St . Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic church of St . Vincent de Paul , located in Philadelphia ’ s Germantown neighborhood , entered the program in 2019 . The Vincentian parish is well known throughout the city for its serene urban property centered upon a historic 1851 church designed by architect Joseph D . Koecke ; its diverse and welcoming congregation ; and a deep commitment to social justice issues such as racial reconciliation .
Led by Fr . Sylvester Peterka , the church hosts many community-serving nonprofit organizations including : Face to Face , which serves unhoused neighbors by providing food , laundry services , healthcare , legal aid , and educational programming for youth ; and My Place Germantown , which is a supportive housing facility for disabled men . In addition , the parish partners with mission-aligned groups , including POWER , New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia , Inn-Dwelling , PAR-Recycle Works , and a sister parish in Venezuela .
When St . Vincent de Paul came to the Fund , the parish was contending with a badly deteriorating sanctuary . Decorative paint and plaster throughout were crumbling , necessitating the installation of protective netting . Although such netting is becoming not
ABOVE : A 1951 photograph of St . Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church in Philadelphia . Courtesy of St . Vincent de Paul Church
LEFT : Damaged arches being repaired and restored . Courtesy of St . Vincent de Paul Church
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