Archdiocesan news briefs
TTEF receives state recognition
The Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation received special recognition from Missouri State Treasurer Vivek Makek for the foundation’s work administrating the MOScholars Scholarship Program. TTEF staff were also presented with resolutions by the Missouri General Assembly on Jan. 28 at the Capitol in Jefferson City. TTEF is one of the largest educational assistance organizations in the state. This year, TTEF is serving 114 Catholic schools through the MOScholars program and has awarded 1,155 children more than $7.5 million in MOScholars scholarships.
Catholic Charities to open housing for older adults in Ferguson
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Louis has received an award from the Missouri Housing Development Commission for the construction of a 60-unit affordable apartment community for older adults. Caritas Our Lady of Guadalupe will be built on land purchased from Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Ferguson. Caritas Our Lady of Guadalupe marks Catholic Charities’ third new housing community underway, joining Caritas Troy and Caritas Festus. Together, the developments represent a significant investment in affordable housing and reflect Catholic Charities’ longstanding commitment to serving individuals and families in need.
“These projects are a tangible expression of our mission to uphold the dignity of every person,” chief community officer Brian Thouvenot said. “By creating welcoming, affordable communities, we are ensuring that older adults, families, and others across our region have access to stable housing.”
Eucharistic ministers needed
SSM Health DePaul Hospital in Bridgeton is in need of extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist to help distribute holy Communion to those in the hospital. For information, call Mandy Pratt, manager of volunteer services, at (314) 344-7083.
BJC Christian Hospital in north St. Louis County is also in need of help with Communion calls. For more information, contact chaplain Father Ray Iwuji at (314) 653-5953.
Workshop on racism
“Am I My Brother’s Keeper: The Racialization of America,” a workshop presented by the archdiocesan Office of Racial Harmony and Black Catholic Ministries, will take place from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, in the parish hall at Mary Mother of the Church, 5901 Kerth Road in south St. Louis County. Joyce Jones, director of the Office of Racial Harmony and Black Catholic Ministries, and Jeff Schulenberg, facilitator of the Peace and Justice Commission at Sacred Heart in Valley Park, will examine racism through the lens of Catholic social teaching, which speaks to the dignity of the human person and asserts that we are one human family regardless of our national, racial, ethnic, economic and ideological differences. The workshop also will explore the history of discrimination in housing in the United States. A light box lunch will be provided. To register, visit stlreview.com/4tkWjXM.
Deacon Diaper Drive
During Lent, from Feb. 21 through March 19, the permanent deacons in the Archdiocese of St. Louis in conjunction with the archdiocesan Respect Life Apostolate will be collecting diapers for infants, toddlers and adults as part of their annual Deacon Diaper Drive. Donations of infant, toddler or adult diapers as well as baby wipes should be dropped off at parishes during those dates. All donations will be delivered to those in need in the area.
Naming and Commendation
St. Anselm Parish will host the Rite of Naming and Commendation for an Infant Who Has Died Before Birth on Sunday, March 1, after the 11 a.m. Mass. Father Aidan McDermott, OSB, will lead the brief ceremony in the St. Anselm Parish Chapel, located in the Parish Center, 530 S. Mason Road in Creve Coeur. The rite memorializes children who have died before birth, including miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion or accident. It also offers parents and families an opportunity to name the child and unite with our merciful God, which can help bring peaceful closure to great loss.
