Letter of support and appreciation for St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski

From the Office of the President of the Loretto Community

October 12, 2026

Mitchell T. Rozanski, Archbishop of St. Louis
Cardinal Rigali Center
20 Archbishop May Drive
St. Louis, MO 63119

Dear Archbishop Rozanski:

With this note, we bring to you a message of support and appreciation by the Sisters of Loretto and Co-members of Loretto for your efforts to see that the people held in the Ste. Genevieve County Detention Center will no longer be deprived of private and individual contact with a priest.

You may be aware that the Sisters of Loretto began our service in Ste. Genevieve in 1837, when Mother Agnes Hart and Mother Odile DeLassus traveled from Nerinx, Ky., to obtain land for a convent and school there. So, while it is appalling that priests are prohibited from distributing Holy Communion and hearing confessions of those who by their Baptism rely on the grace of these sacraments, it is particularly of concern to us who have historical roots in Ste. Genevieve.

We are required by the words and spirit of our Constitutions, I Am the Way, to work for justice and act for peace because the Gospel urges us: “As we stand with Mary at the foot of the cross, we strive to bring the healing spirit of God into our world and we commit ourselves to improving the conditions of those who suffer from injustice, oppression, and deprivation of dignity. In this way, we participate in the church’s mission of proclaiming the transforming love of God” (I Am the Way Articles #34 and #36).

You have our prayerful support and thanks for taking the stand that you did in your letter in May to jail administrator Lt. Andrew Johnson in which you made these three requests:

• That the detainees be allowed to meet with priests face to face for confession and Communion;
• That clergy visiting hours be expanded from the current four-hour Monday allowance; and,
• That a priest be allowed to celebrate Mass for the detainees.

Thank you for serving as Archbishop of St. Louis and acting as Jesus would in these circumstances.

Sincerely,
Sr. Mary E. (Buffy) Boesen SL
President