Council President Kenyatta Johnson Street Renaming Father Joseph J. Kelley

The 2400 block of South 17th Street is getting a new name this Friday, October 23. Council President Kenyatta Johnson is leading the ceremony to rename the block Father Joseph Kelley Way, and it's the kind of local thing that's worth showing up for if you've spent any time around South Philly.

The renaming comes from Resolution 260045, which Johnson sponsored to honor Father Joseph J. Kelley for his years of pastoral leadership at Saint Monica Parish and his long service to the South Philadelphia community. If you know the neighborhood, you know how much a parish like Saint Monica anchors the people around it, and this is the city putting that in writing on the street sign itself.

It wasn't the only name on the docket that day. The resolution passed during a session that also approved Resolution 260065, another Johnson-sponsored measure recognizing the life and legacy of Joseph R. Syrnick. Syrnick had a long career in public service to Philadelphia and is remembered for his work transforming the Schuylkill River Corridor, the Trail, and the Waterfront—so the city was marking two very different kinds of service in one go.

The ceremony is on Friday, October 23, from 11 AM to 1 PM at the 2400 block of S 17th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19145. It's a midday thing, so it's a good one to drop by on your lunch break or a morning off if you're nearby.