A Fall Invitation to Care for our Parish Home

Dear Parishioner,

There were only a dozen Catholic families in the area known as Collegeville in the late 1800’s. They gathered for Mass in a local hotel. The first resident priest arrived in 1911.

Those Catholic families multiplied and continued to come together to worship. When we outgrew the hotel, we bought new ground and built a new Church. Over time, those Catholic families became us … over 4500 registered Catholic families of the Church of St. Eleanor. And we continue to grow!

That’s why it’s so important that our current families take the time to update their information for our parish files. Equally important is to remember the needs of our Parish as we begin our customary Fall Census Appeal.

I remember when I was little, every Fall weekday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. the priests would walk through the neighborhoods of our parish visiting each family block-by-block. Father would update our census information, enjoy some conversation, bless our home, and – if his timing was right – even manage a quick dinner before continuing his important visits. Part of those encounters often included a donation by each family to support the extraordinary needs of the parish. We used to call it the Block Collection. Today we call it the Census Appeal, with those personal visits replaced by this letter. It’s unfortunate but necessary -- as I’m sure you understand. Equally necessary is my obligation to provide context for this annual appeal.

Before I do that, I’d like to share the fruits of your generosity since the conclusion of our Lenten Appeal. The list of completed projects is impressive:

• Repairs and drain work for our parking lots
• A new fire alarm system for the Church and the parish office buildings
• Enhanced outside lighting
• Installation of stair railings
• Additional defibrillators
• Excess snow removal due to multiple winter storms

This summer we moved into a second phase of addressing deferred maintenance. Belt tightening and a security grant are helping us address these projects currently underway or planned for completion this year:

• Extensive sidewalk replacement
• New audio system for the Church
• Campus signage
• Replacement of the posts and chains along the roadsides
• Security upgrades for all Church and parish office doors.

It’s worth noting that a generous parishioner dedicated his time and materials to recently paint the entire interior of the church -- including hours of repair to sections of dry wall due to previous water leaks. He wishes to remain anonymous, but our gratitude for him and his fine work is strong. So is the mission of our beloved Church. 

Those old trails have become roads. Generations continue to walk through the doors of the Church of St. Eleanor for Baptism, Confession, First Communion, Matrimony, Funerals, and to unite in community. This Fall we will launch our Pastoral Plan to emphasize Jesus Christ at the center of our lives. Of course, while we no longer walk our parish block to block, our priests are available at any time visit and bless your homes! And while a “block collection” is no longer practical, the extraordinary needs of our parish remain a reality.

Please be mindful of this Fall Census Appeal and consider a donation that will help address these upcoming maintenance projects:

Church building caulking -- $50,000.00

Roof Seam repairs on the Church building -- $7,500.00

Parish Office Caulking -- $7,500.00

Church Main Hot Water Heater / Parish Office -- $6,000.00

Chimney Crown repair on the Church -- $5,000.00

Total: $76,000.00

To make a gift please use the enclosed envelope that was sent to homes and deposit it in the basket on Sunday, click the link below or scan the QR Code:

Click Here to Donate: Fall Census Appeal  

I have been your pastor for over a year and I’m so grateful for your kindness and generosity. Today, our pastoral work continues in the same spirit since the first resident priest arrived in Collegeville 115 years ago. Thank you for growing together!

Together with Fr. Bordonaro, Msgr. Murray and our excellent Finance Council of parishioners, thank you for your exceeding generosity, which literally paves the way to our continued and rapid growth. 

Gratefully in Christ,

Rev. Msgr. Brian Bransfield

Pastor

Child and Youth protection is a most sacred responsibility. Our teams work very hard to keep this solemn responsibility across all facets of our pastoral work. Please see attached the July 21, 2026 letter of Mr. Robert Blake, Assistant Director of the Office for Child and Youth Protection by which is conveyed the result the onsite Safe Environment audit.

The Church of Saint Eleanor was found to be in compliance with the audit.

I am grateful to all who worked so hard to assure this compliance. I am especially grateful to Mrs. Sharon Cavanaugh, our Safe Environment Coordinator, for her dedication to this crucial work.

Read more ...

GLOW Night—standing for God Lights Our Way—is a youth ministry event focused on teaching that God provides guidance, light, and direction in our lives. GLOW Nights include themes of light, hope, and following God’s path.
Open to all ages!
7:00 pm praise & worship (chapel)
8:00 pm socializing & snacks 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88541757616?pwd=dPYQzzTorogbYLN8lm9EYQuavTZz7s.1

Meeting ID: 885 4175 7616

Passcode: pray250

The St. Eleanor Summer Spirit Shop is LIVE!

Show your parish pride all season long with our exclusive summer collection! From comfy quarter zips to stylish gear, there's something for everyone.

 Shop now through June 28th

Browse the full collection here: https://stechurchjune26.itemorder.com/shop/sale/

 Don’t miss out—grab your favorites while they last and represent St. Eleanor in style!

A Special Week for St. Eleanor CYO!

We are excited to share that both our Varsity Softball and Varsity Baseball teams have advanced to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Championship Games—a rare and wonderful accomplishment for one parish community!

As Matt Hasher, Head of Athletics for AOP/CYO, shared:

“We’ve only had a handful of instances where one parish has both boys' and girls' teams in the same final… it’ll definitely be a fun two days for the community!”

 Come out and support our teams:

Girls Championship

Tuesday, June 9 | 6:00 PM

Villanova Softball Complex
vs. Saint Monica (South Philadelphia)

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 Boys Championship

Wednesday, June 10 | 6:00 PM

Pope John Paul High School
vs. St. Thomas the Apostle (Glen Mills/Chester Heights)

We are incredibly proud of our athletes and grateful for the leadership of coaches Dan Jusko and Steve Mogg, along with their dedicated coaching staffs. They have built teams that truly reflect the spirit of CYO—faith, teamwork, and sportsmanship.

Please keep both teams in your prayers this week, and join us if you can to cheer them on!

Go St. Eleanor!

🔥 GAME RECAP: WHAT. A. BATTLE. 🔥
We lost the coin toss and took the field as the away team—but wasted no time making noise at the plate. After Carroll got things started with a walk and Scavone lined one to center, Katelyn Howarth stepped up and launched an absolute BOMB over right field! 💣🔥 That blast set the tone early, and with hits from Zielinski, Fox, and Mogg, we jumped out to a 4-0 lead right out of the gate.
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Calvary answered right back, taking advantage of a few miscues and proving why they’re one of the best—closing the gap to 4-2 and eventually tying things up 4-4. 💥 Game on.
In the 4th, the Crusaders answered. Fox ripped her second double of the night, DiBenedetto got on, and Mogg came through with a clutch RBI to give us back the lead. Then Ward delivered another big hit to stretch it to 6-4—and that little bit of breathing room made a BIG difference.
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From there, Howarth was locked in, racking up key strikeouts and shutting the door when it mattered most. The defense backed her up in a big way—highlighted by a HUGE double play from Zielinski and DiBenedetto. 💪
Even with Calvary bringing the heart of their lineup in the 7th, the Crusaders stayed composed and finished strong to secure a hard-fought 6-4 WIN! ✅
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👏 Shoutout to Katelyn Howarth on her 100th strikeout of the season! What an amazing milestone!
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This team is something special. You might not always see the dugout—but you can DEFINITELY hear it. The energy, the support, the belief in each other… it shows every single inning. 📣💙💛
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🏆 UP NEXT: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
⚔️ St. Eleanor vs. St. Monica
📅 June 9th
⏰ 6:00 PM
📍 Location: TBD
Let’s pack the stands and bring the energy—LET’S GO CRUSADERS! 💙💛🥎

Beginning June 14 - September 6, the 7:30am Mass will be celebrated without music for the summer months only. We look forward to resuming music at the 7:30 AM Mass in September.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support of our parish music ministry.

ALERT! Sidewalk repairs will begin the 3rd week of June along Locust Street and 6th Avenue to repair existing cracks, fissures, and gaps.

The sidewalk surrounding the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue will also be repaired in early July.

 We are proud to announce that our Boys’ Varsity Baseball Team has been crowned the 2026 Region 21 Champions following an outstanding 6–5 victory over SPN in the championship game.

The team displayed outstanding skill, unity, and determination throughout the season and during the championship game. Their success reflects their unwavering commitment and hard work, along with the exceptional leadership of Head Coach Dan Jusko, who steered the team to this impressive accomplishment.

With this victory, the team has earned the opportunity to advance to the Philadelphia Archdiocese Tournament. They defeated St. Luke’s in the first round and will play Saint Richard’s in the semifinals on Thursday night. ⁣ Congratulations to the players and coaches on this exciting accomplishment. We wish them continued success as they represent our parish at the next level!