Dred Scott campaign

A campaign by the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation has raised $30,000, half of what it needs to build a memorial to Dred Scott at his gravesite in Calvary Cemetery. The campaign was announced late last year. The foundation works to inform future generations about the lengths that enslaved African American men and women went to in their fight for freedom and just law. Catholic Cemeteries of St. Louis approved a new, more prominent monument after consultation with Lynne Jackson, a great-great-granddaughter of Dred and Harriet Scott and founder of the foundation. For more information, visit dredscottlives.org. To contribute to the campaign, visit https://bit.ly/3cepg0J or send a check indicating a contribution for the memorial to the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation, P.O. Box 2009, Florissant, MO 63032.

Also, the Missouri Senate passed SCR 3, sponsored by Sen. Steven Roberts (D-St. Louis City), by a vote of 33-0. The resolution, supported by the Missouri Catholic Conference, condemns the 1852 Missouri Supreme Court decision denying Dred and Harriet Scott their freedom due to their race and status as slaves. The court ruled that Dred and Harriet Scott did not have a legal right to their freedom, even though they had lived for several years with their owner in the free states of Illinois and Wisconsin before being brought back to Missouri. The Missouri Catholic Conference testified in support of the resolution with the hope that recognizing the error of these court decisions in denying the equal dignity of the Scotts as human beings made in the image and likeness of God will help begin to heal the longstanding wounds from slavery that have plagued Missouri and the U.S. The resolution now heads to the Missouri House for further consideration.

New residence for SLU Jesuits

Ground soon will be broken for a new on-campus residence for Saint Louis University Jesuits, which will serve to enhance the integration of Jesuits into the campus community and university life. The decision to locate the residence on campus was made as one of the five strategic priorities SLU President Fred P. Pestello set for the university in this academic year: Continue to strengthen the Catholic and Jesuit mission. The residence will be located on the north side of Laclede Avenue, just west of Spring Avenue, with Fusz Hall to the North and Beracha and Spring Halls to the east. Jesuit Hall needs extensive repairs and maintenance. It has been home to SLU Jesuits and other members of the Society of Jesus since 1973. The building itself is more than 100 years old.

Spiritual healing for victims, survivors

Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski will preside at a prayer service for spiritual healing at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 23, at Holy Redeemer Church, 17 Joy Ave. in Webster Groves. All victims and 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 and those who want to pray for healing and reconciliation are encouraged to attend. Masks must be worn and social distancing observed at the prayer service. For more information, contact Carol Brescia, victim assistance coordinator in the archdiocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection, at [email protected] or (314) 378-3627.

Racial wealth gap

A virtual program, “Racial Wealth Gap in the U.S.: What’s Driving it and What We’re Doing About it” will be presented at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 23. Sponsored by the Social Justice Ministry of Christ Prince of Peace Parish, it features a presentation by Ray Boshara, director of the Center for Household Financial Stability at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, a standing adviser to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Domestic Committee and a commissioner on the Archdiocesan Peace and Justice Commission. To register for the program, visit christprinceofpeace.com/socialjustice.

Traveling Stations of the Cross

The archdiocesan Peace and Justice Commission and the Office of Racial Harmony are hosting “The Way of the Cross: Overcoming Racism,” a traveling Stations of the Cross from 9 a.m.-noon, Saturday, March 27. The event will begin at the Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France (Old Cathedral) Downtown, and end at Sumner High School in north St. Louis. Participants will caravan in their cars to each location. Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski, Rev. Dr. Linden Bowie, Bishop Elijah Hankerson and Rev. Charles Norris will lead the pilgrimage of prayer to ask for God’s help in eliminating the sin of racism. Each site will include different themes. For more information and to RSVP see www.parishsupportstl.com/am-i-my-brothers-keeper-workshops.

Easter event for kids

Pauline Books & Media in St. Louis is hosting a virtual Easter event for children. The Pauline Sisters and local author Cathy Gilmore will host the event at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 3, as a way to help children prepare for Easter. Included will be a story time with Gilmore’s book, “Easter Bunny’s Amazing Day.” There’s a free resource book to download when registering. Call (314) 965-3512 for more information or register at bit.ly/paulineeaster. More information on Gilmore is at bit.ly/3cwNPGo.

Praised be the Incarnate Word

Bridget McDermott Flood, executive director of the Incarnate Word Foundation, recently authored “Blue Hole Wisdom: My Journey with the Sisters,” a spiritual memoir and compendium of the wisdom the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of San Antonio have shared with her over the past two decades. The book includes stories on different themes that apply to daily life and spiritual growth. It is available through Incarnate Word Foundation Press at incarnatewordstl.org/iwf-press.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter Experience

The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter Experience offers married couples the tools needed to help their marriage grow and blossom. The next encounter in the St. Louis area will be held virtually the weekend of April 23-25. For more information or to apply, go to wwme.org, or call Terry and Eric Engholm at (314) 649-7317.

Wrestling stars

Christian Brothers College High School took second place in Class 4 of the Missouri State High School Activities Association boys wrestling championships, and three of its wrestlers took individual titles. CBC’s Luke Lilledahl won at 106 pounds, Lucas White won at 170 pounds and Jack Darrah won at 195 pounds. CBC’s Santino Robinson was second at 132 pounds and Kolby Warren was third at 113 pounds. In Class 3, De Smet Jesuit’s Jacobi Jackson won first place in the 285-pound group, Colton King was fourth at 120 pounds and Jesse Hahs was third at 126 pounds. Roman Graiff of St. John Vianney was fourth at 182. In Class 2, Joseph Lause of St. Francis Borgia was fifth in the 120-pound group and Adam Rolwes of Saint Louis Priory was fourth at 182. In Class 1, Joshua Bieser of Valle Catholic finished second in the 145-pound group.

Charities benefit from Ascension Classic

Golf icons Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson will headline the Inaugural Legends Luncheon for the Ascension Charity Classic presented by Emerson Thursday, July 29, at Norwood Hills Country Club. Nicklaus also will play in the Legends Charity Challenge at the club during the weekend of the Ascension Charity Classic presented by Emerson which is set for the week of Sept. 6-12. In October 2019, Ascension and the PGA TOUR Champions announced a four-year partnership to host a new professional golf tournament in St. Louis. Ascension is the largest nonprofit and Catholic health system in the country. Several charities will benefit from the classic and its coinciding events, including Marygrove, a residential facility for children and teens which is a Catholic Charities agency; the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis; and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis. For more information about the Ascension Charity Classic presented by Emerson, including ticket, pro-am and hospitality availability, visit the Ascension Charity Classic website at ascensioncharityclassic.com.

Medicaid proposal

The Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC) testified in opposition to a bill before the Senate Health and Pensions Committee that would require Medicaid recipients to work in order to get health benefits. SB 224, sponsored by Sen. Bob Onder (R-Lake St. Charles), would require adult beneficiaries to work at least 80 hours each month, be engaged in job search or volunteer work, or be exempt because of medical frailty, pregnancy or parenthood. Those who don’t comply will lose Medicaid coverage. States wanting to impose work requirements must first seek a waiver from the federal government. The MCC reported that many Medicaid enrollees work in unstable jobs and would find it difficult to meet the 80-hour-per-month work requirement. Furthermore, coverage interruptions due to people losing Medicaid eligibility would be harmful to those with chronic health conditions who must take regular medications and would likely lead to more emergency room visits. The committee took no action on the bill.