Catholic Charities president to retire

Theresa Ruzicka, president of Catholic Charities of St. Louis, a ministry of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, has announced she plans to retire in July 2022. Catholic Charities’ board of directors has initiated a search for her successor. Ruzicka was appointed president of Catholic Charities in March 2014 by then-Archbishop Robert J. Carlson. As leader of one of Missouri’s largest nonprofit social services providers, Ruzicka has dedicated her tenure to improving communication and collaboration across Catholic Charities’ eight 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.

“I have been truly blessed and honored to serve this organization and work with many faith-filled, committed and compassionate colleagues, supporters and community partners,” Ruzicka said in a statement. “Reflecting on my years with Catholic Charities, I see how much we have accomplished to advance our mission of serving our neighbors in need.”

Ruzicka promoted initiatives to address unmet community needs, including Pathways to Progress, an intensive program that assists impoverished families to achieve greater financial stability. She helped position Catholic Charities to play a major role in long-term disaster recovery after several historic floods and tornadoes, as well as to provide CARES Act funding to households impacted by COVID-19.

Faith and Racial Justice

“Ignatian Spirituality and Antiracism: A Call to Conversion,” is a three-part speakers’ series that will demonstrate how Ignatian spiritual practice parallels, informs and ignites antiracism work. The series, sponsored by St. Francis Xavier “College” Church, the Office of Ignatian Spirituality and the Central and Southern Jesuit Province, will be held virtually on Wednesdays in February from 7:30-9 p.m. Speakers and dates include Feb. 9, Father Thomas Clark, SJ, pastor of Immaculate Conception Church, an historically Black parish, and chaplain at Southern Louisiana University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Feb. 16, Danielle Harrison, president of Mission, Faith, Equity Consulting, which helps organizations understand the relationship between faith and equitable justice; and Feb. 23, Dr. Mary J. Wardell-Ghirarduzzi, vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion and professor of communication at the University of the Pacific. To register, visit bit.ly/ignatian-antiracism. For more information, contact Christine Dragonette at (314) 977-7309 or email [email protected].

“Prayer N Praise Night”

The Catholic Renewal Center is hosting a “Prayer N Praise Night” Wednesday, Feb. 9, from 7-9 p.m. in the Fleur de Lis Room at the Cardinal Rigali Center, 20 Archbishop May Drive in Shrewsbury. Worship will be led by local Catholic musician Carrie Bajzath and friends. For more information, visit archstl.org/renewal.

Discern with the Daughters of St. Paul

The Daughters of St. Paul will host “Discernment 101,” a series on Saturday mornings for single women ages 16-33 to help grow in your relationship with God and discern how God is inviting you to live out the gift of who you are in the world. The series will take place at Pauline Books and Media, 9804 Watson Road in Crestwood. Dates and topics include Feb. 12, “Vocation: A Response of Love to Love”; March 26, “The Examen Prayer: A Path to Greater Freedom”; April 30, “Making Decision in Peace”; and May 21, “Courageous Discipleship.” Each day begins with 8:30 a.m. Mass, followed by refreshments, a talk, discussion and eucharistic adoration. A Zoom option is available for those unable to attend in person. For more details or to register, visit connect.pauline.org/discernment-101 or email Sister Amanda Marie at [email protected]. (Those under the age of 18 require parental permission to attend; please email Sister Amanda for details.)

Living Rosary for Life

Our Lady of Guadalupe for Life will host a Living Rosary for Life at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13, at Assumption Church, 4725 Mattis Road in south St. Louis County. The group will pray the Rosary and honor Our Lady of Lourdes. Our Lady of Guadalupe for Life is a nonprofit group that sponsors pro-life billboards along St. Louis area highways.

All-Mercy virtual reunion

The Mercy Conference and Retreat Center is hosting an All-Mercy Virtual Reunion for graduates of Mercy High School (1948-85), Sisters of Mercy who attended and taught at the school, lay faculty, priests and staff, from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19. Tickets are $10 per person. The event is spearheaded by Mercy’s class of 1971 and Mercy Retreat and Conference Center to benefit the Mercy Heroes Fund, which will provide employees of Mercy hospitals in the St. Louis area with a respite day at the conference and retreat center in Frontenac. For more information see the special events section of www.mercycenterstl.org or contact Sister Jan Hayes in the development office, [email protected] or (314) 909-4646.

‘Science and the sacred’ exhibit

The Saint Louis Art Museum will present “Paintings on Stone: Science and the Sacred 1530-1800,” an exhibition examining a tradition long overlooked by art historians — artists’ use of stone surfaces in place of panel or canvas to create stunning portraits, mythological scenes and sacred images. Developed in Rome by the Venetian painter Sebastiano del Piombo (1485-1547), the practice of painting on stone took hold in the 1530s and 1540s and flourished for the next 100 to 150 years. The exhibit opens Feb. 20 at the Saint Louis Art Museum. For more information, see www.slam.org.

Kenrick-Glennon Days

Registration is now open for Kenrick-Glennon Days 2022. Kenrick-Glennon Days is an overnight summer camp program of the archdiocesan Office of Vocations designed to give middle-school and high-school boys the chance to experience life at the seminary. Camp One, for boys entering grades 6-7 in fall 2022, runs from June 13-15. Camp Two, for boys entering grades 8-9, will be June 16-18. To register, visit www.stlvocations.org/registration.