Ambassadors sought for tours
By NADIA MARIA SMITH
CS&T Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA — There’s a lot more to the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul than its architectural beauty and history. Mass is celebrated there three times daily and confession is offered on an ongoing basis — something the public might not know.
That is why Msgr. Michael McCulken, pastor of the Cathedral Basilica, along with a couple of key parishioners, have teamed up with Di Bruno Brothers president Bill Mignucci, his cousin and vice president William Mignucci and CFO Rene Fuentes to recruit volunteers who will serve as “the faces of the Cathedral” and be known as Cathedral Basilica Ambassadors. The program is slated to start this fall.
“We already get thousands upon thousands of visitors throughout the year who visit the Cathedral,” said Msgr. Michael McCulken. “We want to make their visit to the mother church of the Archdiocese as enriching as possible.
“Ambassadors will greet people and welcome them to the Cathedral. They will serve as tour guides who will help people appreciate the history and the artistic beauty of the Cathedral as well as the Catholic faith in Philadelphia,” Msgr. McCulken said.
Hopefully, as visitors interact with the ambassadors, word will spread that the Cathedral is open every day offering Mass and confession and that there are people there ready to assist them, Msgr. McCulken added.
“A lot of business people are looking for an opportunity that is convenient and will allow them to get closer to their faith during the work week,” said Bill Mignucci, who sees the Cathedral as DiBruno’s local “parish.”
Mignucci has personal ties to the Cathedral because it was there that he was married and his children were baptized. He also feels a sense of stewardship as a business owner in the Cathedral’s neighborhood.
“Part of our business philosophy is to try to embrace the community. We structure our charitable donations around children, community and culture. This is one way we fulfill our promise to ourselves and the community,” he said.
Aside from the historical significance to the city of Philadelphia, the Cathedral Basilica is much more that just a tourist attraction. The ambassador program’s efforts will reinforce that.
“If you like architecture, if you like history or if you just want to get more in touch with your faith, this program makes sense,” Mignucci said. “We understand what a gem the Cathedral is and we want to share it with others.”
But to do that they need to recruit and train a team of volunteers willing to donate three to four hours of their time once or twice a month to make the program work. The people they are looking for would range in age from college students to retirees who would be comfortable speaking to small groups of people and would be able to share their love of the Catholic faith.
And what better way to discuss the program than over wine and cheese courtesy of DiBruno Brothers, known for their gourmet foods? Those interested in volunteering are invited to attend a wine and cheese gathering on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at Di Bruno Brothers, 1730 Chestnut St., from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
For more information or to RSVP contact dbgeninfo@dibruno.com or call (215) 665-9220.
CS&T staff writer Nadia Maria Smith may be reached at npozo@adphila.org or (215) 965-4614.