St. Agatha – St. James Church
St. Agatha–St. James Church is a Roman Catholic church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The original parish was established in 1850 as the Church of St. James the Greater, the first Catholic parish in Philadelphia County west of the Schuylkill River. Ground was purchased at 38th and Chestnut Streets and within two years a church building was erected. Construction of the current building, designed by Philadelphia architect Edwin Forrest Durang, began on October 16, 1881 and was completed on the same day in 1887.
The church underwent additions in 1930, which included electric lights, and another complete renovation in 2003.
Nearby St. Agatha's Church was closed in 1976, and its parish was merged into that of the former St. James Church, which was then renamed St. Agatha–St. James.
The current pastor is Father Carlos Keen.Education
The designated parish grade schools of the church are St. Francis de Sales School and St. Ignatius School. Previously Our Mother of Sorrows was designated as one of the grade schools serving the parish. Our Mother of Sorrows and St. Ignatius of Loyola have since merged into a single school operated by Independence Mission Schools, operated independently of the archdiocese.
