Saint Madeline was opened for services as a Mission Church on October 15, 1907, and dedicated on Sunday, February 2, 1908. The Mission Church remained part of the Parish of St. Rose of Lima until February, 1909. At that time, the congregation had increased sufficiently to declare the church of Saint Madeline a separate Parish which included the areas of Ridley Park, Folsom, part of Glenolden, Milmont Park, Holmes and the Mission Church of St. Gabriel in Norwood.

On January 24, 1909, the first pastor, Reverend Francis P. Bradley, was appointed to Saint Madeline Church. It was under his supervision that ground-breaking was begun on the first Rectory on July 29, 1909.

Early in 1921, Archbishop Dennis J. Dougherty requested that a Parish School be built. Property was purchased in 1922, and the School was dedicated on Labor Day in 1924.

The Parish continued to grow through The Great Depression and World War II. This growth prompted the building of a new School which was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day in November, 1954, and then required and addition of a second floor to that School in 1956.

In the 1960's , under the guidance of Reverend Francis P. Walsh, Saint Madeline built a new Church, Rectory and Convent. This aggressive building program was made possible through tireless work of Saint Madeline's Expansion Fund Committee. These buildings are those in use today.

In 1980, Saint Rose of Lima School, Eddystone merged with Saint Madeline School. Saint Margaret Mary in Essington also send students to Saint Madeline School and the Saint Madeline/Saint Rose School is our current configuration.