Posted May 14, 2021
St. Gabriel Parish in Philadelphia’s Grays Ferry section got an early start on summer fun with a eucharistic procession, May crowning and picnic in the church’s large yard.
The May 2 gathering followed a 10 a.m. Mass at which the parish unveiled a new shrine to Venerable Matt Talbot, a favorite patron among parishioners and those served by adjacent Our House Ministries.
(All photos by Gina Christian.)
A young St. Gabriel parishioner looks on as the May queen prepares to crown the Blessed Mother.
Faithful recite prayers before the crowning of the parish’s outdoor statue of Mary.
South Phila. parish dedicates shrine to addiction recovery patron
Faithful pray before a statue of Venerable Matt Talbot at a newly dedicated shrine in St. Gabriel Parish in South Philadelphia. The parish has long been a “hub of devotion” to the saint in the making, who has become a popular patron of addiction recovery for his renunciation of alcoholism and his profound spirituality. (Gina Christian)
By Gina Christian • Posted May 12, 2021
A South Philadelphia parish has just dedicated a shrine to a former alcoholic now on the path to sainthood.
Some 160 faithful gathered May 2 at St. Gabriel in the city’s Grays Ferry section, where a new statue of Venerable Matt Talbot commissioned with the generous assistance of the DiCocco Family’s St. Jude Shop in Havertown was unveiled after the 10 a.m. Mass.