New Trinity president

The Archdiocese of St. Louis announced earlier this month the appointment of Dan Grumich as president of Trinity Catholic High School in North St. Louis County. Grumich was the Trinity Catholic athletic director the past four years and the school’s director of advancement from 2003-15. He was also director of advancement at the former Rosary High School during the 2002-03 school year. Grumich is a North County native, a 1982 graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas High School and a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Florissant. He has a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and worked in broadcasting at WINU Radio in Highland, Ill., and as a news and sports reporter for the Suburban Journals newspapers.

Halpin is new COO

Catholic Charities of St. Louis announced Aug. 8 the appointment of Don Halpin to its newly created role of chief operations officer. Halpin is a retired colonel, wing commander and pilot from the U.S. Air Force. Most recently he served as a program director at Jump Trading Simulation and Education Center in Peoria, Ill. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy, a master’s degree in aerospace science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a master’s degree in business administration from Washington University. As COO, Halpin will manage internal functions for Catholic Charities’ eight central office departments, which support the eight Catholic Charities federated agencies: Cardinal Ritter Senior Services; Good Shepherd Children & Family Services; Marygrove; Queen of Peace Center; Saint Louis Counseling; Saint Martha’s Hall; St. Francis Community Services; and St. Patrick Center. Catholic Charities President Theresa Ruzicka, said Halpin has “a heart for our mission to make a difference serving others.” He and his wife, Alicia, are members of St. Cecilia Parish in Glen Carbon, Ill. They have two children.

Ranked best

Visitation Academy is ranked number one in the category of “Best All-Girls High School in Missouri” by Niche.com, the fourth consecutive year for the ranking. Niche.com assesses school rankings based on analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education along with test scores, college data, and ratings collected from its users. Additional data is also collected from schools directly. To learn more about the methodology used, visit www.bit.ly/2MZY62q. Visitation Academy is an independent, Catholic school offering a coeducational Montessori program in grades toddler through kindergarten and an all-girls environment in Grades 1 through 12.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Senior Day event

The Daughters of St. Paul will continue their monthly Senior Day on the second Thursday of each month, beginning on Sept. 12, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at Pauline Books & Media, 9804 Watson Road in Crestwood. Father John Johnson will lead a discussion of Pope Francis’ recent Apostolic Exhortation, “On the Call to Holiness in Today’s World,” followed by adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, refreshments and fellowship. For more information and to register, call (314) 965-3512.

Catholic advocates

The 2019 Annual Assembly of the Missouri Catholic Conference will be held at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City on Saturday, Oct. 5. The theme is “Raising the Next Generation of Catholic Advocates.” Keynote speaker will be David Bereit, former CEO of 40 Days for Life. The next session will be held in the House Chamber, where all attendees of the assembly will gather to hear Catholic advocates who have championed for the common good in varying areas speak about their experiences advocating for poor, unborn, and underserved people. Workshops will follow in the afternoon before the Missouri bishops celebrate Mass at St. Peter Church. The event is free and includes lunch. To register, visit the Annual Assembly 2019 page at www.mocatholic.com.

Catholic medicine in a secular society

“Converging Roads,” a conference on Catholic medicine in a secular society, will be presented from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, on the campus of Saint Louis University at Il Monastero, 3050 Olive St. The conference, an initiative of the St. John Paul II Foundation, aims to equip health care professionals with skills to practice the highest ethical and medical standards. Continuing education credits will be offered. Topics include “The Hippocratic Oath: Countering a Secularist Bioethics,” “Secularism as a Threat to the Common Good and Conscience in Health Care,” “Remaining Catholic in a Secular Society,” “The Medical Community’s Role in Countering the Push for Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia,” “Gender Dysphoria in Children and Adults: Science, Ideology and Ethics,” “Sterilization and Contraception When Future Pregnancy Presents Serious Risks,” and “What’s so Distinctive about Catholic Health Care?” Sponsors include the Archdiocese of St. Louis. For More Information, contact Susie Lopez at (832) 779-1070 or [email protected]. Register at www.convergingroads.com.