De Smet Jesuit feeds the hungry

De Smet Jesuit High School in Creve Coeur has earned fifth place for its successful food collection drive as part of the Great Ignatian Challenge during the month of November. De Smet Jesuit competed against 17 other Jesuit schools nationwide to bring in the most pounds of food per student and earn scholarship dollars. The fifth-place win ($30,000), combined with a Best PR Effort award ($15,000), has earned $45,000 for De Smet Jesuit’s scholarship fund.

Students collected 11 tons of food, equal to 37 pounds per student, for St. Patrick Center at a time when food pantry shelves were bare. It was the single largest food donation in St. Patrick Center’s history, according to the school.

The Great Ignatian Challenge was initiated by Jim Rowen, an alumnus of Fordham Preparatory School in New York in 2016. It is named for St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits. Inspired by the Jesuit mission of becoming “women and men for others,” the challenge highlights the collective service power and generosity among Jesuit high schools. In support of the students’ efforts, Rowen has given more than $2,340,000 toward scholarship funds for students at participating institutions. Since the challenge began in 2016, participating schools have collectively amassed more than 1.45 million pounds of food.

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.

Holy Hour for vocations

A Holy Hour for priestly and religious vocations will be held from 7-8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6, at the Monastery of St. Clare (Poor Clare nuns), 200 Marycrest Drive in south St. Louis County. The monastery is located off the 6000 block of Telegraph Road.

Naming and Commendation

A Naming & Commendation prayer service for families whose child died before birth for any reason (including miscarriage, accident, abortion or stillbirth) will be held Saturday, Jan. 7, after the 8 a.m. Mass at Christ Prince of Peace Church, 415 Weidman Road in Manchester. The rite offers parents and families an opportunity to name the child, bring peaceful closure to great loss and unite with our merciful God. To RSVP or for more information, contact Susan Nowak at (636) 394-0272 or [email protected]; or Val Krygiel at (636) 391-6289 or [email protected].

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.

Marriage Encounter Weekend

Worldwide Marriage Encounter offers weekend experiences for married couples to rekindle romance, enhance meaningful communication, and deepen and renew their commitment. The next in-person Marriage Encounter Weekend experiences will take place Feb. 3-5 and March 31-April 2 at the Courtyard Marriott in St. Peters, and March 17-19 at Villa Maria Retreat Center in Springfield, Illinois. For more information or to sign up, visit wwme.org or call Terry and Eric Engholm at (314) 649-7317.