Sharing gathered wisdom

Bridget McDermott Flood, executive director of the Incarnate Word Foundation, recently authored “Blue Hole Wisdom: My Journey with the Sisters,” a spiritual memoir and compendium of the wisdom the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of San Antonio have shared with her over the past two decades. The book includes stories on different themes that apply to daily life and spiritual growth. It is available through Incarnate Word Foundation Press at incarnatewordstl.org/iwf-press.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter Experience

The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter Experience offers married couples the tools needed to help their marriage grow and blossom. The next encounter in the St. Louis area will be held virtually the weekend of April 23-25. For more information or to apply, go to wwme.org, or call Terry and Eric Engholm at (314) 649-7317.

Wrestling stars

Christian Brothers College High School took second place in Class 4 of the Missouri State High School Activities Association boys wrestling championships, and three of its wrestlers took individual titles. CBC’s Luke Lilledahl won at 106 pounds, Lucas White won at 170 pounds and Jack Darrah won at 195 pounds. CBC’s Santino Robinson was second at 132 pounds and Kolby Warren was third at 113 pounds. In Class 3, De Smet Jesuit’s Jacobi Jackson won first place in the 285-pound group, Colton King was fourth at 120 pounds and Jesse Hahs was third at 126 pounds. Roman Graiff of St. John Vianney was fourth at 182. In Class 2, Joseph Lause of St. Francis Borgia was fifth in the 120-pound group and Adam Rolwes of Saint Louis Priory was fourth at 182. In Class 1, Joshua Bieser of Valle Catholic finished second in the 145-pound group.

Basketball champs

Incarnate Word Academy won the Class 6 girls state basketball championship March 20 with a 58-37 win vs. Webster Groves High School, completing an unbeaten season and nabbing its 11th state title. Saniah Tyler led Incarnate Word with 15 points. Webster Groves had defeated Cor Jesu Academy 45-41 earlier in the playoffs. Cardinal Ritter College Prep won the Class 5 boys state basketball championship March 19 with a 66-56 win vs. Bolivar, its ninth state title. Mario Fleming led Cardinal Ritter with 22 points. Chaminade College Prep finished third in the Class 6 boys division with a 79-46 win vs. Ft. Zumwalt North.

Charities benefit from Ascension Classic

Golf icons Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson will headline the Inaugural Legends Luncheon for the Ascension Charity Classic presented by Emerson Thursday, July 29, at Norwood Hills Country Club. Nicklaus also will play in the Legends Charity Challenge at the club during the weekend of the Ascension Charity Classic presented by Emerson which is set for the week of Sept. 6-12. In October 2019, Ascension and the PGA TOUR Champions announced a four-year partnership to host a new professional golf tournament in St. Louis. Ascension is the largest nonprofit and Catholic health system in the country. Several charities will benefit from the classic and its coinciding events, including Marygrove, a residential facility for children and teens which is a Catholic Charities agency; the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis; and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis. For more information about the Ascension Charity Classic presented by Emerson, including tickets, pro-am and hospitality availability, visit the Ascension Charity Classic website at ascensioncharityclassic.com.

Medicaid proposal

The Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC) testified in opposition to a bill before the Senate Health and Pensions Committee that would require Medicaid recipients to work in order to get health benefits. SB 224, sponsored by Sen. Bob Onder (R-Lake St. Charles), would require adult beneficiaries to work at least 80 hours each month, be engaged in job search or volunteer work, or be exempt because of medical frailty, pregnancy or parenthood. Those who don’t comply would lose Medicaid coverage. States wanting to impose work requirements must first seek a waiver from the federal government. The MCC reported that many Medicaid enrollees work in unstable jobs and would find it difficult to meet the 80-hour-per-month work requirement. Furthermore, coverage interruptions due to people losing Medicaid eligibility would be harmful to those with chronic health conditions who must take regular medications and would likely lead to more emergency room visits. The committee took no action on the bill.

Sportsmanship pays off

The St. Louis Sports Commission is accepting nominations for its annual Carl Fricks Sportsmanship Scholarship. Unique to the region, $15,000 in scholarship funds, including a top award of $10,000, will be awarded to graduating high school students from the St. Louis metro area who demonstrate outstanding sportsmanship in athletic competition. The scholarship application packet can be obtained by calling (314) 345-5130 or visiting bit.ly/3lDvADb. All completed applications must be received by April 12. Candidates will be evaluated primarily for their approach and character in competition. Athletic performance (wins and other statistics) is not a factor.

In-person classes, events in fall 2021 at Fontbonne

Fontbonne University has announced plans to fully resume in-person classes, on-campus events and activities, and athletic competitions for the fall 2021 semester scheduled to begin Aug. 23. The decision comes after Fontbonne’s Pandemic Planning and Coordinating Team, university leadership and key faculty and staff members made numerous adjustments to the school’s operating policies and procedures at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 75 percent of classes that were offered in-person switched to a remote or hybrid form of instruction, residence hall capacity was reduced by 10 percent, most events took place virtually, and fall 2020 athletic competitions were postponed to spring 2021.