Repair needed

DePaul USA is raising funds to fund repairs to fix a safety issue at one of its housing programs in St. Louis. St. Lazare House provides permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless men and women ages 18-24 in St. Louis. The circuit breaker panels in the building are of the same type that have caused fires nationwide and need to be replaced, according to DePaul USA. Qualified electricians have estimated the replacement cost at $35,000, which staff members at the program call a significant, unplanned financial burden. To donate, visit www.bit.ly/2BBaZvT.

Hackathon

GlobalHack, a St. Louis-based nonprofit focused on driving social impact through technology, is seeking volunteers for a weekend of software competition seeking to build solutions which address specific challenges that face foreign-born and refugee communities of all skill levels. Saint Louis University and its John Cook School of Business are among the sponsoring partners. GlobalHack VII will be held Friday-Sunday, Oct. 12-14, at Chaifetz Arena. For information, contact McKenna Sawchak at [email protected]. To sign up, visit www.bit.ly/2N9dqXV.

Upcoming events

Catholic vision in “The Lord of the Rings”

The Daughters of St. Paul will host local author/actor Kevin O’Brien for a presentation about the Catholic vision of JRR Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings, this fall at Pauline Books & Media in Crestwood. The sessions will be at 7 p.m. on Monday nights — Sept. 10, Oct. 8 and Nov. 12. The session in September will explore “The Hobbit,” with “The Fellowship of the Ring” first book in October and “Fellowship of the Ring” second book in November. Four sessions also will be offered in spring covering “The Two Towers” and “The Return of the King.” For information or registration, call (314) 965-3512.

Coach It Right

The Coach It Right soccer clinic sponsored by the St. Louis Sports Commission’s Sportsmanship Foundation will be held from 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, at Ursuline Academy, 341 S. Sappington Road in Kirkwood. The clinics are taught by Missouri Youth Soccer Association coaching director Jeff Muhr, and coaches who attend will receive the youth coaching certificate at no charge. To register, visit www.bit.ly/2B9AT9I. For information, call (314) 345-5130.

Returning to the Church

The book, “The Prodigal You Love: Inviting Loved Ones Back to the Church,” by Sister Theresa Noble, fsp, will be the topic of discussion at the Daughters of St. Paul’s monthly Senior Day, on the second Thursday of each month, 1:30- 3:30 pm at Pauline Books & Media in Crestwood. Beginning on Thursday, Sept. 13, host Father John Johnson will facilitate a discussion on book discussion. There will be Adoration and Benediction in the sisters’ chapel as well as refreshments and fellowship in the Book Center. All seniors are welcome. For more information or to purchase the book, call (314) 965-3512.

Immaculée mini-retreat

Immaculée Ilibagiza, a survivor of genocide in Rwanda with a message of forgiveness, healing and hope, will present a mini-retreat at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, 5020 Rhodes Ave. in south St Louis, Friday evening, Sept. 14, and Saturday morning, Sept. 15. Ilibagiza tells of the life-saving power of faith and the Rosary as she hid with seven other women in a cramped bathroom for 91 days. Her first book, “Left to Tell; Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust,” was released in 2006 and became a New York Times Best Seller. The cost is $57 for an individual or $76 for two people. Register at www.immaculee.com. For information, contact Susan Dunn at (314) 304-4541 or [email protected].

Racial divide

Bishop Edward K. Braxton of Belleville, Ill., will present the Fourth Annual Montesinos Lecture on “Listen! Learn! Think! Pray! Act! The Catholic Church and the Racial Divide in the United States.” The lecture will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, at Aquinas Institute of Theology, 23 S. Spring Ave. in Midtown St. Louis. Bishop Braxton will continue the discussion at the Montesinos seminar, also held at Aquinas Institute, at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 24. The Montesinos Lecture is named for Father Antonio de Montesinos, a Dominican friar who preached against the exploitation of the Taíno people in the encomienda system imposed by the colonists on the island of Hispaniola in the 1500s. In 2015, Bishop Braxton issued a pastoral letter, “The Racial Divide in the United States: A Reflection for the World Day of Peace 2015,” followed the next year by a companion pastoral letter and by pastoral statements on the topic.

Better parenting and teaching

The Finding Your Way Toward Better Parenting and Teaching presentation is slated for 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26 at La Salle Retreat Center in Glencoe. Presenter Paul Kraus of Christian Brothers College will explore new tools to help parents and teachers guide children in becoming faith-filled adults. Kraus is a teacher/administrator at CBC and Paul VI, as well as a retreat director/workshop presenter for schools in the archdiocese and Lasallian schools in Midwest district of The Christian Brothers. Freewill donations will be accepted. For registration or more information, visit www.lasalleretreat.org/events/finding-your-way.

Adoration conference

A Eucharistic Adoration Conference will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Cardinal Rigali Center, 20 Archbishop May Drive in Shrewsbury. The schedule includes Mass, a keynote address by Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Robert J. Hermann and more. To register, visit www.archstl.org/sacred-worship. For information, email [email protected] or call (314) 792-7231.

Continuing Catholicism Series

Saint Louis University’s Catholic Studies Centre will host its Continuing Catholicism Series on “The Brothers Karamazov,” a Catholic novel written in 1881 by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Hilary Finley, who teaches English literature at Holy Apostles College, will lead the five-session series, which will explore human nature, sin, redemption, mercy, atheism, the role of the Church and how personal actions and ideals ultimately influence self happiness. The series will take place from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesdays beginning Oct. 3 at the Catholic Studies Centre, 3838 West Pine Mall. A freewill offering of $175 is requested, which includes a copy of the novel. For more information, contact Father David Meconi, SJ, at (314) 644-8445 or email [email protected].

Annual assembly

The Missouri Catholic Conference Annual Assembly will be held on Saturday, Oct. 6, at Helias High School in Jefferson City, Mo. The free event will focus on “Pope Francis at Five Years: the Church at the Peripheries.” Keynote speaker is Bishop Joseph Perry of the Archdiocese of Chicago. The assembly will offer both morning and afternoon workshops with topics including pro-life, human trafficking, the death penalty, immigration and more. Register at www.mocatholic.org or call 1-800-456-1679.

Pumpkin Fest

La Salle Retreat Center in Glencoe will host a Pumpkin Fest 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7. The festivities include live music, food, local vendors, games, hayrides and pumpkins, all on La Salle’s beautiful grounds. Admission is free. La Salle Retreat Center is at 2101 Rue De LaSalle Drive. For information, visit www.lasalleretreat.org/events/pumpkin-festival/

Veterans Day 5k

The third annual Veterans Day 5K will be held in conjunction with the 35th annual St. Louis Regional Veterans Day Observance Ceremony and Parade on Saturday, Nov. 10. Included is a timed 5K, One-Mile Fun-Run, free Kids’ Dash and other activities. The family friendly event honors people who have served and are serving our country and raises awareness for veteran homelessness. Twenty percent of St. Patrick Center’s clients are homeless veterans and proceeds from the event benefit these clients and their families. Entry fee is $30 or $35 beginning on Nov. 9. Veterans receive a $5 discount. New this year is an option for team registration. To register, visit www.stpatrickcenter.org. For information, contact Maggie Kloppenberg at [email protected] or (314) 802-5418.