Religious education

Several accomplished figures in the Archdiocese of St. Louis -- two of whom had a key role in the civil rights march in Selma, Ala., in 1965 -- received honors from colleges at commencements this month.

Sr. Barbara Moore

Sister Barbara Moore, CSJ, was the commencement speaker May 11 at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. She was given an honorary doctor of humane letters degree.

James Cocroft's face lit up when he recalled the first time he walked into St. Cecilia School in south St. Louis.

"There was a big mural on the wall of St. Louis City," he said. "I knew this place was going to be awesome."

Cocroft recently graduated from St. John Vianney High School in Kirkwood. He claims his success at the all-boys Marianist school wouldn't have been possible without the preparation he received during his years at St. Cecilia. He's also among the first generation in his family to attend college. This fall, he will go to the University of Wisconsin to study biology.

Rose Wieschhaus, director of religious education at Sts. Joachim and Ann Parish in St. Charles, stresses the need to involve parents so they have the resources they can use at home in educating their children in the faith.

There's good news for Catholics looking for resources to help strengthen and expand their spiritual life.

The Religious Education Media Center of the St. Louis Archdiocese has opened up its library of DVDs and other materials to individual adult Catholics. Previously the library, located in the Catholic Education Center in the Central West End, was limited to parishes, parish organizations, schools and agencies in the archdiocese.