I’ve been in Philadelphia for a year now, but so much of my life still stands apart from my adopted city. I live here, but I don’t live here.

I’m working on changing that. To that end, I got together with Cityscape Photo Philadelphia Saturday to make some new images, and maybe some new friends. We visited the National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia, which was gracious enough to let us take photos of its interior.

Saint Rita, I’ve learned, was married before the age of 12. Among the reasons she’s celebrated: She brokered a piece between the family of her murdered husband and the family of the man who killed him. As an Augustinian nun, she’s said to have received the stigmata.

More relevantly to my interests: The parish was founded in 1907 to service immigrant families. We could use a bit more of that welcoming spirit these days.