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March 20, 2013

Sait Serkan Gurbuz | St. Joseph News- Press

The crucifix in the garden behind the Chapel of the Holy Rosary, located on the grounds of the Mir House of Prayer, is seen at sunset on Thursday.

Area pilgrimage sites open doors for indulgences

By ERIN WISDOM

T St. Joseph News-Press

oday, Catholic indulgences are largely viewed as the stuff of history books.

This is true even for some Catholics, who may never have learned much about this church doctrine beyond its part in spurring Martin Luther to begin the Protestant Revolution in 16th-century Germany.

But now, indulgences are receiving

renewed focus thanks to a push for Catholics to pursue them by visiting specified pilgrimage sites, including three in the St. Joseph area. “In layman’s terms, one will have to wait less time to reach eternal life� by securing indulgences, explains John Nash, a board member for Mir House of Prayer, which is one of eight sites designated as “pilgrim churches� by Bishop Robert Finn of The Catholic Diocese of Kansas CitySt. Joseph. The other two in this area are Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph and Abbey Basilica of Conception Abbey in Conception, Mo. “Now, within the Catholic community, you don’t hear as much about indulgences,� he adds. “We hope

this rekindles indulgences for newer generations of Catholics.�

The Catholic Church is observing what the former Pope Benedict XVI designated as the Year of Faith, which began Oct. 11, 2012, and will continue through Nov. 24, 2013. During this time, Catholics can receive a plenary indulgence by visiting a designated pilgrimage site and meeting a list of other conditions, including required sacraments and prayers.

Last Sunday, March 10, was a day specifically set aside for this as Baptismal Pilgrimage Sunday, during which people were encouraged to visit either the church where they’d been baptized Please see AREA/Page A3

Sait Serkan Gurbuz | St. Joseph News- Press

Ray Jansen prays inside the Chapel of the Holy Rosary, located on the grounds of the Mir House of Prayer, as the crucifix in the garden reflects on a window during sunset on Thursday.

Local car buyers uncover a bargain

Antiques and Vintage Collectibles New Expanded 150 booth and growing 3201 S. Belt Highway Saint Joseph, Missouri 64503 phone: 816-233-7847 fax: 816-233-7256

Overlooked and underpriced, the 2012 Captiva is a flat-steal at just $18,981

ST. JOSEPH, MO - You have probably never heard of the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport, most people haven’t. There is a very good reason for this.

The brass at General Motors doesn’t want you to know about the Captiva. In fact, in order to maintain sales of the wildly popular Cadillac SRX and Chevrolet Equinox, vehicles that share the Captiva’s Theta platform, GM didn’t make the Captiva available for retail purchase in the United States. This raises an interesting question, why would a manufacturer build such an outstanding vehicle and make it available strictly for fleet and corporate purchases?

The simple answer is residual values. By not placing tens of thousands of GM’s hottest selling crossovers into fleet service, they can maintain exceptional residual, (resale) values. Right now, a local dealer specializing in low mileage fleet returns, Randy Reed Buick GMC, is firing a broadside into GM’s best laid plans by offering literally truckloads of low-mileage Captivas for thousands below the current market price.

Proof of the disparity in price can be found in the results of a recent internet search on Cars.com. A nicely equipped 2012 Chevrolet Equinox averages a full $4,000 MORE than a comparable Captiva. Yet, these vehicles share much more than just a first name.

They both have a fuel-sipping 2.4-liter engine, and many of the same underpinnings that GM even uses for the luxury Cadillac SRX. They are nearly identical in size, cargo space and passenger room. Being a sibling of the Cadillac SRX and Equinox, at literally thousands of dollars less, makes the Captiva hands-down the

The 4th truckload of 2012 Captivas arrives at Randy Reed Chevrolet best value in the hotly contested crossover market today. The price savings grow even wider if you compare it to the latest offerings from the East. The Captiva, with its 5 year/100,000 mile GM Powertrain warranty, and 3 year/36,000 mile bumper-to-

At Randy Reed every buyer also gets lifetime, no-charge, RLO DQG ÂżOWHU FKDQJHV bumper coverage, is nearly $5,000. less than comparable offerings from Japan.

Fuel economy is another area where the Captiva really shines. The Captiva sips fuel at a most impressive 23 combined hwy/city EPA rating. This is right in line with imports like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CRV, which will cost thousands more to purchase. Not to mention, the Captiva will allow you to keep your hard earned American Dollars where they belong....in YOUR pocket.

The engineers obviously put a lot of thought into creating and crafting such an incredible jewel. The seat height is nearly perfect for most of u s

who don’t bend near like we used to. The see-over-the-traffic view is a tremendous safety advantage in today’s too-fast for itself world. The Captiva also comes with oversized outside rearview mirrors, this gives its occupants a tremendous feeling of security when merging on a busy interstate.

The Captiva comes with today’s most desirable features, including Remote Keyless Entry, Power Seat, Stabilitrak, Anti-Lock Brakes, OnStar, XM Radio, Telescoping Steering Wheel, Aluminum Wheels, Rear Liftgate, Driver Information Center, Tire Pressure Monitoring System, Fog Lamps, Heated Mirrors, Climate Control, Steering Wheel Radio Controls, Driver Lumbar Support and much, much more.

Randy Reed, a local dealer specializing in exceptionally low mileage, fleet-returns, recently captured an entire f leet of these gorgeous Captivas and is passing the savings directly to you beginning today. For more information contact one of their friendly, non-commissioned, staff members today. Randy Reed Chevrolet is located at 3921 Frederick Ave in St. Joseph.

The sales department can be contacted at 816-232-7704 or online at www.randyreedchevy.com Š E. Christopher 2013

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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

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Sea of grass

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Submitted

The tallgrass prairie contains more than 500 plant species.

CROSSWORD

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Tallgrass Prairie is a national treasure

By BROOKE VANCLEAVE

I

St. Joseph News-Press

t used to cover more than 170 million acres of middle America. Now it’s limited to small state parks and nature conservations scattered throughout the Midwest. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City, Kan., is one region helping keep prairie life alive.

The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve was officially dedicated a nature preserve in 1996, but it’s a project that chief of education Heather Brown says was more than 100 years in the making.

“The idea of a prairie park went back even to 1832. The idea would ebb and flow based on what was going on in the country. ... As better times came about, the idea kind of resurrected itself,” Ms. Brown says.

About two and a half hours away from Northwest Missouri, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve covers almost 11,000 acres of the rolling Kansas Flint

Hills with grasses, flowers, plants and wildlife. Some of the grasses grow to be about knee high, while others can reach more than 6 feet tall, towering over visitors’ heads.

Tallgrass prairies started disappearing when settlers began traveling west because of “manifest destiny,” cultivating the prairie soil and tilling it into farmland. Less than 4 percent of the prairies remain today, and most is in Kansas.

“It was because of the Flint Hills,” Ms. Brown says of the reason the area escaped cultivation. “You cannot physically till the soil; that is what preserved this area.”

With dozens of animal species and more than 500 plant species, the tallgrass prairie is an important habitat for Kansas wildlife. According to the preserve’s website, it also serves as an environmental “sink” that helps remove huge amounts of carbon from the atmosphere each year.

Visitors to the national preserve can

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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is a treasure CONTINUED FROM Page A2 walk hiking trails, take bus tours, see the original farmhouses and historic buildings on the property, catch fish at fishing ponds and learn more about the history of the area at the new visitor center.

One of the prairie’s main attractions is the bison herd the national preserve acquired in 2009. What started as 13 adult bison, relocated to Kansas from a park in South Dakota, has now grown to more than 20 due to the birth of several new calves in the past few years.

Ms. Brown and lead park ranger Eric Patterson say the herd helps with prairie restoration because their hooves and grazing patterns aerate the soil and keep the different plants diverse. The national preserve staff also routinely does controlled burnings of different parts of the prairie, which is a natural event that encourages fertilization and regrowth.

Mr. Patterson thinks its important for the public to learn more about the nation’s remaining prairies and under-

Submitted

Bison graze in one of the pastures at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. stand why their preservation is important.

“It’s kind of a tough sell because when you think about grand, endangered ecosystems you think of the Grand Canyon, or even the Everglades ... people don’t think of grasses of being endangered,” he says.

Mr. Patterson says he often challenges visitors to think

about a day in their life when they wouldn’t need grasses.

It’s impossible to do — as the dominate ecosystem on land, anything from grazing beef cattle to clean air and water all require grasses to survive.

“Tallgrass prairies are grand, just in the horizontal sense instead of the vertical.

Instead of a deep canyon or a

Photos by Sait Serkan Gurbuz | St. Joseph News- Press Committed adorer Delores White A sign pointing to the garden at the Chapel of the Holy Rosary, located on the grounds prays on Thursday in the Chapel of the Holy Rosary. of the Mir House of Prayer, is seen on Thursday.

tall mountain it’s just wide and big. ... It kind of challenges you to think differently,” he says.

Ms. Brown says the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve attracts about 18,000 to 20,000 visitors per year. The new visitor center that opened in May 2012 aims to educate visitors about the prairie and help them navigate the park, especially if

or one of the specified pilgrimage sites. Those who did so and made a profession of faith were promised a Year of Faith indulgence.

As for what, exactly, this means: According to www. catholic.org, an indulgence is the remission of the temporal punishment (i.e. punishment dealt out on this side of eternity) that comes as a result even of sin that has already been forgiven. (Catholic doctrine holds that, although God’s forgiveness removes eternal punishment for sin, a person must live with the natural consequences of it until the sin is purified, either in this life or in purgatory.) A plenary indulgence removes all temporal punishment, while a partial indulgence removes part of it.

Thus, it’s no surprise that the promise of plenary indulgences has drawn even more people

than usual to Mir House.

“We’re getting a lot of people from North Kansas City, Northwest Missouri and even Kansas, although it’s not in the diocese,” Mr. Nash says. “If there’s not a pilgrimage site closer to their vicinity, they’re reaching out to here.”

The Rev. Joseph Powers of Cathedral of St. Joseph adds that the pilgrimage sites were chosen to provide geographic convenience throughout the diocese, as well as in honor of something noteworthy about each one.

“Cathedral of St. Joseph was chosen as a site in honor of its historical value to Catholics in Northwest Missouri,” he says.

“Mir House was chosen because it is a designated place for Eucharistic Adoration 24/7.”

As for Conception Abbey: Jenny Huard, its director of communications, notes that this isn’t the first time it has been

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

designated a pilgrimage site and that the abbey still receives a number of visitors and requests for tours due to its past listing. And being that its current designation comes during the Year of Faith, “I’m sure that we will see an increase in visits even after this past Baptismal Sunday,” she says.

Mr. Nash believes the same will be true for Mir House — and that its designation as a pilgrimage site is fitting.

“I believe our community feels that this is definitely holy ground,” he says.

Erin Wisdom can be reached at erin.wisdom@newspressnow.com.

Follow her on Twitter: @SJNPWisdom.

TWO LOCATIONS - ONE MISSION Working with your physician to keep you healthy!

Stevenson Family Pharmacy 6201 King Hill • 816.238.2424

The

Apothecary Pharmacy

1517 St. Joseph Ave. 816.279.2590

NOTICE TO HISPANIC AND/OR WOMEN FARMERS OR RANCHERS COMPENSATION FOR CLAIMS OF DISCRIMINATION If you, or someone you know, believe the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has improperly denied you farm loan benefits between 1981 and 2000 because you are Hispanic or female, you may be eligible to apply for compensation.

Claims MUST be postmarked by MARCH 25, 2013 to be considered for cash payment or loan forgiveness.

If you think you might be eligible to file a claim, please access the Farmer and Rancher Call Center or Website: 1-888-508-4429 www.farmerclaims.gov

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Brooke VanCleave can be reached at brooke.vancleave@newspressnow.com.

Follow her on Twitter: @SJNPVanCleave.

Committed adorers from left to right, Sam Cerniglia, John Bestgen, Chelsea Taylor and Archie George pray on Thursday in the Chapel of the Holy Rosary, located on the grounds of the Mir House of Prayer.

Area pilgrimage sites open doors CONTINUED FROM Page A1

it is their first time in the area.

The buildings at the preserve have limited hours and are closed on major holidays, but the nature trails and hiking trails are open 24/7 all year long. The grasses grow to their tallest heights in the fall, though different plant and flower species bloom throughout the spring and summer.

Bison tend to give birth in April and May. Although the prairies will never be like they once were, it’s still vital to the staff at the national preserve to care for the park land and restore it to how it would have been in nature hundreds of years ago through burning, grazing and public education.

“Part of the national park’s mission is saving these last vestiges of our American history,” Ms. Brown says.

To learn more about the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, visit www.nps.gov/tapr/index.htm or call the visitor center at (620) 273-8494.

United States Department of Agriculture

On the Web

Find a photo gallery for this story at

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