Archdiocesan News Briefs | May 11, 2012
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Send to friend Graduation time
The 28 Catholic high schools in the St. Louis Archdiocese will be graduating 3,093 students in coming weeks, as graduations are held all around the area. The 10 archdiocesan high schools will graduate 1,038 students; the two parish high schools, 62 students; the 16 private high schools, 1,993 students. For more information, contact the Catholic Education Office at (314) 792-7300.
Using their noodles
Congratulations to St. Louis Priory School and DeSmet Jesuit High School, who competed in the 17th annual Scholar Bowl Championships, sponsored by the Missouri State High School Activities Association May 4 and 5 at the University of Missouri-Columbia. In Class 3, Priory took second place, losing to Savannah High School in the final match. In Class 4, DeSmet was eliminated after morning preliminary matches. Ladue Horton Watkins High School took first place in Class 4.
Ecumenical award
Archbishop Robert J. Carlson will be among the honorees recognized at the Ecumenical Leadership Council's Special Recognition Awards dinner at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 29, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. Other honorees include Donald Suggs, publisher and executive director of the St. Louis American newspaper, Lewis Chartock, president of MersGoodwill, Terry Nelson, president of the Carpenter's District Council, and Rev. Wallace Hartsfield, pastor emeritus of the Metropolitan M.B. Church in Kansas City. Keynote speaker will be Judge Jimmie Edwards of the 22nd Circuit Court. Tickets are $80 per person and tables of eight for $640. For more information, call (314) 721-2288.
Taizé prayer
A Taizé prayer gathering will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, May 20, at the Theresa Center chapel on the School Sisters of Notre Dame campus, 320 E. Ripa Ave. in south St. Louis County. The prayer gathering is open to the public and will include song, symbol, ritual and quiet. Contact Sister Joyelle Proot at (314) 633-7015 or jproot@ssnd-sl.org.
Rooms in Bloom
The Samuel Cupples House on the campus of St. Louis University in Midtown will host its Rooms in Bloom, rooms filled with beautiful floral displays by area florists, Thursday-Sunday, May 17-20. The opening reception, at 5 p.m. May 17, will feature a smooth jazz performance. Hours are 11 a.m to 4 p.m. May 18-19 and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m May 20. For more information, go online to cupples.slu.edu or call (314) 977-2666.
Wanted: lawn mowers
The SGSM Network is bringing back its "Lawn Mowing Referrals" service for the second year and is in need of middle- and high-school aged youths to help mow lawns for older homeowners. Mowers are needed in south St. Louis City, south St. Louis County, north St. Louis County, Crestwood and Sunset Hills. Adult homeowners pay a modest fee ($10-15) for the service, which is an opportunity for youths to earn summer spending money. For more information, call Kara Daly with the SGSM Network at (314) 664-9700 or email kara.daly@sgsmnetwork.org.
Family Fest
Family Fest, a spiritual weekend for families, will be held from Friday-Sunday, Aug. 17-19 at Eagle Hurst Ranch in Steelville, Mo. The family-friendly program is in conjunction with the Apostolate For Family Consecration, a family ministry based in Ohio. The Eagle Hurst program will include talks by Father Brian Harrison, OS, of St. Mary of Victories Chapel in south St. Louis. There will be daily Mass, rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet and adoration, and activities include horseback riding, swimming, tubing and fishing. Accommodations include cabins, tents, camper sites and meals served family style. For cost and other information, go to eaglehurstranch.com/events or call (636) 931-3503.
Guiding Stars
De La Salle Middle School honored three "Guiding Stars" at an event late last month at the Edward Jones headquarters in Des Peres. The event raised more than $375,000 for the students and graduates of the school. Speakers included a graduate of De La Salle who now attends the University of Central Missouri. The award recipients were Christian Brothers College High School, Bob Sweney and Maria D'Agrosa Sweney, and Paul LaVigne. After receiving his award, LaVigne said he supports De La Salle because of results such as a 97 percent high school graduation rate. The school educates underserved students in north St. Louis and has a support program that follows graduates through college.
Happy China
A number of local Catholic school students scored big in the recent Regional Happy Chinese Competition at the Confucius Institute at Webster University. Ellen Dryden, a freshman at Cor Jesu Academy, earned second place in the Speaking Chinese category. Winning first place in the language division was a group of St. Louis Priory students -- Ed Houser, Jack Mueller, Danny Martin, Luke McGartland, Fitz Freeman, Sam Fortmann, Kevin Dowling, Parker Weigle, John Paul Austin, Chris Chivetta and Tony Lee. Winning first place in the talent division was a St. Louis University High School chorus group -- Christian Probst, Will Edwards, Tom Blood, Tom DePriest, Sakari McCullough, Scott Szewczyk, Alex Tarter, Alex Greubel, Joseph Essig, Ryan Arroyo, Sam Krausz and Alex Shaver. And four SLUH students -- Scott Szewczyk, Ken Warner, Jordan Gibson and Blake Gibson -- came in third in the Chinese Skit category.
Supporting schools
The South Side Optimist Club recently donated $1,000 to Bishop DuBourg High School for the school's robotic program. The club has also donated more than 6,000 Webster Dictionaries to third-graders in more than 23 Catholic schools over the past six years.
Initiative signatures
A group that included the Society of St. Vincent de Paul gathered 180,000 signatures -- nearly twice the required number -- to put an initiative on the ballot in November to cap payday, car title and other high-cost lending at 36 percent. They also gathered enough signatures for an initiative to raise the state's minimum wage. The signatures were submitted to the Missouri secretary of state, who must certify them before the initiatives can be put to voters. If Missouri voters approve the interest-rate cap, the state will join 17 others and the District of Columbia in limiting payday and similar lending.
Tax credit bill
Catholic Charities is asking people to contact their state senators on HB 1278, a bill that addresses tax credits that help agencies serve clients. Legislators are being asked to bring the bill up for debate and to vote for it. Catholic Charities noted that these charitable tax credits increase charitable giving to programs serving the most vulnerable Missourians and provide a framework that allows donors to target their private resources to advance the common good.
Soccer star
Maureen McVey, varsity soccer coach at St. Joseph's Academy, will be the first woman inducted into the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame. An induction Mass will be celebrated Thursday, June 14, at St. Gabriel Church in St. Louis Hills and the induction ceremony will be held in late September. McVey has been at St. Joe's since 1994.
