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PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As indestructible as the beloved Phillie Phanatic has seemed over 46 years, the big, furry green “flightless bird” – as the original best friend of the Phanatic, Dave Raymond, described him – isn’t impervious to some much-needed maintenance.

“The Phanatic got a lot of boo-boos,” Raymond explained, “and so did his best friend. It was kind of a little different to mend and heal the Phanatic than it was to mend and heal his best friend.”

One of the Phillie Phanatic’s first healers, or seamstresses, was Nancy Trainer of Oreland, Pennsylvania.

“It got torn,” Trainer said of the mascot’s penchant for wear and tear. “It had things in it.”

And of course – it had an odor that reeked.

“I put a little fan in it to cool it off a little.”

Trainer, 79, was hired by the Phillies in the early years of the Phanatic to do repairs. She knew former Phillies Promotions Director Frank Sullivan from her Oreland community.

Chris Long, who worked with the Phillies for nearly half a century – most notably as director of entertainment – was the liaison between the organization and Trainer.

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“We needed somebody to do some of the small repairs on the costume without having to send it up to New York and then wait for it to be repaired and bring it back,” Long said.

“Sometimes I would get $15 for fixing it,” said Trainer, who remembers she would get a call from Long that the suit was on its way. That was the cue to stop what she was doing, put her sewing machine on the dining room table and get ready to fix the big green guy.

Trainer, a mother of five and grandmother to nine, was from a family of eight children growing up. She and her sister Sally learned to sew from their grandmother.

Not only did she do minor repairs on the Phanatic himself, but she also made many costumes for him in the likeness of Boy George, Michael Jackson and Prince. According to Raymond, that required a lot of attention to detail from “the flair of the performer” to the proper size tailored to the Phanatic’s unique shoulder and belly widths. Trainer had the added challenge of making eye-catching costumes that didn’t add weight because the Phanatic’s large frame was already a lot to carry around.

“She was a lovely person and a very good person to work with,” Long said. “And she took pride and care in what she did. And she made sure that it was done correctly. And we were trying so hard to keep the Phanatic looking the best that it could be and she certainly contributed to that.”

‘The kids went nuts’

Trainer helping repair the Phillie Phanatic was more than simply a Phillies fan getting to do something cool. Oreland, where she has lived for 57 years, went bonkers for her side gig.

“The Phanatic bus would pull up in front of the house,” Trainer remembers. “Oh my God, the kids went nuts knowing the Phanatic was in Oreland.”

There was also, apparently, much interest in trying on the Phanatic’s costume. Trainer’s daughter, also named Nancy Trainer, was one of the kids who were super pumped to dress as the Phanatic.

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“It was just so cool because how often do you get to say that one of the biggest mascots is at your house all the time,” daughter Nancy, 51, said. “When you’re a kid, it’s so cool.”

Younger Nancy even said they have polaroids (remember those!) of them standing in costume.

“We probably shouldn’t have been doing that,” she said. “But it was here! We were kids.”

A endless lifespan for a ‘flightless bird’

Trainer hasn’t worked on the Phanatic costume for several decades now, but the memories of doing so are clearly enjoyable to her and her daughter.

“He is a Philadelphia icon,” said younger Nancy. “You can’t watch [Phillies home games] without seeing the Phanatic.”

“I think he’s cute, really,” said Trainer.

Long, who saw the Phanatic come to life back in 1978, said she’s glad to see the big, green guy is still going strong.

“It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the fans in Philadelphia took to the Phanatic,” Long said.

And Raymond, who has spent many years working in the mascot industry, credits what he called a village of Phillies employees from the early days for setting the Phanatic up for a great future that doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon.

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“That’s why the Phanatic is going to last for hundreds and hundreds of years,” Raymond said. “Thankfully, the lifespan of a flightless bird from the Galapagos is probably into the thousands of years. We’ll find out. But, he’s not going anywhere.”

And part of that village was, of course, Nancy Trainer, who spent tireless hours making sure the Phanatic was stitched for success.

“It was so nice that they even asked me to do it,” Trainer said. “I’m sure there are so many people that sew in Philadelphia, but Frank [Sullivan] knew that I did it and I thought it was great and wonderful that he even asked me to do it.”

Featured Image Photo Credit: Nancy Trainer

By Eric Fitzsimmons |

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ORELAND >> Holy Martyrs Church is the new home for the altar on which Pope Francis celebrated mass during his visit to Philadelphia in September.

“I realized yesterday, when I was celebrating mass on [the altar], that the only other person who ever celebrated mass on this altar was the pope,” the Rev. Jason Kulczynski, Holy Martyrs pastor, said Nov. 18.

The wood altar, which was designed and built by ESM Productions for the pope’s mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway during the World Meeting of Families, was brought to Holy Martyrs Monday, Nov. 16, with the help of some parishioners and members of the parish Knights of Columbus, Kulczynski said.

After the Parkway mass was complete, the altar was brought to the cathedral where it waited for a final decision from the Archdiocese, which came the week of Nov. 9, according to Kulczynski.

How did this small Oreland parish secure this piece of history? Kulczynski said he simply asked.

Kulczynski said he was unable to attend the World Meeting of Families, which happened to fall on the weekend of the parish carnival, but left a message with a friend who works with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in the Office of Divine Worship.

“On Sunday morning I texted, I sent him a message saying, ‘Everything looks great on TV, wish I could be there, save me a souvenir,’ and I said we could use an altar,” Kulczynski said.

His friend had been told by Kulczynski about the need for a new altar at Holy Martyrs previously but realized the papal visit was a good time to send a reminder.

Kulczynski said he knew the altar, having been used for mass, is a sacred object and learned during a visit from Pope John Paul II that would have to find a home in a church.

The altar is just part of a larger renovation Kulczynski said is underway at Holy Martyrs Church. After a year in which he said many thought the parish might be closed, getting the papal altar was “amazing.”

“I thought we needed to do some things to make us look alive and let people know we’re still here, we’re not going anywhere,” Kulczynski said.

Other items brought from churches that have upgraded or closed include devotional candles from the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul and statues from Our Mother of Sorrows parish in Bridgeport – but a more permanent altar would have to be part of any renovation.

Holy Martyr’s previous altar was of a spare design, a wooden top on legs with no frills or decoration to speak of.

“It’s nice for what it is,” Kulczynski said, “but not as substantial, certainly, as the other one.”

Kulczynski said the parish was looking at a few options, but when it looked like getting the papal altar was a possibility it seemed to be something the parish could build around.

In front of the new altar last week was a picture of it with the pope during mass. Kulczynski said he does plan to have it outfitted with a plaque commemorating its use by the pontiff.

Terry Melanson, coordinator of parish services at Holy Martyrs, said she saw people who had come for a displaying of holy relics at the church Nov. 17 slipping over to the newly arrived altar to kneel and say a prayer.

Kulczynski said he hoped the altar, along with other projects to get the word out through more signs and outreach, will bring people in to see Holy Martyrs Church.

“There are a lot of wonderful things going on here,” Kulczynski said.

Whenever someone asks me for my opinion of Penn, I typically give them two somewhat conflicting answers.

On one hand, years covering Penn’s administration for the DP has left me jaded about a sprawling, image-conscious bureaucracy that often fails to adequately serve its undergraduates. I do believe most administrators care about students and act with good intentions, but a general lack of transparency and condescending attitude towards reporters has frustrated me more times than I can count.

At the same time, the people I meet at Penn continue to surprise me with their intelligence, strength, kindness and humor. I’ve been fortunate enough to make several lifelong friends. And writing about the Penn community has given me the unique privilege to talk to dozens of inspiring people as I try to tell their stories.

What this leaves me with is that Penn is an amazing place, but not for the reasons we might think when we arrive. And, as we work to make it better, more welcoming, safer, we need to rely on ourselves to get there.

The administration still has a responsibility to address issues like mental health, sexual assault and diversity, but we can’t expect them to do everything. While we wait for the results of yet another vague, directionless task force, we can be there for our friends, supporting each other through the constant intensity of life on this campus. As we skim through verbose, perfunctory emailed messages from the President’s Office, we can strive for balance in our own lives, taking steps back when we need them and remembering the things that really matter.

We have more power than we think, and we don’t always need to rely on Penn to make things happen for us.

I’ve definitely had to learn this over the years. I sought out my own professional opportunities when it became clear that Career Services offers few resources for students who don’t want to work in finance, tech or consulting. I found the loving community I’d always wanted at the DP after growing disenchanted with Greek life. I’ve done my best to change this campus for the better by helping hold its leaders accountable.

And, as it turns out, all my favorite moments of Penn have had very little to do with the institution. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I think back to long nights talking with my roommates, ignoring our work and laughing into the wee hours of the morning. Dancing to live music performed by my talented peers during Fling. Watching thousands of polished Penn students drop everything to join my hometown of Philadelphia in celebrating the Eagles’ victory. Stepping into the press box at a political rally and realizing what I wanted to do with my life.

The people of Penn, not the institution, have made my college years unforgettable.

And, since this is a rare instance where I’m writing about myself instead of others, I’m going to use this opportunity to thank them.

Thank you to Ellie, Jess, and Dan, for being the most wonderful Blue Room. I couldn’t have asked for a better news team to cover the insanity of 2016.

To Jill, Lauren, and Kristen, for inspiring me and teaching me everything I know about journalism.

To all my other DP friends — Sydney, Genevieve, Carter, Colin, Charlotte, Tom, Tommy, Alec, Lucien — for making a dirty, windowless office so much fun.

To Hannah, Sheridan, Alice, Sarah, Jessica, and Emily, for keeping me sane and always being there for me.

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To Mom, Dad, and Adam, for everlasting love and support.

Finally, thank you to everyone who’s picked up a copy of the DP, clicked on an article, agreed to an interview, trusted me to tell your story. It’s truly been an honor.

CAROLINE SIMON is a College senior from Oreland, Pa., studying English and communication. She served as the campus news editor on the 132nd board. Previously, she was a reporter. She most recently served as the opinion board chair.