Incarceration forum

The Criminal Justice Ministry is presenting a virtual forum on incarceration, “Inside Prison Ministry” from 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27. Prison ministry is a central part of the mission of Criminal Justice Ministry, which seeks to transform the lives of incarcerated people throughout the St. Louis region. Discussion will focus on programs and the impact of ministerial work inside prisons. Panelists will include: Brandon Reid, housing intake coordinator at Criminal Justice Ministry, who also serves as moderator of the event; Jeff Finnegan, board member/volunteer at Criminal Justice Ministry; Sister Rose Rita Huelsmann, SSND, former coordinator and teacher at Criminal Justice Ministry; Doug Worsham, religious and spiritual programming coordinator at the Missouri Department of Corrections; and Marshall “Book” Robinson, InsideOUT ministry leader at Restore St. Louis. For information or to register, visit bit.ly/2Z1jHQb.

1917 East St. Louis race riots

Jesuit Father Joseph A. Brown will lead a discussion of the 1917 East St. Louis “Race Riots” from noon to 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7, at St. Alphonsus Liguori (Rock Church) Parish, 1118 N. Grand Blvd. in St. Louis. Father Brown will discuss the three days of mob violence and killings in his hometown, unpacking its causes. Guests are also welcome to join for the Rock church’s Mass at 10 a.m. There will be a short break before the lecture with light refreshments in the parish gym. Guests are encouraged to watch a video before attending: https://youtu.be/7Tf0nrUGXV8. Father Brown is a professor in the School of Africana Studies at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He is the founding chair of the 1917 Centennial Commission & Cultural Initiative, Inc. Teaching True Truth is a project of the Peace and Justice Commission at the Rock Church. The project focuses on education about the history of racism and about teaching, as Sister Thea Bowman said, the “true truth” about that history.

Halloween lights for Sts. Joachim and Ann Care Service

Jacob Jones, a senior at St. Dominic High School in O’Fallon, has created a Halloween lights display outside of his home, with donations going to Sts. Joachim and Ann Care Service, which works with vulnerable families and individuals in St. Charles, Lincoln and Warren counties. Thousands of dancing lights are programmed to the beat of Halloween-themed music, which can be heard on 90.1 FM. A donation box is on site, and Jacob has so far collected almost $7,000 for the Care Service. The Halloween light show is on display through the end of October at 28 Lost Valley Court in St. Peters. For specific times, visit www.facebook.com/ HiddenLakeLights. Jacob also plans to have a Christmas lights display later in the year.

When Mary Spoke to France

Msgr. Michael Witt, professor of Church history at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, will speak on the influence of the Blessed Mother in France at a talk at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, at St. Cletus Church, 2705 Zumbehl Road in St. Charles. Msgr. Witt will speak about the persecution of Catholics during the French Revolution, the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, and several Marian apparitions that bolstered the faithful for the fight ahead of them. The talk is hosted by the Legion of Mary at St. Cletus. Mass also will take place at 8 a.m., followed by first Saturday devotions. All will be livestreamed at www.saintcletus.org.

#iGiveCatholic

Catholic organizations within the archdiocese are registering to participate in the U.S. Catholic Church’s giving day celebrating all aspects of the Catholic faith — #iGiveCatholic, which inspires people to “Give Catholic” on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 30. #iGiveCatholic will be a time for the faithful in participating dioceses to donate both online and offline to their favorite participating Catholic parishes, schools and ministries. Parishes, schools and ministries may raise funds for a capital improvement, their annual fundraiser, or another project of their choosing. #iGiveCatholic is a giving day that is intended to kick off the charitable season and brings the Catholic community together to give thanks and give back. All nonprofit Catholic parishes, schools, ministries and similar organizations in the Archdiocese of St. Louis are invited to participate. There is no cost to participate since registration fees are paid by the Annual Catholic Appeal and are a gift from Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski. Registration is open until Nov. 3. For information or to register, visit stl.igivecatholic.org.

Athletic facility

Saint Louis University and its Department of Athletics introduced the O’Loughlin Family Champions Center on Oct. 19. The facility will impact all 400-plus Billiken student-athletes, delivering programming related to academic advising, spiritual development, sports performance, nutrition, wellness and sports psychology. The O’Loughlin Family Champions Center will feature cutting-edge technology throughout the building to help deliver on the department’s strategic objectives, which are to educate, compete, and build community. Bob O’Loughlin, chairman and CEO of Lodging Hospitality Management, is one of the primary benefactors of the project. Funding for the $20 million facility will be 100 percent privately raised. The 25,000-square-foot facility will be connected to Chaifetz Arena, constructed on the northwest corner of the arena footprint. Construction will begin in spring 2022 with an anticipated completion date of May 2023, in time for the university’s 2023 May commencement.

Arts grant for Little Flower School

Little Flower School in Richmond Heights was one of 18 area schools that received a grant to support classroom-based art projects during the 2021-2022 academic year from the The Arts and Education Fund for Teachers. The grants are administered by the Arts and Education Council and supported by the Arthur and Helen Baer Foundation and Employees Community Fund of Boeing St. Louis, with additional support provided by individual donors. Little Flower plans to use the funding for students to create Holy Week rugs. The rugs will be influenced by the Semana Santa Easter Festival, where alfombras (carpets) are created on the streets with colored sawdust, sand and other materials in Antigua, Guatemala, on Holy Thursday.