Franciscan Sister of OLPH makes perpetual vows

Sister Amy Diesen made her perpetual profession of vows as a Franciscan Sister of Our Lady of Perpetual Help at a Mass Aug. 12 at Christ Prince of Peace Church in Manchester. A native of Germantown, Ill., Sister Amy graduated from Breese Central High School in 1992 and earned an undergraduate degree from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale in 2005. She earned a master's degree in pastoral studies from Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis in 2013. Sister Amy's path to consecrated life began in 2006, when she read about the Franciscan Sisters online. She also served as a member of the U.S. Army Reserves, during which she was deployed to Kuwait for a year during her discernment process. After returning home, she entered the novitiate in 2009. In 2012, she professed first vows with the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Carmelite anniversary

Sister Paula Marie Reiter is celebrating the 60th anniversary of her reception as a Discalced Carmelite. A native of St. Louis, Sister Paula Marie of the Precious Blood and Holy Face (formerly Mary Joanne Reiter) was received into the Carmel of St. Joseph in St. Louis in 1957. She professed first vows in 1959 and made final profession in 1962. After completing formation, Sister Paula Marie became an extern sister serving her community as a liaison with the non-cloistered world. In this role, she attended to the daily external business and communications required of her community which enables her contemplative sisters to live a vocation of prayer and solitude. For those outside the Carmelite Monastery, she was an inspirational and informative representative of the contemplative life, serving as the face of Carmel to the public for decades.

New VP at Aquinas

Sue Wallace is the new vice president for institutional advancement for Aquinas Institute of Theology in Midtown St. Louis. Wallace comes to Aquinas with a 10-year background of higher education fundraising. She worked for Fontbonne University, Rockhurst University and, most recently, Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Disaster services

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul has launched the Disaster Services Corporation, SVdP-USA, a nonprofit corporation that's a subsidiary of the society's National Council of the United States, based in St. Louis. The society is a founding member of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. The new entity will focus on long-term disaster recovery services in the United States. Ralph E. Hassel, a longtime Vincentian and a retired Lockheed Martin executive, is chairman of the board of the new entity. The Disaster Services Corporation will have offices in the Washington, D.C., and Dallas-Fort Worth metro areas.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Senior days focus on 'Aging Matters'

The Daughters of St. Paul will host Senior Day with Father John Johnson on the second Tuesday of each month, 1:30- 3:30, beginning Tuesday, Oct. 10 at Pauline Books & Media, 9804 Watson Road in Crestwood. In nine successive monthly sessions, Father Johnson will facilitate a discussion on the book "Aging Matters" by R. Paul Stevens. The book is available for purchase at Pauline Books. Senior day includes adoration and Benediction in the sisters' chapel as well as refreshments and fellowship in the Book Center. For information or registration, call (314) 965-3512.

Honoring first-responders

Knights of Columbus Council 2333 will host a Mass and spaghetti dinner for first-responders on Saturday, Oct. 14, at St. Joseph Church in Imperial, 6024 Old Antonia Road. Mass begins at 4:30 p.m., with dinner immediately following in the school cafeteria. Dinner is free, but the council will accept donations solely to support BackStoppers, which benefits the families of fallen police officers, fire fighters and EMTs. For information, contact Mike at (314) 374-8754 or [email protected].

Running for a home

"No Place Like Home" is the name of a 5K run/walk and 1-mile run/walk taking place in Tower Grove Park in south St. Louis Saturday, Oct 14. It benefits DePaul USA St. Louis, which houses and supports more than 75 chronic, disabled homeless men and women in scattered-site, one-bedroom apartments in the city of St. Louis. The events will begin and end near the Sons of the Rest Shelter house near the corner of Grand and Arsenal. The 5K begins at 9 a.m. followed by the 1 mile run/walk at around 9:10 a.m. Entry fee is $25 per person or $75 for a family of four ($15 for each additional child). After Sept. 28, the price increases to $30 per person/$90 family/$20 additional child. For information or to register, visit www.stlouisreview.com/jjg.

Pastoral assembly

The Archdiocesan Pastoral Assembly will take place Saturday, Oct. 21, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Cardinal Rigali Center in Shrewsbury. The assembly with Archbishop Robert J. Carlson will lead the discussion on spreading the Joy of the Gospel and a reinvigorating the Church's commitment to missionary discipleship. Talks will include "Charting the Landscape and Mission Field," "The Radical Call to Missionary Discipleship," "Going to the Peripheries," and "Evangelizers Equipped for Excellence." To register, visit archstl.org/pastoral-assembly.