Archdiocesan news

Archdiocesan briefs

PPE donations, urgent response fund

Similar to other health systems across the country, SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital is receiving requests from companies and individuals wanting to donate supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE). SSM Health Cardinal Glennon has a list on its website of items it is accepting. Visit bit.ly/39Vj1LV. The hospital also created an urgent response fund to help meet its critical needs in responding to the COVID-19 crisis in St. Louis. Donate at bit.ly/2RjvXoz.

Keeping residents safe

Cardinal Ritter Senior Services was notified by the St. Louis County Health Department that a resident of St. John Neumann Apartments tested positive for COVID-19 on April 8. Located in Jennings, St. John Neumann Apartments is affordable senior housing regulated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The resident was last at St. John Neumann on April 3. “We have taken — and will continue to take — an aggressive approach to keep residents and employees as safe as we possibly can during this pandemic, following recommendations from the Centers of Disease Control and, for our affordable housing apartments, HUD,” said Chris Baechle, Cardinal Ritter Senior Services CEO, adding that they are praying for the resident’s full recovery. St. John Neumann is a senior apartment complex, where residents cannot be prohibited from coming and going or having visitors to their residences. However, Cardinal Ritter Senior Services’ staff informed residents of all CDC guidelines on social distancing, proper hygiene, preventative cleaning/disinfecting, and what signs and symptoms to identify potential COVID-19 infection. Cardinal Ritter Senior Services also proactively cancelled all social and recreational activities, both on-site and off-premises several weeks ago. Staff has been wearing masks to help prevent potential asymptomatic transmission of COVID-19. Additional deep cleaning and sanitization will take place promptly at St. John Neumann and masks will be given to all residents to use when they leave their apartments.

Musial Moments online

The Musial Moments assemblies presented by the St. Louis Sports Commission’s Sports Foundation at area schools are now available to families online free of charge. The version offers information about Stan Musial’s life and legacy, video content from Musial Awards stories and lessons on sportsmanship and character. Visit www.bit.ly/3c5Gsne. Lesson plans and activities are available for educators and parents for children after viewing the video. The plans, by level, are at www.bit.ly/MusialElementary, www.bit.ly/MusialMiddleSchool and www.bit.ly/MusialHighSchool.

EVENTS

Storytelling

Arts & Faith St. Louis and the St. Louis Storytelling Festival, an MU Extension Program, will co-host a virtual free storytelling event at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 26. The theme is “Stories of Compassion.” The free event will be available only on Zoom at www.bit.ly/2yghlzx. Four storytellers from Christian, Hindu, Muslim and Jewish faith communities in the St. Louis region will present their stories. Arts & Faith St. Louis began in 2011 on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and continues to bring together the faith and arts communities by using the arts to create shared experiences and inspire thoughtful discussion among diverse audiences. For more information about programs of Arts & Faith St. Louis, contact Barbara Murray at bmurray@thesheldon.org or (314) 553-9900.