Pastor's Notes - 08/05/2018

This weekend is the appeal for the Latin American Apostolate. In 1956 Pope Pius XII asked the United States bishops to share some priests with the dioceses of South America. In 1956 St Louis had its largest ordination class of 30 men to the priesthood. Fr. Andrew Schierhoff, Msgr. Andrew Kennedy and Fr. David Ratermann were selected to go to La Paz, Bolivia to start a mission church on the outskirts of the city called Christ the King (Cristo Rey). Kansas City and Jefferson City Diocese did the same and sent priests to Latin America. Kansas City priests also went to Bolivia and Jefferson City priests went to Peru. 

Now most of the dioceses no longer have priests serving in Latin America, but we do. Fr. Jim Michler and Fr. Pat Hayden are both serving the apostolate there. We are serving the parish of Maria Reina (Mary Queen) and village of Calamarca.

Your donation will help us as an Archdiocese to continue to serve the people of these regions. If you read in the St. Louis Review about three young people from St. Louis who went to visit Bolivia, you can get even a better insight of the work which is being done today. 

I personally have interest in this mission since I spent almost four years there from 1983 to 1986. Please be generous if you can.