Upcoming Events
- This weekend, we will celebrate St. Phoebe at all parish Masses
- Sunday, September 1, 9:00-10:15 am, St. Vincent de Paul will meet in the 2nd floor conference room of the Parish Center (all are welcome-see details in the bulletin)
- Tuesday, September 3, 7:00-8:30 PM Celebrate St. Phoebe Day (her actual feast day), by joining us at St. Margaret of Scotland as College Church co-hosts a beautiful prayer service, reception and dialogue (all are welcome-see details below to register)
- Sunday, September 8, Donut Sunday 😊 in the Ballroom after the 8 am and 10:30 am Masses
- Sunday, September 8, Youth Faith Formation classes begin!!! 😊😊
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From Katie Jansen, our Director of the Work
Fruits of the Synod on Synodality
The worldwide Synod on Synodality that was initiated by Pope Francis began in 2021 and will conclude later this fall. The purpose of this Synod was to listen to the desires and concerns of all Catholics and the communities in which we serve. It has offered a wonderful opportunity for all parishes to build our skills in listening and discerning together.
One of the synod documents states,
“The purpose of the synod is . . . to plant dreams, draw forth prophecies and visions, allow hope to flourish, inspire trust, bind up wounds, weave together relationships, awaken a dawn of hope, learn from one another and create a bright resourcefulness that will enlighten minds, warm hearts, give strength to our hands.”
Many people are waiting with bated breath for the final gathering of the synod delegates in Rome this October. We have such great hopes for what the Church could become. We could be more inclusive of women, more inclusive of Catholics who are LGBTQ, more open to leadership structures that include lay-people! …Or there’s the possibility that very little will change. And many of us will feel deflated. It will be tempting to question why we put our faith in this process.
But this week, I’m reminded that the Synod on Synodality is already bearing fruit and it will continue to do so way after the global gathering in Rome. We have been offered a vision of church that “Enlarges the Space of the Tent”, that calls the Church to center those who are marginalized. We have been reminded that we are co-responsible for the functioning of the church. And we have already started living into this vision.
One specific fruit of the Synod on Syndoality is that the role of women has become a topic of conversation for Catholics around the world. Here in St. Louis women from many different parishes have begun gathering to identify ways to celebrate the gifts that women bring to the Church and to participate in the ongoing discernment about a female diaconate.
I want to invite you to experience some of the fruits of this synod on Tuesday, September 3rd, the Feast of St. Phoebe. We are cohosting a prayer service and speaker with St. Margaret of Scotland to celebrate St. Phoebe and all of the women who have fed and led us on our faith journeys. (see below for more details)
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Advanced registration is appreciated (click above), but if you find you are able to come at the last minute, please head on over to St. Margaret of Scotland! It will be a wonderful opportunity for our two parishes.
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Youth Faith Formation - starts next week!
Do you know wonderful families who are looking for engaging faith formation for their children and might be interested in joining our community? Please invite them to join you here at College Church and let them know now is the time to register for our Youth Faith Formation classes beginning on September 8th.
See details in the bulletin and at sfxstl.org/youth-faith to learn more about our traditional Religious Education (RE) classes and our Montessori-based Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS).
If you able to help with the Youth Faith Formation program this year, please reach out to Jaime Gil at jaime@stxstl.org or Julie Kilian at julie@sfxstl.org. Thank you! |
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Thank you, Daughters of Charity Province of St. Louise!
We are excited to announce a generous gift from the Daughters of Charity Province of St. Louise to the College Church ID and Birth Certificate Program. The support of the Daughters of Charity will help ensure the long-term sustainability of our ID and Birth Certificate Program, which provides support with essential identification documents so that community members may access the many critical resources and services requiring official identification.
As stated by the Daughters of Charity:
“The Daughters of Charity Province of St. Louise works to advance racial equity. The recent donation to the College Church Birth Certificate and Identification program furthers this work by helping Black families break the cycle of economic disparity often caused by systemic racism.”
We are deeply grateful for our ongoing relationship with the Daughters of Charity and their meaningful contribution, which will have a lasting impact on our ID and Birth Certificate Program and our broader St. Louis community.
Learn more about our ID and Birth Certificate Program and the lives that are changed through this vital work of our parish: sfxstl.org/outreach
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Did you know the Missouri ID Access Summit is next Saturday? Register Today!
From Christine Dragonette, our Director of Social Ministry: The Missouri State ID Access Coalition (of which College Church is a co-convener) is thrilled to host our first annual MO ID Access Summit on Saturday, September 7th, 2024 at the Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being, just down the street from College Church.
We'll bring together advocates, neighbors, lawyers, service providers, students and more to explore the ID landscape in Missouri. Sessions will delve into the basics of ID access and current disparities, advocacy skills, and prepare participants to take action moving forward to ensure all Missourians have the identification documents they need to thrive. Everyone is welcome!
More info and registration here: bit.ly/idaccess24
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A Celebration of "The Legacy of Mill Creek Valley"
An expansive neighborhood known as Mill Creek Valley is significant in the racial history of College Church. Its northwest boundary was the corner of Lindell Blvd. and Grand Ave. In other words, literally right across the street from the front doors of College Church!
The area was home to twenty thousand people, most of whom were African American. Mill Creek Valley was an economic hub, sustaining over 800 Black-owned businesses. But in the mid-20th century city leaders decided that everyone living and working there had to be moved out. Demolition of the neighborhood began in 1959 – for many of us, that’s during our own lifetimes.
Imagine how different St. Francis Xavier parish might be today if those 20,000 Black Americans were still living in that vast area just across the street.
We invite all parishioners to participate in two upcoming events in honor of the former Mill Creek Valley. On Tuesday, September 10, there will be a celebration of a new artwork by the brilliant St. Louis artist, Cbabi Bayoc, installed around the fountain right across the street from College Church.
See below to learn about the Voices of Mill Creek Valley of event on September 17. Please mark your calendar!
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Creation Care Summit: Gratitude, Hope and Action
Join us as we learn together from our Catholic social teaching about hearing “both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”
At this inaugural Creation Care Summit hosted by the Archdiocese of St. Louis, we will hear from local experts, advocates, students and clergy committed to helping us better care for each other and our Common Home.
For more info contact James Fowlkes-Comninellis at 314-792-7177 or jamescomninellis@archstl.org
WHEN: Saturday, September 21 @ 9am - 12pm
WHERE: St. Louis University High School 4970 Oakland Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110
RSVP: bit.ly/LSCSummit or call 314-792-7177
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To all our liturgical ministers and members of our choir:
The Northern Vicariate [our parish's region of the Archdiocese] invites anyone who serves in liturgical ministry to atend this free event. A reception with drinks & hors d'oeuvres will follow the presentation in the newly renovated museum at the Old Cathedral. RSVP by September 3
Come and share in this lively conversation on Thursday, September 5th at 5:00pm at the Basilica of St. Louis, King of France (Old Cathedral). The evening will be filled with joy and the good humor of this longtime friend of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and former Professor of Liturgy and Sacraments at Kenrick School of Theology, Dr. Glen Byer.
Reserve your seat today at: northernvicariate.flocknote.com/signup/176459
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We are glad to share our bulletin for September 1. We look forward to welcoming you to Mass as we celebrate St. Phoebe.
Our parish Masses are at 5:15 pm on Saturday and 8 am and 10:30 am on Sunday. SLU Campus Ministry coordinates the Masses at 4:30 pm and 8:00 PM on Sunday (with different music).
The livestream of the 10:30 am Sunday Mass will be available to access at any time on our YouTube channel.
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Many parishioner and friends of College Church have set up weekly or monthly recurring online giving - which is easy to do and a tremendous help to our parish. It requires no processing of checks or trips to the bank, while also allowing us to better predict our weekly and monthly cashflow.
We have a newly replenished supply of the blue and white offertory cards (pictured above) on the tables at the entrances to the church. If you give online, please pick up one of these cards before Mass and place it in a collection basket during the offertory, a symbol of your offering at the Presentation of Gifts. Update: We were delighted that many of our online donors placed the new offertory cards in the collection again last weekend! Thank you!! We put the cards back at the entrances, so they are ready to be used again this Labor Day weekend.
If you have any questions about how to set up online giving or are interested in making your donations through gifts of appreciated stock, a Donor Advised Fund or a retirement account, please contact Meg Beugg, Director of Parish Engagement, at meg@sfxstl.org or 314-977-7304 .
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