St. Louis IX, the King of France…and the Crusades
Undoubtedly you saw in the news over the past weekend an effort to tear down the iconic statue of St. Louis, the King, presiding over Art Hill in Forest Park. Along with this effort to remove the statue, there is also a move to change the very name of our City and County named in honor of St. Louis IX, the King. The organizers of this movement claim that St. Louis, the King, is guilty of genocide against Jews and Muslims during the Crusades in the Middle Age, an accusation not historically accurate.
The real history of the Crusades is a bit more complex as is most medieval history according to Professor Thomas F. Madden, a teacher at St. Louis University and author of the book, “The Concise History of the Crusades.” In an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch this past Sunday, Professor Madden claims that during the seventh century and onward the Islamic Kingdoms were the superpowers in the Mediterranean world and a force with which to be reckoned.
In 1244, Egyptian and Turkish forces conquered Jerusalem, massacred thousands of Christians, and desecrated shrines and churches sacred to Catholic Christians. St. Louis led several crusades to reclaim the holy sites and aimed at recovering Jerusalem for the Christian kingdom there.
In 1248 King Louis IX set out and led the Seventh Crusade. He landed in Egypt where the residents fled, but only a few months later the king and thousands of Franks were captured by the Muslims. Eventually, the King was ransomed and returned to France. The Crusade was a failure.
King Louis IX returned in the Eighth Crusade in 1270 and landed in Tunisia and died of typhus there. Another failed attempt to reclaim the Catholic Christian holy sites. It doesn’t appear likely that King Louis IX is guilty of genocide at all.
In fact, St. Louis is the patron saint of France, a holy man, and a just ruler and was considered a model French monarch. He gave aid to the poor and founded hospitals. He invited the poor to dine with him and even washed their feet when they left. He is known to bath the lepers and was sympathetic to the Jews in Paris. He never rounded them up or forced them to leave. Many monarchs at that time in Europe slaughtered Jews and were very anti-Semitic. Not so for St. Louis IX.
The organizers, bent on toppling this icon of our City, need to know the history of this sainted man and also the complex history of the Crusades as well as Medieval history where believers saw little difference between the temporal and spiritual worlds.
In addition, while on the subject of removing statues, let me comment on the removal of Confederate statues, images and flags. According to Ken Burns, the great and respected American historian, every statue and icon of the Confederacy should be removed. They represent White Supremacy and are racist. Even after the Civil War General Robert E. Lee told his generals and the people of the South that they should not erect any memorials of that war. To create such monuments of the Civil War and the Confederacy will only create division and pain. We are one nation and are no longer divided. At the time most honored General Lee’s request and plea.
Most of the statues of Confederate generals or leaders were constructed much later during the late 19th Century and early part of the 20th Century with the rise of white supremacy in the South and the so called “Jim Crow” laws. These statues are and were meant to be racist images. Ken Burns says these images must go. They are divisive and wrong and are offensive to all of us. They devalue the lives of Black Americans.
Hey folks, we need more people for our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults journey of faith sessions!! Since we are called to evangelize and grow the Church we are called to invite folks to our Catholic Faith. If you know of a friend, a neighbor, a relative even who has shown some interest in learning about Catholicism or joining the Church send them our way. Have them contact Linda Doyle at 966-8600 and we can give them all the information about joining our RCIA class for this next year.
We usually average about 10 new folks each year. However, last year we only had five candidates and NO catechumens (folks unbaptized)!! I would just love a class of 20 or so!!!!! Wow, that would be terrific!
Hope all are well as we move into July and midsummer. Enjoy and be safe for the Fourth of July and Happy Independence Day!
Peace and all good,
Monsignor Jack
0822
This Week's Bulletin
This week's bulletin is attached below. Hard copies of this weekend’s bulletin are available on the shelf in the vestibule of the rectory office.
Beyond the Building Technology Fund:
St. Peter is committed to continue to Livestream Masses in the future as well as explore even more ways to connect and engage with our parish family online. To do this...we need your help! We will need to invest in additional equipment, software, and support to sustain an ongoing Livestream ministry. The estimated cost for this project is $30,000 which includes Livestream equipment, installation, and software. The Beyond the Building Technology Fund has been set up to support this Livestream initiative to provide continued Livestream Mass regularly as well as live stream special events including 1st Communion, Confirmation, weddings, funerals, special Masses, etc. If you are able, we hope that you will consider giving to this initiative. Donations can be made through the link below or checks can be mailed to the rectory at 243 W. Argonne Drive, Kirkwood, MO 63122. Any amount is greatly appreciated!
Sunday Mass
Sign Up for Sunday Mass
Our capacity for Sunday Mass has increased to 200 people.
Sunday Mass is at 10:00 am.
Weekday Mass is at 8:15 am.
- Please sign up on the Sign Up Genius below. Masks are required and social distancing will still need to be practiced at all times.
- Visit https://stpeterlive.com/reopening-news for Mass guidelines.
- Please remember that all Catholics are dispensed of their Sunday Mass obligation which means that not attending Mass is NOT A SIN.
Distribution of Communion after Mass
Communion will be offered to those who are unable to attend Mass in person between 11:10am-11:30am. (This will allow time for the those attending Mass to exit and the church cleaners to get started after Mass).
Please sign up on the Sign Up Genius below.
RCIA
Are you interested in learning more about the Catholic Church?
Then you might be interested in joining the RCIA process.
Who is RCIA for?
1. Persons in need of Baptism.
2. Persons baptized in another Christian tradition who desire to become Catholic.
3. Persons baptized Catholic in need of First Communion and/or Confirmation.
What is RCIA?
The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the process established for the universal Church for individuals to become Catholic and receive the sacraments of initiation — Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist. The Rite speaks of conversion as a “spiritual journey.” Centered on fostering a deep relationship with Jesus and the Church he founded, this journey takes place through distinct stages over a period of time suitable to bring about a thorough catechesis, significant experience of the parish community, and commitment to the liturgical and moral life of the Catholic faithful.
R.C.I.A. Sessions will begin on Sunday, September 13th !
If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the Catholic faith or you would like more information about the RCIA process, please call
Linda Doyle at 314-966-8600, EXT. 1011 or e-mail ldoyle@stpeterkirkwood.org
Prevent and Protect STL
The Archdiocese of St. Louis has developed a new system for safe environment compliance called Prevent and Protect STL. Everyone (clergy, employees and volunteers) ministering to minors and vulnerable adults in the Archdiocese are required to register in the new system before December 31, 2020. This includes those new to service as well as those who are currently compliant and in service. For those who have already attended a Protecting God's Children workshop, your previous training date will transfer to this new system. In addition to attending a live Protecting God's Children workshop, all clergy, volunteers and employees will register for an updated background screening, view two new on-line training modules on abuse reporting and the Code of Ethical Conduct, and agree to the updated Code of Ethical Conduct.
Please go to www.preventandprotectstl.org: select the ‘register’ link and enter ‘stlprotect’ for the passcode. Then create your username and password for this new system. Contact Mary Doyle, the parish Child Safety Coordinator, at (314)966-8600 or mdoyle@stpeterkirkwood.org with any questions or for assistance.
Thank you for your continued support.
How can I help those in need?
The St. Peter Respect Life Committee is hosting a Zoom Webinar on Tuesday, June 30th at 7:00 pm on generational racism. Our two guests will be Billy Shell (current parishioner) and his son, Kendal Shell, former St. Peter PSR student and currently lives one block from where George Floyd was killed. It will be a powerful program.
Join the webinar with this link...
A Prayer for Our Country
Almighty God,
bless our nation
and make it true
to the ideas of freedom and justice
and brotherhood for all who make it great.
Guard us from war,
from fire and wind,
from compromise, fear, confusion.
Be close to our president and our statesmen;
give them vision and courage,
as they ponder decisions affecting peace
and the future of the world.
Make me more deeply aware of my heritage;
realizing not only my rights
but also my duties
and responsibilities as a citizen.
Make this great land
and all its people
know clearly Your will,
that they may fulfill
the destiny ordained for us
in the salvation of the nations,
and the restoring of all things in Christ.
Amen.
