Gun violence

The Catholic bishops of Missouri issued a statement April 3 addressing “senseless gun violence that is occurring in our schools, on our streets and in our inner cities.” The bishops state that it is appropriate to consider the use of guns in society as well as why people are carrying out senseless acts of violence. They call for restorative justice policies and practices, improving access to and increased resources for mental health care and earlier interventions and discussions about the presence of violence in entertainment. Acknowledging a right to self-defense, the bishops support “reasonable and sensible gun regulation,” including a bill to eliminate the need for Missourians who are carrying a concealed weapon to obtain permission from their pastor before bringing it to church. The bishops support universal background checks for gun purchases, reasonable limitations on civilian access to high-capacity ammunition magazines and a ban on “bump stocks” that transform semi-automatic weapons “into weapons of war.” They also ask for Catholics and others to discuss these matters in their local communities and contact their representatives to address the issues through policy and legislative measures that “uphold the safety and well-being of all persons in our communities.” The full statement is available at www.stlouisreview.com/jw3.

Mercy Hospital South

Starting Oct. 1, St. Anthony’s Medical Center will have a new name: Mercy Hospital South. St. Anthony’s Board of Directors approved the name change last month. The hospital’s new name follows Mercy’s identity standards, introduced in 2011 when Mercy adopted new names and a common logo across its seven-state area. St. Anthony’s decision to affiliate with Mercy was based on their shared mission, values and heritage as Catholic health care providers. Mike McCurry, Mercy chief operating officer and St. Anthony’s president, said the name change “signifies that we stand together as a united ministry, both in mission and now in name.”

New president at Trinity Catholic

Father Jeff Putthoff, SJ, has been named the new president at Trinity Catholic High School in north St. Louis County. He has served previously in a variety of leadership roles in education and social services. He earned his bachelor of philosophy degree from St. Louis University and has earned four masters degrees including English, divinity, theology, and organizational dynamics. Father Puthoff succeeds Sister Karl Mary Winkelmann, SSND, who announced she will retire as president at the end of the 2017-18 school year. Next year, she will serve as president emeritus, as part of a leadership transition.

Bequest

St. Louis University School of Nursing has received the largest gift in its history – an $8.4 million bequest from the estate of alumna Mary K. Hoppe. The gift also is among the largest received by St. Louis University. The entirety of the gift will be used to create the Dr. and Mrs. Robert C. Hoppe Endowed Scholarship, which will assist multiple students in every program offered at the School of Nursing. Both Mrs. Hoppe and Dr. Hoppe were 1951 graduates from St. Louis University; she from the School of Nursing and he from the School of Medicine. After graduation, the couple married and returned to Houston, their hometown; they had no children. Dr. Hoppe died in 2002, and Mrs. Hoppe eventually moved to Charlotte, N.C., to live with her niece. She died in July 2017.

Upcoming events

Divine Mercy at Mary Mother

Mary Mother of the Church, 5901 Kerth Road in south St. Louis County, will pray the Divine Mercy chaplet after all Sunday Masses (9 and 11 a.m.) on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 8. (There will be no there will be no eucharistic Holy Hour on Divine Mercy Sunday, as previously reported in the Review.)

Belize and SLU

Belize 2020 will sponsor three speaker events in St. Louis University’s Atlas Week through April 14. Participation is free and advance registration isn’t required. A presentation about the SLU and Belize 2020 partnership will be at noon Monday, April 9, in the Center for Global Citizenship Auditorium. Another presentation updating the work of Belize 2020 and soliciting feedback will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 10, at Busch Student Center 251AB. Education and Belize will be the focus at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 12, in Busch Student Center 253B. Belize 2020 is a partnership between Belize City, Belize and SLU bridging the learning gap in schools. Two teachers from Belize are attending St. Louis University in the School of Education in the graduate program. Rose Mes recently completed her master’s degree in special education with the emphasis of learning disabilities and is a learning consultant at Our Lady of Guadalupe School in Belize. Participation is free and advance registration isn’t required. For more information on Atlas Week, visit www.stlouisreview.com/jdQ.

Criminal justice/ employment panel

A panel discussion on “Criminal Justice Reform and Employment in St. Louis” will be presented from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 12, at St. Clare of Assisi Church, 15642 Clayton Road in Ellisville. Panelists include Josh Wilson, founder and executive director of Mission: St. Louis; Karen Barney, founder of Transformative Justice Initiative; and Lisa Jaegers, associate director of health with the Criminology Research Consortium. The event is sponsored by the West County Collaboration of churches in St. Louis, and presented by Mission: St. Louis, St. Louis University and Social Justice 4 All.

Organ concert

St. Louis organists Andrzej Zahorski and Stephen Mager will present the “Divine Monologue,” which will conclude a series of concerts commemorating the 50th anniversary of St. Louis Abbey Church organ. The concert will take place at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, April 15, at the abbey church, 500 S. Mason Road in Creve Coeur. The organ is one of the first instruments built in the United States that fully represent ideals of the organ revival movement, which was inspired by the work of Albert Schweitzer. The movement was dedicated to a full restoration of the beauty of the pipe organ through a recovery of the most valuable parts of the organ-building tradition. The abbey church’s organ was built in 1967 by Georg Hradetzky, and remains one of best neoclassic instruments in the region.

Break the walls of injustice

“Break Down the Walls of Injustice,” a prayer service for social justice, will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 15, at Christ Prince of Peace Church, 415 Weidman Road in Manchester. The service is presented by the Knights of Columbus Council #12986, in partnership with Christ Prince of Peace, the archdiocesan Peace and Justice Commission, and Solomon Temple M. B. Church. Also featured will be the Michael Latchison Singing Ministry. For information, call (636) 391-1307 or email [email protected]

Pursuit of justice

A symposium on the commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy will be held April 17-18 in celebration of St. Louis University’s bicentennial. Included is a performance and opening keynote address at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 17, in the Sinquefield State Room of Dubourg Hall, Room 409; a panel discussion at noon Wednesday, April 18, in Boileau Hall; a dialogue on activism at 4 p.m. April 18, in the Center for Global Citizenship, Seminar Room 124A; and an evening chapel service at 7:30 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier (College) Church on campus. For information, visit www.stlouisreview.com/jdV.

Generosity of Joseph Honors Gala

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis Province will honor several individuals for their devotion to serving others in a way that recognizes human dignity, at the 12th annual Generosity of Joseph Honors Gala on Friday, April 20 at the Sisters’s historic motherhouse in south St. Louis. Honorees include: Anne and David Borgmeyer, DDS who will be recognized for bringing their gifts of music to St. Stephen Protomartyr Parish; Cheryl Broekelmann, who provides innovative educational experiences for students and their families at St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf; and Dr. Vanee Wongsurawat, who provides medical care to sisters-in-residence at Nazareth Living Center. For more information and tickets, visit www.csjsl.org or call (314) 678-0328.

Reflection on Laudato Si’

Mary Evelyn Tucker will present “Our Sacred Earth, Our Common Home: A Reflection and Action on Laudato Si’” from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 21, at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Ill. Tucker is a senior lecturer and research scholar at the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale Divinity School. The event is sponsored by the shrine in conjunction with La Vista Ecological Learning Center, the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help and the School Sisters of Notre Dame.

Infertility support

Enkindle Infertility Support Ministry, a program of the archdiocesan Office of Natural Family Planning, is hosting a group gathering for those who struggle with infertility. The gathering will take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, at the Office of Natural Family Planning, 11700 Studt Ave. Suite C, in Creve Coeur. To RSVP or for more information, call (314) 991-0327 or visit bit.ly/EnkindleSpring2018.

Enkindle Ministry is hosting a group gathering to talk about some of the feelings that come with infertility. This group will give you a chance to communicate your individual experience and to hear from others ways thathave helped them navigate through and cope with these difficult stages.

Up in the sky

St. Louis University will host “Jesuits and the Sciences” from 9 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, April 24, at the new Jesuit Archives and Research Center, 3920 West Pine Blvd. The keynote speaker will be astrophysicist Jesuit Father P. David Brown. He joined the Vatican Observatory in 2008 where he continues to work on various aspects of stellar evolutions and serves as caretaker of the telescopes at Castel Gandolfo. The symposium, which is free and open to the public, will examine the contributions of Jesuits to the sciences and technology. For more information, contact Silvana Siddhali, in the Department of History at (314) 977-2997 or [email protected].

LaSalle dinner and tour

La Salle Retreat Center will host a dinner and a behind-the-scenes tour on Wednesday, April 25 from 6-9 p.m. Explore the historical buildings and hear stories from Christian Brothers who attended school at La Salle, which is at 2101 Rue De LaSalle Drive in Glencoe on Highway 109 north of Eureka. The cost is $30 per person, which includes cocktails, three-course dinner, tour and historical book. Space is limited. For registration, visit http://stlouisreview.com/jwi

Retreat weekend

A Koinonia Retreat Weekend for Divorced or Separated Catholics (“DASK”) and other Christians will be held Friday-Sunday, April 27-29 at Todd Hall Retreat Center, 320 Todd Hall Center Drive in Columbia, Ill. The cost of $110 includes room, double occupancy, and six meals. Call Jean at (314) 704-1870 or Carol at (314) 775-1253 for a brochure and registration. A $50 deposit will reserve a space.

End-of-life discussion from Catholic perspective

The Roman Catholic Foundation will present The Conversation: A Catholic Perspective on End-of-Life Issues on Saturday, April 28 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.at St. Joseph Parish in Farmington. A priest theologian will discuss the principles of Catholic bioethics, a topic of interest for many Catholics making healthcare plans for themselves or caring for ill or aging loved ones. The free seminar will also include presentations on Catholic funeral and cemetery planning, estate planning and advance directives and charitable gift planning. Lunch will be provided. For registration, visit www.rcfstl.org.

#ThisIsMyFergson

Good Shepherd Arts Center in Ferguson has scheduled two events in conjunction with the #ThisIsMyFreguson art exhibit in August at multiple sites in Ferguson. The arts center will host Kate Moore-Freeman in leading an art-making activity Friday, May 11 and Stefannie Wheat for a writers’ workshop Friday, June 22. For more information, call (314) 522-1155, email [email protected] or visit www.goodshepherdarts.org.

Vocation discernment retreat

The Sisters of St Joseph Vocation Team will host a vocations discernment retreat for women interested in religious life Friday, June 8 to Sunday, June 10 at the sisters’ provincial motherhouse in south St. Louis. The “MORE Weekend” will consist of each element of the acronym: Ministry, at Marian Middle School and an organic garden; the core value of the sisters, being One with God and neighbor; Reflection and prayer, focusing on discernment and the call to unifying love; and Engagement with the sisters in community, meals and celebration. For more information, contact [email protected] or visit http://stlouisreview.com/jvt

Family retreat and vacation

The annual Missouri Holy Family Fest will be held Thursday to Sunday, Aug. 9-12, at Eagle Hurst Ranch near Steelville. Sponsored by the Apostolate For Family Consecration, the fest features daily Masses, Rosaries, Chaplets of Divine Mercy and adoration. Father James Wasser, Missionaries of the Holy Family, will be the camp priest. The ranch features horseback riding, pony rides, fishing, tennis and more. For information, visit www.eaglehurstranch.com/family-fest-weekend. To register, call (314) 638-3382, (800) 257-2624.