Pat’s Wildways: Off the beaten track in Philadelphia

My brother and sister-in-law, along with two of their daughters, live in the Philadelphia area, and I’ve visited them a couple of times a year for years. I’ve seen the regular tourist sites like the Liberty Bell, the Art Museum and other places too many to name, so nowadays my visits are all about family and eating. My family loves to eat!

But I always have my eyes open to new things I notice on our forays to restaurants around town. For instance, one evening we headed to an interesting sushi/ramen restaurant, and it meant walking right by the Betsy Ross House. This historical site is managed by a private non-profit and not the National Park Service (NPS), which, these days, is a good thing. Due to the current administration’s cuts to the NPS, although the Liberty Bell facility is still open, many other historic buildings are closed due to budget and staff shrinkage. But the Betsy Ross Home is still open for visitors. We didn’t have time to look inside the house — our stomachs were rumbling — but I couldn’t help but notice Humphrys Flag Company across the street.  Betsy Ross is credited with sewing the first American flag, and this company has been making and selling flags in Philadelphia since 1864. As my family leisurely made their way to the restaurant, I ducked into this shop and chatted with the proprietor, Matthew O’Connor and was totally impressed when he knew what the Belize flag looked like and even had some for sale among the many others. 

Another morning, with time on my hands, I took a stroll from the family’s apartment on Vine Street to see what I could see. And see I did. As luck would have it, this was a Sunday morning, prime church time.  My walk began with a latte and shakshouka, a Middle Eastern egg and tomato sauce dish served at a nearby coffee house. And then off to the churches. I had previously looked up the church service times and headed for the St. Augustine Church, the first Catholic Church in Philadelphia, constructed in 1801 with its bell tower, designed by William Strickland, who also designed the bell tower for the Liberty Bell. A second full sized liberty bell, “The Sister of the Liberty Bell,” was installed in the church. Tragedy hit the church in 1844 when anti-Catholic advocates protesting Irish Catholic immigrants burned it down, destroying this liberty bell and the entire church. But the church did not die. The present church was rebuilt in 1847 and the remnants of the sister liberty bell were gathered and reformed into a smaller replica now on display in the church foyer.

The present Pope Leo XIV is an Augustinian, and I was curious about their beliefs. At the 9 a.m. service I was captivated by the talented female vocalist, the sonorous voice of the old priest and the heavenly surroundings. The sermon was a barely disguised political commentary based on something in the Bible, in the Book of Isaiah, about “a powerful corrupt leader with the keys” who was summarily removed. I’m sure Pope Leo would approve.

Outside, after the service, I followed a small sign with an arrow labeled “Secret Healing Garden” leading to a flight of stairs. Two floors up, I found rows of old crypts dating from the early days of this church, but moved off the ground when the area was modified for the construction of the nearby bridge and highway. Just beyond this was the garden, a meditative space I had all to myself, complete with a statue of St. Augustine, a bubbling fountain and lots of greenery overlooking the elevated access ramp to the Ben Franklin Bridge.

And up top there was another bell with a nearby sign: “Ring the bell that still can ring, forget your perfect offering, there is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in” by Leonard Cohen.  Well, this didn’t look like a bell that could ring, but the sentiment felt true, and the garden was a quiet, relaxing, meditative treat from the city traffic next door.

My Sunday morning walk from my family’s apartment was restorative, and it was time to get organized for another family event. But I know that next time I visit them, it will definitely include a Sunday. This church is calling me back.

Pat Foster-Turley, Ph.D., is a zoologist on Amelia Island. She welcomes your nature questions and observations. patandbucko@yahoo.com.