Catholic Cemeteries has completed construction on the new Chapel of the Risen Christ at Resurrection Cemetery.
The 8,600 square-foot chapel will be available for funeral and special occasion Masses, prayer services and other programs and as a place where daily visitors may visit for prayerful remembrance of loved ones in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.
Archbishop Emeritus Robert J. Carlson will celebrate a Mass of Remembrance for those whose remains are entrusted to Catholic Cemeteries at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 23, at the chapel, 7441 Mackenzie Road near Affton. The Mass is open to the public and will be followed by an open house until 2 p.m.
A team including St. Louis Design Alliance Architects, BSI Constructors, Emil Frei &Associates and about two dozen subcontractors collaborated on the project.
It features a sweeping ceiling that extends from eight feet at the entrance to 35 feet above the altar. A circular skylight above the altar makes it a primary focal point, and a near-life-size crucifix behind the altar, a Pietà statue and tabernacle are reminders of the paschal mystery of the dying and rising of the Lord and of His Real Presence. The chapel also includes a pipe organ and exterior bells from the former Sts. Mary and Joseph Church. The park-like grounds and outdoor plaza will provide visitors with space for prayer and reflection.
Abortion amendment update
Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins has certified HJR 73, which seeks to amend the constitution to prohibit most abortions in Missouri. Abortions would be allowed for medical emergencies and for fetal anomalies any time throughout pregnancy and in cases of rape and incest up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. The measure will appear on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot as Amendment 3.
If approved by voters, it would reinstate health and safety inspections at abortion facilities, require parental consent for minors receiving medical procedures, require physicians performing abortions to have nearby hospital admitting privileges, ensure access to care for medical emergencies, ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages and provide medical malpractice protections. The new ballot question also would amend the constitution to ban gender transition surgeries and prescribing medications for gender transition, including puberty blockers, for children younger than 18.
The ACLU filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Hoskins for certifying what it said is “an intentionally misleading and inaccurate summary statement and fair ballot language.”
Meanwhile, a Jackson County judge on July 3 again blocked enforcement of most of Missouri’s abortion-related restrictions. Planned Parenthood said it would resume abortions in Kansas City on July 7. Attorney General Andrew Bailey said he would appeal the decision.
