Transfer of St. Anthony
Archbishop Robert J. Carlson joined community leaders, hospital employees and officials on Sept. 18 to celebrate St. Anthony Medical Center's transfer of sponsorship from the St. Louis Archdiocese to Mercy. Archbishop Carlson compared it to a new creation, a marriage. He spoke and gave a blessing near the statue of St. Anthony at the medical center campus in south St. Louis County. "As Catholic ministries we must be one in our identity and care for our communities," Archbishop Carlson said. Mike McCurry, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Mercy and president of St. Anthony's, referred to the Franciscan Sisters of Germany who began their healing ministry in St. Louis in 1873 and all the men and women who have served alongside them at St. Anthony's. Sister Mary Roch Rocklage, RSM, Mercy Health Board liaison, recalled the legacy of Catherine McAuley and the Sisters of Mercy and their love for the poor. "Today we're one, serving in unison the people of South County," said Lynn Britton, president and CEO of Mercy.
Special Olympics campus
Special Olympics Missouri has launched "Fan the Flame," a fundraising campaign for its Training for Life Campus in Jefferson City. The campus, which will be the largest facility in the U.S. built exclusively for Special Olympics athletes, is under construction. An additional $1.4 million is needed to complete $18.5 million cost of the 16.5-acre campus facilities on donated land. The Missouri Knights of Columbus are among groups helping to raise funds for the campus. Special Olympics Missouri is a year-round program of sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. At the campus, athletes will train, compete and receive health and dental screenings. Athletes will receive fitness and life skills training to assist them with developing communications skills needed in the workplace and in daily life. To contribute to the campaign, visit www.somo.org and click the Fan the Flame banner.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Pardon our dust ...
After the final day of the exhibit, "How Can I Keep from Singing?" by Mary Martin, on Saturday, Sept. 30, Good Shepherd Gallery will be closed for 10 days as the gallery retools and adds a separate classroom space, shifts the gallery area forward and makes other adjustments. The gallery will reopen Wednesday, Oct. 11, and will be open for regular hours through Saturday, Oct. 14, then will close again Tuesday, Oct. 17, to Thursday, Oct. 19, for the Province Assembly of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Province of Mid-North America. The opening reception for "Zebras and Reflections," watercolor paintings by Sister Elizabeth Slenker, OP, will be Friday, Oct. 20. The gallery is at 252 S. Florissant Road in Ferguson. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 2-8 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and by appointment on Tuesday.
Paulines study Protestant Reformation
The Daughters of St. Paul will study "True Reformers," a new six-part weekly series with a Catholic worldview addressing the Protestant Reformation, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, through Thursday, Nov. 9 at Pauline Books & Media, 9804 Watson Road, Crestwood. Produced by the Augustine Institute, the series will explore the lives of saints who spearheaded the Church's renewal: St. Thomas More (Oct. 5), St. Ignatius of Loyola (Oct. 12), St. Philip Neri (Oct. 19), St. Charles Borromeo (Oct. 26), St. Teresa of Avila (Nov. 2) and St. Francis de Sales (Nov. 9). The registration fee is $20, including a workbook. For information or registration, call (314) 965-3512.
Special-needs Mass
A Mass for individuals and families with special needs will be celebrated at noon, Sunday, Oct. 8, at Sacred Heart Church, 17 Ann Ave. in Valley Park. Individuals with special needs who wish to participate in the Mass as a lector, usher, greeter, petition reader or other function should contact Kathy Houston at (636) 861-3469 or [email protected]. A luncheon sponsored by the Sacred Heart Pro Life Committee will take place in the church hall following Mass. To RSVP for the luncheon, email [email protected].