Kudos for Sister Helen
Marygrove, a multifaceted program of residential care for children with behavior health problems, dedicated a building on its campus July 17 as the Sister Helen Negri Administration Building. Sister Helen recently retired as chief executive officer after 35 years of service to the Catholic Charities agency. Dedicated to caring for at-risk children, she began at Marygrove with seven teenage girls and grew the agency into a therapeutic residential care program for more than 200 children with behavioral health problems served daily including therapeutic foster care, a transitional living program, crisis services, an independent living program and a school. “Sister Helen has inspired me and many others with her passionate commitment to the children of Marygrove,” said the vice president of Marygrove’s board, Robert Porter. “She sees each person, no matter how bruised or broken, as the living image of God and reaches out in love to help them heal and grow.” Along with its community based programs, Marygrove assists 1,500 young people each year.
Adorers elect
new leadership team
At their annual assembly in late June, the Adorers of the Blood of Christ elected a new five-member U.S. Regional Leadership Team, which will assume office for a six-year term in early October. As U.S. Leader, they elected Sister Vicki Bergkamp, a long-time professor of business at Newman University in Wichita, Kan. The Adorers also re-elected two current Leadership Team members — Sisters Janet McCann and Maria Hughes — and elected Sisters Mary Catherine Clark and Angela Laquet to new terms.
New COO
St. Patrick Center has named Michelle Hennessy the agency’s new chief operations officer. Hennessy officially began her duties on July 2. Hennessy comes to St. Patrick Center from Saint Louis University, where she was assistant director of the Department of Pediatrics. Prior to that, she was a financial analyst for SLU’s Medical Center finance team and staff accountant for Liguori Publications in St. Louis.
Young adult retreat
The archdiocesan Office of Young Adult Ministry hosted its first-ever Young Adult Retreat July 6-8 at White House Jesuit Retreat in Oakville. The retreat drew 90 young adults, aged 21-35, who partook in approximately 24 hours of silent prayer with talks given by Father Anthony Wieck, SJ. Participants learned the value of silent prayer and tenets of Ignatian spirituality. Talks focused on Scriptural prayer, discernment and freedom, and priests were available throughout the weekend for confessions and private conferences. Director of Young Adult Ministry and retreatant Nick Lee described the weekend as an “unbelievably fruitful experience” and said that “you could just see the level of peace and engagement on (retreatants’) faces.” The office is planning to host similar retreats at least once a year as well as exploring the possibility of a longer retreat shortly after Christmas.
Upcoming events
‘An American Tragedy’
Filmmaker Lisa Boyd, creator of “Potosi: God in Death Row,” a film that explores themes of forgiveness and redemption following visits to a Missouri prison by the Sons of Thunder biker group, has produced another film, to be screened in at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 22, in Brown Hall at Washington University. Titled “An American Tragedy,” it is the story of Jeffrey Ferguson, who spent 26 years on death row before being executed in 2014, and the father of his victim. The two men eventually made an emotional journey towards redemption. For information or to buy tickets, visit www.stlouisreview.com/jtm. Also, the film “Lindy Lou, Juror Number 2,” will air at 10 p.m. Monday, July 16, on the NineNetwork of Public Media, Channel 9, in St. Louis.
‘Daniel Lord, SJ’
“Daniel Lord, SJ: The Restless Flame — Thinking Big in a Parochial World,” will be shown at 1 p.m. Sunday, July 22, in Brown Hall at Washington University. A St. Louisan, the Jesuit priest was one of the most influential American religious figures of the 20th century. He wrote 230 pamphlets — which sold 25 million copies — and 70 plays and musicals, with some of his elaborate pageants featuring casts of more than 1,000. Father Lord also co-wrote the controversial Motion Picture Production Code, the self-censorship rules to which the studios adhered from 1930-68. For information or to buy tickets, visit www.stlouisreview.com/jtE.
The Summer of Love
The Theology on Tap Summer Six Pack, “The Summer of Love,” continues at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 24 at Kirkwood Station Brewing Co. The summer sessions focus on how the Church communicates the Gospel of Love. The final session will be Tuesday, Aug. 14. For more information, email [email protected] or call (314) 792-7008.