Amendment 3 to appear on November ballot
Amendment 3, a proposed constitutional amendment to restore protections for unborn children and safeguards for women’s health, will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot. The newly proposed amendment would limit most abortions except for cases of rape and incest (up to 12 weeks of gestation), emergencies and fetal anomalies. It would also repeal a 2024 voter-approved amendment, which allows for abortions through fetal viability, but also offers a broad exception for the “life and physical or mental health of the pregnant person.” The Catholic bishops of Missouri support the proposed amendment, stating that it would reestablish protections including parental consent requirements for minors, health and safety standards for abortion facilities and limits on public funding for abortions, while reaffirming the dignity and sanctity of human life. The Missouri Catholic Conference has created a dedicated Amendment 3 resource page at mocatholic.org/amendment-3/, which features the bishops’ statement, fact sheets, parish and prayer resources, bulletin inserts, educational materials and additional information about the amendment. Gun Violence Prevention Month
The archdiocesan Gun Violence Prevention Task Force offers a toolkit of resources for Gun Violence Prevention Month in June. Among the resources are free gun locks, offered through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and available at archdiocesan vicariate offices, Cardinal Rigali Center and parishes throughout the archdiocese. For more information, visit bit.ly/gvptfstl, the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force – Archdiocese of St. Louis on Facebook or email gvptf@archstl.org.
Breast cancer healing Mass
A Mass will be celebrated to honor and extend healing to all who have been affected by breast cancer at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 6, at St. Ambrose Church, 5130 Wilson Ave. in St. Louis. Survivors and patients as well as family members and friends are welcome. Father Jack Siefert will celebrate the Mass, which will offer those in attendance the opportunity to join their sufferings with Christ and pray for the peace and healing of all. The sacrament of the anointing of the sick will be available as part of the Mass, and a reception will be held immediately afterward. The Mass and reception are sponsored by the archdiocesan Respect Life Apostolate.
Forgive Us Our Trespasses/Maafa
The Archdiocese of St. Louis will host its annual Forgive Us Our Trespasses Prayer Service and Maafa Procession in Downtown St. Louis to commemorate the approximately 2 million lives lost during the Middle Passage of the Atlantic slave trade. The event begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 20, at the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France (Old Cathedral), 209 Walnut St., with a prayer service and continues with a remembering ceremony on the Arch grounds. For more information, visit www.racialharmonystl.org.
Bicentennial Mass of celebration
Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski will celebrate a Mass for the Archdiocese of St. Louis’ Bicentennial Jubilee Year at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 18, at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. A reception will follow.
The Vatican’s Apostolic Penitentiary also has granted a plenary indulgence for the Jubilee Year. To receive an indulgence, faithful must undertake a pious pilgrimage to any of the 15 designated pilgrimage sites in the archdiocese through July 26, while fulfilling the usual conditions. To learn more about the archdiocese’s bicentennial, visit archstl200.org.
