Archdiocesan news briefs
New Year church tour
All are invited to a New Year church tour on Jan. 1 in Franklin County. Fifteen churches will be open from noon to 4 p.m. for visitors to walk through the church and view Christmas decorations. The parishes are: Assumption in New Haven, Immaculate Conception in Augusta, Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Francis Borgia in Washington, St. Ann in Clover Bottom, St. Gertrude in Krakow, St. Ignatius of Loyola in Concord Hill, St. John the Baptist Gildehaus in Villa Ridge, St. Vincent de Paul in Dutzow, St. Gerald in Gerald, Holy Family in Port Hudson, St. Joseph Neier and Immaculate Conception in Union, St. John Lutheran Church in Beaufort and St. Peters UCC in Washington. For more information, visit www.stlouisreview.com/event/new-year-church-tour/.
Holy Hour for vocations
There will be a Holy Hour for priestly and religious vocations at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, at the Monastery of St. Clare, 200 Marycrest Drive in Oakville. The monastery is located off the 6000 block of Telegraph Road.
Polar Plunge for Jesus’ baptism
St. John the Baptist-Gildehaus Parish in Villa Ridge will host its annual Polar Plunge in celebration of the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, on Saturday, Jan. 11, at Veterans Memorial Park in Union. Registration begins at 10 a.m. and the plunge will take place from 10:30-11 a.m. Cost is $10 per person or $30 including a T-shirt. Proceeds go to the Feed My Sheep Project, which provides children in the area who are less fortunate with a meal and Bible study on Sunday evenings. To register, visit christplunge.com.
Seeds of Healing retreat
The Marianist Retreat and Conference Center in Eureka will host a Seeds of Healing retreat on Saturday, Jan. 18. The retreat is designed to bring God’s healing touch to anyone who has lost a loved one to any tragic death, including suicide. There will be time for healing prayer, discussions, sharing, learning techniques for healthy outlet of emotions and testimonies. The retreat will run from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and will include lunch and dinner for $65. There is an additional overnight option. To learn more, visit stlreview.com/4fiUhyV.
Prayer for Christian Unity
The archdiocesan Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs will host the annual Prayer for Christian Unity at 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26, at St. Monica Church, 12140 Olive Blvd. in Creve Coeur. Christians from local St. Louis communities are invited to gather in prayer for Christian unity and reflect on the Gospel story of Lazarus’ resurrection. Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski will preside, and Rev. Father Michael Arbanas of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church will preach. A reception will follow the prayer. The week coincides with the annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, which will be observed Jan. 18-25. For more information and to RSVP, visit stlreview.com/3VGR856
Mass of Racial Unity
Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski will celebrate the fourth annual Mass of Racial Unity at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, at St. Cletus Church, 2705 Zumbehl Road in St. Charles. The Mass is organized by the archdiocesan Office of Racial Harmony and Black Catholic Ministries. To learn more, visit www.racialharmonystl.org.
Discern with the SSNDs
The North American Vocation Team of the School Sisters of Notre Dame invites single women ages 18-45 to a discernment retreat Feb. 21-23 at their Sancta Maria in Ripa campus in St. Louis. The weekend will include time for personal and communal reflection. Sessions will provide an opportunity to learn through conversation, contemplation, prayer and spiritual guidance how to recognize God’s invitations in your life. There is no cost for participation in the retreat; all meals are included. Registration is requested by Feb. 7. More information and registration is available at ssnd.org/events/retreat225/; or contact sisters@ssnd.org or (314) 633-7026.
