Archdiocese of St. Louis

Grieving Husband Says Calvary Cemetery Did Not Properly Bury Wife, Left Grave In Disrepair

When Milad Abounader, 73, went to visit his wife's grave in Calvary Cemetery in north St. Louis on Mother's Day, he was horrified by what he saw. "She doesn't deserve this. No one does," Abounader, whose wife Jean died last month, tells Daily RFT. "They need to bury her properly." Abounader, a C ... More >>

Father Gary Meier, St. Louis Catholic Priest, Announces He is Gay

In 2011, a slender book came out called Hidden Voices: Reflections of a Gay, Catholic Priest. The author was "Anonymous." "This book is for all of those who are being or have been driven away," reads the introduction. "And that's not just the gay population; it's all of those who have accepted a me ... More >>

LeRoy Valentine: Decades After First Alleged Child Sex Abuse, St. Louis Priest Removed

Another day, another dispute with the St. Louis Archdiocese regarding allegations of child sex abuse. The case of Father LeRoy Valentine, however, involves a long and complicated history of accusations that span several decades and allegations of repeated inaction by those in charge. And victims' ad ... More >>

Parents Sue St. Louis Archdiocese, Father Bryan Kuchar Over Son's Alleged Rape, Suicide

A local couple is suing the St. Louis Archdiocese and Father Bryan Kuchar in a lawsuit alleging that their son was raped by the priest when he was a young boy and, once the "abuse finally overtook him," killed himself. "It has been almost four years since his death, and we struggle with the part t ... More >>

St. Louis Priest Father William Vatterott Indicted on Child Pornography Charge

William Vatterott, a Roman Catholic priest from St. Louis, was indicted yesterday on a federal child pornography charge -- and could ultimately face ten years in prison and fines of up to $25,000. Vatterott, 36, will appear in federal court later this week or early next week to respond to the indi ... More >>

Mo. Attorney General to Republicans: Enough "Foolishness" on Contraception Coverage

In a scathing rebuke of conservative lawmakers, Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster today called on Republicans to end their continued bickering over contraception coverage outlined in the federal Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare. "The Republicans' attempt to deny contraceptive coverage to ... More >>

Catholic Bishops Slam Birth Control Ruling: "Pray for the Protection of Religious Liberty"

The Catholic bishops of Missouri are praying that the legal fight against federal health care mandates for birth control coverage is not over. "We now call upon all people of good will to pray for the protection of religious liberty and for defense of the First Amendment freedoms we all hold dear, ... More >>

Contraception: Tim Jones Still Fighting Birth Control Mandate After Ruling, Cites Free Speech

Should employers and insurers in Missouri be allowed to deny coverage of birth control if it violates their religious beliefs? A federal judge, as we reported earlier this week, ruled that they cannot be exempt -- in a decision overturning a Missouri law that directly contradicted President Barack O ... More >>

Birth Control: Court Overturns Missouri Law Allowing Moral, Religious Coverage Exemptions

Last week, we reported on a GOP proposal in Missouri that would give doctors the right not to perform procedures that go against their moral beliefs -- such as abortions. Meanwhile, a federal judge has struck down a Republican proposal with a similar theme that became law last year; this now over ... More >>

St. Louis Archdiocese Fight Against Contraception: Mandate Lawsuit Dismissed

Last May, the Archdiocese of St. Louis and Catholic Charities went up against the United States government with a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a health care contraception mandate -- and this week, a federal judge decided to dismiss the case. But the battle is not over. So say offic ... More >>

Missouri Legislature Overturns Nixon's Veto on Anti-Contraception Bill

It's official: In Missouri, employers, insurance companies or anyone else involved in an individual's health care can legally refuse to cover the Pill. In a not-so-surprising move, both houses of the Missouri Legislature voted to override Governor Jay Nixon's veto of Senate Bill 749. SB 749 give ... More >>

Despite Blistering Vatican Censure, US Nuns Flying High After Conference in STL

These "radical feminunzies" have exposed a rift between American Catholics regarding the mission and structure of the Church. St Louis, with its diverse population of 650,000 Catholics, was the perfect staging ground.

Gov. Nixon Vetoes SB 749

In a decision anxiously awaited by both pro-life and reproductive rights groups, Governor Jay Nixon vetoed Senate Bill 749 today. The bill would have made it possible for any "employer, health plan provider, health plan sponsor, health care provider, or any other person or entity" to refuse to prov ... More >>

Gay Missouri Man Ousted from Catholic School and Church Weds Partner in New York

You might recall the recent plight of Al Fischer, the gay music teacher at St. Ann Catholic School, in Normandy, who was fired when his superiors learned he'd been planning to marry his partner of twenty years in New York -- and then promptly fired from his part-time music director position at St. R ... More >>

Rush Limbaugh and Ashton Kutcher have their defenders, the archdiocese does not

Catholic Charity for the Homeless Turns Down Money from Hooters

St. Patrick doesn't want your money, ladies.​Apparently, money raised by women in tight, tiny outfits isn't needed to help St. Louis' homeless population. Yesterday, the St. Patrick Center booted Hooters off its roster of sixteen restaurants participating in a fundraiser scheduled for tomorrow nig ... More >>

Man Molested by St. Mary Magdalen Priest in 1971 Gets Hearing Today

Illustration by Vlad AlvarezPaul Alvino was abused by a priest in 1971 off church property - who's responsible?​If a local Catholic priest with a known history of sexually abusing children molests a young boy, but does it off of church property, is the Archdiocese of St. Louis legally responsible? ... More >>

St. Louis Catholic Blogger Upset (Again) With Archdiocese Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

Is that Martin Luther or St. Louis Catholic nailing his protests on the castle door? ​For the 35th year in a row, the St. Louis Archdiocese this Sunday will hold a special mass honoring the life and works of Martin Luther King Jr. And for the third year in a row, the blog St. Louis Catholic is bit ... More >>

St. Stanislaus Trial Begins This Week; Presumably With Heterosexual Judge

stanislauskostka.comSt. Stanislaus' pastor, Marek Bozek, outside the church. ​Okay. I have no idea about Judge Bryan Hettenbach's sexual orientation. I presume the St. Louis Circuit Court judge is heterosexual. Why? Because -- thus far -- the St. Louis archdiocese has made no mention of his sexual ... More >>

Catholic Blogger Tutors RFT on Headline Writing, Moral Law

​The blog St. Louis Catholic has responded to a story Daily RFT posted last week concerning the archdiocese's lawsuit against St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish. As we revealed, attorneys for the St. Louis archdiocese sought and received the recusal of a gay judge who was to hear an appeal involving its ... More >>

Attorneys for Archdiocese Demanded Recusal of Gay Judge, Records Show

courts.mo.govLawrence Mooney: Has sat on other appeals that ruled in favor of the archdiocese.​The note from Missouri Court of Appeals Judge Lawrence Mooney to former St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke was just three sentences long. Written on Court of Appeals stationary and dated October 2, 2007, ... More >>

Abortion activists have a new target: men

St. Stanislaus Feud Lands in New York Times

stanislauskostka.comMarek Bozek: Angel or devil?​The ongoing battle between St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish and the St. Louis Archdiocese got some national exposure this weekend with a lengthy article in Saturday's New York Times. The story (by former Riverfront Times' staff writer Malcolm Gay) recou ... More >>

St. Stanislaus Votes to Stay Independent

St. Stan's​The members of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish in north St. Louis voted yesterday to remain independent from the St. Louis archdiocese. The vote was a referendum to a lawsuit filed against the traditionally Polish parish in 2008 after the church refused to hand over its assets to the archd ... More >>

St. Louis Female Priest Responds to Vatican Equating Women Reverends with Pedophiles

Photo: Jennifer SilverbergThe Revs. Elsie McGrath and Rose Marie Hudson​By now you've probably heard how the Vatican unveiled sweeping changes last week regarding its policies on sexual abuse and sexuality within the Catholic church. On one hand, the Church increased efforts to out priests accused ... More >>

Primary Source: Read the Ruling that Absolved the Church in John Doe AP v. Archdiocese

Illustration by Vlad AlvarezWhatever happened at the clubhouse in 1971, the judge ruled, the Church isn't liable. ​In this week's cover story, "Sins of the Father," you can read about the Mehlville man known as John Doe who claims that in 2002, he recovered the memory of Father Thomas T. Cooper ... More >>

"So after he tried to anally rape you...": Chilling Details in John Doe AP v. Archdiocese of STL

Illustration by Vlad AlvarezJohn Doe says Fr. Thomas Cooper, now deceased, performed oral sex on him and tried to anally rape him.​Warning: The testimony in the document below is not for delicate eyes. This week's cover story , "Sins of the Father," dives into the case of a Mehlville man who's now ... More >>

Preservationists Lose Court Appeal Over San Luis Apartments

The San Luis apartments as they appeared last year.​The Missouri Court of Appeals upheld a circuit court's decision yesterday that a group of preservationists had no right to sue over the demolition of the San Luis apartments on Lindell Avenue. The 1960s-era building was owned by the Archdiocese o ... More >>

Show Flyer: The Third Annual Anti-Wrecking Ball, Saturday, May 22

​The third annual official Anti-Wrecking Ball fundraiser is taking place on Saturday, May 22, at 8 p.m. at the Historic Stahl Stables (2412 Menard) in Soulard. $10 gets you a free keg beer (singular) and performances from the Union Electric, Leadville and Pretty Little Empire. The show's proce ... More >>

Legal Appeal of San Luis Apartments to Have Court Hearing, Kegger

The San Luis apartments as they appeared last year.​The San Luis Apartments that once hovered above Lindell in the Central West End are dead and gone. A wrecking ball razed the building last August, but that hasn't stopped a group of concerned citizens from appealing a St. Louis judge's decision t ... More >>

John Burns: Brains Behind Anti-MetroLink Campaign is a Well-Connected Tea Party Activist

James O'Keefe, dressed in full pimp regalia, once accused ACORN of "running a child prostitution ring." He is good friends with John Burns.​The strategic brain behind the group looking to derail Metro's quest for a sales-tax hike to restore and expand transit services is a Tea Party ac ... More >>

New Video: Republican Saboteur James O'Keefe Disrupts Gay-Rights Rally in St. Louis

O'Keefe (left) and Basel photographed by authorities following their arrest in New Orleans last month.​Just got a heads up from Adam Shriver over at St. Louis Activist Hub about a new video showing Tea Party "heroes" James O'Keefe and Joseph Basel disrupting a gay-rights rally in St. Louis last No ... More >>

Night of Almost 1,000 Stars

Drink of the Week: Bloody Mary, the Rock and Roll Craft Show at Third Degree Glass Factory

User "Fanghong," Wikimedia Commons​The Rock and Roll Craft Show is held the weekend after Thanksgiving as an alternative to the whole "Black Friday" mess -- an opportunity to get some Christmas shopping done, buying unique, handmade items and supporting local artisans, all while avoiding becoming ... More >>

Adios San Luis: Judge Rules In Favor of Demolition of CWE Apartment Building

stlouispatina.blogspot.com​In deciding the controversial fate of the San Luis Apartments in the Central West End today, Judge Robert Dierker ruled that local preservation groups have no say in deciding whether a building should or should not be demolished. In this case in particular, the judg ... More >>

Ho, Ho, Hanukkah: The Unreal holiday remix!

St. Louis Claims First Pregnant Catholic Priest

Church Ladies Be Damned!

Briefs Encounter

Unreal discovers underwear's newest dimension! Plus, we learn how to handle a crisis and check in with a diligently dieting local blogger.

Unreal Asks, You Tell

We introduce a hot new contest, offer up an earnest prayer and learn you can't sneak naughty limericks past one man from Belleville

Hell to Pay

St. Louis' Catholic schoolteachers are ready to rap some knuckles

Debt Comes to the Archbishop

A sad chapter in the church's history is far from over

Letters

Week of March 10, 2004

Deadly Backyard

Week of January 22, 2003

Best Place to Seek Forgiveness

From a Priest Who's Sinned

The Last Dance

The little flower shops wound extra rolls of floral tape, and the photographers wound fresh film, and the Bosnian seamstresses stitched poufs of netting to strapless bodices. DuBourg High was planning its prom.

Letters to the Editor

Published the week of May 31, 2000

He Writes a Book, He Broadcasts Games, He Raises Money for Charity, He Changes Lyrics

That Bob Costas guy really gets around

Letters to the Editor

Published the week of March 15

PAPAL BULL NOT ENOUGH

Senate candidate and Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan may have commuted a death sentence, but St. Louis-area Catholics won't be letting him off the hook on the abortion issue