Letters…
Like all of you, I get a fair amount of mail. Some are bills, some are requests, some are diocesan matters, and some are words of thanks for jobs well done. Let me share some of those latter ones with you from my mail bag…
From Archbishop Carlson: “I ask you please to express…my gratitude to your parishioners for their generous support of the Annual Catholic Appeal. “They are to be commended for meeting and exceeding both your recommended goal and your challenge goal by raising more than last year. I am grateful for their solidarity with all Catholics in the Archdiocese of St. Louis through their participation in this important appeal. Working together in this way, we practice Christian Stewardship and bring Christ’s love to our communities. May God continue to pour out his blessings upon you and yours…To his thanks, let me add my own, and in your name, a huge thank you to Bob Beckring for his leadership in our parish efforts…
From the American Red Cross: “Since 2002,over 853 units have been collected at St. Ann’sto support blood needs locally. Just one unit of blood can help up to three patients as it is separated into red cell platelets and plasma.That means blood from St. Ann may have helped up to 2,500 individuals… The level of support from the Knight of Columbus, especially Jim Paunika and Bruce Gardiner has been incredible. [We know…] Our local hospitals in the Missouri-Illinois region rely on over 5,000 units of blood donated every week to meet our patients’needs… On behalf of the blood recipients and families, we extend our continued thanks and appreciation to you and your church volunteers and donors…”
Finally, 40 Days for Life, a pro-life movement brought here to St. Louis by a Newman Centerstudent (and now alum), wrote to ask for volunteers to help in this ministry of witness and prayer. A few ways that people can become involved are: signing up to fill vacant hours to pray at Planned Parenthood; fast and pray for the effort privately or as a group; join theRosary Crusade to end abortion. For information about this effort you may visit their website at www.40daysforlife.com/stlouis. “Together we can end abortion in St. Louis and the world…”