Borgia High School supports Backstoppers
On March 15, St. Francis Borgia High School students and staff held a dress down day to support Detective Sergeant Mason Griffith and Hermann police officer Adam Sullentrup through The BackStoppers Inc., a nonprofit organization that supports families of first responders who are killed or injured in the line of duty. The archdiocesan high school raised more than $3,600. Borgia students and Hermann residents Peyton Grannemann and Aubrey Budnik presented Lieutenant Joe Renkemyer, a 1989 graduate of the school, and Washington Police Department Chief of Police Jim Armstrong with the check during an all-school Mass on March 16.
Japanese students visit Sacred Heart schools in St. Louis
In March, 12 students and faculty members from Sapporo Sacred Heart School in Sapporo, Japan, traveled to St. Louis to engage in a cultural exchange with students at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in St. Charles and Villa Duchesne in Frontenac. Students spent time at both schools, sharing about their country, culture, daily life, language and education. They attended classes, taught some Japanese, demonstrated origami skills and practiced their English with local students. The shared mission of the schools provided a natural touchpoint to build relationships across cultures.
With the historic beginning of Sacred Heart education in the area by St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, St. Louis is a an appealing destination for exchange, visits and travel within the Sacred Heart network. Students at the Academy and Villa have received opportunities for service and exchange trips, as well as cultural connections facilitated by technology and network relationships. On March 26, global exchange faculty from across the country gathered in St. Louis. Villa students will be traveling through exchange programs to France, Italy, Portugal and Austria in 2023; and eight Villa students are participating in network service trips this summer to California, Illinois, Nebraska and Washington.
In addition, for many years the Academy of the Sacred Heart has hosted students from Sacred Heart schools in Mexico and plans to return to that program as well as launch a new exchange in the 2023-2024 school year.
Talk on race at SLU
Journalist and opinion columnist Michele Norris will bring her Race Card Project to Saint Louis University for a talk on race in America, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, in the St. Louis Room (Room 300) in Saint Louis University’s Busch Student Center, 20 North Grand Blvd. in St. Louis.
Norris is an opinion columnist for the Washington Post and a former host of NPR’s afternoon magazine show, All Things Considered. She also served as a special correspondent for NPR on race and identity in America. Norris began the Race Card Project in 2010, asking people to share their experiences, questions, hopes and other thoughts about identity using only six words: “So proud and yet so tired.” Those words are then the starting point for conversations about race.
The project has archived more than 500,000 stories since its founding and is used regularly by schools, businesses, churches and others to foster dialogue and a deeper understanding of racial dynamics within the framework of a large institution. To learn more, visit theracecardproject.com.
Good Friday prayer vigil against gun violence
St. Margaret of Scotland Parish is hosting a prayer vigil, “Mourning and Remembering Lives Lost,” from 2-3 p.m. Good Friday, April 7, in front of the church, 3854 Flad Ave. in St. Louis. All are invited to join in prayer for those who have lost their lives due to gun violence in the community. Participants are invited to bring the name(s) of those they know who have died from gun violence.
Ascension Chesterfield seeks stories
Ascension Parish in Chesterfield is looking for stories and photos from the parish’s past to compile for the parish’s 100th anniversary. You can share your favorite memory or story of Ascension or photos of anything taken at the parish (i.e. baptisms and weddings) by visiting asc.church/100 years. You can also stop by the parish from noon-3 p.m. Tuesday, April 11, and the parish can make copies of photos if needed. If you would like to share your story over the phone, call the parish office at (636) 532-3304 and ask for Katie.
Young Catholic Professionals networking opportunity
The St. Louis chapter of Young Catholic Professionals will host a Networking Happy Hour from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 12, at Clayton Winehouse, for some wine, cheese and fellowship.
The event is free to attend, with food included. Members receive two free glasses of wine, credit cards accepted for non-members and additional drinks. To register as a member, visit https://www.youngcatholicprofessionals.org/why-belong#Join-Now. Attendance for the event is capped at 50 participants. To register to attend, visit https://ycp.glueup.com/event/networking-happy-hour-clayton-winehouse-73442/.