02-05-10 Vol. 31 No. 25

www.theleaven.com | Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas | Vol. 31, No. 25 february 5, 2010

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna, Austria, delivers his homily to a full house at St. Benedict’s Abbey Church in Atchison, the first stop on his whirlwind tour of the archdiocese.

Herald of reason

I

Cardinals links faith, science, and nature

Story By Joe Bollig | Photos by Elaina Cochran t was dark and cold, and their special visitor was late, but the people on South Boeke Street in Kansas City, Kan., didn’t care.

The church’s equivalent of a rock star

was coming to this predominantly Hispanic neighborhood. And the locals were ready for him — with their balloons, banners, candles and dancers in front of the monastery of the

Little Sisters of the Lamb, where he would be staying.

Suddenly, the crowd erupted. He had arrived: Cardinal

Christoph Schönborn — the archbishop of Vienna, Austria, a leading intellectual light of the Catholic Church and a personal friend of Pope Benedict XVI — was here, in KCK. Turn to “Austrian Cardinal” on page 16

Cardinal Schönborn uses incenses during evening prayer with priests from the archdiocese and the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kan.

2 ARCHBISHOP

THE LEAVEN • February 5, 2010

THE LEAVEN • february 5, 2010

SECOND FRONT PAGE 3

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS

O

What part will you play in the great campaign for life?

n Jan. 22, I was blessed to be in Washington, D.C., participating in the annual March for Life. It was one of the largest of the marches in recent years.

Archbishop Naumann’s weekly calendar

Feb. 5

Mass, concelebrate & preach, commemorating the canonization of St. Jeanne Jugan, Little Sisters of the Poor — Cathedral, KCMO

The best estimate that I heard was more than 300,000 participants. The March for Life is the longest running annual demonstration on the Washington Mall. It is by far the largest such event. Yet, the march is almost completely ignored by the mainstream media. If it is covered at all, usually more time is given to the dozen pro-abortion activists and their message, rather than the hundreds of thousands of pro-life advocates.

Unfortunately, many in the secular media, contrary to their responsibility as journalists, choose not to report and to give attention to those events and activities with which they disagree ideologically. There were well over a thousand Kansans, as well as hundreds from Kansas City, Mo., who journeyed to Washington for the march, most making the arduous journey by bus.

If such a group was making a trip to Washington for almost any other cause, this would be a major news event.

In addition to the Washington march, there were many other local events throughout the country. In San Francisco, tens of thousands gathered for the West Coast March for Life. In Topeka, a couple thousand gathered at the Capitol to advocate for the protection of human life. For a news media that is desperately looking for legitimate news stories to fill air time, the media silence on the annual March for Life and parallel local events is deafening!

Many of the participants in the March for Life are young people. They enlist to attend the march because they are already pro-life. On most of the bus caravans, there is a wealth of information shared with the youth regarding life issues. Once in Washington, there are many opportunities for prayer and

education in which the young people participate. Our young people come back from the march more knowledgeable about the abortion issue and with a greater commitment to advocate for life.

Many were stunned at the results of the May 2009 Gallup Poll revealing 51 percent of Americans self-identifying as pro-life, while only 42 percent calling themselves pro-choice. In 1995, the same poll showed 56 percent of Americans identifying as pro-choice and only 33 percent calling themselves pro-life.

Obviously, polls have margins of error.

However, even allowing for the limitations of poll accuracy, this represents a major shift in the sentiments and beliefs of Americans on abortion.

Just as so many media outlets were shocked by the recent election results in Massachusetts because they chose to believe their own reports, downplaying the opposition to both the content and the method of the health care reform proposals supported by the president and developed by the leadership in Congress, they are clueless about growing pro-life support. It seems that some in the media think, if they do not report it, it does not exist.

In many ways, this is to the advantage of the pro-life movement. It allows us to go about our educational efforts quietly and unnoticed, changing one heart and one mind at a time.

Recently, Sheila Barry — a member of the Archdiocese — sent me a report of the hundreds of pro-life presentations that she has given to thousands of adults and young people in the Archdiocese over a more than 20-year period. It serves as a good illustration of what just one person can do. While not all of us are called to do public speaking, we all can influence family members, friends, neighbors and coworkers to understand the sacredness

Feb. 6

Lunch and commissioning of catechists — Savior Pastoral Center

Feb. 6-7

Pastoral visit — St. John the Evangelist, Lawrence

Feb. 8-9

Jesus Caritas, bishops’ prayer group, Wichita

Feb. 9

Mass & dinner at residence for high school presidents

Feb. 10

Workshop for priests on end-of-life issues by Father Tad Pacholczyk — Savior Pastoral Center Mass for 40th anniversary of Kansas City, Kansas Serra Club — Queen of the Holy Rosary, Overland Park

Feb. 11

Kenrick-Glennon Seminary board meeting — St. Louis

of each and every human life, no matter how young, small or in what stage of development.

In his landmark encyclical letter, “The Gospel of Life,” the late Pope John Paul II wrote: “What is urgently called for is a general mobilization of consciences and a united ethical effort to activate a great campaign in support of life. All together, we must build a new culture of life: new, because it will be able to confront and solve today’s unprecedented problems affecting human life; new, because it will be adopted with deeper and more dynamic conviction by all Christians; new, because it will be capable of bringing about a serious and courageous cultural dialogue among all parties. While the urgent need for such a cultural transformation is linked to the present historical situation, it is also rooted in the Church’s mission of evangelization.

The purpose of the Gospel, in fact, is ‘to

Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799)

Editor Reverend Mark Goldasich, stl frmark@theleaven.com

Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com

Advertising Representative Jennifer Siebes jennifer@theleaven.com

President Most Reverend Joseph F. Naumann

Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita@theleaven.com

Production Manager Todd Habiger todd@theleaven.com

Reporter KARA HANSEN kara@theleaven.com

Feb. 12-13

Knights of the Holy Sepulchre weekend meeting — Naples, Fla.

Feb. 14

Mass & dedication of new church — Holy Angels, Basehor Mass for 40th anniversary of Marriage Encounter — Cathedral, KCMO

Archbishop Keleher’s weekly calendar

Feb. 7

Mass & confirmation — U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth Mass, federal prison

Feb. 10

Mass — Maur Hill/Mount Academy, Atchison Mass for 40th anniversary of Kansas City, Kansas Serra Club — Queen of the Holy Rosary, Overland Park

Feb. 12

Our Catholic Way radio taping

transform humanity from within and make it new.’ Like yeast which leavens the whole measure of dough (cf. Mt. 13:33), the Gospel is meant to permeate all cultures and give them life from within, so that they may express the full truth about the human person and about human life” (no. 95).

During the coming week, I ask you to pray over how the Lord is asking you, in the unique circumstances of your life, to be part of this “great campaign for life.” No one can deny the media is a powerful force shaping our culture. Yet, more powerful than any technology or mass communication tool is the truth proclaimed not only in word, but the manner in which we live our lives.

There are two maxims that give me great strength and encouragement as I strive to do my part in this great struggle for the soul of our nation and culture: 1) The truth is irrepressible; and 2) Life will be victorious!

Published weekly September through May, excepting the Friday the week after Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Christmas; biweekly June through August. Address communications to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Phone: (913) 7211570; fax: (913) 721-5276; or e-mail at: sub@theleaven.com.

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Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann visits with seminarian Brian Jilka at the annual Support Our Seminarians dinner and auction on Jan. 29 at the downtown Marriott. Jilka, from St. Joseph Parish in Flush, is in his third year at Conception Seminary College in Conception, Mo.

Another SOS Success

By Jill Ragar Esfeld Special to The Leaven

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — “We have the highest enrollment in the seminary college in almost 40 years!”

This was the good tidings Abbot Gregory Polan announced to Catholics attending the 17th annual Support Our Seminarians Benefit on Jan. 29 at the Marriott Allis Plaza Hotel in Kansas City, Mo. In honor of this year’s designation as “The Year of the Priest” by Pope Benedict, the evening was dedicated to St. John Vianney, also known as the Curé of Ars. A French theme permeated the event, complete with an Eiffel Tower in lights overlooking the silent auction “marketplace.”

Guests enjoyed dinner and French desserts while “artist in residence” Mike Debus, from St. James Academy in Lenexa, came onstage and painted a beautiful Madonna to open the live auction.

“My inspiration for the painting came from Michelangelo’s ‘Pietá,’” Debus told the crowd.

Inspiration was also provided by musician Mikey Needleman and vocalist Cayleigh Bustillo, who performed as the Madonna was being created.

KMBC-TV anchor Larry Moore was master of ceremonies, as he has been every year since he and his wife spearheaded the first SOS Benefit.

After dinner, Archbishop Joseph Naumann thanked the audience say-

Mike Debus (above), the artist in residence at St. James Academy in Lenexa, painted a Madonna (right) to open the SOS auction.

The piece was inspired by Michelangelo’s “Pietá.” ing, “It’s important for our young men to have your support and to know you’re here tonight.”

He said that often parishioners approached him, saying, “Please don’t take our priest away,” and said it heartens him to know our archdiocesan priests have such a strong connection to their parishioners.

Bishop Robert Finn from the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph echoed the archbishop’s thanks and acknowledged the seminarians’ families who were able to attend the benefit.

“I always tell our parents, ‘If you send your sons to us, we will take

good care of them,’” he said. “We do everything we can to make sure they receive top-notch formation and will be able to be given all the graces they need.”

The highlight of the evening was the introduction of the seminarians

by Father Samuel Russel, presidentrector of Conception Seminary College.

“We are very humbled — not just by the numbers, but by the quality of these young men,” he said. “I really stand in awe of them because it’s not something we’re doing at Conception. It’s something the Lord is doing.”

Vocation director for the archdiocese, Father Mitchel Zimmerman, was then called onstage along with Father Richard Rocha, vocation director for the Diocese of Kansas CitySt. Joseph, where they were then joined by the priest candidates from Conception Abbey.

Before the Nigro Brothers took over to call the live auction, Moore thanked all those who helped make SOS a success, in particular, Jodie Stockwell and Tim and Katy Forrest, who served as co-chairs of the event.

Money raised through the auction and ticket sales will go to help pay seminary expenses for men studying for the priesthood from the archdiocese and from the Diocese of Kansas City- St. Joseph. The proceeds will be divided equally among the two dioceses and Conception Seminary.

4 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • february 5, 2010

THE LEAVEN • february 5, 2010

LOCAL NEWS 5

Catholic Community Hospice presents ‘Except for Six’

By Jill Ragar Esfeld Special to The Leaven

OVERLAND PARK — When Tiffany James saw the one-hour documentary film called “Except for Six,” the executive director of health care services knew its message had to be spread.

So James, who works for Catholic Community Hospice and Healthcare, a division of Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, purchased a copy of the film and approached the local public television station about premiering it in the Kansas City area.

The documentary aired in January to rave reviews. It will have repeated showings on Feb. 21 and 22. (See sidebar for schedule).

“I think it does an excellent job of really explaining what the entire hospice team does,” said James.

Produced by Hospice of Michigan, the film follows three individuals and their families as they embark on one of the most important journeys of life — the final days.

The audience is welcomed into the homes of Ron Christie, Rosie Thompson and Naomi “Lee” Redeck as they face that journey with dignity. The documentary focuses on hospice care

Show times for ‘Except for Six’ on KCPT: Sun., Feb. 21, at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Wed., Feb. 22 at 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.

View a trailer of the “Except for Six” documentary at the Hospice of Michigan Web site at: www.hom.org. and the quality of life that can be maintained by the people who choose it.

“There are several doctors featured and they talk a lot about how people think hospice is ‘giving up,’” said James.

“And they talk about why it’s not giving up. And all the things you gain by having hospice on your side.”

Indeed, the individuals featured in the film do not give in to the inevitable end of life, but rather, with the help of hospice, take control of their end-of-life experience.

Their stories are told with poignancy and humor.

“You’re going to see a funeral; you’re going to see people really sick,” explained James. “But the main man that they follow, Ron, is just hysterical. He’s very capable till the very end to do things for himself, and he’s very comical.

“I’m not going to say you won’t shed a tear, because you probably will — but I think you’re going to laugh, too.”

The film engages the audience and encourages them to reflect on difficult end-of-life decisions.

“I think it does a good job of explaining the need for advance directives and end-of-life decisions and those sorts of things,” James said.

Catholic Community Hospice of Northeast Kansas is briefly featured in a spot before the film, explaining that all the revenue the nonprofit program generates flows back into Catholic Charities and allows the organization to assist those in need.

James said she hopes the film will educate people about hospice and how it helps individuals take control of the end-of-life experience. She also hopes it will encourage viewers to discuss endof-life issues with loved ones now.

“The hope is that it plants a seed in people’s minds,” she said. “And when that time does come in their own family, we’d love it if they reached out to us.”

If not, she continued, “at least reach out to some hospice program to let them help through that process.”

For more information The documentary film “Except for Six” is part of a public awareness campaign from Hospice of Michigan, called “Have You Had the Talk?” For more information on the campaign or to order a “Have You Had the Talk?” tool kit, visit the Web site at: www.haveyouhadthetalk. com.

Catholic Community Hospice recommends the tool kit, provided Catholics supplement it with information on end-of-life issues specific to the Catholic faith. That information can be obtained by visiting the Web site at: www.kscathconf.org.

Click on the “Statements” button, then on “Kansas Catholic Conference” in the drop-down menu; choose the link “End-of-Life Documents from Bishops of Kansas.”

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann delivers his homily at the Catholic Schools Week Mass on Feb. 1 at Hayden High School in Topeka.

Themes of Catholic Schools were displayed in front of the altar at the special Mass in Topeka.

Father Frank Krische distributes Communion at the Mass at which all Topeka Catholic schools were represented.

Celebrating Catholic Schools Photos by Elaina Cochran

Catholic Community Hospice Learn more about Catholic Community Hospice by visiting its Web site at: www.catholiccharitiesks. org/healthservices/hospice.html.

Lincoln Lecture to feature best-selling author Ronald C. White Jr. Leavenworth — Nationally known Lincoln scholar and New York Times best-selling author Ronald C. White Jr., comes to the University of Saint Mary here on Presidents Day, Feb. 15, for USM’s 12th annual Lincoln Lecture. White will speak on “Abraham Lincoln’s Journey of Faith” at 7 p.m. in Xavier Theatre at the main campus, at 4100 S. 4th St. Admission is free.

White, the author of several books on the former president — including, most recently, the New York Times best-seller “A. Lincoln: A Biography” — will sign copies of his book after his presentation. Barnes & Noble will be selling the book at the autograph session in the Walnut Room, with complimentary coffee provided by The Pot Rack.

White has lectured at the White House and was chosen to speak on Lincoln’s religious beliefs to a congressional audience as part of the Lincoln bicentennial celebration. He is a graduate of UCLA, Princeton Theological Seminary, and earned his Ph.D. in reli-

CNS photo/Bob Roller

Best-selling author Ronald C. White Jr. will speak on Abraham Lincoln’s faith journey at the 12th annual Lincoln lecture on Feb. 15 at the University of Mary in Leavenworth. gion and history from Princeton University. White has taught at several higher learning institutions and is currently a

Fellow at the Huntington Library and a Visiting Professor of History at UCLA. “Understanding Lincoln’s relation-

ship with his faith opens up several windows to help us understand better our nation’s most revered president,” White said. “This is an area of Lincoln’s life usually unexamined or misunderstood.”

Bryan Le Beau, USM’s academic vice president and historian, called White a leading Lincoln scholar, whose thoughts on the president carry great weight.

“Recently, he has been writing and speaking on a topic that has both intrigued and mystified students of Lincoln for decades: Just what was Lincoln’s faith? What did he really believe in reference to God?,” Le Beau said.”

Exploring these unresolved questions will make for a very intriguing Lincoln Lecture at the University of Saint Mary.”

Seating is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information, call (913) 758-6165 or visit the Web site at: www. stmary.edu.

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ather Ernie Davis of St. Therese Little Flower and Jude Huntz of the Human Rights Office in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph invite you to join them on a pilgrimage Nov. 2 - 15, 2010. Visit Istanbul, Cappadocia, Tarsus, Antioch,Ephesus, Smyrna, Myra, and Troy. Mass daily. Airfare from Kansas City, transportation, hotels, breakfast and dinner, guide and entrance fees: $2,894.

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6 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • february 5, 2010

THE LEAVEN • february 5, 2010

LOCAL NEWS 7

Catholic Charities announces new board members

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Making God’s love tangible through higher education

ince 1949, when the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica and Bishop George Donnelly of the archdiocese collaborated to create a Catholic liberal arts college to increase educational access for the working poor, Donnelly College has remained dedicated to the urban core.

As one of only seven colleges nationally that operates in that unique model, Donnelly focuses intently on educating students that often go “underserved,” both nationally and throughout Kansas City. Today, more than 78 percent of Donnelly students are low-income, first generation and students of color. According to national research, students from these categories are significantly less likely to attend or complete college.

Yet these are exactly the students Donnelly successfully educates.

Donnelly’s mission is rooted in Catholic values that stem from Christ’s love for everyone created in his likeness.

“Although Donnelly students face significant challenges, they succeed here at rates far exceeding national averages, precisely because those values radiate from every faculty and staff member they encounter,” said Donnelly president Steve LaNasa. “Support from Call to Share enables us to carry out our mission to make the love of God tangible by giving each person an opportunity to develop their potential and contribute to society. This year, in addition to scholarships, Call to Share support has made possible an expansion of our campus ministry program and the addition of a full-time priest faculty member.”

For most Donnelly students, cost — not ability — is the single biggest hurdle to achieving a college education, mak-

The Bishop Ward High School Academic Decathlon team took first place in division two at the Kansas State Academic Decathlon on Jan. 23 and 24. The Bishop Ward team includes: (front row, left to right) junior Rashad Singleton, senior Josh Williamson, and junior Nick Balliett; (back row, left to right) junior Heather MacPherson, senior Maria Solis, senior Emily Cushing, junior Marla Gritzan, senior Stephanie Duenas, sophomore Ellen Larson, and freshman India D’Ortona.

Army emergency nurse to talk about nursing in Iraq

Donnelly focuses on educating students that often go underserved, both nationally and throughout the Kansas City area. Donnelly was created as a Catholic liberal arts college to increase educational access for the working poor. Today, more than 78 percent of Donnelly students are low-income. ing scholarships the most critical need.

Although it keeps tuition low to increase accessibility — just over $5,200 per year — 92 percent of students need scholarships, as more than half come from families earning less than $22,000 annually.

“This year, Archbishop’s Call to Share funds created much-needed scholarships for nearly 30 Catholic students at Donnelly, bringing Christ’s love into their lives and transforming their spirits

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and communities with the quality Catholic education they receive,” said Father Gary Pennings, vicar general and Donnelly Board member.

Last year, Donnelly served nearly 1,100 students through its associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, English as a Second Language (ESL), health care certifications, and Lansing Correctional Facility programs. Since its founding 60 years ago, the college had extended God’s love to more than 45,000 stu-

dents through education.

This article is the second in a series about ministries and organizations funded by the Archbishop’s Call to Share. The Donnelly College story helps us to understand that “though we are many parts, we are all one body in Christ” and that our gifts and prayers are effectively delivering our faith, hope and love to others.

– Lesle Knop, archdiocesan director of stewardship and development

LEAVENWORTH — Lt. Col. John Groves, a head emergency nurse for the U.S. Army who served in Iraq, will share some of his experiences at a presentation at the University of Saint Mary here at 5 p.m. on Jan. 27 in the Walnut Room of Mead Hall, 4100 S. 4th St. Groves was featured in CNN’s 2006 documentary “Combat Hospital” and in the pages of National Geographic magazine.

As part of the event, four USM nursing students will receive Humani-

tarian Mission awards to travel to Nicaragua with Kansas City-based International Service Learning to help provide basic health care in underserved areas of that country. The award is being funded by Capt. Konni Hansen of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. Hansen, a USM adjunct instructor who teaches pediatric clinicals, is donating an entire semester of her USM salary to help finance the students’ mission trips.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas is pleased to welcome a new chairman and five new members to its board of directors. The board consists of community leaders from the region who share their expertise and provide stewardship on strategic decision-making for Catholic Charities’ programs and services.

Ken Hager of Leawood, formerly the chair-elect and a board member since 2004, will serve as the new chairman of the board. Hager brings to the board more than 20 years of financial experience with DST Systems, Inc., where he has served as vice president and chief financial officer since 1988.

In addition to announcing Hager as the new chair, the board welcomed five new members: Harold Bradley, Mike Dorsey, Father Francis Hund, James Schmank and Bea Swoopes.

Harold Bradley of Kansas City, Mo., brings financial investment knowledge from various financial institutions in the Kansas City area.

Bradley is currently the chief investment officer of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

Mike Dorsey of Olathe brings 20 years of health care administration expertise to the board. Dorsey currently serves as president and CEO of Providence Medical Center in Kan-

sas City, Kan., and was formerly the chief operating officer at St. Francis Health Center, Topeka.

Father Francis Hund brings to the Board 28 years of pastoral service.

Father Hund is pastor of the Church of Nativity in Leawood. He is the past chairman of the Johnson County Region priests and a former member of the archdiocesan Priests Personnel Board.

James Schmank of Topeka brings to the board 33 years of business expertise. Schmank currently serves as CFO for se2 inc., a subsidiary of Security Benefit Corporation.

Bea Swoopes, of Shawnee, contributes 29 years of knowledge with the Kansas Catholic Conference, where she serves as associate director. Swoopes was recently appointed to a four-year term with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops National Advisory Council.

“We feel very fortunate to have such an outstanding group of individuals serving on the Catholic Charities board of directors, an essential part of Catholic Charities’ evolving strategic direction,” said Jan Lewis, president and CEO of Catholic Charities. “Each member of the board, including our newest additions, brings invaluable experience and knowledge that will help Catholic Charities advance toward our progressive future.”

Sophomores Nick Zych and Mich Heck and senior Amy Feldcamp from Henderson House in the St. Peter Community put together care packages for the Heart-to-Heart Haitian relief effort.

Junior James Ingram from the St. Benedict Community joins in the Charlton house airplane competition as mentor teacher Angela Charlton looks on.

A place to call home

Mentor teacher Sister M. Luka Brandenburg, FSGM, cheers in the background as students from St. Gregory Community compete for a trophy by playing “Captain’s Calling.” Saluting, are (from left) sophomores Dallas Gardner, Faith Bila, Bridgette Westoff, Danielle Reynoldson and junior Derek Chubb.

House rules

St. James Academy in Lenexa does away with traditional student government and implements a new program that gets everyone involved Story and photos by Jill Ragar Esfeld

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St. Catherine Community captains seniors Derek Feist and Maggie Kolich light candles to represent each house in their community before sharing a rosary.

t. James Academy here doesn’t have a Student Council.

But its students are active participants in every aspect of the high school.

Nor does it have a Spirit Club — but you’d be hard-pressed to find a school with more school spirit.

The youngest high school in the archdiocese is making its mark by doing away with traditional forms of student government in favor of an innovative program called the House System.

Patterned after Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati, the House System is a community-centered way of organizing students that promotes unity, allows students to take more ownership of school activities and events, and gives every student in the school an opportunity to build leadership skills.

Most important, the House System structure gives students a home base and support group they can rely on to help them navigate the sometimes stressful world of high school.

“And by the grace of God,” said St. James director of community Maureen Engen, “it’s working here!”

The House System is not only working at St. James — it is thriving. And students are thriving right along with it.

When the high school first opened its doors five years ago, the focus was on providing an excellent education in a faithfilled, community atmosphere.

“This is what we’re called to be,” said Debbie Nearmyer, director of faith formation at St. James. “We are to be one. And we knew [that] to be that, we had to build community.”

The groundwork was laid for today’s House System when students in that first class were divided into communities that met twice a week. But, at that time, the school still had a traditional Student Council and Spirit Club.

By the time St. James reached full capacity last year, it had six communities, each named for a saint and containing a mix of students from different grade levels To give students a greater opportunity to become involved through their communities, administrators decided to do away with the traditional council and club structures. (See sidebar on House System below.)

“We took all the events that happen at St. James and divided them up among the communities, to involve more different students than the typical StuCo and give underclassmen a bigger voice within our school,” said Engen.

Houses can be compared to homerooms in that they meet daily (for 10 and 40 minutes on alternate days) and information is disseminated through them.

But that’s as far as the similarities go.

Students are not allowed to study in their houses. It’s a mentoring time and a time to build relationships.

“During those 40-minute days, you’ll see some of them involved in activities or sometimes they have a service project,” said Engen. “They can pray a rosary if they want, they can do adoration on Fridays, they can watch a movie or have cookies — anything they decide on as a group.

“A lot of them will have competitions with other houses or other communities.

Essentially, it is a time for them to be together in a more relaxed setting than the classroom.”

The key ingredient to fostering this non-classroom time, said Engen, is the mentor teacher.

Student connection Nativity parishioner Allison Brancato is a mentor teacher and admits she had concerns at first about how the house time would be spent.

“I almost thought I was going to have to do another lesson plan,” she said.

After a few days in house, however, those fears were put to rest. Students took ownership of their house time and did all the planning.

The House of St. Max claimed the number one position in the St. Gregory Community by winning a game of “Captain’s Calling,” led by the community dean Shane Rapp.

“My responsibility is really to oversee the kids,” she said. “My house captain and my house leaders really do all the hard work.

“If they want to have a competition in the gym, then I’m the one who has to reserve the gym.”

Brancato said that now, when house time comes, it’s like a breath of fresh air in her day.

“I go in there and see these familiar faces and I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m happy to see all of you,’” she said.

St. Patrick, Kansas City, Kan., parishioner Kim Peterson is a senior at St. James and the school’s captain over all communities. Along with her vice-captain Brendan Carney, she serves as liaison between the administration and the communities and as a spokesperson for the school.

Like any St. James student you talk to, Peterson insists her house is the best. And she talks about her housemates as family.

“We get to know our group; we call each other ‘bro’ and ‘sis,’” she said. “If we see each other in the hallways and we don’t say ‘hi,’ we’re going to hear about it when we get back into house.”

The House System has unified students at St. James, diminishing the divisions between class levels and giving everyone a sense of belonging.

“Not everybody is in a sport or not everybody is in a choir,” explained Peterson.

“But everybody is in a house, so they all have that feeling that they belong.”

Sophomore Clint McCullough from Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Wea, was home-schooled through eighth grade and said the House System at St. James helped him adjust to the high school environment.

“It was kind of a slow adjustment, but the people here are great people, and so it was a pretty smooth transition,” he said.

Much of house time, McCullough said, is spent bonding.

“Sometimes that’s through events, but other times it’s just us sitting down in a circle and sharing our hearts with each other,” he said. “So, we do a little bit of both.

“We talk a lot; and a lot of times we get into spiritual discussions. Mr. Wellnitz (the mentor teacher) really helps us deepen our spiritual life.”

Community spirit At the next level, students identify with their community. Houses within a community often engage in friendly competition (called “house wars”) or work together on school events and activities.

Overview of St. James Academy House System The six communities are St. Benedict, St. Padre Pio, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Gregory, St. Gianna Molla, and St. Peter.

Each student is assigned to the same community for his or her entire high school career.

There are approximately 100 students per community.

Each community is assigned one faculty member who acts as dean.

Each community is assigned two seniors (elected by faculty and senior students) to act as community captains.

Each community is divided into five or six houses of approximately 20 students each.

Each house is assigned a mentor teacher.

Students are assigned to the same house for their entire high school career.

Each house is assigned one house captain (a senior student) and three leaders (a junior, sophomore and freshman). These are elected in house.

Each student will have the same dean and mentor teacher throughout high school.

For more information, visit the Web site at: www.sjakeepingfaith.org.

Student lockers are organized by house and community. Students sit in their communities during pep rallies. Each year, new house members are introduced into each community as part of the initiation into St. James.

“This year, all the upperclassmen went down and sat by community [in the gym],” recalled Peterson. “Then we led the freshmen down and, as they were called into their communities, the community was cheering for them.”

Each community is supervised by a dean, whose job is to be supportive of the mentor teachers and students in the leadership positions.

Representing each community are two seniors who are community captains.

They stay in close communication with the dean and function as liaisons to the houses.

“What makes our system so unique is it is very student-driven,” explained Nancy Dorsey, dean of St. Gianna Molla Community. “As a dean, I am responsible for saying, ‘OK, homecoming is coming up. Here are a list of things that need to get done.’

“I delegate those responsibilities to the community captains and say, ‘Your responsibility now is to go out to your houses.’”

Corpus Christi, Lawrence, parishioner Katie Wohletz is a senior at St. James. She is amazed at how many more students get involved in organizing school activities and events now that the House System is in place.

“My first three years we had normal Spirit Club and StuCo,” she said. “What I think is cool about this is that people who never would have gotten involved before are involved now.”

Dorsey was head of the former Spirit Club. She too is amazed at how many more students are stepping up to help out now.

“This program allows for so many more people to get involved,” she said. “And you’re involving people who otherwise never would have had the confidence to stand up and say, ‘I can do that.’ That’s why it is so great.”

Belonging The House System has done wonders to bridge gaps between students who may never have been friends before — sophomores and juniors who might have a lot in common, or seniors who might help a freshman get acclimated to high school.

“There aren’t nameless faces in our high school,” said Nearmyer. “Everybody knows everybody.”

“I don’t even know how to explain it,” Wohletz said. “There aren’t words for it.

I’m best friends with a freshman; I’m going to dinner with a sophomore today.

That never would have happened before.”

Peterson agreed and said she is especially glad that students are placed in houses randomly.

“At first, we wanted our friends in there,” she explained. “But I have classes with my other friends. I have other opportunities to see them.

“Now I’m getting to know this football player who never would have been my friend before — because he was too cool.

And now I’m like his sister.”

From a Catholic faith perspective, Nearmyer believes St. James is on the right track.

“Everything we teach and talk about in the Mass and in our religion classes — we need to live it outside those two places, in our hallways, “ she said.

“This has been a really phenomenal way to make a school of 600-plus kids a little smaller,” she concluded. “Kids here are known to one another and know how to look out for each other.”

10 NATION

THE LEAVEN • february 5, 2010

Some think Scott Brown is pro-life Catholic, but it’s not so WASHINGTON (CNS) — The positive views expressed by some Catholics and pro-life advocates following the election of Republican Scott Brown to the U.S. Senate led many to believe that Brown is a Catholic who takes a 100 percent pro-life stand. Neither is the case. Brown and his family attend New England Chapel in Franklin, Mass., part of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, which has roots in the Protestant Reformation.

And although Brown opposes partial-birth abortion and supports parental notification before a minor can receive an abortion, he believes the decision on abortion “should ultimately be made by the woman in consultation with her doctor,” according to his campaign Web site. “I believe we need to reduce the number of abortions in America,” the Web site adds. “I also believe there are people of good will on both sides of the issue and we ought to work together to support and promote adoption as an alternative to abortion.” In the Jan. 19 special election to fill the Senate seat occupied since 1962 by Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy, Brown defeated Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, a Catholic who supports legal abortion, by a 52 to 47 percent margin.

Catholic school students send money, supplies, toys to Haiti BETHESDA, Md. (CNS) — When thirdgrader Katya Shmorhun heard her father was being deployed to Haiti on a medical mission, she didn’t want him to leave, but also realized it was a great opportunity to help Haitian children who lost everything in the earthquake. She told her father, Capt. Daniel Shmorhun, a pediatric cardiologist, that she wanted to do something.

After some brainstorming, he said he might be able to take a few, small stuffed animals with him on the USNS Comfort, a Navy hospital ship providing humanitarian and disaster relief to Haiti. Katya introduced the idea to her teacher and classmates at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda. The next day they filled the school lobby with new or lightly used stuffed animals. A statement from Stone Ridge said when Shmorhun saw how many stuffed animals were donated, he was “deeply touched.” She said her husband planned to give a stuffed animal to each child he treats. Katya said she wanted to help the Haitian children because “they lost everything in the earthquake. We can give a little bit to them so they’ll be happy,” she told the Catholic Standard, Washington’s archdiocesan newspaper.

THE LEAVEN • february 5, 2010

Trafficking expected to be issue at Olympics

U.S. bishops call for long-term Haiti strategy WASHINGTON (CNS) — The United States needs “a long-term coherent strategy for recovery, development and poverty reduction in Haiti,” said the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace in a Jan. 26 letter to officials in the Obama administration.

Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of Albany, N.Y., said the strategy for rebuilding Haiti after the devastation of the Jan. 12 earthquake should combine efforts of U.S. government agencies with groups that have expertise and experience with Haiti.

He sent the letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Ambassador Ron Kirk, U.S. trade representative.

Key elements in rebuilding Haiti, he said, include: debt relief and an expansion of trade; an extension of temporary protected status that has been granted to Haitians living in the United States; and sustained reconstruction and development assistance.

He thanked President Barack Obama for his quick response to the disaster by sending relief and the assistance of government agencies and also for listening to an appeal made by the bishops and many others that the U.S. grant Haitians in the U.S. temporary protected status.

But Bishop Hubbard said it was “highly unlikely” that the 18-month duration of the special status “will afford sufficient time for Haiti to be rebuilt in ways that make it safe for Haitians to return to their country and find employment.”

He also noted that the church has responded to the crisis through the work of Catholic Relief Services, its overseas relief and development agency, and special collections by parishes in most U.S. dioceses the weekend after the earthquake.

But the bishop noted that much more needs to be done.

He quoted a Haitian bishop who said: “At the moment it’s all about the emergency, but one day the questions will be about reconstruction.”

By Deborah Gyapong Catholic News Service

CNS photo/L’O sservatore Romano via Reuters CNS photo/Paul Haring

VILLANOVA PROFESSOR CHECKS CAMERA — Villanova University Professor Paul Wilson checks focus and exposure on a 21-megapixel digital camera while photographing a 360-degree virtual reality tour of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Jan. 27. The camera operates on a electronically guided rig that tilts it up and down in 180-degree arcs and rotates it 360 degrees to capture hundreds of images that will be stitched together.

Archbishop Hannan pulling for Saints to march in NEW ORLEANS (CNS) — Retired Archbishop Philip M. Hannan of New Orleans said “it would be tremendous” if his city’s team, the Saints, beat the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV Feb. 7 in Miami.

“As a matter of fact, if it happens, the downtown parish of the city will simply explode,” he told the Clarion Herald, newspaper of the New Orleans Archdiocese.

Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond, current head of the archdiocese, and Indianapolis Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein placed a friendly wager on the game.

“If we win, he owes me some southern Indiana pork chops, and if they win, I owe him some gumbo,” Archbishop Aymond said. “It should be fun.”

But it was Archbishop Hannan, now 96, who was there at the beginning, when the Saints and their fans were “newly minted,” as editor Peter Finney Jr. of the Clarion Herald recounted in his column for the Feb. 6 issue of the newspaper.

The archbishop, who headed the archdiocese from 1965-88, even helped name the Saints. According to Finney, the archbishop reassured thenGov. John McKeithen “that he did not

consider the nickname sacrilegious.

‘But I have to tell you,’ he told McKeithen, ‘from the viewpoint of the church, most of the saints were martyrs.’”

Archbishop Hannan was invited to offer the invocation before the kickoff of the Saints’ first game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 7, 1967, “in front of 80,000 newly minted Saints fans at sold-out Tulane Stadium.”

“Flash forward 43 years — 40 years of wandering in the football desert plus three. Archbishop Hannan is 96, and he is still marching, one foot in front of the other, and he is inspiring all true believers with the way he has rebounded from a recent stroke,” Finney wrote.

The archbishop was scheduled to fly to Washington to spend time with his brother, Denis, 93, who is gravely ill, then return to New Orleans and fly to Miami on team owner Tom Benson’s plane to watch “the unfolding of a long-awaited vision”: the Saints in the Super Bowl.”

“As a matter of fact, Tom Benson has been praying for this every day,” Archbishop Hannan said. “I’d say we have a big opportunity. I tell everyone, in fact, that we are going to win. This would be good not only for the Saints but for all the people who support them.”

DOVE RELEASED BY POPE RETURNS TO APARTMENT — Pope Benedict XVI and a child look on as one of two doves they released returns to his apartment at the end of the Angelus prayer Jan. 31 at the Vatican. The release of the doves coincided with worldwide prayers for peace in the Holy Land.

Vatican making final review of new English liturgical texts

By Cindy Wooden

Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments is pulling together the final version of the English translation of the complete Roman Missal, the book of prayers used at Mass.

The Vox Clara Committee, an international group of bishops established to advise the congregation about the translation of the Roman Missal into English, met in Rome Jan. 26-29.

A statement released at the end of the meeting said members “reviewed various reports on the steps being taken for editing, coordination of manuscripts and reviews for internal consistency of the English-language translation” of the Roman Missal.

Marist Father Anthony Ward, an official of the congregation for worship, said that because bishops’ conferences approved the Roman Missal in sections over a period of years, a final review and minor edits were needed to ensure consistency. For instance, he said, the same Latin prayer may be used in two different Masses and may have been translated slightly differently during the bishops’ approval process.

The Vox Clara statement said committee members reviewed the last two sections of the Roman Missal translation to be approved by bishops’ conferences in English-speaking countries: The proper of saints, a collection of specific prayers related to each saint in the universal liturgical calendar; and the common of saints, general prayers for celebrating saints listed in the “Roman Martyrology,” but not in the universal calendar.

Spanish Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, prefect of the congregation, met with the committee and “expressed his hope that the coming confirmation of the Roman Missal would prove to be of great pastoral advantage to the church in the English-speaking world,” the Vox Clara statement said.

Most English-speaking bishops’ conferences are preparing materials to introduce and explain the new translation with the hope people will begin using it in parishes at the beginning of Advent 2011.

Father Ward said the congregation would finish its work long before that, although he could not give a precise date for when the Vatican will approve the entire Roman Missal in English.

OTTAWA (CNS) — Members of the Canadian bishops’ justice and peace commission have called for prayers for victims of human trafficking, noting that they expect it to be a problem at the Feb. 12-28 Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia.

A pastoral letter issued Jan. 26 said major sporting events often see “systems put in place to satisfy the demand for paid sex.”

“As pastors of the Catholic Church in Canada, we denounce human trafficking in all its forms, whether it is intended for forced labor (domestic, farm or factory work) or for sexual exploitation (whether it be prostitution, pornography, forced marriages, strip clubs, or other),” the bishops wrote. “We invite the faithful to become aware of this violation of human rights and the trivialization of concerns about prostitution.”

The bishops urged Catholics to become aware of human trafficking, so “we can share in the suffering of the victims and change the behaviors and mentalities that foster institutionalized violence in this new form of slavery.”

Prostitution is illegal in Canada.

However, the bishops said, trafficking does occur, and “we need to recognize it, talk about it with others, and take action in our communities to stop it.”

Pointing out that the demand for sexual services fuels human trafficking, the bishops asked how a majorityChristian country like Canada could tolerate this form of “institutionalized violence that destroys the physical, psychological and spiritual integrity of other human beings.”

The scale of human trafficking is “alarming,” they wrote, citing International Labor Organization estimates of 2.4 million victims of trafficking, including 1.3 million caught up in sexual exploitation, worldwide.

world 11

Archaeologist: Find shows Turin shroud not from Jesus’ time JERUSALEM (CNS) — Results from studies on the remains of a first-century shroud discovered on the edge of the Old City of Jerusalem prove that the famous Shroud of Turin could not have originated from Jerusalem of Jesus’ time, said a prominent archaeologist. The first-century shroud was discovered in a tomb in the Hinnom Valley in 2000, but the results of tests run on the shroud and other artifacts found with it were only completed in December 2009.

“This is the first shroud from Jesus’ time found in Jerusalem and the first shroud found in a type of burial cave similar to that which Jesus would have been buried in and [because of this] it is the first shroud which can be compared to the Turin shroud,” said British-born archaeologist Shimon Gibson, basing his conclusion on the full study results, which are scheduled to be published in a scholarly volume within the next year.

There are two clear differences between the current shroud fragments and the Shroud of Turin. While the Shroud of Turin is formed from one full piece of cloth, studies on the fragments of the shroud discovered in Jerusalem show that two burial cloths were used for the burial — one made of linen, used to wrap the head, and another made of wool, which wrapped the body — in keeping with Jewish tradition of the time, Gibson said. In addition, Gibson said, unlike the complex twill weave of the Shroud of Turin that, according to archaeological finds, was unknown in this area during Jesus’ time, the discovered shroud fragments have a simple two-way weave.

Haitians in camp give thanks, place future in God’s hands PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CNS) — With words of praise to God in a melodic song that carried over the din of thousands of people, Dolce Rochelle let it be known to anyone who cared that no matter the challenge, she was doing just fine. One of an estimated 50,000 people living in makeshift shelters of sheets, blankets and plastic tarps on what was once a golf course at the Petionville Club, Rochelle passes her days singing and selling goods for a friend out of her tent. In a world where the future remains uncertain, Rochelle and many others camped out at the Petionville Club expressed a great deal of hope that God will help them survive. The U.S. bishops’ Catholic Relief Services has worked with the United Nations and the U.S. military to turn the informal gathering of people into a formal camp. A two-week supply of food was delivered recently, and 40,000 shelter kits were scheduled to be delivered the week of Feb. 1.

Villa St. Francis

16600 W. 126th Street • Olathe, Kansas 66062 Phone: (913) 829-5201 Fax: (913) 829-5399 Daily Mass in the Chapel at 10 a.m.

• Medicare and Kansas Medicaid certified • 24 - hour nursing care • Dementia/Alzheimer’s unit • Physical, occupational and speech therapist on staff/ Rapid recovery • Nutritious Home cooked meals • Private and Semi Private rooms • Beauty and Barber Shop • 24 hour snacks Affiliated with the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas Donna Mathena-Menke, Troy Kreutzer and Larry Barrett

Larry and I would like to welcome Troy Kreutzer to the professional staff at Brennan-Mathena Funeral Home.

We have over 90 years of combined experience providing us the expertise to meet all your family needs.

M-F 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Summer Months: Sat. 10 a.m to 3 p.m.

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12 CLASSIFIEDS Employment Wanted - Retired handyman looking for parttime work. Electrical, mechanical, and electronics background helpful. Call Jenny at (913) 383-2636.

Part-time bowling machine mechanic - St. John’s Catholic Club, Kansas City, Kan., is looking for someone to maintain a six-lane house in the church’s men’s club. All late-model 1960s Brunswick equipment. Call Kenny at (913) 788-9758.

Principal - Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Raytown, Mo., seeks an enthusiastic and visionary Catholic school principal to guide our Pre-K - 8th grade program. Our Lady of Lourdes School was established in 1951 and currently enrolls 137 students. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong and faithful Catholic administrative background. The qualities for this position require the candidate to demonstrate a strong ability to communicate well with staff, students, and parents; possess marketing and recruitment skills; and display a collaborative leadership style to lead others in the mission of the church. The qualified candidate must be an active practicing Catholic in good standing with the church; with a minimum of 3 years teaching experience; a master’s degree in education, administration or a related field; and an administrative certificate from the state of Missouri, or the ability to obtain one. For information or application materials, contact the Catholic Schools Office at (816) 756-1858, ext. 274, or visit the Web site at: http://jobs. diocese-kcsj.org/jobs/.

Rockhurst High School - A Jesuit college preparatory school in Kansas City, Mo., is seeking to fill two full-time teaching positions for: chemistry and/ or chemistry/biology and English for the 2010 - 2011 school year. For an application, visit the Web site at: www.rockhursths.edu. Interested applicants should submit their application, resume, and credentials to: Mr. Larry Ruby, Principal, 9301 State Line Rd., Kansas City, MO 64114. Rockhurst is an EEOE. Director of liturgy and worship - St. Charles Borromeo Parish and School, a faith family of 1600plus families, desires a team-building, baptismal-call inviter as director of liturgy and worship (DLW) for overall responsibility of coordinating and implementing the liturgical experiences of our parish and school. Our DLW will invite, train and facilitate/supervise the roles of the various liturgical ministries; extend leadership and direction to all church choirs, cantors and instrumentalists; and assist engaged couples in planning the marriage liturgy and grieving families for funeral liturgies. Keyboardists preferred.

Start date negotiable. Salary commensurate with experience and diocesan scale. Mail resume to: Director of Liturgy and Worship, attn. Father Ken Riley, St. Charles Borromeo Parish, 900 N.E. Shady Lane Dr., Kansas City, MO 64118.

St. Joseph Early Education Center - Has a position open for a full-time toddler teacher and a full-time infant teacher. Qualified applicants must be at least 18 years old and meet lead teacher qualifications for the state of Kansas. Interested candidates may call (913) 631-0004 for application instructions, or send your resume, via e-mail, to: nwacker@arch kckcs.org.

Part-time overnight sleep staff positions - New Alliance Services, Inc., is seeking to fill two positions: One will work 2 nights/wk.; the other will work 3 nights/wk. to care for three female mentally retarded and developmentally disabled clients in their Overland Park home. Choice of evenings, Sun. - Thurs. from 6 p.m. - 7 a.m. Great opportunity for a college student or if you’re looking to supplement your income. Call Amy at (913) 221-9158.

Financial representative - Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding financial representatives in the Kansas City and Emporia areas. This position is ideal for a determined, high-energy, high-expectation, professional, self-disciplined, independent individual desiring to serve others, yet earn a better-than-average income.

We provide top-rated financial products to our members and their families and will provide excellent benefits and training. For more information or an interview, contact John A. Mahon, 307 Dakota, Holton KS 66436; or call (785) 364-5450.

Services Counseling - Confidential and affordable individual, marriage and family counseling and outpatient substance abuse treatment. JB Strong, MA, LCPC, AAPS (913) 722-1118.

THE LEAVEN • FEBRUARY 5, 2009 Mamuric Studios - Is accepting students for tutoring for 2010. Tutor is currently working on her MEd. at Rockhurst University and has experience with students in the K - 12 grades as well as college level. Tutor also specializes in test preps, study skills, French, Spanish, and music. Sessions are customized to fit the student’s needs and are fun and meaningful in context. For information, send an e-mail to: Klmamuric@yahoo.com or call (913) 206-2151.

Tree service - Pruning ornamental trees for optimal growth and beauty and removal of hazardous limbs or problem trees. Free consultation and bid. Safe, insured, professional. Brad Grabs, Green Solutions of KC, (913) 244-5838. www.GreenSolutionsKC.com.

Machine quilting - by Jenell Noeth, Basehor.

Also, quilts made to order. Call (913) 724-1837.

Housecleaning - I will clean your house the old fashioned way – hand mopping, etc. 20+ years exp., excellent references, free estimates. Call Sharon at (816) 322-0006.

Husband and wife cleaning team - Reasonable rates; references provided. Call (913) 940-2959.

Bankruptcy - When debt becomes overwhelming, seek professional help. Experienced, compassionate Catholic attorney Teresa Kidd. For a confidential, no obligation consultation, call (913) 422-0610; or send an e-mail to: tkidd@kc.rr.com.

Retired nurse - Will provide child or elder care, do housecleaning, run errands, and provide transportation to/from appts. Reasonable rates, excellent references. Years of experience with seniors. Call Pam at (913) 579-5276.

Home-care services - We provide care management, medication administration, transportation, companionship, shopping and other needs to the elderly and disabled at home. Reasonable rates.

Full time and part time. Days/night/weekends. Call Pamerick Home Health and speak with Mimi at (913) 488-5993.

Have you considered starting a donor-advised fund or family foundation? The Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas can help. We assist people with giving plans from trusts to gift annuities. If you are trying to stretch your philanthropy dollars further, contact the Catholic Foundation for ideas and guidance. For a confidential meeting, call (913) 647-0365 or visit the Web site at: www.cfnek. org.

Do you or your parents need help at home?

- For as little as $60 per week, Benefits of HomeSenior Care can provide assistance with personal care, shopping and many other daily needs. For details, visit our Web site at: benefitsofhome.com or call (913) 422-1591.

Caregiving - Mature lady experienced with elderly care will care for your loved one in their home.

Good references, reliable transportation, well qualified. Available any time. Honest and dependable.

Leawood, OP and Prairie Village areas. Call Flora at (816) 322-9956, mobile, or (816) 921-8223, home.

Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management, and transportation to the elderly and disabled in home, assisted living and 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, Sara or Gary.

Computer repair / virus and spyware removal / PC upgrades - Microsoft certified; 10 yrs. experience. Member of Sacred Heart Parish. Call Matt at (816) 876-6619 or send an e-mail to: matt computerfix@gmail.com.

Home Improvement Interior and exterior painting and wallpaper removal - 30-plus years experience. Quality work; excellent references; reasonable rates. Senior discount. Member of St. Ann Parish, Prairie Village. Call Joe at (913) 620-5776.

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 Parish, Shawnee.

Electrician - Free estimates; reasonable rates.

JoCo and southern KC metro area. Call Pat at (913) 963-9896.

THE LEAVEN • FEBRUARY 5, 2010 Woodbright - A very affordable alternative to refinishing, refacing or replacing stained cabinets and woodwork. The average kitchen only costs $500. 18 years experience. Call Woodbright at (913) 940-3020.

Tile and painting - Complete tile and paint repairs and renovation. Ceramic, porcelain, certified limestone tile master. Complete interior paint services and drywall texture finishes. Over 20 years experience. Fully licensed. Service 7 days a week.

Contact Mike at (913) 488-4930. Member of Church of the Ascension Parish, Overland Park.

Painting, exterior and interior, drywall projects, powerwashing, rotted window sills repaired - Quality products. 20 years experience. References. Call (913) 341-7584.

Swalms Organizing Service - Basements, garages, attics, and shop spaces organized! Items sorted, boxed & labeled; areas cleaned when finished! Clean out services also available. Great references and insured. For pictures of current projects, visit the Web site at: www.swalms.com. Call Tillar Swalm at (913) 375-9115.

STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Call for free estimates.

Cell: (913) 579-1835; phone: (913) 491-5837; e-mail: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity Church, Lenexa.

Brown’s Carpet - Installation and repair carpeting; vinyl and wood installation. Free estimates. 10 years experience. Serving the KC metro area. Call (913) 231-4961.

EL SOL Y LA TIERRA *Commercial & residential * Lawn renovation * Mowing * Clean-up and hauling * Dirt grading/installation * Landscape design * Free estimates Hablamos y escribimos Ingles!!

Call Lupe at (816) 252-3376 Tim the Handyman - Insured; free estimates.

Carpentry: new and repair deck, doors, windows, siding, screens. Plumbing: faucet, garbage disposals, toilets. Electrical: switches, outlets, ceiling fans, light fixtures. Light landscape: fill dirt, trimming, planting, garden tilling and mulching. Serving Johnson County.

Call Tim at (913) 859-0471.

For Rent Living at its best on a budget! - 1 BR apt., with rent based on income; all utilities paid; no voucher needed. Section 8 assistance. Great location, only 5-10 minutes from The Legends in Kansas City, Kan. Edwardsville Court Apartments Highrise, 531 S. 4th St., Edwardsville. Call (913) 441-6007. EHO. Handicap accessible.

For rent (option to purchase) - 3 BR, 2-1/2 BA, master BR with BA. Home includes laundry room with w/d, dishwasher, stove, new microwave, new refrigerator, one-car attached garage, sheltered porch, fireplace, and additional storage space. The complex features a pool, playground area, and picnic area.

Great location, just off of 119th St. Near major hwys. and shopping. Rent and HOA dues $1200/mo.; utilities not included. Call (785) 840-7233.

Vacation Ski cabin in Winter Park, Colo. – 2 BR, 1 BA, on free ski shuttle route. $110/night. Call (913) 6423027. To view pictures, visit the Web site at: cabin. forcadeassociates.com.

Ski vacation - Winter Park, Colo. 2 BR, 1 BA, sleeps 6. Fully furnished, fireplace, rec. center with pool & hot tub. $125/night; $750/week. Call Joe Frederick at (913) 385-5589.

Real Estate Land for sale in Archie, Mo. - 47 beautiful, wooded acres. Two ponds alongside the Grand River.

Call (913) 631-5644.

Westwood home for sale - Charming Tudor on cul-de-sac. 3 BR, with updated kitchen and bath.

Close to St. Agnes Parish and School and Our Lady of the Angels Parish. 4733 Booth, Westwood. $185,000!

For information, call (816) 456-5330 or visit the Keller Williams Web site at: www.kw.com.

Walk to St. Thomas Aquinas High School Gorgeous 5 BR, 3-1/2 BA, two-story family home with fabulous in-ground pool and a 24 x 16 cedar deck.

Perfect for entertaining! Plus a professionally finished lower-level with a second family room, bedroom and full bath. Call Rosemary Maher, Master’s GMAC, at (913) 661-9744.

Lake Perry lots for sale - Call Marisa at Kansas Land Brokers at (913) 915-9151 or visit the Web site at: www.KansasLandBrokers.com.

Nativity Parish villa-like home - Live the villa lifestyle in this great, single-family home! This 3 BR, 3-1/2 BA house has large living areas and is the newest home in Waterford. Custom-built in 1996 for the current owners, it is directly across from the poolhouse. 13200 Howe Dr. (132nd & Mission Rd.), Leawood. To view online, visit: www.awesomehouse. info. Call Chris Smart, Re/Max Premier Realty, at (913) 226-4672.

For sale Are you interested in healthier and safer products for your family, as well as helping the environment and saving money? Consider switching stores. Contact Lori at (913) 645-9420 or send an e-mail to her at: lannmc@live.com. Member of St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.

Yardware business for sale - St. Elizabeth and St. Monica couple selling assets of yardware business.

Funds go to church remodeling project. Selling $4K in cement molds for $1500. Entire assets for $2500. For details, contact Mike at (785) 556-0210 or send an email to: mtmini@sbcglobal.net.

Residential lifts - Buy/sell/trade. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. Recycled and new equipment. Member of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Leawood. Call Silver Cross KC at (913) 393-2042.

Wanted to buy ***WANTED*** I buy coins, older watches, silverware, slot machines, old rifles and shotguns, stoneware crocks and jugs, old furniture from basement or attic.

Call Chris at (913) 593-7507 or (913) 642-8269 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.

Miscellaneous Want a healthy and good lifestyle? Come join us for a very exciting adventure. For information, call (913) 342-4027.

Freedom from pornography - Men’s group and counseling; call Sam Meier, MA, LPC, at (913) 6470378. Women’s group; call Beth Meier, MA, at (913) 647-0379. Visit the Web site at: LoveIsFaithful.com.

Entertainment Disc jockey - For your wedding, kolos, nightclubs, corporate parties, teenage celebrations, holiday parties, sock-hops, ethnic, birthdays, holiday parties, hiphop/rap, golden oldies. Member of St. Therese Parish, KCMO. Call Zepster’s A to Z Party DJ’s at (816) 741-4777.

DJ Irishman - Colm Delahunt is available for parties, weddings, graduations, and any other function.

Playing all your favorite hits from the Village People to U2. Call (913)548-6765 or visit the Web site at: www.djirishman.com.

To purchase a classified ad: Send an e-mail to: jennifer@theleaven. com, or call (913) 647-0327. The cost is $16 per column inch, five lines or less. Each additional line is $1.50. Classified ads will also be posted online at The Leaven’s Web site: www.theleaven.com.

6

Feb.

The Militia of Immaculata will meet from 10:30 a.m. - noon on Feb. 6 and on every first Saturday of the month at the Redemptorist Social Service Center, 207 W. Linwood, Kansas City, Mo. For information, call Christine Rossi at (913) 268-0208.

The Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women (ACCW) will hold its quarterly meeting at 9 a.m. and annual retreat from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Feb. 6 in O’Connor Hall at Most Pure Heart of Mary, 1800 S.W. Stone, Topeka. All women of the archdiocese are invited to attend. For information, contact Susan Draftz at (913) 367-2227 or send an e-mail to her at: sdraftz@prolifeamerica.com.

Couples who are passionate about enriching marriages in northeast Kansas are invited to join the area leaders of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter in a day of prayer and planning on Feb. 6 at St. Francis de Sales Parish hall, 900 Ida St., Lansing.

The day will begin with the noon prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, followed by lunch (bring your own) and the planning session.

The Mothers of Young Children of Curé of Ars Parish, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood, will host their annual Valentine Family Fest from 3 - 5 p.m. on Feb. 6 in the school cafeteria. There will be refreshments, crafts, games and a concert by kid-friendly Mr. Stinky Feet!

Tickets cost $5 per person; $20 per family.

Donations of diapers, wipes and formula for the children of St. Benedict’s Children’s Center will be collected.

The eighth-grade class of Holy Name School, 1007 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, Kan., will host a taco dinner from 4:30 - 7 p.m. on Feb. 6 in the cafeteria. The cost is $6 for adults; $3 for children ages 10 and under.

Proceeds will benefit the graduation fund.

6-7

Father Victor Warkulwiz will speak on the benefits and necessity of perpetual adoration at all Masses in the Atchison parishes during the weekend of Feb. 6 - 7. For information, contact Sherry Lange at (913) 367-1858 or Darlene DuLac at (913) 367-6177.

6&9

“How to Buy and Sell A Home,” a free, first-time home buyer seminar for Spanish-speaking individuals, will be presented by Ivelisse Arias, sales associate with Reece and Nichols, and Mateo Wilson, mortgage consultant with Plaza Mortgage, from 10 - 11 a.m. on Feb. 6 and from 6 - 7 p.m. on Feb. 9 at the Reece and Nichols office, 2140 E. Santa Fe, Olathe. To RSVP, call (913) 530-8675.

7

St. Mary Church, Hartford, will host its annual beef and noodle dinner from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 7 in the multipurpose room at the Neosho Rapids grade school. The cost is $7 for adults; $4 for children under 10 years old. There will also be a raffle for several door prizes.

A spaghetti dinner to benefit the Sisters, Servants of Mary, a group of women religious with a nursing ministry, will be held from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Feb. 7 at St. Patrick Parish center, 94th and State Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The cost is $8 for adults; $3 for children. There will also be a variety booth.

Tickets may be purchased in advance or at the door. For information, call (913) 371-3423.

Holy Spirit School, 11300 W. 103rd St., Overland Park, will hold an open house from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Feb. 7. All prospective students, families, and community residents

are invited. Faculty and staff will be available to discuss the curriculum and answer enrollment questions. Holy Spirit serves students in pre-K – 8th grade. For information, call (913) 492-2582 or visit the Web site at: www. hsschool.net.

St. Mary Church, St. Benedict, will host its annual soup lunch from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Feb. 7. The menu will include chili, chicken noodle and vegetable beef soups, relishes and pies. A freewill offering will be collected.

8

The Knights of Columbus of St. Ann Parish, 7241 Mission Rd., Prairie Village, will host a blood drive from 1:30 - 7 p.m. on Feb. 8 in the parish hall. To make an appointment, call the Community Blood Center at (816) 898-5967 or visit the Web site at: www. savealifenow.org. Use “stanncatholic” as the sponsor code.

10

“Business Etiquette: The You You Present to Others,” a workshop to help women sharpen their professional skills and self-confidence, will be presented from 2 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For information or to register, call (913) 9068990 or visit the Web site at: www.mountosb. org/kwc.

The Topeka Catholic Singles Group will meet for dinner at 6 p.m. on Feb. 10 at LongHorn Steakhouse, 1915 S.W. Wanamaker Rd., Topeka. For information, call Bev at (785) 273-5510.

“Discipline Help for Parents,” a four-part parenting program, will be offered from 9:30 - 11 a.m. on Wednesdays, beginning Feb. 10, at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the Web site at: www.mountosb.org/kwc.

11

Holy Family Church on Strawberry Hill will host a Valentine’s prime rib dinner and dance on Feb. 13 at Mejak Hall, 513 Ohio, Kansas City, Kan., featuring the Don Lipovac Orchestra. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; dinner will be served at 6:15 p.m., followed by dancing from 7 - 11 p.m. Tickets cost $25. To purchase tickets in advance, call Richard at (913) 6693677, Matt at (913) 302-1888 or Mike at (913) 342-1785.

14

Sanctuary of Hope, 2601 Ridge, Kansas City, Kan., will host “Gifts of the Heart,” its annual meditation in music and movement concert, featuring The Ebony Chorale, Grace & Holy Trinity Episcopal choir, Pat Hernandez, Potter’s Clay Dance Ensemble and others, from 2 - 4 p.m. on Feb. 14. Freewill donations will be accepted. For information, call (913) 321-4673 or visit the Web site at: www.sanctuaryofhope.org.

The Daughters of Isabella, Little Flower Circle No. 503, will celebrate their 80th birthday at 1 p.m. on Feb. 14 at Sacred Heart Church hall, 312 N.E. Freeman, Topeka. Reservations are appreciated.

The Knights of Columbus and the St. Francis Auxiliary will cosponsor a Valentine’s Day pancake breakfast from 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Feb. 14 in the basement of Prince of Peace Parish, 16000 W. 143rd St., Olathe.

Freewill donations will be accepted. All proceeds will benefit Villa St. Francis.

15

The University of Saint Mary will host its annual Lincoln Lecture, featuring New York Times best-selling author and Lincoln scholar Ronald C. White Jr., at 7 p.m. on Feb. 15 in Xavier Theater, 4100 S. 4th St., Leavenworth. White will speak on “Abraham Lincoln’s Journey of Faith.” This event is open to the public and admission is free. For information, call (913) 758-6165.

18

The Holy Women series for February will feature a presentation on the life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux from 1 - 3 p.m. on Feb. 11 at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the Web site at: www.mountosb.org/kwc.

A healing Mass, sponsored by archdiocesan charismatic prayer groups, will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 18 at Curé of Ars Church, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. Father Ken Kelly will preside; fellowship follows. For information, call (913) 649-2026.

The Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica will sponsor “A Time of Prayer for Peace and Non-Violence” at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 11 at Guardian Angels Parish, 1310 Westport Rd., Kansas City, Mo. For information, contact Sister Gabrielle Kocour, OSB, at (913) 360-6200.

Divorced? Widowed? Beginning Experience Weekend gently helps people move through their loss to a new beginning in their lives. The next weekend for the Kansas City area will be Feb. 19 - 21 at Sanctuary of Hope, 2601 Ridge, Kansas City, Kan. For information or to register, call John at (913) 219-3465 in Kansas City, Sue at (785) 331-2216 in Lawrence, Michelle at (785) 4783481 in Topeka, or visit the Web site at: www. beginningexperience.org.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 10552 of Shawnee, will host their annual chili bowl supper from 5 - 7 p.m. on Feb. 11 in the Knights of Columbus Hall, 11221 Johnson Dr. The cost is $6 for adults; $3 for children.

13

St. Francis de Sales Parish, 900 Ida St., Lansing, will host a Mardi Gras dinner dance from 6:30 - 11 p.m. on Feb. 13 in the parish hall. Dinner will be catered by Cedar Ridge; live music will be provided by Don Spain and band. Tickets cost $50 ($35 is a tax-deductible donation). Free babysitting is provided with reservation. For information or tickets, call the parish office, by Feb. 5, at (913) 727-3742.

The Curé of Ars Singles Group will host a Mardi Gras dance from 7:30 - 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 13 in the school cafeteria, located at 9403 Mission Rd., Leawood. The cost of $15 includes beverages and heavy hors d’oeuvres; music will be provided by Carl the DJ. For information, call (913) 648-2919.

The women of Holy Name Parish, 1007 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, Kan., will sponsor the Ragin’ Sweet and Spicy Fest from 6:30 - 9 p.m. on Feb. 13. This chili, soup and dessert cook-off will take place in the cafeteria. The cost is $8 per person. For information or to register to compete, call Sharon Staab at (913) 631-1138.

19-21

20

The Ignatian Spirituality Center of Kansas City will offer a Lenten guided prayer program beginning Feb. 20. Participants pray daily with selected Scripture, then meet weekly with a prayer guide to review the prayer. Space is limited; application deadline is Feb. 8. The cost is $20; scholarships are available. For information, call (816) 523-5115, ext. 214; visit the Web site at: www. ignatiancenterkc.org; or send an e-mail to: jblumeyer@sfx-kc.org.

23-24

A centering prayer retreat, conducted by Sister Micaela Randolph, OSB, will be offered at the Sophia Center from 10 a.m. on Feb. 23 to 2 p.m. on Feb. 24.

Centering prayer is a method of silent prayer which prepares us to receive God’s gift of contemplative prayer. It is a prayer of trust and surrender that involves place, posture, word and silence. For information or to register, call (913) 360-6151 or visit the Web site at: www.mountosb.org/sophia.html.

26-28

Stress in Your Marriage?

Retrouvaille is a program for married couples that feel bored, disillusioned, frustrated,

CALENDAR 13 or angry in their marriage. Some couples experience coldness, while others experience conflict in their relationship. Most don’t know how to change the situation or even communicate with their spouse about it. Retrouvaille can help! For confidential information to register for the upcoming program beginning with a weekend on Feb. 26 - 28, call 1 (800) 470-2230 or visit the Web site at: www. retrouvaille.org.

27-28

Father Mitchel Zimmerman, vocation director for the archdiocese, will lead a vocation retreat, entitled “Venite et Videte,” for high school-age men on Feb. 27-28 at Savior Pastoral Center, 12601 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kan. The retreat will include prayer, discussion and recreation time. The cost of $25 includes lodging and meals. For information or to register, visit the Web site at: kckvocations.com.

Misc.

The Piece Time Quilters of St. Paul Church in Olathe are hosting a fundraising raffle for their “Hearts of Kansas,” a handquilted queen-size quilt, pillow shams and throw pillows. This beautiful quilt set will be on display in the parish hall at the celebration potluck dinner following the 5:30 p.m. Mass on Feb. 12 and throughout the months of February and March at Quilter’s Haven Quilt Shop in Olathe. Raffle tickets cost $1 each; six for $5. For information or to purchase tickets, call Marge at (913) 782-4811 or Judy at (913) 254-9975. The raffle will be held on Nov. 8.

A Holy Land pilgrimage in the footsteps of Jesus, is planned for June 1 - 14. Spiritual director Father Jorge Ramirez will lead participants on a tour through Bethlehem, Nazareth, Cana, Mount Tabor and Cairo in celebration of the great mysteries of Jesus’ life. The cost is $3295 per person/double occupancy; $445 single supplement. The Cairo extension costs $795 per person/double occupancy.

Space is limited. A reservation and $400 deposit are due by Feb. 15. For information, call Pilar at (913) 341-7779.

The Apostles of the Interior Life, along with spiritual director Father Steve Sotiroff, will host a spiritual pilgrimage to Italy from June 11 - 21. Cities to be visited include: Rome, Orvieto, Assisi, Siena, Florence, and Loreto. The cost of $2799 (double occupancy) includes airfare, hotels, daily breakfast and dinner, and sightseeing tours. Optional trip insurance is available for $185. Registration and deposit is due by March 1. For information or to book a reservation, contact Adriatic Pilgrimages at 1 (800) 262-1718 or visit the Web site at: www.adriatrictours.com.

There are 14 men in the My House men’s groups that have broken free from pornography for over one year! Also, the My House women’s group is available for wives and loved ones who are healing from the effects of their loved one’s struggles. For more information, visit the Web site at: LoveIsFaithful.com.

The Serra Club invites all men of the archdiocese to pray with them to increase vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Meetings are held at noon on every second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For information, contact Jim Conrad at (913) 432-4162, John Muehlberger at (913) 441-5061, or Bill Peters at (913) 8946967.

Calendar items must be received nine days before the publication date.

E-mail submissions are preferred; send to: jennifer@theleaven.com.

Submissions may be mailed to: 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109.

14 COMMENTARY

THE LEAVEN • february 5, 2010

THE LEAVEN • February 5, 2010

Mark my words

Catholic Press Association Award Winner 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

Archbishop Edward O’Meara Award Winner 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003

Quote Week

of the

“Not everybody is in a sport or not everybody is in a choir. But everybody is in a house, so they all have that feeling that they belong.”

Kim Peterson, a senior at St. James Academy See story on pages 8-9

T

Beware the devil in the details

he devil’s in the details.

This well-known phrase has been one of my guiding principles. Generally speaking, it’s not a bad way to go through life. The phrase means that if something is worth doing, then it’s worth doing well. It calls me to focus, to be thorough, to pay attention, to follow through. Being detail-oriented is certainly something that has served me well as an editor.

As we celebrate another Catholic Press Month, I like to remind readers of what goes on behind the scenes here at The Leaven before you see something in print. Obviously, first and foremost, articles are written (and sometimes rewritten . . . many times). Then they are edited by another set of hands. In the stories accompanied by photos, those pictures are selected and cropped, and captions are written (and sometimes rewritten . . . many times). Then headlines are written (and often rewritten . . . many times). Eventually, everything makes its way to my eyes.

Like an eagle searching for prey, I hunt down awkward phrasing, sloppy punctuation, inconsistent capitalizations, and glaring misspellings. My middle name is “fact-checker.” I verify the proper titles of books and committees, check the accuracy of Web site addresses, double check all Scripture and church document references, and add extra explanatory information when needed. (I suspect that a whole section of my brain has been taken over by the Catholic News Service and Associated Press stylebooks.)

Now, those editorial tweaks of mine

are not bad things at all. They bring a consistency to what you see in The Leaven each week. But, there is definitely a downside to being so detail-oriented, and perhaps that’s why it’s said that the devil can be found there.

You see, if you happen to come by the Leaven office on a Tuesday, our deadline day, you might see — or hear — the “devil” residing in the editor’s office. Focusing so intently on the details can make me “somewhat” nit-picky, demanding, impatient, cantankerous, rude, judgmental . . . well, you get the picture.

It takes real wisdom to tread the fine line between “looking over” and “overlooking” something. I’m still learning.

While St. Paul didn’t specifically have those of us in the Catholic press in mind when he wrote that passage on love that we heard as the second reading last weekend, what he said sure does fit us. It’s hard, especially when on the receiving end of criticism, not to be quick-tempered or to brood over injury.

It can take effort to neither seek one’s own interests nor be pompous at times.

Perhaps only wisdom can guide us to strive eagerly to pursue this ministry of journalism with love — a love that is

patient and kind.

Naturally, it’s not only journalists who are called to reflect on love’s meaning and challenges. We all are.

Because of Valentine’s Day, February is considered the month of love. There’s no better way to mark this time of year than by rereading St. Paul’s challenge to love authentically.

It’s tough to love this way in our world of TMI: too much information.

With Twitter tweets and instantaneous Facebook status updates, we are often overwhelmed with the details of people’s lives . . . and the devil is often found in those details. Knowing too much about others can make us less charitable and more judgmental.

Again, the key to true love is in finding the wisdom to know when to look over and when to overlook. When people are hurting in some way, love calls us to look over each other and do what we can to comfort, tend and soothe.

But love also calls us to overlook details at times — things like unkind words, unfulfilled promises, unwise postings, undone chores, and unpleasant moods.

When I sense that the devil is rearing his head in the details, I break out this little poem, which puts everything into perspective. It goes like this: My face in the mirror/Isn’t wrinkled or drawn.

My house isn’t dirty/the cobwebs are gone.

My garden looks lovely/And so does my lawn.

I think I might never/Put my glasses back on!

Chuck and Joyce (Cooley) Ross, members of Curé of Ars Parish, Leawood, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Jan. 30 with a family dinner, followed by an open house on Jan. 31 for friends and family. The couple was married on Jan. 30, 1960, at Our of AssumpAnniversaries Lady tion Church in San Bernardino, Calif., by Father John Flack, uncle of the bride. Their children and their spouses are: John and Elisabeth Ross; Gina and Parker Thornton; Greg and Michelle Ross; Roseann and Jeff Pitts; Christina and Patrick McGrath; and Anthony and Julie Ross. They also have 14 grandchildren.

Charles and JoAnne (Fleming) Kneisler, members of Good Shepherd Parish in Shawnee, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Feb. 6. The couple was married on Feb. 6, 1960, in Colorado Springs, Colo. Their children are: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Christopher, Andrew, and Kathleen. They also have 10 grandchildren.

Wagner’s Mud-Jacking Co.

Virginia and John Zumalt, members of Good Shepherd Parish in Shawnee, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary at Mass with a special blessing on Feb. 13. Their children and their spouses will host a gathering of family and friends following Mass at their home. The couple was married on Feb. 13, 1960, at Christ the King Church in Kansas City, Mo., by Father Gilbert Stack. Their children and their spouses are: Marcie and Jim Barnes; Johnny and Kena Zumalt; and Jimmy and Rhonda Zumalt. They also have six grandchildren.

Jeannine and Peter Sowle, members of Immaculate Conception Church, Leavenworth, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a Mass at the church, followed by a family dinner party hosted by their children. The couple was married at St. Francis Xavier Church, Grand Rapids, Mich., on Feb. 6, 1960.

Their children are: Cynthia, Elizabeth, Kathleen, Melissa, and Ted. They also have seven grandchildren.

Viola (Steding) and Albert Greve, members of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor, will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary on Feb. 6 at the 4:30 p.m.

Mass and at a family dinner on Feb. 7 at the home of their daughter in Olathe.

The couple was married by Msgr.

Herman J. Koch on Feb. 6, 1940, at St. Thomas Church in Kansas City, Kan. Their children and their spouses are: Rose and Alvah Young, Olathe; George and Pearl Greve, Thayer, Mo.; Joyce Baker, Trimble, Mo.; Deborah Aiman, Kansas City, Kan.; and Timothy and Mary Greve, Kansas City, Kan. They also have eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Anniversary policy

The Leaven only prints 50, 60, 65 and 70th anniversary notices. Announcements are due by 5 p.m. eight days (Thursday) before the desired publication date. Announcements must be typed.

Send notices to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109, attn: anniversaries; or send an e-mail to: Todd@theleaven.com.

Elmer Rottinghaus

6420 Parallel, KCK Life • Home• Auto Commercial

Specializing in Foundation Repairs Mud-jacking and Waterproofing.

Serving Lawrence, Topeka and surrounding areas.

Topeka (785) 233-3447 Lawrence (785) 749-1696 In business since 1963

334-2222

Marriage and the Eucharist Celebrating Servant-Love

Scripture Readings

the gospel truth

fifth week of ordinary time Feb. 7 fifth Sunday in ordinary time Is 6: 1-2a, 3-8; Ps 138: 1-5, 7-8; 1 Cor 15: 1-11; Lk 5: 1-11 Feb. 8 Jerome Emiliani, priest; Josephine Bakhita, virgin 1 Kgs 8: 1-7, 9-13; Ps 132: 6-7, 8-10; Mk 6: 53-56 Feb. 9 Tuesday 1 Kgs 8: 22-23, 27-30; Ps 84: 3-5, 10-11; Mk 7: 1-13 Feb. 10 Scholastica, virgin 1 Kgs 10: 1-10; Ps 37: 5-6, 30-31, 39-40; Mk 7: 14-23 Feb. 11 Our Lady of Lourdes 1 Kgs 11: 4-13; Ps 106: 3-4, 35-37, 40; Mk 7: 24-30 Feb. 12 Friday 1 Kgs 11: 29-32; 12: 19; Ps 81: 10-11b, 12-15; Mk 7: 31-37 Feb. 13 Saturday 1 Kgs 12: 26-32; 13: 33-34; Ps 106: 6-7b, 19-22; Mk 8: 1-10

H

God gives each of us whatever we’re lacking

ow would you react if you saw a miracle take place? Would you blink your eyes and wonder if you were dreaming?

Would you feel strengthened in your faith, with any doubts in God’s power cleared up? How would you react?

I am a sinful man.”

We should note that Simon Peter, in confessing his sinfulness, does not mention any details. He is not admitting his guilt for specific sins, but simply acknowledging his unworthiness in the In Sunday’s Gospel reading, Lk presence of the divine. He is awestruck 5:1-11, Jesus performs an imby what God has done. pressive miracle. Simon Peter In that, Simon Peter folfifth SUNDAY IN and his partners, James and lows the example of other ORDINARY TIME John, have been fishing all biblical figures who respond Lk 5: 1-11 night long, but have caught to a call from God by claimnothing. They have climbed ing their unsuitability. We out of their boats and are cleaning their encounter one such figure in the first nets. They have called it quits. reading, Is 6:1-2a, 3-8. When Isaiah Nonetheless, Jesus instructs them to sees a vision of God’s glory, he agoput out into deep water and lower their nizes: “Woe is me, I am doomed! For I nets. They comply, and catch so many am a man of unclean lips, living among fish that their boats are in danger of a people of unclean lips.” Nonetheless, sinking from the heavy load.

God calls Isaiah to be a prophet.

Simon Peter’s reaction to Jesus in Similarly, when God calls Jeremiah the Gospel story might strike us as a bit to be a prophet, he protests: “Ah, Lord strange. When Simon Peter witnesses God, I know not how to speak; I am too the miraculous catch of fish, he calls young” (Jer 1:6). Jeremiah becomes a out to Jesus, “Depart from me, Lord, for prophet anyway.

These reluctant prophets are perfectly correct in pointing out that they are unworthy of the mission that God wishes to entrust to them — that they lack the sufficient qualifications to carry it out. As far as God is concerned, that does not matter. On one’s own, no human being would be qualified.

But God steps in to supply whatever is lacking. God gave Isaiah insight, and Jeremiah courage, to proclaim the word. Similarly, God will enable Simon Peter to haul in a huge number of converts. The miraculous catch of fish anticipates the vast crowds that Simon Peter will draw to the Lord.

We only need remember the results of Peter’s speech in Jerusalem on the first Pentecost: “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day” (Acts 2:41).

Jesus Christ calls each one of us to follow him. We may feel unworthy and incapable, but that does not matter.

God will supply whatever is lacking in us, to accomplish our mission. The specifics may vary, but we all can contribute our bit for the sharing of God’s abundant love with all the world.

Father Mike Stubbs is pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lansing and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University.

Bishop Robert W. Finn Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas

invite married and engaged couples for a Mass of Thanksgiving for the gift of sacramental marriage, and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Worldwide Marriage Encounter.

Sunday Feb. 14, 2010 Mass will be celebrated at 3 p.m. followed by a reception featuring national Catholic speaker Damon Owens Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception 416 W. 12th Street Kansas City, Mo. 64105 Children are welcome!

For further information, please call MO Family Life Office: 816.756.1850, x 553 KS Family Life Office: 913.721.1570, x 145

Local news 15 Robert Meyer Freeman, a member of Boy Scout Troop 91 and St. Ann Parish in Prairie Village, has earned the highest award in Scouting, the rank of Eagle Scout. Freeman’s Eagle Scout eagle scout project was a food drive at St. Ann School and the surrounding Prairie Village neighborhoods to benefit Harvesters Food Pantry.

Knights to host banquet Shawnee — The 2010 Shawnee Knights of Columbus awards banquet will be held Feb. 13 at the Knights of Columbus Hall here, at 11221 Johnson Drive.

Social hour will be at 6 p.m. and dinner around 6:45 p.m. Mike Thompson, WDAF-TV meteorologist, will be the guest speaker.

For reservations, contact Rod Coday at (913) 268-3145 or by e-mail at: rcoday@kc.rr.com. The Knights will present several awards, including Knight of the Year, Family of the Year, service awards, and Citizen of the Year.

16 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • february 5, 2010

Austrian cardinal draws overflow crowds The cardinal rejected attempts to classify himself as either a creationist or an evolutionist, and said that every new discovery of science has served not to undermine his faith, but to strengthen it.

After the lecture, the cardinal was shown a check for $15,000, raised by the Benedictine College community and its supporters, for Haitian earthquake relief. He also blessed baskets of Benedictine jubilee medals. Some were given to students and some will be placed in the foundation of a new building on campus.

Since the cardinal celebrated his 65th birthday on Jan. 22, he was presented with a small cake, and he blew out the candles. Doro Ludwig, a student from Germany, sang “Happy Birthday” in German, which was followed by the entire assembly singing it in English.

Finally, the students sent him off with a raucous Benedictine cheer.

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Hit the ground running The arrival of the distinguished archbishop to this inner-city neighborhood was just the beginning of a grueling 36-hour visit from Jan. 30-31 that gave the cardinal a chance to see a corner of America he’d never seen before — and a chance for Kansans to see him.

Cardinal Schönborn was here to inspect an initiative that is very close to his heart, the establishment of a monastery of the Little Sisters of the Lamb.

The Little Sisters, the female branch of the Community of the Lamb, came to the inner core of Kansas City, Kan., approximately 18 months ago after being invited by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann. The order was founded 35 years ago in France.

Cardinal Schönborn is very close to the community. Not only does it share its Dominican charism, he is also a personal friend of the foundress, Little Sister Marie, who was also here during his visit. The cardinal is, in fact, the community’s most notable patron.

After his overnight stay at the Little Sisters’ monastery, Cardinal Schönborn — accompanied by the Little Sisters, Archbishop Naumann and other archdiocesan officials — traveled north to Benedictine College in Atchison.

Vespers and a soiree

Benedictine highlights When the cardinal told the archbishop that he would be willing to give a lecture at an appropriate venue while he was here, Archbishop Naumann contacted Benedictine College, and president Stephen D. Minnis was quick to proffer an invitation.

Although the cardinal would only be on the campus for a few hours, Benedictine rolled out its metaphorical red carpet in grand fashion.

First, Cardinal Schönborn was the main celebrant and homilist at a noon Mass held at St. Benedict’s Abbey Church. The church was filled to capacity . . . and then some.

In a homily delivered in excellent, if accented, English (one of the six languages he speaks), the cardinal first charmed the congregation.

“This monastery has been built by monks from Bavaria,” he said. “Our Holy Father comes from Bavaria. So, at least two good things come from Bavaria. And beer.”

He then used the Gospel reading of the day, Lk 4:21-30, as a springboard to the main theme of his homily, what he described as one of his greatest concerns. In this reading, Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth, and the people tried to kill him. Jesus passed through them and never returned.

“Sometimes I have this frightening vision,” said the cardinal, “that Europe, which has rejected so much of its Christian heritage, is like Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth.

“Lord, do not abandon us,” said the cardinal. “Do not leave our countries.

Do not leave the church in Europe.”

“Brothers and sisters,” he said, “this vision sometimes, so to say, in the dark night obsesses me. I ask you to pray that the Lord may not go, pass through the midst of us and go away.”

Cardinal Schönborn was joined at the altar by Archbishop Naumann, Bishop Robert Finn from the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, and Abbot Barnabas Senecal, OSB. Other concel-

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn of Vienna, Austria, addresses an audience at Benedictine College in Atchison on Jan. 31. The cardinal was in the United States for several days and had other planned stops in Washington and New York. ebrants were from Benedictine Abbey, Conception Abbey in Missouri, local priests, and visiting priests.

The music was provided by a mixed choir comprised of the Little Sisters of the Lamb, Little Brothers of the Lamb, monks of the abbey, and Benedictine students.

After the Mass, the cardinal, members of the Community of the Lamb, the bishops, the abbot, archdiocesan officials and Minnis retired to the atrium of the student union for a late lunch.

Afterward, they proceeded to O’MalleyMcAllister Auditorium for the cardinal’s lecture.

There, the cardinal was greeted by a crowd of more than 500, with some standing. A video feed was viewed by more than 100 additional people in the gym, site of overflow seating.

Before the lecture, Minnis presented the cardinal with the college’s highest honor, the Cross of the Order of St. Benedict.

“Dear father abbot, dear president, you make a great risk,” said the cardinal. “You give me the award before the talk.”

“Just kidding,” he added, after the laughter died down.

The cardinal’s speech was entitled “Pope Benedict, Regensburg, and the Controversy of Creation and Evolution.”

Pope Benedict was only 42 years old when he became a professor of theology in 1969 at the University of Regensburg, Bavaria. Among the students of then-Father Joseph Ratzinger was the

young Father Christoph Schönborn.

Today, Cardinal Schönborn belongs to a group of the pope’s former doctoral and post-doctoral students called the “Schülerkreis,” or “circle of students.”

They still meet with their former teacher to discuss theological and philosophical topics.

Cardinal Schönborn’s lecture drew in part from those scholarly discussions, his own interest in the relationship of science and faith, and the controversy that ensued after the pope’s lecture on Sept. 12, 2006, in Regensburg. In that lecture, the pope cited a quote from a Byzantine emperor to which some of the Islamic faith took offense.

“So my plan this afternoon — this evening — is that we look first at the famous Regensburg lecture that has provoked such a thunderstorm in the Islamic world, so that the Western world forgot to read the text, because it is addressed mainly to the Western World,” said the cardinal.

In his lecture, which lasted close to an hour, the cardinal talked about the relationship of faith and reason, and faith and science. Faith is not enthusiasm, nor is it sentiment, he said. It is something reasonable.

The church needs faithful, committed Christians who are able to give the deep reasons for their faith and hope, he said. As Christians we do not believe because of reason, but because of God. However, faith corresponds to the deepest insights of our intellect, and that is why the question of the relationship between faith and reason is so important.

After his visit to Benedictine, the cardinal, his hosts and his entourage proceeded to Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kan., where he presided at vespers with priests from the archdiocese and the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.

Members of the Community of the Lamb led the signing, and priests of the archdiocese proclaimed the readings.

After the service, the cardinal met with author Petroc Willey and visiting teachers from the Maryvale Institute, located at St. Mary’s College in Oscott, in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, U.K. Cardinal Schönborn is a Maryvale supporter and patron of its journal, “The Sower.” Willey is the institute’s deputy director.

A dinner followed the reception, during which Archbishop Naumann expressed his thanks to the cardinal and the Little Sisters.

The cardinal was presented with a print of St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars, painted by local artist Jason Jenicke. The archdiocese also gave the cardinal a generous financial gift to support his project, the International Theological Institute in Schlossgasse, Austria. Two institute graduates attended the lecture at Benedictine.

Following the dinner, the cardinal returned to the monastery of the Little Sisters of the Lamb. There, he greeted the people who had first greeted him, the people of the neighborhood, said Father Gary Pennings, archdiocesan chancellor.

The little monastery, the former rectory of St. Benedict Parish, was packed with people. They told him how having the Little Sisters as neighbors had blessed their lives.

The following day, the cardinal flew to New York, where he was to celebrate Mass on Feb. 2 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and on Feb. 4 at St. Matthew Cathedral in Washington, D.C., according to an Austrian newspaper, the Austrian Independent.

On Feb. 3, Cardinal Schönborn was scheduled to give a lecture entitled “Christianity: Alien Presence or Foundation of the West?” at Catholic University of America.

Finally, on Feb. 4, he was planning to meet with officials of the U.S. State Department to discuss the situation of Iraqi Christians.