Rural Parish Clinic to reopen
Following a temporary suspension of services due to concerns related to COVID-19, the Rural Parish Mobile Medical Clinic plans to reopen its two locations in mid-July, with several changes to services and procedures to ensure patient safety and the protection of volunteer staff and parish facilities.
The clinic location at St. Joachim Church in Old Mines will reopen on Monday, July 13, and the location at the former St. Clare Catholic School in St. Clair will open on Thursday, July 16, with walk-in appointments being accepted later in July. The clinic will provide screening, guidance and referrals for those in need of testing and/or treatment for COVID-19, but will not offer testing nor medical care for COVID-19 patients on site. The clinic also will implement several new procedures and protocols as locations reopen to serve patients in-person, consistent with CDC guidelines and direction from local and regional health officials. Throughout the clinic’s temporary closure since March 25, services for existing patients have continued via telemedicine support, by use of phone communication for medication refills and other needs. Those support services will continue for current patients until the clinics reopen in July. Patients may call 1 (888) 870-9610, or email rpc@archstl.org to make an appointment, or for more information.
Pet parade
The residents of Bentwood Nursing and Rehab in Florissant received a treat June 15 when Joan Reddy, a teacher at All Saints Academy at the St. Ferdinand Parish Campus, organized a pet parade. About 15 pets accompanied by their families marched happily by the windows of the residents. Many marchers held their pets up to the windows as they stopped to make eye contact and share smiles. Children and adults — Reddy’s family members and friends from St. Ferdinand Parish — also left notes of encouragement and pictures for the residents. Reddy and the school have “Bentwood Buddies” who do school projects and visit with the residents during the school year. Given the visitation restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the visit was a win-win for all involved.
Personal protection equipment
Representatives from Catholic Charities of St. Louis picked up 200,000 3-ply disposable masks June 5 purchased by the St. Louis County Department of Health with federal CARES Act funding. “It is critical to us that these tools and supplies get in the hands of our most vulnerable residents as quickly as possible,” said Spring Schmidt, acting director of the St. Louis County Department of Health. The masks were delivered to all eight Catholic Charities as well as to archdiocesan offices; Regina Cleri, a residence for retired priests; the Catholic Charities Central Office; and Operation Food Search. “As a family of eight social services agencies directly assisting hundreds of adults and children daily, our need for personal protection equipment is great and ongoing.” said Don Halpin, Catholic Charities chief operating officer. “We are grateful to the St. Louis County Department of Health for this generous supply of surgical-grade masks to help protect those in our care and those who provide that care.”
Racial healing fund
The Incarnate Word Foundation and Saint Louis University’s Institute for Healing Justice are among the initial group of 10 funders of the newly established St. Louis Regional Racial Healing Fund investing in healing community trauma and changing the conditions that reinforce systemic racism. With a matching grant from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, $1.4 million has already been committed to the effort. Through a community-led grantmaking process, the fund will support efforts to develop capacity and infrastructure in the racial justice movement through community organizing and healing arts. For more information on the participatory grant-making process, contact David Dwight at davidd@forwardthroughferguson.org.
EVENTS
Prayer vigils for justice
A prayer vigil, “Standing for Racial Justice,” will be held from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 27, at St. Alphonsus Liguori (Rock Church) Parish, 1118 N. Grand Ave., with prayer, readings and silence. Participants will gather on sidewalks and in cars on the parking lot across from church. Masks and social distancing are required. Sponsor is the Catholic Racial Justice Collaborative, which is a multiracial group of Catholic lay and religious leaders in 14 parishes. Co-sponsor is the Peace and Justice Commission of the archdiocese. For more information, contact Kathy McGinnis at (314) 369-3821.
St. Margaret of Scotland Parish and Compton Heights Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) are continuing an ecumenical vigil for racial justice on South Grand Boulevard at Flora Place in St. Louis each Friday from 5 to 6 p.m. According to a press release, the two communities came together in faith and a shared commitment to stand against the sin of racism and to stand with people of color in the face of systemic racism and violence. Participants are required to wear masks and a 6-foot social distancing between people outside family units is essential.
