Parishes

In this Year of Faith, Catholics are embracing a "new moment for evangelization," according to Father Urey Patrick Mark, SVD.

The pastor of St. Nicholas Parish Downtown has had much time to reflect on that as the parish received the news late last month that its neighboring parish, St. Patrick, was officially closing.

A man who suffered an apparent heart attack crashed into the rectory of St. Joseph Parish in Cottleville Sept 27 and died after being taken to a local hospital.

The car veered off Motherhead Road about 10 a.m. and went into Msgr. James Callahan's bedroom at the rectory, causing significant damage. No one else was injured.

Cottleville Police Chief Scott Lewis confirmed that the driver, William Fretwell, 84, of unincorporated St. Charles County, was taken to a hospital in critical condition and died a short time later.

Sometimes it's hard to imagine what our purpose is in life. For the laity, in particular, it can be a tremendous challenge when faced with a secular culture that seems to go against everything the Catholic faith stands for.

But there is wisdom in Church teaching, according to Sister Mary Kathleen Ronan. Specifically, the laity are called to develop a deeper relationship with Christ within the everyday living of their own vocations, said the Sister of Mercy of Alma, Mich., who coordinates the lay formation program for Paul VI Institute in the Archdiocese of St. Louis.