Our Mother of Consolation Catholic Church in Philadelphia, PA
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  • Home
  • About us
    • Parish Updates - April 9
    • Update Archives >
      • Update - April 2
      • Update - March 19
      • Update - March 12
      • Update - March 5
      • Update - Feb 26
      • Update - Feb 19
      • Update - Feb 12
      • Update - Feb 5
      • Update - Jan 29
      • Update - Jan 22
      • Update - Jan 15
      • Update - Jan 8
      • Update- Jan 1
      • Update - Dec 18
      • Update - Dec 11
      • Update - Dec 4
    • Mass & Confession Schedule
    • A Brief History
    • OMC By the Numbers
    • Parish Staff
    • Parish Pastoral Plan
    • Parish Pastoral & Financial Report
    • Parish Bulletin
    • OMC Online Giving
    • Parish Gallery >
      • Ministry Fair 2019
      • OMC Helping Hands 2019
      • MLK Day of Service 2019
      • Advent Family Activity
      • Ministry Fair 2018
      • We Celebrate
      • Holy Week 2018
      • Parish Mission - March 2018
      • Flower Arranging Class
      • MLK Day of Service
      • Confirmation Service Day
      • Ministry Fair 2017
      • OMC Cub Pack 1855
      • Confirmation 2016
      • Easter Vigil 2016
  • Liturgy
    • Ash Wednesday
    • Mass & Confession Schedule
    • Liturgical Ministries
    • Music Ministry
    • Liturgical Ministry Schedule
    • Ministry Web Terminal
    • Funerals
  • Sacraments
    • Mass & Confession Schedule
    • Sacraments with Persons with Disabilities
    • Baptism
    • First Penance & Eucharist
    • Confirmation
    • RCIA
    • Marriage
    • Anointing of the Sick
    • Funerals
  • Get Involved
    • 2020 Ministry Fair
    • Parish Ministry Guide
    • Ministry Coordinators
    • Liturgical Ministries
    • Music Ministry
    • Parish Pastoral Council >
      • Pastoral Planning Process >
        • Planning RSVP
        • Listen Session Form
    • Parish Finance Council
    • Parish Social Justice Ministries >
      • Ministry of Accompaniment
      • St Vincent de Paul Society
      • Parish Outreach Ministries
      • Peace & Justice Committee
      • OMC Forum on Sexual Abuse >
        • SAF Focus Groups
  • Faith Formation
    • ReachMore Sign Up
    • FaithLife Stories
    • Life-Long Faith Formation
    • Adult Faith Formation >
      • 2020/2021 Adult Faith Formation
      • Prayer - Study - Spirituality
    • PREP >
      • About PREP
      • PREP Calendar
      • Virtual PREP >
        • Year 1
        • Year 2
        • Year 3
        • Year 4
        • Year 5
        • Year 6
        • Year 7
      • Catechists
      • Registration
      • PREP Handbook
      • PREP Lesson Overview 2020-21
      • PREP Gallery >
        • 1st Reconciliation Retreat
        • PREP Classes
        • Confirmation
  • Youth
    • Teen Ministry >
      • Teen Home Page
      • Teen Ministry Update >
        • March 29, 2021
        • February 22, 2021
        • January 25, 2021
        • December 28, 2020
        • November 23, 2020
        • October 19, 2020
        • September 28, 2020
        • August 31, 2020
        • July 27, 2020
      • Teen Gospel Reflections >
        • April 2021
        • March 2021
        • February 2021
        • January 2021
        • December 2020
        • November 2020
        • October 2020
        • September 2020
        • August 2020
    • CYO >
      • About CYO
      • Pee Wee Sports
    • Cub Pack 1855 >
      • Pack 1855 News
      • Pack 1855 Newsletters
      • Cub Gallery >
        • Food Drive Nov 2018
        • Pinewood Derby - March 2018
        • Light & Arrow Awards
        • Camping
  • School

A Brief History of OMC....

PictureClick image for Anniversary slideshow
From its beginnings before the Civil War, Our Mother of Consolation Parish grew and flourished to become an integral part of the Chestnut Hill Community.  

In the middle of the nineteenth century, Roman Catholics in Chestnut Hill and surrounding areas walked several miles to attend Mass at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Germantown or St. Matthew’s Parish in Conshohocken.               

In 1854, John Middleton, a wealthy Quaker who had recently converted to Catholicism, petitioned St. John Neumann, then the Bishop of the  Diocese of Philadelphia, for a church and priest for Chestnut Hill.  Unfortunately, Bishop Neumann could supply neither the funds for a new church nor a priest to serve the few Catholics who lived in the area.  But he did promise that if Middleton could find a priest and if the people would build their own church, he would sanction the parish.  

Middleton then went to Old St. Augustine’s Church at Fourth and Vine Streets in Philadelphia and spoke to Dr. Patrick E. Moriarty, O.S.A., the Commissary General of the Augustinian Order in the United States.  Dr. Moriarty promised to become the Chestnut Hill parish’s first pastor as soon as the new church was built.   

Middleton promptly purchased a 150 square feet piece of property on the north side of Chestnut Hill Avenue and construction began on the new church.  Despite considerable anti-Catholic opposition from the Native American Party,  better known as the “Know-Nothings”, Middleton and other new parishioners continued to  tirelessly work and on  November 11, 1855, Bishop Neumann blessed the new church, a 90 by 65 foot structure officially named St. Mary’s.  St. Mary’s cost $14,542.90 to build.  Most of the money came from John Middleton.  

In 1858, John Middleton sold his “Monticello” home and 14 acres north of Chestnut Hill Avenue to the Sisters of St. Joseph.  Even in these early years, St. Mary’s was growing rapidly and the need arose for a school for the parish children.   Dr. Moriarty opened the first school in 1862 in an old tenant house at “Monticello” with the Sisters as the first teachers.  This was the beginning of over 150 years of service by the Sisters of St. Joseph to the children of the parish.            

In the late 1860's, the parish changed its name from St. Mary’s to St. Mary - Our Lady of Consolation.  “St. Mary’s” was eventually dropped and the parish name evolved from Our Lady of Consolation to Our Mother of Consolation in the late 1870's.             

The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales began their ministry at  Our Mother  of Consolation Parish on July 1, 1999.  Francis de Sales was ordained Bishop of Geneva in 1602, but was forced to reside in Annecy, now part of France, because Geneva was under Calvinist control.  After Francis de Sales’ death in 1622, at the age of 55, Jane Frances de Chantal, founder of the Sisters of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, wanted to establish an order of men who followed the teachings of St. Francis de Sales.  Her dreams were finally realized over two centuries later in the work of Father Louis Brisson and Mother Marie de Sales Chappius.  

The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, a religious community of priests and brothers, was founded in 1875 in the kingdom of Savoy, which bordered France, Italy, and Switzerland.  Since then, thousands of men from virtually every continent have joined the community.  

Weekend Mass Schedule
Saturday Vigil: 4:30 pm*
Sunday: 7:30 - 9:00* - 11:00 am
*Livestream

​Weekday Mass Schedule
Monday-Friday: 7:00 am
Parish Registration Form

​9 E Chestnut Hill Ave  -  Philadelphia PA, 19118
Phone 215-247-0430  *  Fax 215-247-2506

Copyright © 2015
Reconciliation/Confession
Wednesday:  7:00 - 8:00 PM
​Saturday:  3:30-4:00 pm


​First Friday Eucharistic Adoration - Church 
Exposition: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm
Vespers & Benediction: 5:30 pm