Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez, leader of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, is scheduled to visit Saint Athanasius Parish School in the West Oak Lane neighborhood on October 27, 2025. The visit will include a tour of the Saint Benedict Food Pantry at 9:00 a.m., followed by Mass at Saint Athanasius Church at 10:00 a.m.

Reverend Joseph Okonski, Pastor of Saint Athanasius Parish, will concelebrate Mass with Archbishop Pérez. Students from Saint Athanasius Parish School are set to participate as readers and altar servers during the service.

Before celebrating Mass, Archbishop Pérez will tour the Saint Benedict Food Pantry. According to the parish, it is the largest Catholic food pantry in Northwest Philadelphia, serving more than 400 families each week and distributing over 10,000 pounds of food.

Saint Athanasius Parish School has operated since 1929 and currently enrolls about 190 students. The school’s faculty and staff number more than 30 individuals who work to provide Catholic education focused on intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and physical development. The school also features a STEAM program that offers advanced technology classes, digital arts, and robotics for students from kindergarten through eighth grade.

"Since 1929, Saint Athanasius Parish School has existed for the purpose of spreading the Good News of Christ according to Catholic teaching. The school addresses the intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of its students. Saint Athanasius has approximately 190 students and more than 30 faculty, staff, and volunteers dedicated to the mission of Catholic education and desires to promote Christian values and academic excellence in its community."

"The school is dedicated to empowering its students to live Christian values and to strive for academic excellence."