Stay in the City
A short booklet by Father Robert Gallagher, OA. First published on Ascension Day, 1980 by the Office of Parish Renewal & Evangelism of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. Republished in 1981 by Forward Movement.
The ideas of "Stay in the City" were partially responsible for the 1980 convention of that diocese declaring a moratorium on the closing of all city parishes while work was done to develop a revitalization strategy. While the convention voted overwhelming for the resolution the bishop and his staff were largely opposed. A comprehensive strategy was never developed and in time the pattern of closing city parishes was resumed. In time that included St. Elisabeth's Church in South Philadelphia which is pictured on the cover and below.
The booklet also played a role in the formation of the Order of the Ascension. In 1982 conversations were started that lead to the creation of the Order. There are two documents from that period that illuminate the formation of the Order. The first is a list of all the closed city parishes. The other includes comments from letters received after the booklet was published by Forward Movement in 1981 (related letters). Both the weight of all the closings and the praise of the booklet were part of the momentum in creating the Order. An additional factor in the formation was friendship. When Alice Mann and Robert Gallagher moved to Connecticut in 1981 there was a longing of those in Philadelphia and those now in Connecticut to stay connected. Those who made up the "founders core'' had been gathering on most Friday afternoons at the rectory of St. Elisabth's in South Philadelphia for drinks and talk. They also had developed the practice of spending New Years Day together at the rectory. You'll find mention of "friendship" in the Rule and Emmett Jarrett's sermon at the First Taking of the Promise in 1988--"Christian community in general and your form of it in particular is made for friendship and by friendship. We are to foster friendship with God by being friends ourselves."
Stay in the City - a PDF
