The Parish of St. Barbara

Saint Barbara Catholic Church
5359 Lebanon Avenue
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19131

June 25, 2023

Dear Church Family,

I greet you with great joy on this first Sunday as your Pastor and express how happy I am to serve you.  First, I want to express my gratitude to Monsignor Pashley for his many years of service and his great love for you.  Join me in wishing him well in his retirement.  As our Pastor-Emeritus, he is always welcomed back and Saint Barbara will remain his home.

I am originally from Our Lady of the Holy Souls Parish in North Philadelphia and was ordained a priest in 1998.  I come to you with over twenty five years of experience as a pastor, educator, and administrator.  I was the Pastor of Saint Therese Parish in Mt Airy and Saint Martin de Porres Parish in North Philadelphia. Also, I was the Director of the Office for Black Catholics for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.  Currently, I am the Chairperson of the Archbishop’s Commission on Racial Healing and serve as a Consultant for the National Black Catholic Congress in Baltimore, Maryland.

However, what is most important is that I strive to be a servant leader and want all of us to draw closer in our relationship with Jesus Christ as we spread the Good News as Missionary Disciples.

I ask for your prayers and patience as we use this moment of transition as a time to build on the legacy of the Church in Wynnefield.  I look forward to seeing you in Church and getting to know you better.


May God bless you!

Stephen Thorne

Reverend Stephen D. Thorne, Ed.D.
Pastor