ST. MONICA Church "is a typical Catholic parish," its pastor says, part of the fabric weaving together the community of Girard Estates and beyond.
If "typical" means that other parishes operate their own 12-lane bowling alley, then, yes, St. Monica is very typical.
In addition to the iconic South Philly bowling alley and a top-notch K-8 school, St. Monica is known for its outreach to shut-in seniors and its engagement with generations of families. Oh, and don't forget the must-see weddings held nearly every week inside its majestic upper church.
"We, with the assistance of the IHM sisters [educators, for the most part, from the Immaculate Heart of Mary order], take you from birth to death," said the Rev. Joseph Kelley, pastor of St. Monica for the past 12 years.
(Kelley, incidentally, is a second-cousin to reputed former mob boss Joey Merlino.)
Last year, the church hosted about 50 weddings, 120 baptisms, 90 First Communions, 90 confirmations and 200 funerals. The higher funeral numbers are due to parishioners who long ago moved away but want to have their funeral Mass at St. Monica, Kelley said.
The parish also includes nearby St. Edmond Church, which merged with St. Monica in June 2014. "They have brought us joy. The way they celebrate has just been fantastic," Kelley said. "Their choir is incredible."
Who we are: Dedicated in 1903, St. Monica began as mostly an Irish parish, then diversified in the 1930s as Italian immigrants settled in South Philadelphia.
Today, the church is about 60 percent Italian and 35 percent Irish, with additional parishoners of Vietnamese and Mexican heritage. "We have embraced quite a few other cultures," Kelley said.
The newly merged parish serves about 3,200 families. The school, which opened in 1908, has about 500 students.
A fire devastated St. Monica in 1971 - the upper church collapsed onto the lower church - but it was rebuilt, then dedicated and blessed four years later by Cardinal John Krol.
Where we worship: The church is at 2422 S. 17th St. (between Ritner and Porter streets). Weekend Masses are held at 5 p.m. Saturdays and on Sundays at 7 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11;30 a.m. and 5 p.m. St. Edmond Church has Mass at 4:30 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. Sunday.
What we believe: "Our core beliefs come to us from our baptismal promises," Kelley said. "We accept responsibility of handing on the faith, teaching people what Christ taught us: loving God and loving our neighbor."
Good works: St. Monica's Elder Care Program, under the auspices of the Archdiocese's Catholic Human Services, reaches out to seniors living in their homes.
Program employees will visit a senior, upon request, to assist in "laundry, linen changes, neighborhood shopping, picking up medications, helping somebody cook their favorite meatballs and gravy," said Bonney DosSantos, the program's director.
"The goal is to allow people to age safely in their own homes within their own parish," she said.
Yes, Virginia, there is a bowling alley. It opened in 1962 and was the brainchild Monsignor Aloysius F.X. Farrell, the longtime pastor who was determined to create a welcoming base for the parish. "He wanted this to be central to the community," said Sister Kathleen White. "Bowling at that point was very popular."
The facility is used by parishioners and local bowling leagues, and rented out to private parties.
God is . . . : "Love. That's what God is," Kelley said.
What we're known for: Weddings, weddings, weddings - of the very traditional and glammed up sort. Even Philadelphia magazine took notice and ranked St. Monica weddings 36th in its "Why We Love Philly" rankings. "So many brides want to get married here," Kelley said.
Words of hope: "Go back to any age of human history," Kelley said. "Everyone thinks our age is terrible simply because we're living in it. Today's world is full of hope. There are more positive things than troublesome things."