Bridge of Hope
Bridge of Hope broke ground June 28 on its new emergency shelter and crisis center in Troy. The shelter, located near the Lincoln County Health Department, will provide short-term housing for men, women and families while connecting them with case managers to navigate next steps. The facility will also include a day-service space with access to the internet, laundry, showers, meals and more resources, as well as a large gathering space to host classes, trainings and meetings. Lincoln County supplied the land and will cover construction costs using funds the county received from a national class action settlement with pharmeceutical distributers of opioids. Construction on the facility is estimated to take about six months.
“We acknowledge the compassion and dedication that has led to the creation of this center, where individuals in need will find shelter, support and a renewed sense of hope,” Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski said before blessing the ground where the center will stand. “May this place be a testimony to the power of faith, love and unity in serving others. Bless this space, and may it inspire all of us to contribute our time, talent and resources to better serve our brothers and sisters in need.”
The task force that became Bridge of Hope was formed in the summer of 2021 to address rising homelessness in Lincoln and surrounding counties. Sacred Heart pastor Father Michael Lydon was a founding member of the board, alongside other Sacred Heart parishioners and members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Parishioner Chris Schieffer serves as board president. Bridge of Hope’s partners include Sts. Joachim and Ann Care Service, Catholic Charities of St. Louis, Mercy Hospital, the Incarnate Word Foundation and other civic and faith groups and businesses. Bridge of Hope also received $50,000 from the Annual Catholic Appeal.
To learn more about Bridge of Hope, visit bridgeofhopelc.org. The organization is partnering with Catholic Charities of St. Louis to hire its first executive director. For the job posting, visit stlreview.com/3CNch3P
Gun violence summit
The Archdiocese of St. Louis will host a one-day summit on gun violence from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, July 29, at the Cardinal Rigali Center in Shrewsbury. Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski will offer a welcome address, and local health officials, including Dr. Alexander Garza, chief community health officer with SSM Health, and others on the front lines dealing with gun violence will speak that day. Other topics will include a theological perspective that shapes a Catholic response to gun violence; victims and victims’ advocates on the trauma inflicted; and breakout sessions on advocacy, schools, children and pastoral care. The afternoon will include workshops to discuss how to address the issue of gun violence through parishes, schools, youth and legislation. For more information and to register, visit www.archstl.org/addressing-gun-violence.
Abp. Rozanski elected board chair of Cross Catholic Outreach
On June 6, Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski was elected as chairman of the board of directors of Cross Catholic Outreach, a Catholic nonprofit relief and development organization that, since its founding in 2001, has given more than $4 billion in aid to help the poor in more than 90 developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and other parts of the world.
“The four other archbishops and bishops unanimously elected Archbishop Rozanski to lead as our board’s chairman, and they are all united by our mission to transform the poor and their communities materially and spiritually for the glory of Jesus Christ,” Jim Cavnar, CEO, and Michele Sagarino, president, said in a joint statement. “Fittingly, Archbishop Rozanski’s personal motto is to ‘serve the Lord with gladness,’ in the spirit of the 100th Psalm. We pray that his service to God and the poor will inspire American Catholics to join us in this important mission.” For more information about Cross Catholic Outreach, visit CrossCatholic.org.
