Saint Louis Review - All Articles

Tiny chapel has giant impact at South County grade school

lisajohnston — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:59:29 +0000

Jennifer Brinker | jbrinker@archstl.org

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Blessed Teresa of Calcutta once said, "Don't look for big things, just do small things with great love."That's just what one Catholic school community has done in its efforts to place Jesus in the Eucharist as the center of its students' daily lives, and in the process, boost the school's Catholic identity.

Religious Liberty & Freedom of Conscience

lisajohnston — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:19:46 +0000

Youth in scouting recognized for growing in their faith by working on faith formation programs

lisajohnston — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:22:03 +0000

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Bishop Edward Rice presided over the presentation of the Archbishop's Awards for Cub Scout Packs, Boy Scout Troops and Venture Crews at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis.

File Attachment:

Catholic Observance of Scout Sunday Celebrating 102 Years Catholic Scouting Ministry Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis February 5,

Pastoral letter on conscience rights

teakphillips — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:47:20 +0000

By Archbishop Robert J. Carlson

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I write to you concerning an alarming and serious matter that negatively impacts the Church in the United States directly and that strikes at the fundamental right to religious liberty for all citizens of any faith. The federal government, which was formed to be "of, by, and for the people," has just dealt a heavy blow to almost a quarter of those people – the Catholic population – and to the millions more who are served by the Catholic faithful.

File Attachment:

Archbishop Robert J. Carlson's letter to the faithful regarding the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' mandate.

Bishops respond to White House blog post on health care mandate

lisajohnston — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:30:31 +0000

February 3, 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued the following response to the Feb. 2 post on the White House blog.

Full text follows:

Demolition begins on tornado-ravaged hospital in Joplin

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:31:57 +0000

JOPLIN, Mo. -- The battered St. John's Mercy Hospital saw its first wrecking ball Jan. 29 -- a small step in a demolition process that will eventually bring down the tornado-ravaged buildings on the site and leave the land ready for rebuilding.

Catholic Advocate launches effort to rescind federal contraceptive mandate

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:31:30 +0000

Catholic News Agency

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A new "Protect Our Conscience" campaign has been launched to help Catholic individuals, families and parishes voice their opposition to the newly confirmed federal contraception coverage mandate.

Pope Paul VI and Humanae Vitae: I told you so

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:31:07 +0000

Jennifer Brinker | jbrinker@archstl.org

The image has spread rapidly around social media networks: It's a photo of Pope Paul VI, and in the likeness of those popular inspirational posters, includes the saying, "Humanae Vitae No. 17: I told you so."

It's a humorous but stark nod to a reality that Catholic Americans are facing today: a slow, but sure dissolution of freedom of religion, this time through forcing artificial contraception upon Catholic institutions.

Komen reverses decision, will give funding to Planned Parenthood

jenniferbrinker — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:35:14 +0000

By Jennifer Brinker and Joseph Kenny

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure has reversed its decision to halt grants to Planned Parenthood, leaving members of the local and national pro-life community dazed.

The organization apologized and has decided to revise its policy that led to its earlier decision to cut funding to the nation's largest abortion provider.

Missouri Catholic Conference: Act now to preserve rights of conscience

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:43:45 +0000

The Missouri Catholic Conference, public policy agency of the state's bishops, is asking people support for the "Respect for Rights of Conscience Act."

A recent federal Health and Human Services directive mandating abortion-inducing emergency contraception and birth control coverage in health plans is "a direct attack on the conscience rights and the religious liberty of Catholics and others of faith," a message from the Catholic Conference stated.

French president rejects calls for secular values to be in constitution

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:40:04 +0000

By Catholic News Service

PARIS — French President Nicolas Sarkozy rejected calls for secular values to be enshrined into his country's constitution and urged religious leaders to do more to spread their message in the country.

"A secular society is one which has decided to separate churches from the state, so the state doesn't have to account for its choices to churches, and churches don't depend on the state to live and organize — this is secularity, a secular republic," he told religious leaders at a traditional New Year meeting Jan. 25.

Letters to the editor | Feb. 3, 2012

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:38:50 +0000

Conscience rights

In his two classic biographies of Blessed John Paul II ("Witness to Hope" and "The End and the Beginning: Pope John Paul II -- The Victory of Freedom, the Last Years, the Legacy"), George Weigel depicted how the pope, who lived under communism, understood the importance of religious freedom. His efforts in restoring religious freedom were what turned the tide against the Eastern European communist regimes. For if religious freedom did not exist, neither did other basic freedoms.

Obituary | Fr. Thé Pham, CSSR

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:38:21 +0000

A memorial Mass was celebrated Jan. 28 at St. Alphonsus Liguori "Rock" Church in North St. Louis for Father Thé Joseph Pham, CSSR, a former assistant pastor there.

Father Pham, 60, died suddenly in Vietnam while working with a leper community.

Born in Vietnam, he served in the South Vietnamese army as a photographer and communications operator. After the fall of Saigon, he was sent to "re-education camps" run by the Communists. He escaped the country on a fishing boat in June of 1979. He spent four long days on the open seas until arriving in Hong Kong.

Obituary | Sr. Teresa of Jesus Uhlen, OCD

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:37:52 +0000

A funeral Mass was celebrated Dec. 29 at the Monastery of St. Therese in Clinton Township, Mich., for Sister Teresa of Jesus Uhlen, a native St. Louisan.

Sister Teresa died Dec. 26. Born Marilyn Uhlen in St. Louis, she attended Rosati-Kain High School. She professed vows in 1956 at the Carmelite Nuns' monastery in Kansas City. The Discalced Carmelite Nuns are cloistered contemplatives.

She came to the Monastery of St. Therese in 1986. There she was known for her upbeat personality. She played piano and sang and did some secretarial work. She served six years as prioress.

Legislative group in Missouri details corrections reform package

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:37:21 +0000

A corrections reform package estimated to reduce the prison population by as many as 677 people by fiscal year 2017 and save between $7.7 and $16.6 million is a step in the right direction, according to the Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC).

A bipartisan effort has emerged to pass corrections reform legislation, the MCC noted, spurred on by the continuing state budget crisis. Missouri's prison population has doubled and corrections spending has tripled during the past 20 years. As a result, state leaders this summer created the Missouri Working Group on Sentencing and Corrections.

Obituary | Sr. Maria Gabriel McClain, ASCJ

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:36:48 +0000

A funeral Mass was celebrated Jan. 21 in Sacred Heart Manor Chapel in Hamden, Conn., for Sister Maria Gabriel McClain, retired teacher and librarian who had served in St. Louis.

Sister Gabriel, 96, died Jan. 18 at Sacred Heart Manor. Born in Wilkinsburg, Penn., she attended St. Anthony High School in St. Louis and entered the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1932 in New Haven, Conn. She professed first vows in 1934 and perpetual vows in 1943.

Cardinal Bevilacqua, retired Philadelphia archbishop, dies at age 88

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:36:02 +0000

Catholic News Service

PHILADELPHIA -- Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, retired archbishop of Philadelphia, died Jan. 31 at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, where he resided.

According to the Philadelphia Archdiocese, he died in his sleep at 9:15 p.m. He was 88.

Cardinal Bevilacqua headed the archdiocese from February 1988 to October 2003. Funeral arrangements were pending.

Pope Benedict XVI mourned the death of the cardinal, expressing his "heartfelt condolences" in a telegram sent to Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput.

Movie Ratings | Feb. 3, 2012

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:29:47 +0000

Ratings are supplied by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

For current reviews, see usccb.org

THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: General patronage

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED: General patronage.

THE ARTIST: Adults.

CONTRABAND: Morally offensive.

THE DESCENDANTS: Limited adult audience.

THE DEVIL INSIDE: Morally offensive.

EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE: Adults.

Movie review | 'The Iron Lady' is a fine, fair portrayal of British leader

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:28:57 +0000

Adam ShawCatholic News Service

NEW YORK -- The British market a brand of yeast spread called Marmite. Due to its overwhelmingly strong taste, its label carries the slogan "Love it or Hate it."

As a result of the visceral reactions, both pro and con, stirred by her controversial 1979-90 tenure in office, former U.K. leader Margaret Thatcher -- now Baroness Thatcher -- has been described as the Marmite of prime ministers.

Missouri Knights of Columbus exemplify a life of service

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 00:28:19 +0000

By Joseph Kenny | jkenny@stlouisreview.com

The Missouri Knights of Columbus are inviting Catholic men to become members of the world's largest lay Catholic fraternal service organization.

Archbishop Robert J. Carlson and the bishops of the three other dioceses in Missouri have written letters sent to parishes asking men to learn more about the Knights of Columbus. Members of Knights' councils will be on hand at Masses Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 18 and 19, to answer questions.