Philadelphia, PA – St. Gabriel’s Hall in Audubon, the flagship residential program of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s St. Gabriel’s System, has been in the business of re-forming, in the best sense of the term, court-adjudicated delinquent boys and young men into productive citizens since its foundation in 1895 as the Catholic Protectory for Boys.
Most of the time, but not always, it does work although the results may not be apparent until years in the future. The quiet success stories usually don’t make the evening news, just the failures.
Other times the positive outcomes can be immediately apparent and in a few cases, quite spectacularly so.
Felix Alberto, 19, who is leaving St. Gabriel’s Hall very soon, is not going directly to jail but directly to Kutztown University in Berks County. He first wrote his life story in a petition to be declared an emancipated minor and for college applications.