A Holiday Party Can Be So Much More…

Picture this – almost 20 children under 3 years old, 25+children from 4-17 years of age and their parents, grandparents and guardians coming together to celebrate what we all feel at this time of year – we believe! We may believe different things but we’re all the same in wanting the best for our children.

Keep the Faith in Frankford sponsored the “Ho Ho Ho Holiday Party” held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church on Friday night, December 12. Knowing we would not be able to accommodate everyone this holiday season, we decided to invite the mothers from Overington House, those we meet in ministry with the Dining with Dignity program and some of the congregation of St. Mark’s. We expected 45 children ranging in age from 3 months through 17 years old. Parents and grandparents were also invited.

Totally through donations, we were able to provide twin set sheets for the mothers of Overington House, a toy that each child could choose, and a board game for the other families. Most likely, if you’re viewing this video, you are directly responsible for the smiles that you see because of your donations – whether toys or money. Your generosity was awesome!! May you be rewarded for it!  (Any child invited but who was unable to attend will receive their toy.)

Part of our mission statement says, “we believe that the greater diversity of people within a community strengthens that community”. We focused on Hanukkah, which begins 12/16, Christmas on 12/25, Kwanzaa which begins on 12/26, and The Three Kings on 1/6/15. We learned from one of our Muslim mothers about Ramadan which begins Thursday, June 18 and lasts until July 15, 2015. We stamped with Hanukkah symbols, made a Nativity door hanger or story wheel and played Kwanzaa bingo.

We shared our individual beliefs, cultures, customs and traditions. We celebrated them, honored them and reminded ourselves we have much more in common and that unites us. We are not so different after all. That’s a good thing any time of the year!

Enjoy the show! For more information about Keep the Faith in Frankford please visit us online here or on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter at @fkdfaithful

 

Extras! Extras! You Want to Be in a Movie? Now’s Your Chance!

casting callDid you know that a film is being made right here in Frankford and Kensington? Did you know the name is of the film is Voiceless? It is a pro-life movie and the producers and casting director as asking if you just might be the right person to be an extra in this movie. Before you decide, there are some things you need to know. There are no speaking parts available. There will be a meal and snacks provided. You will not be paid as an extra – just a chance to make a good movie and maybe even save some lives. Please read everything through carefully and if you’re interested, please email or call. Be sure to have the information ready, the extra casting director needs – Name/Age/Phone/Photo/Available Dates. The most people will be needed September 10th and 11th!

Good luck! Tell them Keep the Faith in Frankford sent you! Remember, if you’re chosen, I’ll be expecting free tickets!!!!


 

PRELIMINARY DETAILS/GUIDELINES FOR BACKGROUND ACTING IN ‘VOICELESS’

All background roles are non-speaking. Some roles are ‘featured extra roles’, which means you are seen more front and center in the scene.

Shoot days are very long and can range any where from 5-12 hours depending on the scenes being shot. We ask that background talent please bring something to do in the down time. Although they are long days, they are fun!

Official call times for each day are not decided until the night before each shoot date. Sometimes call time can be as early as 5am, but rarely is so. Sometimes call time can be late afternoon between 12pm-4pm. Timing is always determined by the previous day, the time we have each location, among many other factors.

Once I get a confirmation that an individual can join us for a day of shooting, I take their name and number and put them on a list to receive the official details via phone call the night before that date. The official details include call time, location to report to, wardrobe specifications, and any/all details they will need to know for the day. Locations will always be in Philadelphia, and mostly around the Frankford/Kensington area.

This is a volunteer gig. Snacks and drinks are provided on set, and a meal is served for cast, crew, and background talent after eight hours of work.

We will ask that background talent provide their own wardrobe, and we will provide wardrobe guidelines to follow the night before the shoot. This film is modern day and takes place in North Philly, therefore wardrobe will be easy to manage and not over the top.

We will ask that upon arrival background talent fill out a release form and have their photograph taken with that form. The form simply states that the individual has given us consent to use their image in the film.

When background talent arrives on set, they will ask for Julianna, the Associate Producer and Extras Casting Coordinator. She is assisted by three interns, Dennis, Tessa, and Teyquil, who will help background also with anything they might need.

Below are the following shoot dates that we are need of background talent, and specifically what types of people we are seeking for each day:

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 10 – CHURCH SCENE – KENSINGTON (Cumberland St.)
– Seeking upwards of 75 people – diverse group of ages and nationalities
– Families are welcome with young children, teenagers, adults, and elders

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 11 – CHURCH SCENE – KENSINGTON (Cumberland St.)
WE WOULD LIKE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO CAME FOR SEP. 1O TO COME FOR THIS SHOOT TO MAINTAIN CONTINUITY AND THE FEEL OF A COMMUNITY CHURCH

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 12 – OUTREACH CENTER/STREET SCENE – FRANKFORD
– Seeking 4 people to place ‘Locals’ and 6 people to play ‘Street People’
– Ages 18 and older, all nationalities
– The 4 pedestrians we would like to come back for another day of shooting on Sep. 16

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 13 – CITY HALL/COURTROOM SCENE – CENTER CITY (PENDING)
– Seeking people to play ‘City Hall People’ (Pedestrians, Business Men/Women), ‘Petty Criminals Waiting in the Courtroom’ (Traffic Violators, etc.), ‘Detectives’, ‘City Employees’, ‘Courtroom Workers’
– Ages 18 and up, all nationalities
– If a specific role appeals, please specify

MONDAY SEPTEMBER 15 – CLINIC SCENE – FRANKFORD
– Seeking 10 extras, 3 of them women who are either inside the clinic or outside of it – ages 18 and up, diverse nationalities – the other 7 can be male or female, any age, any nationality

WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 17 – OUTREACH CENTER/BOXING GYM – FRANKFORD
– Seeking teenage boys and girls as well as young boys and girls – ages 3-21, all nationalities

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 18 – PROTEST SCENE – FRANKFORD
-Seeking 30 PEOPLE FROM THE CHURCH SCENES ON SEP. 10 AND 11 to represent a pro-life group, and 30 people to represent pro-choice protestors
– Ages 18 and up, all nationalities
– In addition seeking 4 women waiting inside or nearby the clinic

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 19 – CLINIC SCENE – FRANKFORD
– Seeking 6 ‘Waiting Clinic Women’
– Ages 16-30 – all nationalities

Voiceless Flyer

The Closing of St. Joachim RC Church Has Opened Even More Hearts!

Up close creche and treeYes, this was not what the Area Pastoral Planning Process was supposed to do! At the end of this process, we were supposed to have at least one Catholic Church in Frankford! Now, we have none! If that doesn’t speak to the wisdom of this process!! But God does work in mysterious ways!

Christmas reminds us of this so very well. How would the Redeemer come to save us? The government would announce a census and all citizens had to return to their hometowns. Thus, Joseph and Mary (9 months pregnant) would have to make their way back home. Not finding anywhere to stay, an innkeeper let them use a stable. So, in this humble stable, and sharing his nursery with the animals, Jesus was born. A great and bright star would hover overhead and lead the Wise Men to this wisest of children. Those of us of St. Joachim Parish know what it is to be on the outside – to no longer have a true spiritual home. But has it weakened our faith? Have we become disbelievers? No, we are even more determined to reach out to others, who like us, know even better what it is to be marginalized, voices unheard and unwanted. Joseph and Mary must have felt pretty lonely and alone, too!

During our prayer service today, we sang “The First Noel”! This is a first noel for us, of sorts, too. The first year, in 169 years, there was not a Christmas vigil Mass or a Christmas Day Mass at St. Joachim. (The fire in 1979 disrupted the Church but immediately there was talk of rebuilding.) We have filed an appeal with the Vatican and cannot be sure of the outcome. The Congregation of the Clergy has ruled that Archbishop Chaput did not do anything canonically wrong. That does not change the unjustness or obvious preference of the Church here in Philadelphia to “follow” the monied pointsettias and treeCatholics to the suburbs and insist that Catholics have left the city, so it’s alright if they do, too!

But we have said, “No”, that’s not the right thing to do! We have met so many people during our efforts who have been touched in some way by St. Joachim and/or Frankford! Here we are! St. Joachim Parish is alive and well! St. Joachim Parish is telling all who listen our story, calling all who remember to help and asking those who want to give and give back to join us in our efforts to reopen the Church and open our hearts further to our brothers and sisters in Frankford.

This Christmas, we can celebrate that St. Joachim Parish has rallied together to keep united, to keep the faith alive and to hope that we are able to reopen St. Joachim.

Yes, indeed, God works in mysterious ways! May your Christmas be blessed in a special way this year and may we work to keep the light of Christ even brighter in our hearts in 2014!

 

 

 

 

 

Rosary for Justice

The first Rosary for Justice in support of those who lost churches took place on Sunday August 18th.  Representatives from La Milagrosa Chapel, Keep the Faith in Frankford and St. Leo’s parish prayed in front of the Basilica before Mass.

 


 

Last Demonstration in June at Archdiocesan Headquarters

We have been successful in having a demonstration on almost every work day in June.  We reached a huge number of people just by being present on that sidewalk.  The video below is a look at what its like on an average day.  The people vary from day to day but the message remains the same. We’re ready for the long haul ahead.

The folks inside the building may think it all will end next week.  Well this is really just the end of the beginning.  Now we move into the serious job of correcting the wrong that has been done.  The process was flawed and that resulted in a bad decision.

Keep the Faith in Frankford.