Cardinal Ritter raises funds for scholarships at annual gala
More than $1.5 million was raised for scholarship programs at Cardinal Ritter College Prep’s 14th annual Celebrating Success in Education Gala, breaking previous fundraising records for the event. The event was held on Feb. 23 at the Coronado Ballroom in St. Louis. That evening, Ameren Corporation pledged a $500,000 gift to the school, which will support scholarships for 250 students over the next five years.
“We are immensely grateful to our generous sponsors and donors for their faithful support of our mission,” said Tamiko Armstead, president of Cardinal Ritter College Prep. “This transformational giving will create an impact for generations to come.”
Ameren’s donation is part of the company’s Equity in Education initiative to support equitable, attainable education for students in some of the most vulnerable communities within Ameren’s service territory.
Divine Liturgy for Ukraine
A Divine Liturgy in remembrance of the victims of the war in Ukraine will be celebrated at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 22, at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. Bishop Benedict Aleksiychuk, Ukrainian Catholic Eparch of Chicago, will preside at the liturgy, and Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski will be preaching. Divine Liturgy is a term used by Eastern Catholic Churches for their Mass. Catholics are welcome to participate and receive Eucharist during the liturgy.
Living Rosary for Life
Our Lady of Guadalupe for Life will host a Living Rosary for Life at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, March 19, at Assumption Church, 4725 Mattis Road in south St. Louis County. The group will pray the Rosary and honor St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. Our Lady of Guadalupe for Life is a nonprofit group that sponsors pro-life billboards along St. Louis area highways. For more information on the Living Rosary for Life, contact Anna Maria Usselmann at (314) 487-2066.
Lenten devotional concert
The choir of St. Francis Borgia Parish in Washington will offer a Lenten devotional concert, “The Way of the Cross,” at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 26 at Holy Redeemer Church, 17 Joy Avenue in Webster Groves. The concert is based on the Stations of the Cross, and there is a song to reflect on each of the 14 stations. It has been offered every year, except during the pandemic, since 1997. The free concert lasts about 75 minutes.
Relic of St. Louis at St. Ambrose
A relic of St. Louis IX, King of France from the Monreale Cathedral in Sicily will be on display for veneration March 24-26 at St. Ambrose Parish, 5130 Wilson Ave. on the Hill. The relic will be on display from 8:45 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, March 24; 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, March 25; and 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, March 26. Auxiliary Bishop Mark Rivituso will celebrate a closing Mass at 3 p.m. March 26.
Organ concert at St. Francis de Sales
Organist Sandor Balatoni will perform a free organ concert at St. Francis de Sales Oratory, 2653 Ohio Avenue in St. Louis, at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 25. The DeSales Heritage Foundation is sponsoring the concert as part of the Oratory’s inaugural concert series showcasing its Wilhelm Opus 123 organ. For more information, call (314) 771-3100.
Choose Life series
“Choose Life: A Lenten Series on Pro-Life Issues,” continues in March. “Care for Our Immigrant Neighbors” will take place from 4-7 p.m. Sunday, March 26 at the Cardinal Rigali Center in Shrewsbury. The session will begin with Mass in the chapel, followed by dinner and a presentation. Free on-site child care will be available. To RVSP, see stlreview.com/3XvwlzH or contact Marie Kenyon at (314) 792-7062 or mariekenyon@archstl.org.
Come and See the seminary
Come and See, a free retreat for young men in high school who are interested in learning more about seminary life, will take place March 31-April 2 at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Shrewsbury. Retreatants arrive Friday at 5 p.m. and depart Sunday after 9 a.m. Mass. To register, visit www.stlvocations.org/retreat. For more information, email Renae Novak at rnovak@archstl.org.
Art exhibit at Visitation Academy
“Pray to Love: The Annecy, France, Nun Series,” an art exhibit featuring paintings by Tennessee artist Anne Goetze, will be on display March 26-31 at Visitation Academy, 3020 North Ballas Road in Town and Country. The exhibit depicts the sunlit corridors and courtyards of the Visitation Monastery in Annecy, France, as well as the lives of the Visitation Sisters who call it home. A Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Sunday, March 26, followed by an opening reception for the exhibit. For public exhibit hours and additional information, visit www.visitationacademy.org/about-viz/our-spirituality/pray-to-love-art-exhibit.
Handi-Capable Easter Egg Hunt
The annual John Stevens Memorial Handi-Capable Easter Egg Hunt for individuals with special needs will take place on Sunday, April 2, at the Knights of Columbus Our Lady of Fatima Council #4429, 1216 Teson Road in Hazelwood. The free event, made possible through donations, includes a hot dog lunch and Easter-themed stuffed animals for participants to take home. Doors open at noon, and the Easter egg hunt begins at 1 p.m. To RSVP, call (314) 731-9330 or Art Casolari at ajcasolari@gmail.com
Sts. Teresa and Bridget recognition
St. Louis Crisis Nursery will honor Sts. Teresa and Bridget Parish in St. Louis with the H.U.G.S. and K.I.S.S.E.S. Community Partner of the Year Award at its annual Razzle Dazzle Ball April 1. The parish for years has rented out one of its buildings to St. Louis Crisis Nursery for its administrative headquarters. The organization provides respite care for parents in need and offers a wide range of services for families to improve their lives.
Save the date: Maafa
The second annual Forgive Us Our Trespasses prayer service and Maafa procession will be held June 17 at the Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France (Old Cathedral). Maafa, which is a Swahili word for “great disaster,” is a traditional procession to memorialize the lives of those lost during the Middle Passage, or transatlantic slave trade. The archdiocese also has been researching its involvement in the slave trade as part of an effort called “Forgive Us Our Trespasses.” For more information, contact Joyce Jones with the Office of Racial Harmony at joycejones@archstl.org, or Eric Fair with the Office of Archives and Records at ericfair@archstl.org.
