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Parish History

September 9 - John Cardinal Krol appoints Father Philip C. Ricci the founding pastor of the newly formed Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Parish.
October 4 - Masses at the new parish begin to be held at the Neshaminy Falls Village Clubhouse. Six hundred families are transferred from St. Stanislaus Parish to become the founding families of Mary, Mother of the Redeemer.

1988

January - Fr. Ricci moves onto the property. The farmhouse becomes the rectory, chapel and parish office.
February 2 - The first Mass is celebrated on the church grounds.
October - A Capital Pledge Program is organized to raise $1.5 million to erect a new church building. The number of parish families rises to 1,019 by the end of the year.

1989

February - The Capital Pledge Program reaches $500,000 in pledges for the new church.
December - The number of parish families rises to 1,113. the growth of the parish is certainly evident with 111 baptisms and 10 marriages held during the year.

1990

February - Sunday Masses are moved from the Neshaminy Falls Village Clubhouse to the auditorium at Gwynedd Mercy College.
September 30 - Groundbreaking takes place for the new church building.

1991

October 5 - The first Masses are celebrated in the new church building.
November 17 - Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Church is dedicated by Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua.

1992 to 1996

With Father Philip Ricci still at the helm, Mary, Mother of the Redeemer sees outstanding growth in the number of area families who become registered parishioners. At the end of 1992, there are 1,658 families with C.C.D. enrollment reaching 417. Just five years later registered households number 2,364 and C.C.D. enrollment reaches 725.

1997

February - Mary, Mother of the Redeemer begins to assess the need for a Catholic Education Center to be built within the parish. Two feasibility studies are conducted during the year.
Registered families reach 2,484 representing 7,279 men, women and children.

1998

Plans continue to be discussed concerning the proposed Catholic Education Center/Social Hall/Gymnasium.

1999

A third feasibility study is conducted to determine the ability to conduct a successful Capital Campaign to construct the Catholic Education Center. The total cost oft he building will be $7.7 million.

2000

Mary, Mother of the Redeemer Parish embarks on a $3.6 million Capital Campaign to raise 50% of the $7.7 million needed to construct the building. There are over 2,800 registered families in the parish. Of those families there are over 1,100 children five years old and younger.

2001

Upon successful completion of the Capital Campaign, zoning approval, and the approval of the final plans by the Archdiocese, approval can now be sought from the Vatican.

2002

April 30 - Final approval for the construction of the Catholic Education Center arrives from the Vatican.
June 2 - Ground Breaking Ceremony takes place.
August 1 - The first principal is hired for the School. Plans are well under way to ensure that the doors of the school will be opened for September 2003.
November - Registration for September 2003 takes place.

2003

2004

March - Traffic Light installed on Upper State Road and Msgr. Ricci Drive to ensure the safety of students and parishioners.
June - First Photo Directory compiled for MMR families - published the following November
September - School reopens with the addition of eight air conditioned modular units to house classrooms
March 31 - Mustard Seed Award received by Mary, Mother of the Redeemer, in recognition of our fostering of parental leadership and participation in Religious Education.
Summer - Our Blessed Mother's Grotto, constructed by Mr. Joseph Cioppi is completed.

2005

Spring - Additional room constructed in Farmhouse Rectory
June 15 - First 8th Grade Class graduates from Mary, Mother of the Redeemer School.
June 26 - With initiative of the St. Francis Ecology Council, the Rosary Garden is dedicated.
September 10 - Soccer Field opens to CYO practices and games.
September 12 - MMR Preschool opens to 61 students
October - 40 Hours/Parish Mission combine for two weeks of spirituality and "on the spot" retreats with Father Don Miniscalco

2006

February - Mary, Mother of the Redeemer's St. Francis Ecology Council, along with the Montgomery county Conservation District, received a substantial Growing Greener Grant from the Department of Environmental Protection, to refurbish and maintain the wetlands on our grounds.
September - The School year opens with an additional four modular units to accommodate our enrollment.

2007

September - The second Principal of our Elementary School has taken the reins.
September 9 - MMR's 20th Anniversary coincides with the Archdiocesan Bicentennial! Singer/Composer John Angotti performs in Church to a packed house. Statues of Sts. Peter and Paul are commissioned to commemorate the event.

2008