​Father Chuck's Challenge

  Charles Pfeffer, a Philadelphian, attended Holy Child Elementary School and then Cardinal Dougherty High School.  As a freshman, he participated in what became the very first Community Service Corps (CSC) Activity, Operation Incentive, a tutoring program for inner city children.  Later, with a history of CSC Program experiences behind him, as a young seminarian, he supervised the CSC-CYO Youth ministry Summer Program for poor children in Mississippi and also developed a year round interracial day-care and tutoring center called Emmaus House in Germantown, PA. 

Young "Chuck" was ordained to the priesthood May 21, 1977.

Father Chuck first served as an assistant pastor at St. Anthony, Ambler, and St. Kevin, Springfield.  He was appointed Assistant Director of the Archdiocese Department of Youth Activities (DYA) in 1985; he was named Director in 1988.

       The DYA was renamed the Office of Youth and Young adults (OYYA).  As director, Father Chuck oversaw Archdiocesan responsibility for the CYO, CSC, Camp Neumann, Operation Discovery, Agape Campfire Girls, the Catholic Committee on Scouting, Young Adult Ministry etc.  He also developed a Certification Program for youth Ministry at St. Charles Seminary.  Enthusiastically, he promoted OYYA's Operation Santa Claus and its gifting of hundreds of underprivileged children.

Also, Father Chuck was a colorful and creative national figure in the development of Catholic Young Adult Ministry and Theology on Tap, and a great promoter of the Knights of Columbus.

With Tim Flanagan, he founded the Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI), now a powerful influence in the training of priests, seminarians and lay leaders.       

In 1996, Father left OYYA, thereafter assigned to serve as chaplain of the Newman Center at the University of Pennsylvania, chaplain of Catholic Alumni Club of Philadelphia and Catholic Alumni Club International. Father also was assigned as the Assistant Pastor of St. Agatha-St. James Parish.  Unofficially he was chaplain at Norwood Academy (He loved them, they loved him).

 
Now, in his memory and in his spirit,

we move his ministry forward.  We see Father Chuck challenging us to address some

               fundamental, obvious, addressable needs of the  "poorest of the poor,"

     especially of poor young people...as Father Chuck did.

To provide some of these with new, safe, secure permanent homes and a new start

is

Father Chuck's Challenge to you and to us, here and now !!!