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By Dianna Marder Catching Newspapers On the day Edward Heffernan, a formerly religious leader from Feasterville, was paroled from Bucks County Prison, his son, Patrick, was standing out side Kmart 46 miles away, according to store spokesmen, admitting donations for a boys home that does not exist. Gerard Biron, security manag er for the Kmart store on High way 18 in East Brunswick, said the younger Heffernan has solicit ed donations there over the past five years for “Marian Founda tion Boys Home.** The most recent occasions, Biront said, were Nov. 24, Dec. 21 and Dec. 22. ‘The foundation sa legally regis tered in New Jersey, officials there said. The boys home was ee in March, Heffernan haa said. “Ele would generally come with ‘one oF the boys from the home,” Biront said, but in December, Patrick Heffernan was alone. “He said he couldn’t get any of the boys to come. The elder Heffernan, who pleaded guilty to the charge of risking a catastrophe by storing explosives at its Venerable Anna Catherina Emmerick Academy and Shrine on Street Road in Feasterville, was paroled Dec. 21 ,with several conditions. One way that he not solicit contributions. Hila aon's activity does not rep resent a parole violation by Ed ward Heffernan, officials said, since the foundation is permitted legally to solicit funds. But according to Harry Zambelli, of the Weat Feasterville Civic Association, ‘It is proof of Heffernan’s intention to continue, if not Mim gets then through surrogates. ‘The Marian Foundation was the tax-exempt, fund-raising arm of Heffernan's ultra-conservative, non-affiliated Roman Catholic school 2nd shrine in Lower South ampton Township. The Pennsylvania Attorney General's office sued the founda tion for failure to keep promer in ProEer financial records but dropped those charges in October, when Betternan’s supporters promised to adhere to state regulations regarding charitable contribu tons. An attempt in March by the foundation’s president, the Rev. Marton Palandrano, to dissolve the entity was blocked by Heffernan supporters, record a show, and the foundation now so permitted to raise funds. But its purpose is unclear. During the 10 years Heffernan, a layman and former builder, ran the school, he took some of the students — to whom he referred as wayward boys and girls — into ‘its home on Mechaniceville Road in Bensalem. ‘The teenagers helped pay their ‘wey, one former student said, by soliciting donations weekly, using cans marked “Orphans Home, at shopping malls in New Jersey.” Some of the teenagers were from single-parent homes; none was an orphan, the ex-student said. Each person brought in about $100 a day from this activi ty, the former student said. “We always made sure we went far enough away 2000 one would know us, the student aid. In March, when Heffernan asked to have his sentence reduced, his attorney told the court the boys and girls home had been closed and “all the boys and girls have been sent home.” Although Heffernan had con sistently declined to speak to re porters since June 1988, when the dynamite was found, his son, Daniel, has reiterated that none of the teenagers is living in the home. ‘The fund raising at Emert rep resents no apparent violation of Heffernan's parole, said Joseph Long of the Parole Board in Harrisburg “The conditions of parole have to do with his activity,’ Long said. “We cannot control the activities of other people. “The problem is, there is a ree fine line between what he is doing mA what that promte are dine and his relationship to that,’ Long said. 432 condition of his arolz, which wil continue unti April 9, 1083, Heffernan was barred from reopening the Street Road Shrine; being associated with any school, church, religious or chari table organization in any state; solleiting financial contributions, and from contacting certain “past associates,” whose names were not released by the parole board. Bucks County District Attorney Michael Kane, who said he would aggressively oppose Heffernan's parole unless those conditions were set, last week said he had taken steps to ensure the proper officials were aware of the re sultions on Heffernan’s activi ty. ‘I have been In touch with New Jersey law enforcement officials and with federal officials about the activities of the Martan Foundation,” Kane It is not usual for a group to travel 45 miles to aolicit funds, according to Doris Myers of the East Brunswick Township clert’s office “This is known as gap affluent community,” said Ms. Myers, whose office gives permission to non-profit groups who want to run “tag days” in the township. Unlike door-to-door solicita tions, which require police checks on the participants, tag days require only that the group submit written permission on the organization's letterhead, requesting specific dates. ‘The Marian Foundation letter head reads, “Boys Home for the Rehabitation, Care and Educa tion of the Youth of America.'' A group also must have the permission of the store outside which it wants to stand. In this gage, Kmatt’s Biront consented because “Patrick Heffernan used to Live in Old Bridge,” a neighbor ing community. “We never had any problem with the Marian Foundation or complaints about them. They were very successful here,’ Biront said, Judging from how evulation us bottle was filed with coins and ‘bills from shoppers.
Newspaper Details
Doylestown Intelligencer
Doylestown, Pennsylvania, US
Fri, Jan 11, 1985
Page 82
Full Page
Clipped by
Jennifer H.
USA 17 Jun 2026
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