #PAISAA #soccer #upperschool #independentschool #mainlinepa pic.twitter.com/3vhTXl9SPT — Academy of Notre Dame de Namur (@NDVillanova) November 18, 2021 One. More.
The Friends Fur Life & Mounties Minds Matter clubs teamed up to bring Bauer the therapy dog to the Mount this week. He'll be back once a month…catch him again on December 2! pic.twitter.com/cX56nhNkml — Mount St. Joseph Academy (@MountStJoseph) November 19, 2021 19
For the second straight week, I was unable to file my Podcast yesterday on Facebook. Tried twice. I’m assuming it was because I touted a story about certain mandates—ones that rhyme with “Maxine.” You see where I’m going here? It was a fair and balanced story but…I’m going to try to s
Today’s PCC Podcast explains a new bill by Sen. Judy Ward designed to prevent taxpayer funding of elective abortions. And we were there for a committee meeting that was boycotted by one party. Their chairman explains why and then walks out as well. https://fb.watch/9nvWJFZxN4/
pic.twitter.com/U7fC3zeOxN — Bishop Canevin Football (@CrusadersFball) November 11, 2021 Friars Football thanks all who have served our country. Especially our Bonner & Prendie alums. We proudly stand behind you. #FriarsDoItBetter #UsAgainstTheWorld pic.twitter.com/71YkPAD2G
Our students honored our Veterans this morning with a prayer service including readings, petitions, prayers, the singing of the National Anthem, & the raising of the flag. Thank you to all who serve and have served. We’re honored by & thankful for your service. ??? #VeteransDa
Please check out today’s PCC Podcast! The effort continues to stop Governor Wolf from closing two state centers for long-term care. And PA House members debate a voting bill along party lines. https://fb.watch/9ejTt0Ig_U/
New Story: BC Volleyball Sweeps Leechburg to Reach 11th Straight WPIAL Championship Match https://t.co/Emcq0XK5K8 — Bishop Canevin Crusaders Athletic Department (@crusaderathdept) November 3, 2021 If you missed out on Senior Night because of the weather, you have one more chance
Catholic school education is a PreK-12 family experience for all of our #saintsandscholars! Students in our elementary schools are visited by their partner high schools for building relationships over games, activities, and prayer! #myschoolmyfamily #safepresentgrowing pic.twitter.com
Today’s PCC PODCAST looks at two bills that we are supporting and have a good chance to be passed by the PA Senate next week. https://fb.watch/94X8dWMuo4/
Today’s PCC Podcast takes a look at a day in the life of the PA Speaker of the House, Rep. Bryan Cutler, and how it can sometimes be a tall task to keep things moving smoothly. https://fb.watch/94WX8urQu2/
Advancing to our 3rd straight PIAA D1 AAA quarterfinals with a 2:0 win over Lower Moreland. Goals by K.Cassidy & C.Drakeley. H.Griffin with an assist. E. Verrill in goal with 6 saves for her 6th shutout of the season. #swarm #grit ?????@GMAAthletics @ReporterSports pic.twitter.com
@LCCrusaders Seniors from Mrs U'Selis' Intro to Engineering, listen to speaker, Mr. Edward Howard, Esq, this afternoon. Mr. Howard is an intellectual property lawyer. Tyler @Mater_Dei_CS Colin @StJudeChalfont and Matt @MMRSchool spoke on the project for Gov STEM competition. p
Today’s PCC PODCAST features debate on two issues, one before the House involving the taking of private land by non-governmental organizations and one before the Senate involving efforts to stop Governor Wolf from closing two state centers. https://fb.watch/8XKpvrwMJw/
Please check out today’s PCC Podcast. It has coverage of Monday’s school choice rally along with some highlights of the committee meetings at the Capitol. https://fb.watch/8U5onho3li/
UNDEFEATED SECTION CHAMPS!!!! pic.twitter.com/ZpcAHHB2Sg — Serra Catholic Volleyball (@SerraCatholicVB) October 22, 2021 To our seniors… Thank you for leaving your mark on LCHS GSOC?? We are so proud of you and can’t wait to see what you accomplish in the future? #11hearts1soul1
Our students were happy to welcome our new counseling staff member, Colt! Colt recently started his new role as therapy dog for students in need of emotional support. Thank you to the Humphreys family for sharing Colt with us! pic.twitter.com/k6DmHa4Wm0 — Central Catholic (@cent
Today’s PCC Podcast looks at the debate over HB 118 by Rep. Frank Ryan to provide for the final disposition of fetal remains. We look at the attacks by opponents and the response by supporters of the bill on the PA House floor back in June of this year. https://fb.watch/8NkBuJenMf/
Today’s PCC Podcast features a Senate committee taking up an education bill that prompted heavy criticism from Democrats in the House. https://fb.watch/8NgpudKla9/
The LC Robotics Team can’t wait to go to Ramp Riot at Wissahickon on October 30th! WE ARE LC!!!???? #omgrobotics pic.twitter.com/aapBkrUJC9 — FRC 272 Cyber Crusaders (@CyberCrusaders) October 12, 2021 During a CCW session, Mrs. Blackmond and Mr. Graner lead students in making wo
Time for the PCC Podcast. An update on the reapportionment hearings on the Congressional seat that PA is going to lose. Plus PASSHE asks lawmakers in Harrisburg for a bigger part of the state budget. https://fb.watch/8FgMioul4W/
Today’s PCC Podcast ( 10-12-21) looks at Governor Wolf’s touting the drop in the prison population. We talk about our efforts on criminal justice reform. And the PCC works behind the scenes on Telemedicine. https://fb.watch/8FgNANDCDS/
Congratulations to our Aquinas students who were recognized by the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program!#ProudOfOurAquinasStudents #AquinasScholars #NationalMerit pic.twitter.com/75pA2PW0fF — Aquinas Academy (@AquinasAcademy_) October 8, 2021 Extravaganza family and donor nig
Time for Thursday’s PCC Podcast. It deals with education. PA House Democrats blast an education bill that sponsors say is merely meant to bring transparency. We also talk about the importance of the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program for Catholic schools. https://fb.wat
Please check out Tuesday’s PCC Podcast, which includes a partisan discussion on natural gas pipelines and a second attempt to get the PA Department of State before a Senate committee. https://fb.watch/8uLRZ__R8r/
Our student Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion were commissioned during our Marian Mass this morning. #YCFaith pic.twitter.com/chrAOj8iFj — York Catholic Middle & High School (@YorkCatholicHS) September 30, 2021 #VikingProud Our 2021-22 EPC Student Athlete Character C
Please check out today’s PCC Podcast. The Governor signs one of the bills that we supported while lawmakers hear from the PA Liquor Control Board about supply issues. https://fb.watch/8lOgcIrBCS/
Here’s the latest PCC Podcast!! It provides a wrap on two very debate-filled committee hearings at the state Capitol over the last two days: the House State Government and Education Committees. https://fb.watch/8jch0rNqyC/
Day four of Spirit Week at KCMS/HS brings a free dress down day, the annual KCHS Powder Puff football game and a visit from Rita’s Italian Ice! ??? pic.twitter.com/5f9rjS2lvI — Kennedy Catholic Pride (@KCPrideWatcher) September 23, 2021 We had such a fun night at the @fandmWSOC
Homecoming Spirit Week: It’s Western Wednesday! Students are playing toss the Jolly Rancher into the cowboy boot. #YCHomecoming2021 pic.twitter.com/93rQLwCjc4 — York Catholic Middle & High School (@YorkCatholicHS) September 22, 2021 Welcome to the “First Day of Autumn”! Mrs.
Please check out today’s PCC Podcast. We preview an important pro-life vote in Washington tomorrow and also recap the latest PA Senate hearing on the mask mandate for Pennsylvania schools. https://fb.watch/8dAeM7mpak/
Here is text of the speech given in tribute of Sister Clare: We gather this evening to honor the 39 years of service that Sister Clare Christi Schiefer has given to PCC through the PCHA. Since 1982, Sister Clare Christi has worked to give voice to the Church in a variety of health car
5-0 victory!! pic.twitter.com/fEuytT4jWa — Bishop Canevin Crusaders Athletic Department (@crusaderathdept) September 15, 2021 So proud of our Golden Eagles football team! They never, ever give up. They almost pull off an incredible comeback but fall short in the final seconds, 1
Mrs. Bradley's Honors Biotechnology class doing Pipette Art. The students develop micropipette skills by creating art with colored water. It is a fun way to make a basic skill builder lab interactive. #witnessthedifference #theplacetobe #backinthelab pic.twitter.com/PsdqntDDt3 &md
Here is our latest PCC Podcast. It includes a wrap of Wednesday’s contentious Senate committee meeting on the approval of subpoenas to get voter information. There’s also bonus coverage—as they say—of yesterday’s hearing on new nursing home regulations. https://fb.watch/83iX-S8xkw/
Looking at certain moments in today’s Senate meeting where the Intergovernmental Operations Committee authorized subpoenas for personal information on every registered voter in PA. Here’s Sen. Dave Argall. @PASenateGOP @SenatorArgall pic.twitter.com/zeR4wZIT7D — PAcatholic (@PAc
Please check out our latest PCC Podcast, which has a wrap of Monday’s House Committee meeting on the mask mandate for PA schools. https://fb.watch/81KmAa-Kmc/
Schools are back in session. Kids are busy in the classroom, on the playing fields and in the community! We couldn't have asked for a prettier day yesterday as we welcomed our lower school students to the new school year! ??#firstdayofschool2021 #WeLoveOurStudents #WeMissedYou pic
The 4th and final part of our series on human trafficking explains what lawmakers and the PCC have been doing to help solve the problem. https://fb.watch/7X9-8f1Bdi/
Please check out today’s Podcast. We look at some more Catholic school pics and then have the highlights from a contentious PA Senate hearing on the election process. https://fb.watch/7X9m5MshVL/
Here’s our third of four parts on the issue of human trafficking in PA. Today we look at what’s being done to fight it and how you can report something you suspect might be human trafficking. https://fb.watch/7TiWqvPBoH/
Mrs. King's Honors Literature class used bee epigraphs to connect to their text, The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. Their cooperative learning activity helped analyze the text relationship and included a mini lesson on MLA format. #msja #mountacademics #honors #literature p
The PCC continues its series on the problem of human trafficking. Today we look at how you might be able to spot a potential victim and then notify police. Plus we find out why many victims don’t come forward. https://fb.watch/7MKea0H7vH/
The PCC takes a look at the problem of human trafficking over the next several days. We interviewed a panel of four people involved in the fight against it for our series. Here we look at what human trafficking is and who can be a victim. https://fb.watch/7Ls4HKU5N_/
Freshman orientation was a success? We can’t wait to see you grow throughout your years here?? #welcomefreshmen #westisbest pic.twitter.com/BuwK8LKMks — West Catholic Prep (@WCPrep) August 26, 2021 Today #ND's Education Council, comprised of directors, department chairs, gra
Today’s PCC Podcast has the latest from the Governor on masks in schools. Plus we preview a special series on human trafficking and review lawmaker discussions on the election audit. And lawmakers from both parties are blasting a move by the Governor to hire a firm for senior services
Today’s PCC PODCAST has a lot of pics from the first day of classes at a handful of Catholic schools across PA. We also hear from lawmakers who are against a proposed move by the Wolf Administration to enlist a private firm to handle certain services for seniors. https://fb.watch/7zL3
Congrats to our Aquinas 8th graders who competed in the Pennyslvania PJAS Competition after placing 1st at regionals! 1st place at States: Eliana BouSamra, Gigi Vangura, Nick Urban, & JJ Ortiz. 2nd place: Mary Osburg & Laura Greppi.#ProudOfOurAquinasStudents #202021SchoolYear
The latest PCC Podcast talks about masks in schools—policies are still being determined—plus we recap two very entertaining committee meetings at the Capitol on pipelines and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. https://fb.watch/7vqvkP-L5w/
Check out today’s PCC Podcast. About 4 minutes long. We have some pics of our Catholic school athletes returning to the practice field and one bishop celebrating Mass on Sunday. Plus an update on what’s going on with the Hyde Amendment. https://fb.watch/7ryfCIuBUr/
Thank you to Coach Dave and Coach @RossiSoccer for a fantastic week at team camp. Now it’s on to pre-season ?#11hearts1soul1goal pic.twitter.com/WmIbukuU5Y — Lancaster Catholic Girls Soccer (@LCHSGSOC) August 13, 2021 Senior leaders gathered on campus today for our annual Senior
Our latest PCC Podcast is a recap of Friday’s PA Senate hearing on the return to school amid the continued threat of the COVID virus. Very entertaining and informative hearing. https://fb.watch/7hbikYuItd/
Big THANK YOU to @ndwbb Olivia Miles for stopping into camp to share wisdom with our campers! We will be rooting for you this year! pic.twitter.com/CJbHYXfFQm — Archbishop Wood Girls Basketball (@WoodGirlsBball) August 5, 2021 Excited to share that Larry Berran '89 & Mik
Today’s PCC Podcast features a review of yesterday’s PA House Committee meeting on the bill to prevent biological males from participating as females in sports across our state. We also have the first two installments of “Capitol Insight. “ https://fb.watch/7b_n1kgQBS/
The PA Catholic Conference is doing a number of stories in the community this summer that go with our legislative efforts during the year. Here we feature comments from Dauphin Co. Coroner Graham Hetrick about the ongoing opioid crisis. We talked with Dauphin Co. Coroner Graham Hetri
Today’s PCC Podcast talks about the latest on the bill in the PA House involving transgender athletes and what lies ahead with the Hyde Amendment after it was voted down by House Democrats. https://fb.watch/78-l79XnCM/
Congrats to our JV squad @A_TownThrowDown on their opening night win over Emmaus. #GoHawks pic.twitter.com/U9Kn4bSDk7 — Becahi Lady Hawks Basketball (@BecahiGBB) July 29, 2021 Camper Counselor Partner Throwdown! Thunderstorms won’t stop Learn to Row camp we just head to the Thun
It’s a camp tradition. The campers vs coaches challenge. Coach lost! pic.twitter.com/0vF37246L9 — Lansdale Catholic Girls Basketball (@lcladycrusaders) July 15, 2021 We are now over 70?????? https://t.co/oXjHI5rj7g — Tom Smith (@TASmith42) July 14, 2021 56 pounds of plasti
On a very recent trip to the University of Notre Dame, I looked into what lies behind Indiana’s Fetal Remains Law. A similar measure passed the PA House last month after some heated debate between pro-life and pro-abortion lawmakers. We’re hoping the Senate takes up the bill when they
Future stars! Camp Glee wrapped with an amazing performance by the campers, who got to showcase their talents for family, friends, and Mount faculty & staff. Thanks to camp directors Ms. Ochs and Ms. Molan, who coached the campers for the last 2 weeks. pic.twitter.com/JSmXN55hq0 &
Congress is trying to force Americans to pay for abortion.The Hyde Amendment & similar laws have long protected taxpayers from funding abortion. Now, some lawmakers want to remove these laws & use tax dollars to fund abortion. Please, sign the petition…. https://www.votervoice
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference commended PA Senate members for today’s passage of three bills designed to fight human trafficking. The PCC supports these measures in its on-going efforts to tackle the problem. “Human trafficking is a scourge that not only stil
HARRISBURG, PA – The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference today praised the PA Senate for passing HB 184 by Rep. Dawn Keefer (R-Cumberland, York). The bill increases criminal penalties for those convicted of aiding or encouraging a minor or someone with an intellectual disability to commi
School is out for the summer, but our schools are already preparing for students in the Fall! St. John Vianney Regional School in Allentown is receiving some of the latest tools for classroom enrichment! #NewYear #Summerwork pic.twitter.com/2rr3n1dl3U — AllentownDioceseEDU (@Ato
Had a great visit with freshman PA Rep. Tracy Pennycuick of the 147th district. She is a former Army chopper pilot and former small business owner. Here Tracy talks about succeeding Rep. Marcy Toepel. @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/MQwsQpaHm0 — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) June 25, 202
The PA Senate has concurred on the amendments made yesterday in the House to SB 618, which would prohibit the use of vaccine passports by a government entity in PA. The bill now goes to the Governor. Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill spoke on her measure. @SenatorKristin @PASenateGOP pic.twi
The PA House has just passed SB 618, the bill on vaccine passports. It has amendments and will return to the Senate for concurrence. @PaHouseDems @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/kEyKmtQ5yJ — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) June 23, 2021 Debate continues in the PA Senate on SB 735, calling
PA House passes HB 1300 after extensive and contentious debate. @PaHouseDems @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/zaoUCrSNBB — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) June 22, 2021 The PA House is taking up HB 1300 for debate and final vote. Rep. Seth Grove is the sponsor of theVoting Rights Protection
The PA Senate Health and Human Services Committee today passed HB 1500, the Down Syndrome Protection Act, sponsored by Rep. Kate Klunk. Here is Sen. Amanda Cappelletti speaking against the measure. @PaSenateDems pic.twitter.com/w0EUxFiCdP — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) June 21, 2021
Today #BSHS celebrated two end-of-year ceremonies for the freshman and sophomore classes, and the junior class. More info at https://t.co/kBY3FveOZK. Congrats to everyone, & thank you for your support and Shanahan Eagle Spirit this year! God bless you and have an amazing summer! p
Neither the House nor the Senate are in session today at the PA Capitol, but the Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committees from both chambers are hosting this public hearing on Pennsylvania's veterans home care and COVID-19 mitigation protocols. pic.twitter.com/7FKGBV
PA House Education Comm. passes SB 381 by Sen. Scott Martin to renew the law that allows student teachers w/60 credits to serve as substitute teachers. Republicans defeat an amendment by Democrats to limit its length to 3 years. @PAHouseGOP @PaHouseDems @SenatorMartinPA pic.twitter.co
We had a chance to chat virtually with Rep. Perry Stambaugh, a first-term lawmaker from central PA. Gave him the standard question of what prompted you to run for state office. @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/GrXdUB3S27 — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) June 14, 2021 Rep. Perry Stambaugh s
PA House State Government Committee meeting just getting underway to consider four bills, including Rep. Seth Grove’s HB 1300 on comprehensive voting reforms. @PaHouseDems @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/YSO2IMf2wb — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) June 15, 2021 PA Rep. Seth Grove talks ab
The PA Senate Finance Committee passes a handful of bills today, including SB 447 by Sen. Michele Brooks to reduce the Corporate Net Income tax rate. Republicans vote yes on the bill. Democrats vote no. @PASenateGOP @PaSenateDems pic.twitter.com/yFK9KS6htS — PAcatholic (@PAcatho
The torrents cleared minutes before graduation, and it was a grand evening for the Nazareth Prep Class of 2021. pic.twitter.com/3luKVHE1iJ — Nazareth Prep (@NazarethPrep) June 11, 2021 KINDERGARTEN! We are beaming with pride for our kindergarten #saintsandscholars! They h
House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff gives the closing comments for Republicans on the debate over HR 106. @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/M3yPgjuP37 — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) June 10, 2021 Rep. Jordan Harris gives the closing comments for Democrats on the debate over HR 106. @P
I had the pleasure of visiting freshman Rep. Carrie Lewis DelRosso of the 33rd District in PA. She ousted incumbent Minority Leader Frank Dermody in November’s election. I asked her to take me through that whole experience. @PAHouseGOP @RepCarrie pic.twitter.com/JnUuziZBRi — PAc
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference today praised the state House for Wednesday’s passage of HB 118, the Unborn Child Dignity Act, sponsored by Rep. Frank Ryan (R-Lebanon). The PCC is also urging the Senate to take up the measure as soon as possible. “This legislati
PA House passes HB 118, the Unborn Child Dignity Act, with bipartisan support after lengthy debate. PCC thanks those who voted for it and gives special thanks to sponsor Rep. Frank Ryan for his work on the bill. Here is part of Ryan’s closing comments. @PAHouseGOP @FrankRyanCPA pic.tw
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference today praised members of the state House who voted in favor of Rep. Kate Klunk’s House Bill 1500, also known as the Down Syndrome Protection Act. It would prohibit an abortion based solely on the diagnosis of a possible Down syndr
Debate on PA House floor now on Rep. Frank Ryan’s HB 118, the Unborn Child Dignity Act. It would enable parents whose unborn children are lost before birth to claim the remains for cremation or burial at their own expense. PCC supports this bill. @PAHouseGOP @FrankRyanCPA pic.t
Rep. Russ Diamond talks about what led him to introduce House Bill 1532, which would call for a ban on the teaching of Critical Race Theory in PA schools. Diamond joins Rep. Barbara Gleim in sponsoring the measure, saying CRT is divisive in nature. @PAHouseGOP @russdiamond pic.twitter
The PA House and Senate are back in Harrisburg on Monday after a week away from full sessions. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference will be watching a number of bills that we have been supporting, including three pro-life issues that will be up for second reading in the House. (There
House and Senate not in session this past week. But there were committee meetings. Both chambers are back in session Monday. Sen. Wayne Langerholc & Sen. Tim Kearney preside over public hearing on transportation reforms and investments in Pennsylvania. It will discuss the DRIVE SM
#MarianPride Starting a tradition! Our Marian Catholic 2021 graduates and their alumni family members posed for the first-ever Marian Catholic Legacy Photo! A true testament to the generations of excellence in our #MarianFamily! #ToJesusThroughMary #MarianLegacy ????? pic.twitt
The PA House has just unanimously passed HB 996 by Rep. Eric Davanzo. It would allow for access by members of the clergy to long-term care facilities during an emergency declaration. The PCC supports this measure. Rep. Davanzo spoke on the floor before the vote. @PAHouseGOP pic.twitte
We had the chance to talk with PA Rep. Joe Kerwin, a Republican serving Dauphin and Schuylkill Cos. He’s an attorney who is early in his first term in Harrisburg. @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/imchWHwJUZ — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) June 2, 2021 PA Rep. Joe Kerwin is a life-long Cat
Had the chance to visit with freshman PA Rep. Mike Armanini of Elk and Clearfield Cos. He’s been very closely involved with Catholic education just about his entire life! @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/eH4XobD65s — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 27, 2021 PA Rep. Mike Armanini talks a
Had the chance to visit and talk with Rep. Rob Mercuri of Allegheny Co. this week in his Capitol office. The freshman lawmaker serves in the legislature after spending a number of years serving the country! @RepRobMercuri @PAHouseGOP pic.twitter.com/qGkmBmreJL — PAcatholic (@PAc
Great to see members of the Bishop Guilfoyle girls basketball team at the Capitol today!! State champions, by the way. Great job ladies!! ??? @BishopGuilfoyle @BG_LadyHoops pic.twitter.com/tiNaHM4go3 — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) May 25, 2021 ? Congratulations on your graduation fr
Both the House and Senate were in session this week in Harrisburg. The PA Catholic Conference saw a number of bills passed that we support. That included–in the House– a package of 8 bills to combat human trafficking and a bill to assure that clergy members would not be pr
5-26-2021 HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference today applauded PA House members for Tuesday’s overwhelming passage of a package of bills designed to fight human trafficking and also called for leaders in the Senate to move these bills as quickly as possible. “The mor
The PA House Health Committee passed three pro-life bills Tuesday morning in votes that went strictly along party lines. All Republicans on the committee voted yes and all Democrats voted no. The PA Catholic Conference supports these measures. Here are the postings we made this mornin
Sen. Judy Ward asks long-term care officials today about the threat of lawsuits that may be arising from the pandemic against the industry. Zach Shamberg of PA Health Care Assoc. says they are hoping legislation can prevent opportunistic lawsuits. @PASenateGOP @SenatorJWard pic.twitte
Thank you for being #KellanStrong! https://t.co/b9N06wWnUb — St Helena School in Blue Bell (@SHSBlueBell) May 21, 2021 ? talk @Trev_Paschall https://t.co/2xApg9fnqI — North Catholic Trojan Army (@NCTrojanArmy) May 19, 2021 The beginning of this week kicked off the the end
SEN. KRISTIN PHILLIPS-HILL HOLDS HEARING ON DEPT. OF HEALTH DATE BREACH ISSUE. DEPT. BACKS OUT Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill had originally gotten a commitment from the PA Dept. of Health to testify before the Senate Communications & Technology Committee on the data breach with the
Congratulations to the newly inducted members of the National Honor Society. pic.twitter.com/T2hfrlnvTc — Notre Dame Schools (@NDSpartans) May 13, 2021 The last banquet in Royal Lancer history was held Wednesday night. As we close out the history of Lancer athletics, we would li
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The PA Catholic Conference (PCC) today called on the University of Pittsburgh to stop all experiments with aborted babies and for Pennsylvania lawmakers to open a full investigation into the extent of this practice. “We are horrified by reports that researchers at th
Our student body gathered this morning for our May Devotions with a beautiful prayer service celebrating our Mother, Mary. Our school community was reminded of our school seal that says, "Following Her, you will not go astray". pic.twitter.com/dgvBzeqiEo — Cardinal O&#
The PCC was there as the PA House Aging & Older Adult Services Committee unanimously approved HB 996 by Rep. Eric Davanzo. We support the bill as an issue of religious freedom. Here are the social media postings we shared through the meeting. Congrats to Rep. Eric Davanzo o
The PCC applauds Tuesday’s passage of House Bill 253 by Rep. Clint Owlett (R-Bradford, Tioga) by the PA House Children & Youth Committee. We were there for the proceedings and shared these postings on social media. Congrats to Rep. Clint Owlett for today’s unanimous P
The PA House Health Committee Wednesday morning held its second hearing in abortion. They heard from advocates on both sides of the issue. We were there at the Capitol and shared these updates on social media. Just underway at the PA Capitol…the second public hearing before the
The PA House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday passed 8 bills designed to combat human trafficking. Here are highlights as we shared them on Twitter. The PCC has long supported such legislation. PA House Judiciary Committee this morning passed 8 bills with strong bipartisan support that
PA Rep. Kate Klunk tells us that she is going to be reintroducing her Down Syndrome Protection Act legislation in the coming days. The PA Catholic Conference has supported Rep. Klunk all the way on this measure, which made it through both the House and Senate last session before bein
A number of PA State House Republicans today introduced The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act at a news conference at the Capitol in Harrisburg. It comes in response to an executive order from the Biden Administration requiring that biological males be permitted to compete on women’s sch
Way to go Eagles!https://t.co/mC0Z9gX0u1 — Serra Catholic HS (@SerraCatholic) March 29, 2021 Student Council is hoppin into Easter!Prep student council officers had the honor of presenting Meagan Loftus, president of the Friends of the Poor, with a $2,000 check from their Easter
Hail Central! #VikingNation #StateChamps ???????? @ACCHS_Athletics @AtownDioceseEDU pic.twitter.com/gz75B3Y5ZJ — ACCHS (@ACCHSVikings) March 26, 2021 #PIAABasketball Congratulations to Nativity BVM, 1A PIAA Boys’ Basketball Champions defeating Berlin 51-47 in OT pic.twitter.com/
A little love to bring us into the weekend…#FridayFeeling #KCpride #catholicschool #hermitage pic.twitter.com/3PDkgk7pHw — Kennedy Catholic Family of Schools (@KennedyCatholi2) March 12, 2021 The high school girls basketball team made school history this year!· First team
DCC Second Grade Students Enjoy a Project Based Learning Activity with a Taco Theme https://t.co/pcn60apC28 — DuBois Catholic (@duboiscatholic) March 2, 2021 Congratulations to @WoodBoysBball Senior Rahsool Diggins who broke the all time school scoring record tonight at @carroll
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference today responded to questions that many people have asked about whether it is permissible to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. When people have no choice about which COVID vaccine to receive, it is morally acceptable to re
Victoria McKeown, Sofia Colon, & Joyce Zheng -All-Catholic in Music! Victoria is 2nd chair on bass clarinet in Band. Sofia is 1st chair in cello and Joyce is 4th chair on the flute for the Orchestra. We are so proud of their achievements & look forward to hearing them in conce
Ms. Zachar's French Class celebrated the French holiday Chandeleur with crepes & flips of a gold coin. This celebrates the coming spring & the presentation of Jesus. Good luck & happiness if you successfully flip your crepe while holding a gold coin in your hand! ??? #
It’s a new session underway in the PA House and Senate in Harrisburg and pro-life lawmakers are laying the groundwork for some important measures to preserve the dignity of life. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference will be right there with them as they look to navigate the lengthy pr
(our release that went out Wednesday, 1-13-21) HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference today condemned a campaign by Planned Parenthood to encourage and facilitate abortion procedures in the home. The pro-abortion group is looking to use telehealth visits to prescribe p
PENNSYLVANIA CATHOLIC CONFERENCE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 12, 2020 Contact: Al Gnoza 717-585-1548 PCC CONDEMNS RECENT INCREASE IN ANTI-SEMITIC ACTS HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC), on behalf of all the Catholic B
For every lawmaker you see or hear about at the Pennsylvania Capitol, there are many more staff members that work behind the scenes. Many of those staffers have been at the Capitol for years, even as elected officials come and go. Jon Castelli is the Executive Director of the House Ur
TESTIMONY of PHILIP J. FROMUTH. Ph.D. to the PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EDUCATION COMMITTEE JUNE 17, 2020 Good afternoon Chairman Sonney and members of the House Education Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to be with you to share a few thoughts about t
Good afternoon Chairman Sonney and members of the House Education Committee. Thank you for the opportunity to share a few needs that all Catholic and nonpublic schools will face this fall in re-opening their school year. My name is Sean McAleer, I am the Director of Education for the
Rep. Bob Merski (D-Erie) has seen just about every side there is of Catholic education. “K through 8, I went to Holy Family, educated by the Sisters of St. Frances,” he told me on a recent phone interview. “Then I went to Cathedral Prep, which is the all-boys Catholic school here in E
When you spend time talking with lawmakers in Pennsylvania, you realize how much they care about their residents, the people they serve. That has become especially evident over the past several months as these legislators find out how much their people have been suffering from the pan
Lawmakers have long been called public servants because they work for the people. Never has that been truer than for these past four months when the pandemic and resulting shutdown sent countless numbers of frustrated Pennsylvanians to their local reps and senators for help. “Been ver
She may be the most recognizable person in the Pennsylvania Senate, and very likely one of the hardest-working people connected with the chamber. I’m talking about Megan Martin, the Secretary of the Senate and the first woman to serve in that position. She is also the Parliamentarian,
One of the more substantive debates in the PA Senate this summer has been over Senate Bill 1166, which was designed to put a limit on the length of an emergency in Pennsylvania that was declared by the Governor. One of the big supporters of that bill has been Sen. David Argall (R-Berk
Lawmakers and government officials have faced many issues and challenges over these last couple of months. But two of the more pressing problems as far as state Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) is concerned are the troubles with the state unemployment system and the question of how to e
It was on July 15th that the PA Senate passed House Bill 196, by Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon). It would call for appellate court judges in Pennsylvania (Commonwealth, Superior and Supreme Courts) to be chosen by district. Now they are chosen by total vote across the entire sta
Rep. Rob Kauffman (R-Franklin) has been around long enough in public service to appreciate a good challenge. He’s been seeing exactly that–right along with the rest of us these last couple of months. But as a public servant, his challenge has been a bit tougher. “I’m in my eight
The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference applauds the Supreme Court’s decisions in Little Sisters of the Poor v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and in Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru and St. James Catholic School v. Biel. In both cases, the Court reaffirmed the
By Al Gnoza The PA Catholic Conference did not take a position on House Bill 2025, but it is such an important issue for so many Pennsylvanians that we have been covering it and are providing this update. On Wednesday the PA House approved HB 2025, which is sponsored by Rep. Jim St
By Al Gnoza We at the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference once again applaud the job that all of our schools did over the past several months to continue to provide quality education to our students across the state. We thank teachers, students, parents and administrators for thei
PCC APPLAUDS PASSING OF LEGISLATION TO GIVE EX-INMATES A SECOND CHANCE HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference (PCC) applauds both the PA House and Senate for this afternoon’s passage of SB 637–sponsored by state Sen. John DiSanto (R-Dauphin, Perry)–which wi
The PCC supports Senate Bill 637 by Sen. John DiSanto, which removes employment barriers for certain residents who are convicted of crimes unrelated to their intended profession. We believe this type of legislation helps people turn their lives around. As it stands now, our laws deny
HARRISBURG, PA – The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference today highlighted testimony given to the PA House Education Committee by Dr. Philip Fromuth, the Superintendent of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Allentown and the Moderator of the Education Department of the PCC. The
Kennedy Catholic Family of Schools is proud to announce that Mr. Mark Ferrara will be stepping in to the role of President! Mr. Ferrara brings 40 years of professional educational & most recently, serving as a superintendent & consultant. Welcome, Mr. Ferrara!
From Archbishop Nelson Perez: On Saturday morning at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter & Paul I had the honor of ordaining 13 men to the Diaconate – nine men were ordained as Permanent Deacons and four men were ordained as Transitional Deacons for the Archdiocese of Phil
A lesson on walking together as brothers and sisters: Reflections on the death of George Floyd June 5, 2020 In the immediate days following the brutal killing of George Floyd, the world reacted with horror to the images of his struggle to breathe and to hold on to life. Countless nu
Pentecost statement on racism from Bishop Lawrence Persico On this Pentecost Sunday, we pray that the Holy Spirit enlighten the hearts and minds of all people to see that racism in all forms is an evil. We should not be surprised by the riots that have taken place across the country,
Sr. Dorothy Ann Busowski, OSBM Provincial Superior The Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great express deep sorrow and regret at the needless death of George Floyd. This occasion demands prayer, reflection, and urgent attention to the present moment. In a spirit of mourning we add
In his Homily on Pentecost, Bishop Alfred Schlert spoke of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and how they should guide us, and should guide our country, during these difficult times. Here are excerpts from that Homily: “If Jesus is the body of our Church, the Holy Spirit can be said to be
Statement from Bishop Edward C. Malesic on death of George Floyd Like most people, I too was shocked and saddened by the brutal treatment and death of Mr. George Floyd and join the call for an end to racism. On this Feast of Pentecost, we hear Jesus tell his disciples, “Peace be with
Statement from Bishop David Zubek of the Pittsburgh Diocese “Watching a peaceful protest against racial injustice break down into violence in Pittsburgh, I am sending out an urgent call for calm as we work for justice. I ask all believers to pray and act for peace, unity and tha
STATEMENT OF MOST REVEREND NELSON J. PÉREZ REGARDING THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD The hearts of Americans across the country are joined together in collective mourning following the tragic, disturbing, and unnecessary death of George Floyd. In the name of the people of the Archdiocese of
Bishop Gainer Calls for Peace, End to Racism HARRISBURG, Pa. – Bishop Ronald W. Gainer released the following statement in response to the brutal killing of Mr. George Floyd, a Minnesota man killed while being arrested by a Minneapolis police officer. “As a Catholic, I was shocked an
HARRISBURG, PA – The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference today responded to reports of residents facing evictions from their homes for not being able to pay rent during the pandemic. The PCC is urging the PA Supreme Court to instruct all courts to continue to follow Governor Wolf’s morat
PA CATHOLIC CONFERENCE PRAISES PA HOUSE FOR PASSING BILL TO STIFFEN PENALTIES FOR THOSE WHO ENCOURAGE SUICIDE HARRISBURG, PA – The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference today praised the PA House for its passage of HB 1827, which increases criminal penalties for those convicted of aiding o
PA CATHOLIC CONFERENCE APPLAUDS HOUSE PASSAGE OF BILL TO AMEND FOOD LIABILITY ACT HARRISBURG, PA – The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference today thanked the PA House for passing House Bill 2477, which amends the Donated Food Liability Act. The bill will protect those who donate food from
By Eric Failing In late March, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act for short. In part, it calls for $13.2 billion to be provided for K-12 education across the country, with an estimated $523.8 million for Pennsylvania, according to the U
PA CATHOLIC CONFERENCE URGES WOLF ADMINISTRATION TO NOT DIVERT CARES ACT FUNDING FROM PRIVATE SCHOOLS HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference today urged Governor Wolf to halt his administration’s efforts to divert federal CARES Act money away from private sc
Written by Albert Gnoza This past March was unlike any of us have ever seen, that is for sure. A lot of people’s worlds would be turned upside down. But Catholic schools around the state moved quickly to right their ships. Right indeed. Those in the right places of leadership s
I have thought on more than a few occasions, that if this pandemic and resulting shutdown would have occurred way back when I was in grade school, who knows how we would have kept up with learning. I shared that thought with Principal Pat Nickler of Geibel Catholic Junior-Senior High
In talking with Catholic school principals across the state over the last couple of weeks, I have been inspired by their upbeat attitudes in the face of challenging times. The level of empathy and affection for their students has also been great to see. That is especially evident at O
There have been two main variables to deal with in the successful transition to on-line learning across Pennsylvania—students having some type of computer at home and the teachers being able to make the adjustment in delivering their lessons. St. John Neumann Regional Academy in Willi
Berks Catholic High School was in a good position to transition to on-line learning when schools were shut down several weeks ago. Still, some adjustments had to be made. “About four years ago our school went one-to-one with I-pads,” said Alice Einolf, the Principal at Berks Catholic.
Many of the Catholic schools around the state were in a good position to adapt to on-line learning in March because their students all had some kind of laptop computer. Some others had to scramble to equip kids with these devices. “We’re just a population of working-class
We’ve been thoroughly impressed at how the Catholic schools around Pennsylvania have kept up instruction with few or no days off after the shutdown. This came as many public schools took at least two weeks off. One of the schools that kept on top of learning and didn’t mis
In talking with Catholic school principals around the state it seemed like the key to making the transition to on-line learning in March was having a one-to-one situation with the students. That is, each student had their own laptop computer. “We’ve been one-to-one for fiv
School administrators may be used to making changes here and there, but this was a pretty dramatic change. It was in mid-March that Governor Wolf was shutting down all schools in Pennsylvania. No one knew for how long at the time, but schools like Notre Dame High School of Easton were
You have to give a ton of credit to our Catholic school administrators across the state. They had much of the groundwork in place before the schools were shut down in March and they could see what was happening in the distance. “We had an inkling that this was going to happen so
How are things going at Holy Redeemer High School in Wilkes Barre? “So far, so good,” says Principal Doreen Dougherty. “Our biggest efforts were trying to mobilize through distance learning in a relatively quick time period.” That happened in March when
PA CATHOLIC CONFERENCE APPLAUDS HOUSE PASSAGE OF MARRIAGE ACT HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference applauds today’s passage of House Bill 360, which, in addition to addressing some covid-19 related concerns, establishes 18 as the minimum age for marriage in Penn
PCC LAMENTS GOVERNOR’S VETO OF TELEMEDICINE BILL HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference today lamented Governor Wolf’s veto of the Telemedicine Bill that had passed the House and Senate. “This is very distressing,” said Eric Failing, the Executive Di
Who would have thought that preparation for using snow days to educate grade school kids would have such an impact on schools in a year where there really wasn’t that much snow across Pennsylvania? Yet preparation for bad weather actually left many PA Catholic schools in
When the big shutdown hit across the state several weeks ago, Bishop Carroll High School in Ebensburg didn’t stop. They merely shifted gears. The groundwork was already in place for on-line learning since the school was in a “one-to-one” situation. “Each studen
When Governor Wolf shut down schools across the country back in March, Catholic schools like Bishop McCort High School in Johnstown were ready. “Our parents, teachers and students have had to adapt to this new type of learning, on-line and I’m going to be honest with you,
PCC APPLAUDS PA SENATE FOR PASSING TELEMEDICINE BILL IN SAFE FORM HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference today applauded the PA Senate passage of Senate Bill 857–Telemedicine– in a form that retains current protections against dangerous drugs identified
PCC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OFFERS THOUGHTS ON COMMEMORATION OF HOLOCAUST HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, Eric Failing, today issued some heartfelt comments to honor the Commemoration of the Holocaust. He started off by acknowledging the
PCC JOINS U.S. CATHOLIC BISHOPS IN CALLING FOR ETHICALLY-BASED VACCINES TO COMBAT COVID-19 HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference today joined Catholic bishops from around the nation in calling for the development and use of ethically-based vaccines to combat
PCC CRITICIZES PLANNED PARENTHOOD FOR PROVIDING ABORTION SERVICES DURING ELECTIVE PROCEDURE BAN HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference today criticized Planned Parenthood for continuing to provide abortion services, despite the fact that Governor Wolf has issued an o
Chatting with Rep. Torren Ecker. And Oliver Ecker. I did a virtual visit with the Ecker family this morning–Rep. Torren and his son Oliver! Lol. I asked dad about comments made in House session yesterday by Majority Leader Bryan Cutler on mapping out a recovery from this crisis.
Talking with Rep. Paul Schemel Thanks to our good friend, Rep. Paul Schemel, for updating us on what's going on with the PA House. They head into session this afternoon, some in person and some remotely. Schemel says lawmakers will be talking about what lies ahead for a safe reco
Talking with Rep. Ryan Warner Early this morning, Rep. Ryan Warner posted a request on Facebook to Gov. Wolf on behalf of small businesses owners in PA. Check it out. It has gotten thousands and thousands of shares, likes and comments. I talked with Ryan about it over the phone this a
Talking with Rep. Pam DeLissio I miss seeing my friend Rep. Pam DeLissio at the Capitol but I got the chance to talk with her over the phone to get an update on what she has been doing, including responding to her constituents. She just had a virtual town hall gathering this week and
Talking with Sen. Doug Mastriano This morning I talked with the indefatigable and always gracious Sen. Doug Mastriano over the phone about what he's been doing amid this crisis. Among the topics discussed were how to get small businesses up and running safely and the Governor
Talking with Rep. Barbara Gleim Thanks so much to PA Rep. Barbara Gleim who talked with me on Zoom this morning about what she and other lawmakers are doing to work for small businesses across the state. They are really feeling the economic effects of this crisis. Thanks again to Barb
Talking with Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill talked with PCC Executive Director Eric Failing and the PCC's Al Gnoza about the questions she is getting from people and businesses during this crisis. She offers encouragement but also some stark realities about
Sen. Judy Ward on FaceTime A FaceTime chat today with our friend, PA Sen. Judy Ward! She talked about the current crisis and reminds us that faith is always very important, but especially so in times like these. Thank you Senator! (I apologize to you viewers if my voice is too loud
Talking with Rep. Frank Ryan!! My good friend, Rep. Frank Ryan, always has a smile, even in the toughest of times. I talked with him by FaceTime today about how he's staying healthy and very busy in recent days. Posted by Pennsylvania Catholic Conference on Monday, March 30, 2020
Talking with Sen. Scott Martin Thanks so much to Sen. Scott Martin for taking the time to talk with me on the phone about what he and his staff have been doing to help people during this crisis. Sen. Martin is a big friend to the PCC! Posted by Pennsylvania Catholic Conference on Tues
Rep. Russ Diamond talks about his efforts I talked with Rep. Russ Diamond over the phone about what he and many other lawmakers are dealing with: confusion among constituents about what's coming down from the Governor's office. Posted by Pennsylvania Catholic Conference on M
Catholic dioceses around the state have begun suspending masses in an effort to slow the spread of the Corona virus. Here is the announcement from the Harrisburg Diocese that came out on Monday.
The budget hearings at the Capitol in Harrisburg have wrapped up and it will soon be time for discussion and debate. At the crux of the debate will be the age-old difference in philosophy between Republicans and Democrats: Republicans say the Governor is overspending. Democrats genera
High School band on top…7th and 8th grade below The Archdiocesan All Stars come to the Capitol for a performance. These are the high school students. Posted by Pennsylvania Catholic Conference on Monday, March 9, 2020 The Archdiocesan All Stars come to the Capitol for a performa
Time for a wrap up of what went on at the PA Capitol this past week. It was mostly budget hearings! Posted by Pennsylvania Catholic Conference on Friday, March 6, 2020
I recently checked in with Congressman Scott Perry (PA, 10th District) to find out what he was up to these days, now that the impeachment stuff has ended–at least for the time being. Turns out he’s been busy working on the peoples’ business. One of his efforts involves a bill t
The PA Catholic Conference has been keeping its eye on the budget hearings in Harrisburg, which have been going on for a couple of weeks now. The different departments in the Wolf Administration are going before the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to explain– and many
The Mercy Matters Committee of the Diocese of Harrisburg hosted another forum this week on social issues, this time on criminal justice reform. Fr. Joshua Brommer and Dan Reisteter of St. Patrick’s Cathedral welcomed state lawmakers Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-Beaver, Greene, Washington
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) visited Sacred Heart Regional School in Allentown Friday morning, to tour the facility, see the kids and tout the importance of school choice. “This was just a reminder for me of why and how much I’ve been for decades now, such a passionate advocate for school c
Press release issued today by Reps. Bryan Cutler and Stan Saylor….. HARRISBURG – Citing cost overruns, inadequate response times, and the failure of programs and services to meet core mission objectives, Majority Leader Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster) and Appropriations Committ
When Governor Wolf delivered his budget address at the Capitol, he only shared the highlights, the proverbial tip of the iceberg. There’s just not enough time to go line by line and explain everything that he or any other governor is asking for. There was one item in particular that w
From Sen. Scott Martin (R-Lancaster) “I am relieved that the governor is not calling for any broad-based tax increases, given our objections to that. However, future tax hikes are inevitable if we do not control the growth of state spending and borrowing. Medicaid and other social ser
The Department of Environmental Protection has sent us its response to a story we ran in which Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, York) criticized the MS4 program. In that story, the Senator says it’s the latest effort to take money from the taxpayers. The story got c
It was just a few hours before the state House would vote on a package of bills to combat human trafficking. A large group of representatives, most of them Republican, took to the steps of the lobby in the Ryan building at the Capitol to show their support for the legislation.
The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference today thanked members of the state House for their near-unanimous approval of a package of bills to address the problem of human trafficking. The pictures here are of a news conference that preceded the votes at the Capitol. There was a huge turno
The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference continues to communicate with members of the state Senate to make sure that the pending Telemedicine bill (SB 857) is passed in its pro-life form. This version prohibits the use of Telemedicine for abortion. The Director of the PCC, Eric Failing, s
The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference worked on the passage of legislation for these safety grants and participated in the bill signing with the Governor back in November. The picture has the Executive Director of the PCC standing between Governor Wolf and Rep. Stephen Barrar (R-Chest
The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference applauded the state House Judiciary Committee for its unanimous passage of a package of bills to address the problem of human trafficking. Each bill was approved by every representative on the committee. “We can’t thank these lawmakers enough for
Rep. Frank Ryan (R-Lebanon) is hopeful that his Fetal Remains Bill that recently passed the state House will gain acceptance in the Senate as well. House Bill 1890 was voted out of the House in November by a vote of 123-76 but continued to cause quite a stir as Ryan spent much of the
The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference is the public affairs arm of the Catholic bishops across the state. In other words, we are lobbyists for all issues that we see as important to the Catholic Church. Lobbyists aren’t always looked upon fondly. But those ‘in the know’ realize their i
Back in July we talked with Alessandro DiSanto, one of the creators of the new prayer app “Hallow.” The Notre Dame University and Bishop McDevitt High School graduate had just participated in the launch of “Hallow” some eight months earlier. This week I checked in with DiSanto again a
Most of what people hear about what goes on at the state Capitol involves issues that affect residents state-wide, like the budget, minimum wage, pro-life bills and the like. But legislators have to also keep an eye on something else: their district and the people they represent. “I n
Governor Wolf just signed the bill to allow hunting on three Sundays during the year in Pennsylvania. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) and was years in the making for him. “It all started for me about 50 years ago when I asked my dad why we couldn’t go hunting on S
Rep. Tim O’Neal (R-Washington) continues an impressive trend in western Pennsylvania politics–of veterans coming back to their native area for a career in public service. O’Neal served in Afghanistan. “My father had served for four years when he was younger but I initially didn’
The state Senate late Wednesday afternoon passed the Down Syndrome Protection Act, which would prohibit an abortion, based solely on a prenatal diagnosis of Down Syndrome. The vote went 27-22 after it had passed through the Senate Health Committee on Monday. The measure has now passed
For all the times you hear about and see a state legislator discussing a bill on the House or Senate floor, or talking about a certain issue for the media, a lot of their efforts involve one-on-one work with constituents. That includes them and their staff members in trying to help pe
Rep. Tedd Nesbit (R-Butler, Mercer) has followed a familiar path to the state Capitol. He began his career as an attorney. “Small-town lawyer, but a former assistant district attorney,” Nesbit told me during a recent visit to his Capitol office. He was kind enough to squeeze in some t
PA Rep. Greg Rothman (R-Cumberland) is working to gather support for the bill introduced by House Speaker Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) to offer school choice to students and families in the Harrisburg School District. “We’ve dealt with multi-generational failures in those schools,” Rothm
The state legislature has had fewer session days this fall than in the past. The cynics would say that lawmakers are getting it easy. Those on the inside would know better. “That’s one of the biggest misconceptions. People tend to think that when we’re not in Harrisburg, we’re on vaca
Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre, Mifflin) is the Majority Whip in the PA House of Representatives. That is a figurative rather than literal title. “Essentially your job is to make sure you have enough votes to get a bill passed or to stop a bill,” Benninghoff told me during a visit t
Rep. Tom Mehaffie (R-Dauphin) fought the good fight on behalf of Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant earlier this year. He proposed House Bill 11, which would have allowed nuclear plants to receive funding for producing clean energy. TMI needed the bailout to survive. But despite se
Sen. Pam Iovino (D-Allegheny, Washington) spent 23-years in the Navy. “I loved every minute of it,” she said. But the future state senator didn’t start out with the intention to make it a career. She quickly changed her mind. “I graduated from Gettysburg College and knew I would go on
There are currently no restrictions on using public assistant, or the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to purchase tobacco in Pennsylvania. But a bill sponsored by Rep. Justin Walsh (R-Westmoreland) could change that. House Bill 847 would forbid the use of EBT cards to purchase
Any time a pro-life legislator makes any kind of substantive move against abortion, you can be sure there will be a ton of resistance. Much of it will be from the left, but there will also be a fair amount of push back from those within their own ranks. Fellow lawmakers and advocates
PA Rep. Wendi Thomas (R-Bucks) has been very concerned about the available care for school students across the state when it comes to the area of mental health. She has introduced a bill along with Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia) that she hopes will fulfill whatever needs there
Some lawmakers are not big fans of town hall meetings. What if nobody shows up? For others it’s a question of ‘what if someone does show up?’ It’s a setting that can be tough to control, especially if you have some angry constituents. Rep. Pam DeLissio (D-Philadelphia) is definitely n
Rep. Perry Warren (D-Bucks) is a recently-established “empty nester.” Warren and his wife Liz have five children and the youngest has just left the house. “It made me sad, but they come home a lot,” Warren told me on a recent visit to his Capitol office. In the meantime he has plenty
Rep. Ben Sanchez (D-Montgomery) comes from several different walks of life—he worked as a CPA, an attorney and as a college professor. But he’s very happy and satisfied with his current path—as a state lawmaker. He was elected to office last November to replace Madeleine Dean who wen
Often-times we hear of partisan battles in the state House and Senate, Republicans vs. Democrats voting along party lines. But there are many instances where there is agreement from both sides of the aisle. One of those instances was in getting a new healthcare exchange that will use
Rep. Seth Grove (R-York) says his caucus has some unfinished business they want to take care of from the spring session. One of the biggest issues on that list will be how to fund voting machines at the county level. Lawmakers have already passed a measure that will provide $90-milli
Rep. Matt Bradford (D-Montgomery) says that one afternoon he was just minding his own business practicing law when he got word that the state representative in his district was not running for re-election. “It was 2008, the Obama year, and a lot of people were getting involved in poli
PA Rep. Dan Moul (R-Adams) feels that it’s time to go out with the old and in with the new as far as the way many things are done with state government. “We need to fix things with the old to make them fit in with today,” he told me on a visit to his district office in Gettysburg. “So
Rep. Pam Snyder (R-Fayette, Greene, Washington) has a district that is tucked away somewhere between Pittsburgh and West Virginia. It’s the largest district in the state in terms of square miles, which means it’s very rural. You’re not going to drop in on Rep. Snyder’s district office
Rep. Jennifer O’Mara (R-Delaware) is a product of St. Barnabas Catholic School in Philadelphia. She attended there up until 8th grade and also was an altar server. Apparently she was a pretty good one too! “I was an altar server at St. Barney’s,” she told me on a recent trip to her Sp
Every time I visit a legislator in their district office I see a lot of activity. The staff members are very busy, either taking calls from constituents or meeting with them in person. The lawmakers are squeezing in meetings and appearances. In fact, they are probably busier over thei
PA Speaker of the House Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) is praising a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals which will uphold the traditional practice of having a session-opening prayer. “We are pleased that the Third Circuit has found that our prayer complies with the United States Constit
Last year the state House passed the Pennsylvania Clean Slate Law, which called for the sealing of criminal records that contained low-level, non-violent misdemeanors and summary offenses. The measure was a bi-partisan effort, authored by Rep. Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia) and Rep. S
When you visit the Real Alternatives headquarters outside of Harrisburg, you’re not going to find case-workers and pregnant women looking for help. But the work that is done here makes it possible for those two groups of people to meet each other and have that potentially life-saving
I met Rep. Joe Webster (D-Montgomery) in his Collegeville district office, but Webster has roots that reach all the way back to Philadelphia. “Big Irish-Catholic family, started out in Fairmount, in Philadelphia,” he told me. “My mother had us moved out to Roxborough for my teenage ye
Pennsylvania’s state revenues benefited from a robust economy by recording a huge surplus this year. Rep. Steven Mentzer (R-Lancaster) was very appreciative of that and of the fact that it helped fund human services. Mentzer says human services represents the biggest growth area in th
Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams, Cumberland) says he always had an interest in running for elected office. While in college at George Mason University, he worked on Capitol Hill for Congressman Jo Ann Davis. He figured he’d spend some time in D.C. working in politics. But then the plans ch
Pennsylvania’s lawmakers come from a variety of backgrounds, but Rep. Mark Gillen (R-Berks, Lancaster) may have the most unique combination there is. He is a former educator with a Master’s Degree in Education from Kutztown University and he is a former corrections officer in Bucks Co
It was last month that members of the PA Senate hosted leaders of Gov. Tom Wolf’s census team. We went to the hearing since the Executive Director of the PA Catholic Conference, Eric Failing, is on the Census 2020 Complete Count Commission. Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) raised
The more legislators I meet, the more I find are products of the Catholic school system. Such is the case with Sen. Tim Kearney (D-Chester, Delaware)—16-years in Catholic school. And he served as an altar boy while growing up in New Jersey. Another part of Kearney’s background is bein
U.S. Congressman Scott Perry does not sound like a free-spender, and certainly not when it comes to taxpayer money. Yet he sees that happening with his colleagues in Washington, D.C. The law says it’s not supposed to be th
Deacon Jorge Vera has been Chaplain at SCI Camp Hill since February 2nd, of 2014. He remembers the exact date. It would be pretty easy therefore to get an exact count of how many days he’s put in on the job. But it would be a tough task to count the number of people he’s helped and so
Rep. Gary Day (R-Berks, Lehigh) said he recently took stock of his volunteer activities and realized he wanted to spend more of that time and energy helping his parish. Day is a life-long Catholic. “Like many Catholics probably, I feel a little guilty that I could be more involved tha
Rep. Danielle Friel Otten (D-Chester) was one of a number of women that were elected into the Pennsylvania legislature in the 2018 November election. “We currently make up 25% of the legislature,” Otten told me during a visit to her Exton district office. “Still we have a long way to
Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) has worked hard on a number of issues during her term in the state legislature, but the “Buyer Beware Act” has to be near or at the top of the list. The bill would strengthen penalties for those who patronize victims of human trafficking. Rep. Seth
There has been much stricter oversight in recent years on the administering of opioids. But that monitoring has not been extended to the use of Narcan, which is used to revive people who are suspected to be overdosing on drugs. PA Rep. Jim Cox (R-Berks, Lancaster) is looking to change
Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Adams, Cumberland, Franklin, York) was elected in May of this year to the Senate seat for the 33rd district. It was a special election to replace Sen. Rich Alloway, who had just resigned. Mastriano was sworn in on June 10th, and immediately started focusing on o
It was the changing of the guard in the 105th district in the PA House. Rep. Ron Marsico was stepping down after 30 years of service. Taking that seat would be Republican Andrew Lewis, a decorated combat veteran who was a leader in his family construction business. “Big shoes to fill,
Rep. Jim Roebuck (D-Philadelphia) sees his share of visitors over the summer in his West Philadelphia district office. The day I came to see him he was just finishing up a talk with visiting medical students from the nearby Penn campus. “We have a fairly steady number of people come
Rep. Barbara Gleim (R-Cumberland) is in her first term in the state House and serving on a number of committees, including the Education Committee as secretary. She has some excellent training for that position. I’d better start a new paragraph for her resume in that regard….. Okay, s
It was the first Friday of August and Wellsboro High School in Tioga Co. was packed with seniors. Not high school seniors. Senior citizens. It was Rep. Clint Owlett’s (R-Bradford, Potter, Tioga) annual Senior Expo. “This is one of the biggest events that we do,” Owlett told me as he t
Rep. Keith Gillespie (R-York) is looking to make many of the waterways across Pennsylvania safer, by making sure there is ample warning of low-head dams. Many of you may not have heard of them. But for those that have heard of them, it’s usually come about because of some tragedy. “Th
When the co-sponsor list started circulating around the PA House of Representatives for the “heartbeat” anti-abortion bill, Rep. Matt Dowling (R-Fayette, Somerset) quickly signed on. “I have been adamantly pro-life since the time that I was a candidate, through the two sessions that I
With hundreds of members in the PA House of Representatives, there is a big emphasis on leadership in Harrisburg. One of the leaders on the Republican side is Rep. Marcy Toepel (R-Montgomery), who has been re-elected as the Majority Caucus Chairman. “Every bill is caucused before we
There are many and varied pathways that people have taken to get to their seats in the Pennsylvania legislature, but perhaps none more unique that the one taken by Rep. Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-Northumberland, Snyder) to get to her spot representing the 108th district. Actually she’s
You may have heard about us talking about the fetal “heartbeat” bill a lot in recent weeks. It would prevent an abortion once a heartbeat is detected. We plan to continue to talk about it in the weeks ahead in preparation for its formal introduction in the Pennsylvania legislature, mo
Rep. Rosemary Brown will be looking this fall to bring about passage of House Bill 37. That’s her measure to prohibit use of hand-held cellphones while driving on Pennsylvania roadways. The bill passed out of the House Transportation Committee this past session and is now before the f
It was a scorcher on the day that I visited Sen. Mike Regan (R-Cumberland) in his Camp Hill district office but he was happy that it was summer and was getting a break from the Capitol. “It’s good to be out amongst the people in the district for a change,” he said. “When you’re in the
Many lawmakers in Harrisburg come from a law background. While a good percentage of them practiced law, Rep. Barry Jozwiak (R-Berks) spent several years enforcing it. He served 25 years with the Pennsylvania State Police and another 12 years as the Sheriff of Berks County. “I went fro
Rep. Jeff Wheeland (R-Lycoming) has an encouraging outlook for those of us who are on the pro-life side of the abortion debate. “I think it’s growing,” he said. “Regardless of what the major news outlets will tell you. I think the conservative pro-life movement is alive and well and g
For state lawmakers, time away from the Capitol does not mean time away from the job. Summer time is a chance to meet with the residents. “We meet with constituents all summer,” said Rep. Patty Kim (D-Dauphin), who hosted me in her Kline Village district office in Harrisburg. “It’s a
Catholic adoption agencies across the state have been curtailing or stopping their work altogether as a result of a policy by the Wolf Administration that would take away a lot of their power to decide who would be the best parents for adoption. PA Rep. Dave Zimmerman (R-Lancaster) sa
Rep. Keith Greiner (R-Lancaster) was happy with how the state budget turned out—what was spent and what was not spent. “I thought we had a good pragmatic approach. One thing I was concerned about was making sure we had a surplus to have a significant rainy day fund,” Greiner said. As
The state budget agreement on Friday marked the end of the spring session in Harrisburg. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference was active on a number of bills during the session—both supporting and opposing. Here is a brief run-down on the more noteworthy issues. Down Syndrome Protecti
While organizations and lawmakers work to curb or put an end to abortion in the various legislatures, the pro-life effort continues on an entirely different front—with pregnancy centers counseling would-be mothers on their options. One of the groups that does that very effectively is
I remember praying as a kid every night—okay, most nights– before I went to bed. I’d present a list of things I wanted God to help me achieve pretty much through early adulthood. As I got a bit older, I threw in a few ‘thank yous’ as well for the blessings I had gotten.
The state budget agreement on Friday marked the end of the spring session in Harrisburg. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference was active on a number of bills during the session—both supporting and opposing. Here is a brief run-down on the more noteworthy issues. Down Syndrome Protecti
Oftentimes state legislators can feel themselves being pulled in several directions. They must stay focused on the larger issues like abortion, public and private school funding, and whether or not to raise taxes. But they also have to look out for their districts on issues that are u
The state budget agreement on Friday marked the end of the spring session in Harrisburg. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference was active on a number of bills during the session—both supporting and opposing. Here is a brief run-down on the more noteworthy issues. Down Syndrome Protecti
PA Sen. Mario Scavello (R-Monroe, Northampton) has been a life-long Catholic and is now part of the newly-formed Most Holy Trinity Parish. Things are still getting settled there. “We’ve combined three parishes and we’re building a new church right on the grounds of Msgr. McHugh Elemen
Several residents came to the town hall hosted by PA Sen. David Argall (R-Berks, Schuylkill) and Rep. Barry Jozwiak (R-Berks) in Strausstown, Berks Co. back on June 21st with a number of questions. But there seemed to be one issue in particular that got the locals fired up the most an
We hear and read this statement a lot in June: “legislators are busy working on getting a state budget done in time.” So how many people actually have a hand in crafting the final state budget? Apparently there aren’t a ton of chairs around the negotiating table. “I think people would
It was back in March that Chloe Kondrich and her dad Kurt joined the PA Catholic Conference, legislators and several advocates at the state Capitol to announce the Down Syndrome Protection Act. House Bill 321 was sponsored by Speaker of the House Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) and Rep. K
There are plenty of examples of legislators in Harrisburg that have taken jobs in public service after spending several years working in other careers. Sen. Maria Collett (D-Bucks, Montgomery) was a nurse and a lawyer. Sen. Steve Santarsiero (D-Bucks) was a lawyer and a teacher. Rep.
State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) was sitting in his Capitol office one day when he got a text message from his daughter. It was the kind of message that Metcalfe had never gotten before. His daughter was pregnant and was sending him an ultrasound recording of her baby. “To be abl
Like many of us, PA Rep. Lee James (R-Butler, Venango) is old enough to remember the Roe V. Wade decision on abortion of 1973. He’s made some observations since then. “For many, many years, the over-arching concern has been for women’s health. And that is an important issue,” James sa
State Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Beaver, Butler, Lawrence) has introduced legislation that would separate public and private schools for most sports in PIAA state championship play. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference is fully on board with House Bill 1600 and, in fact, has worked close
You won’t be able to find many PA lawmakers with free time on their hands during the month of June thanks to the ongoing budget talks. House Education Committee Majority Chair Curt Sonney is feeling the time crunch as well. “The Education Committee is always a very busy committee,” he
PA Rep. Frank Ryan (R-Lebanon) is co-sponsoring a bill to abolish the death penalty in Pennsylvania. It’s a noteworthy move to say the least. Ryan is a conservative and is partnering with one of the more liberal lawmakers in the House, Rep. Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia). “Chris approach
Ever since word came out about a budget surplus in Harrisburg, there have been two main factions—those that want to spend it and those that want to save it. You can put Rep. Rich Irvin (R-Centre, Huntingdon, Mifflin) squarely in the “save it” camp. “Even though we have a surplus on th
For many people the month of June is a time for relaxation and enjoyment. It’s time to open the pool. Have cookouts. The kids are off from school. It’s vacation season. For Pennsylvania legislators it’s quite the opposite. They still have a budget to get done. “I used to love June,” s
PA Rep. Seth Grove (R-York Co.) is questioning a plan by some Democrats in Harrisburg to spend $125-million in budget surpluses. Grove reacted to comments by Sen. Vincent Hughes’ (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) that support spending the surplus revenue or tapping tap special fund reserve
PA Senator John DiSanto (R-Dauphin & Perry Cos.) is sponsoring a bill that would help those convicted of a crime try to turn their lives around and pursue a career. It covers occupational licensure reform and it deals specifically with re-doing the requirements for people that nee
There are a number of attorneys that have made the jump to holding public office. It seems there have also been a fair amount of teachers who have gone into politics as well. But I can’t recall seeing any elected officials who once worked as attorneys *and* as teachers. Well, PA Sen.
You absolutely can NOT call PA Sen. Maria Collett a career politician. It has become a negative connotation over the years, but it’s something that does not apply in her case. Collett is a freshman Democratic Senator representing Bucks and Montgomery Counties. She has also been an at
Russ Diamond has introduced a constitutional amendment to change the way we elect judges in Pennsylvania. Instead of electing judges for appellate courts—Commonwealth, Superior and Supreme — on a *state-wide basis*, the bill would have the state divided into districts. It would
She is evidence that hard work can pay off. First-time PA Sen. Katie Muth (D-Berks, Montgomery & Chester Cos.) came from a working class family and displayed an incredible work ethic to stage a stunning upset last fall for her first job in public office. Muth said she originally
“It’s really a crisis that’s occurring—not just in the state of Pennsylvania,” said PA Rep. Stephen Barrar (R-Chester & Delaware Cos.). “It’s occurring nationwide.” Barrar is talking about the scarcity of firefighters and other first responders across the state. He chairs the Hous
The pro-life caucus in the PA House has been very active this session, sparked by a wave of pro-abortion legislation in other states. Freshman PA Rep. Jim Struzzi (R-Indiana Co.) has been right there with his support. “As a father of four children, this type of legislation is very imp
Lawmakers in Harrisburg have been approaching school safety from many angles. One bill in particular by Rep. Matt Gabler (R-Elk & Clearfield Cos.) would call for special signal lights to be put on smaller school vehicles. “I had the idea come to me because I have some constituents
PA Rep. Austin Davis (D-Allegheny Co.) is keeping his eye on the highways. And the rails. For the Pittsburgh-area freshman representative, there will be a lot of focus on taking care of mass transit in his district. “A number of years ago we went through significant cuts when the stat
We hear of many of the issues that are being addressed by lawmakers in Harrisburg, especially the ones that are controversial or have lawmakers divided. But there are many more that come and go with little attention and are just as, if not more, important. One key issue in particular
I checked to see if Rep. Brandon Markosek’s hands were bleeding. They weren’t. Last year that might not have been the case though, when he campaigned for the 25th District seat that he was elected to in November. “During the campaign I knocked on 14,000 doors,” Markosek said. Ouch. “T
Okay, first of all apologies for the title. It was too easy. I could also have said the pot tour is taking ‘hits’ from legislators, but I didn’t. Funny or not, both puns are true. While Lt. Governor John Fetterman says his just-over-halfway-completed ‘pot tour’ of Pennsylvania’s count
I walked into Sen. John DiSanto’s (15th District, Dauphin & Perry Cos.) office at the Capitol and in the middle of our conversation happened to ask him if he was Catholic. The Senator turned to his wall and pointed to what may be the largest crucifix–outside of a church̵
Twenty-four year old Mikayla Holmgren stood before a gathering at the State Capitol on Wednesday and basically defended her existence on this earth. Why would she—or anybody– ever feel the need to do that? “This world is better with people with Down syndrome,” she said. “I have
I'm getting reaction today from PA pro-life lawmakers about the US Senate voting down the 'born alive' bill that protects abortion survivors. Here's PA Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill. Posted by Pennsylvania Catholic Conference on Wednesday, February 27, 2019
We’ve been reaching out to pro-life lawmakers in Harrisburg after the U.S. Senate voted against a bill to protect babies surviving abortion. Here’s Rep. Paul Schemel with some reassurance for those of us who were unhappy/angry with that vote. “I was disappointed that
PA Rep. Dawn Keefer (R-York & Cumberland Cos.) is going to be very active in the pro-life movement in Harrisburg in the coming weeks and months. She will be joining State Rep. Paul Schemel (R-Franklin Co.) in introducing the 20-week rule. “Right now you can have an abortion up to
It was back in January of last year that Governor Wolf declared a disaster emergency in the opioid crisis. The declaration suspended regulations hindering access to addiction care. It was the first time that a disaster emergency was declared for a public health crisis in Pennsylvania.
Like many lawmakers in Harrisburg, State Rep. Jesse Topper (R-Bedford, Fulton and Franklin Cos.) will be keeping a close eye on budget talks at the Capitol. The process started after Governor Wolf unveiled his budget proposal earlier this month. “It’s basically the Governor saying ‘t
State Senator Rob Kauffman has been hearing a lot from his constituents over one particular issue—and it’s something that’s not even happening in Pennsylvania. People are reacting to the new abortion law that was passed in New York State. “I’m getting emails from young and old alike,
Pro-life lawmakers in Pennsylvania continue to react to the recent New York State abortion law. Much of that is in response to concerns from constituents about whether it could happen here. “I’m getting emails from young and old alike,” said PA Rep. Rob Kauffman, a pro-life Republican
What do you do after serving for more than thirty years as a fourth-grade teacher? Well, if you’re Margaret Egan you become a principal! Egan followed up a long stint of teaching by becoming the principal at Saints Peter and Paul School outside of West Chester in 2002. That’s 50-year
You will never guess where you can find a wide selection of biblical quotations when you visit Harrisburg. Well, yeah, the bible. But I’m talking a building. It’s the State Capitol of all places–hard to believe in this day and age where there is always someone looking to be offe
With the coldest weather of the season upon us, it’s hard to imagine having to live without heat in our homes. Yet that’s what many residents across Pennsylvania have faced, with boroughs across the state being permitted– by law– to turn off power on a resident who could n
The “Buyer Beware Act” is off to a promising start in the State House and Senate. The bill increases penalties on criminals convicted of certain human trafficking offenses. It was introduced by two York County Republican legislators: Rep. Seth Grove and Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill as H
There are lawmakers who may downplay their faith for whatever reason. PA Representative Frank Ryan of the 101st District in Lebanon County is not one of those folks. His faith has always been a big part of his life and he’s not afraid to say it. “I live in a district where faith is a
The Honorable, Philip J. Murren, Esq., Principal in the Law Firm of Ball, Murren & Connell, LLC was awarded the PACAPE School Choice Champion award at a ceremony beginning at 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 24 at the Willow Valley Resort in Lancaster. Philip J. Murren, Esq. is a principal in
If you’re like me when you think of Catholic Schools, you think of discipline. It’s one of the main reasons that I enrolled both of my children in Catholic school. But ‘discipline’ can take many forms, and it doesn’t have to be punishment. ‘Discipline’ can also mean ‘guidelines.’ Such
It seems only fitting that Rep. Carolyn Comitta has her district office in what was at one time the junior and senior high school in the West Chester School District. Comitta has spent much of her professional life either teaching, or advocating for education. “It is the foundation fo
Rep. Thomas Murt of the 152nd District (Montgomery Co. and Philadelphia) was named this month to chair the PA House Aging and Older Services Committee. That seems to be right in his wheelhouse. Murt has long been regarded as a leading advocate for folks with special needs and their
The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference joined Sen. Tom Killion (R-Chester and Delaware Cos.) in a resolution designating the week of January 27th through February 2nd as Catholic Schools Week in Pennsylvania. Sen. Killion delivered the resolution as the first piece of business on the S
The Pennsylvania Catholic Health Association announced its 2019 Board of Directors, which includes three new members and three directors that have been re-elected to three year terms. They will join nine existing members to make up the current PCHA board. The newly-elected members inc
The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference on Wednesday announced its full support of the “Buyer Beware Act” to fight human trafficking. The bill is being introduced by two York County lawmakers—Rep. Seth Grove as House Bill 12 and by Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill as Senate Bill 60. Three memb
The newest group of lawmakers to come to Harrisburg includes State Representative Todd Polinchock, a Republican who won election this past November in the 144th District in Bucks County. It was an opening that was created when long-time officer holder Kathy Watson decided not to run f
State Senator Bob Mensch is proud of many things about his 24th district, which covers parts of Berks, Bucks and Montgomery Cos. You can put schools high on that list. “I’m very blessed,” he said. “I have some fantastic schools—public, private and parochial.” I met with Mensch in fron
Editorial in the “Public Discourse” by the Witherspoon Insitute JANUARY 2, 2019BY O. CARTER SNEAD AND MARY O’CALLAGHAN This Friday, the Court will decide whether to review a case about an Indiana law that prohibits abortions performed solely because the unborn child has Do
Well 2019 is upon us, but you could forgive the folks at Our Lady of Mercy Regional Catholic School in Maple Glen, Montgomery County for being sorry to say goodbye to 2018. Specifically, the fall of 2018 was very good to OLM. First, the Middle States Association Commission on Elementa
The excitement level was very high the day we visited St. Katharine Drexel Catholic School in Southampton, Bucks County. It was the last couple of days before Christmas break. Parents and kids were moving about the school. Manger scenes that the children had created were sitting on a
The PA Catholic Conference is highlighting schools that have been designated Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence. There are nine of them in the Philadelphia area. We are reaching out to those schools and to the legislators that represent those districts. Please check for our updates and
PA Rep. Paul Schemel talks about the great work being done by crisis pregnancy centers across Pennsylvania and why it’s important now to support them. @PaulSchemel90 pic.twitter.com/nGQjKUvvjP — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) April 4, 2023 PA Rep. Paul Schemel says crisis pregnancy ce
© 2021 Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons
