Felix-Joseph Barbelin

[1] Subsequent to that, for some years he was stationed at Georgetown University, where he served as assistant prefect and professor of French.

[4] For more than a quarter of a century he was pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Willing's Alley, which became, mainly during his term of office, the centre from which radiated Catholic influences throughout the city and diocese.

He founded Saint Joseph's Hospital (closed 2015) in his adopted city, and was the first to establish sodalities for men and women and for the young.

[3] Around 1856, he and Thomas Lilly founded of the first Catholic school in Philadelphia to serve the educational needs of African American students.

[6] It hosts the parishes "Faith, Food & Friends" outreach program, serving over 200 meals a week to the homeless and hungry poor.

[7] The hall has also been used to stage a production of Pope John Paul II's "The Jeweler’s Shop", put on by St. Joseph's eldership group.