Category: Keep the Faith in Frankford

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Thank You For Your Support!

Pat Smiley and I thank you for your support of our Memorial Day fundraiser and efforts to promote his and Richard Johnson’s book, “Frankford Heroes, 2nd Edition”! If you’ve been busy or just didn’t quite get to ordering their book, you can still do so and we will still honor our pledge of 20% of book sales to be split between St. Mark’s Church and the Catholic Daughters’ Matthew 25 Food Cupboard. You will still get the ebook edition, too, for free. This effort will officially end on Friday, June 5. Here’s the link for you to use – https://frankfordgazette.com/books-for-sale/

We have mailed the books to those who ordered and have mailed the donations to St. Mark’s Church and Court St. Francis de Sales #2617 CDA. Every little bit helps!!!

For all of you who have purchased the book since it was available last fall, please check your email as Bob Smiley has emailed you a link to the ebook. Please check your email and let us know if you did not receive one and had purchased a book. We do our utmost to insure our records are accurate but… We hope you enjoy this ebook version, too. If you would like to share your comments about the book and allow us to use them as testimonials, please email gil@frankfordgazette.com

We would appreciate hearing what you think of the book!! Thank you again for your purchase and we look forward to sharing more publications with you that pique your interest. Stay well!

 

 

 

 

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The Church Street Quarries

Save the Date! 
You are cordially invited and most welcome to the first event of the Fall season at The Historical Society of Frankford. Join us on Tuesday, September 10, 7:30 PM at 1507 Orthodox St., parking on street and usually in the lot of Frankford Friends School! Light refreshments follow!
 
The first topic of the new year sheds light on “The Church Street Quarries (Deni Playground)” presented by John Hewitt and Bob Smiley!
Also meet and greet the members of “The Friends of St. Joachim Cemetery”.
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Mary Carroll, You Brightened Our Lives!

Photo courtesy of Tina Dambach

Sadly, we learned another of our dear friends was called home to God recently. If you’re a member of St. Joachim or if you live in the area on the corner of Church St. and Griscom St., a very special woman lived in the first floor apartment, Mary Carroll. She knew everybody even if you didn’t know her.

Mary loved God, her Church and everyone else, too. She was a member of the St. Frances de Sales Court #2617 Catholic Daughters of the Americas as well as a member of Keep the Faith in Frankford! When she attended our 8 AM Prayer Services in front of St. Joachim Church, she would always pray for “the animals, the cops, the firemen, all the people, for us and everybody have a good week!” Mary, we pray for you and we also pray for ourselves because Frankford is a little less bright these days without you! Go in peace, sweet friend!

In the Catholic Daughters’ Newsletter, a section called “Members Spotlight” highlighted Mary Carroll in 2015. Regent Tina Dambach wrote the following about Mary:

“Mary Carroll “Call Security!” That’s one of Mary’s catch phrases to ease an awkward or dicey situation or just to bring a little comic relief. Mary recently turned 70. She loves animals, especially her cat, Rocky. She misses her mother who passed away 3 years ago. Before her death, Mary’s mother was living at Chapel Manor Home and Fr. Wetzel and Fr. Large as well as others would take Mary to visit. Mary is a survivor.

It’s anonymous, but Mary has no problem letting you know she has been in A.A. and sober for 35 years as of April 26, 2015. After 5 years of sobriety, Mary came back to the Church after hearing others speak of the peace they had found. Mary joined Catholic Daughter’s because of our own Fr. Wetzel whom she refers to as “the priest” and who helped us find a lot of our members. She likes the people, the parties and helping out. Mary helps as much as she can at all our fundraisers and meetings. She has helped at Matthew 25 on distribution days and on other days she helps pack bags. Mary has also contributed food to Matthew 25. That’s just one example of her generosity.

Mary hopes to hit it big in the lottery one day, but when Mary does hit a number, she is sure to share some with the Church or another person. The thing she shares the most though is her personality. Mary is down to earth, kind, humble and serene. I only saw her get upset once and she immediately let it go. I only saw her cry once and that was the day Father announced that our parish would be merged into Holy Innocents.

She has a great sense of humor too as her, “Call Security”, phrase indicates. Mary has worked at a few different jobs. She worked in a factory until it closed up. She did cleaning at Shriner’s Hospital which used to be on the Boulevard where the kids loved her. Mary also worked for 8 years at McDonald’s before retiring. Her work ethic extended to the Church.

Mary helped at St. Joachim as a greeter and taking the Offertory gifts up and she would help do the readings at daily Mass. Mary is often chosen to take the gifts to the altar at Holy Innocents Church which she finds to be a great honor. Another way Mary shows her faith and evangelizes is by displaying prayer cards, the cross and other religious articles in the windows of her first floor apartment which is directly across from the Church. Mary also has attended prayer services in front of St. Joachim Church every week since the church was closed. She used to attend healing prayer services at St. Anne’s Church.

How lucky we are to have Mary in our court!”

PS. Many thanks to Tammy Hartenstine for providing Rocky with a new home!!

There is a GoFund Me page started by the Court St. Francis de Sales #2617 of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas for the cost of Mary’s funeral, burial and the vet costs for her cat, Rocky! Any amount will help and is most gratefully received! God bless you! https://www.gofundme.com/mary-carroll-funeral

 

 

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Keep The Faith In Frankford President Inspires Hope

by: Sabrina Silva and Jared Phillips/PhiladelphiaNeighborhoods.com

Since the closing of St. Joachim’s parish and Mater Dolorosa churches in the region three years ago, its members were given no choice but to merge into the Holy Innocents parish. However, for Keep The Faith In Frankford’s President and Executive Director Pat Smiley, the church’s closing showcased the strength its church members had on the community and its faith.

“This was also the time of Pope Francis, who said that we needed to get more involved in our communities and that we should step out onto the street,” Smiley said. “We were forced out onto the street, but that’s where the Pope wanted us and that’s where we’ve been.”

In light of the closing, Smiley started the Keep The Faith In Frankford organization to continue the presence of the churches in the community. The organization works out of St. Marks Church and holds weekly prayer services in front of the now-closed St. Joachim’s Church.

Before KTFIF, Smiley owned a neighborhood daycare center. Now, with a background of teaching, Smiley has put her energetic personality into bettering a community.

“I’ve always been an active-type person in trying to make things better,” Smiley said. “And in trying to deal with injustice.”

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KTFIF has brought Frankford residents and other community members together to improve the neighborhood. Mary Moretz, vice president of the executive board has been with Smiley since day one of the organization.

“She just knows what needs to be done, who we need to reach out to, and she’s very talented and creative. We always just seem to get things done, and anything that we plan always comes together thanks to Pat,” Moretz said.

Various other organizations come together to help Smiley and KTFIF. Organizations such as Frankford Friendlies, Frankford Forward, and The House of W.I.N., work alongside KTFIF to better the community.

“What we are trying to do is connect people to make Frankford a better place to live, and that includes other civic organizations,” Smiley said. “You have a lot of people that are working together with people they wouldn’t have ordinarily met if it wasn’t for us or if it wasn’t for our church closing.”

Former St. Joachim’s parishioner and current KTFIF member Maureen Taylor has been a part of the organization since the closing of the parish. A member of the Parish for over 35 years, she was one of the church members affected by the close. Taylor helps out with feeding the homeless in the community as well as with the history tours of the Frankford neighborhood.

“Our group is trying to keep in touch with former parishioners by doing some of these community activities,” Taylor said. “So we’re just trying to be a home base for them.”

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Community activities are highly important to the organization. Smiley believes they are crucial not only for the church members but for the residents of Frankford and its neighboring communities.

When former parishioner of St. Joachim Church and active Keep The Faith In Frankford member Al Stark, Jr. passed away, members of the church organized a “Spirit Day” to honor him. Now in its third year, KTFIF has combined the event with the “Dining with Dignity” effort, which is run by the Northeast Committee.

“We have games for the children,” Taylor said. “We try to get neighborhood groups to set up informational tables so that people coming through are informed of what services are available in the neighborhood.”

Though the event is set up by the KTFIF organization, many leaders from other organizational groups come by to help out.

Caroline Payton, founder and CEO of House of W.I.N., joined the KTFIF organization as a volunteer in preparation for the “Spirit Day.” Payton’s contribution is working with the young children during their basketball game event.

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Smiley, alongside the members of KTFIF and other community organizations, have been doing all they can to not only better the Frankford neighborhood, but to bring its residents together for the greater good.

Smiley recognizes the success of KTFIF and other organizations in the neighborhood.

“Sometimes things are a blessing in disguise.”

Pat Smiley Profile Story from Philadelphia Neighborhoods 2 on Vimeo.

 

-Text, images and video by Sabrina Silva and Jared Phillips.

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Giving Hearts!

The Morgan Stanley Foundation is supported by each of the departments within Morgan Stanley. The Foundation has given Keep the Faith in Frankford much needed donations over the past two years.

Those donations go directly to helping us feed those in need through the Northeast Committee on the Homeless’ Dining with Dignity Program that operates at St. Mark’s Church. We have prepared and served over 500 people a hot meal and and have sent them home with dinner bags because of these donations.

There are very good people in our community who don’t need accolades nor do they want them. They genuinely care for others and do the right thing. Morgan Stanley does that, too! They encourage their employees to get involved in their communities and they support their efforts with matching grants and additional monies.

To our unsung hero at Morgan Stanley whose heart is in our Frankford community, thank you for all that you do! We also thank Morgan Stanley for acknowledging your efforts with their generous donations to Keep the Faith in Frankford!