The following information was emailed to our Newsroom elves: "Father Frank recently announced during weekend mass, that St. Philomene Parish, which just celebrated its 75th year, is on the verge of bankruptcy and may be forced to close if the Church cannot raise needed money.  He also announced that plans and funds from State OES (Office of Emergency Services) to put wrought iron fencing aorund the entire St Philomene property, at the corner of El Camino and Bell St, may not go forward as planned due to the Parish's dire financial situation, as the approx $200,000 OES grant requires additional matching funds from the church to complete the project."

Uh-oh. This can't be good. St. Philomene has been a pillar of our community for 3/4 of a century. Founded in 1948, it was the first Sacramento suburban church of the post-war era. These days, the Parish not only serves its parishoners with regular church services, it also functions as a food pantry and provides meals for the poor. Arden Arcade has several churches like St. Philomene that truly enhance the fabric of our community. It is sad to hear that an iconic institution like St. Philomene is in dire straits. For more information, you can contact the parish via its "Contact Us" page.