It is my pleasure to announce that our Lily and Hammer Fund has 325 members. This means our parish was able to make $29,500. This money will be placed in a special fund for future capital expenditures. I was going to choose our first monthly winner on Sunday the 20th at 11AM Mass but instead I was sick in bed. So I drew our first winner on Monday the 21st at the 8:30AM Mass with our Fourth and Fifth Graders serving as witnesses. Our first $200 dollar winner is Barrett and Sharon Dolan.. I want to once again express my gratitude for everyone who is participating the Lily and Hammer Fund.
I ask each of you to help me open wide the doors of St. Joseph Parish to Father Ricardo Escobar. Fr. Escobar is coming to us from St. Charles Borromeo parish in St. Charles. He has been ordained for twenty-five years and has spent most of his life as a Dominican in Columbia, South America. In addition to serving here at St. Joseph Parish Father Ricardo will be taking English classes at University of Missouri Saint Louis.
Fr. Mathew’s New Assignment It is with deep sadness and great joy that I listen Fr. Mathew announce his assignment change last Sunday. My heart is filled with sadness because I have come to see Fr. Mathew as a valuable and well-respected member of our parish leadership team. I know that he was appreciate by many parishioners for his pastoral care and countless other contributions to lead us all closer to Christ. We will miss Fr. Mathew’s charm, professionalism, empathy and strength. We respect Fr. Mathew’s decision to accept this new assignment from the archbishop and we pray that God will bless him in his new ministry. On behalf of all the parishioners of St. Joseph, I wish God’s many blessings upon Fr. Mathew. (Farewell celebration and other information will be forthcoming).
Experience the amazing true stories of three women from Afghanistan, Bosnia and the Republic of Congo. Hear how they came to St. Louis with hope to create a new world by healing their old-world wounds. Gitana Productions presents NEW WORLD By Lee Patton Chiles Based on True Stories about Women Refugees in St. Louis
All men of the parish are invited to join us on our annual retreat at White House. This will be a silent, guided retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. It’s a peaceful break from the chaos and confusion of everyday life. It’s like a 3-day vacation with Christ on their beautiful 80-acre campus high on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. All meals and private lodging are provided. Our retreat begins the evening of Thursday May 3rd and concludes at 2pm Sunday May 6th. There is no set fee to attend a retreat at White House! White House operates on a free will offering basis, asking those in attendance to simply give what they feel they can at the conclusion of the retreat.
We are blessed in our Archdiocese to have Bishop George Murry SJ join us Thursday evening March 22nd. Bishop Murry is the Chair of the newly formed Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism of the USCCB. He will be speaking on “The Church as a Consistent Voice to Eradicate Racism” at 7pm that evening at College Church where he will be joined by Archbishop Carlson. Parking is available at the Laclede Garage.
Friday, Jan. 5, marks 200 years since my predecessor, Louis William Valentine DuBourg, arrived in St. Louis. When Bishop DuBourg arrived, St. Louis had but one church which could only be described as “a kind of miserable barn falling into ruins.” Today, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis boasts one of the largest collections of mosaics in the Western hemisphere. In 1818, Bishop DuBourg was establishing a headquarters for his new diocese. Now, in 2018, the city of St. Louis is competing for a second headquarters of a major international corporation. We can imagine that those early settlers would be proud to see their once-fledgling frontier town transformed into a thriving, modern metropolis...
Near record cold in January has created havoc across St. Louis. Water main breaks, cars that won’t start and frozen pipes disrupted our lives. Even though temperatures have moderated, some of our neighbors will struggle to pay their high gas and electric bills. With your continued support, we can bring hope, light and warmth to our neighbors in need. Thank you very much for your continued use of the monthly blue envelopes. If you or someone you know needs assistance, please contact our office at 636-779-5616.