Meals for Haiti

Ursuline Academy participated in its second annual pack-a-thon to assemble meals for Haiti on Dec. 8. More than 500 students, parents, faculty and staff assembled 50,160 meals in one hour to be sent to Milot, Haiti. The pack-a-thon is a partnership with the Crudem Foundation, which supports the Hôpital Sacré Coeur, the largest private hospital in the North of Haiti. The meals will be distributed to patients and families of the hospital.

Before the packing began, Tim Traynor, director of Feed Haiti for the Crudem Foundation, spoke about the impact the food will have on the Haitian community. According to the Crudem Foundation, “Rooted in the healing ministry of Jesus Christ, the mission of Hôpital Sacré Coeur is to be both a Catholic hospital and medical center, consistent with the ideals of the Order of Malta, providing quality healthcare to the sick and the poor in the Haitian community, and an educational center for all who serve healthcare in Haiti.”

CSJs elect new leadership

The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet recently announced the election of a new Province Leadership Team. The sisters elected a five-member team whose five-year term begins in July 2023: Sisters Linda Straub, Mary Margaret Lazio, Jeanene Yackey, Kathleen Karbowski and Maureen Freeman. Sister Mary Margaret was affirmed as province director. During the community’s Province Chapter of Elections, the sisters also approved a province directions statement, reflecting the sisters’ call for the future that came out of the communal discernment process. To read the statement, visit stlreview.com/3BzLGqI.

Free evening at SEEK 2023

As part of the archdiocesan phase of the National Eucharistic Revival, all are invited to attend the evening keynote talks and eucharistic adoration at the SEEK 2023 conference on Wednesday, Jan. 4. The session will feature keynotes from Sister Miriam James Heidland, SOLT, and Father Josh Johnson. The evening will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Dome at the America’s Center, 701 Convention Plaza. This evening is free, but registration is required in advance. To register, visit stlreview.com/3UYookU

Registration is also still open for the entire SEEK 2023 conference, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students’ (FOCUS) five-day event of speakers, prayer and mission. The Making Missionary Disciples track is open to any adult and will provide training on living missionary discipleship in everyday life. Participants from the Archdiocese of St. Louis can receive a discount on full conference event passes or single day passes. For more information, visit archstl.org/seek.

Polar Plunge

St. John the Baptist Parish in Gildehaus (Villa Ridge) will host its annual Polar Plunge on Saturday, Jan. 7, at Veterans Memorial Park, 600 Progress Parkway in Union. The event is a celebration of the feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Jan. 8). Registration will begin at 10 a.m., followed by a plunge in the lake at 10:30 a.m. Proceeds from registration will go toward Helping Hands Community Outreach, a program at St. John the Baptist. For more information or to register, visit www.christplunge.com.