Frederick J. Mitchell

Michael J. Comerford

Her Beginning

In April 1907, the committee opened the project for contractor bids. The contract was awarded to Mr. F.J. McDevitt shortly after. The was of neo-Gothic architecture. It was a one-story building built of gray Chestnut Hill stone with stone approaches and steps. On the birthday of our Blessed Mother, September 8, 1907, the first brick was laid, less than a year after the initial committee meeting. The Most Reverend Edmond F. Prendergast officiated, assisted by Reverend F.J. Sheehan and Reverend J.C. Hannigan. The Sermon was preached by The Right Reverend Monsignor James F. Loughlin, who expressed gratitude to all the benefactors. The event was one of the largest Catholic gatherings in Delaware county at the time.

The Church was opened for services on October 15th, 1907, and dedicated on February 2, 1908, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Mother. The Right Reverend Monsignor James P. Turner, Chancellor of the Archdiocese officiated. Following the dedication, Solemn High Mass was celebrated by the Reverend Thomas J. Ryan.

The Mission Church remained part of the Parish of St. Rose of Lima until February 1909, just one year after the dedication. The congregation had increased so quickly that St. Madeline’s was declared a separate parish and given parochial boundaries which included: Ridley Park, Folsom, part of Glenolden, Ridley Heights, Holmes, and the Mission Church of St. Gabriel in Norwood.

George Messick

Her First Pastors

Reverend Francis P. Bradley was appointed the first resident Pastor of St. Madeline’s Church on January 24, 1909. Some of the early parishioners recall Fr. Bradley as a humble, gentlemanly priest who rendered pastoral affection and wise administration; and one who had a good sense of humor.

Ground was broken for a rectory on March 25, 1909, with Fr. Bradley’s supervision. It was built on the left side of the Church on Tome Street. The new building was ready for occupancy on July 29th of that same year. In June of 1912, Fr. Bradley was transferred to the Immaculate Conception Parish in Philadelphia due to his failing health. Reverend William J. McCullen, Ph.D, succeeded Fr. Bradley in that same month.

While stationed at the Church if St. James in Philadelphia, Fr. McCallen attended Graduate School at the University of Pennsylvania and obtained a Doctorate in History making him the first Catholic priest to attain a Ph.D. at the University. Fr. McCallen was influential in building a new church and school in Norwood. This new parish of St. Gabriel’s was formed in September of 1914 and included the territory of St. Madeline’s north of Chester Pike and Lincoln Ave.

The parish continued to grow. Because the church design did not include a sacristy, in 1920 the church underwent an expansion completed by parish craftsmen in the evening after their jobs. In Early 1921, Archbishop Dennis J. Dougther requested a school be built. A property on Tome Street was purchased in 1922 and construction begin in 1923. The school was built of gray Chestnut Hill stone with first floor classrooms and living quarters for the Sisters on the second floor. The school opened in September of 1924. Fr. McCallen passed on June 15, 1924, and was succeeded by Reverend Patrick J. Gallagher just a few short weeks later.

Reverend Francis P. Bradley January 1902-June 1912

Reverend John A. Kane August 1952-April 1962

Church and Rectory on Tome Street

St. Madeline’s first school

Reverend William J. McCallen, Ph.D. June 1912-June 1924

Fr. Gallagher was appointed Paster in 1924. Fr. McCallen and Fr. Gallagher were boyhood friends as well as classmates at the Seminary of St. Charles Borromeo. St. Madeline’s Holy Name Society was formed as a Parish organization. Most programs were sponsored or assisted by the Society. Meetings were held monthly where they would plan events like cards parties, the Parish Carnivals, fueling summer collections, sponsoring the Boy Scout Troop of St. Madeline’s, forming St. Vincent DePaul Society and volunteering at all Parish activities. They remained active until the 1960s.

In March of 1942, Father George H McCullough was appointed to St. Madeline’s Parish. Part of the history of St. Madeline’s is best chronicled by excerpts from a diary which Fr. McCullough wrote during his 11 years that he served the Parish. From those pages we learned that the parish had about 50 families at the time and the school has 165 children enrolled. He also writes about a Social Club for Catholic girls to meet Catholic boys that was started by a parishioner shortly after the end of the war. This club was named St. Madeline’s Player Club which hosted socials and dances for boys and girls. The club quickly became known as the “Marriage a Month Club”, keeping Fr. McCullough busy with weddings and christenings.

Another excerpt tells us how parishioners were complaining about having to attend Mass on the church steps and extended area. This reached the Archbishop and Fr. Gallagher was notified to relieve the situation. He writes “We assessed each family; the church was enlarged. It was adequate, and there was no debt”. In addition, a lot adjoining the school was purchased for the sum of $6,000. Fr. Gallagher passed away on June 24, 1952, just weeks after celebrating his 50th year of his Ordination to the Holy Priesthood. Fr. McCullough would remain at St. Madeline for eleven years before being transferred to the Church of St. Helen in Philadelphia.

Pastorate of the Reverend Patrick J. Gallagher June 1924-June 1952

Fr. Kane was a pastor at St. Anatasia’s Church in Newtown Square for twenty-three years before being appointed Pastor of St. Madeline’s in August 1952. He was an administrator, a builder, a writer of spiritual books, and an avid baseball fan. Shortly after his arrival, Fr. Kane began the improvement of the parish buildings. Although the church was enlarged in prior years, the lighting was inadequate. New fixtures were installed for better lighting, and a new organ was purchased.

St. Madeline’s school was a two-story building with a basement but no fire escapes. After finding out the school would not properly insured; Fr. Kane became concerned with the safety of the school children and sisters. It then became his priority to build a new school. After raising the appropriate funds from an Appeal, a groundbreaking ceremony was held on a plot of land at Tome and Rogers Streets which was purchased by Fr. Gallagher in 1945. The school was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day in 1954. With development of new Estates in the area, a substantial number of families. Fr. Kane requested an additional Assistant Pastor, and Fr. William T. Cavanaugh was appointed.

During his time as Pastor, Fr. Kane received permission from the Archdiocese to enlarge the rectory and held a second Building Fund Appeals to put a second story addition on St. Madeline’s School. Fr. Callaghan writes in a letter dated March 19, 1983, “He came to the Parish at a time of sudden and rapid growth. He was very much a concerned with the Parish, and particularly with Catholic education for the children. He was more than a ‘bricks and mortar’ Pastor”.

Due to the rapid growth, it was necessary to hold two masses every Sunday in the school auditorium. It was Fr. Kane’s dream to build a new Gothic style church, which would seat 1,200 on the site of the old Church at Tome and Penn Streets. He was not successful in negotiating the purchase of two houses on Tome Street. Fr. Kane passed on April 10, 1962. Fr. Francis J. Walsh would be the one who carried out Fr. Kane’s plan.

A wedding

Fr. Kane held the school ‘Groundbreaking Ceremonies’ on Sunday, April 17, 1954.

Originators of St Madeline’s Bowling League: Bob Katein, Mary King Katein, Catherine Blain, Mary Anne Fadden, and Alvin Trefz

Henry A. McCarthy

Artist drawing of the new school in 1953. A second-floor addition was constructed in 1956.

James Francis Stewart

St. Madeline’s after the expansion

The addition to the rectory.

Fr. Walsh was appointed Pastor in June of 1692. Post WW II, there was a tremendous explosion of new families migrating from the cities into the parish. In addition, the “baby boom” was in process. St. Madeline’s would see continual growth well into the 1960s. Upon Fr. Walsh’s appointment to the parish, he was directed to build a new Parish Plant. A plan was set to build a new Church, Rectory, Convent as well a new addition to the school. A pledge drive was organized by the Officers and Directors of the St. Madeline’s Expansion Fund to call parishioners to make donations to these new buildings. The pledge was scheduled to happen on November 24, 1963, but was postponed until November 27th after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The cost of the new church and rectory was estimated to be $600,000. Almost two-thirds of that amount was raised during this single day pledge drive.

The new church and rectory were completed in August 1965. School addition would be completed and ready for the fall 1964 school year to begin. In August of 1967, the Sisters moved into their new convent on Tome st. The total cost of the 4 projects came to about $1.3 million dollars.