Grandparents play a vital role in Catholic education
By John Sorce john.sorce@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Many schools within the archdiocese offer a dedicated day to celebrate grandparents.
According to Vince Cascone, superintendent of archdiocesan schools, it is a day that is highly anticipated every year.
“They are some of the most exciting days over the course of the school year,” he said. “We usually have a high percentage of grandparents participate where they will go to Mass with their grandchildren and then visit their classrooms.”
But not all families live locally. One way to increase attendance on these days is to celebrate during a holiday week during which grandparents who live out of town may be visiting.
[GRANDPARENTS] KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE HOW THEIR OWN FAITH HAS HELPED THEM, AND THEY HAVE THAT SAME DESIRE FOR THEIR GRANDCHILD.
JANELLE HARTEGAN PRINCIPAL, XAVIER SCHOOL, LEAVENWORTH
Xavier School in Leavenworth offers its grandparents day during Thanksgiving week for that very reason.
“Some kids don’t have grandparents that live locally, so it’s nice to have an intentional activity that brings them together,” said Janelle
Hartegan, the school’s principal. “We know we will have some grandparents come into town during that week [for Thanksgiving]. We celebrate Mass together at Annunciation Chapel in the morning and they will stay with the kids for lunch.”
All year-round
Grandparent support of their grandchildren’s education is not just limited to one specific day, however. Many of them are involved every day — whether that be through providing transportation, volunteering in various ways or helping with tuition.
Hartegan noted that her school offers a parking lot prayer at the end of each day, and many grandparents who provide transportation will often join in.
>> See “IT” on page 5
LEAVEN
PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD
Second grader Cameron Carpenter joins hands with his grandparents Jason and Karen Showman at grandparents’ day at Corpus Christi School in Lawrence. LEAVEN PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD
Corpus Christi fourth grader Lillian Moore presents her grandmother Barbara Stoker with a special card at the Lawrence school’s grandparents’ day celebration. Grandparents can play a pivotal role in their grandchildren’s faith life and education.
Unfortunately, the Philadelphia Eagles squeaked out a Super Bowl victory over our valiant Kansas City Chiefs. Maybe the Eagles win was a bit more decisive than a squeaker.
I lost a bet with my good friend, Bishop Michael Burbidge, the bishop of Arlington, Virginia. Bishop Burbidge is a native of Philadelphia, a devoted Eagles fan and served as a priest for many years in the City of Brotherly Love. I did not see much “brotherly love” from the Eagles defensive line on Super Bowl Sunday.
Bishop Burbidge succeeded me as chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Pro-Life Committee. Honoring our wager, I have sent a $500 personal donation to the Gabriel Project in the Diocese of Arlington. One other term of our bet is that I must be photographed in an Eagle’s jersey for publication in The Leaven and the Arlington diocesan newspaper.
Despite the disappointing results of the Super Bowl, the Chiefs had a truly remarkable season. The Chiefs’ success over several years is a credit to the Hunt family, Andy Reid and his coaching staff, and a remarkably dedicated and talented group of players.
I was particularly inspired in the past several weeks by the leadership of Patrick Mahomes. In a media interview, after winning the AFC championship game, Mahomes first gave honor to God, who made their success on the field possible by the physical and mental gifts with which the Lord endowed the players. I love that part of Mahomes’ routine prior to games is to kneel in prayer.
After their many victories this year, Mahomes always made a point in every interview to acknowledge that the success is not because of him, but the
ARCHBISHOP
JOSEPH F. NAUMANN
entire team and coaching staff. After the Super Bowl defeat, Mahomes did not blame his teammates, but rather acknowledged his own mistakes and failures. Mahomes said with sincerity that he needed to play better. Patrick Mahomes is a remarkable athlete. However, he also is perhaps an even better example of excellent leadership.
The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed a few days before the Super Bowl making the argument that the one defect of the Chiefs is that they are not good at the role of villains. With their multiple years of amazing football success, many people across the country were tired of the Chiefs winning. The author bemoaned that it is hard to detest the Chiefs because they are just too likable!
I hope the Chiefs coaches and players get some well-deserved rest. Three years ago, the Chiefs suffered a Super Bowl loss to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After that defeat, the Chiefs made some changes and adjustments that led to them winning Super Bowl championships the next two years. I look forward to seeing the adjustments the Chiefs will make during the off-season. They have given the Kansas City community a lot to cheer about for several years. Go, Chiefs! Sports are fun, but for the Christian, they are not the source
LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS
of our hope and joy. There were many beautiful events happening the days before the Super Bowl that do give me both hope and joy.
Last Thursday, Feb. 6, our Foster Care Ministry hosted a viewing at the Glenwood Arts Theater of the Angels Productions movie, “Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot.” It is the true story of the families of a little African-American Church in Possum Trot, Texas, who welcomed 77 foster children into their homes.
The film does not romanticize the challenges of foster care. However, it shows a united faith community who supported each other in the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to grow up in a loving family. The hearts of the 270 people in attendance were touched.
Ten of our parishes currently have active foster care ministries. I hope more will choose to engage in this life-changing ministry. Kathy White, who leads the foster care ministry in the archdiocese, told me that one couple after the movie expressed interest in becoming foster parents and another was interested in becoming certified as a foster respite family.
On Saturday, Feb. 8, St. Michael Parish in Leawood hosted the annual White Mass, a special Eucharist for doctors, nurses and others involved in the health care ministry. It was the best attended White Mass since the Kansas City metro Catholic Medical Association Sts. Cosmas and
Damian Guild began this annual tradition more than 10 years ago.
At the end of the Mass, the doctors renewed their promises as Catholic physicians. The promises include: 1) improve their professional knowledge and skills; 2) defend and protect human life from conception to natural death; 3) donate part of their time for free and charitable care of the poor; 4) practice medicine in accord with Catholic moral principles; and 5) cultivate a deeper relationship with Jesus through daily prayer and frequent reception of the Eucharist. It was inspiring to witness the strong faith of these dedicated and talented doctors.
Finally, on Sunday, Feb. 9, I celebrated a Mass at Sacred Heart Parish in Shawnee for World Marriage Day. I expressed to the married couples how important their marriages are to society and the church. Married couples, in their efforts to live daily their marriage vows of faithful, fruitful and forever love, become an icon of God’s love.
Sacred Heart Parish in Shawnee recently committed to partner with the Communio ministry, whose mission is to equip parishes to provide opportunities for married couples to deepen their love for each other. Christian marriage is a call to heroic love. The family is the foundation of society, the nation and the church, and marriage is the foundation of the family.
I thank all of the married couples in the archdiocese for the gift that their marriage is to the church. The church wants to support and encourage you in living the beautiful but challenging vows of Christian marriage. Please check with your parish as well as our marriage and family life office for opportunities to renew and strengthen
ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN’S CALENDAR
Feb. 15 -16
ACTS Weekend Mass — St. Michael the Archangel, Leawood
Feb. 18
Vespers and dinner — St. Benedict’s Abbey, Atchison
Feb. 19
Eucharistic adoration — Bishop Miege, Roeland Park
Donnelly College board meeting
Feb. 20
Communio update meeting with Tory Baucum
Confirmation, Sacred Heart-St. Joseph, Topeka — St. Joseph Church, Topeka
Feb. 21
Eucharistic Revival bishops’ advisory group
Feb. 22
Benedictine Scholarship Ball Mass — Overland Park Convention Center
Feb. 23
Junior high youth rally Mass — Prairie Star Ranch, Williamsburg
Feb. 24
Archdiocesan Finance Council board meeting — chancery
Spiritual Mentorship Cohort Mass, dinner and recreation — Savior
Feb. 25 Priest Personnel board meeting — chancery
Administrative Team meeting — chancery
Confirmation — Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Topeka
Feb. 26
Maur Hill-Mount Academy all-school Mass — Atchison
Confirmation — Divine Mercy, Gardner
Feb. 27
Confirmation — St. Ann, Prairie Village
Feb. 28
Dinner and vespers with recently ordained priests
March 2
Installation Mass for Father John Toepfer, OFM Cap., — St. John the Evangelist, Lawrence
March 3
Confirmation — Curé of Ars, Leawood
March 4
CFNEK board meeting
March 6
Religious Alliance Against Pornography board meeting
your marriage. Despite a Super Bowl loss, the Holy Spirit was quite active in the archdiocese during these early days of February. The reason for our hope as Catholics does not rely on football victories.
DEADLINE
The Leaven will publish a list of Lenten dinners in the archdiocese on Feb. 28.
Because of space considerations, notices are limited to around 40 words and are due Feb. 19.
INCLUDE
• Time of event
• Date(s) of event
• Address of event
• Specify dine-in, curbside, delivery, etc.
Our reason for hope and joy is the amazing, faithful love of God and the foster families, the doctors and nurses, and the married couples, who are icons of God’s love in the archdiocese.
SUBMIT
Please email your information to: todd.habiger@ theleaven.org.
New Hispanic vicar brings immigrant experience to post
By Jill Ragar Esfeld jill.esfeld@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Father Oswaldo Sandoval is seldom overwhelmed by work because he has a simple, yet profound, philosophy.
“I do my best, and God will take care of the rest,” he said. “We are just instruments of his great love and mercy for all.”
Pastor of Our Lady of Unity Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, Father Sandoval has recently been appointed episcopal vicar for ministry to Hispanics.
He will be taking over for Father Michael Hermes, who has served in the position for more than three years.
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann had great praise for the predecessor.
“Father Michael Hermes is an extraordinary priest,” he said. “He has had an incredibly fruitful priestly ministry in every one of his assignments. He was the perfect choice to begin the position.
“He has a great personal love and devotion for the Hispanic people and has brought a great vision to how we can better serve this important part of our archdiocesan community.”
Father Sandoval agreed with the archbishop, expressing admiration for Father Hermes and the impact he’s had on the Hispanic community.
“I was happy when he was made vicar of Hispanic ministry because what an example we have in a priest there – someone who can work with any community.
“I’m still receiving a lot of support from him in making my transition.”
As he takes on this new role, Father Sandoval has a heart for the Hispanic immigrant population, earned through his own experience.
Born in El Salvador shortly before the Salvadoran Civil War began, he first came to the United States as a teenage political refugee.
Father Sandoval was ordained in May 2012 at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kansas.
When he decided to apply for his green card, he discovered he was not able to file in the United States; he had to return to El Salvador.
“Thank God everything went well when I went back to the embassy,” he said. “It was 2017 when I got my green card, and it’s going on three years since I became a citizen.”
The archbishop believes Father Sandoval is a great example of the blessings Hispanic refugees have brought to the archdiocese and admires his hard work mastering the English language and acculturating to society in the United States.
“He is a priest with great apostolic zeal and radiates the joy of the Gospel,” he said. “I am confident that, under his leadership, we will continue to improve in our support to the Hispanic communities in the archdiocese.”
A five-year pastoral plan was established under Father Hermes’ guidance to move toward integration of Hispanic ministry into the overall ministry of the archdiocese and each area of outreach.
The plan was drafted with input from the 12 parishes with Hispanic ministries.
“In the past, we would organize
Violating sacred spaces will not make communities safer
The following statement was issued by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Office of Public Affairs in response to action taken by the Trump administration rescinding a policy that required Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to seek additional authority prior to conducting immigration enforcement actions in “sensitive” locations like churches:
“We recognize the need for just immigration enforcement and affirm the government’s obligation to carry it out in a targeted, proportional and humane way. However, nonemergency immigration enforcement in schools, places of worship, social service agencies, health care facilities or other sensitive settings where people receive essential services would be contrary to the common good. With the mere rescission of the protected areas guidance, we are already witnessing reticence among immigrants to engage in daily life, including sending children to school and attending religious services. All people have a right to fulfill their duty to God without fear. Turning places of care, healing and solace into places of fear and uncertainty for those in need, while endangering the trust between pastors, providers, educators and the people they serve, will not make our communities safer.”
Episcopal vicar for ministry to Hispanics Father Oswaldo Sandoval is concerned the rescission of the policy will result in raids or enforcement actions at or near Catholic churches, especially those with Hispanic ministries.
“I’ve been talking with my brother priests and we are trying to educate ourselves about what’s happening with our communities,” he said. “There is a lot of fear. We already are experiencing people afraid to come to a place that is sacred and dedicated to worshiping God. We cannot be shy about standing for the rights of anyone.
“I do my best to serve everyone, Spanish-speaking or any other people who come. I want to treat them with love and kindness. Not allowing them to have a space for worship is a crime. And it is sad that we have come to this.”
Hispanic ministry off to the side, even from a separate building besides Savior of the World,” said Father Hermes. “Now, slowly but surely, the Hispanic ministry has become part of the overall mission and plan of every ministry in the archdiocese.
“Competency in the Hispanic ministry
has grown and improved significantly over the past several years.”
Father Sandoval looks forward to continuing that work, especially focusing on support of families and efforts to help them afford Catholic education for their children.
“And we need to continue to ask the
Holy Spirit what he wants us to work on and always trust in him,” he said.
Father Hermes believes Father Sandoval has the experience, the energy and the heart for continuing this important work.
“He has been stationed in a number of different Hispanic ministry parishes as a parochial vicar and as pastor,” he said. “So, he knows the strengths and the needs of the ministry.
“He is passionate about this ministry and is ready to share his gifts and talents to take it to the next level. I am very pleased with his appointment to become the new vicar.”
Father Sandoval hopes for a future when the people of the archdiocese live in unity, appreciating differences and recognizing similarities.
Indeed, this archdiocese is blessed to have an active and involved Hispanic population.
“They bring a fervent faith and a great love for the importance of family,” said Archbishop Naumann. “They also give witness to a deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary from all of the different Hispanic cultures.”
Father Sandoval expressed optimism for the future saying, “My hope is working with my priests to find good leaders in the 12 parishes we have.
“If we have good leaders, they can help continue to form a community to serve everyone that comes to those locations to have an encounter with Christ.”
And his ultimate dream is unity.
“I invite everyone to open their heart and learn more about these [Hispanic] communities,” he said. “We should not be afraid to love them and help them the best that we can.
“Don’t be afraid, but love as Christ loves us and you will find a lot to enrich yourself.”
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD
Father Oswaldo Sandoval, pastor of Our Lady of Unity Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, has recently been appointed episcopal vicar for ministry to Hispanics.
Appointments
Father John A. Riley, vicar general-chancellor, announces the following appointments made by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann:
Father Jude Anin-Agyei (Archdiocese of Kumasi, Ghana), from priestly ministry outside of the archdiocese, to parochial vicar for Holy Trinity Parish, Lenexa, effective Oct. 7, 2024.
Father Karl Good, from excardination from the Diocese of Sabina-Poggio Mirteto, Italy, and departure from the Marian Community Oasis of Peace (a public association of the faithful), to incardination as a priest of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, effective Jan. 28, continuing as chaplain of Villa St. Francis, Olathe.
Father Beyou Damian Kuukole (Diocese of Damongo, Ghana), from chaplain of Providence-St. John Hospital, Kansas City/Leavenworth, and providing sacramental assistance at Our Lady & St. Rose, Christ the King and Blessed Sacrament parishes, Kansas City, Kansas, to returning to priestly ministry in his home diocese, effective Feb. 6.
Social Security Administration warns of new scams
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Dale and Barbara (Davis) Williams, members of Holy Cross Parish, Overland Park, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Feb. 8 with family and friends. The couple was married at St. Patrick Church in Kansas City, Kansas, by Father Arthur J Trompeter. Their children are: Brent Williams, Houston; and Kristi Hunter, Oklahoma City. They also have four grandchildren.
Sheri and Ron Rice, members of St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Feb. 8. They were married at St. Theresa Church, Perry. There was a luncheon for family and friends on Feb. 8, followed by Mass at St. Joseph. They have two children — Sara and Mike — 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Father Nicodemus Yirburee Nongnenuor (Diocese of Wa, Ghana), from priestly ministry outside of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, to chaplain of Providence-St. John Hospital, Kansas City/ Leavenworth, chaplain of the African Catholic Community, and providing sacramental assistance to Our Lady & St. Rose, Christ the King and Blessed Sacrament parishes, Kansas City, Kansas, effective Feb. 7.
Correction
The call letters for “Topeka’s SWORD,” a new faith filled radio station, were incorrect in the Jan. 31 issue. The call letters are KSWT-LP FM 89.7. The Leaven regrets the error.
Social Security impostor scams continue to be widespread across the United States. Scammers use tactics to deceive you into providing sensitive information or money. If you receive a suspicious letter, text, email or call, do not respond.
We will NEVER:
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• Mail or email “official” letters or reports containing your personal information.
We only send text messages in limited situations, including:
L• As part of our enhanced security when accessing your personal my Social Security account.
If you owe money to us, we will mail you a letter with payment options and appeal rights. Social Security employees do contact the public by telephone for business purposes. Ordinarily, the agency calls people who have recently applied for a Social Security benefit, are already receiving payments and require an update to their record or have requested a phone call from the agency. If there is a problem with a person’s Social Security number or record, Social Security will typically mail a letter.
We encourage you to report suspected Social Security impostor scams — and other Social Security fraud — to the OIG’s website at: oig. ssa.gov/report.
You can find more information about scams online at: www.ssa. gov/scam. Please share this information with your friends, family and colleagues to help spread awareness about Social Security impostor scams.
Missouri shrine hosts jubilee event
AURIE, Missouri — In March, The National Shrine of Mary, Mother of the Church (Mothers’ Shrine) is joining with Catholics around the world in the Jubilee event of “24 Hours for the Lord.”
Pope Francis is encouraging Catholics to join in 24 hours of eucharistic adoration of the Blessed Sacrament March 28-29. At the Mothers’ Shrine, Mass will be celebrated on March 28 at 9 a.m. Immediately following Mass, the St. Michael Chapel will be available for eucharistic adoration until Mass on March 29 at 9 a.m. Individuals and families can
sign up for one hour or more of time before the Blessed Sacrament. To register, go online to: mothersshrine.com.
The Mothers’ Shrine is one of five pilgrimage sites for the Jefferson City Diocese. It is located at 176 Marian Dr., Laurie, Missouri.
The mission of the Mothers’ Shrine is to promote a true appreciation of motherhood, the preciousness of life, the integrity of the family and devotion to Mary, Mother of the Church, with an understanding of the church community that gives Mary the title of mother. For more information, go online to: mothersshrine.com.
Colette (Schmitz) and Frank Peel, members of St. Stanislaus Parish, Rossville, celebrated their 65th anniversary on Feb. 13. The couple was married on Feb. 13, 1960, at St. Mary Church, St. Benedict. They have five sons: Gary, Donald, Kevin, John and Ronald. They also have 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Gerald and Karleen Boden, members of St. Patrick Parish, Corning, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary Feb. 22 with a lunch with family, followed by an open house from 2-4 p.m. at the Corning Community Center. The couple was married Feb. 20, 1965, at Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Seneca. Their children are: Sheri Mueting, Keith Boden, Brenda Swango, Mark Boden and Chris Boden. They also have 15 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
POLICY: The Leaven prints 50, 60, 65 and 70th anniversary notices. They are for parishioners in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
DEADLINE: 10 days before the desired publication date.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
• Emailed photos need to be 200 dpi or 200 KB in size.
WHERE TO SUBMIT: Email: todd.habiger@theleaven.org.
‘It takes all of us,’ says school principal, to strengthen families
>> Continued from page 1
“It’s nice to have them intentionally pray in the parking lot with our school community,” she said.
Jan and Jack Brown recently moved to the area and have a granddaughter who attends Good Shepherd School in Shawnee. Jan Brown had high praise for the school’s teachers.
“The teachers there are amazing,” she said. “They have won several awards for their academics, and they go above and beyond for each child. Not every child learns the same way, so they figure out what the best way is for that child to learn. And they help provide them with the resources they need to succeed.”
Jack Brown also feels that providing kids with a Catholic education gives them a strong foundation for how they view things in a world that is increasingly full of distractions.
“I think it makes them well-grounded, especially today where there’s so much hate,” he said. “A lot of people today tend to rely on the internet for a lot of things, and it can be hard to sort out what’s real and what’s not. I think growing up with a faith early is very helpful in staying grounded.”
He can also speak from firsthand experience as a volunteer in the Good Shepherd cafeteria on what effects a Catholic education has on the day-to-day lives of the students.
“When I go to help serve in the cafeteria, I see how well the kids get along,” he said. “They have great manners and the right principles. We saw the benefits of sending our kids to Catholic school and are now seeing the benefits of our daughter doing the same.”
Mary Cox currently has three grandkids that go to Xavier, and three more that have graduated and are currently in college. She is a convert to the Catholic Church and noted the people at the school have provided a family-like environment.
WE SAW THE BENEFITS OF SENDING OUR KIDS TO CATHOLIC SCHOOL AND ARE NOW SEEING THE BENEFITS OF OUR DAUGHTER DOING THE SAME.
JACK BROWN GRANDPARENT
“The Catholic Church has a lot of beautiful traditions and firm teachings on things that don’t always go with society,” Cox said. “Also, the parents at the school are very friendly and they make it feel like a big family.”
Helping hands
In a time where many households have two working parents, the importance of grandparents being involved daily has increased. Cox provides her grandkids with transportation, and that helps when their parents are not home.
“The more you can help, the better in this day in age,” Cox said. “It helps provide stability for the parents. I’m the one who picks up everyone from school almost every day, and you get to become more involved in their lives as you do things like that.”
One reason why grandparents have a desire to pass their faith down to their grandchildren is they know how much it has helped in their own lives.
“They know from experience how their own faith has helped them, and they have that same desire for their grandchild,” Hartegan said. “There is
Grandparents contribute to children’s faith development
Grandparents can play a significant role in supporting their grandchildren’s Catholic school education. Here are just a few ways.
1. Spiritual support
• Pray together: Encourage your grandkids to grow in the faith by praying with and for them. Attend Mass with them, ask them to join you in saying a rosary or touring a different church, and be sure to make time for the school Masses in which they are given a special role.
• Share faith stories: Tell personal stories of faith from your own life, talking about times when you’ve had to rely on God for strength. Be a model to them of how important it is to have a relationship with God.
2. Educational support
something greater that connects all of us, and that’s a pillar of what we do at our school. Grandparents have that wisdom, and they know there is nothing that can replace that centered component in our life.”
As Christians, we are all called to make disciples. That is true within our own families, and Cascone feels that introducing kids to Christ at a young age is at the top of the list.
“The most important thing you can do is introduce them to Jesus, help them have a relationship with Our Lord and help them to be in heaven with him one day,” he said.
Passing on the faith
“It’s one thing to know about Jesus, but it’s another thing to know Jesus,” Cascone continued. “Our schools are not meant to just teach about him, but to help bring our young people to a relationship with God.”
Building that relationship is critical, and Hartegan feels it is important to include as many people as possible to strengthen that connection.
“Strengthening the family across the board is critical, and it takes all of us,” she said. “The bigger we can make our community — including grandparents and extended family — the stronger our community and families will become.”
Cascone agrees and said that seeing his grandchildren receiving the Eucharist is a beautiful thing.
“When you have something that you love so much, you want those who are most important to you to experience it as well,” Cascone said. “To see your grandchildren receiving the Eucharist and believing that truly is the body of Christ is a beautiful thing that any grandparent would want for their grandchild.”
• Reinforce Catholic teaching: Discuss openly with your grandchildren various Catholic teachings and how they apply to everyday life through discussions, storytelling or activities.
• Support learning activities: Are you one of your grandchildren’s day-to-day caregivers? Then offer to help with homework, catechism studies or especially projects that connect faith and their classroom work.
3. Community and financial support
• Attend school events: Don’t limit your participation in school functions to things like grandparents’ day. Join your grandchild for school Masses, Lenten devotions and special events like May crownings to demonstrate involvement in his or her faith journey.
• Financial assistance: Most parents of young children can use help with the cost of school uniforms, supplies or tuition. But most school budgets depend on at least a couple successful fundraisers, and those run on volunteers. Find a way to help out — preferably alongside your grandchild.
• Volunteer together: Finally, take advantage of opportunities to engage with your grandchildren in parish or school community service projects. As he or she ages, the volunteer projects can even be driven by his or her developing interests.
By being spiritually present, involved and supportive of their faith and learning journey, grandparents can have a profound influence on their grandchildren’s growth as Catholics.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD
Thomas and Grace Leiker join their grandfather Mark at the Mass to celebrate grandparents at Corpus Christi School in Lawrence on Jan. 30.
Crisis of faith is a failure of perspective
By Scott P. Richert OSV News
Like most Catholics, my family and I have a particular pew (or at least a section of pews) that we normally sit in. During the Christmas season, however, for daily Mass or my Holy Hour, I often sit in the front row on the far left side, as you face the altar.
At Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Huntington, Indiana, we place a beautiful Nativity scene directly in front of that pew, angled at about 45 degrees from facing the back of the church. For those few weeks between Christmas Day and the Baptism of the Lord (alas, we don’t keep the Nativity up until Candlemas, as is the European custom), I like to contemplate the scene as I am worshiping or praying. Depending on where I sit in the front row, however, I may find my view of the Christ Child obscured by a shepherd boy or a wise man, or even completely blocked out while I am kneeling. I have to adjust my position to see him once again, and sometimes I reflect on the irony that, if I sat where my family and I normally sit, I would be able to see the Child in the manger at all times, without obstruction. By itself, my desire to be closer to the scene
isn’t enough to reveal him to me; I need the right perspective.
In an important sense, our mental landscape is very similar to our physical one. The crisis of faith in our modern world, and especially the falling away of so many cradle Catholics in recent years, has been the result not so much of a conscious decision to reject Christ (though, of course, it is sometimes that) as of an inability to see him, to keep him in our line of sight. He fades, at first, into a distant memory, and then, as with a grandparent who died when we were very young, we find ourselves thinking of him less and less, until finally we don’t think of him at all.
The very structure of our shared mental landscape in the West for the past five centuries has gradually been built up to keep us from looking beyond the horizon of our everyday world to the spiritual world that suffuses and sustains our material one. Both the pre-Christian world and the Christian one regarded the spirit that animates all things as equally real (if not more so) as what we can see, smell, taste, feel and hear.
Just as, in the modern world, words have become fossilized, abstract, deprived of any greater meaning than names for the
objects or actions they signify (thus the dearth of modern poetry worth reading), so, too, our sense of the world around us has hardened, crystallized, chased out any sense of the spiritual — ironically, at the very moment that modern physics has discovered that what we see, smell, taste, feel and hear does not correspond directly to the reality of the material world but is, in an important sense, a construct of human consciousness and imagination.
Our crisis of faith is not merely an intellectual one that can be solved by better — in the sense of more accurate — catechesis. It is a failure of imagination, a curtailing of the experience that was common to most of mankind before the modern era, and now is harder and harder to revive in a world where we are convinced that what you see (and only what you see) is what you get.
To revive the Christian experience, to immerse ourselves in the mystery of our faith, to be able once again to keep Christ in our sight no matter where we stand and where we look, we need to open up the horizon of our modern mental landscape. We need a new perspective.
Richert is publisher for OSV.
New brain-computer technology rife with potential for abuse
Neuralink, a company run by Elon Musk, announced in September 2023 that it had received approval to implant wireless brain-computer interfaces (BCI) into human volunteers.
A BCI is a neural device that translates a person’s brain activity into external responses, enabling, for example, the movement of a prosthetic limb via brain signals.
The goal of Musk’s study is to enable people with paralysis to use their thoughts to control external devices, especially computers, through the BCI.
While this end is clearly worthwhile, some future uses of BCI technology will probably not be equally praiseworthy, and some foreseeable applications of this technology will likely be unethical.
In an MIT Technology Review article, Professor John Donoghue at Brown University mentions how as a child he spent time in a wheelchair, which later motivated him to try to help individuals who were paralyzed.
One time after he delivered a speech at
FATHER
TADEUSZ PACHOLCZYK
Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did postdoctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, and serves as senior ethicist at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia.
Google, he was surprised to encounter an engineer who was an avid gamer who wanted to know if it would be possible to have a “third thumb.”
“That’s taking things to an extreme,” commented Donoghue. “I don’t want to implant electrodes into people so they can be better gamers. I always challenge all of these ideas because I don’t see what it gets you. But I don’t dismiss it, either. . . . That is what is driving
people. It’s the cool factor, that you could have this new interface.”
Restoring lost function offers an obvious benefit, but enhancing people’s abilities beyond their typical talents raises ethical concerns. When it comes to “therapies” vs. “enhancements,” the former will generally be OK, but the latter will often be problematic.
Yet such a distinction, for all its usefulness, still falls short.
For example, consider a hypothetical device that, when implanted into the brain of a person with advanced dementia, would improve his or her ability to remember and recall facts at a level similar to predementia times. Suppose further that in a healthy person, the same device would confer a new ability, the power of a photographic memory. Would this mean it would be ethical to use it for the dementia patient but not for the healthy one?
Suppose there were a BCI that not only improved hand-to-eye coordination and motor control for Parkinson’s patients having movement deficits, but also
improved the acuity and coordination of healthy athletes, so a professional pitcher could now throw a baseball even more accurately. Would it be OK to use the BCI for the Parkinson’s patient but not for the athlete?
What if the therapeutic implant for the Parkinson’s patient not only restored his ability to move in a coordinated way, but also gave him the ability to play baseball essentially as a professional, something he had never been able to do at any point prior in his life?
The apparent blurring of the distinction between therapy and enhancement by BCIs can become complicated to sort out.
As BCIs become more sophisticated, they may be able to capture and interpret more and more intimate aspects of a person’s thoughts. When it comes to the collection of brain data from sensors, it seems fitting to require that such data be protected like other medical information. The confidentiality of our neurodata will need to be assured, even as we seek to safeguard and expand the notion
of mental privacy.
What if students in the future had BCIs that allowed for the monitoring of the pupils’ attention in class by scanning or recording their brain activity?
What if workers in a factory could be monitored in this way for lapses of attention? Could BCIs enable the modulation of sleep patterns, so employees could be made to put in extra hours of work time?
It seems that coercive scenarios involving BCIs might arise relatively easily.
What about the nonvoluntary implantation of BCIs, enabling control of some individuals by others without their consent? One could envision forced implantation of chips to “neuter” a criminal’s bad behavior, for example.
Furthermore, the degree to which a neuroimplant would interfere with human autonomy would be vital to assessing its morality. A BCI might serve to increase or decrease human autonomy. If someone addicted to drugs, for example, received a brain implant that generated specific stimulation patterns to break
his addiction, this could be therapeutic and helpful. But what if the setting were adjusted, and it instead became possible to dial in an electrically-induced “high” that provided an experience far more intense than any illegal drug?
Using BCIs to mimic the effects of recreational drugs, or to pursue more intense erotic experiences, for example, by directed neural stimulation, could contribute to the enslaving of future generations through novel addictive behaviors, generating a raft of new concerns. Moral objections invariably arise any time men and women experience a loss of freedom or “personal agency” on account of addictions or other compulsive behaviors.
In sum, while BCIs could offer important medical and therapeutic uses in the future, they also are poised for dubious or clearly immoral uses. Careful ethical discernment around selective deployment of this technology, therefore, will be essential going forward.
EMPLOYMENT
Part-time facilities assistant - St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood is seeking a part-time facilities assistant for 20 - 25+ hours per week in the evenings with occasional weekends. Responsibilities include setup and tear-down for events and custodial duties. Go to: stmichaelcp.org/employment for a full description. Submit resume and cover letter to: jim.thompson@st michaelcp.org.
Full-time operator and full-time laborer - Midwest Milling Services, Inc., is a road construction company specializing in asphalt milling of roads and parking lots mostly in the Kansas City metro area. We are looking for a full-time operator as well as a full-time laborer for the upcoming season. If you are interested, please contact Mike Lyons at (913) 208-3022.
Catholic foreign missionary - Does your heart burn to share the good news of God’s love with others? Has your life been radically changed by encountering Jesus in his beloved poor? For nearly 30 years, Family Missions Company has helped form and send over 1,000 missionaries across the globe to preach the Gospel, serve the poor and make disciples. We are authentically Catholic, lay families and singles willing to follow the Holy Spirit wherever he leads. The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few. If God is stirring your heart, please contact us today to start a conversation. Jonathan Oakes - cell: (913) 725-0220; email: jon@familymissionscompany.com.
Workforce training and development specialist - Are you seeking an opportunity to advance your career while assisting others to advance theirs? Want to surround yourself with others with a high level of conviction and passion for serving others? Then consider your next career move with our great team as a Workforce training and development specialist. For more information and to apply, go online to: https://catholiccharitiesks.org/ careers.
Part-time facilities maintenance - Church of the Ascension in Overland Park is seeking applicants for a part-time (25 hours per week) facilities maintenance position. Applicants should possess basic mechanical skills: carpentry, painting, plumbing repair, etc. The role assists the facilities director in addressing daily facility needs, repairs and upgrades. Applicants are required to pass a background check, complete safe environment training and be able to do heavy lifting. Ideal opportunity for a craftsman who is looking to work 4 - 5 hours per day, MF. Interested individuals should send contact information along with a list of past work experience to Lisa Donart at the parish office at: Idonart@kcascension.org.
President, St. James Catholic School - St. James Catholic School in St. Joseph, Missouri, is searching for a principal to administer the program in a preschool through 8th grade school with 100 students. Supervises teaching, administrative and support staff, and oversees a range of programs and services. Requires a master’s degree, experience and understanding of a classical/liberal arts curriculum, state certification, previous experience and pastor’s letter of reference. For more information and to apply, go online to: https:// kcsjcatholic.org/start/job-openings.
Caregivers needed - Daughter & Company is looking for compassionate caregivers to provide assistance to seniors in their home, assisted living or in a skilled nursing facility. We provide sitter services, light housekeeping and light meal preparation, organizational assistance, care management and occasional transportation for our clients. We need caregivers with reliable transportation and a cellphone for communication. We typically employ on a part-time basis, but will strive to match hours desired. Contact Gary or Laurie at (913) 341-2500 if you want to become part of an excellent caregiving team.
Staff job openings - Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, a Catholic college offering higher education for those who may not otherwise be served, has the following staff job openings available — Financial aid director, Director of nursing, human resources generalist, and director of development. Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/careers.
Technician Needed ASAP - Do you like to tinker? Are you detail-oriented? Then this is the job for you! A locally owned family business is currently seeking candidates to provide preventive maintenance (cleaning) and repair service on microscopes. No previous experience necessary, on-the-job training provided. Good communication, time management and customer service skills necessary. Expenses paid, out in the field majority of time and each day is different! Some travel is required. Please contact us at: techneeded23@gmail.com.
Van drivers and aides needed - Assisted Transportation is hiring safe drivers and aides to transport general education and students with special needs to and from school and other activities in Johnson County in passenger vans. Drivers earn $16 - $20 per hour. Aides earn $15.50 per hour. Part-time and full-time schedules are available. Make a difference in your community by helping those in need! Call (913) 521-4955 or visit: assisted transportation.com for more information. EEO.
Administrative assistant - Come join our team! A small family-owned company located in Lenexa is looking for an assistant to answer phones; invoicing; product ordering; some shipping/receiving and to assist the owner. We need a team member who is organized; detail oriented; self-motivated; trustworthy; has a positive attitude and above all else, gives excellent customer service. Schedule flexibility. Send your resume to: YourCareer101@gmail.com
Faculty and adjunct faculty job openings - Donnelly College, Kansas City, Kansas, is a Catholic college offering higher education for those who may not other wise be served Faculty job openings - Nursing faculty. Adjunct faculty job openings - psychology adjunct instructor for nursing and clinical nursing adjunct. Adjunct faculty Lansing Correctional Campus - Psychology adjunct. Find job descriptions and details at: www. donnelly.edu/careers.
Medical staff - Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic is in need of medical staff (RN or RDMS) or a PRN sonographer, part time (1 - 3 days per week) during the hours of 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Job duties include limited obstetrical sonograms, collection and processing of specimens, documentation of findings, communicating with physicians and collaborating with client advocates to provide care to patients/clients.
SERVICES
!!Early 2025 painting discount!! - At Stone Painting, we offer interior and exterior house painting services. Book with us before March 1 for a 10% discount on your painting project! Check out our work at: www. stonepaintingkc.com.
Organization - “A Helping Hand.” Need to deplete, organize, re-center, simplify your life, your possessions? Let us help. Call Maggie at (913) 909-5235.
AKC Pros roofing, siding, gutters, insulation - Did you get tired of the door-knocking and constant calls from different roofing companies after the storms this year? Now that the dust has settled, let’s talk. If it’s new damage or old damage, just give me a call. I’ll walk your roof and we will decide together whether to file a claim. Locally owned and operated, licensed and insured. Call Josh at (913) 709-7230.
MIKE HAMMER MOVING - A full-service mover. Local and long-distance moving. Packing, pianos, rental truck load/unload, storage container load/unload. In-home moving and office moves. No job too small. Serving the KC metro since 1987. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee, parishioner. Call the office at (913) 927-4347 or email: mike@mikehammermoving.com.
Personal assistant/house manager - Experienced professional with a business background available to help organize and manage the details of busy lives. References available. Please call Diane at (913) 5684607.
Custom countertops - Laminates installed within 5 days. Cambria, granite and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.
Memory quilts - Preserve your memories in a keepsake quality quilt, pillows, etc. Custom designed from your T-shirt collection, baby clothes, sports memorabilia, neckties . . . Quilted Memories. (913) 649-2704.
Tree trimming and landscaping - We provide free estimates and recent references. Five years of experience and fully insured. Call Charly at (913) 405-8123.
Double A’s Lawn Service
Lawn mowing, mulching, gutters, leaf removal
Brush removal & hedge trimming
Free estimates & insured Alex Spoerre (913) 488-5195
Concrete construction - Tear out and replace stamped, stained or colored patios and drives. Retaining walls, footing, poured-in-place safe rooms, excavation and hauling. Asphalt drives and lots. Fully insured, references. Call Dan at (913) 207-4371 or send an email to: dandeeconst@aol.com.
Free estimates - We do all things home improvement! Services include: interior/exterior painting, flooring, drywall, windows, kitchen/bathroom remodel, decks, etc. You name it, we can help. At Stone Painting, we put the customer first. We ensure a professional quality job at a competitive price. Call today for a free estimate. (913) 963-6465.
HOME IMPROVEMENT
Local handyman - Painting, int. and ext., wood rot, mason repair, gutter cleaning (gutter covers), dryer vent cleaning, sump pump (replace, add new), windows, doors (interior and exterior), honey-do list, window cleaning and more! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118.
Father and Son Home Remodeling - We specialize in kitchen/bathroom and basement remodeling, from start to finish. We also do decks, covered decks, porches, sun-rooms and room additions! If you’re not sure we do it, just call. From my family to yours, thank you for supporting my small business. To contact me, call (913) 709-7230 and ask for Josh.
STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 579-1835. Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.
Haus To Home Remodeling - Let’s give that room a nice face-lift! Specializing in affordable room remodeling. From small projects to bathrooms and basements. Tile, paint, carpentry, wood rot, decks, drywall, etc. Free estimates. Call Cole at (913) 544-7352.
Popcorn ceiling texture removal Call Jerry at (913) 206-1144. 30 years’ experience. Interior painting specialist. Member St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.
Garage renovations - Married couple from St. Paul Parish in Olathe. Haul off, clean-out, floor coatings, shelving/painting. Experienced, references available, insured. Call (913) 405-8123.
CAREGIVING
Need caregiving at home? Don’t want to move?For nearly 20 years, we have helped seniors stay in their home with personal care, med management and household assistance. We also specialize in dementia care with free dementia training for families, all at reasonable rates and terms. Call Benefits of Home Senior Care at (913) 422-1591.
Home care - CMA, 15 years’ experience; background check available from past employers. Call (913) 9994340.
Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management and transportation for seniors in their home, assisted living or nursing facilities. We also provide respite care for main caregivers needing some personal time. Call Daughters & Company at (913) 341-2500 and speak with Laurie, Pat or Gary.
Home care - Can provide home care for those needing assistance. CNA, 18 years’ experience. Can help those with dementia and those with physical disabilities. Call (913) 526-0797.
REAL ESTATE
We are local people who can buy your house - Big companies from all over the nation come here buying houses, but that’s not us. We are parishioners of Holy Trinity Parish and we enjoy giving you personalized service. We can offer you a fair price and are flexible to your needs. If I can help, call me, Mark Edmondson, at (913) 980-4905.
Looking to buy or sell a home? - Buy or sell a home with someone who understands your values. We are a Catholic-owned, faith-driven team of Realtors, dedicated to helping fellow Catholics buy or sell homes in our community. We bring integrity, compassion and a commitment to your needs. Let us be part of your journey. Call Kevin Holmes (owner) at (913) 553-0539.
We buy houses and whole estates - We are local and family-owned, and will make you a fair cash offer. We buy houses in any condition. No fees or commissions and can close on the date of your choice. Selling your house has never felt so good. Jon & Stacy Bichelmeyer, (913) 599-5000.
WANTED TO BUY
Will buy firearms and related accessories - One or a whole collection. Honest evaluation and top prices paid. Contact Tom at (913) 238-2473. Member of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee.
$$Paying Cash$$ - Antique Furniture, crocks, tin and cast iron toys, old tools, glassware, American coins, jewelry. Most anything old. Please call Patricia at (913) 515-2950.
Wanted to buy
Do you have a car or truck that you need to get rid of? If you do, CALL ME!
I’m a cash buyer. We’re Holy Trinity parishioners. My name is Mark. (913) 980-4905.
Wanted to buy - Antiques & Collectibles: jewelry, military items, railroad, sterling, OLD holiday/toys and more. Renee Maderak (913) 475-7393. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.
Wanted to buy
Vintage baseball & sport cards Cash for cards Holy Trinity parishioner Call Matt at (913) 522-4938
PILGRIMAGES
Pilgrimages - Medjugorje is approved by the Vatican, receiving “nihil obstat” and encouraging people to go. The next pilgrimage date with visionary Mirjana Soldo as our hostess is March 12-20 and April 16-23, 2025. I am also available to speak to groups about Medjugorje. Call Grace at (913) 449-1806.
FOR SALE
Residential lifts - New and recycled. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. St. Michael’s parishioners. KC Lift & Elevator at (913) 327-5557. (Formerly Silver Cross - KC)
For sale - Sleeper sofa in excellent shape, very sturdy, soft pink fabric covered and is multifunctional. It hides a metal frame and mattress that unfolds to reveal a comfortable full-size bed. Measurements are standard size, 54” by 75”. Please contact Virginia at (913) 827-7023. Can text a picture. Price is negotiable. Cash only.
‘MEDITATIONS ON HOPE’
Church of the Nativity (Magi Room)
3800 W. 119th St., Leawood Feb. 15 at 8:15 a.m.
The Daughters of the St. Francis de Sales Association have been inviting women to practice virtues and holiness in everyday life for over 150 years. Come reflect with us as we share meditations on “hope” in the tradition of Salesian spirituality after Mass. All materials are provided. Coffee and refreshments will be served. To attend, contact Ruth Owens at: rowens4853@gmail.com; Barbara McClung at (816) 535-4531 or at: willabird1960@gmail. com. For additional information, visit the website at: www.sfdsassociation.org.
VALENTINE DANCE
Divine Mercy Parish 555 W. Main St., Gardner Feb. 15 at 6:30 p.m.
The Knights of Columbus will host a Valentine dance starting with a steak and potato dinner, followed by dancing with a DJ. The cost is $30 per person. Contact the church office for tickets at (913) 856-7781.
BEREAVEMENT MEETING
Curé of Ars Parish (Father Burak Room) 9405 Mission Rd., Leawood Feb. 15 at 8 a.m.
The bereavement ministry will have a grief support meeting in the Father Burak Room after the 8 a.m. Mass. For more information, call (913) 649-2026.
FRIED CHICKEN DINNER AND BINGO
St. Patrick Parish (center) 1066 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas Feb. 15 at 6 p.m.
There will be fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, roll, salad, tea or lemonade, and dessert. The cost is: $12 for adults; $7 for children; and $35 for a family meal. There will also be 10 games of bingo for $12. We take cash, check or credit/debit card with chip. For more information, call Fritz Vertz at (913) 515-0621.
HOLY ROSARY RALLY
St. Joseph Parish 11311 Johnson Dr., Shawnee
Feb. 16 from 3 - 4:15 p.m.
Please join us to honor the Blessed Mother and Our Lady of Fatima. We will pray the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries of the rosary followed by Benediction and the opportunity for attendees to enroll in the brown scapular. For driving instructions or future dates for the Kansas City monthly rosary rallies, visit the website at: www.rosaryrallieskc.org.
WIDOWED WOMEN OF FAITH
Perkin’s Restaurant (back room) 1720 S.W. Wanamaker Rd., Topeka Feb. 18 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Join other widowed women of faith for lunch and companionship. No RSVP is needed, just come. We meet every month on the third Tuesday and will continue all through 2025. Come join the fun! Questions? Send an email to: WidowedWomen ofFaith@gmail.com or call (913) 558-0191.
INVESTING FOR GROWTH AND GIVING
Holy Spirit Parish
11300 W. 103rd St., Overland Park
Feb. 18 from 7 - 8 p.m.
Ryan Wilkerson, CFP, CPFA, will help you learn ways to steward your financial assets for growth so you will have more for retirement and charitable giving. This is for informational purposes only. To attend, sign up online at: hscatholic.org/EVENTS or call Terri Lynn at (913) 492-7318, ext. 180.
LINCOLN
EVENT
National WWI Museum and Memorial 2 Memorial Dr., Kansas City, Missouri Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
Join us for the presentation “Homerun History: Baseball and War” at the National WWI Museum, sponsored by the University of Saint Mary, Leavenworth. Register for the event online at: stmary.edu/lincoln.
‘SILENCE IS THE VOICE OF GOD’: A DIRECTED RETREAT
Precious Blood Renewal Center
2120 St. Gaspar Way, Liberty, Missouri Feb. 20 - 23
A silent, directed retreat is a personally guided prayer experience over three days. Retreatants meet one-on-one with a trained, experienced spiritual director. Register online at: www.pbrenewalcenter. org, or call (816) 415-3745.
OUR LADY OF UNITY DINNER-DANCE
Pierson Park Community Center
1800 S. 55th St., Kansas City, Kansas
Feb. 22 from 6 - 11 p.m.
You are invited to the re-inauguration of Our Lady of Unity dinner-dance with a traditional Mexican dinner of pork asada, beef barbacoa, beef and chicken fajitas, Mexican green spaghetti, fettuccine alfredo with chicken, rice, refried beans, salad, bread, cookies and fruit. Drinks are sold separately. There will be a silent auction throughout the night. Dance the night away to the music of Fuerza DJ Jalapeño. Advance tickets are $60 each (includes one drink ticket). Seating is limited. Cash and credit cards are accepted. For more information, call Sherry at (913) 207-0900.
CALLED TO LOVE AGAIN:
DIVORCE SUPPORT
St. Joseph Parish
11311 Johnson Dr., Shawnee
Feb. 22 at 6 p.m.
Do you feel as if you will never heal?
Wondering if you are ready for a relationship? Join us once a month for fellowship and formation. The topic will be: “Jubilee of Hope”
‘TABLES FOR TWO: AN EVENING OF MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT’
Precious Blood Renewal Center
2120 St. Gaspar Way, Liberty, Missouri Feb. 22, from 6 -9 p.m.
Join us for an evening out for married and engaged couples who want to deepen their relationships. We will serve a five-course meal with wine in a subdued atmosphere and guide you through a oneon-one discussion. Seating is limited. Register online now at: www.pbrenewalcenter. org.
BEEF AND NOODLE DINNER
St. Mary Parish (multipurpose room)
501 Mechanics, Hartford Feb. 23 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
There will be homemade beef and noodles, mashed potatoes, vegetable, salad, dessert and drink. The cost is $12 for adults and $5 for kids under 10. There will be a drawing for lots of prizes. Raffle tickets are $1 each. Meal tickets can be purchased at the door.
WILLS AND TRUSTS WORKSHOP
Prince of Peace Parish (parish hall meeting room)
16000 W. 143rd St., Olathe Feb. 26 at 5:30 p.m.
There will be a social and refreshments from 5:30 - 6 p.m. The program is from 6 - 7 p.m. The speaker will be Casey Connealy, estate planning attorney from Gaughan & Connealy Estate Planning Attorneys. Register online by visiting: cfnek.org/events or by contacting Greg Alejos at (913) 647-0365.
PRIEST RETIREMENT WORKSHOP
Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish 7023 W. 71st St., Overland Park Feb. 26 at 11:30 a.m.
Lunch will be provided by the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas followed by a presentation from noon - 1 p.m. on retirement planning and investments by Dan Hutchins, CPA, and estate planning by Casey Connealy. Register online by visiting the website at: www.cfnek.org/events/ priest-retirement-workshop.
ANNUAL ST. JOSEPH TABLE
St. Joseph Parish
11311 Johnson Dr., Shawnee March 2 at 8:30 a.m.
The day will begin with a table blessing at 8:30 a.m., viewing of the table, and cash and carry of Italian cookies. The meal will be served from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Contact Christine Marion for questions at (913) 7068860.
‘FORGIVENESS 101’ WORKSHOP
Prince of Peace Parish
16000 W. 143rd St., Olathe
March 8 from 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Are you struggling with forgiving someone who has really hurt you? You are not alone! “Forgiveness 101” offers a safe and supportive experience of healing for anyone suffering from unresolved conflict and past trauma. In this workshop, you will review the important difference between forgiveness and justice and learn that forgiveness is not about forgetting or excusing the offense. For more information about this ministry, go online to: www. yeabut.org.
CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE DINNER
Immaculate Conception Parish (Miege Hall)
711 N. Fifth St., Leavenworth
March 9 from 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
A corned beef dinner is $15; Irish stew is $10; hot dog, chips and dessert are $5. There will also be a silent auction and a raffle for cash prizes.
LENTEN LINGER OVER COFFEE
Marillac Retreat & Spirituality Center
4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth
March 11, 18, 25 and
April 1 and 8 from 9 - 11 a.m.
Join us five Tuesdays during Lent as we reflect on the lives and work of consecrated and modern-day saints among us. Their lives, methods of prayer, and their struggles and sacrifices invite us to deepen our prayer life. You are invited to conclude your morning with 11 a.m. Mass with the Sisters. No registration is necessary. A freewill offering will be accepted.
SINGLES DANCE
Camelot Dance Studio
6635 W. 151st St., Overland Park
March 15 from 7 - 10 p.m.
No partner is necessary for this singles only event. Music, played by a DJ, will be ’70s, ’80s, country and disco. There will be free style, line and ballroom dancing. This is sponsored by New Friends Network meetup group. Dress is casual.
DEO GRATIAS APPRECIATION DINNER
Church of the Ascension
9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park
March 27 at 5:30 p.m.
The evening will begin with Mass at 5:30 p.m. with Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, followed by cocktails, dinner and program, and a final blessing. Deo Gratias honorees are: Distinguished Family - Marty and Beth Krebs; Distinguished Organization - Church of the Ascension. Register online at: www. cfnek.org/events/deogratias or send an email to: Mwade@archkck.org.
DAILY READINGS
SIXTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
Feb. 16
SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Jer 17: 5-8
Ps 1: 1-4, 6
1 Cor 15: 12, 16-20
Lk 6: 17, 20-26
Feb. 17
The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order
Gn 4: 1-15, 25
Ps 50: 1, 8, 16bc-17, 20-21
Mk 8: 11-13
Feb. 18
Tuesday
Gn 6: 5-8; 7: 1-5, 10
Ps 29: 1a, 2, 3-4, 9c-10
Mk 8: 14-21
Feb. 19
Wednesday
Gn 8: 6-13, 20-22
Ps 116: 12-15, 18-19
Mk 8: 22-26
Feb. 20
Thursday
Gn 9: 1-13
Ps 102: 16-18, 19-23, 29
Mk 8: 27-33
Feb. 21
Peter Damian, bishop, doctor of the church
Gn 11: 1-9
Ps 33: 10-15
Mk 8:34 – 9:1
Feb. 22
THE CHAIR OF PETER THE APOSTLE
1 Pt 5: 1-4
Ps 23: 1-3a, 4-6
Mt 16: 13-19
I’m glad there’s a special day devoted to this but, honestly, it should be practiced every day. I’m talking about Random Acts of Kindness Day, celebrated on Feb. 17.
The idea came from writer and activist Anne Herbert in 1982 in Berkeley, California. Tired of seeing the phrase “random acts of violence” so often being reported, Herbert encouraged people to “practice random acts of kindness and acts of senseless beauty” instead. Her article, published in CoEvolution Quarterly, struck a chord and sparked a worldwide movement.
Of course, for people of faith, this idea of making love visible is nothing new. From the Golden Rule to the corporal and spiritual works of mercy — and especially in this Jubilee Year — we Catholics have been tasked by Jesus to continue to be his body of compassion and mercy in the world. Kindness is powerful, contagious and transformative as the following story shows:
IPROTOMARTYRS OF ROME
died 64-68
After a raging fire destroyed two-thirds of Rome in 64, Emperor Nero blamed Rome’s Christians to divert suspicion from himself. Those acknowledging their Christianity were arrested and executed. Some were covered in wax and set afire as torches; some were sewn into animal skins and cast into the arena with wild animals; others were crucified. Sts. Peter and Paul died in the same persecution. The feast of these earliest martyrs of the Roman church is celebrated a day after the joint feast of Peter and Paul. The Roman historian Tacitus said the protomartyrs were to be pitied “for it was felt that they were being sacrificed to one man’s brutality.”
Become one of a ‘kind’
FATHER MARK GOLDASICH
Father Mark is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989.
Tears glistened in the eyes of Salvation Army officer Shaw as he looked at the three men before him. Shaw was a medical missionary who had just arrived in India, where the Army was taking over a leper colony.
These men had manacles and fetters binding their hands and feet, cutting into their diseased flesh. Captain Shaw turned to the guard and said, “Please unfasten the chains.”
“It isn’t safe,” the
MARK MY WORDS
guard replied. “These men are dangerous criminals as well as lepers.”
“I’ll be responsible. They’re suffering enough,” said Shaw, as he put out his hand and took the keys. He knelt, tenderly removed the shackles, and treated the men’s bleeding ankles and wrists.
About two weeks later, Shaw had his first misgivings about freeing these criminals. He had to make an overnight trip and dreaded leaving his wife and child alone. His wife insisted that she wasn’t afraid, because God was there. Reluctantly, Shaw went on the trip.
The morning after his departure, his wife went to the front door
and was startled to see the three criminals lying on her steps.
One explained, “We know the doctor go. We stay here all night, so no harm comes to you.”
That’s how these dangerous men responded to an act of love. (Story adapted from “The Power of Love,” found in “Illustrations Unlimited,” edited by James S. Hewett.)
The folks at the Random Act of Kindness Foundation® want to “make kindness the norm®.” I couldn’t agree more.
Our world is suffering from an epidemic of selfishness. Signs of this disease include intolerance, impatience, greediness, indifference, and nastiness in speech and writing. As the disease progresses, it leads to a fatal invincible ignorance and hardness of heart.
Of course, kindness is the antidote since it causes us to turn outward and notice — and respond to — the needs of others.
Let’s make Random Acts of Kindness Day the beginning of a
transformation of our hearts and world. If you need some ideas to get you started, try some of these:
• Give others the benefit of the doubt.
• Write a thank-you note to a teacher, mentor, medical person or pastor.
• Pay an outstanding lunch debt of a student or two.
• Support locally owned businesses.
• Text someone a positive message.
• Surprise someone with a gift.
• Drop off a donation to a local food bank or charity.
• Laugh with someone till you cry.
• Support a person being bullied.
• Let someone know you’re praying for them.
• Compliment others shamelessly.
• Read to a child.
Let’s take to heart — on Feb. 17 and beyond — these words from the Letter to the Hebrews: “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God” (13:16). Ready? Set? Be kind!
Jesus’ teaching was always challenging — and it is still
f anyone was expecting Jesus to deliver this sermon from a mountain, they got a shock. The first thing we notice in this Sunday’s reading from Luke is this detail: “Jesus came down with the Twelve and stood on a stretch of level ground.”
This isn’t the Sermon on the Mount — though it certainly sounds a lot like it and echoes many of its themes. What we have here is what scholars commonly call “The Sermon on the Plain” — Jesus speaking to his followers on their own terms, on their own level. Here, he was able to look them in the eye and, quite literally, not talk down to them.
Two thousand years ago, he spoke to those
DEACON GREG KANDRA
Deacon Greg Kandra is an award-winning author and journalist, and creator of the blog “The Deacon’s Bench.” He serves in the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York.
who were seeking to change their lives and who had elected to follow this itinerant preacher from a forgotten town. Today, he’s speaking
directly to us.
Maybe we’ve heard these teachings so often, they don’t shock us or sound remotely radical. But listen closely. Imagine hearing them for the first time.
“Blessed are you who are poor,” he begins, “for the kingdom of God is yours.” From there, he goes on to speak to us directly — saying “you” again and again — to bless the hungry, the weeping, the hated. He goes on to express “woe” for the rich, the “filled,” the laughing, those who are praised.
His words undoubtedly stunned his first followers.
But what about us?
What do we hear when Christ turns our expectations upside down and gives us a
new way of thinking about what it means to be “blessed”? Do we realize what he is saying, what he is asking us to do?
The Gospel readings from The Sermon on the Plain are provocative and potent — calling on us to think differently about love, about mercy, about God’s expectations and our own. We are exhorted to love those who hate us, to turn the other cheek, to give to everyone and to hold nothing back.
It’s worth remembering: In this moment, Jesus doesn’t speak simply as a teacher to his students, offering lessons from on high.
He’s speaking as one of us, at eye level. His teachings are, in a literal sense, grounded.
He speaks as someone who understands deeply what it is to love, to give, to hunger, to weep. To quote a popular ad campaign, he is telling his followers that “he gets us.”
And the question we need to ask ourselves across the next three weeks is: Do we get him? Are we truly listening to what he has to say?
In these passages from Luke’s Gospel, we hear once again not only the depth and breadth of Christ’s compassion, but also the bracing reality that what he had to say — then and now — is boldly countercultural. It’s not surprising that many who heard these words found them hard to take and difficult to absorb.
Pope: Like Mary, respond to God’s love with action
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christians are called to follow Mary’s example by responding to God’s love with action, reaching out to others instead of withdrawing from the world, Pope Francis said. Reflecting on Mary’s visit to her pregnant cousin Elizabeth after
learning that she will bring the Messiah into the world, he said that “this young daughter of Israel does not choose to protect herself from the world, does not fear the dangers and judgments of others, but goes out to meet others.”
In his prepared text, the pope said that moved by love, Mary goes out
to meet Elizabeth, who is “an elderly woman who welcomes, after a long wait, an unexpected pregnancy, tiring to confront at her age.”
But, he added, “the Virgin also goes to Elizabeth to share faith in the God of the impossible and hope in the fulfillment of his promises.”
What the world needs now is unconditional love
If ever there was a time for us to celebrate the true meaning of Valentine’s Day, it is today. Celebrated on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day has evolved into a commercial holiday primarily associated with romance, flowers, chocolates and cards. However, its roots are deeply tied to Catholic tradition.
For those who aren’t familiar with the holiday’s origins, it is the feast day of St. Valentine, a Roman priest and physician who was martyred around 270. He was imprisoned for secretly marrying couples who disobeyed the Roman emperor’s
TAT THE HEART OF HOSPITALITY
GREG MIES
Greg Mies is the director of Savior Pastoral and Retreat Center. He can be reached by email at: gmies@archkck.org.
edict that forbade Roman soldiers to marry. Saint Valentine is the patron saint of lovers, people with epilepsy, and beekeepers (he
is said to have been a beekeeper who kept gentle care of bees, talking with and praying over them).
Saint Valentine is said to have not only performed secret marriages, but also offered shelter and support to persecuted Christians. In this sense, he demonstrated a kind
of spiritual hospitality, welcoming and protecting those in need. His acts of kindness — whether in offering marriage ceremonies or aiding others — reflect the Christian ideal of loving and caring for strangers, just as Jesus showed hospitality to all.
While the modern, commercialized version of Valentine’s Day has shifted toward romantic gestures, the Catholic Church honors St. Valentine not only as a patron saint of lovers, but also as a symbol of compassion and selfless love. The holiday truly is a celebration of love in many forms — not
just romantic love, but also love for others through acts of kindness and service.
Just two weeks ago, in his Sunday Angelus prayer, Pope Francis emphasized how Jesus reveals the “ultimate criterion by which all history is judged: love.
The pope told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Feb. 2, the feast of the Presentation of the Lord: “Whoever loves, lives; whoever hates, dies.”
In a time where we may feel overwhelmed by the commercial and material aspects of holidays, let us remember the real significance of St. Valentine’s Day:
It’s a call to live a life of love that is selfless and all-encompassing. Whether through compassion, charity or simply being present for one another, we can all contribute to making the world a little warmer and more connected. Let this Valentine’s Day be a reminder that love is a force for good that can transform lives — and that it’s something we can all give, regardless of circumstance or season.
May we all give the kind of courageous, unconditional love that St. Valentine offered so freely. And may we all feel loved this Valentine’s Day.
Vibrant marriages are inspiring examples of selfless love
his past week was important. Of course, there was football, but according to the website thereis adayforthat.com, the week also celebrated numerous things including fettuccine alfredo, umbrellas, Boy Scouts, lost pennies and not crying over spilled milk. Though comprehensive, I noticed one omission on that website’s list: National Marriage Week.
FAMILY MATTERS
LIBBY DUPONT
Libby DuPont is a consultant for the archdiocesan office of marriage and family life.
If you are not married, it can be easy to treat National Marriage Week as a preschooler might regard National Home Warranty Day. But here are a few reasons that marriage is worth
Tcelebrating . . . for the whole church.
1. Joyful marriages teach us about God. The Bible is filled with bridal imagery for a reason: It effectively communicates Christ’s love for the church. Vibrant marriages show
us that God doesn’t just put up with us. He is passionately in love with us, inviting us to become one with him in the Eucharist. His love is forgiving, sacrificial, faithful and life-giving. A couple in love gives us a living example of these important truths.
2. Sacramental marriages are at the service of the church. Like holy orders, the sacrament of matrimony is a vocational sacrament, which means it is a path to holiness for the recipients, but it is also at the service of the body of Christ. Married couples bring
the presence of Jesus to their families, workplaces and to many other people who might not otherwise encounter him.
3. The goodness of marriage validates the pain of loss. Sometimes, people protest the celebration of marriage out of concern for those who have suffered domestic violence, divorce or the death of a spouse. I propose that clearly articulating the church’s vision of marriage is an act of compassion for those who are hurting. An understanding of the goodness and beauty
of what marriage is intended to be can provide a backdrop for why its absence is so painful, and can be an invitation to healing and hope for the future. No matter what your state in life is, I invite you to do something this week to strengthen marriage in the church. If you’re married, invest in your own sacrament. If you’re not, consider deepening your understanding of matrimony and praying for an increase in vocations to strong, joyful marriages. For great online resources, go to: for yourmarriage.org.
Join the persistent and faithful ‘On Mission for Life’
he pro-life community is a persistent and faithful lot. These characteristics were on full display last month as over 2,000 showed up to pray and publicly witness at IGNITE for Life, the Catholic rally and Mass that kicked off the Kansas March for Life.
Persistent, because despite recently receiving the Kansas Department of Health & Environment’s devastating 2023 abortion statistics, they refuse to give up.
After the “Value Them Both” amendment was defeated in 2022, abortion in Kansas is skyrocketing, increasing from 7,800 in 2021 to over 19,000
LIFE MATTERS
DEBRA NIESEN
Debra Niesen is the archdiocesan consultant for the pro-life office.
precious babies’ lives lost in 2023. Additionally, the abortion industry is suing many longstanding Kansas laws that protect women and babies from harm, and
abortion can no longer be legally restricted in any way.
Faithful, because though the situation in Kansas is heartbreaking and challenging, they still gather to pray for a culture that understands the precious gift of human life, recognizes that each of us has infinite value and worth as
sons and daughters of a God who created and loves us, and cherishes its preborn children no matter if they are healthy, wealthy, wanted, planned or convenient.
That’s why this year’s IGNITE theme was “On Mission for Life!” Inspired by the Eucharistic Revival’s Year of Mission and the Jubilee Year of hope, the theme encourages Catholics to boldly and courageously proclaim the “Gospel of Life” with love through authentic conversations, and also through tangible actions that give hope to pregnant women and families facing challenging pregnancies so they feel
supported to choose life for their child.
We had three incredible speakers at IGNITE, each on mission for life but in different ways, giving us examples of how to share the “Gospel of Life” through how they live their lives.
Gabriel Cobb is on mission for life by sharing the message that every life is a gift.
A young man with Down syndrome, Cobb has accomplished many things that most of us wouldn’t even attempt and his joy for life is infectious!
Dr. Lisa Gilbert, a board-certified family physician and state director for the American Academy of Medical Ethics, is passionate
about life-affirming medical education and is on mission to spread the truth about abortion to protect women and children from harm.
As a model-turnedentrepreneur and prolife activist, and now mother of seven, Leah Darrow is on mission for life by sharing her miraculous story of choosing life against all odds and proving you can have babies and your dreams, too.
Watch all of their speeches online at: archkck.org/ignite.
This year, be “On Mission for Life” by committing to support one of the many pro-life ministries that promotes the “Gospel of Life”!
Kids’ Kids’
CHRONICLE CHRONICLE
By Jennifer Ficcaglia Catholic Courier
ing Saul of Israel did not follow God’s will, so God decided to find a new king.
He told his prophet Samuel to anoint David, a young shepherd from Bethlehem, as Saul’s eventual replacement.
When God turned away from Saul, the king was tormented by an evil spirit. David entered Saul’s service and soothed him by playing a harp.
David refuses to kill King Saul, who was anointed by God Bible accent K K
Saul approved of David at first but eventually became jealous of him. When the king saw that God had turned from him but was with David, Saul feared David as well.
King Saul started plotting to kill David, forcing David to flee for his life.
One day, Saul took 3,000 men to the desert of Ziph to look for David. David had been living in the wilderness and saw that Saul had come after him.
David went to look at the camp. He saw Saul lying within the camp with the rest of his men around him.
“Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?” David asked two of his men.
Abishai, David’s nephew, volunteered to go. He and David went to the camp during the night.
The two men saw King Saul fast asleep. He had thrust his spear into the ground near his head. Saul’s general, Abner, and the soldiers were sleeping all around him.
“God has delivered your enemy into your grasp this day. Let me nail him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I will not need a second thrust!” Abishai told David.
“Do not harm him, for who can lay hands on the Lord’s anointed and remain unpunished?” David replied.
David took the spear and a water jug from near Saul’s head, then he and Abishai left camp without anyone waking up or knowing they had been there, because God had put everyone into a deep sleep.
David then stood on a remote hilltop at a great distance from Abner and the troops.
“Here is the king’s spear,” David said. “Let an attendant come over to get it. The Lord will reward each man for his justice and faithfulness. Today, though the Lord delivered you into my grasp, I would not harm the Lord’s anointed.”
1. Who wanted to kill David?
2. What items did David take from Saul?
ing Saul tried to kill David several times. How did David always manage to escape unharmed?
Not only was God with David and protecting him, but God also used other people in David’s life to help keep him safe.
Two of those people were very close to Saul.
In 1 Sam 18, we read that Michal, Saul’s daughter, was in love with David. Saul noticed and thought he could use this to his advantage, so Saul asked David to marry Michal.
One day, Saul and his men went to David and Michal’s house to kill David. Michal helped David escape through a window and made their bed look like David was under the covers. When Saul and his men came into the house, she said that David was sick and in bed. It didn’t take very long for the men to discover Michal’s trick, but it gave David enough time to escape.
The other person was Saul’s son Jonathan. In 1 Sam 18, we read that when David and Jonathan first met, they instantly became friends.
Whenever Jonathan learned that Saul was plotting to kill David, Jonathan would try to talk his father out of it and also would warn David so David could escape to safety.
Joseph is a model of humility and obedience to God’s will. He followed God’s instructions that had been given by angels in dreams. In his first dream, he was told to take the pregnant Mary into his home as his wife. Right after Jesus was born, he was warned in a dream to protect Mary and the baby by fleeing to Egypt.
On Dec. 8, 2020, Pope Francis proclaimed a yearlong celebration to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Joseph being declared patron of the universal church.
We remember Joseph on March 19.
t. Joseph was the husband of Mary and the earthly father of Jesus. He was a carpenter, and he also was a relative of King David.