Great Preacher Award

Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski and Father Paul Whittington, OP, pastor of St. Katharine Drexel Parish in Chicago, are this year’s recipients of Aquinas Institute of Theology’s Great Preacher Award. The 29th annual celebration will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac.

Established in 1995, the Great Preacher Award is presented to individuals who, in word and deed, embody the “holy preaching,” which Dominicans understand as a comprehensive and dynamic response to God’s presence in our lives and in the world. The honor recognizes preachers who proclaim, in word and deed, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the coming and presence of the reign of God.

Archbishop Rozanski was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 1984, where he served in parishes for 20 years. He was ordained an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 2004. In 2014, he became bishop of the Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts. He has served as 10th archbishop of St. Louis since 2020. He serves on the advisory council of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains, the U.S. bishops’ subcommittee on Hispanic Affairs and the National Catholic Partnership on Disability. He also serves on the board of Cross Catholic Outreach and is the Roman Catholic co-chair of the Polish National Catholic/Roman Catholic Dialogue.

Father Whittington entered the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) in 1990 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1997. In his 25-plus years as a Dominican, he has served as a high school teacher, guidance counselor and pastor. In addition to his current role as pastor of St. Katharine Drexel, he is the promoter of permanent formation for the Province of St. Albert the Great, in which he is responsible for the continuing education and formation of all Dominican Friars in the province.

To purchase tickets or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, visit www.ai.edu/support/special-events/gpa.

Good Shepherd, Marygrove partnership

Catholic Charities of St. Louis announced a new shared management structure for Good Shepherd Children & Family Services and Marygrove. Kathy Fowler, chief executive officer of Good Shepherd, has been named chief executive officer of the two ministries and will lead the transition to a single management structure. The ministries will share space and facilities beginning in 2024, but they will maintain separate boards of directors, purpose statements, budgets and service staff. The new structure will help clients served by Good Shepherd and Marygrove to have more seamless access to a broader range of services.

Good Shepherd provides adoption services, foster care programming and pregnancy and parenting support that includes a maternity and transitional living shelter. Marygrove’s services includes a therapeutic residential treatment program, therapeutic foster care, transitional and independent living, special education and recreational therapy. Current Marygrove CEO Dr. Michael Meehan is now chief care officer for Catholic Charities, focusing on enhancing collaboration among all nine Catholic Charities ministries to help create a true communion of care that will serve every square mile of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

“Mary, the Masterpiece of God”

Father Donald Calloway, MIC, will give a presentation on “Mary, the Masterpiece of God,” at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 4, at Immaculate Conception Parish in Park Hills. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m., followed by the Rosary at 6:30 p.m.

Father Calloway is vicar provincial and vocation director for the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. He is the author of 15 books and a well-known conference speaker on Divine Mercy, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph and speaks on the topics in his conversion story. He leads pilgrimages to Catholic shrines around the world and resides at the Marian House of Studies in Steubenville, Ohio.

A limited number of tickets for Father Calloway’s talk are available for $20 each. For information, contact Mary Reed at (618) 691-8918 or Kristin Tate at (573) 631-6997.

#iGiveCatholic

The deadline to register for #iGiveCatholic is Nov. 3. #iGiveCatholic is a giving day event for the faithful from participating dioceses across the nation and the world to unite and donate to their favorite participating Catholic parishes, schools and ministries. #iGiveCatholic presents an opportunity for Catholics to support the organizations they are most passionate about on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28. In 2022, 1,231 donors gave over $363,000 to 83 ministries in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. If you are an administrator of a parish, school or nonprofit ministry within the Archdiocese of St. Louis and would like to be part of the Giving Day, apply at stl.igivecatholic.org.