Endorsing Proposition B

The Peace and Justice Commission of the St. Louis Archdiocese announced its official endorsement of Proposition B, the Missouri statewide ballot initiative to raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2023.“ As stated in this year’s Labor Day Statement from the USCCB, ‘Just Wages and Human Flourishing,’ the Church’s traditional teaching holds that wages must honor a person’s dignity and ability to contribute to the common good of civil society and family well-being. Every worker has a right to a just wage according to the criterion of justice, which St. John XXIII described as wages that give the worker and his family a standard of living in keeping with dignity of the human person,” stated Marie Kenyon, director of the Peace and Justice Commission. “Missouri’s current minimum wage is too low to honor this teaching. We have thousands of our sisters and brothers across the state working hard to raise their families, but still living in poverty. We must do better. We must raise the minimum wage.” Missouri’s minimum wage is currently $7.85 an hour — which translates to earnings of just $314 a week, or barely $16,000 a year before taxes ­­— for someone working full time.

“Three hundred fourteen dollars a week is not enough to raise a family or care for a parent or loved one. The cost of basic necessities has gone up for years, but wages have not increased accordingly,” added Kenyon. “There are thousands of health care staffers, teacher’s aides, janitors, and other workers across our state who work full time but still cannot meet their family’s basic needs. Our faith demands that we speak out and advocate for them and their families, which is why we are supporting Proposition B.”

Proposition B will raise Missouri’s minimum wage gradually to $12 an hour by 2023, helping 260,000 children who live with parents earning minimum wage and 100,000 senior citizens and near retirees who are working hard to try to make ends meet.

TTEF board elects two officers

The 22-member board of directors of the Today and Tomorrow Educational Foundation has elected Bill Corrigan as secretary and Greg Twardowski as treasurer. They will oversee records and financials of TTEF respectively. A partner at Armstrong Teasdale, Corrigan has been recognized in the Best Lawyers in America® list since 2005. Twardowski has been the president and CEO of Whelan Security since 2001, one of the nation’s top privately held security companies. He succeeds Michael Mooney.

Architects honor Old Cathedral renovation

The Basilica of St. Louis, King of France has been honored by The American Institute of Architects, St. Louis Chapter in its 2018 Design Awards. The renovation of the basilica steeple received an “Honor Award” in the Craftsmanship category for the work of Architectural Sheet Metal Systems, Inc., in fabricating sheet metal and installing it as part of a greater renovation project. Mackey Mitchell Associates was the architecture firm. According to jury comments in the St. Louis Business Journal: “This was a one-of-a-kind project; the dormers were a work of art. The jury was impressed by the knowledge that the craftsman had to repair the orb.” The Design Awards honored 21 projects with 24 awards in the categories of architecture, interiors, small projects, drawings, unbuilt and craftsmanship.

Upcoming events

End-of-life conversation

The Roman Catholic Foundation of Eastern Missouri will hold a presentation of The Conversation: A Catholic Perspective on End-of-Life Issues on Saturday, Oct. 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Parish in Florissant. Father Peter Fonseca will discuss the principles of Catholic bioethics, a topic of interest for many Catholics making health care 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. To register, visit www.rcfstl.org/the-conversation. Additional upcoming conversation seminars: Saturday, Nov. 3 at Immaculate Conception Parish (Dardenne Prairie) and Saturday, Nov. 17 at Cardinal Rigali Center.

Closing clearance

The Little Sisters of the Poor are having a final clearance sale of furnishings and more after closing their St. Louis Residence after 150 Years in St. Louis. Discounts are available on furniture, wall décor, Christmas items, religious articles, household items, office furniture, electronics and other items. The cash sale will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 27 and 28, at the Little Sisters of the Poor St. Louis Residence, 3225 N. Florissant Ave., in north St. Louis. Secure parking will be provided. On July 6, the Little Sisters of the Poor announced their intention to close the residence after a nearly two-year search to find a new sponsor to manage the facility for the elderly poor.

Convent Camino vocations retreat

Catholic religious sisters of St. Louis will host a vocations retreat, the Convent Camino, Dec. 14-15 starting at the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet motherhouse at 6400 Minnesota Ave. in St. Louis. The Camino gives single women ages 18-40, the chance to visit with Catholic sisters in their houses and convent, learn about the sisters’ communities and ministries and join them in prayer and fellowship. The cost is $25, but scholarships are available. For information or to register, visit https://goo.gl/eLJ1ck or contact Sister Amy Hereford, csj, at [email protected] or (314)972-4763