Pray for Vocations

A Mass and Rosary for vocations will take place on Sunday, Nov. 1, at Ascension Church, 238 Santa Maria Drive in Chesterfield. A Rosary for vocations will be held at 5 p.m., followed by a Life Teen Mass at 5:30, celebrated by associate pastor Father Stephen Schumacher. Vespers and vocation talks will take place after Mass. A reception will be held in the multi-purpose room with various religious orders, information about vocations and food.

Masses for America

A series of Masses will be offered for the welfare of America on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, in conjunction with the Oratory of Sts. Gregory and Augustine at St. Luke Church, 7230 Dale Ave. The Masses will be celebrated every hour from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the Rosary will be recited after each Mass. For information, contact the World Apostolate of Fatima at (314) 562-5927.

Black Catholic History Month celebration

November is designated as Black Catholic History Month, which celebrates the long history and proud heritage of Black Catholics. The North City Deanery’s Interracial Relations Committee will host a Black Catholic History Month Celebration with a novena Nov. 7-15. A video featuring different Black Catholic leaders will be released each day at 9 a.m. A concluding prayer service will take place at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16, at St. Alphonsus “Rock” Church, 1118 N. Grand Blvd. in St. Louis. The prayer service also will be livestreamed at www.facebook.com/ interracialrelations. To register for the online novena, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/126311690667. It is a free event but people are asked to register to receive the daily video.

‘Flannery’

“Flannery,” a documentary that explores the work, life and legacy of Catholic author Flannery O’Connor, will make its St. Louis premiere Nov. 5-22 at the 29th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival. The film is co-directed, written and produced by Elizabeth Coffman and Jesuit Father Mark Bosco, a native St. Louisan and a Saint Louis University alumnus who is vice president for mission and ministry at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and a scholar on the British and American Catholic literary tradition. “Flannery” is narrated by Mary Steenburgen, featuring interviews with Mary Karr, Hilton Als, Alice Walker, Tommy Lee Jones, Conan O’Brien and more. For more information and to see a trailer of the winner of the first-ever Library of Congress/Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film, visit www.flanneryfilm.com. For details on the St. Louis premiere, visit bit.ly/2HpEKmJ. A Q&A is planned with Father Bosco, moderated by Avis Meyer, professor emeritus of communications at Saint Louis University. It is sponsored by Saint Louis University Departments of Communications, English, Film Studies, and Fine & Performing Arts.

Prayer service for spiritual healing

The archdiocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection, in collaboration with the Office of Sacred Worship, is organizing and sponsoring a prayer service for spiritual healing presided by Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski. The prayer service will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at St. Margaret of Scotland Church, 3854 Flad Ave. in St. Louis. Masks must be worn and social distancing observed at the prayer service. All victims/survivors of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse by anyone — clergy, family, friends, co-workers or strangers — are invited to attend the prayer service. In addition, family members and friends of survivors are encouraged to participate, as well as those who are involved in helping abused people and who want to pray for healing and reconciliation, and the prevention of abuse.

Christmas at the Cathedral

Catholic Charities of St. Louis and Cathedral Concerts of St. Louis are co-hosting Christmas at the Cathedral, a livestreamed performance, Friday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. The live concert, performed in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, will feature Cathedral Concerts executive director and tenor Scott Kennebeck and Friends, with performances as well from the St. Louis Archdiocesan Handbell Choir and Rosati-Kain High School’s R-K Voices choir. There is no cost or need to RSVP. Donations to support the mission are optional but appreciated. To access the concert, visit bit.ly/35trTbt.

History of Black Catholics in the U.S.

“Stony the Road We Trod,” in recognition of Black Catholic History Month, will take place from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, via Zoom. Joyce Jones, program director with the archdiocesan Office of Racial Harmony Ministry, and Jeffrey Schulenberg, facilitator of the Peace and Justice Commission at Sacred Heart Parish in Valley Park, will interweave material from their workshop “The Racialization of America,” with stories of Black Catholics in the U.S. and leaders of African descent who are on the path to sainthood, including the racism they’ve encountered along the way. Registration is required by noon on Friday, Nov. 13. Register online at www.mercycenterstl.org. The event is sponsored by the Mercy Retreat and Conference Center.

Annual Adoption Mass

The annual Adoption Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski will be the main celebrant. The annual Mass, sponsored by the archdiocesan Respect Life Apostolate, Good Shepherd Children & Family Services and Office of Natural Family Planning, is a celebration of all whose lives have been affected by adoption, whether directly or indirectly. A special invitation is extended to parents who have made an adoption plan for their child and families who have adopted or who are in the process of adoption. Adoptive individuals and families are invited to sit in reserved seating in the front and middle pews. For more information, contact the Respect Life Apostolate at [email protected] or (314) 792-7555.

Tennis titans

Two Catholic schools in the archdiocese won titles at the Missouri State High School Activities Association tennis championships in Springfield. Visitation Academy won the Class 2 team, singles and doubles titles. Villa Duchesne won the Class 1 team and singles championships. Visitation took its team title with a 5-0 win over St. Pius X High School of Kansas City. Laura Finnie, a junior, won the Class 2 title in singles and Sophia McLellan, a senior, and her sister, sophomore Suzanna McLellan, won in doubles for Visitation. Villa Duchesne won its team title with a 5-0 win over Bolivar. Villa Duchesne senior Lizzie Barlow won the Class 1 singles championship. Ursuline Academy finished in third place in Class 1, defeating Bishop LeBlond High School 5-0.

New CFO

Catholic Charities of St. Louis announced Oct. 28 the appointment of Gary Kacich to the nonprofit organization’s chief financial officer role. He will assume responsibilities Jan. 11, after retiring from Peabody Energy Corporation. Kacich has worked for Peabody for more than 25 years in several finance and accounting roles and has served as vice president internal audit for the past five years. Prior to joining Peabody, he was a division accounting manager for Mallinckrodt Medical, Inc. Kacich began his career with Ernst & Young LLP and was an audit manager when he left the firm. As CFO, Kacich will be responsible for developing and implementing financial and operational policies and strategies for the Catholic Charities Central Office and will serve as a resource for the eight Catholic Charities federated agencies. Kacich has a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from University of Missouri-Columbia. He is a certified public accountant and a chartered global management accountant. A graduate of St. John Vianney High School, he and his wife Barb are members of St. Catherine Laboure Parish in Sappington. They have two sons, Dominic and Tyler.

Grotto turns 100

A grotto in Perryville built in honor Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal turns 100 years old on Nov. 11. On the grounds of the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal in Perryville, its origins date to the First World War. Vincentian Superior Father William H. Musson spoke about the need for shrines in Mary’s honor in the United States, and it touched off a years-long effort to construct a rock grotto on the seminary grounds at Saint Mary’s of the Barrens in Perryville. On Nov. 11, 1920, Archbishop John J. Glennon dedicated the grotto. In the century since, Catholics throughout the United States have offered prayers of thanksgiving, celebrated Marian feast days, taken part in the annual May Procession, brought their personal intentions to Mary, or simply rested under her watchful, loving gaze.