Vicar installed at Hanover Church

Matthew Cantu was installed recently as vicar at Hanover Lutheran Church.

Cantu is a third-year seminary student at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. He will spend 12 months with the Cape Girardeau congregation before returning for another year of school.

The vicarage program is designed to help the students build skills in preaching, teaching and pastoral care. Similar to internships for doctors, the vicarage offers "on-the-job" training to future pastors.

Cantu is originally from Milwaukee, Wis. He holds a bachelor's degree and master's degree. Before attending seminary, he worked in employee relations with firms like Hussmann, Nabisco and Alcoa.

He and his wife, Vivian, have one son.

Gamblers Anonymous group to begin meeting

A support group for people who suffer from compulsive gambling will begin meeting at 7 p.m. each Wednesday at Christ Episcopal Church. The Gamblers Anonymous meeting is open to anyone with an addiction. For information, contact Greg at 270-1670.

Missionaries to speak at area church

Dr. C. John Ritter and Marcia Ritter, who have served as missionaries in Barbuda, West India, Mozambique, Liberia in West Africa and Honduras, will speak during worship services Sept. 23 at Maple United Methodist Church.

Oran, Mo., native serves as volunteer minister

Dana Kluesner of Oran, Mo., is serving in her second year as a volunteer minister for the Sisters of Providence, a program at St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind.

She has worked in a day-care center in New Albany, Ind. She studied at Southwest Missouri State University.

The Sisters of Providence is a congregation of 550 women that ministers in 22 states, the District of Columbia, Taiwan, China and the Philippines.

Pagan Pride Day to be held at park

Pagan Pride Day will be held Sept. 22 at Cherokee Park. Registration begins at 10 a.m., with the autumn equinox ritual at 11 a.m. and a potluck lunch at 12:30 p.m.

Workshops and a roundtable discussion on paganism are planned. The event is part of the Pagan Pride Project.

For information, contact Tara Miller at 651-0570 or www.paganpride.org.

Local group plans pilgrimage in November

A local group of various denominations is planning a pilgrimage Nov. 11-15 to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament at Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Hanceville, Ala.

The Poor Clare Nuns care for the shrine. The nuns are best known because of the EWTN television network founded by one of the sisters, Mother Angelica.

Information about the shrine can be found at www.olamshrine.com. For information about this pilgrimage, contact Donna Kirn at 334-4689 or Patsy Burger at (573) 545-3390 or Betty Bell Brannock at 334-6367.

Scott City church to close food pantry

The food pantry at New Life Gospel Center will close its doors this week and begin supporting the community pantry sponsored by the Scott City Ministerial Alliance.

"We feel like Scott City is being taken care of. It's a good food pantry," said the Rev. Jack Owens, pastor of the church.

The church's pantry has helped as many as 100 families in the past, some as far away as Morley, Mo. But the pantry will close after distribution on Tuesday. Clients can receive food beginning at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at the church.

Ladies retreat planned for next weekend

A ladies retreat is being planned for Sept. 28-29 at the Holiday Inn. Speakers will be Opal Eaker, an ordained minister and retreat speaker, Ruth Eaker, who has been a guest speaker at T.D. Jakes ministry in Dallas, and Ruby McDowell, who has served as pastor in Fairfield, Ill., for 15 years.

For registration information, call 334-7417.

Church begins new program for children

Red Star Baptist Church has begun a new program for children in grades 1-6 during Wednesday night services. The program, Kids 4 Him will begin at 6:30 p.m. each week and includes songs, Scripture study and recreation.

-- From staff reports