Lauri Cielo

Lauri Cielo serves as the Director of Communications and Development at St. Peter's Church.

The Food Crisis in Philadelphia: How you can help

As of November 5, 2025: As the government shutdown continues, our neighbors who rely on federal food aid are now in crisis. The federal government has announced that it will release funds for only partial payment of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, which means those who receive SNAP will likely only receive half of […]

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St. Peter’s Church, the 1918 Influenza Epidemic, and Today

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the volunteer archivist of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, I received several requests for information about the 1918 influenza epidemic—how parishes responded, what they endured, and what long-term effects followed. With the archives closed, I turned to digitized parish records I had collected over the past decade,

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Rev. Laurie Jean Wurm Named 22nd Rector of St. Peter’s Church

It is with great joy that we announce the Rev. Laurie Jean Wurm has accepted the call to become the 22nd Rector of St. Peter’s Church. Rev. Laurie will officially begin her ministry with us on August 5. The St. Peter’s Search Committee recommended Rev. Laurie after a thorough search process. In coordination with the

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A Simple Document with a Powerful Message

St. Peter’s Church is adorned with plaques and memorials throughout the church and parish house, each telling the stories of those who have shaped its legacy. Portraits of past rectors and images of the church’s picturesque campus line the parish house walls, offering glimpses of generations gone by. Though these memorials once held deep significance,

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The Newest Revolutionary War Marker in St. Peter’s Churchyard

Last summer, Parish Administrator Kate Randall was contacted by a patriotic historical organization composed of and incorporated as the “Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence.” Unbeknownst to us, that group had discovered that Elizabeth Matthews Heyward, the wife of one of the signers (Thomas Heyward of South Carolina), had been buried in

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