04-16-10 Vol. 31 No. 34

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www.theleaven.com | Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas | Vol. 31, No. 34 april 16, 2010

Leaven photo by Joe Bollig

Msgr. Michael Mullen stopped by Anne Duggan’s class to see the kindergartners participate in a rousing round of “skip counting.” Unfortunately, his puppet Critter was unable to join him.

Call him

‘Mister Catholic Education’ By Joe Bollig Leaven staff

Leaven photo by Joe Bollig

Msgr. Mullen was “surprised and humbled” to be named a NCEA distinguished pastor.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A few years ago, a kindergartner came home from his first day at St. Patrick School here and told his mother all about his inaugural educational experience. “Did you like going to school?” his mother asked. “Oh yes,” said the boy. “God came to our classroom.” Certain her son was mistaken, the mother suggested that someone wrote “God” on the blackboard or said something about God. “No,” her son insisted. “God visited us. He wore black clothes and he took our picture.” As it turned out, that was no theophany — that was Msgr. Michael Mullen, the pastor. If that little boy was wrong, he wasn’t wrong by much. The striking but friendly pastor has long been not only “alter Christus” at the altar, but also a daily factor in the lives of the nearly 300 students plus faculty and staff at St. Patrick School. “As a pastor, I see education as a very important ministry of the church,” he said. “As pastors, we are priest, prophet and servant — prophet in the sense that we study the Scripture and we try to share the truth of Christ. And one of the very best instruments we have for doing that is in our Catholic schools, where Christ is the center of the

curriculum and the life of the school. Everything takes its reference from there.” Msgr. Mullen was honored for his years of devotion to Catholic education when he was one of 10 priests to receive the National Catholic Educational Association’s “Distinguished Pastor of the Year Award” on April 6 at the Hilton Minneapolis Hotel during the association’s annual conference. On hand to witness the award were his sister, Barbara Gunderman; archdiocesan superintendent of schools Kathy O’Hara; associate superintendent Karla Leibham; assistant superintendent for special needs Karen Kroh; St. Patrick principal Mary Staley; Resurrection School principal Ann Connor; Resurrection resource teacher Lynda Higgins; and school parents Skip and Joanne Wheat. “We have a lot of great pastors in our archdiocese who are very supportive of our schools, and Msgr. Mullen is a perfect representative of a pastor who loves and supports Catholic education,” said O’Hara. “He sees the value of Catholic education, and he encourages families to make the sacrifices so their children may attend our schools.” No distant figure ruling from the rectory is he. Msgr. Mullen is down in the trenches — doing everything from signing contracts to comforting a teary student having a bad day. Turn to “no one” on page 5


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04-16-10 Vol. 31 No. 34 by The Leaven - Issuu