07-17-09 Vol. 31 No. 2

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WWW.THELEAVEN.COM | NEWSPAPER OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF KANSAS CITY IN KANSAS | VOL. 31, NO. 2 JULY 17, 2009

Leaven photo by Elaina Cochran

LET IT FLY Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann throws the first shovel of dirt during the groundbreaking for the new St. Bernard Church in Wamego on July 12.

Small-town parish thinks ‘bigger’ By JOE BOLLIG Leaven staff WAMEGO — Who says you can’t think big in a small town? Members of St. Bernard Parish in Wamego are looking to the future and thinking big — or at least bigger — as they begin construction of their new church on 15 acres of former cornfield on the north edge of town. The current limestone Gothic church, completed in 1908, seats about 240 and is simply too small. The new church will

have almost double the capacity and a lot of other improvements — like space for socializing, off-street parking and handicapped accessibility. Construction began on May 8, but pastor Father John Pilcher and parishioners welcomed Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann for a blessing of the new site after 10 a.m. Mass on July 12. The current church cannot accommodate the congregation, especially for larger liturgies like confirmations and

DIG IT Four-year old Zoe Abitz gets started on her own groundbreaking ceremony a little ear-

Turn to WAMEGO on page 5

ly, as Archbishop Naumann and pastor Father John Pilcher conduct the official blessing in the background.

‘CARITAS IN VERITATE’

THE POPE AND THE PRESIDENT

The pope’s new encyclical deals with the global economic crisis and proposes some concrete solutions.

Pope Benedict XVI and President Obama meet for the first time and touch on many issues of concern to Catholics.

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Leaven photo by Elaina Cochran

AT CAMP The summer is in full swing and that means Prairie Star Ranch is full of action. Check out Susan McSpadden’s amazing photos.

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2 LOCAL NEWS Maryanne (Perate) and Ronald Behm, members of Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park, celebrated their 50th wedding anniverANNIVERSARIES sary on July 11. The couple was married on July 11, 1959, at St. Gabriel Church in Stowe, Pa. Their children and their spouses are: Kelly Ann and Joseph Boeh, and Ronald T. and Karey Dee Behm II. They also have seven grandchildren.

ANNIVERSARY POLICY The Leaven only prints 50, 60, 65 and 70th anniversary notices. Announce-ments are due by 5 p.m. eight days (Thursday) before the desired publication date. Announcements must be typed. They are for parishioners of Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Send notices to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109, attn: anniversaries; or send an e-mail to: Todd@theleaven.com. If you would like your photo returned to you, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

THE LEAVEN • JULY 17, 2009

Jeremy Owsley, a member of Boy Scout Troop 412 and Holy Rosary Parish in Wea, has received the rank of Eagle Scout. For his Eagle project, Owsley did a food drive for the pantry at the Ronald McDonald Room for Children’s Mercy EAGLE SCOUTS Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., raising a total of 80 pounds of donated goods. Ryan McAnany, a member of Boy Scout Troop 194 and St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee, received his Eagle Scout award in a ceremony on June 28 at the church. McAnany’s project was designing, planning and overseeing the planting of a landscape area around the newly installed St. Joseph Parish sign along Johnson Drive.

THE LEAVEN • JULY 17, 2009

Spencer Carl, a member of Boy Scout Troop 194 and St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee, received his Eagle Scout award in a ceremony on June 28 at the church. Carl’s Eagle project was the planning and installation of two bicycle racks at the St. Joseph Education Center. Liam Reilly, a member of Boy Scout Troop 256 and Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park, was honored recently for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. For his Eagle project, Reilly designed and installed a brick patio and bench, along with landscaping, at Pawnee Elementary School in Overland Park.

Chris Contreras, a member of Boy Scout Troop 256 and Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park, was honored recently for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Contreras designed, built and installed recognition plaques at TurnStyles Thrift Store in Overland Park, honoring the volunteers from Catholic high schools providing service to the shop. Mark LaFollette, a member of Boy Scout Troop 494 and St. Paul Parish in Olathe, has earned the rank of Eagle Scout. For his Eagle project, LaFollette renovated and added braces to the acoustic panels at Rolling Ridge Elementary School in Olathe.

SECOND FRONT PAGE 3

‘Caritas in Veritate’ Pope says moral values must be part of economic recovery, development By CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Ethical values are needed to overcome the current global economic crisis as well as to eradicate hunger and promote the real development of all the world’s peoples, Pope Benedict XVI said in his new encyclical. The document, “Caritas in Veritate” (“Charity in Truth”), was dated June 29 and released at the Vatican July 7. The truth that God is the creator of human life, that every life is sacred, that the earth was given to humanity to use and protect and that God has a plan for each person must be respected in development programs and in economic recovery efforts if they are to have real and lasting benefits, the pope said. Charity, or love, is not an option for Christians, he said, and “practicing charity in truth helps people understand that adhering to the values of Christianity is not merely useful, but essential for building a good society and for true integral development,” he wrote. In addressing the global economic crisis and the enduring poverty of the

world’s poorest countries, he said, “the primary capital to be safeguarded and valued is man, the human person in his or her integrity.” The global dimension of the financial crisis is an expression of the moral failure of greedy financiers and investors, of the lack of oversight by national governments and of a lack of understanding that the global economy required internationally recognized global control, Pope Benedict said. “In the face of the unrelenting growth of global interdependence, there is a strongly felt need, even in the midst of a global recession, for a reform of the United Nations organization, and likewise of economic institutions and international finance, so that the concept of the family of nations can acquire real teeth,” the pope wrote. “To manage the global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the greater imbalances that would result; to bring about integral and timely disarmament, food security and peace; to guarantee the protection of the environment and to regulate miTurn to CHARITY on page 4

CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters

Pope Benedict XVI signs a copy of his encyclical, “Caritas in Veritate” (“Charity in Truth”), at the Vatican July 6. The pope’s social encyclical, released July 7, addresses the global economic crisis.

Other highlights from ‘Caritas in Veritate’

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WASHINGTON (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI called on labor unions to look beyond their membership when protecting the rights of workers and turn their attention to workers in other fields and in developing countries where social rights are violated. The pope reached out to labor unions in his third encyclical, “Caritas in Veritate” (“Charity in Truth”), released July 7. “The protection of these workers, partly achieved through appropriate initiatives aimed at their countries of origin, will enable trade unions to demonstrate the authentic ethical and cultural motivations that made it possible for them, in a different social and labor context, to play a decisive role in development,” he said in the encyclical. Since the church’s traditional teaching makes a valid distinction between the roles of trade unions and politics, it is correct for unions to identify civil society as the proper setting for their activity of defending and promoting labor, especially among exploited and unrepresented workers often overlooked by the general public, the pope said.

SHARING

POLITICS

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI dedicated a portion of his new social encyclical, “Caritas in Veritate” (“Charity in Truth”), to the urgent duty to share the earth’s resources equitably and safeguard the environment for future generations. He criticized states, organizations and companies that hoard nonrenewable fossil fuels. Not only does the stockpiling of natural resources hinder the development of poorer nations, but it “gives rise to exploitation and frequent conflicts between and within nations,” he said. “The international community has an urgent duty to find institutional means of regulating the exploitation of nonrenewable resources, involving poor countries in the process, in order to plan together for the future,” he said. Energy resources must be redistributed justly around the world, not left to “whoever is first to claim the spoils, or whoever is able to prevail over the rest,” he said. By achieving greater energy efficiency, using alternate forms of energy, and cutting fossil fuel use, industrialized countries should be able to free up enough energy resources for poorer nations to use toward development, he said.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Christian call to love one another and to work for justice requires active participation in the political process, Pope Benedict XVI said in his new encyclical. “To desire the common good and strive toward it is a requirement of justice and charity,” the pope said in his encyclical, “Caritas in Veritate” (“Charity in Truth”). The encyclical said God’s love for all his creatures must be mirrored in the way they love and care for one another, engaging in acts of charity and solidarity with respect for the truth that every human life is sacred and that humanity forms one family. “To love someone is to desire that person’s good and to take effective steps to secure it,” the pope said. “Besides the good of the individual, there is a good that is linked to living in society: the common good.” Promoting the common good requires that individuals get involved in the institutions that structure society and its laws, its civic and political life and its culture, he said. “This is the institutional path — we might also call it the political path — of charity, no less excellent and effective than the kind of charity which encounters the neighbor directly,” he said.


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THE LEAVEN • JULY 17, 2009

THE LEAVEN • JULY 17, 2009

Charity ‘essential for building a good society’ pope says Continued from page 3 gration: for all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority,” he said. Pope Benedict insisted that the idea of the world’s richest nations scaling back development aid while focusing on their own economic recovery overlooked the long-term economic benefits of solidarity and not simply the human and Christian moral obligation to help the poor. “In the search for solutions to the current economic crisis, development aid for poor countries must be considered a valid means of creating wealth for all,” the pope said. The economic growth of poorer countries and their citizens’ demands for consumer goods actually benefit producers in the world’s wealthier nations, he said. The pope said that “more economically developed nations should do all they can to allocate larger portions of their gross domestic product to development aid,” respecting the obligations they made to the U.N. Millennium Development Goals aimed at significantly reducing poverty by 2015. Pope Benedict said food and water are the “universal rights of all human beings without distinction or discrimination” and are part of the basic right to life. He also said that being pro-life means being pro-development, especially given the connection between poverty and infant mortality, and that the only way to promote the true development of people is to promote a culture in which every human life is welcomed and valued. “The acceptance of life strengthens moral fiber and makes people capable of mutual help,” he said. He said the environment, life, sexuality, marriage and social relations are inextricably united. If society does not respect human life from its conception to its natural end, “if human conception, gestation and birth are made artificial, if human embryos are sacrificed to research, the conscience of society ends up losing the concept of human ecology and, along with it, that of environmental ecology,” he said. Development programs and offers of aid that encourage coercive populationcontrol methods and the promotion of abortion do not have the good of people at heart and limit the recipients’ motiva-

tion to become actors in their own development and progress, the pope said. In addition, he said, an anti-life mentality in the world’s richest countries is related to the lack of concern for the poor. “How can we be surprised by the indifference shown toward situations of human degradation when such indifference extends even to our attitude toward what is and is not human?” the pope asked. “While the poor of the world continue knocking on the doors of the rich, the world of affluence runs the risk of no longer hearing those knocks on account of a conscience that can no longer distinguish what is human,” he said. Pope Benedict also emphasized church teaching that making money and being wealthy are not sins, but that the way the money is made and the way it is used can be. The encyclical condemned corruption, the exploitation of workers, the destruction of the environment, the continuing practice of wealthy nations imposing such high tariffs on imports that they shut poor countries out of the international marketplace and, especially, an “excessive zeal” for enforcing patents, especially on medications that could save the lives of thousands of poor people if they were available at a reasonable cost. Pope Benedict called for “a profoundly new way of understanding business,” which recognizes that investors are not a company’s only stakeholders, no matter how the business is structured and financed. Employees, those who produce the raw materials, people who live in the communities where the company is based, where its products originate and where its products are sold all have a stake in the business, the pope said. He also said that investing always has a moral as well as an economic significance. “What should be avoided is a speculative use of financial resources that yields to the temptation of seeking only shortterm profit without regard for the longterm sustainability of the enterprise, its benefit to the real economy and attention to the advancement — in suitable and appropriate ways — of further economic initiatives in countries in need of development,” he said.

A layman’s overview of ‘Caritas in Veritate’ By BILL SCHOLL Archdiocesan social justice consultant

What it’s about? “Caritas in Veritate” is about how we as a human family can achieve authentic “integral human development.” The pope teaches that every person has a vocation from God to be his best and to contribute to the good of all: “The vocation to progress drives us to ‘do more, know more and have more in order to be more.’” But herein lies the problem: What does it mean “to be more”? (no. 18) Benedict’s answer for how to be more is for individuals and society to work toward integral human development, which means “to promote the good of every man and of the whole man” (no. 18). In other words, we have to seek the collective good of everyone in the human family, while at the same time preserving the dignity and identity of ourselves as individuals.

Why the title, “Love in Truth”? The pope reminds us that all social doctrine comes from our mandate to love (e.g., Mt 25). However, love without truth becomes mere sentiment, losing its sacrificial power to affect change. As well, truth without love becomes sterile and loses its power to move minds to the authentic human good. Especially in this age when truth is demeaned as relative, the pope wants to lift up these corollary powers to bring humanity to a better place. Benedict points out that many of the problems in the world today come about from the public exclusion of God and religious perspectives. “Without God man neither knows which way to go, nor even understands who he is” (no. 78).

Why now? The economic meltdown is a teachable moment in which the pope reminds us that these things happen when man thinks he can handle it all and keeps God and faith out of public discourse. Benedict also commemorates the 40th anniversary of Pope Paul

“Regardless of the type of services you desire, we can help to make them special. We are here to serve you and your family.”

VI’s “Populorum Progressio” as the key social encyclical of our time. As the world looks to restructure, Benedict is laying out a pathway to achieving the greatest happiness for all. A key part of this pathway is for all economic players — producers, financiers, and consumers — to up their ethical game by seeing their activities not exclusively for gain, but adding the “logic of gift.” Basically we must look for the win/win/win for everybody along and around the economic chain in all our financial decisions.

What you can do about the issues the pope addresses? • Globalism. We are one human family and need to work together for the good of all. Add a global perspective to your works of charity, your politics, and financial decisions. • Money. All economic decisions are moral decisions. Consider how your purchases and business decisions affect all stakeholders. • Environment. Our duties to the environment are tied to our duties to each other, especially to future generations. Recycle and go green for the right reasons. • Humanism. Humanism without God is an “inhuman humanism.” Challenge those who try to keep the faith perspective out of the conversation. • Technology and innovation. Technological development alone won’t lead to human development; in fact, unguided by the transcendent, it will destroy human development. Challenge the assumption that technology and technique alone will fix the problem. • God will help. “God gives us the strength to fight and to suffer for love of the common good, because he is our All, our greatest hope” (no. 78). Raise your arms in prayer to God for the good of all the world and for the guidance to play your part. “Caritas in Veritate” is a social encyclical worthy of a thoughtful reading, especially for Catholics who are in business or government. Its timely guidance is a reminder of what a gift the papacy is, and how God does not leave his people to wander about the world without a guide.

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Continued from page 1 most weddings, said Father Pilcher. As a result, people have to utilize St. Joseph Parish in Flush. St. Bernard Parish has 390 registered families. Father Pilcher, pastor since 2002, also serves St. Joseph Parish in Flush, Sacred Heart Parish in Paxico, and Holy Family Parish in Alma. “This is an opportunity to grow in our faith,” said Father Pilcher. “[Building the new church] is an invitation for more people to come. It’s opening up ourselves to welcoming people.” Construction of the new church is the first of a two-phase building plan. The church will be built first; a new parish office, parish hall and religious education classrooms will be built later. The new church will have a 165-space parking lot. Phase one is scheduled for completion in June 2010. Eventually, the current parish facilities (including two houses) on 6.8 acres of land will be sold, with those monies applied to the cost of the new church. The exterior will be beige and brown brick and stucco, with an asphalt shingle roof. The interior will feature exposed, stained laminated timbers with a tongueand-groove wood deck ceiling. The majority of the 11,760 square feet of the new church will be for the sanctuary, with the remainder being used for the narthex (gathering space), a vesting room, a robing room that can also be

Leaven photo by Elaina Cochran

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann sprinkles holy water on the parishioners of St. Bernard in Wamego at the official groundbreaking ceremony on July 12. used by brides, adoration chapel, choir rehearsal room, restrooms and sacristy. Parish heritage means a lot to the parishioners, so stained-glass windows from the old church will be put in the new, and many other devotional and liturgical items — including the Stations of the Cross, crucifix, tabernacle and statues — will also be transferred to the new church. The old church’s bell will be moved to the new site, although it has not been decided how it will be situated. The cost of the land, phase-one con-

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A touching story about a third-grader with Down syndrome won Leaven reporter Kara Hansen her second major award for prolife journalism in as many years. Hansen won the 2009 BernardinO’Connor Award for best overall pro-life feature for her article “Flying High,” about Jack Farnsworth, a third-grade student with Down syndrome at Sacred Heart School in Shawnee. The story shared how Farnsworth captured the hearts and imaginations of his classmates and teacher, as well as the struggles and successes he and his family have experienced. “What touched me most about this story was the impact Jack had at his school, unknowingly,” said Hansen. “His childlike innocence and unconditional love made him a favorite of many fellow students, staff and parents alike, and in

turn, many of them seemed to help with Jack’s challenges and share in his successes. His experience is a very powerful testimony to God teaching us lessons through the most childlike among us.” Last year Hansen won the Excellence in Journalism award from the National Right to Life Committee for her article called “Love Me Tender. . . Love Me True.” This was the heartbreaking story of the John and Jennifer Schmidt family, who discovered its newest member would die soon after birth.

Bishop Miege High School Class of 1984 25 Year Reunion

Leaven managing editor Anita McSorley said that Hansen has distinguished herself through her careful interviewing and sensitive writing. “Kara has a real heart for family stories,” said McSorley, “and many of those she has written I’m sure were emotionally draining to write. “But Jack’s story, though challenging to write, was exhilarating for us to publish. And we’re particularly pleased that, in its small way, it helped broaden the image of the pro-life movement by winning the BernardinO’Connor Award.”

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Sisters of Charity mark golden jubilees LEAVENWORTH — Three Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth who minister in the Greater Kansas City area are marking their 50th anniversaries this year. They celebrated with a special golden jubilee Mass and reception at the motherhouse on June 28. The jubilarians include Sister Donna Jean Henson, director of purchasing for the religious community; Sister Vickie Perkins, president of Cristo Rey High School, Kansas City, Mo.; and Sister Constance Phelps, facilitator for religious congregations, community gatherings and boards of trustees. Sister Donna Jean entered the Sisters of Charity in August 1959. From 1962 to 1982, she taught in elementary schools in Wyoming, Missouri, Montana, Kansas and Illinois. Sister Donna Jean also spent five years with the SCL missions in Peru. She returned to the Sister Donna Jean United States in 1998 and worked in parish ministry at Our Lady of Peace Parish, Kansas City, Mo. Sister Vickie entered the Sisters of Charity following high school. She taught elementary school in Chicago and secondary students at Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, Kan., and Bishop Hogan High School in Kansas City, Mo. Sister Vickie was Sister Vickie principal of Hogan from 1977 to 1987. In 1987, she became associate superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and a year later was named superintendent. Subsequently, she worked with the Partnership for Children, Kansas City, Kan., and then as executive director of Mount St. Vincent Home in Denver for five years. Following her freshman year at the University of Saint Mary, Leavenworth, Sister Constance entered the Sisters of Charity. Sister Constance taught for six years and then began her primary ministry in higher educaSister Constance tion at the University of Saint Mary. She was a professor, dean of students, vice president for student life and interim president at the university.

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struction and furnishing is $2.57 million. So far, the capital campaign has raised about $800,000 in cash and another $150,000 in in-kind services and donated contract labor, said Greg Dekat, parish finance committee and capital campaign committee member. The architect is Schwerdt Design Group, Inc.; structural/civil engineer is Bartlett & West; and general contractor is KBS Constructors, Inc., all three of Topeka.

Hansen wins Bernardin-O’Connor Award

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6 THE POPE & THE PRESIDENT

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Pope discusses bioethics, G-8 summit with Obama at Vatican By CAROL GLATZ and CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The church’s position on bioethical issues got marked attention during Pope Benedict XVI’s meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama July 10. In addition to giving Obama a copy of his latest encyclical, which the pope had been presenting to visiting heads of state since its release July 7, the pope also presented a copy of the Vatican document on biomedical ethics, “Dignitas Personae” (“The Dignity of a Person”). When presenting the gifts after their 35-minute closed-door meeting, the pope gave Obama a signed, white leather-bound copy of the encyclical, “Caritas in Veritate” (“Charity in Truth”), then indicated the light-green soft-cover instruction on bioethics issued last December by the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. “Oh, what we discussed earlier,” said Obama, referring to their closeddoor discussions. “I will have some reading to do on the plane.” Obama was given the instruction to help him better understand the church’s position on bioethics, Msgr. Georg Ganswein, papal secretary, told journalists in the pool covering the visit. Obama arrived at the Vatican shortly before 4 p.m., and a squad of Swiss Guards saluted him in the St. Damasus Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace. U.S. Archbishop James Harvey, prefect of the papal household, was the first to greet the president, and he accompanied Obama to a meeting with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican secretary of state. Pope Benedict and Obama sat at a desk in the papal library and discussed the Group of Eight summit — the meeting of the world’s wealthy industrialized countries, which concluded that morning in L’Aquila, Italy. The summit focused on the economic crisis, climate change and global tensions. After the pope welcomed Obama, the president said: “Thank you so much. It’s a great honor for me. Thank you so much.” Pope Benedict told the president, “You must be tired after all these discussions.” Obama responded that the meetings were “very productive” and marked “great progress” and “something concrete,” although the precise topic they were discussing at that point was unclear. The pope and Obama discussed issues that represent “a great challenge for the future of every nation and for the true progress of peoples, such as the defense and promotion of life and the right to abide by one’s conscience,” according to a Vatican statement released after the audience. The two men also discussed world issues addressed at the G-8 summit, as well as immigration and the issue of reuniting families, the Vatican statement said. The meeting with the pope and a separate 20-minute meeting with Cardinal Bertone also touched on international politics, such as the peace

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U.S. President Barack Obama presents a stole as a gift to Pope Benedict XVI as U.S. first lady Michelle Obama looks on at the Vatican July 10. The stole has a unique connection to St. John Neumann, who served as Philadelphia’s bishop from 1852 until his death in 1860. process in the Middle East, “on which there was general agreement.” “Dialogue between cultures and religions, the global economic crisis and its ethical implications, food security, development aid — especially for Africa and Latin America — and the problem of drug trafficking” were discussed, the Vatican said. “Finally, the importance of educating young people everywhere in the value of tolerance was highlighted,” it said. At the end of the meeting, Pope Benedict told the president, “A blessing on all your work and also for you.” The president responded: “Thank you very much. We look forward to building a strong relationship between our countries.” The Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, told reporters after the audience that “great serenity and great cordiality” characterized the meeting. Father Lombardi said he spoke with the pope after the meeting and the pope “seemed extremely satisfied with how the meeting went.” He said the pope found Obama to be “attentive and ready to listen.” “The president explicitly expressed his commitment to reducing the numbers of abortions and to listen to the church’s concerns on moral issues,” he said. Denis McDonough, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications and a member of Obama’s entourage, later spoke to reporters about many of the points in the Vatican statement, adding that the two men also discussed Cuba, Honduras and outreach to Muslim communities. “I think the president was eager to listen to the Holy Father, was obviously eager to learn more about his views” on issues such as abortion and stem cells, he said. McDonough said the president asked the pope to pray for his family and expressed his appreciation for the

role Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, was playing in trying to resolve the political crisis in his country after the June 28 coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya. After their closed-door meeting, Obama introduced the pope to his wife, Michelle, their daughters, Malia and Sasha, and Michelle Obama’s mother, Marian Robinson. There was a private exchange of gifts and a moment for photographs. The pope gave each of the girls a silver key chain with a bas-relief image of the pope, and Michelle Obama and Robinson each received a papal medal. In addition to the encyclical and Vatican bioethics document, Pope Benedict gave Obama a mosaic showing St. Peter’s Basilica and Square and a medal marking the fifth year of his pontificate. The president told the pope the mosaic, which was made in the Vatican’s mosaic studio, “was very beautiful” and would have “a place of honor” in the White House. The president gave the pope a liturgical stole that had been on the remains of St. John Neumann, the first U.S. male citizen to be proclaimed a saint. St. John Neumann, Philadelphia’s fourth bishop, is enshrined in a glass casket under an altar at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Philadelphia. New vestments have been placed on his remains four times since his 1860 death — in 1903, 1962, 1989 and 2008. The pope thanked the president for the gift and looked very pleased, saying the saint had been “a wonderful person.” The saint was a Redemptorist priest, and the Baltimore province of the order gave Obama the stole, which had been removed from the casket in 2008. Father Lombardi told pool reporters that giving the pope such a relic was “a sign of care, of sensitivity.”

Popes and presidents VATICAN CITY (CNS) — When President Barack Obama stepped into the pope’s private library in the Vatican July 10, he became only the 12th U.S. president to do so. Obama continued a tradition that is only 90 years old. The first U.S. president to visit the Vatican was Woodrow Wilson, who met with Pope Benedict XV in 1919 while on a European tour after World War I. The next presidential visit was a full 40 years later; Dwight D. Eisenhower met Pope John XXIII in 1959. Since then, each U.S. president has made a trip to the Vatican. Meeting Pope Paul VI were John F. Kennedy in 1963; Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967; Richard M. Nixon in 1969 and 1970; and Gerald R. Ford in 1975. Jimmy Carter was the next to visit, meeting Pope John Paul II in 1980. Ronald Reagan met him in 1982 and 1987, as well as after leaving office. George H.W. Bush met him in 1989 and 1991. Bill Clinton came to the Vatican in 1994. George W. Bush met Pope John Paul in 2001 at the papal villa in Castel Gandolfo and at the Vatican in 2002 and 2004. In addition to attending Pope John Paul’s funeral in 2005, he visited the Vatican in 2007 and again in 2008 to meet with Pope Benedict. Beginning with Carter’s visit, the pope’s remarks to his presidential visitors focused on two themes: the need for world peace and the obligation to protect human life, particularly the life of the unborn. The two topics still top the list of the pope’s concerns for the United States.

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913-621-5090 • 785-357-5107 • www.catholiccommunityhospice.com


CAMP ACTION

Bikers Cheyanne Weishaar (left), Mollie Vopata, Kim Carter (foreground) and Adrienne Edson prepare for a long bike ride through the grounds of Prairie Star Ranch.

PHOTOS BY SUSAN MCSPADDEN As temperatures rise across the archdiocese, campers at Prairie Star Ranch in Williamsburg are keeping their cool with a variety of devotional, craft and sports activities. Between Camp Kateri, Camp Tekakwitha and Family Camp, the ranch has been a busy place this summer.

Ready, aim . . . Emily Enna does her best Robin Hood impression as she takes aim on the archery field, while fel-

Fast track Katie Barnhart tackles the steep slope on her mountain board.

low camper Lisa Galvan looks on.

Second thoughts? Mauris Auni seems to be considering his other options before taking on the climbing wall.

AArchbishop blessing Joseph F. Naumann blesses Logos, the new dorm at Prairie Star Ranch.

Rocking up Campers join fists in a group prayer before the start of each new camp activity.

Get a grip Lauren Squire, Rachel Myers and Gaby Robinson get a good grip before starting a teamwork and coordination challenge.

No hands Erika Bono lets gravity do its thing as she flies down the camp zip-line.


10 NATION

THE LEAVEN • JULY 17, 2009

Hospitals to give up $155 billion for health reform WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Catholic Hospital Association and other U.S. hospital groups have agreed to reduced Medicare and BRIEFLY Medicaid reimbursements and other system reforms that will free up $155 billion over 10 years for health care reform. Sister Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity who is CHA president and CEO, joined with other hospital association executives in a July 8 ceremony at which the agreement with Sen. Max Baucus, DMont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and the White House was announced. “We know how urgently change is needed for both moral and economic reasons, and today’s agreement marks major progress in advancing reform and working together to finance health care in this country,” Sister Carol said. Vice President Joe Biden, standing in for President Barack Obama, and Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of Health and Human Services, also participated in the event. Biden said the agreement with CHA, the American Hospital Association and the Federation of American Hospitals “produces real savings in federal health care spending — savings that will be applied toward the president’s firm goal of enacting health care reform that is deficitneutral.”

Creighton plans first Catholic med school west of Rockies WASHINGTON (CNS) — Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., is opening a second medical school campus some 1,300 miles away in Phoenix, establishing the first Catholic medical school west of the Rocky Mountains. The new medical school campus is being established to allow Creighton to recruit more students, expand its educational opportunities and help resolve a nationwide physician shortage, said Jesuit Father John P. Schlegel, Creighton University’s president. The Phoenix campus will be formally known as Creighton University School of Medicine at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, a member of Catholic Healthcare West, said Deborah Daley, a spokeswoman for the Jesuit-run university. Since 2005 Creighton and St. Joseph’s have had an agreement that sends Creighton medical students to Phoenix for one-month rotations, she said. Founded in 1895 by the Sisters of Mercy, St. Joseph’s was the first hospital in the Phoenix area. Under the new affiliation, Creighton will establish a fully operational campus at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center that will offer two years of clinical training, Daley told Catholic News Service.

THE LEAVEN • JULY 17, 2009

Americans believe in marriage, but don’t live it

Pope urges Mexico to respect life By CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service

By MARIA WIERING Catholic News Service ST. PAUL, Minn. (CNS) — Although the majority of Americans want to get married and believe marriage should last a lifetime, the American dream often doesn’t match the reality, social scientist Barbara Dafoe Whitehead told an audience of family life ministers here. “You might say that Americans are enchanted with the idea of marriage and the aspiration to marriage, but disenchanted with being married, particularly to one person for a lifetime,” she said. And Catholics are showing tendencies more like the general population than in previous generations, she said in a June 25 keynote address at the annual conference of the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers. It was held June 25-28 at the University of St. Thomas. Whitehead is co-director of the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University in New Jersey. In her talk, titled “State of Our Unions,” Whitehead identified three troubling trends threatening marriage today: the split between marriage and parenthood, the statistical divide between marriages of college-educated and noncollege-educated couples, and a shift from a public to private understanding of the relationship. Even after decades of rising rates of cohabitation and divorce, research shows Americans deeply believe in marriage, Whitehead said. Most Americans want to marry; 90 percent do marry. And, when they marry, they expect their marriages to last for a lifetime. However, “Americans break up at astonishingly high rates,” Whitehead said. “As a people, we divorce more and remarry more than people in almost any other part of the world.” Trends within the broader culture are moving away from marriage as the main childbearing and child-raising institution, she said. Nearly four out of 10 children are born outside of marriage. The majority of the growth in divorce rates has come from the segment of the population that does not have college degrees, Whitehead said. This same group is also more likely to forego marriage completely.

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CNS photo/L'Osservatore Romano via Reuters

CNS photo/courtesy of Redemptorist Office of Mission Advancement

STOLE THAT OBAMA PRESENTED TO POPE — When U.S. President Barack Obama met with Pope Benedict XVI July 10, he presented this stole to the pope as a gift. It has a unique connection to St. John Neumann, a Redemptorist priest who served as the bishop of Philadelphia from 1852 until his death in 1860.

Redemptorists provide historic stole given by Obama to pope BALTIMORE (CNS) — During President Barack Obama’s July 10 meeting with Pope Benedict XVI, he presented the pope with a stole that was placed on the remains of St. John Neumann. “It’s a delight that something of one of our Redemptorist saints would be given to our Holy Father,” said Father Patrick Woods, provincial of the Redemptorists’ Baltimore province. “We’re delighted as Americans that our president is visiting the Holy Father and delighted that something belonging to our province would be given to him.” Father Woods said in a statement that the stole was an appropriate gift because it symbolizes the priesthood that was “at the heart of St. John Neumann’s life as a Redemptorist.” He also said the stole, placed on the saint who had worked extensively with immigrants, was symbolic of the new wave of immigration in the United States and the Redemptorists’ continued service to these groups. A stole is a long, narrow strip of cloth, draped over the neck and falling to about the knees, worn by a priest or bishop when celebrating Mass or presiding at other liturgical ceremonies. Louis DiCocco, president of St. Jude Liturgical Arts Studio, an architecture and design firm based in Pennsylvania

that specializes in building and restoring churches, was instrumental in obtaining the stole for the president, according to the Redemptorists. His firm designed and built a chair used by Pope Benedict at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington during his visit in April 2008. DiCocco was approached by the Obama administration about a possible gift for the pope. “They wanted to find an antique chalice, but I suggested it was important to get something more personable,” DiCocco said in a statement. “I told them about this stole that was something that belonged to an i m mi gran t who was so in str u mental in serving immigrants and building Catholic schools. What better than the stole that represents the priest?” St. John Neumann, Philadelphia’s fourth bishop, is enshrined in a glass casket under an altar at St. Peter the Apostle Church in Philadelphia. New vestments have been placed on his remains four times since his 1860 death — in 1903, 1962, 1989 and 2008. Born in Bohemia March 28, 1811, St. John Neumann was ordained a priest in 1836 and became a Redemptorist in 1842. He was canonized in 1977.

POPE INAUGURATES RESTORED PAULINE CHAPEL — Pope Benedict XVI leads a service to inaugurate the newly restored Pauline Chapel at the Vatican July 4. The private chapel underwent a $4.6 million, five-year restoration funded by donors.

Art in private chapel is a meditation on following Christ Chapel features murals by Michelangelo on Sts. Peter and Paul By CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The private Pauline Chapel in the Apostolic Palace is a place for the pope and his closest aides to contemplate their call to follow the crucified and risen Christ and to lead believers in hope, Pope Benedict XVI said. The pope inaugurated the newly restored chapel — decorated with Michelangelo’s murals of the conversion of St. Paul and the crucifixion of St. Peter — during an evening prayer service July 4. The prayer service was attended by members of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums from the United States, England and Ireland. They donated the $4.6 million needed to restore the private papal chapel. “ Sole m n ce le b rations w i th th e people are not celebrated here. This is where the successor of Peter and his collaborators meditate in silence and adore the living Christ, present especially in the most holy sacrament of the Eucharist,” the pope said in his homily. “The Eucharist is the sacrament in which the whole work of redemption is concentrated: In Jesus the

Concrete Work Any type of repair and new work Driveways, Walks, Patios

Eucharist we can contemplate the transformation of death i nto l ife (and of) violence into love,” the pope said. Pope Benedict said it was interesting to note that Michelangelo depicted St. Paul as an old man when he was converted on the road to Damascus, even though the apostle probably was only in his 30s. The artist’s choice recognizes that maturity in faith comes from being enlightened with divine grace, the pope said. The face of St. Peter in the mural on the opposite wall, the pope said, is not that of a man in pain, but of a man who is searching for someone or something. “He realizes precisely at that moment the culmination of following” Christ, the pope said. “The disciple is not greater than the master, and now he will experience all the bitterness of the cross, the consequences of sin that separates us from God, all the absurdity of violence and lies.” Pope Benedict said the chapel invites the pope and his aides “to meditate in silence on the mystery of the cross, which accompanies the church to the end of time, and to welcome the light of faith, which — thanks to the apostolic community — can extend to the ends of the earth the missionary and evangelizing action entrusted to it by the risen Christ.”

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Emphasizing the importance of protecting human life, Pope Benedict XVI congratulated the government of Mexico for its decision in 2005 to eliminate the death penalty. “One cannot insist enough on the fact that the right to life must be recognized fully,” the pope said July 10 as he welcomed Hector Ling Altamirano as Mexico’s new ambassador to the Holy See. Governments must enact laws and public policies that “take into account the high value that a human being has at every moment of existence,” the pope said. “In this regard, I welcome with joy the initiative of Mexico, which in 2005 eliminated its capital punishment legislation, as well as the recent actions some states have taken to protect human life from its beginning,” Pope Benedict told the new ambassador. The pope said he prayed that Mexico would be able to face its current problems with courage and determination so the nation would “continue on the path of freedom, solidarity and social progress.” The government has taken many steps to promote a more just social order and resolve serious problems such as violence, drug trafficking, inequality and poverty, “which can breed delinquency,” the pope said. He told the ambassador that an effective and lasting solution to such social problems also requires “moral renewal, the education of consciences and the building of a real culture of life.” The Catholic faith, shared by the vast majority of Mexicans, espouses values that Mexico needs in the process of “promoting justice, working for peace and reconciliation, encouraging honesty and transparency, combating violence, corruption and crime, caring constantly for human life and safeguarding human dignity,” he said. Respecting freedom of religion means not only protecting people’s rights to believe and to worship, but it also means allowing them to try to apply their religious values to public discussions and social policies, he said. The pope also called on the Mexican government to promote policies that assist families, both because they are a central value of the Mexican people and because strong families are essential for a strong nation.

WORLD

11

Honduran cardinal backs bishops’ statement on coup TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (CNS) — Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa backed BRIEFLY a Honduran bishops’ conference statement that seemed tolerant of the June 28 military coup and said deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya engendered “class hatred.” In an interview with a Tegucigalpa journalist, published July 8 on elfaro.net, the cardinal denied Cardinal Rodriguez that the church supported a coup d’etat. He said those who accuse the church of siding with Honduras’ elite “are not listening.” He said, “An unemotional person would read the church's message and would understand it.” Cardinal Rodriguez said he has seen an unwelcome change in Honduras that he attributes to Zelaya’s alliance with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. “Recently, I have observed something that did not previously exist in Honduras: class hatred,” the cardinal said in the interview. “Zelaya had advisers in Venezuela, and stirring up class hatred was the strategy.” Cardinal Rodriguez explained that he was traveling between Rome and Tegucigalpa the day of the coup and thus did not participate in drafting the bishops’ statement.

Council blames Vatican deficit on economic crisis VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The global economic crisis, along with some extraordinary maintenance work, had a big impact on the budget of Vatican City State, which usually ends the year with several millions of dollars in surplus. The budget, which includes the Vatican Museums and the care of Vatican buildings, ended 2008 with a deficit of more than $21 million, the Vatican reported July 4. The separate budget of the Holy See, which includes the offices of the Roman Curia, finished 2008 in better shape than a year earlier, but still registered a deficit of more than $1.26 million. The figures were released after the early July meeting of a council of cardinals charged with reviewing the Vatican budgets. According to a press statement from the council, the figures were drawn up using “provisions adopted as an exceptional measure by international accounting organizations” to ensure a realistic evaluation despite the huge fluctuations in currency and stock values caused by the current economic crisis.

We are grateful to have served this community since 1929 and we are proud to continue the Skradski Family Tradition of compassion and caring.

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SKRADSKI FUNERAL HOME 340 N. 6th • Kansas City, Kan. 66101 • (913) 371-1404


12 CLASSIFIEDS ■ EMPLOYMENT Director - The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph is accepting resumes for the position of director of the Respect Life Office. Applicants should be practicing Catholics with a passion for pro-life ministry. We are looking for an individual with extensive prolife knowledge, a strong work ethic, exceptional communication skills, the ability to efficiently and effectively manage financial and administrative tasks, computer literacy, and the ability to serve as a recognized figure for the diocese. For a job description and application timeline, please visit the Web site at: www.RespectLifeMissouri.org. For immediate consideration, e-mail your resume and cover letter to: stucinski@diocesekcsj.org. D i r e c t o r - Benedictine College, a Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts, residential college, is seeking a founding director for its newly initiated nursing (BSN) program. The successful candidate will have the skills and vision to build a nursing program consistent with the mission of Benedictine College. The director is the academic and administrative head of the program and will be responsible for overseeing educational programs, academic standards, services, program accreditation, clinical affiliations, and personnel. The college intends and is processing applicants to enroll freshmen students in this nursing program in the fall of 2009. For immediate consideration, send cover letter, cv, transcripts, and a statement of your teaching philosophy, via e-mail, to: nurse.search@benedictine. edu. For a detailed job description, visit the Web site at: www.benedictine.edu. Techn ology t eacher - Corpus Christi School is seeking a part-time technology teacher for the 2009 10 school year. Qualified candidates should possess a college degree, preferably in elementary education, with an emphasis on technology. Send resume and salary requirements, via e-mail, to Trish Arnold at: trisha@corpuschristilks.org. St. Joseph Early Education Center - Is hiring for current and fall position openings in our award- winning child care center. Candidates must be at least 18 years old, energetic, and kind and patient with children. College credits in ECE preferred. Call Nancy at (913) 631-0004. Carpet cleaning technician - Join one of the most respected, exciting and progressive service companies in the area. Earn top industry pay — $10/hour, $40Kplus potential. No exp. necessary. Bock's Steam Star, (913) 438-7767. Financial representative - Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding financial representatives in the Kansas City area. This position is ideal for a determined, high-energy, highexpectation, 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. Attention, Moms – Make a difference; work from home. Call (913) 402-9522. Are you ready to make a difference? Stay a while? Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, a Kansas City-based sponsorship ministry, is seeking an outreach call representative to contact Catholic parishes. Position requires good telephone and database skills, along with basic familiarity of Catholic culture. Outbound call center /sales/fundraising experience a plus. Send resume AND salary requirements to: CFCA HR; 1 Elmwood Ave., Kansas City, KS 66103, or send an e-mail (in PDF or Word format) to: hr@cfcausa.org. For more information regarding this position, visit our Web site at: http://www.cfcausa.org/Employment Opportunities.html.

■ SERVICES

Want your house deep-down clean? Charmaine will provide excellent service and reliability that you can count on. Years of experience in satisfying customers. Greater metro area. Call Charmaine at (913) 972-7900. Would you like your house cleaned the Spic & Span way? Call the Spic & Span Team. We are dependable and reasonable. Call Linda at (913) 484-5150 or Norma at (816) 820-4739. Serving the Wyandotte, Johnson and Leavenworth counties.

THE LEAVEN • JULY 17, 2009 Summer tutoring - Available for K-12. Tutor teaches in a fun and meaningful way and has experience in the classroom. Lessons are customized to fit the student’s needs. Sessions are reasonable in rate. For information, call (913) 206-2151 or send an email to: Klmamuric@yahoo.com Tutoring - Teacher available for summer tutoring. Latin, math, reading, and any other academic areas of difficulty. Call (913) 499-6729. All Lawn Services/Mowing/ Fertilizing Most city-sized lots $25-30 Call for a free estimate. Family-owned by local parishioners. Lic/Bond/Ins. References. (913) 620-6063 Spring is here! I do mowing, landscaping, walls, decks, patios, and winter cleanups. Call Josh at (913) 709-7230. Southern Johnson County. Grass Hearts Lawn Care We put the love in lawn care! Serving the Johnson County area For a free estimate, call (913) 980-5058 or e-mail: grassheartslawncare@yahoo.com. 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.Green SolutionsKC.com. Foley’s Lawn Care 2009 Season Weekly mowing & landscape maintenance! Call now for your FREE estimate! (913) 825-4353 Serving Johnson County Commercial and residential Machine quilting by Lyn - I also do T-shirt, photo, and memorial quilts too. Located in Overland Park. Call Lyn at (913) 492-8877. Granite, Cambria and Silestone countertops See our new showroom at 5820 Barton, in the heart of beautiful downtown Shawnee. Call The Top Shop, Inc., at (816) 898-8685 or (913) 962-5058. C aregi v in g - 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 Andrea, Sara or Gary. Do you or your parents need help at home? For as little as $60 per week, Ben efi t s of H omeSenior C are 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. Caregiver - Certified CNA with over 40 years of hospital and home-care experience will care for your loved one in the WyCo area. References available; reasonable rates. Full or part time; days/nights/ weekends. Call Dorles at (913) 371-2970. Bankruptcy - When debt becomes overwhelming, seek professional help. Experienced, compassionate Catholic attorney Teresa Kidd. For a confidential, no obligation consultation, call (913) 4220610; or send an e-mail to: tkidd@kc.rr.com. Increase your income – Interest rates are low, but a gift annuity with the Catholic Foundation of N or t h ea s t Ka n s a s often pays effective rates of over 10 percent for the rest of your life. Your gift benefits your parish or another Catholic organization of your choice in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. You may even get a tax deduction. Call (913) 647-0365 for more information.

■ HOME IMPROVEMENT

THE LEAVEN • JULY 17, 2009 Ma s on ry wo rk - Quality, new or repair work. Brick, block, and chimney/fireplace repair. Insured; second generation bricklayer. Call (913) 829-4336. 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. Electri cia n - Free estimates; reasonable rates. JoCo and southern KC metro area. Call Pat (913) 9639896. Roofing - Will honor insurance companies’ proposals. 20 years experience. Call (913) 341-7584 (office) or (913) 206-4524 (cell). House painting - Interior and exterior; wallpaper removal. 20 years experience. Reasonable rates. References. Call Joe at (913) 620-5776. REMODELING & REPAIRS Quality work at reasonable prices. Baths, kitchens, basements and door replacements. Member of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish, Overland Park. Ralph Pruente at (913) 631-1115 Cu stom-ki tchen countertops - Laminate tops manufactured and installed within 5 days. Competitive prices, dependable work. St. Joseph Parish member. Call The Top Shop, Inc., at (816) 8988685 or (913) 962-5058. Ti m t he H an dy ma n - 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. Organizing & handyman services - Basements, garages, attics and shop spaces organized! Your items sorted, boxed & labeled; areas cleaned when finished! Wall repair, interior painting, tile work, handicap bars and ramps. Great references and insured. For pictures of current projects, view my Web site at: www.swalms.com. Call Tillar Swalm at (913) 375-9115. ST A ( Su r e Th i n g A l w a y s ) H o me Re pa i r 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; email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity Church, Lenexa. 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

■ REAL ESTATE

F a m i l y h o m e - Two blocks from Holy Spirit Church, Overland Park. View online at: www. fsbokc.com. Go to ID# 5723, or call April Newton at (913) 894-2012 or (913) 486-2068 (cell). Lake house – Beautiful and private Lake Kahola, less than two hours from the KC area. Only 10 miles off I-35 at the Emporia exit. This home sleeps 10+ with a 2-car garage, plus a private boat ramp and dock. Located at the water’s edge on a quiet cove. Call Cy at (316) 262-0888. Lenexa home FSBO - 4 BR, 3 -1/2 BA, three-car garage, 2918 sq. ft. plus unfinished w/o bsmt. on a cul-de-sac in the Falcon Valley subdivision. Built in 2003, 43-acre golf course lot with privacy trees. $449K. View at: www.fsbo-kc.com, ID 5780. For information or a private showing, call Edda at (913) 3970434.

H o u s e p a in t i n g , p o w e r w a s h i n g , r o t te d w i n dow sills repaired - Quality products. 20 years experience. References. Call (913) 341-7584.

■ VACATION

Ma sonry/ Ca rpen try - Brick, block, stone, and tile. Interior and exterior. Restoration work and new design. Over 10 years experience. Call Ken at (913) 232-9796.

Lake of the Ozarks rental - Osage Beach, million-dollar view, fully furnished; 2 BR, 2 BA; sleeps six. No smoking, no pets. For special rates, call Steve or Sheryl Roederer at (913) 244-2022, or take a visual tour at: www.visualtour.com/shownp. asp?T=338261.

Mountain cabin in Winter Park, Colo. – 2 BR, 1 BA. View of Continental Divide from deck. Close to points of interest and activities. $95/night. Call (913) 642-3027. For pictures, visit the Web site at: cabin.forcadeassociates.com. Summer vacation - Winter Park, Colo. 2 BR, 1 BA, sleeps six. Fully furnished, fireplace, rec center w/pool, fishing, golf, hiking, rafting, close to nat’l park. $100/night; $600/week. Call Joe Frederick at (913) 385-5589. Vacation condo - Marco Island, Fla. 2 BR, 2 BA. Perfect weather! To view, visit the Web site at: www.marcocondoforrent.com, or call (913) 544-1288. Fabulous Bahamas vacation - The Ocean at Taino Beach, Freeport. Fabulous gold crown level accommodations with full kitchen, 1 BR, living room. Sleeps 4 people max. Available 9/26 - 10/3. $700 for 7 days, OBO. Call Tati at (913) 541-0687.

■ 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. House in Olathe - 428 Cardinal. 3 BR, 3-1/2 BA, living and dining rooms, vaulted ceilings, fenced yard, large deck, two-car garage; $1095/mo. (913) 7686447.

■ FOR SALE

Bulk mulch - $35 per cu. yd. delivered (within our delivery area with a 2-yard minimum order) OR $70 per cu. yd. delivered and spread. Contact Joe Keehn at (913) 631-7217 or (913) 449-9848 or visit the Web site at: www.mokanmulch.com. For sale – Double-depth plot, including vaults, at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Kansas City, Kan. Priced under current value. Call Cyndy at (913) 548-2356.

■ WANTED TO BUY

*** BUYING *** Coins — Sterling — Watches I buy coins, old watches, sterling silverware, postcards, photographs, military items, political campaign pins, Zippo lighters, fountain pens, toys, slot machines, old signs & tins, quilts, Indian rugs, beadwork, baskets, pottery and 22-gauge rifles. Call Chris at (913) 5937507 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. *** Wanted to Buy *** Antique and vintage costume jewelry Member St. Joseph Parish Renee Maderak (913) 631-7179

■ CHILD CARE

Nanny needed - Seeking a part-time nanny to care for my daughters, ages 6 and 7. From 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. and from 3:30 - 6 p.m., Mon. - Fri., beginning Aug. 17. Light housekeeping, errands, and meal prep. Call Melissa at (913) 706-4408. Wonderful nanny - Looking for a new family to love! After 5 years with my current family, the last child is off to school. I would love to find another family to grow with. Excellent references; available Aug. 17. Call Connie at (816) 739-2938. Rockhurst University alumnus - Seeking parttime nanny for daughters, ages 2 and 4. Start in Sept.; 3 days/wk. References, experience and comfort with driving oldest to pre-K required. Call 1 (901) 628-4904 (cell) or send an e-mail to: julie1buttell@yahoo.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) 7414777.

July 18

A memorial liturgy for deceased loved ones will be held at 8 a.m. on July 18 at Curé of Ars Church, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. The bereavement ministry will have its monthly meeting following Mass in the Father Burak Room. The topic will be “A Life Turned Upside Down.” For information, call (913) 6492026. Father Tony Lickteig will celebrate the archdiocesan monthly pro-life Mass at 8 a.m. on July 18 at Sts. Cyril & Methodius Church, 44 N. Mill, Kansas City, Kan., followed by a rosary procession to an abortion clinic four blocks away. Eucharistic adoration is available for those not processing, with Benediction concluding services at 10 a.m. The youth group of Christ the King Parish, 54th and Leavenworth Rd., Kansas City, Kan., will host a sloppy Joe and bingo night on July 18 in Davern Hall after the 5:30 p.m. Mass. The cost of $5 for adults and $2.50 for children includes dinner and one bingo card. Proceeds will benefit the parish youth who will be attending the National Catholic Youth Conference this fall. St. Mary-St. Anthony Church, 615 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan., along with the Lt. Wm. T. Fitzsimons Assembly 0280 fourth-degree Knights of Columbus, will host a Salisbury steak dinner and bingo night on July 18 in Bishop Forst Hall. Dinner will be served at 5 p.m., with bingo following at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $6 for dinner; $5 for bingo. Carryouts will be available.

18-19

Sacred Heart Church, 5501 Monticello Rd., Shawnee, will host a garage sale from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. on July 18, and from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. on July 19. Clean your basement and donate items now! Gently used clothing should be laundered and put on hangers with the sizes clearly marked (except children’s items). Drop off items at the parish office during business hours. For information, call Anne Daugherty at (913) 422-5700, ext. 229, or send an e-mail to her at: anne.daugherty @shoj.org.

19

Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas and the Topeka Advisory Council will present “Prairie Gospel and All That Jazz,” a concert featuring local and regional talent from a variety of musical genres, at 3 p.m. on July 19 at Christ the King Parish, 5973 S.W. 25th St., Topeka. Proceeds will benefit the Catholic Charities mission of helping those in need. A suggested donation of $5 per person is appreciated. St. Augustine Church, Fidelity, will host a parish picnic on July 19. There will be a cakewalk, bingo, children’s games, a lunch stand and a quilt raffle. A chicken and ham dinner will be served family style beginning at 4:30 p.m. The cost for dinner is $8 for adults; $4 for children ages 10 and younger.

19-25

Natural Family Planning Awareness Week is July 19 - 25. To learn more about NFP, go to the archdiocesan Web site at: www.archkck.org. On the left side of the page, select the ministries link, then click on the family life link to reach the NFP home page.

21

The Keeler Women’s Center will host a 12-week series of education and support for women dealing with addictions and sexual abuse from 10 a.m. noon on Tuesdays, beginning July 21, at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. This series is presented in partnership with Friends of Yates and Joyce Williams Shelter. For information or to register, call (913) 9068990 or visit the Web site at: www.mount osb.org/kwc. The University of Saint Mary, Overland Park Campus, 11413 Pflumm, will host a free information session for prospective students from 6- 7:30 p.m. on July 21. Learn about flexible, accelerated undergraduate degree completion programs and graduate offerings in business, education, and psychology. A financial aid counselor will be available to discuss options. The Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., will offer a caregiver’s support group from 6:30 - 8 p.m. on July 21. Sandy Silva from the Alliance on Aging will offer information about resources and services to make caregiving less stressful. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the Web site at: www.mountosb.org/kwc.

22

Join the Singles of Nativity for happy hour, beginning at 6 p.m. on July 22, at Trolley’s Bar & Grille, 9100 W. 135th St., Overland Park. Look for the yellow balloon and our greeters who will be at the table until 7:30 p.m. Questions? Send an e-mail to: social@son-ministry.org.

23

The Keeler Women’s Center will offer “Making the Most of Summer’s Bounty with Fresh Fruits and Vegetables,” a nutrition presentation offered in partnership with K-State Extension Services, from 9:30 - 11 a.m. on July 23 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.

25

The youth group of Christ the King Parish, 54th and Leavenworth Rd., Kansas City, Kan., will have a fundraising car wash from 8 a.m. - noon on July 25 at Advance Auto Parts in Wyandotte Plaza, 7600 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Proceeds will benefit the parish youth who will be attending the National Catholic Youth Conference this fall. The Johnson County Unos will gather for 4:30 p.m. Mass on July 25 at St. Pius X Church, 5601 Woodson, Mission. Dinner will follow at TGI Friday’s, 11851 W. 95th St., Overland Park. St. Ann Church, Effingham, will host a parish picnic on July 25. A barbecue pork and fried chicken dinner will be served beginning at 4 p.m. The cost is $8 for adults; $4 for children ages 10 and under. Bingo and games will begin at 4:30 p.m., followed by an auction at 7 p.m.

26

The Leavenworth Region ACCW will hold a covered-dish luncheon at 12:30 p.m. on July 26 in the community room of Leintz Funeral Home, 4701 10th Ave., Leavenworth. The quarterly business meeting will follow with the election and installation of officers. Bring stamps, pennies for priests, and items for ditty bags. For information, call (913) 682-8899.

29

St. Joseph, Flush, will host a picnic and bazaar on July 29. A chicken dinner will be served from 5 - 8 p.m.

30

Holy Cross Parish, 8311 W. 93rd St., Overland Park, will host a card party luncheon from 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. on July 30. For reservations, call Helen Miller at (913) 381-4295 or Doris Wilson at (913) 381-2781.

30-8/1

Theatre at Vis will present “Bye Bye Birdie” at 7 p.m. on July 30, 31 and Aug. 1, and at 1 p.m. on Aug. 2 at Visitation School Theatre, 5134 Baltimore, Kansas City, Mo. The performance includes 43 children and teenagers from several local parishes. The cost is $8 for adults; $6 for children 12 and under. For advance tickets, call (816) 444-7008.

31-8/2

The Ladies of Sacred Heart, Gardner, will host a fundraising consignment sale from July 31 - Aug. 2 in the parish center, 122 E. Warren St. For information or to consign items, send an email to Melissa McGill at: mmcgill@ kc.rr.com.

Aug. 2

St. Casimir Church, 719 Pennsylvania, Leavenworth, will host its annual roast beef dinner from noon 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 2. The cost is $8 for adults; $4 for children ages 12 and younger. Carryouts are available. The youth groups of Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph Parishes will present Audible Lights, The Brooks Brothers and Allen Asbury, a Christian group from Branson, who will perform a concert at 7 p.m. on Aug. 2 at Immaculate Conception, 711 N. 5th St., Leavenworth. The cost is: $10 for ages 13 and over; $5 for ages 4 - 12; and free for children three and under. For information or to purchase tickets, contact the parish office at (913) 682-3953 or Carol and Katie Peterson at (913) 772-8871.

4-10

Sophia Center, 751 S. 8th St., Atchison, will host a silent, directed retreat beginning at 4 p.m. on Aug. 5 and concluding at 1 p.m. on Aug. 10. The cost is $350. A $50 deposit is appreciated. For information or to register, call (913) 3606173 or visit the Web site at: www.mount osb.org/sophia.

4-6

The Ignatian Spirituality Center of Kansas City offers the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola to help people explore and deepen their relationships with God. All are invited to attend one of the “Come and See” information sessions being held from 7 - 8 p.m. on Aug. 4 at the Church of the Ascension, 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park; on Aug. 5 at the Rockhurst University Community Center, 54th and Troost, Kansas City, Mo.; on Aug. 5 at St. Michael the Archangel, 5200 W. 143rd St., Leawood; and on Aug. 6 in the chapel at Rockhurst High School, 9301 State Line Rd., Kansas City, Mo. For information, contact Joseph Cirincione, at (816) 501-4109, or send and e-mail to him at: jcirincione@sfx-kc.org; or Father James Blumeyer, SJ, at (816) 523-5115, ext. 214, or send an e-mail to him at: jblumeyer@ sfx-kc.org.

7

The CYO of St. Patrick Parish, Kansas City, Kan., will host its annual golf tournament on Aug. 7 at Sunflower Hills Golf Course, 141 N. 122nd St., Bonner Springs. The cost is $75 per player; $300 per foursome. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For information or to regis-

CALENDAR

13

ter, call Bryan Barnhart at (913) 238-2143. The Johnson County Unos will hold their monthly meeting and potluck dinner at 6 p.m. on Aug. 7 at St. Pius X Church, 5601 Woodson, Mission. Bring meat casseroles, salads, vegetables or desserts — enough to feed 8 — or $5 to pay for your meal.

15

Bishop Miege High School class of 1984 will host its 25th reunion at 7 p.m. on Aug. 15 at Lucky Brewgrille, 5401 Johnson Dr., Mission. Help spread the word to other classmates through Facebook, e-mail or phone calls. If you have contact information for fellow classmates, call John Cissell at (913) 484-8755 or send it to him, via e-mail, at: jcissell@ kc.rr.com.

21-23

The Bishop Miege High School class of 1959 will host its 50th reunion during the weekend of Aug. 21 23. For information, contact Paul Lavery at (913) 484-3664 or send an e-mail to him at: prlsr@everestkc.net; or contact Linda (Spurck) Wilcher at (913) 909-4126 or send an e-mail to her at: dawilch@sbcglobal.net.

29

The archdiocesan education office and the Perfect Wings program will sponsor a eucharistic celebration for children with special needs and their families at 10 a.m. on Aug. 29 at Savior Pastoral Center, 12601 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kan. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will be the celebrant. There will be a reception following Mass. For information, call the education office at (913) 721-1570.

Misc. Bishop Lillis High School, Kansas City, Mo., is planning a 50th reunion for the class of 1959. For information, contact Baldy Darnay at (816) 640-9978 or send an e-mail to him at: mdarnay@kc.rr.com. Hayden High School, Topeka, will host a 45-year reunion for the class of 1964 on Oct. 10 at the Shawnee Country Club. For information, contact Marilyn (Harkin) Heideman at (785) 286-1300 or via e-mail to: gmheide@cox.net; or Bob and Terry (Brame) Bryan at (785) 246-2363 or via e-mail to: gograni@aol.com. There are ten men in the My House men’s groups that have been 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. De-stress your marriage by attending the next Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend will be held from July 25 - 27. This a powerful weekend where married couples can get away and focus only on each other. For information or to register, call (913) 469-8453, or visit the Web site at: www.neksme.org. The Singles of Nativity will gather for round-robin-style tennis beginning at 6 p.m. at the Indian Creek Recreational Center, 103rd St. and Marty, Overland Park, on Sundays throughout the summer. Beginners are welcome; there is room for everyone. We may go out for a light dinner afterwards, because the idea is to share friendship. For information, send an e-mail to Nancy Driscoll at: ndriscoll1@kc.rr.com.


THE LEAVEN • JULY 17, 2009

COMMENTARY

15

GUEST COMMENTARY

Safeguarding the heart of marriage t a family party, one of my relatives, a wife and mother, made an outrageous statement. She said there is “nothing wrong with Playboy magazine.” She actually called it “innocent.”

A

I had to spend the rest of our conversation helping her understand that pornography — any pornography — is not only wrong, but a potential marriage breaker. My relative’s perspective is not unusual. Today’s culturally accepted sexual promiscuity has desensitized the general public to harmful depictions of sexuality. Tabloids discuss the sexual exploits of the rich and famous. TV and movies showcase sexually active unmarried characters who typically “hook up,” cohabit, or, if married, engage in

adulterous affairs. Pop music celebrates sexual promiscuity while mocking virginity. The escalating use of pornography on the Internet reveals that we are in troubled waters. About 1.5 billion pornographic downloads occur each month from “peer to peer” file-sharing Web sites; 2.5 billion pornographic emails are sent each day; and online pornographic products and services are sold for $2.84 billion dollars annually in the United States. Most of this traffic is conducted by men. Pornography is never “innocent.” Pornography is wrong for many reasons. It objectifies the human person, especially women, turns the sexual activity of others into raw entertainment, and exploits vulnerable women and children for tremendous profit. Dr. Richard Fitzgibbons of the Institute for Marital Healing says that people who

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regularly use pornography develop a “disordered view of beauty, goodness, the human person and sexuality.” This is especially poisonous for married couples. The porn user becomes obsessed with his own pleasure. Authentic selfgiving to one’s spouse is decreased and spousal communication is diminished. The bottom line is that pornography strikes at the heart of spousal intimacy. It does harm to the marital friendship. A wise bishop who was concerned with strengthening marriages once said that the two-in-one flesh union of married couples is “not an empty symbol.” He said that spouses “have not become the image of anything on earth, but of God himself” (St. John Chrysostom, Homily 12). This is a very far cry from the twisted image of self-serving pornographic sex. The church teaches that the conjugal embrace is “noble and worthy” (Gaudium et Spes, no. 49). Sexual intercourse is not “something purely biological, but concerns the innermost being of the human person” (Familiaris

Consortio, no. 11). The key to understanding the nature of conjugal sexual intercourse is that it is both unitive and procreative. It is meant to build up the spousal communion of persons, and to cooperate with God to bring new life into the world. It concerns the whole person, who is called to love like God: “The total physical self-giving would be a lie if it were not the sign and fruit of a total personal self-giving, in which the whole person . . . is present” (FC, no. 11). Spouses need to safeguard their union and reject anything, like pornography, that will compromise their love. They must strive to love each other well — reverently, joyfully, and yes, passionately, always in the light of God’s loving embrace. Theresa Notare, Ph.D., is the assistant director of the NFP program, Secretariat for Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. To learn more on how pornography harms marriage, visit the Web site at: www.loveisfaithful.com.


16 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • JULY 17, 2009

University of Kansas basketball coach Bill Self (foreground, left) and legendary high school basketball coach Bob Hurley share a laugh at the Catholic Education Foundation breakfast on June 23. Hurley, the coach of St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, N.J., for the past 37 years, delivered the keynote address to a group of over 300 at the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City, Mo. The breakfast benefited the Catholic Education Foundation.

LEARNING FROM A LEGEND Legendary high school basketball coach Bob Hurley stresses discipline and tradition at the Catholic Education Foundation breakfast By ANITA McSORLEY Leaven staff KANSAS CITY, Mo. — When KU basketball coach Bill Self was recruiting freshman guard Tyshawn Taylor to his Jayhawk team, he warned the young player of one thing. “You’re never going to play for a better coach,” Self told Taylor, “than you already have.” Indeed, Taylor was a product of St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, N.J., where he played for the legendary basketball coach, Bob Hurley. The legend was in town June 23 to give the keynote address at a breakfast benefiting the Catholic Education Foundation. There, he spoke to a group of over 300 at the College Basketball Experience in Kansas City, Mo . In introducing him, Coach Self, the 2009 Associated Press Coach of the Year, explained that “the best coaches don’t necessarily coach in the NBA.” In fact, he introduced Hurley as “arguably the best coach in basketball — at any level.”

Proceeds from The Gift of Catholic Education Business Breakfast, sponsored by the Bukaty Companies, went to provide education scholarships for children in need. The choice of Hurley as the speaker, therefore, was doubly appropriate. Not only are his achievements as a basketball coach legendary — his commitment to kids in need is unparalleled. Although Hurley has been offered millions to coach basketball at the college level, he has instead stayed at St. Anthony’s, where his teams have won 23 state titles and three national championships. For 37 years, in fact, he has coached kids in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the country. He believes the discipline that his Catholic school and his basketball program instill has been key in the athletes’ subsequent success. Only three of his players, in all those years, have not gone on to college. But it’s not been easy, he said, insisting on the same standards year after year. “How do you remain old school as the seams are splitting all around you?” he

asked during his keynote address. His answer was simple: You mentor them. “Everybody wants to be good at something,” he explained. At St. Anthony’s, the long and legendary basketball tradition is something the boys aspire to be a part of. But to be a part of it, to make the team, the boys are required to sign a contract that commits them to the very strictest code of behavior. “We can’t have too much discipline these days,” Hurley said, “because we want these kids to succeed.” Ultimately, he concluded, helping kids succeed is the purpose of the Catholic Education Foundation — and the help of all those gathered for the breakfast was needed to make that happen. “Your involvement,” he said, “is going to give countless kids chances.” Emceed by Stan Cramer, the program concluded with some remarks by Archbishop Joseph Naumann, who thanked both Coach Hurley and Coach Self for their support, CEF board members for their service, and especially CEF board chairman Mark Ledom for his leadership.


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