Bob Vondera
Dianne Muccigrosso

Guests: Alice Kennedy and Pat O’Driscoll

The meeting was opened with the praying of the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

Memorial for the Unborn

Alice Kennedy presented her ideas for a memorial for the unborn. Her goal is to provide a visible place of reflection and remembrance of the unborn in the garden for parishioners as they leave church and as education for our youth. She provided pictures of memorials erected by other parishes. She has contacted Schreoder Funeral Home who have agreed to provide the stone at cost. Alice will find out more about costs for stones and engraving. Virginia offered to contact Lois Demorh, a parishioner, for additional brochures and samples of memorials. Alice envisions a dedication ceremony as a parish event. Guy will write a note to Fr. Santan and Fr. Wetmore to inform them we are thinking about a spot in the garden for the memorial so that we have dibs as we are planning the memorial. Things to think and pray about: determine costs, method of funding, sponsor for ceremony, when to dedicate, design and inscription for memorial, and potential design or inscription contest to involve the youth group and middle school kids. Everyone liked the idea of the memorial.

Partial-Birth Abortion Ban bill gains huge victory in the U. S. House of Representatives
The Partial-Birth Abortion bill introduced by Congressman Steve Chabot, R-OH, won overwhelmingly in the U.S. House of Representatives this week by a margin of 274-151. Some 65 Democrats joined 208 Republicans in passing this bill and only 9 Republicans voted against it. The battle to pass Congressman Chabot's bill now goes to what is known as Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's graveyard where over 50 major bills have been blocked from getting votes. Pro-abortion groups are now concentrating their efforts to block any vote on a partial-birth abortion bill this year.

Each Senator needs to be contacted demanding that there be an immediate vote on the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.

Senator Jean Carnahan, Thomas F. Eagleton Federal Courthouse
Suite 23.360, 111 South Tenth Street, St. Louis, MO 63102, (314) 436-3416, (314) 436-9640 fax, Send email through website at: carnahan.senate.gov

Senator Kit Bond, 7700 Bonhomme, #615, St. Louis, MO 63105, (314)725-4484 Send email through website at: bond.senate.gov

Priests for Life, www.priestsforlife.org

Guy arranged for Father Peter West to visiting our Parish and St. Louis on August 10, 11 & 12.

On Saturday August 10, Father West will be leading a Prayerful Walk and Witness following the 8:00 am Mass at the Cathedral Basilica to the Planned Parenthood Abortuary and then returning about 10:00 am. Those who want to carpool should meet at St. Joseph at 7:00 a.m. Car pools should leave by 7:15 a.m. and return around 10:30 a.m. Father West will also be providing the homilies at Sunday masses for St. Joseph Church on 8/10-11. He will talk to the youth group at their meeting after 5:00 pm Sunday mass. On Monday August 12 he will be interviewed on WRYT 1080 AM Catholic Radio from Noon- 1pm. Please join the Mass, Prayer and Walk on the 10^th Pass this message onto any other Catholics in St. Louis that you have. Guy has asked the Knights provide a donation for the Priests for Life. The parish is paying for the airfare and a stipend.

APLC CONVENTION (ARCHDIOCESAN PRO-LIFE COMMITTEE)

Sunday, October 27. Michelle Foster is spearheading the effort to get ads from businesses and placing envelopes in pews on August 10th. Pat O’Driscoll said the Knights and the 4^th Order (???) may want a full page ad. Anyone who wants to attend the Convention should inform Guy. The parish will sponsor us. It was suggested to recruit attendance from the youth group. Dianne announced she will be chairing the convention next year.

LIFE CHAIN

Sunday, October 6 – A Life Chain Committee Meeting was held before our meeting: Call Steve Regan for info. Life Chain Committee: Activity Lead-Steve Regan: Nowaks, Guy, Dianne, Bob All are welcome.

- The first recruitment day is August 10-11 weekend. Another sign up will be on September 28-29.

- Steve will e-mail anyone from last year that left e-mail addresses.

- We will concentrate our recruiting efforts on contacting and inviting people who participated last year to come back and invite a friend.

- Rams will play at 3:00 pm that day.

- Dianne will get a notice in the bulletin and she will give a sign up sheet to the Youth Group.

- Guy contacted the parish athletic organization requesting that they do not schedule anything that afternoon (October 6).

- Guy will order 500 balloons (about $100) but he recommends not inflating them until just before giving them away.

- Guy will call Gail Henry about a web/email sign-up format or link to Steve’s page.

- Guy will ask for a pulpit announcement on recruitment weekends. For the August 10 weekend, the announcement will tie into the Friends for Life campaign for the pro-life convention.

- Steve has precious feet pins, we will not ask for money for the pins but recommend donations to the APLC convention instead.

- Steve will print up reminder cards again for handing out at recruitment event.

- Steve will have a few clip boards, string for balloons and helium at the recruitment event.

- Sue Jaeger will get the lollipops.

SAUSAGE SUPPER

- Sunday, October 13

- No update on Diaper Changing Station

DEATH PENALTY Statement

Parish council deferred vote on the Death Penalty Statement we submitted from Thursday, June 13 until the next meeting because certain influential leaders were not present at the council meeting.

Image of Our Lady of Guadeloupe

Alice Kennedy has a contact who will be touring the image in St. Louis. She will investigate bringing it here to St. Joseph.

BUDGET

Budget report pending from Dianne.

SPEAKERS BUREAU

Dianne was contacted by the Archdiocease about volunteers for the speakers bureau. Speakers will give talks on pro-life topics to a wide variety of audiences, including parish groups and schools. Contact Maureen Kane, Aide for Education and Youth, at 314-792-7555 if you are interested.

SPIRITUAL ADOPTION PROGRAM

- Vince is moving forward with Jeanie Dandino about Spiritual Adoption including hanging posters in her classroom showing baby’s development as months progress.

- Short daily prayers for baby in womb.

- Update on baby development for 9 months – September through May.

- The parish’s copy people called the Copy Cats may laminate Vince’s posters.

Informational Website:

For more information about the origins of planned parenthood, go to www.lifeissues.org by Dr. J. Wilke.

NEXT MEETINGS:

Wednesday, September 11^th

PRAYER REQUESTS

Marge Scheman’s mom and mother in law are in the hospital.

Steve Regan’s Mom is still having health concerns.

Melissa Barnason’s daughter , Sydney (6 years old) is undergoing testing for health concerns.

The meeting closed with the prayer for the unborn.