09-10-10 Vol. 32 No. 6

www.theleaven.com | Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas | Vol. 32, No. 6 september 10, 2010

Photo by Steve Johnson

President of Benedictine College Stephen D. Minnis visits with the Missionaries of Charity in the new Mother Teresa Center for Nursing and Health Education at the college in Atchison. The Sisters are: (from left to right) Sister Drita Maris, Sister Celine Rose, and Sister Mary Marcella.

In Mother’s footsteps For Mother Teresa’s 100th, college lights up, names nursing building

By Steve Johnson

Special to The Leaven ATCHISON — Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta loved her lepers, as well as the other sick and dying she lifted from the gutters.

How did she do it? With love.

“I see God in every human being,” she once said. “When I wash the leper’s wounds, I feel I am nursing the Lord himself. Is it not a beautiful experience?”

This kind of beautiful experience will be perpetuated in Kansas and beyond thanks to the opening of the new Mother Teresa Center for Nursing and Health Education in Atchison. There, students will learn about the “beautiful experience” of caring for the sick and dying.

The new center was presented to the public during a grand opening on Aug. 26. As a crowd sang “Happy Birthday, Mother Teresa,” three of Mother Tere-

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, assisted by Benedictine Father James Albers, the prior at St. Benedict’s Abbey, blesses the Mother Teresa Center for Nursing and Health Education during a ceremony Aug. 26. Joining the archbishop are: (from left) Abbot Barnabas Senecal, OSB; Sister Anne Shepard, OSB, prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Atchison; Minnis; and Katie Bachkora, a nursing student at Benedictine College.

“Mother Teresa Nursing Center.” sa’s Missionaries of Charity, along with “From this day forward, let this buildBenedictine College nursing students and staff, pulled the ropes that released ing be known as the Mother Teresa Cena blue banner inscribed with the words ter for Nursing and Health Education,”

said Benedictine College president Stephen D. Minnis.

Blue and white balloons lofted into the air behind the former Ramsay Medical Building, which Atchison Hospital donated to the college for use by the program. Earlier, Archbishop Joseph Naumann blessed the building and dedicated it to Mother Teresa on the 100th anniversary of her birth.

The event brought dignitaries and old friends alike to Atchison. At the luncheon following the dedication, U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) shared stories of his encounters with Mother Teresa.

“She could teach a deep theological lesson in seven words,” he said, adding that she was influential in his conversion to Catholicism.

Benedictine Sister Veronica Daniels, an alumna of the college from the class of 1969, shared what it was like to be Mother Teresa’s personal nurse.

“Whenever she spoke to you, it was like you were the most important person in the world,” she said.

Benedictine College’s new nursing Turn to “PRIORESS” on page 5

2 archbishop

THE LEAVEN • september 10, 2010

THE LEAVEN • september 10, 2010

Sister Rita Smith, OSB

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS

Quality of our seminarians is top-notch

D

uring the summer months, several people mentioned to me that they missed my weekly column in The Leaven. I took this as a good sign that they noticed my regular column was not found in the summer editions of The Leaven.

As was reported in the Aug. 27 edition of The Leaven, one of the highlights of the summer for me was making a pilgrimage to Colorado with 27 of our 31 seminarians. It has been quite some time since the archdiocese has had more than 30 men in the seminary.

Some of the early feedback from the feasibility study, regarding a possible capital campaign focused primarily on strengthening our Catholic high schools and youth ministry programs, was the question: What is the archdiocese doing to provide an adequate number of priests to provide pastoral leadership and care for our 110 parishes?

A key element in cultivating vocations to the priesthood is to make certain that we are providing adequate resources so that our high schools and youth ministry programs can fulfill their mission in helping to form the next generation of Catholics. The primary purpose of our Catholic high schools and our youth ministry programs is to form disciples of Jesus Christ.

If our high schools and youth programs succeed in producing enthusiastic young disciples, then some of them will hear the call of Jesus to serve him and his church as a priest. Another highlight of the summer months for me was the opportunity to celebrate Mass at our archdiocesan camp. It was beautiful to see the devotion and enthusiasm of our young people for the Lord’s presence in the Eucharist Only one man (Father Scott Wallisch) was ordained a priest this year for the archdiocese. God willing, I will ordain three new priests next May. We

Archbishop Naumann’s weekly calendar

Sept. 9-10 Board meeting — Mundelein Seminary need to ordain, on average, three men every year to be able to grow slightly the size of our presbyterate.

Many people throughout the Archdiocese have been praying for many years for an increase in vocations to the priesthood. The Serra Clubs in the archdiocese, the Knights of Columbus, the vocation office, our priests and many parishioners have done a great deal to encourage and promote vocations to the priesthood.

Our 31 men in the seminary are the fruit of God’s grace, but also of your prayers and efforts. However, vocations are not just about numbers. Father Mitchel Zimmerman, our excellent vocation director, remarks that many people ask him: How many seminarians do we have for the archdiocese?

He says that very few ask him about the quality of the seminarians.

My time on pilgrimage with them provided me an opportunity to gain a better firsthand knowledge of our seminarians. Thus, I can confidently tell you, that not only do we have many seminarians, but we have many very good seminarians.

We need to keep our seminarians in prayer. Our 31 seminarians are spread over eight years of formation. We know that not every one of them will be ordained. Nevertheless, we should be grateful to each of them for their willingness to give time to discern if, in fact, God is calling them to serve his church as priests.

Pray that our seminarians will come to understand more clearly God’s will for them. Pray that they will use the opportunities that seminary formation provides them — not just to gain theological knowledge, but to develop the virtues they will need to be great shepherds for the church. Pray most of all that they will grow in their friendship with Jesus and in their love for his people — the church.

Opening Mass of the Holy Spirit — Mundelein Seminary Sept. 12 11 a.m. Blue Mass for firefighters — St. Pius X, Mission 3 p.m. Mass of the Innocents — Savior Pastoral Center Sept. 13 U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Pro-Life Activities meeting — Washington, D.C. Sept 14 Anniversary Mass for Cardinal Rigali — Philadelphia Sept. 15 Donnelly College board meeting Sept. 16 Mass for Donnelly College convocation — Cathedral of St. Peter, Kansas City, Kan. Wyandotte Pregnancy Center benefit dinner Sept. 17-20 Knights of the Holy Sepulcher Northern Lieutenancy’s annual meeting — Overland Park

Archbishop Keleher’s weekly calendar

Sept. 10 Mass of the Holy Spirit — Mundelein Seminary Sept. 11 Mass — St. Felicitas, Chicago Sept. 17-20 Knights of the Holy Sepulcher Northern Lieutenancy’s annual meeting — Overland Park

Villa St. Francis

Affiliated with the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas

ATCHISON — Sister Rita (Mary Harold) Smith, 93, a Benedictine Sister of Mount St. Scholastica here, died Aug. at the monasobituaries 26 tery.

Born to Frank and Mary Galvin Smith on April 25, 1917, in Kansas City, Mo., she was baptized Frances Rita at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish.

She entered the Benedictine community after graduating from the Mount Academy, went on to graduate from Mount St. Scholastica College, and earned a master’s degree in education with a minor in theology from Creighton University, Omaha, Neb. Sister Rita taught for 35 years in Kansas City schools and in Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, and Nebraska, where she was often also the principal. She chaired the business department at Lillis High School and, in later years, was on staff at the libraries of Rockhurst College and Benedictine College. She was known for the precision of her work and her gentle helpful spirit.

Sister Ann Donovan, SCL LEAVENWORTH — Sister Ann Donovan, 88, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth, died on Aug. 29 at the motherhouse here.

Ann Regina Donovan was born on Aug. 5, 1922, in Dorchester, Mass., the youngest of six children of William A. and Mary E. McGilvery Donovan.

She graduated from St. Ann School in Neponset, Mass., and St. Thomas High School in Jamaica Plain, Mass.

She entered the religious community of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth on Aug. 20, 1953. Given the name Sister William Mary, she made her profession of vows on Aug. 22, 1955. Later, she returned to the use of her baptismal name.

After profession, Sister Ann taught at parochial schools in California, Kansas, and Montana. After her teaching career, she engaged in secretarial work and as a clinical lab clerk typist.

Sister Ann received a bachelor’s degree in education from Saint Mary College, Leavenworth.

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Photo by Fernando Ugarte

The new St. Bernard Church in Wamego.

Photo by Fernando Ugarte

Stations of the Cross from the old church were moved to the new church.

Photo by Fernando Ugarte

A fisheye view of the interior of St. Bernard.

‘The church is amazing’

By Paula Glover

Special to The Leaven WAMEGO — For more than 100 years, the limestone Gothic-style St. Bernard Church here has stood as a landmark and a symbol of faith, its spire pointing finger-like to the heavens.

It was an eloquent statement of faith.

But it was too small. That’s why parishioners began to plan for a new church 13 years ago.

All their hard work paid off on Aug. 22, when they gathered for the dedication Mass of the new church. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann was the main celebrant and homilist.

“We want to give God our best and give God our first fruits,” the archbishop said in his homily, explaining how buildings are symbols of what we value.

The many beautiful churches built all over the archdiocese, even in rural communities during the Great Depression, are “eloquent expressions of the praise of God in brick and stone.”

The archbishop contrasted the new church in Wamego with another building that he’d seen during a visit to St. Louis. There, the largest building was a casino.

“God does not need us, but we erect good buildings to honor God,” he said.

He encouraged all present to “honor God, open your hearts and be heroic witnesses to God as Christian men and women.”

More than 500 parishioners and community members were present at the Mass, which began with a procession led by Archbishop Naumann into the church.

The dedication Mass included a blessing of the water, anointing of the altar with the oil of chrism, and a Litany of the Saints — with particular emphasis on Sts. Pius X and John Vianney, whose relics were enclosed under the main altar and the altar of repose.

The archbishop praised Father John Pilcher, pastor of St. Bernard, for his leadership. Father Pilcher, in turn, praised the parishioners for their dedication to the project.

Richard Weixelman said the church was “phenomenal . . . the way the parish came together to the final project.”

The building committee started 13 years ago and, with the exception of one member who moved away and two

Leaven photo by Paula Glover

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann anoints the new altar at St. Bernard Parish in Wamego with oil during the new church’s dedication ceremony.

Father John Pilcher, pastor of St. Bernard, addresses parishioners before the dedication ceremony.

who died, all the others continued the drive for a new church. Weixelman said many parishioners spent time helping with different aspects of the project.

An effort was made to utilize items from the old church, including the crucifix, the stained-glass windows (which were fully restored) and the Stations of the Cross.

Jim Meinhardt and his wife Barbara were both involved in the process. Jim Meinhardt said that the capital campaign started in earnest two years ago, with a meeting that included about 60 people. Last July, ground was broken for the building. Meinhardt said he’ll always remember when the beautiful ceiling was installed and, later on, when the final decorating was accomplished.

Barbara Meinhardt credits Father Pilcher with much of the design, saying he had definite ideas on how the church

should be structured. He stipulated, for example, that the tabernacle be in the center behind the altar and all the pews face forward. The design also called for a large narthex, or gathering space, and a cry room.

The church seats 500 and is designed to be expanded. The sanctuary features a soaring ceiling.

“The church is amazing,” said parishioner Cindy Diederich. “It took my

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

Photo by Dave Peterson

breath away to see it finished. It was so much more than I anticipated. I just stood there in awe. This really is a oncein-a-lifetime event,” she said. “Father John is an amazing priest and our community is blessed to have him.”

Father Pilcher, for his part, couldn’t be prouder of his parishioners.

“The people did this work,” he said simply. “I just happened to be their pastor.”

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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4 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • September 10, 2010

THE LEAVEN • september 10, 2010

Camp designed for those with developmental disabilities

Four ordained to transitional diaconate

By Kara Hansen

By Joe Bollig

Leaven staff

Leaven staff

LAWRENCE — The ordination of four men to the transitional diaconate at the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center here on Aug. 21 was both a dream come true and history in the making.

With this ordination, the four became the first clerics in the history of a nascent religious order, the male branch of the Apostles of the Interior Life. As transitional deacons, they will be ordained to the priesthood at 10:30 a.m. on June 18, 2011, at Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann ordained Deacon Scott J. Kallal, Deacon Vincent E. Huber, Deacon Edward Ahn, and Deacon Mirco Sosio through the ancient ceremony of the laying on of hands.

Through this act, the four men received authority in the name of the church to preach, baptize, preside at funerals, witness marriages, and serve the faithful through ministries of charity.

As members of the fledgling order, they will also live their organization’s charism of spiritual direction and evangelization.

“It is a unique blessing, and it brings us so much joy to know that this is real,” said Sister Elena Morcelli, AVI. “As we think about it, we almost want to poke each other. Is it really happening? And it is!”

The female branch of the Apostles of the Interior Life was founded in Rome in 1990, and the Diocese of Rome approved its charism and rule in 1996.

The male branch was founded in Rome in 2007. The women religious were invited by Archbishop James P. Keleher to found their order in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas in 2003.

Currently, the two branches are public associations of the faithful and are only recognized by the Diocese of Rome and the archdiocese.

“Our dream has come true,” said Sister Elena, the local superior for the Lawrence community of the Apostles.

“Our community’s charism has, very much, a priestly spirituality. When the male branch came about, they wanted to have the same spirituality. We knew for them the best [way] was to be ordained as priests, because that would be the full expression of the charism.”

WILLIAMSBURG — “Putting this retreat together feels better and more consistent with the life of Christ than anything I’ve ever done before,” said Dana Nearmyer, archdiocesan consultant for the office of evangelization and Catholic formation of youth.

The retreat Nearmyer is referring to is one designed especially for individuals with developmental disabilities.

The retreat begins at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 25 and closes with a 2 p.m. Mass the next day, Sept. 26. The retreat is open to youth and young adults with special needs between ninth grade and 20 years old.

“The retreat will have a focus on catechesis at their level and specific to individual learning styles to assist in deep spiritual growth,” said Nearmyer.

Nearmyer said participants would take part in the outdoor activities available at Prairie Star Ranch, like swimming, canoeing, horseback riding, and challenge courses, as well as interactive indoor activities — all with a focus on faith.

“We have had a yearning for a number of years to reach out to families and

Leaven photo by Lori Wood Habiger

Scott Kallal (left), Edward Ahn, Mirco Sosio and Vince Huber became the first clerics in the history of a nascent religious order, the male branch of the Apostles of the Interior Life. The four were ordained to the transitional diaconate on Aug. 21 at the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center in Lawrence.

The male branch has five men, each studying for the priesthood at various institutions in Rome. In order for them to be ordained, they need to have a bishop who understands their charism and is willing to incardinate them into his diocese.

Archbishop Naumann both understands and is willing to welcome the men. By agreement between the Apostles and the archdiocese, eventually all five men will be incardinated in the archdiocese. They will split their time between Rome and the archdiocese.

Three of the new deacons are American: Vincent Huber, from the archdiocese; Scott Kallal, from the Diocese of Springfield, Ill.; and Edward Ahn, from the Archdiocese of Chicago.

Deacon Mirco Sosio is from the Diocese of Como in Italy. The fifth , Alessandro Borraccia, from the Archdiocese of Milan in Italy, will be ordained a transitional deacon next year.

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The men have spent the past three summers in the archdiocese. This summer, they stayed at Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park. The women religious’ provincial house is only two blocks from the parish.

“Our main goal has been to get to know the [archdiocesan] clergy, because we’re joining this presbyterate,” said Deacon Huber. “I grew up here and I know a lot of them, but the others do not. Also, we’ve been trying to participate in archdiocesan activities and spend time with our lay [associates], the Family and Collaborators of Your Joy.” The deacons won’t have much time to minister as deacons in the archdiocese, since they return to Rome on Sept.

23. In the meantime, they will assist at Mass and help the female Apostles give two missions — one at Benedictine College in Atchison and another at Holy Spirit Parish.

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LOCAL NEWS 5

Leaven photo by Lori Wood Habiger

Archbishop Naumann lays hands on Vince Huber during the ordination rite.

Sam Charpentier (left) and Daniel Camacho, members of Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa, join in the fun at Extreme Camp at Prairie Star Ranch in Williamsburg. A camp designed especially for individuals with developmental disabilities will be held Sept. 25 and 26 at the ranch. kids with special needs,” said Nearmyer. “We’ve had a number of kids with special needs attend our camps and retreats successfully, but this is the first event to focus specifically on kids who have special needs.”

There are a few requirements for those interested in attending. Participants need to be independent in mat-

Prioress recalls Mother’s visit to college Continued from page 1 program began its first clinical classes on Aug. 25 and will graduate its first nurses in 2012.

“We are delighted to welcome 19 students to our new nursing program,” said Dr. Lynne Connelly, director of nursing.

“We anticipate a great deal of growth in this program as Benedictine College helps to address the serious and growing need for nurses in America.”

Benedictine Sister Anne Shepard, prioress of Mount St. Scholastica Monastery in Atchison, shared recollections of Mother Teresa’s visit to the Mount on June 9 and 10, 1981, when Benedictine College operated a south campus there.

While visiting the Benedictine communities of Atchison, Mother Teresa said, “I beg you to give Jesus to the young people in your care.”

Sister Anne sprinkled holy water on the building with Abbot Barnabas Senecal, abbot of St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison. Jackie Harris, a Benedictine alumna and registered nurse who

helped launch the nursing program, added a St. Benedict Medal to the foundation of the new building.

The naming of the nursing center was the latest in a series of events at Benedictine College celebrating Mother Teresa’s centenary.

The night before, the college hosted a block party for students in front of the campus’ Haverty Center and shot off fireworks in honor of the Nobel Peace Prize winner. St. Benedict’s Abbey Church tower, St. Scholastica’s Hall tower, and the Haverty Center were lit blue for the occasion, among other campus buildings. Blue lighting continued through Sept. 8.

As part of the dedication to Mother Teresa, the campus also installed in the entryway to the nursing center an original portrait entitled “Blessed Teresa of Calcutta,” by Dawna Gardner, an artist from Maine. The portrait was donated to the college by Stephen and Amy Minnis.

“I can think of no better model to give our nursing students and no better mes-

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ters of eating and toiletry. They also need to be able to hike a half-mile on uneven terrain as part of the camp activities.

Additionally, participants need to have mild behavioral challenges that are easily redirected and they need to be able to communicate effectively in some form.

Mass of Innocents Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann invites you to join him in a Mass of Remembrance for all who have experienced the loss of a child thru miscarriage or other before-birth losses, through stillbirth, or in early childhood death.

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sage to send them,” said Minnis. “Every day, when our nursing students enter through those doors, they will see that beautiful image of Mother Teresa caring for a child and read the words: ‘Give your hands to serve and your hearts to love.’”

The approximately 12,000-squarefoot center includes two large classrooms, a clinical skills lab, a high-fidelity simulation room, seven faculty offices, additional administrative offices, an area for practicing clinical assessment skills, and several computer labs and study areas for students.

Missionaries of Charity Superior General Sister M. Prema wrote a letter to Benedictine College granting permission for the naming of the building on behalf of the congregation of Sisters that Mother Teresa founded.

“Our hope and plan for Benedictine College students is that by focusing on Mother Teresa they will learn to do something beautiful for God in our own day,” said Father Brendan Rolling, OSB, college ministry head.

As part of the retreat, parents of attendees are required to stay overnight with their son or daughter. Parents will be able to enjoy other activities at Prairie Star Ranch during the day while their child is involved with the retreat.

The closing Mass will be celebrated

by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and vicar general Father Gary Pennings.

Nearmyer said he was looking forward to the experience for what it could bring to participants, parents and retreat staff.

“I think the fruit this retreat is going to bring about will be greater than anything I can imagine,” he said.

Cost for an individual and his or her parent to attend the retreat is $140.

More information, online sign-up forms, and a scholarship application are available on the Web site at: www. archkck.org. Go to the department of parish ministries pull-down menu and click on youth. From there, scroll to events and click on “retreat for individuals with special needs.”

For more information or to sign up for the retreat, contact Mary Rukavina in the office of evangelization and Catholic formation for youth at (913) 6470373.

Retreat to explore ‘life and spirituality of Dorothy Day’ Leavenworth — “The Life and Spirituality of Dorothy Day” will be the focus of spiritual exploration during a one-day retreat on Sept. 18 at Marillac Center here.

Lisa Wagner-Carollo, who has toured the country and overseas for 20 years with the play “Haunted by God: The Life of Dorothy Day,” will facilitate the session from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Known as the “mother of the peace movement,” Day co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement, which has been responsible for feeding and housing people who are homeless and for publishing a monthly, nationally read newspaper.

Wagner-Carollo will focus on Day’s embodiment of the works of mercy and the gratitude with which she lived. The retreat will conclude with Mass at 4 p.m. for participants wishing to attend.

Cost for the retreat is $45 and includes lunch. Registration deadline is Sept. 14. To register, call (913) 7586552; send an e-mail to: retreats@ scls.org; or visit the Web site at: www.

MarillacCenter.org.

6 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • september 10, 2010

THE LEAVEN • september 10, 2010

Dream on: Symposium hopes to spur action “Sister [RoseTherese] came and Leaven staff spoke to us and was very energized,” said Schapker. “She was very inspiring.”

MISSION — Just one day can Sister RoseTherese previously change your outlook on life and the worked for the Diocese of Kansas world.

City-St. Joseph at the Center for PasThat’s what organizers of the “Awakening the Dreamer, Changing toral Life and Ministry. She is currentthe Dream” symposium hope people ly an associate chaplain at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. Integratwill experience on Sept. 18 at St. Pius ing and cultivating justice and X Parish in Mission. care for the environment from The day will officially a faith perspective is her pasbegin in the parish hall sion. at 8:45 a.m. (There is an “From a religious perspecoptional rosary and Mass tive, our own popes and bishops at 7:50 a.m.) The focus have been urging us through of the symposium will be strong statements for over 20 helping Catholic parishyears about the moral imperaioners — as well as anytive to care for creation, espeone in the Kansas City cially because environmenarea who is interested in tal degradation most heavily attending — respond to global issues like poverty, Sister RoseTherese impacts poor and vulnerable Huelsman, IHM people around the world,” said economic crisis, and cliSister RoseTherese. “We are mate change.

“The information is spiritual in called to partner with God as stewards nature, but the information pro- of creation.”

The symposium focuses on giving vided touches everyone,” said Phyllis Schapker, a St. Pius X parishioner attendees a chance to discuss and reflect on ways to help create a more who is helping coordinate the sympojust, spiritually fulfilling and environsium. “The symposium is for anyone mentally sustainable world. Sister who is willing to come.”

Schapker said the symposium was RoseTherese explained the symposium’s title. initiated by several members of St. Pius’ “Many of us — to some extent all of Green Committee, who had attended one in another location and thought it us — are living in a dream world that tells us we can continue living as we would be a good fit with their parish. are and thrive — or even survive. The Schapker found the symposium’s facilitator, Sister RoseTherese Huelsman, way of life, the dream that worked for us in the past, is now working against IHM, to be an inspiring presenter.

By Kara Hansen

us. We need to wake up from this dream,” she said.

“The good news is that we can change the dream out of which we are living,” she added. “This alternate dream is not only possible, it’s already happening — a dream of a world that is environmentally sustainable, socially just and even spiritually fulfilling, which consumerism and materialism are not.”

“Changing the dream of the modern world” — the motto of the international symposium — sounds like a tall order to accomplish in just one day. But Shapker said that sometimes all it takes for change to happen is for individuals to view things from a new perspective, similar to what happens to people who visit Third World countries for the first time.

It is to be hoped that the symposium will help participants realize, she said, how “we live our lives so often on autopilot and how we become somewhat numb. We’re looking for [it to be] a wake-up call to see things in a different light. It’s not just environmental concerns, but how each of us relates to the broader social world.”

The symposium will end at 2:30 p.m.. Lunch will be provided and child care is available. There is no cost for the symposium, but donations will be accepted to defray costs.

For more information, go to the Web site at: www.awakeningthedreamer. org, or contact Schapker to preregister at (913) 722-3228 or, via e-mail, at: awakethedreamer@gmail.com.

Johnson County Catholic high schools offer information fairs KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Parents of fifth-, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students are invited to attend a Johnson County Catholic high school fair to be held from 7 – 8:30 p.m. at the following area elementary schools: Sept. 15 – Prince of Peace, Olathe Sept. 16 – Church of the Ascension, Overland Park Sept. 21 – Holy Trinity, Lenexa Sept. 23 – Holy Spirit, Overland Park Sept. 27 – St. Michael the Archangel, Leawood Sept. 28 – Church of the Nativity, Leawood Oct. 4 – Good Shepherd, Shawnee Oct. 6 – St. Joseph, Shawnee The information sessions will be in a casual “open house” setting. Representatives from Bishop Miege High School, St. James Academy and St. Thomas Aquinas High School will be available to answer general questions about each school.

The purpose of these fairs is to provide a brief introduction to the secondary Catholic education these schools offer.

USM named to ‘military friendly schools’ list Leavenworth — The University of Saint Mary here has been honored as a 2011 Military Friendly School by “G.I. Jobs,” a designation that puts USM among the top 15 percent of U.S. colleges, universities, and trade schools for America’s veteran students.

USM is a Veterans Affairs Yellow Ribbon Program participant and has an on-campus office available for veterans services.

“Regardless of the type of services you desire, we can help to make them special.

We are here to serve you and your family.”

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local news 7

Pastoral planning comes to the Southern Region

By Joe Bollig Leaven staff

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Any Boy Scout can tell you that if you don’t bring a map and compass, you might get lost in the woods.

The same could be said of a parish and its future. Change happens, and without a plan for the future, a parish can get “lost” in the challenges the future inevitably brings.

That’s why the various regions of the archdiocese began pastoral planning in 2005. In January, the Southern Region began the pastoral planning process, and it was joined in July by two parish clusters in the Topeka and Lawrence regions. “[The purpose of pastoral planning] is to be proactive, and not reactive, to the needs of our communities,” said Alan Meitler, senior consultant and vice president of the Wisconsin-based Meitler Consultants. He has worked with other archdiocesan regions on their plans.

The all-critical ingredient in pastoral planning is participation by parishioners, said Carroll Macke, former archdiocesan consultant for communications and planning.

“I think the purpose of long-range pastoral planning is to have input from parishioners who live in the region about the future of the church in their region and the archdiocese,” said

“The process is an opportunity for any parish to take a very sober look at themselves — where they’ve been in the past, and where they want to be in the future.

”

Father Anthony Ouellette, pastor of the tri-parish community of St. Francis of Assisi in Lapeer, St. Patrick in Osage City, and St. Patrick in Scranton Macke, who continues to assist archdiocesan pastoral planning as a consultant.

“The archbishop has recommended planning for five to 10 years down the road, and these plans will have to be revisited because things change,” he continued. “You have to have a plan on paper to prepare for what will happen, and not react in knee-jerk fashion.”

The basic question asked in regional pastoral planning is how can the region make the best use of physical resources (churches, schools, rectories, and other buildings) and human resources (pastors, parish staff, and volunteers) both now and for the future, said Macke.

One factor that makes the current process slightly different from others in the past is that it is being done after the boundaries of the pastoral regions were redrawn in 2008, reducing the number of regions from 11 to eight.

With these changes, the Southern

Region became one of the largest in the archdiocese in terms of geographical area, as did the Topeka Region. Now the Southern Region is comprised of 19 parishes (counting the Didde Catholic Campus Center in Emporia) and 10 pastors.

At the same time, two parish clusters are conducting parallel but separate pastoral planning.

The first, in the Topeka Region, is the tri-parish community of St. Francis of Assisi in Lapeer (48 families), St. Patrick in Osage City (212 families), and St. Patrick in Scranton (148 families) — all three share Father Anthony Ouellette as pastor.

The second, in the Lawrence Region, is Annunciation in Baldwin (215 families) and Assumption in Edgerton (75 families); Father Brandon Farrar is pastor of both parishes.

Father Ouellette’s parishes are planning now because they were part of the former Emporia Region and didn’t par-

ticipate in the Topeka Region’s original plan.

Father Farrar’s parishes are planning now because they don’t fit neatly into the Lawrence Region due to geography and demographics, he said. Also, due to the fact that the Lawrence Region is small and that the parishes are quite different from each other, planning will be done on a parish level instead of region-wide.

The planning process begins with information gathering by the consultant.

This includes visits to the parish and with the pastor. The next step is a meeting with the consultant and lay leaders of the parish. After this, two parishioners from each parish are chosen to be on a task force. That group will solicit information from the pastor and lay leaders, and begin to formulate a plan.

Since they are not part of the Southern Region, representatives from the parishes led by Father Ouellette and Father Farrar will form their own task force. At some point, either the Southern Region or the two parish clusters could solicit input from all parishioners.

A final review and recommendations could go to the archbishop this coming January or February.

“The process is an opportunity for any parish to take a very sober look at themselves — where they’ve been in the past, and where they want to be in the future,” said Father Ouellette.

Benedictine Sisters Carol Ann Peterson (left), director of the Keeler Women’s Center in Kansas City, Kan., and Barbara McCracken (right), who visits incarcerated women in the Wyandotte County Detention Center as part of her work with the center, sit with one of their success stories — Carmelita Castaneda.

‘Serving those who would not otherwise be served’ Benedictine Sisters’ ministry offers a new beginning for incarcerated women

O

n the outside, their lives are most often bleak.

Stories by

Bob Hart Photos by

Elaina Cochran

Addiction. Poverty. Fear.

On the inside, things aren’t much better.

“It’s all steel and concrete. The chairs are attached to the tables. And it’s loud — very, very noisy in there — because there’s nothing to absorb the sound,” said Sister Barbara McCracken, OSB, who visits incarcerated women in the Wyandotte County Detention Center as part of her work with the Keeler Women’s Center in Kansas City, Kan. “They can’t see outside. They can’t go outside,” she said. “They have a lot of lockdowns in their cells, sometimes 23 hours a day. It’s not good for mental health.”

And, Sister Barbara added, many of them are going through drug withdrawal — alone, sick and terribly frightened.

Some, including those detoxing, are pregnant.

“What we offer them is an outreach,” said Marla Looper, Sister Barbara’s coworker in Keeler’s ministry to incarcerated women.

“We’re not a governmental agency,” said Looper. “We’re just people who care.

“When they see that, it’s hugely important in getting them to make that first phone call to us.”

No boundaries Get your life together. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Just say no.

Well-intentioned individuals and society as a whole are full of advice for drug addicts, alcoholics and criminals. What they may lack at times is an understanding of the big picture in the lives of those people, particularly women.

Sister Barbara painted a composite picture of a woman being released from jail and struggling to get her life on the right track.

She’s a drug addict. She’s homeless.

She’s faced a lifetime of domestic abuse.

She lacks support from a spouse, partner or family. She has no money and no job skills. She may not even have any form of identification, like a driver’s license or birth certificate. And she’s quite accustomed to being dismissed — as unworthy, as a bother, as a statistic.

Sister Barbara, Looper and the volunteers at Keeler offer these women an alternative view.

Keeler Women’s Center services Among other services provided at the Keeler Women’s Center are: •Individual and couples counseling •Addictions and domestic violence education and support •Parenting classes •Tutoring in basic literacy •Classes in nutrition, work/life balance, family change, etc.

•Pregnancy testing and consultation •Grief support •Financial fitness •Services for the uninsured The center is located at 2200 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Its phone number is (913) 906-8990. Its Web site can be found at: www.moutosb.org/kwc.

“There’s a strength in these women,” said Looper. “They’re fighters.”

“I sometimes say to them, ‘Many women your age, in your situation, are dead,’” Sister Barbara said. “‘You’re not. There’s obviously something special going on with you. You’ve got something you need to do here in this life.’”

And so the Keeler Women’s Center accepts the struggles the women face and welcomes them with a policy of “no boundaries.” The ministry for incarcerated women welcomes those from a cross section of society: Although some hail from the suburbs and boast master’s degrees, the majority are single parents living in poverty.

It was out of a desire to serve the poor that the Benedictine Sisters founded Keeler in the first place, in 2003. Originally housed at Donnelly College, the ministry moved to the second floor of the Catholic Charities building on Central Avenue in January 2008.

“I do think we make a difference in women’s lives,” said Sister Carol Ann Peterson, director of the center. “We’re just trying to get the word out, so more of them will come to us.

“All three of us Sisters on staff gave up professional salaries to be here. We’re behind this, 100 percent. Keeler Women’s Center is here for the long haul. And this ministry to incarcerated women is an important part of what we do. Sister Jerome, who founded the Benedictine Sisters, always believed in serving those who would not otherwise be served.

That’s what Sister Barbara, Marla and our volunteers are doing with these women.”

A Keeler Success Story:

Carmelita Castaneda Before her candid conversation with The Leaven at the Keeler Women’s Center in Kansas City, Kan,, Carmelita expressed concern over confidentiality issues. She didn’t want other women to think that if they sought help, they’d end up with their names and pictures in the paper. She asked us to emphasize that it was her choice to be interviewed and photographed, in the hope that she might help someone else.

Where are you from, and where did you go to school?

I grew up in Shawnee and I went to Shawnee Mission Northwest High School.

When were you incarcerated?

I was in and out of the Wyandotte County Jail since 1992.

I’ve been a drug addict since I was 16. I’m now a recovering drug addict, clean since October of ’07.

Were you in jail for drug-related offenses?

Which time? Yeah, I was in for possession. Crack pipes.

Crack cocaine. I was on the street. I was homeless for seven years. I got my first DUI in ’92 and that’s when the jail thing started going on. I went to prison for a while, got out, hit the streets again — just kept doing the same thing, same thing. Finally, I just got tired of it.

How did you become aware of the Keeler Women’s Center?

I met Sister Barbara in the Wyandotte County Jail. I met her a couple of times actually and thought, “Hey, I want to do that [go to the center],” but I never did. When I was on my fourth parental termination (Begins to cry) . . . I’d just had a baby, and they took her from me because of my past.

I had to go turn myself in [to the jail], and I wrote a letter to Sister Barbara saying I needed them to go to court for me, and they did. That’s how I wound up here.

Besides going to court for you, how did the center assist you?

Therapy. A lot of therapy. They just helped with everything, actually. Anything and everything I needed, even before I asked for it.

Why do you think you finally decided to get clean?

It was just me, surrendering. It wasn’t because I had to do it, but because I chose to. It was a choice I made. And I had some really good people in my corner to help me out.

Now that you’ve been clean for nearly three years, are you still coming to the center regularly?

If there’s a class I want to take, I come back for that. I just completed a financial class, where they teach you how to get out of trouble with your credit cards and stuff like that. But my therapist told me it was time to cut the strings.

I can always call, though, if I need anything.

You’re working full time now for a local store in a national drugstore chain?

Yes, I’m a senior beauty advisor. I run the cosmetics department. I’ve been there for almost three years.

And you get to see your children?

My two youngest are with me now. And I get to see the older two. Everyone’s letting me into their homes now.

(Wipes away a tear.) It’s good. It’s really good.

What are your goals for the future?

I want my kids to go to college. I want to go back to school myself, eventually. I want the dog, I want the white picket fence, I want it all! A few years ago, I never thought any of that was possible. I was angry, and it was everyone else’s fault. Now I know I have to take responsibility for my actions. There’s accountability. There’s a big picture, and I’m a part of it. I wouldn’t go back to the way things were for anything.

10 local news Patricia (Stallbaumer) and Henry J. Lierz, members of Sacred Heart Parish, Baileyville, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary with a Mass of thanksgiving on Sept. 12 at the church. The couple was married on Sept. 12, anniversaries 1950, at St. Patrick Church, Corning.

Their children and their spouses are: Bill Lierz, Topeka; Kenny and Pam Lierz, Topeka; James Lierz, Topeka; Jean and Dan Wrosch, Onaga; Shirley and Gary Hulsing, Hiawatha; and Connie Lierz, Baileyville.

They also have eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. A private family celebration will take place at Crestview Manor Nursing Home in Seneca. Cards may be sent to: 331 5th St., Baileyville KS 66404.

Roy and Jeanette (Seeberger) Hanson, members of St. Gregory Parish, Marysville, celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on Aug. 28 with a 5:30 p.m.

Mass at the church. The couple was married at St. Gregory in 1945. Their children and their spouses are: Jean and Frank Benton; and Judy and Robert Marquardt.

They also have five grandchildren (one deceased) and three great-grandchildren.

Kenneth and Carol (Brecheisen) Koch, members of St. Gregory Parish, Marysville, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Sept. 19 with an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. at St. Gregory Church hall, 1310 Carolina St., Marysville.

The couple was married on July 2, 1960, at Assumption Parish, Topeka. Their children are: Kelvin, Bradley, Jeffery, Wayne and Troy. They also have five grandchildren. They request no gifts.

THE LEAVEN • september 10, 2010 Gene and Donna (Hains) Ashley, members of St. John the Baptist Parish, Kansas City, Kan., celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Sept. 9. The couple was married in 1950 at the Cathedral of St. Peter, Kansas City, Kan. Their children and their spouses are: Mark and Sandy Ashley, Mark and Madonna Muder, and Phillip and Beth Ashley. They also have seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Their children hosted a dinner on Sept. 5, and the couple will cruise up the East Coast into Canada.

Charlie and Mary Ellen (O’Brien) Green, members of Holy Trinity Parish, Lenexa, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Aug. 28 with a dinner and dance hosted by their children at the parish’s Quigley Center. The couple was married on Aug. 27, 1960, at Holy Name Church, Kansas City, Kan. Their children and their spouses are: Kimberly Green; Chuck and Terri Green; and Kevin and Susan Green.

They also have six grandchildren.

Patricia (Stephenson) and Vincent Kennedy, members of Christ the King Parish, Kansas City, Kan., will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Sept. 16 with a family dinner. The couple was married on Sept. 16, 1950, at St. Thomas Church in Kansas City, Kan. Their children and their spouses are: Bev and Charles Bradshaw; Peggy Kennedy; and Kathy Currie. They also have two grandchildren.

Herminia (Matos) and Theodore Reyes Sr., members of Holy Spirit Parish, Overland Park, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary with a Mass and family dinner. The couple was married at Mount Carmel Church, Kansas City, Kan., on Sept. 10, 1950. Their children and their spouses are: Joseph and Karen Reyes; Ted Jr. and Kim Reyes; Richard Reyes; and two deceased children. They also have six grandchildren.

Jack and Cathy (Burtt) Ferris, members of Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Sept.

10. The couple was married on Sept. 10, 1960, at St. Joseph Church in Downers Grove, Ill. The couple will celebrate with family and friends at a Mass in Downers Grove at 5 p.m. on Sept. 11, followed by a dinner at O’Neill’s Restaurant and Bar. Jack’s brother, Deacon Donald Ferris from the Diocese of Tucson, Ariz., will assist at the Mass. Their children are: Julie and John Mack; Suzy and Scott Williams; Colleen and John Douglas; and Kevin Ferris. They also have five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Frank and Bernice (Graichen) Hildenbrand, members of Holy Cross Parish, Overland Park, will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on Sept. 22. The couple was married at the cathedral in St. Louis in 1945.

They have two children and four grandchildren.

Robert P. and Joan C. McCarthy, members of Church of the Nativity, Leawood, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Sept. 2.

The couple was married on Sept. 2, 1950, at Holy Trinity Church, St. Matthews, Ky. Their children and their spouses are: James T. and Mary McCarthy; Robert P. and Ellen McCarthy; and Pamela A. McCarthy and Steven McGurren. They also have five grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren. The family will celebrate with a Mass at the church and a dinner at their daughter’s home.

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. They are for parishioners of Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, or for those who have been resided in the archdiocese for a significant period of time Please include the following Information: • The couple’s names; their parish; the date they were married; church and city where they were married; what they are doing to celebrate; date of the celebration; names of children (if desired); number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren; photo.

Photos that are e-mailed need to be at least 200 dpi. Mailed photos should be on photo paper and printed at a photo lab. Photos that are printed from home printers do not reproduce well.

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.

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For Rent Looking for apartment, studio or room to rent - For retired nurse. JoCo area preferred; approx. $500/mo. Need private entrance and private bath.

Call (913) 579-5276.

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 – 1 BR, 1 BA apartment in Shawnee near Nieman Rd. and Johnson Dr. $500/month; utilities included. 10911 W. 59th Terr. For a virtual tour, visit the Web site at: www.shawnee-rentals.com. Call (913) 649-7596.

Real Estate Mortgage rates have never been lower!!!

Considering a refinance or new home purchase?

Call today to see how much money you can save.

We make mortgage loans easy and hassle-free.

Evening and weekend appointments available.

Members of Holy Trinity Parish, Lenexa.

Call Kurt or Angie at Approved Mortgage Inc. (913) 599-0004 An equal housing lender.

KS mortgage number MC0002252 Wonderful true 5 bedroom home - In Prince of Peace Parish, Olathe. Only $175,000. Great updates; in excellent condition. Nice fenced yard. Master with private bath; laundry room off main level. Motivated seller. To see this great property, contact Rita Moley Dickey, Reece and Nichols, at (913) 269-4786.

Open house - Sun., Sept. 12, from 1 - 4 p.m. at 9621 Appleridge Lane, Lenexa. Walk to St. James Academy. 4 BR, 4-1/2 BA, plus main level office. Exquisite open floor plan with mud room, semi-finished basement, and more. On a cul-de-sac.

Historic home in Ottawa built by Washburn - 3 BR, two-story home. $149,950 See at: www.betty birzer.com. Reece & Nichols Town & Country Realty Inc. (785) 418-5701 or (785) 229-8890 for appt. (classified ads continue on page 13)

(continued from page 12)

For Sale For sale - Two burial niches in the Nativity Mosaic feature corridor (niche 226D) at Resurrection Cemetery, Lenexa. Includes everything needed — lettering, dates, opening of crypt, etc. Complete chapel access and visitation are possible in any kind of weather. Selling below cost. Call (913) 492-8728.

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) 3932042.

Childcare Part-time day care available - For your toddler or preschooler. Licensed in-home provider near St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Overland Park. Call (913) 906-0452 or (913) 486-0782.

Misc.

ParentsGoingGreen.com is on a mission! We are a network of parents who have joined together to provide an at-home business opportunity that is changing lives. We provide free support, free training, and your own free Web site. There is no selling, no inventory and no risk! Click on the ‘get free info’ button on my Web site! www.ParentsGoingGreen. com.

Donate a vehicle. Make a difference. Donate your vehicle to Catholic Charities to support those in need. Your tax-deductible donation of a vehicle helps children and families served by Catholic Charities and is an environmentally responsible way to recycle your vehicle. Cars for KC Kids is a partnership between Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas and Catholic Charities of Kansas City - St. Joseph. Call 1 (866) 4309499 or visit the Web site at: www.cars4kckids. com.

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.

Antique/Vintage Costume Jewelry ***Wanted to Buy*** * Member St. Joseph Parish Renee Maderak (913) 631-7179

Entertainment 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.

Want to help someone heal from an abortion?

Call Toll Free 888-246-1504

Sept.

11

A polka dance will be held on Sept. 11 at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 5900 King, Shawnee. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The cost of $10 includes sausage, sauerkraut and beverages. For information or to reserve a table, call Dan Nicks at (913) 631-4633.

A gigantic garage sale to benefit Catholic Charities and the Ancient Order of Hibernians will be held from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 11 at 87th and Farley, Overland Park.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta Church, 2014 N.W. 46th St., Topeka, will host Holy Smokin’ 5K on Sept. 11. There will be a 5K run/walk, a one-mile fun run and a quarter-mile kiddie run. Registration begins at 7 a.m.; the races begin at 8 a.m. Advance registration costs $15; on-site registration is $20. There is no charge for the fun run or kiddie run. For registration forms, visit the Web site at: www.mtcctopeka.org. The Holy Smokin’ Jamboree will follow.

Holy Family Parish, 820 Birch, Eudora, will host an ethnic fest and street dance at 6 p.m. on Sept. 11 in the lower parking lot, located on the east side of the church. The cost is: $5 a plate for adults; $3 a plate for youth; children ages 4 and under eat free.

St. Philippine Duchesne Latin Mass Community will host its annual parish dinner on Sept. 11 at the Shawnee Civic Center, 13817 Johnson Dr., Shawnee. Social hour begins at 6:30 p.m.; dinner will be served at 7:15 p.m. Dr. Jack Cashill will speak about his new book, “Popes and Bankers,” the story of the nature and origins of the modern economy.

Tickets cost $30. For information, send an e-mail to John Watkins at: watkinsjv@ gmail.com, or call (785) 331-8232.

Queen of the Holy Rosary-Wea, 22705 Metcalf Ave., Bucyrus, will host its annual benefit auction — Red, White & Wea — from 5 - 11 p.m. on Sept. 11. The cost of $40 per person includes dinner, beer and wine, late-night snacks, and an after-auction dance party. For information or to purchase tickets, call Greg Crow at (913) 424-5358 or visit the Web site at: www.hrauction.org.

11-12 Mother Teresa of Calcutta Church, 2014 N.W. 46th St., To-

peka, will host its annual Holy Smoking Jamboree on Sept. 11 - 12 on the church grounds. A dinner will be served at 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 12. The cost is $8 for adults; $4 for children. There will be a cakewalk, bingo, children’s games, a car show, an auction and more.

12

Join Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann for the annual Blue Mass for emergency workers at 11 a.m. on Sept.

12 at St. Pius X Church, 5601 Woodson, Mission.

A Serra meeting will be held at 1 p.m. on Sept. 12 at the Dooley Center at Mount St. Scholastica, Atchison. Dan Spencer, district governor for Serra, will conduct an informational meeting on starting an Atchison regional Serra Club.

All men and women are invited.

Holy Cross Parish, 8311 W. 93rd St., Overland Park, will host its annual festival from noon - 5 p.m. on Sept. 12. Enjoy

ethnic foods, live entertainment, bingo, inflatables, and games for all ages.

12-16

St. Dominic/St. Francis Xavier Parish, 416 Ohio Ave., Holton, will sponsor a parish mission, entitled ”Returning Home,” from 6:30 8 p.m. nightly from Sept. 12- 16.

13

A ten-week Bible study on the Book of Deuteronomy will be offered from 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. on Mondays, beginning Sept. 13, at Holy Trinity Parish, 9138 Pflumm, Lenexa. For information, call Bill Thomas at (913) 451-6486.

16

The Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic will host a banquet on Sept. 16 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Overland Park Convention Center, 6000 College Blvd. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will be the featured speaker. There is no cost to attend this banquet. However, there will be an opportunity to make a donation or to volunteer to become a part of this ministry. For information or to RSVP, call (913) 287-8287 or visit the Web site at: www.BabiesAtRisk.org.

The social concerns committee of Prince of Peace Parish, Olathe, will sponsor a “JustMatters” eight-week educational series, entilted “Living Solidarity: Government, the Federal Budget and the Common Good,” at 7 p.m. on Mondays, beginning Sept. 16. For information or to register, contact Joan Wissbaum at (913) 764-7758 or send an e-mail to her at: joan.wissbaum@sbcglobal.net.

CALENDAR 13

try will have its monthly meeting following Mass in the Father Burak Room. For information, call (913) 649-2026.

The Cathedral of St. Peter, 409 N. 15th St., Kansas City, Kan., will host a fall festival from 5 - 9 p.m. on Sept. 18. A Mexican dinner will be served in the parish hall. There will be raffles, bingo, and children’s games. For information, call Jim or Julie at (913) 321-1286.

A symposium, entitled “Awaken the Dreamer,” designed to respond to global issues such as climate change, poverty and economic crisis, will be held from 8:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 18 at St. Pius X Parish hall, 5500 Woodson, Mission. A rosary and Mass will begin at 7:50 a.m. Lunch will be provided, and child care is available. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required.

For information or to register, call (913) 722-3228 or send an e-mail to: awake thedreamer@gmail.com.

The “Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day,” an auction benefiting the Colleen Conway Holloway Scholarship at Notre Dame de Sion, 10631 Wornall Rd., Kansas City, Mo., will be held from 6 - 10 p.m. on Sept.

18 in the school gym. For information or to purchase tickets, call (816) 942-3282.

The Seton Center will host “An Evening as a Child,” an adult-only benefit at 6 p.m. on Sept. 18 at the Overland Park Convention Center, 6000 College Blvd.

The event will include games and activities, dinner, and a live auction. Tickets cost $50 per person. For information, call (816) 581-4722 or visit the Web site at: www.setonkc.org.

19

The University of Saint Mary theology department will present its annual theology lecture — “Welcoming the Stranger: Catholicism and the Immigration Crisis,” a look at the religious and moral implications of immigration policy, at 7 p.m. on Sept. 16 in Xavier Theatre at the Leavenworth campus, 4100 S. 4th St. The lecture is free and open to the public. Seating is limited; early arrival is recommended.

St. Joseph Parish, 306 N. Broadway, Leavenworth, will host a roast beef dinner and bazaar from 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 19.

17 St. Joseph Parish, 11311 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, will host a fall festi-

“The Life and Spirituality of Dorothy Day,” a one-day retreat, will be held from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Sept. 19 at Marillac Center, 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth. The cost of $45 includes lunch. Scholarships are available. For information or to register, call (913) 7586552.

val on Sept. 17. A fried chicken dinner will be served from 5 - 7 p.m., followed by games, raffles and a dance.

17-19

Worldwide Marriage Encounter provides couples with a unique opportunity to escape from the busy-ness of life and focus on making their marriage the best that it can be.

Enrich your life, enrich your love, and enrich your marriage by spending time with your spouse and learning the tools to a great marriage! The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend will be held from Sept. 17-19 in Olathe.

For information or to register, contact Ralph and Jan Lewis at (913) 400-7173 in Kansas City; Kyle and Denise Mead at (785) 357-5000 in Topeka; or register online at: www.wwmesection9.org.

18

The Curé of Ars Singles will host a harvest moon dance from 7:30 - 11:30 p.m. on Sept. 18 in the school cafeteria, located at 9403 Mission Rd. Leawood. The cost of $15 includes food and drinks. For information, call (913) 631-6873 or (913) 633-2403.

A memorial liturgy for deceased loved ones will be held at 8 a.m. on Sept.

18 at Curé of Ars Church, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. The bereavement minis-

The Knights of Columbus will sponsor a free soccer challenge competition for girls and boys ages 10 - 14 at 3 p.m. on Sept. 19 at the Eisenhower soccer field, 2901 N. 72nd St., Kansas City, Kan.

St. Therese Church, Richmond, will host a parish dinner from 11 a.m.

- 2 p.m. on Sept. 19. The cost is $8 for adults; $5 for children 10 and under. Carryouts are available.

Sacred Heart Church, Sabetha, will host its annual picnic on Sept. 19.

A family-style chicken and ham dinner will be served, beginning at 4:30 p.m.

The cost is $8 for adults; $4 for children.

There will also be bingo, cards, a cakewalk, games and a farmers market.

St. Joseph Church, Lillis, will host a fall picnic on Sept. 19. A brisket dinner with all the trimmings will be served from 4:30 - 7 p.m. The cost is $7.50 for adults; $4 for youth; children four and under eat free. There will be a cakewalk, bingo and chance book drawings.

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

Catholic Press Association Award Winner 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Quote Week

of the

“I can think of no better model to give our nursing students and no better message to send them. Every day, when our nursing students enter through those doors, they will see that beautiful image of Mother Teresa caring for a child and read the words: ‘Give your hands to serve and your hearts to love.’”

Stephen Minnis, President of Benedictine College See story on page 1 twenty-fourth WEEK IN ordinary time

THE LEAVEN • septermber 10, 2010

W

Sept. 14 THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS Nm 21: 4b-9; Ps 78: 1b-2, 34-38 Phil 2: 6-11; Jn 3: 13-17 Sept. 15 Our Lady of Sorrows 1 Cor 12:31 —13:13; Ps 33: 2-5, 12, 22; Jn 19: 25-27 Sept. 16 Cornelius, pope, martyr, and Cyprian, bishop, martyr 1 Cor 15: 1-11; Ps 118: 1b-2, 16ab-17, 28; Lk 7: 36-50 Sept. 17 Robert Bellarmine, bishop, doctor 1 Cor 15: 12-20; Ps 17: 1bcd, 6-7, 8b, 15; Lk 8: 1-3 Sept. 18 Saturday 1 Cor 15: 35-37, 42-49; Ps 56: 10c-14; Lk 8: 4-15

word of life

Be patient? It’s crossed my mind.

Find time for the important things in life

Picture me a few Wednesdays ago at Sam’s Club. I’m ready to check out and, out of the corner of my eye, notice a woman who is about a minute away from paying for her purchases. I scoot in behind her and unload a hefty pile of stuff onto the conveyor belt. As I slip out my Sam’s card, I see the woman slide her credit card into the machine and get ready to sign her name on the electronic screen.

Beep!

I look up at the sound just in time to see a little slip of paper come out of the cash register. “Ma’am,” the cashier says, “your credit card has been denied.”

The woman is stunned. At the cashier’s suggestion, she swipes her card again. Beep! Now the woman is on her cell phone, calling her bank. She finally reaches someone who can help her.

Relieved, she swipes her card and now punches some secret numbers into the credit card scanner.

Beep! Another rejection! The woman turns to me, apologizes, and says, “I can’t believe this is happening. I don’t know what’s the matter. I pay my balance in full every month!”

I wave off her apology and flash her a “don’t-worry-about-it” smile. There’s a shift change and a new cashier takes over the problem. She suggests the woman give it another try. It’s the same drill: call the bank, swipe the card, enter more secret numbers and . . . beep!

Rejected! My frozen food begins to thaw

on the belt.

Totally fed up, the woman hauls out another credit card, swipes it and, hallelujah, it works! As she begins yet another apology to me, I say, “Look, ma’am, don’t be concerned about this. It’s not your fault. And, honestly, if this is the worst thing that happens to me today, I’ll consider myself lucky. I hope that this is the worst part of your day and that the rest of the day only gets better.”

As the woman leaves, the clerk says, “Wow, you were really patient. Most people wouldn’t have been so nice.”

I answer with a grin, “Hey, I’m working on it.”

Still fresh in my mind was a similar situation several months before, also at Sam’s. This time, however, I was the “offending party.” I’d had a few gift cards pile up and decided to use them all at once. Two went through fine; one was stubborn. A woman behind me emptied her cart on the belt while she chatted on the phone. The clerk scanned my gift card again and again, to no avail. I gave a “what-can-you-do?” shrug to the woman behind me. She stared daggers back at me.

When a supervisor came over and told the clerk to rescan my whole order, the woman behind me lost it. She was still on the phone and loudly huffed into it, “Oh, I just can’t believe this! Some

guy is in front of me . . .” I didn’t hear the rest as she turned away to violently pick things up from the belt and slam them back into her cart. It was an ugly display.

I didn’t like what I saw.

OK, my patience in Sam’s equals two steps forward. The one step back concerns the Kansas City Star. Since Sept. 1, there’s been a new carrier who has been bypassing my house. After three days of this, I asked my secretary to call the carrier. On Saturday, there’s a paper in the driveway; on Sunday, nothing. Monday morning dawned with high hopes, which quickly dissipated along with my patience, as I surveyed an empty driveway.

The words of Jesus from this past weekend flashed in my mind and indicted me: “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.” Patience and cross-carrying go hand in hand. For many of us, the crosses that we encounter are the little inconveniences of daily life, like waiting in line or not getting a paper. But it’s often these small things that drive us to extremely inappropriate responses.

Patience helps us put it all into perspective. My behavior at Sam’s made me feel good. It’s how I think Jesus might have handled things. The paper situation?

Well, not so much.

Maybe we can all make patience our goal in this month of September as school and other activities get into full swing. You can bet that something, sometime, will go wrong. Will we see the difficulty as a cross to be accepted?

The way we respond will show Jesus, and those around us, whether we care enough to step up and be his disciples or not.

word to life

M

commentary 15

Mark my words

ell, it’s two steps forward, one step back. At least, I hope that’s what it is.

Sept. 12 TWENTY-fourth SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Ex 32: 7-11, 13-14; Ps 51: 3-4, 12-13, 17, 19; 1 Tm 1: 12-17; Lk 15: 1-32 Sept. 13 John Chrysostom, bishop, doctor of the church 1 Cor 11: 17-26, 33; Ps 40: 7-10, 17; Lk 7: 1-10

THE LEAVEN • September 10, 2010

True love is measured by sacrifice

y mother was a chain smoker for most of my life. Every morning, no matter where I sat at the breakfast table, the smoke from her cigarette would find me.

This was just a part of life in our house. Mom smoked, and her cigarettes were one of the few indulgences she allowed herself.

But it is not a Twenty-fourth rare thing for a sunday mother to love in ordinary time her children and do nearly Lk 15: 1-32 anything for them. I distinctly remember the moment when I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that my mother put nothing before me.

I was 19 years old, broke, and out of gas on the side of the road. After getting a ride home, I asked my mother for some money to get me through until I got paid. She reached into her purse and went to the “secret” emergency cigarette-money compartment in her wallet. She emptied out what was there and gave it to me. She sacrificed

T

he transition between summer and fall is dramatic in our house.

Our oldest two daughters have both started school.

Fall activities like dance, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, and piano lessons are being planned — not to mention sports.

Then there are PTO meetings and various other committees that meet in the evening. Life can be super busy for families. With all the things that are going on, my wife Jen and I and our family can feel overwhelmed.

In our family, we have had to work very hard at protecting our family time.

With all the activities and commitments, it can be easy to overlook or miss out on the most important things in life. Developing relationships within our family, spending time together, hanging out with other families who share our values just to enjoy each other’s company are main priorities in the Karr household.

Other main priorities include taking time to invest in God and our faith with other people, praying together, and eating meals together. We have found that if we do not put these things first, they are the first things to fall away when life gets busy.

This fall the office of evangelization and Catholic formation of adults is offering a few programs geared at helping folks put first things first in their lives. Coming up in a week is a retreat for young adults and married couples called Fan Into Flame. Fan Into Flame is a retreat that helps adults connect with God and with each other.

The hope is for a greater release of the grace and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and to begin to build authentic community based on our new relationships in Christ.

Fan Into Flame is Sept. 17-19 at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kan. The retreat runs Friday evening through midday Sunday. The cost is $150 per married couple; $85 for individuals. Nursing children are welcome.

Come and give yourself a weekend away to more deeply encounter God’s love and plan in your life. For more information, check out the Web site at:

www.archkckecat.org On Oct. 23, the office of evangelization and Catholic formation of adults is hosting “The Great Adventure Bible Timeline” at St. Ann Catholic Church in Prairie Village. Dr. Ted Sri, a former faculty member at Benedictine College in Atchison, will be the main presenter.

The Great Adventure is a tremendous overview of the Bible that helps you to understand the “big picture” of God’s work in history. You can get more information at: www.archkckecat.org.

With all the busyness of life, I hope you can find time this year to make God and relationships with others a priority. Life is always better when done together — with God and with each other.

Matt Karr is the consultant for the office of evangelization and Catholic formation of adults. He can be reached at: ecat@archkck.org.

vocation corner

A

Friendships crucial to priestly vocations

vocation to the priesthood is difficult to bear in isolation. This is not to suggest that a vocation lies anywhere other than the deep interior of a person.

Vocations indeed are planted by God in the depths of the human heart, for they are meant to draw out every dimension of the human person in love, and they are nurtured well by silence.

Discernment of the priesthood cannot be superficial. The priesthood can easily be ignored by someone who does not pray in solitude, or who has a busy and noisy lifestyle.

Still, a vocation to the priesthood

can be something that is overly frightening if it is discerned too much in isolation. Fear kills many priestly vocations, which is why the late Pope John Paul II repeated over and over and over again to young people and to the whole church: “Be not afraid of Christ and his call.”

Early on in my own discernment, I was guilty of trying to discover my vocation in secret.

As I prayed with our seminarians

a few weeks ago during our annual pilgrimage with the archbishop, I got the overwhelming sense that the time we were spending together was “saving” some priestly vocations that might otherwise be lost. By this I mean that the diverse callings of our men to the priesthood seemed to be feeding off of one another. This was especially evident in the way that the seminarians prayed with and for each other.

It was a special joy and privilege to be present as the archbishop himself took on the task of forming these men for the priesthood. It was an inspiring look into the future, to see all of our seminarians opening themselves up in friendship to their brothers primarily because Christ is calling them not only as individuals, but together, to serve the people of the archdiocese as his priests.

As I discuss priestly vocations and interview men throughout the archdiocese, I always ask who their friends are. Then I ask them: If they were to enter the seminary, whom among their friends would they most like to see enter with them? Jesus himself called two sets of brothers, Peter and Andrew, and James and John. It is important for me as vocation director to get together men who are equally open to the priesthood, and then allow friendships to form that will produce a more generous response from our young people.

What a joy it is to see young men from the archdiocese rise together to meet the challenge of responding to the Lord’s call to priesthood. Please pray a rosary or make a Holy Hour for vocations!

Father Mitchel Zimmerman is the archdiocesan vocations director.

church and state her cigarette money for me. True love.

This reminds me of my favorite definition of love: To want good for another and be willing to do what it takes to make it happen. My mother wanted only good for me, and she was willing to sacrifice her addictive habit for me.

This week’s Gospel is chock-full of stories of people sacrificing for prized things. The shepherd spares nothing to find the lost sheep; the woman who loses a coin cleans her whole house until she finds it; and the father of the prodigal son sacrifices what he knows is best for his child to allow him to find out for himself that all he ever needed was in the arms of the father.

A priest at my parish often says that you know how much you love by how much you sacrifice. Every time we sacrifice for another, we reveal our love for that person. Not many of us will need to lay our lives down to demonstrate our love, but we might sometime

O “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it?”

Lk 15:4

need to forego money or even our favorite indulgence. It is not the size of the gesture but the heart behind the action that reveals the depth of the sacrifice.

Don’t strip marriage of its core characteristic

n Aug. 4, U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker overturned Proposition 8 — California’s constitutional amendment affirming that marriage is between a man and a woman.

He ruled that there is no rational basis for the belief that marriage involves people of different genders, despite the fact that this has been the understanding of virtually every culture in the world wherever, and whenever, marriage has existed in all of human history.

Judge Walker’s decision also promulgated this equally subversive finding: “The evidence does not support a finding that California has an interest

in preferring opposite-sex parents over same-sex parents.” After all, “The genetic relationship between a parent and a child is not related to a child’s adjustment outcomes.” Translation: It is irrational to believe that a child should be raised by his parents.

Contrary to Judge Walker’s deeply prejudicial ruling, however, there is a rational basis for believing what people everywhere have always believed. And despite the pretensions of gay marriage activists (inside and outside the federal judiciary) who imagine that their agenda is the moral successor to the civil rights movement, opposition to gay

marriage is not motivated by bigotry.

Catholics are motivated by their belief that marriage between a man and a woman is the arrangement chosen

by God for the expression of conjugal love and for the creation and rearing of children. But the broad coalition defending traditional marriage shows that this issue is not simply a question of religious doctrine.

The basis for opposition to same-sex marriage as a matter of public policy is, fundamentally, the proposition that every child deserves a mom and a dad.

While this is not always possible, it should be society’s aspiration. Marriage traditionalists reject the notion that men and women are interchangeable, and thus dispensable. Does anyone really believe that mothers have nothing unique and essential to contribute to a child’s rearing?

If gender difference ceases to be a component of marriage, then marriage can literally mean anything, because

it has been stripped of its core characteristic. The door is opened to every possibility, in particular polygamy.

The unthinkable suddenly becomes inevitable.

Having lost in all 31 states where same-sex marriage has been put to a popular vote, its supporters have sought to move the issue to the courts.

There, unelected, unremovable judges will be all too happy to remove from ordinary Americans the burden of selfrule and will hand down a decision as to how we are all to live.

Mindful Catholics, alarmed at the prospect of an eventual Supreme Court ruling that could bring their principles into conflict with their obligations as citizens, have seen this movie before, in 1973. Let us hope that past is not prologue.

Michael Schuttloffel is the executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference.

16 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • september 10, 2010

Good times

Sister Ann Chamblin (left), a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, shares a laugh with Benedictine Sister Therese Elias.

Thanks, Sisters!

All smiles

Sister Mary Laurz Huddleston, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth, sports a pair of smiley-face sunglasses won as a bingo prize by another Sister.

Photos by Susan McSpadden

Kansas City, Kan. — Consider it a small token of appreciation for the many years of service women religious have given to the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

One hundred thirty Sisters from various orders around the archdiocese gathered together on Aug. 29 for a day of celebration at St. Peter Cathedral in Kansas City, Kan. Nuns Appreciation Day was hosted and organized by the Serra Club of Kansas City, Kan., an organization

dedicated to fostering, affirming, and promoting vocations to ministry in the Catholic Church.

Festivities included dinner and bingo. Serra Club members gave the Sisters gifts and a bouquet of Masses in appreciation for their dedicated service. The ten congregations present were also recognized for their selfless work by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and Serra Club president George Dirnberger.

Bingo

Sister Yeni Jorge, a member of the Sisters, Servants of Mary, spies a bingo on the card of her neighbor.

Concrete Work

Any type of repair and new work Driveways, Walks, Patios Member of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish

Harvey M. Kascht (913) 262-1555