Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Philadelphia, which celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sunday, Oct. 22, is a prime example of how parishes can evolve over time. In this case Consolation went from an Italian personal parish at its founding to a multicultural territorial parish in 2013, yet it maintains some of the flavor of its beginnings.

Immigrants from southern Italy began arriving in the Tacony section of Northeast Philadelphia in the early 1900s, attracted by the various industries then located along the State Road corridor, which have since disappeared. It was a close-knit group. Many of the newcomers were relatives coming to America to join with their aunts, uncles and brothers and sisters who were the pioneers.