Frequently Asked Questions

How do I become a Parishoner?
Please call 215-968-2262 to make an appointment. Families must be registered in the Parish before registering for St. Andrew School or Religious Education. Call the Parish Receptionist for an appointment to register.

What happens when I move?
Notify the Parish Office when you move locally or world wide.

How big is the Church of St. Andrew?
As of December 2005, the Church of St. Andrew has over 5,200 registered families, making us one of the largest in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. While we are a large and very active parish, many people comment that they feel at home here and do not find our size cumbersome or overwhelming. (Although finding a seat at a Christmas or Easter Mass can be quite a challenge!)

Is the church air conditioned?
Both the Main and Olde Churches are air conditioned.

Is there a cry room?
Yes! There's a large window and a speaker allowing parents to worship without their child/children disturbing the congregation. Please remember the purpose of the cry room is to calm a child and not a place for children to play. Since it is used for all Masses, we appreciate all efforts to keep it clean. Cheerios may help calm a child, but squashed Cheerios are messy and attract mice.

Is babysitting available?
The answer is no. Unfortunately, the "I am Special" Sunday School has folded for the time being. Perhaps someone will resurrect it in the fall.

Is the Olde Church used for Sunday Mass?
No, the Olde Church (capacity 200) is too small for Sunday Mass. However, it is used for small funerals and weddings if requested by the family.

Why is there little information here regarding weddings?
Because there are extensive requirements and unique circumstances that need to be evaluated on individual basis, we ask that couples speak directly to a priest about marriage arrangements. No one would be served well if couples made arrangements on their own assuming that their plans could be met by St. Andrew's, only to find out later that this was not the case.

How do I become Catholic?
Adults seeking to become Catholic need to receive instruction in the Catholic faith and prepare to receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and/or Eucharist. This adult instruction is called RCIA. RCIA is an abbreviation for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Please click here for further information.

If you have children that you would like to bring into the Catholic Church, discuss this with the RCIA team who may have you contact the school or CCD program.

I am an adult Catholic but have never been Confirmed.
How do I go about receiving Confirmation?
Although the RCIA process is primarily intended for non-Catholics who desire to become Catholic, the RCIA process also helps those adult Catholics in need of the Sacrament of Confirmation. Please click here for further information about joining RCIA.

How do I return to the Catholic Church?
An individual who is a baptized member of the Catholic Church, but for whatever reason has not been a practicing member, can come back to the Church by speaking to a priest through an office appointment or by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession).

I'm a divorced Catholic. Can I still receive the sacraments of the Catholic Church?
Yes, divorced Catholics, who have not remarried, can still receive the Sacraments of Eucharist, Penance, and Anointing of the Sick. If you are divorced and remarried, please contact a priest to see if you can have your marriage blessed within the Church. Often this might involve an annulment and the priest can help describe the steps for this process. Or it might involve a simpler process, depending on certain situations.

How often am I allowed to receive Communion in one day?
One may receive Communion each and every time he or she fully participates at a Mass. If you attend a funeral on Saturday morning, a wedding that afternoon and then a Vigil mass that evening, you may receive Communion at each Mass. Even if you are a lector at one Sunday Mass and serve as a cantor at another Sunday Mass, it is still fine to receive Communion at both Masses.

However, the Church wants us to avoid an attitude of "collecting" Communions as if receiving as often as possible will make us "ultra-holy". Therefore, one shouldn't attend more than one Mass each day simply for the sake of receiving Communion multiple times. Similarly, one should never make it a practice to "pop" into church at "just the right moment" just to receive Communion. The Eucharist is meant to be a full worship experience in which we offer our worship and ourselves and in the process receive this wonderful gift of Our Lord's Body and Blood.

Does attending a wedding Mass suffice for my Sunday Observance?
If a wedding Mass is scheduled to begin after 4:00pm on Saturday or at any time on Sunday, then it does indeed "count" toward one's Sunday obligation.

Is it permissible for a non-Catholic to occasionally attend Mass and
receive Holy Communion in a Catholic Church?
While we welcome anyone to attend and celebrate Mass with us, it is not permissible for non-Catholics to receive the Eucharist. The reasons for this can be difficult for many to understand since many Protestant churches encourage inter-communion with each other. On the inside of the missalette found in the pews there are guidelines for receiving Communion issued by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops which can help in explaining the issues.

Is it all right for a Catholic to receive communion in a non-Catholic church,
even though he or she would not really believe in it?
Generally, it is not a good idea to receive communion in a non-Catholic church for several reasons, even when invited to do so by the host church. Because understandings regarding the Eucharist are different on deep theological levels, confusion about your own beliefs may be projected to others by your receiving communion outside your own faith. Many do not clearly understand these theological differences or would like to believe that they do not exist, but they are real and substantial. Even for your own sense of faith you do not want to convey any possibility that communion in other churches carries the same significance as it does in your own Catholic Faith.

There are a very few churches whose sacraments we recognize as valid (Russian and Greek Orthodox, for example). While receiving Communion in those churches would be valid for you under certain circumstances, you might not be welcomed to do so by those churches. In order to avoid offending anyone's sensibilities, it would be best to check with their church leaders before receiving Communion from them.

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