Historical Timeline

1987

• September 9 - John Cardinal Krol appoints Father Philip C. Ricci the founding pastor of the newly- formed Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Parish.

• October 4 - Masses at the new parish begin to be held at the Neshaminy Falls Village Clubhouse. Six hundred families are transferred from St. Stanislaus Parish in Lansdale to become the founding families of Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Parish.

1988

• January- Father Ricci moves onto the property. The farmhouse becomes the rectory, chapel and parish office.

• February 2 - The first Mass is celebrated on the church grounds.

• October - A Capital Pledge Program is organized to raise $1.5 million to erect a new church building. The number of parish families rises to 1,019 by the end of the year. Robert McGovern of Narberth is commissioned, by a neighbor, to design a Madonna & Child logo for our parish.

1989

• February - The Capital Pledge Program reaches $500,000 in pledges for the new church.

• December - The number of parish families rises to 1,113. The growth of the parish is certainly evident with 111 baptisms and 10 marriages held during the year.

1990

• February - Sunday Masses are moved from the Neshaminy Falls Village Clubhouse to the auditorium at Gwynedd Mercy College.

• September 30 - Groundbreaking takes place for the new church building.

1991

• October 5 - The first Masses are celebrated in the new church building.

• November 17 - Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Church is dedicated by Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua.

1992 to 1996

• With Father Philip Ricci still at the helm, the parish sees outstanding growth in the number of area families who become registered parishioners. At the end of 1992, there are 1,658 families with C.C.D. enrollment reaching 417. Just five years later, registered households number 2,364 and C.C.D. enrollment reaches 725.

1997

• February - Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Parish begins to assess the need for a Catholic Education Center to be built. Two feasibility studies are conducted during the year. Registered families reach 2,484 representing 7,279 men, women and children.

• June - Francis M. Cavaliere is ordained a permanent deacon and assigned to MMR

1998 to 1999

• Plans continue to be discussed concerning the proposed Catholic Education Center/Social Hall/Gymnasium.  A third feasibility study is conducted to determine the ability to conduct a successful Capital Campaign to construct the Catholic Education Center.

2000

• Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Parish embarks on a $3.6 million Capital Campaign to raise 50% of the $7.7 million needed to construct the building. There are over 2,800 registered families in the parish. Of those families there are over 1,100 children five years old and younger.

2001

• June - Parishioner George H. Klinger is ordained a permanent deacon and assigned to MMR.

2002

• April 30 - Upon successful completion of the Capital Campaign, zoning approval, and the approval of the final plans by the Archdiocese, final approval for the construction of the Catholic Education Center arrives from the Vatican.

• June 2 - Ground Breaking Ceremony takes place.

• June 17 - MMR welcomes Fr. William J. Teverzczuk and Msgr. James J. Shields as Parochial Vicars

• August 1 - Mrs. Joanne Zinn, first principal is hired for the School. Plans are well under way to ensure that the doors of the school will be opened for September 2003.

• November - Registration for September 2003 takes place.

2003

• September 2 - For the first time at MMR, students begin a new school year.

• September 22 - Father Ricci is installed as an Honorary Prelate of His Holiness with title of "Monsignor".

2004

• September - School reopens with the addition of eight air-conditioned modular units to house classrooms.

• March 31 - Mustard Seed Award is received by Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Parish, in recognition of our fostering of parental leadership and participation in Religious Education.

• Summer - Our Blessed Mother's Grotto, constructed by Mr. Joseph Cioppi, is completed.

2005

• January - First Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast serves nearly 1000 guests.

• Spring - An additional room is constructed on the Farmhouse/Rectory.

• June 15 - First 8th Grade Class graduates from Mary, Mother of the Redeemer School.

• June 26 - The Rosary Garden is dedicated, with the initiative of the St. Francis Ecology Council.

• September 10 - Soccer Field opens to CYO practices and games.

• September 12 - MMR Preschool opens to 61 students.

2006

• February - Parish's St. Francis Ecology Council, along with the Montgomery County Conservation District, receive a substantial Growing Greener Grant from the Department of Environmental Protection, to refurbish and maintain the wetlands on our grounds.

• June - Parishioner Joseph W. Lonergan is ordained a permanent deacon and assigned to MMR.

• September - The school year opens with an additional four modular units to accommodate our enrollment.

2007

• April - Our school earns Middle States Accreditation.

• September - Mrs. Denise Judge, second Principal of our Elementary School, takes the reins.

• September - Parish's 20th Anniversary Celebration is held with singer/songwriter John Angotti

• October - New outdoor St. Francis Statue is blessed.

• October - Safe Environment/Protecting God's Children Training now facilitated on-site.

2008

• January - "Our Faith Filled Heritage Bicentennial Book" is produced by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia with the MMR story on our page 1.

• February - First "New Parishioner Pizza Reception"  is scheduled to offer personal hospitality to newcomers.

• April - SS. Peter and Paul statuary is blessed.

• August - New coordinating signage is installed around the property.

2009

• March - Evangelization is in full swing with the "Make Every Person Count" campaign.

2010

• January - Cardinal Justin Rigali presides at a Parish Holy Hour for Vocations.

• March 28 - Msgr. Ricci announces the Cardinal's acceptance of his retirement as Founding Pastor

• June 2 - Msgr. Ricci's Farewell Celebration at Spring Mill Manor

• June 6 - Msgr. Ricci's Mass of Thanksgiving and Farewell Celebration in the CEC Gym

• June 21 - Msgr. John T. Conway is the new Pastor of MMR, coming to us from Mother of Divine Providence Parish. Msgr. Ricci is now Pastor Emeritus.

• August 14 - Bishop Daniel Thomas presides over the 5:15 Mass of Installation for Msgr. Conway, our Parish’s second Pastor. A welcoming reception in the Narthex follows.

• November - United States Department of Education recognizes MMR School as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence

2011

• June - MMR welcomes Fr. Keith J. Chylinski as Parochial Vicar

• June - Parishioner Thomas P. Quinn is ordained a permanent deacon and assigned to St. Mary's in Conshohocken

• September 11 - Kick-off Tailgate Picnic begins the year-long 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Parish.  A 30' flagpole is installed outside the CEC.

2012

• March 4 - MMR's 1st Multi-Cultural Pot Luck Dinner

• May 12 - 25th Anniversary Concert - Dedication of Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Hymn

• June 2 - Parishioner Dr. John Travaline is ordained a permanent deacon and assigned to MMR.

• June 18- MMR welcomes Fr. Thomas P. Whittingham as Parochial Vicar

• September - Our Parish establishes a "Sister Parish" relationship with St. Helena Parish in the Olney section of Philadelphia

• September 30 - MMR 25th Anniversary Celebration with Archbishop Charles Chaput

2013

• March 31 - Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Thomas is principal celebrant of our 10:45 AM Easter Sunday Mass

• June 2 - Msgr. James Shields celebrates his 50th anniversary of priesthood ordination

• November - New Stations of the Cross are placed in the church

• November 9 - Granite bench at flagpole is dedicated in memory of Harry Rutherford (parishioner and building manager of parish school)

2014

November - Parish Office Building expansion completed
 
2015

• June 6 - Parishioner Paul A. Logan is ordained a Permanent Deacon and assigned to MMR parish

• June 15- MMR welcomes Fr. Daniel J. Arechabala as Parochial Vicar

• September 21 to 27 - Parishioners participate in World Meeting of Families and the visit of Pope Francis

• December 8 - Monsignor Conway blesses Works of Mercy narthex banners marking opening of Jubilee Year of Mercy

 2016

• April - Church renovations project is announced

• August - Church renovations are completed

• November 20 - Auxiliary Bishop Timothy Senior celebrates Mass to mark 25th Anniversary of the dedication of our parish church; new baptismal font is blessed

 2017

• May 20 - Parishioner Matthew Brody is ordained a priest by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, and celebrates his first Mass of Thanksgiving the following day at MMR Church.

 2018

• June 18 - MMR welcomes Fr. Patrick J. Muka as Parochial Vicar.

• August 14 - Msgr. James J. Shields, former MMR parish priest, passes away.

• August 20 - Auxiliary Bishop Michael J. Fitzgerald celebrates Msgr. James Shields' funeral Mass.

 2019

• September - MMR parish embarks on a $2.5 million Capital Campaign to fund a pre-fabricated six-classroom building at the school, as well as renovations to the church annex to create a parish hall.

• November - United States Department of Education recognizes MMR School as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.

 2020

• September 9 - New "West Wing" of MMR School opens.

• September 18 - Monsignor Conway blesses the new STREAM Innovation Lab of MMR School.

 2021

• June 21 - MMR welcomes Father Mark Tobin as Parochial Vicar.

• November 13 & 14 - Our new Parish Center (including Redeemer Hall) opens with a reception after each Sunday Mass to mark 30th Anniversary of the dedication of our parish church.

 2023

• June 10 - Parishioner Christopher Parker is ordained a permanent deacon and assigned to MMR Parish.