Archbishop Ryan High School
The building to the south side of Archbishop Ryan known as “The Friary” has been part of the school since its inception. For years it served as the residence for the Franciscan priests who taught on the Boys side, and then later served the entire school after the Boys and Girls sides merged. In the mid-2000s, it was repurposed to provide housing for the international students who came to Ryan from Asia to study in the United States. However, once COVID hit in 2020, this program came to an abrupt end and since that time, the Friary has remained vacant.
We are pleased to announce that as of early August, the former Friary is now officially under the ownership of Catholic Housing and Community Services, a ministry of Catholic Charities of Philadelphia. The building will be transitioned into 40 units of affordable senior housing by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and will be known as the Saint Katharine Drexel Residences at Archbishop Ryan High School, a nod to the special relationship St. Katherine Drexel and Archbishop Ryan shared. We are excited to witness this new chapter on our school’s campus and the repurposing of this building to serve our seniors.
We’ve received several inquiries about the application process for the future St. Katharine Drexel Place. In response, Catholic Charities has shared the following message with important information:
Catholic Charities is grateful to the positive response to our conversion of the former Friary into St. Katharine Drexel Place, 48 affordable apartments for seniors 62+. The property is expected to be ready for occupancy in late Fall 2026/early Winter 2027. There will be informational meetings a few months prior to availability. At that time, applications will be available. To be added to a mailing list to be notified about the informational sessions and the lease up process, please call 215-587-3663 and leave your full name, address, email address, and best phone number to reach you. Please stay tuned for more details and alert us if any of your contact information changes.
While we may be some time away from completion, we look forward to welcoming our new neighbors!