Kudos for our staff

Three staff members of the St. Louis Review newspaper and Catholic St. Louis magazine were honored June 10 with top awards from the Catholic Media Association. Lisa Johnston received a first-place award as photographer of the year. Teak Phillips, director of publications for the archdiocese, received third place for editor of the year. Abigail Witte received honorable mention in the graphic artist/designer of the year award category. Health Progress, a publication of the Catholic Health Association of the United States based in St. Louis, received several awards, including as top national general interest magazine. The Catholic Press Awards acknowledge the outstanding work of members as they strive to further the mission of the Church. On a daily basis they inform, inspire and educate readers keeping them connected to their faith, and telling the story of the Church.

SLU tackles the global pandemic

Saint Louis University President Fred Pestello announced June 8 that he accepted a working group’s recommendations requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for all students, staff and faculty who are physically present on the St. Louis campuses. Vaccinations also will be required of SLU St. Louis students who will be studying outside the U.S., including on the Madrid campus. Exemptions will apply on the grounds of religious beliefs or medical circumstances. New guidance released from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that institutes of higher education where all faculty, staff and students are fully vaccinated can return to a normal, full-capacity operation.

Saint Louis University completed its 2020-21 academic year without having to suspend mostly in-person classes, entirely in-person labs and on-campus living. Among many other factors, university officials point to a decision early in the crisis to engage SLU’s experts in leading the response to COVID-19. Students from SLU’s Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing conducted weekly asymptomatic tests and staffed on-campus vaccination clinics. Physician assistant students from SLU’s Doisy College of Health Sciences also administered vaccinations. Graduate students in the university’s College for Public Health and Social Justice served as the primary members of SLU’s contact tracing team. In addition, students volunteered to deliver meals to those in isolation and quarantine housing, while campus ministry interns made them care packages. More than 3,500 students of SLU’s 12,000-person student body lived on campus.

Legislative session

In the latest episode of MCC from the Capitol, Missouri Catholic Conference lobbyists discuss the surprises, setbacks and successes of this year’s Missouri legislative session.To listen to the episode on the MCC website, visit mocatholic.org/news-and-events/mcc-podcast. It’s also available to download on Apple and Google Podcasts and Spotify.

Virtual storytime

Join the Daughters of St. Paul for a Summer Virtual Storytime on Tuesdays, June 22 and 29 and July 6 at 10:30 a.m. Each morning there will be stories, songs, interactive activities and prayers led by the sisters for children, age seven and under. The storytime will take place over Zoom. To receive the link and a free resource pack for your children to enjoy, please register at tinyurl.com/paulinestorytime.

Gospel response to violence

Father William Dotson, pastor at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in St. Charles, will present “A Gospel Response to Gun Violence” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 22, at St. Alban Roe Parish, 2001 Shepard Road in Wildwood. The presentation will address questions such as: Does gun violence exist in isolation or is it a result of a broader cultural issue? How should we as Catholics respond? The free event being held in Mikesch Hall.

St. Josemaria Escriva Mass

A Mass celebrating the feast of St. Josemaria Escriva will be celebrated at 7 p.m. Friday, June 25, at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski will be the main celebrant. Confessions will be heard beginning at 6:30 p.m. St. Josemaria Escriva was a Spanish priest who founded Opus Dei, an organization of laypeople and priests dedicated to the teaching that everyone is called to holiness by God and that ordinary life can result in sanctity. His feast day is celebrated on June 26.

‘Viable’ play

A live, one-act play, “Viable,” will be performed at 2 and 6 p.m. Friday, July 9, at the Cardinal Rigali Center, 20 Archbishop May Drive in Shrewsbury. It is offered free of charge. The play, sponsored by the archdiocesan Respect Life Apostolate in conjunction with Support After Abortion, focuses on abortion healing, and the redemption, mercy and grace that come with letting God transform old wounds into a new life with His forgiveness. Support After Abortion’s mission is to end the demand for abortion through healing. For information, visit www.supportafterabortion.com. Sign up for the 2 p.m. showing at bit.ly/3wrWz9g and the 6 p.m. showing at bit.ly/35iBp1D.

Pro-life speaker

National conservative news and media personality Will Witt will be the keynote speaker at the Vitae Foundation’s Southern Illinois Pro-Life Event on Tuesday, July 13, at the Four Points by Sheraton, 319 Fountains Parkway in Fairview Heights. The dinner event will begin at 7 p.m. Witt has appeared on Fox News, Newsmax and One America News Network and has been featured in The New York Times, The Daily Wire and other media outlets. “A challenge facing the pro-life movement is learning how to effectively communicate with the younger generation about the abortion issue,” Vitae market director Nick Johnson said. “Will has a proven track record of being able to do just that.” The event raises funds to promote a culture of life and to help educate women facing unplanned pregnancies about resources available which can assist them in making a life-affirming decision. Registration is $50 ($15 is tax deductible) and can be made online at VitaeFoundation.org/events or by calling (573) 634-4316.

Catholic marketing conference

The Catholic Marketing Network MOMENTUM’21 Conference and Trade Show will take place July 27-29 at the Schaumburg Renaissance Convention Center, in Schaumburg, Illinois, located outside of Chicago. The conference is for organizations and individuals who evangelize, catechize, and mobilize Catholics. This year’s theme is “Finding Hope with Saint Joseph, Humble Leader and Steadfast Worker.” The event connects Catholic prayer warriors, ministry leaders, retailers, business owners, and educators and directors of religious education Attendees experience conference sessions, prayer experiences, social events, and face-to-face networking. For more information or to register, visit catholicmarketing.com.