Yesterday, individuals with guns opened fire during Kansas City’s celebration of the Chiefs’ recent Super Bowl victory, killing one and injuring 20. At this point, police believe the shootings resulted from a personal dispute among several people. At least two of the suspects are juveniles, and more than half of the injured are children.
Here we are right on the cusp of the season of Lent (also, as many will note, today is Valentine’s Day!). Once again, we are presented with the opportunity to make ourselves ready over the course of the coming 40 days to receive the Easter gift of new life and new hope in the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
As we honor Black History Month, I recall visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture a few years ago. I vividly remember my feelings of grief as I walked through the museum, viewing pictures, artifacts, sculptures, and numerous writings about slavery and the horrific traumas African Americans suffered during that period.
Did you know that most workplace-related accidents occur in the winter? The reasons vary as much as the Kansas weather.
As people deeply immersed in the field of child welfare and family services, Saint Francis staff offer significant expertise about the wide range of issues and traumas that affect those we serve. One of those issues is human trafficking. Since January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, we’ve asked Jessica Ristich to share one of the ways in which Saint Francis Ministries works with community partners to protect children and youth from human trafficking.
It’s January 12, and if you’re still keeping up with all those New Year’s resolutions you made nearly two weeks ago, congratulations - you’re a step ahead of most of us.
Saint Francis Ministries has always been dedicated to the care and safety of young people, so it should be no surprise that we have a particular interest in protecting children from human trafficking.
I could probably say this for every season every year, but Advent has really flown by this year! Advent is the shortest of the seasons observed by the church, just four Sundays. Because of quirks in the interaction between the church calendar and the secular one, Advent doesn’t always even last a full four weeks—such as this year when the Fourth Sunday of Advent happens to fall on December 24th and is, thus, also Christmas Eve!
Before we put 2023 to bed, we hope you’ll take a few minutes to browse the Saint Francis Ministries website. Even a cursory look will reveal that we do a lot.
For more than 10 years, Saint Francis Ministries’ “Christmas for Kids” campaign has delivered the spirit of the season to children in foster care. That’s because, as one of our most beloved programs, “Christmas for Kids” provides children in foster care with their own Christmas present under the tree.
