Archdiocese of St. Louis

It’s clear Vince “Jimmy” Sanfilippo has never forgotten the reaction of his Italian friends and family when he brought home his American girlfriend for everyone to meet.

Sanfilippo and Marie Svetlik met on a double date in 1934. They went to a dance, and soon, they began going steady, sometimes attending dances three nights a week.

“When I brought her to meet my Mom, everyone said, ‘There goes that American girl, and a dance hall girl at that!’” Sanfilippo said with a hearty laugh. “Oh my goodness, that was terrible! I’ll never forget that.”

The Archdiocese of St. Louis has released today Catholic STL, a new mobile application for the iPhone, which provides users with a new way to connect with the archdiocese.

The free app, available through the Apple iTunes store at itunes.com, will include three of the archdiocese’s most popular features on its website, archstl.org: a search for Mass times and parish locations, news from the archdiocese and a way to make prayer requests.

Fish fries...

FRIDAY, MARCH 4: St. Ferdinand, 1735 Charbonier Rd., Florissant, 3-7 p.m.; Our Lady of the Presentation, 8860 Tudor Ave., Overland, 4-7 p.m.; Incarnate Word KC, 13416 Olive Blvd., Chesterfield, 4:30-7:30 p.m.; St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, 3500 St. Catherine St., Florissant, 4-7 p.m.; Immaculate Heart of Mary, 4092 Blow St., South St. Louis, 4:30-7 p.m.; KC 6018, 1623 Jeffco Blvd., Arnold, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Lenten Fish Fries...

A Catholic ministry for those who work with bereaved individuals is making strides in promoting the beauty and great healing that comes from the Catholic funeral ritual.

The National Catholic Ministry to the Bereaved held its twice-yearly board of trustees meeting last weekend in St. Louis, where members discussed projects the St. Louis-based ministry hopes to work on in the coming months.

About 1,000 people turned out to fight homelessness on Feb. 18 by answering some obscure questions about sports. They had fun, raised the roof at St. Louis University's Chaifetz Arena and raised something else — $791,000 for St. Patrick Center, the Catholic Charities agency dedicated to ending homelessness.

The eighth annual Sports Trivia Challenge presented by Budweiser included 95 teams of sports nuts, competing fiercely to help St. Patrick Center and win the grand prize of season tickets to the St. Louis Blues, St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Rams.

Fish fries...

FRIDAY, FEB. 25: St. Ferdinand, 1735 Charbonier Rd., Florissant, 3-7 p.m.; Assumption, 129 Station St., Herculaneum, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. & 4-6 p.m.

FRIDAY, MARCH 4: St. Ferdinand, 1735 Charbonier Rd., Florissant, 3-7 p.m.; St. Rose Philippine Duchesne School, 3500 St. Catherine St., Florissant, 4-7 p.m.; Our Lady of the Presentation, 8860 Tudor Ave., Overland, 4-7 p.m.; Immaculate Heart of Mary, 4092 Blow Rd., South St. Louis, 4:30-7 p.m.

Eating out...