10-08-10 Vol. 32 No. 10

www.theleaven.com | Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas | Vol. 32, No. 10 october 8, 2010

Mission accomplished Graduates (from left to right) Maurice Harris, Charles Johnson, Carl Mitchell and Kenneth Waddell turned their tassels

after receiving their diplomas.

Salvation through education

L

Story By Jill Ragar Esfeld |

congratulations

Joel Butler receives a big hug from his mother soon after receiving his associate’s degree from Donnelly College.

ANSING — Like many young people planning their futures, Joel Butler has just completed his associate’s degree and is considering taking some correspondence courses.

He’s very interested in the field of telecommunications and hopes to start a small business someday.

Before he can put his plans into action,

Photos by Susan McSpadden

however, Butler has more than the usual obstacles to overcome.

First, he’ll need to get out of prison.

“I don’t know when I’m going to get out,” he said. “But I see the board in August of 2012.”

Thanks to Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kan., and its Lansing Prison Program, Butler has an excellent chance of getting out, getting a job, and never seeing the inside of a prison again.

Continued on page 8

2 archbishop

THE LEAVEN • october 1, 2010

THE LEAVEN • october 8, 2010

SECOND FRONT PAGE 3

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS

A

Convocation led priests to reflect on their unique role

few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend the better portion of the week with the priests of the archdiocese at our annual convocation at Conception Abbey.

the one we have been using for 40 years? Answering the second question It is always a joy for me to spend first, the current text that we are using time with our priests. They are exfor Mass has served us well for many amples to me of zeal and dedication years. It is a good translation of the in the service of God and his people.

Latin, but it was done in a relatively It is also obvious that they enjoy each short time frame (three years) and at other’s company, making it even more a time when the principles for translaof a pleasure to be with them. tion had a different emphasis than the The subject of this year’s convocaones that the late Pope John Paul II tion was the new English translation and Pope Benedict XVI have requested of the revised Roman Missal that will to be used for this revision. The origibe introduced throughout the Englishnal English translation has served the speaking world in church extremely well, a little more than as evidenced by the ‘The Shepherd’s Voice’ remarkable success a year on the First Sunday of Advent of introducing the programming notes in 2011. This new vernacular language Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann’s translation has been for the liturgy in the radio program on KEXS 1090 AM in the making for United States and airs at 10 a.m. on Sunday and is more than a decade. the English-speaking repeated at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday Compared to the world. and 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. introduction of the At the same time, Novus Ordo (the the current English New Order, which we use now) for text was always understood to be Latin Rite Catholics which introduced provisional. Forty years for most of us Mass in the vernacular (the native lanseems like a very long time. However, guages), this revision and new translain the life of the church, it is a very tion are very minor. Yet, because the brief period. The principles for the Mass and the church’s entire liturgy is new English translation have placed so important, even small changes are a greater emphasis on fidelity to the significant. original (Latin) text, greater doctrinal We were fortunate to have two precision, and more care for the beauty excellent presenters: Father Doug of the manner of expression.

Martis, the director of the Liturgical Generally, most of us resist change, Institute at Mundelein Seminary in especially for something as imporChicago, and Msgr. James Moroney, tant as the common expression of who headed the Office of Worship at our prayer. Yet, what the convocation the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishhelped our priests appreciate is that ops for many years and was intimately the new English translation provides us involved with the development of the all with an opportunity to reflect more new English translation. They helped carefully upon the meaning and the our priests understand the reasons for power of the words of the Mass. The the new English translation, the pronew translation gives us the opporcess involved in its development, and tunity to deepen our appreciation for the opportunity these changes offer to the beauty of the mystery of God’s love us to deepen our own understanding that we touch at each Eucharist. and appreciation for the Eucharist.

Most of the prayers that we pray at The first question on everyone’s Mass are more than 1,000 years old; mind is: Why do we need a new Engsome of them, almost 2,000. They lish translation? What’s wrong with connect us with our ancestors in the

Archbishop Naumann’s

Catholic Charities board meeting with vespers and a reception

Oct. 8-9 Jesus Caritas bishops’ prayer group — Wichita

Oct. 13 Serra priest appreciation lunch

weekly calendar

Oct. 9 Mass for Sister Yesinia’s perpetual vows — Sisters, Servants of Mary Oct. 10 Installation Masses for Father Mark Mertes — Blessed Sacrament, Christ the King, and Our Lady and St. Rose parishes, Kansas City, Kan. Project Andrew — St. Agnes, Roeland Park Oct. 11 Mass with 1,200 Catholic school teachers — Christ the King Church, Topeka Mass and meeting with pastoral council — Savior Oct. 12 Administrative Team meeting Priests Personnel meeting Catholic faith, who voiced these same prayers more than a millennium ago. While the prayers are ancient, the realities they express are timeless.

Many of the priests told me that the convocation was more like a retreat than a workshop, because it inspired them to reflect not only about the miracle of the Eucharist but about the beauty of their own priestly charism.

Msgr. Moroney identified the temptation for priests to diminish our role as the presider at the Mass by adopting more secular models, such as viewing ourselves as a conductor — whose responsibility is to direct all the other participants; or as an entertainer — striving to engage people by our humor or creativity; or as a politician — attempting to convince the congregation of a particular position. While on any given Sunday, the priest may actually do some things that are consistent with each of those models, none of them are

Red Mass — St. Thomas More Parish, Kansas City, Mo. Oct. 14-28 Pilgrimage to Rome and the Holy Land with the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulcher Oct. 30 Gaudeamus dinner benefit for Catholic Education Foundation — Overland Park

Archbishop Keleher’s weekly calendar

Oct. 9 The Catholic Way taping Oct. 13- 14 Teach class at Mundelein Seminary Oct. 21 Teach class at Mundelein Seminary Oct. 29-Nov. 1 Bishops’ prayer group — Florida able to capture the essence of the role of the priest.

The priest is called to offer sacrifice in the person of Jesus. By the manner of the actions we perform and the words we speak, we are called to draw others — not to ourselves, but to Jesus.

We are the human instruments God uses to make the mystery of his love present to his people. This is indeed an awesome responsibility and privilege.

During the coming year, there will be articles in The Leaven, inserts in parish bulletins, workshops offered in parishes and regions, as well as other catechetical efforts to prepare all of us to welcome the new English translation. However, it is my desire that this year will be a time, not just to get ready to modify the words that we speak at Mass, but an opportunity for each of us to grow in awareness and awe for the miracle of grace in which we participate at each and every Eucharist.

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Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann pours sacred chrism on the new altar during the rededication Mass of the renovated St. Monica-St. Elizabeth Church in Blue Rapids (center).

Father James Shaughnessy, pastor of St. Monica-St. Elizabeth Parish, chats with parishioners following the rededication ceremony on Sept. 25.

Photo by Fernando Ugarte

Photo by Marc Anderson

Photo by Fernando Ugarte

Renovation made possible by ‘angel’

By Marc and Julie Anderson Special to The Leaven

BLUE RAPIDS — Merging their two parishes was only the first challenge.

The second was possibly more daunting: What to do with their ageing church?

Fortunately, an “angel” showed up.

Six years ago, St. Elizabeth Parish in Blue Rapids and St. Monica Parish in nearby Waterville merged. Prior to the merge, both parishes struggled to pay bills and stay open.

Under the leadership of then-pastor Father Bill Bruning, the parishes merged to form St. Monica-St. Elizabeth Parish in Blue Rapids, a town of roughly 1,000 located in the archdiocese’s northwest corner. A few years after the merger, the 150 or so parishioners grappled with questions about the church building itself.

The church, built in 1913 and moved to its current location in 1961, had fallen victim to time and was in need of repair. Various ideas surfaced, ranging from redoing all the pews and making other relatively small repairs to possibly building a brand-new church to connect to the newly constructed parish hall. They were unable, however, to choose among those ideas.

Parishioners said, however, that God provided guidance through “an unexpected angel” — Eileen Ratigan.

Ratigan, of Beatrice, Neb., grew up watching her grandfather, father and uncles work on church furniture, statues and artwork. From the time she was in her 20s, Ratigan has made a habit of visiting churches. While in Blue Rapids a few years back, she stopped in the church.

She said she remembered thinking the church had a lot of potential. As someone in the church restoration business, she contacted pastor Father Jim Shaughnessy and told him if the parish ever wanted to consider a renovation project, she’d like to submit a bid.

Sometime in 2009, Father Shaughnessy called her and said the parish’s building committee wanted to hear what she had to say.

Under the leadership of parishioner Ed Henry, the committee met with Ratigan. The committee was impressed

Photo by Fernando Ugarte

The newly renovated St. Monica-St. Elizabeth Church in Blue Rapids cost only $160,000 to complete, thanks to parishioners taking on several costcutting measures, such as acting as their own general contractor. with her ideas to renovate the church, but the price made her proposal seem out of reach.

Where there’s a will, however, there’s a way. The parish decided to serve as its own general contractor, thus saving thousands of dollars. Parishioners contributed in other ways, as well.

Bernard Bruna, for example, volunteered to strip and varnish all the church’s pews. And Dewaine Heinen, a 20-year-member of the parish and the manager of a local lumberyard, supplied the wood and paint for the church’s renovations, including all the sheetrock and doors.

Other parishioners helped to tear down the church’s frescoed plaster walls and reinforce the church’s foundation. It was the efforts of the entire congregation, said organizers, that truly drove the $160,000 renovation effort to its completion.

Parish council president John Wienck called the final results “breathtaking” and said he could not believe the way the community came together.

“Whenever we called upon the parishioners, they were there to help. . . . We can do amazing things when we work together.”

Ratigan said that with all the volunteer help she had, she was able to concentrate on things like layout, color palette, lighting and statuary — which is a good thing, since she had to search the country over to find a suitable statue of St. Monica.

The parish already had a statue of St. Elizabeth but wanted to honor both of its patrons. Such a statue, possibly the only one in the United States, was located in Philadelphia. A copy of that statue now stands in a place of honor in the renovated church.

Also, through Ratigan-Schlotter, a

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

third-generation family company which handcrafts church furniture and completes church restorations, the church received a new altar and ambo which were blessed and used for the first time at the Sept. 25 Mass celebrated

by Archbishop Joseph Naumann. Concelebrants were: Fathers Shaughnessy and Bruning; Father John Pilcher, pastor of St. Bernard Parish in Wamego, St. Joseph Parish in Flush, Holy Family Parish in Alma and Sacred Heart Parish in Paxico; and Father George Klasinski, retired. Msgr. Gary Applegate served as the master of ceremonies.

At the end of Mass, Father Shaughnessy thanked the archbishop for his support of the project, his brother priests for concelebrating the Mass and the parishioners for their hard work and determination, as well as their generosity.

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 • october 8, 2010

THE LEAVEN • October 8, 2010

A passion for children, a passion for life with her three youngest sons walking Atchison neighborhoods distributing fliers for pro-life candidates. Her 13-yearold son Kevin often helps with this and other projects.

“I think she’s definitely made a difference,” he said. “She doesn’t just say, ‘Oh, that’s horrible.’ She actually does something about it.”

Draftz appreciates her family’s help and sees a greater purpose in having the children involved than just getting the work done.

“I think it strengthens their faith and commitment to helping others,” she said.

By Laurie Ghigliotti Special to The Leaven

ATCHISON — In most people, the idea of going to court conjures up feelings of dread.

But in Susan Draftz, a parishioner of St. Benedict’s Parish in Atchison, it summons up a sense of purpose . . . and pride.

Draftz is a CASA volunteer.

Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASAs, serve as champions for children at the discretion of a judge hearing a case that involves the welfare of a child. Usually these involve abuse or neglect, or are cases of juvenile delinquency in which neglect or abuse is a factor. Because of the sensitive nature of the cases, CASA volunteers are required to keep all information about their work confidential.

Kelly Meyer, the executive director of the CASA program in Leavenworth and Atchison counties, and her staff supervise Draftz and 50 other CASA volunteers.

Draftz is one of only four CASAs in Atchison, said Meyer, where there is always a shortage of volunteers.

A typical case involves a child in the community who has been physically abused by a parent, and someone has called SRS to report the suspected abuse, Meyer said. If the case goes to court, a judge can request a CASA to investigate, giving him or her access to the court file, the social service file, mental health and medical files, as well as school records.

“Once the CASA completes the initial investigation, the CASA meets with the child, the child’s parents, and foster parents, depending on the situation,” said Meyer. “The CASA then reports to the judge.”

The initial goal is to ensure that children have a safe and permanent home, with the ultimate end being the eventual reintegration of the child back into his or her family.

“The CASA makes sure everyone knows what’s going on so reintegration can occur,” said Meyer.

To that end, the CASA keeps track of all situations in a child’s life.

“The most important part is that the CASA asks the child what they want the judge to know,” Meyer said. “What the child says is reported verbatim to the judge in writing. It gives the child a voice.”

A CASA helps ensure that children are getting the full benefit of the system — without getting lost in it, Draftz said.

Propelling the next generation to act

Leaven photo Laurie Ghigliotti

Susan Draftz poses with her children — (from left) Danny, David and Kevin — and her husband Tim. Susan is one of only four Court Appointed Special Advocates in Atchison.

“The most important part is that the CASA asks the child what they want the judge to know. It gives the child a voice.”

Kelly Meyer, the executive director of the CASA program in Leavenworth and Atchison counties “We’re required to spend at least an hour each month with the child,” Draftz said, “but most will spend much more than that.”

CASAs can remain on a case for several years — maintaining contact with the child, social services, parents, foster parents and the court — until the situation is permanently resolved.

Draftz’s husband Tim can easily see why his wife finds her role so rewarding.

“Susan has always believed that the juvenile court is for the benefit and wellbeing of the child,” he said. “In divorce court, Susan has served as guardian ad litem for children involved in custody fights. With her legal background, I can see how she wants to continue fighting for children.”

The Draftzes are parents of eight children, ranging in age from seven to 27, and are expecting their first grandchild soon. Draftz’s CASA involvement began

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in Illinois, where she served as a CASA for three years. She has served an additional three years in Kansas.

“I originally got involved because I was working as an attorney in juvenile court and we were also foster parents for pregnant teens,” Draftz said. “It just seemed like the next reasonable step.”

Although the challenges seem endless, the work is rewarding, said Draftz.

“Sometimes you wonder if you’re making a difference,” she said. “But as you look back and see what you got done, you can see you did make a difference in the lives of the children.”

Draftz’s volunteer efforts are not limited to the CASA program, however.

Living for life Draftz also serves as president of Concerned Citizens for Life, the local association of Kansans for Life, which educates the public about pro-life issues.

“We’re present at parades in Atchison County and provide the pro-life voter’s guide before elections,” Draftz said. “We also do the National Day of Prayer the first Thursday in May and the Life Chain in Atchison in October.”

She is also president of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women and a political activist.

“I’m politically active as a volunteer for any candidate who’s pro-life, regardless of their party affiliation,” she said.

Most recently, she could be found

While Kevin said he would prefer to be like a cat — eating, drinking and sleeping, when he’s not playing video games — he understands the lessons his mother is teaching him.

“She won’t let me be a sideline Catholic,” he said.

Kevin’s older siblings have learned that same lesson. According to their father, the older Draftz children are all involved in health, education and protection of those who most need help.

Their pastor, Benedictine Father Gerard Senecal of St. Benedict’s Parish, concurred.

“Tim and Susan are exceptionally devoted to the Catholic education of their children and teach their children to put first things first in their lives,” he said.

With a household to run in addition to her community involvement, juggling commitments can be difficult, Draftz admitted.

“Through the grace of God, I get up in the morning and ask him what’s on the list today,” she said.

And, somehow, what needs doing, gets done. She is grateful for the help of friends who lighten the load.

And although she takes on a lot, her husband said her activities reflect her nature as a mother.

“Sometimes her activities can be exasperating, because she puts a lot of time and effort into them,” he said. “But I know her concern for children is as natural as breathing air for her.”

Draftz, on the other hand, says her commitment to the cause of the most vulnerable flows naturally from her sense of identity.

“My activism is part of who I am — Catholic,” she concluded.

LOCAL NEWS 5

Archbishop ordains priest for Latin Mass fraternity

By Joe Bollig

Fraternity of St. Peter

Leaven staff

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A pastor with a deep love for the Mass and the traditions of the church played an important role in the vocational journey of Father David J. Kemna, who was ordained a priest Oct. 2 at St. Mary-St. Anthony Parish here.

“Father Albert Schmaltz maintained a love for all the tradition of the liturgy,” said Father David. “We had 40 Hours devotions, eucharistic adoration and processions.”

His parents also set an example for him, said Father David, with their commitment to Catholic education and by nurturing a strong prayer life in the family with family rosaries, nightly and meal prayers, and faithful Mass attendance.

The witness of Father Schmaltz, now deceased, and the faithful lives of his own parents planted the seed of the vocation that would lead him to become a member of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. He was ordained to the priesthood for that fraternity according to the Extraordinary Form, or traditional Roman Rite, a ritual has not been celebrated in the archdiocese for a number of years.

The music at the solemn pontifical Mass featured Gregorian chant by the St. Philippine Duchesne choir of Kansas City, Kan., and the Schola of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary of Denton, Neb. Archbishop Emeritus James P. Keleher was the ordaining minister and homilist. Father Charles Van Vliet, FSSP, was the assistant priest for the archbishop.

Father James Gordon, FSSP, Maple Hill, served as deacon. Father John Fongemie, FSSP, Kansas City, Kan., served as subdeacon. Father Eric Flood, FSSP, North American district supervisor of the Society of St. Peter, and Father John Riley, archdiocesan chancellor, served as archdeacons.

In his homily, Archbishop Keleher spoke of the rich gifts that come from the cross of Jesus.

“You will receive that same Holy Spirit who will change your life forever by burning into your heart and soul an image of Christ the priest,” said the archbishop. “He will do it with his unquenchable fire, so that its precious image and character is indestructible. We priests pray that the Spirit of Jesus will inspire us to lead worthy lives, so that the beautiful image we received on our ordination day will remain forever untarnished.”

The Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) is a Clerical Society of Apostolic Life. It is not a religious order, and its members do not take vows, but instead take an oath for the society.

The society’s charism (spiritual characteristic and mission) is to celebrate the Mass in Latin according to the Extraordinary Form. The fraternity operates in dioceses with the permission of the local bishop.

In the North American District (Canada and the United States), the society has 75 priests. Its headquarters is in Elmhurst, Pa. The fraternity came to the archdiocese in the mid-1990s.

Initially, fraternity priests celebrated Mass at St. Stanislaus Church in Rossville, until the fraternity opened St. John Vianney Church and School in Maple Hill, which is west of Topeka. Fraternity priests celebrate a Mass at St. Joseph Parish in Topeka on Sundays, and at Blessed Sacrament in Kansas City, Kan. There are approximately 450 members in the St. John Vianney Latin Mass Community in Maple Hill; about 70 members in the Topeka Community; and approximately 650 members in the St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Latin Mass Community in Kansas City, Kan.

Photo by Bernie Cancannon Photography

Archbishop James P. Keleher anoints the hands of Father David J. David as Father John Fongemie, FSSP, chaplain of the St. Philippine Duchesne Latin Mass Community, looks on. Father David was ordained into the Fraternity of St. Peter on Oct. 2 at St. Mary-St. Anthony Parish, Kansas City, Kan. Father David, 36, is the son of Joseph and Arlene (now deceased) David of St. Charles, Mo. He has five brothers (one deceased) and two sisters. He graduated from Orchard Farm High School in 1992, and attended Maryville University in St. Louis and Lindenwood University in St. Charles.

Father David held a variety of jobs after that, including working in a program for troubled youths in Alaska and in a program that helped disabled people live independently. These two jobs, in particular, led the future priest to think of what significant things he could do with his life that would serve others.

But perhaps it was his mother’s advice that provided the true catalyst to his discernment. She encouraged him to watch EWTN, a Catholic television network.

“I took her advice, and my eyes were opened to the richness of the Catholic faith, especially the holy Eucharist,” said Father David. “I really delved into the teachings of the church and experienced a strong desire to attend daily Mass.”

Father David entered the St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Lincoln, Neb., in 2000. After earning a bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 2003, he investigated a monastic calling at Carmelite monasteries in Minnesota and Wyoming.

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Further discernment led him to study theology at Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Neb. The Society of St. Peter operates the seminary and Father David joined the society. He was ordained a transitional deacon in the seminary chapel in March, and was assigned to St. John Vianney Chapel, served by the society, in Maple Hill.

Father David celebrated his first solemn high Mass on Oct. 3 at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Kansas City, Kan. His first assignment has not yet been determined.

Father David recommended three things for young men who want to consider a vocation to the priesthood.

“The first thing is prayer,” he said.

“Without prayer and a very strong love and relationship with God, you won’t hear his call. Another thing is to seek a good spiritual director. And [finally] visit a seminary or a religious community.”

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6 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • october 8, 2010

THE LEAVEN • october 8, 2010 Peggy (Strole) and Galen Wichman, members of St. Therese Parish, Richmond, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Oct. 15. The couple was married at Immaculate Conception Church, Valley Falls.

Their children and their spouses are: Lisa Anniversaries and Tom Carney, Sylvan Grove; Mark and Shannon Wichman, Hutchinson; and Jill and Clifford Williams, Burlington. They also have 10 grandchildren. A family dinner, followed by a reception from 2 to 4 p.m., will be held on Oct. 17 at the Richmond Community Building.

The couple requests no gifts.

‘GET ON BOARD’

The Our Lady and St. Rose Gospel Choir (below) presented “Keep On Keepin’ On,” a celebration of African-American history, on Sept. 19 at Our Lady and St. Rose Church in Kansas City, Kan. Father Mark Mertes, pastor of Our Lady and St. Rose (right), opened the concert with a prayer of thanksgiving, then took his place with the choir (bottom).

The program, subtitled “A Journey Through the Negro Spirituals,” also included some poetry by Langston Hughes and “A Conversation with Harriet Tubman.”

Photos by Joe McSorley

Dale and Delores (DeVader) Smith, members of Christ the King Parish, Topeka, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary with a family gathering at Table Rock Lake in the Ozarks. The couple was married on Oct. 14, 1950, at Holy Cross Church in Emmett. Their children and their spouses are: Sandy Smith; Vicki and Henry Riegler; Steve and Tina Smith; Tom and Brenda Smith; Mike and Barb Smith; and Mary Lynn and Mike Martin.

They also have 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Concrete Work

Sister Helen Keane, SCL LEAVENWORTH — Sister Helen Keane, 82, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth, died Sept. 30 at the motherhouse here.

Helen Clare Keane was born on Dec. 7, 1928, in San Diego, one of four children of Patrick and Leona Karrels Keane. She attended St. John Grade School and Our Lady of Peace High School, San Diego, and entered the religious community of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth on Aug. 18, 1950. As Sister Christopher Keane, she made her obituary profession of vows on Aug. 15, 1952. She later returned to the use of her baptismal name.

Sister Helen taught at elementary schools across the West and Midwest for 23 years. She then began 27 years of ministry in health care and pastoral care with the elderly. In 2005, she returned to California where she served as a patient visitor at Saint John Health Center in Santa Monica before retiring to the motherhouse in September.

She attended St. Joseph’s Commercial College and received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Saint Mary, Leavenworth.

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Event looks to tickle the soul

By Kara Hansen Leaven staff

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — We tickle babies’ feet and toddlers’ tummies.

But spirituality expert Sister Anne Bryan Smollin, CSJ, is inviting women of all ages to the Day of Boundless Joy, where she’ll teach them to “tickle” their soul.

The annual women’s event will be held Oct. 23 at Savior Pastoral Center in Sister Anne Bryan Kansas City, Kan. Smollin Sister Anne, an international speaker, therapist and consultant, will lead two sessions: one, entitled “Live, Laugh, and Be Blessed”; the other, “Tickle Your Soul.” Sister Anne is the executive director of the office of counseling for laity in Albany, N.Y., and has authored several books on spirituality.

“Sister Anne Bryan Smollin comes highly acclaimed nationally, and we have sought her out as a speaker for many years,” said Susan Carroll, a parishioner of St. Peter Cathedral in Kansas City, Kan., and co-founder of the Day of Boundless Joy event. “We are very lucky to have her.”

Carroll said Sister Anne’s message is one that is applicable to all

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“I have several of her books and she will give a deep, faith-filled message. She has the ability to explore the sacred in the ordinary,” said Carroll.

Carroll is also on the roster of speakers, as is Vickie Broxterman, a member of St. Matthew Parish in Topeka, who brings her unique and humorous take on the spirituality of family life to the event each year.

The day will begin with a light breakfast at 8:30 a.m., followed by the program at 9 a.m. It will close at 4:30 p.m.

Mass will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m. by Msgr. Tom Tank, pastor of the Church of the Ascension in Overland Park. Music and prayer will be woven throughout the day.

“We very seldom take time as women of the parish or archdiocese to be together spiritually and pray together,” said Carroll. “We are very lucky to have this day especially for women and [grateful] for the wonderful work by the family life office to put this day together, year after year.”

The cost for the day is $40, and lunch is included. Those 18 and under pay a reduced rate of $20.

Limited scholarship funds are also available.

For more information or to register, contact the family life office at (913) 721-1570 or send an e-mail to: flifesec@archkck.org.

LOCAL NEWS 7

Continued from page 1

Graduating to freedom

Proud moment

Graduate Maurice Harris takes a moment to himself to savor his diploma and his accomplishment.

The Lansing Prison Program offers an on-site associate’s degree to the inmates of the Lansing Correctional Facility.

Since the program began in 2001, 341 inmates have taken classes, 23 have earned their associate’s degrees, and 155 have been released from prison.

Of those 155, only three (two percent) are back in prison — an impressive number when compared to the national recidivism rate of 25 percent.

Indeed, many studies prove that earning a college degree is the single most effective tool in preventing a return to a life of crime.

“It’s a small program,” said lead instructor and program director Dr. Steve Jansen, a member of Corpus Christi Parish in Lawrence. “But it is a program I believe has the potential to impact people’s lives in a positive way.

“The students are attentive, they’re hungry, and they’re very, very grateful.”

Deep thoughts

Graduate Ahmad Bey listened intently to the commencement address given by fellow student Kenneth Waddell.

New graduates

Lead Instructor Dr. Steven Jansen had a post-ceremony talk with some of the graduates.

Mission-critical Donnelly College defines its mission simply: to “serve those who might not otherwise be served.”

With that in mind, the college began offering classes at Lansing to fill a desperate need that came about after Congress cut Pell Grants to federal and state prisoners during the Clinton administration.

As a result of funding shortages, more that 350 prison education programs closed down.

Now, even though college education is the single greatest deterrent to recidivism, Donnelly’s program is one of less than a dozen nationwide.

A few years after the program began, the North Central Association accredited Lansing prison as a campus of Donnelly College.

“That meant we could not just offer a few courses there, but we could offer a whole degree,” said Ken Gibson, Donnelly president emeritus and founder of the program. “We could have graduation.”

This past August, nine inmates, including Butler, received their associate’s degrees at a commencement ceremony at the correctional facility.

Speakers at the ceremony included Dr. Steve LaNasa, president of Donnelly; inmate graduate Kenneth Waddell; Roger Werholtz, secretary of the Kansas Department of Corrections; Jansen; and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann.

During the ceremony, Waddell spoke for all the graduates when he expressed his gratitude for the tremendous opportunity he had been given.

“I am the first in my family to get a higher education, so this degree means a lot to me,” he said. “I have more pride in myself and a sense of security, knowing I have a better chance at getting a job in the future.”

Flying blind When the Lansing Prison Program was first launched, Gibson said its greatest obstacle was funding.

Private industries operating within the prison, particularly Impact Design, stepped forward to subsidize a third of the cost. Donnelly raised money for another third, and inmates were responsible for the rest.

In 2004, however, employers decided they could no longer afford to participate, leaving Donnelly to cover two-thirds of the expenses.

“They are not garbage.

They are human beings and they, at least in my mind, should be given an opportunity to grow and change — and if it works out, they earn an opportunity to be free and lead lives of dignity and integrity.”

Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice recognized the value of the program by awarding the college a $223,000 grant to support operations for three years.

“We offer to inmates a three-credit class at the cost of what will be, next semester, $196,” said Jansen. “That includes books and all associated costs.”

Although an incredible savings, it’s still a challenging figure for inmates to raise.

Volunteers needed Interested in Donnelly’s Lansing Prison Program? There is an opportunity for you to help.

The program needs volunteers to serve as classroom assistants. Classes are offered simultaneously at three locations within Lansing Correctional Facility, via teleconferencing technology. The instructor is in one of the three classrooms, and volunteers need to be present in the other two. As a classroom assistant, volunteers will help answer inmates’ questions, set up the technology, and assist in assignment and test deliveries.

The only qualification for this position is to be a person with a desire to help make a difference.

Being a Lansing Prison Program volunteer is not a significant time commitment, but it can make a significant impact on the lives of the students. Donnelly asks that its Lansing volunteers commit to one evening a week. In addition, volunteers must attend a brief, three-hour orientation session annually.

If you have questions or are interested in becoming a volunteer, contact Roger Berg, Donnelly volunteer coordinator, at (913) 621-8744 or by e-mail at: rberg@donnelly.edu.

To learn about other volunteer opportunities available at Donnelly College, visit the Web site at: www.donnelly.edu/volunteer.

Those who work for a private industry within the prison have money on what they call their books, which can be transferred to pay for classes. Others depend on the support of their families.

Classes are held Monday through Thursday in the day and evening. The college tries to have at least 12 students in each class.

Jansen, who started with the program in 2005, has never asked why any of his students are incarcerated.

“I’m deliberately flying blind,” he said.

“But I do it because I think that is the best way to go forward with them — to not have myself prejudiced or otherwise affected by what brought them to that place.”

He believes the instructors do more

“The students are attentive, they’re hungry, and they’re very, very grateful.” than just teach: They model a life enhanced by education.

“I often tell them that I’m not financially well-off,” Jansen said. “But in many ways, I am very emotionally and spiritually and psychologically rewarded by the opportunity to do something that I love and enjoy and that makes me grow as a person.

“And I think education will give them that opportunity to emotionally and psychologically and personally grow.”

For Butler, it has done just that.

“It feels great — an actual good thing,” he said about getting his degree. “It helped in a way that I’m able to show my family that I’m doing something positive in here.”

The program has changed the atmosphere of the prison as well, by helping inmates get to know one another on different levels.

“We have a nice little intellectual cabal,” said Butler. “I can’t think of another word to use — we get together and we talk about different things.”

Inmates also have been inspired to organize creative activities like talent shows, and they often spend time studying together in the library.

“It’s not like out in the free world,” said Butler. “We do a lot of studying here because we have the time.”

Beyond the gate This year’s graduation was bittersweet.

Next year will be the last year for the Department of Justice grant, so the future of the Lansing Prison Program will once again revolve around funding.

LaNasa said his hope is for the program to achieve sustainability, thus securing its future. One way of doing that is through technology.

“This semester we’re making a fairly sizable investment in technology,” he said, “so we can realize some efficiency and broadcast some courses from here on [the] main campus into the prison, and make more courses available so we can grow the enrollment.”

The college hopes its program will serve as a model to help lower recidivism across the country.

“We got some support right now from the Bureau of Justice and they’re helping to do some PR in their network,” said LaNasa.

“They know the work is great,” he continued, “and they’re trying to help us spread the word about the model in hopes that maybe there are some more communities or institutions out there that might do something similar.”

The program would welcome more benefactors and volunteers, but LaNasa understands it’s a hard sell.

“There are a lot of folks in society today who are of the opinion: ‘Just let them rot,’” he said.

Jansen hopes as word of the program’s success reaches more ears, that attitude will change.

“They are not garbage,” he said. “They are human beings and they, at least in my mind, should be given an opportunity to grow and change — and if it works out, they earn an opportunity to be free and lead lives of dignity and integrity.”

Visiting the imprisoned is one of the seven corporal works of mercy, and Jansen encourages anyone who feels called

to the ministry to give it a chance.

“As a person of faith, I have always wanted the opportunity to do something of significance and value that would allow me to be a servant,” he said. “I think that’s at the heart of what we’re taught.

“This opportunity has given me a way to do that, and I feel very fortunate.”

The experience of teaching behind bars has also given Jansen an appreciation for the privileges of his own life.

“When you walk out of there and that metal gate clangs shut, it kind of puts your troubles in perspective,” he said. “And it makes you realize you have a great deal to be thankful for.”

Right now, that metal gate is clanging shut on Joel Butler. But thanks to the Lansing Prison Program, it can no longer shut in his dreams.

“It allowed me to change my focus,” he said. “I don’t just focus on things inside the prison. I look for something in the future now.”

“The program is a beautiful thing we have here in the institution,” he added. “I would hope people would see that it does help rehabilitate and reform us — it’s a big help.”

10 nation

THE LEAVEN • october 8, 2010

Hundreds gather to promote poverty-fighting legislation WASHINGTON (CNS) — Hundreds of Catholic Charities leaders and staffers took to Capitol Hill Sept. 28 to promote new legislation that they believe could transform the U.S. approach to fighting poverty.

Participants in Catholic Charities USA’s centennial gathering in Washington visited their senators and representatives on the convention’s final day to urge support for the National Opportunity for Community Renewal Act, introduced that day by Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., and Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass. The $125 million bill, drafted by Catholic Charities USA itself, would set up 10 community demonstration projects, including three in rural areas and one near a military base, that would operate with more up-to-date poverty measures and create “individual opportunity plans” for each client. “With the help provided in this legislation, today we tell the tens of millions of Americans living in poverty that people in need will be propelled onto a path of self-sufficiency, enabling them to achieve new legacies of health and happiness for their families,” said Father Larry Snyder, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA. “That they are not destined to live in poverty for their entire lives.” In a fact sheet on the legislation, Catholic Charities USA acknowledged that the bill “will not make it through Congress this session,” but added, “We feel that a conversation on poverty needs to be had, and your support for their bill will help start that conversation.”

Priest seeks to clarify complex identity, faith of young adults WASHINGTON (CNS) — Passionist Father Robin Ryan used to think he had a handle on how most young adults thought and acted.

But “the more I speak with young adults, and the more studies I read, the more I realize that this is a topic of significant complexity,” he told a recent vocations symposium in Chicago. With that in mind, Father Robin set out to help symposium participants understand what might attract young adults to religious life today — and what might make them turn away. Adopting a phrase coined by psychologist Jeffrey Arnett, he said young people today experience a stage of “emerging adulthood” characterized by a longer period of vocational and career exploration and a “lingering temptation to keep postponing commitment.”

THE LEAVEN • october 8, 2010

Bishops open to dialogue with Aquino on birth control

Survey shows shaky religious knowlege

By Patricia Zapor

Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholics know about as much as Americans in general about religion, getting right only half of the 32 questions in a survey for the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

In the U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey released Sept. 28 at a Washington symposium on religious literacy, Pew found that atheists and agnostics on average answered 20.9 of 32 questions correctly, compared to the total average of 16; Jews averaged 20.5 questions correct and Mormons, 20.3. White evangelical Protestants got an average of 17.6 questions correct, while white Catholics averaged 16 correct answers and Hispanic Catholics averaged 11.6 correct answers.

Black Protestants got 13.4 questions correct, while white mainline Protestants answered 15.8 questions right.

The questions tested general knowledge about various religions, about U.S. laws affecting religion and about key figures and beliefs of major religions.

For instance, overall, at least two-thirds of those surveyed knew that public school teachers cannot lead a class in prayer; that Mother Teresa was Catholic; that Moses was the Bible figure who led the exodus from Egypt; that Jesus was born in Bethlehem; and that most people in Pakistan are Muslim.

Only about half of the entire sample knew that the “golden rule” is not one of the Ten Commandments; that the Quran is the Islamic holy book; that Joseph Smith was a Mormon; that the Dalai Lama is Buddhist; and that the four Gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

On the questions specifically about Catholicism, 55 percent of Catholics correctly identified the church teaching about transubstantiation, that the bread and wine used in Communion become the body and blood of Christ during the consecration.

CNS photo/Mike Crupi, Catholic Courier

GIRL HOLDS KITTEN DURING PET BLESSING — Four-year-old Lily Ruter holds her 2-month-old kitten, Mystic, during an Oct. 4 pet blessing at St. Agnes School in Avon, N.Y. That day was the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and the environment.

Single moms, children find home at Catholic college DALLAS, Pa. (CNS) — Inside the bedrooms at Misericordia University’s Rosary Hall, you’ll find as many toys as textbooks. That’s because the dorm is one of two buildings on campus for the exclusive use of the nine single mothers and their children enrolled in a university program called Women With Children.

The program — in its 10th year — offers low-income single mothers the opportunity to earn their bachelor’s degree while providing on-campus, yearround free housing for them and their children. It offers significant financial aid, subsidized child care and a built-in support system that prepares them for life after graduation.

One of only seven such programs in the country, Women With Children aims to break the cycle of poverty that sometimes ensues when single women raise their children without the benefit of a college education.

“We saw firsthand how single mothers were constantly worrying about the wellbeing of their children,’’ said Mercy Sister Jean Messaros, vice president of student affairs, who established the program.

“The benefit of our program is that they can live on campus. They know where their children are.”

“My life before the program was very different,” said third-year biology major Jennifer Kates, who was homeless before entering the program with her daughter, Lissenda Sutton, then age 2. “Having a place to come home to feels really great.”

The women live in two buildings on campus. Each student has her own bedroom and a nearby bedroom for her children. Household responsibilities and common areas — including playrooms, study spaces and kitchens — are shared.

That can be difficult, Kates admitted. “Everyone’s from a different background and everyone has a different parenting style,” she said. “It really helps you to learn to communicate and work with other people.”

Students attend monthly meetings and participate in workshops on parenting, child development and communication skills.

While living at Misericordia, the children (ages 2 to 12) are introduced to the rewarding experiences on a college campus. The university’s campus ministry hosts a weekly event for the children, giving their mothers a chance to study.

“Our hope is that it will come full circle with their children and they will also attend college,” said Sister Jean.

CNS photo/Alessia Giuliani, Catholic Press Photo

PEOPLE CELEBRATE BEATIFICATION OF 19-YEAR-OLD — Young people celebrate the beatification of Blessed Chiara Badano, seen in an image at right, during an event in Paul VI hall at the Vatican Sept.

25 after her beatification at the Sanctuary of Divine Love in Rome Sept. 25. Blessed Badano was an Italian teen who witnessed to Christ before dying of cancer in 1990 just before her 19th birthday.

Pope asks young people to learn from beatified teen CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) — Blessed Chiara Badano, an Italian who died of bone cancer just before her 19th birthday, witnessed to the world the fact that God’s love is stronger than suffering and death, Pope Benedict XVI said.

“Only Love with a capital L gives true happiness,” and that’s what Blessed Badano showed her family, her friends and her fellow members of the Focolare movement, the pope said Sept. 26 during his midday Angelus address.

At Rome’s Shrine of Divine Love Sept.

25, Archbishop Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, presided over the beatification of the young Italian who died in 1990.

Pope Benedict said young people can find in Blessed Badano “an example of Christian consistency,” because she was certain of God’s love and trusted in that love even as she was dying.

“We give praise to God because his love is stronger than evil and death; and we give thanks to the Virgin Mary who leads young people, even in the midst of difficulty and suffering, to fall in love with Jesus and discover the beauty of life,” the pope said.

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At the beatification Mass, Archbishop Amato called Blessed Badano a missionary of Jesus, “who invites us to rediscover the freshness and enthusiasm of the faith.”

Even as she lost the use of her legs and was dying, she shared her faith and God’s love with the dozens of people who would visit her each day, he said.

“Her last gift was her corneas, the only organs that were still transplantable” because they were not damaged by the cancer that had spread throughout her body, the archbishop said. “They were given to two young people who can see today thanks to her.”

Blessed Badano’s parents, Teresa and Ruggero, attended the beatification Mass. Her mother told Vatican Radio that Chiara’s religiousness grew gradually and normally.

When Chiara got sick, she said, “She taught us how to do God’s will, like she did, because you don’t just say ‘yes’ when everything is going well.”

After the beatification, about 8,000 young members of the Focolare movement gathered in the Vatican audience hall for a nighttime celebration of Blessed Badano’s life with readings and singing.

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MANILA, Philippines (CNS) — The president of the Philippine bishops’ conference said the church was open to dialogue with President Benigno Aquino III about his proposal to distribute contraceptives, and the prelate denied media reports that he threatened to excommunicate the president.

“While the prevailing sentiment of a number of bishops was that of dismay and frustration over the reported stance of the president regarding artificial contraceptives, imposition of the canonical sanction (excommunication) has not been contemplated” by the bishops’ conference, Bishop Nereo Odchimar of Tandag, conference president, said in a statement posted late Sept. 30 on the Web site of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

“I stated that the initial approach of this issue is to be in the spirit of dialogue and not of confrontation. Threat of excommunication at this point of time can hardly be considered to be in line with dialogue.

I maintained that the traditional position of the church is that human life starts at conception and not at implantation. Some contraceptive pills and devices are abortifacient. Any completed act to expel or kill the fertilized ovum is considered to be an act of abortion,” the statement said.

The Asian church news agency UCA News reported the issues of birth control and reproductive health made headlines in Manila after Aquino announced during a late-September U.S. visit that his government “might provide assistance to those who are without means if they want to employ a particular (family planning) method.”

The statement on the bishops’ Web site said the church involved itself in the issue because “this is a moral question.”

The statement also said the bishops would support a coalition of lay Catholics who planned to protest the government’s Reproductive Health bill.

world 11

Synod aims to bolster Middle East church presence VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican is setting the stage for another Synod of Bishops in mid-October, this one aimed at turning a spotlight on the Christian communities of the Middle East. Synods are typically drawn-out affairs, requiring several years of planning and more years of follow-up. But there’s a greater sense of urgency about this synod: Pope Benedict XVI convened it rather unexpectedly a year ago, after church leaders from the region — particularly Iraq — requested the special assembly. The problems of the minority Christian churches in the Middle East are well-known. A short list would include the massive emigration of Christians, political and military conflict, economic hardship, travel restrictions, discrimination and interreligious tensions, especially in predominantly Muslim countries. The pope decided a synod was needed when he visited the Holy Land last year.

The papal visit briefly turned the church’s attention to the daily struggles of Christian communities there; now the pope wants to bring those struggles to the heart of the universal church for more systematic discussion. The synod will run Oct. 10-24 and focus on the theme, “The Catholic Church in the Middle East: Communion and Witness: ‘Now the company of those who believed were of one heart and soul.’”

Catholic-Orthodox commission continues looking at pope’s role VIENNA (CNS) — Leading Catholic and Orthodox bishops and theologians met in Vienna to continue their initial discussions on the key issue keeping their churches apart: the role of the bishop of Rome, the pope. The Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church met here Sept. 20-27. The meeting focused on the role of the bishop of Rome in the first millennium, before the churches were divided. Commission members continued discussing a draft document prepared in 2008 but decided it needed significant revisions.

At a news conference Sept. 24, Archbishop Kurt Koch, head of the Catholic delegation, said, “I think there is certainly a recognition that in the early days of the church, there was a practice or an order of things in which Rome had a special role, a primary role. We still have to speak about what that meant and implied.”

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12 CLASSIFIEDS Employment Administrator - The Catholic Diocese of Wichita is seeking an administrator for Blessed Sacrament School, Wichita, for the 2011-12 academic year. Candidate must be a practicing Catholic; eligible for Kansas licensure as an administrator; promote a standardsbased instructional program; and possess strong interpersonal and organizational skills. Interested candidates may send resume, by Oct. 29, to: Mr. Dan McAdam, Director of Staff Services, Catholic Diocese of Wichita, 424 N. Broadway, Wichita, KS 67202.

Customer service - Growing company looking to hire a customer relations representative. Candidate must be proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and QuickBooks, and be highly articulate with excellent verbal communications skills. Will be handling outgoing calls on a daily basis to current and potential customers. Must be a self-motivated, results-driven, detail-oriented professional. Pay based on education and experience. Send resume, via e-mail, to: print@ bestgraphicsinc.com.

Development associate - The Diocese of Kansas City - St. Joseph is accepting resumes for a development associate for the Strong City School Fund. This new fund supports quality Catholic education by providing needs-based assistance to students and schools. Candidate must be a practicing Catholic with a bachelor’s degree, plus 2 - 3 years fundraising experience. This position will contribute to and compliment the work of the executive director. Responsibilities include: grant applications; database management; special events; working with the board of directors; donor follow-up and recognition; prospect research; advertising and direct mail campaigns; and budget tracking. The selected candidate will be an energetic, flexible, creative, self-motivated, organized, detail-oriented team player who is able to handle multiple responsibilities within a limited time frame.

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Call center representative – We are looking for telephone professionals seeking top pay and benefits. Prior phone experience preferred. We are growing and need quality people to grow with us. To apply, visit the Web site at: www.cobraguard.net (click on ‘Jobs’ link at the bottom of the page), or forward your resume, via e-mail, to: HR@cobraguard.net. EOE. Bookkeeper - Our company needs a male or female representative to act as our opened position bookkeeper. For more information or to submit your resume, send an e-mail to: mb.appliance@gmail.com.

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

Financial representative - Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding financial representatives in the Kansas City and Emporia areas. This position is ideal for a determined, high-energy, high-expectation, professional, selfdisciplined, 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 information or an interview, contact John A. Mahon, 307 Dakota, Holton KS 66436; or call (785) 364-5450.

Services Counseling - Topeka Marriage and family, child, teen, personal Shunga Creek Mental Health Call Ken Zweig, LSCSW at (785) 969-5308.

Faith-based counseling to cope with life concerns - Kansas City area. Call Mary Vorsten, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, at (913) 909-2002.

Old-fashioned cleaning - Hand-mopping; a consistent, thorough job every time! Years of experience; excellent references. Special occasion, party and holiday cleaning. I make a great gift! Call Sharon at (816) 322-0006.

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Foley’s Lawn Care Now scheduling fall cleanups.

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Piano lessons - Accepting students ages K adult. Experience teaching at all levels. Degrees from KU, New England Conservatory, and Julliard. Located in Shawnee. Call Dr. Natalia Rivera at (913) 708-3235 or send an e-mail to her at: riveran@umkc.edu.

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

Caregiving Retired respiratory therapist (male) - Available to care for your loved one. Many years experience. Flexible hours. References available. Prefer Wyandotte, Leavenworth or Johnson counties. Call (913) 205-9043.

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Retired nurse - Available to care for your loved one. Days, nights, and weekends. Will consider livein; willing to relocate. References; salary negotiable.

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Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management, and transportation to the elderly and disabled in home, assisted living and nursing facilities. We also provide respite care for main caregivers needing some personal time. Call Daughters & Company at (913) 341-2500 and speak with Laurie, Sara or Gary.

Do you or your parents need help at home? For as little as $60/week, Benefits of Home-Senior Care can provide assistance with personal care, shopping and many other daily needs. For details, visit our Web site at: benefitsofhome.com or call (913) 422-1591.

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THE LEAVEN • OCTOBER 8, 2010 Everything plumbing - Leaks, faucets, toilets, sinks, disposals, repairs and replacements. Over 20 years experience. Fully licensed. Service anytime – days/nights/wknds. Contact Mike at (913) 488-4930.

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STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Call for free estimates. Cell: (913) 579-1835; phone: (913) 491-5837; e-mail: smokey cabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.

Masonry work – Quality, new or repair work.

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Tim the Handyman - Insured; free estimates. Carpentry: new and repair deck, doors, windows, siding, screens. Plumbing: faucet, garbage disposals, toilets.

Electrical: switches, outlets, ceiling fans, light fixtures.

Light landscape: fill dirt, trimming, planting, garden tilling and mulching. Serving Johnson County. Call Tim at (913) 859-0471.

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 Father-and-son team - These guys can do it all — exterior painting, decks, fences, retaining walls, metal buildings, patios, porches, and driveways. We’ll do your job for a reasonable price! Call Josh at (913) 709-7230.

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 Walk to St. James Academy - 9621 Appleridge Lane, Lenexa.Beautiful 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. For information, call Cynthia Sowle, Coldwell Banker, at (913) 240-3263.

Westwood home FSBO - 3 BR, 2-1/2 BA ranch.

Low utilities, well-insulated, dry basement, partially finished basement, lots of storage, fenced backyard, hardwood floors. SME school district; near St. Agnes Parish and Bishop Miege High School. $169,500. Call (913) 432-2287.

Land FSBO - Winchester, Kan. 40 acres m/l (10 timber, 30 prairie grass); two ponds with good fishing; good deer and turkey hunting; a mile and a half off the highway; beautiful building site; excellent schools; only 40 miles from KC. Call (913) 683-4488 or (913) 362-3024.

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.

Wonderful true 5-bedroom home - Prince of Peace, Olathe. Only $175,000. Great updates; excellent condition. Fenced yard. Master with bath; laundry on main level. Motivated seller. 1430 E. Wells Fargo Dr. Minutes from Garmin and hwys. Call Rita Moley Dickey, Reece and Nichols, at (913) 269-4786.

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

For rent – 1 BR, 1 BA apartment in Shawnee near Nieman and Johnson Dr. $515/month; utilities included. 10911 W. 59th Terr. To view, visit the Web site at: www.shawnee-rentals.com. Call (913) 649-7596.

Vacation Vacation rental - Marriott Frenchman’s Cove time share, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Jan. 8 - 15, 2011. 1 BR, 1 BA, suite with two queen beds, private entrance, balcony and kitchenette. To view, visit the Web site at: www.marriottvacationclub.com. $1,000/ week. Call Amy at (816) 853-0307.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - Beautiful Villa del Palmar. One-bedroom ocean-front condo. Exceptional views! Available any week of the year but Christmas or New Year’s. $1200/week. Call (913) 422- 3441.

Misc.

Jesse the lab needs a new home! - Jesse is a 5-year-old yellow lab. He is a great retriever and swimmer. He loves everyone and is a wonderful companion. Free to a good home with a family that will love him and treat him humanely. Call John at (913) 522-4416.

Booth rental - Established salon in Westwood area is seeking stylist for booth rental. Contact Sandy or Janeen at (913) 831-2606.

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) 430-9499 or visit the Web site at: www.cars4kckids.com.

For Sale Two cemetery lots - In Faith Garden at Resurrection Cemetery, Lenexa. Section B; lot 45; spaces 3 and 4. The current cost is $3450, if purchased through the cemetery. Asking $2400 for both. For information, contact Tim Streff at (913) 927-2221.

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

Childcare Child care needed - For infant, starting in Feb. 2011. Prefer location in Prairie Village, Fairway, northern Overland Park, Leawood, or Mission. Call Sara at (913) 314-8399.

Wanted to buy Desperate to buy - A used ’90s car. Can be homely but must pass basic auto mechanic test.

Prefer less than gigantic automobile; 4- or 5-speed automatic would be great. A/C not necessary. Call (913) 403-9191. ***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

8

Oct.

Holy Name Parish, Kansas City, Kan., will host a Mexican Octoberfest on Oct. 8 from 7 - 11 p.m. in Pierson Hall, 1800 S. 55th St., Kansas City, Kan. The cost of $25 per person includes beer, margaritas, light appetizers, live music and dancing. Proceeds will benefit the school fund. Tickets will be available at the door. For information, call (913) 2369219.

9

Our Lady’s Montessori School, 3020 S. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan., will host a garage sale from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Oct. 9. Proceeds will benefit the school’s operating budget.

“Planting Seeds of Hope,” a benefit for Cross-Lines Community Outreach, Inc., will be held on Oct. 9 at Lake Quivira Country Club, 100 Crescent Blvd., Lake Quivira. The cost of $125 per person includes cocktails, dinner, and live and silent auctions. Discounted rates are available for tables of eight or more. For information, visit the Web site at: www. cross-lines.org, or call (913) 281-3388.

“A Practical Path to Prayer,” a program detailing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, will be presented by Father Vern Heinsz, SJ, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Oct. 9 at the Finucane Center on the campus of Rockhurst University, 1100 Rockhurst Rd., Kansas City, Mo. The cost of $40 includes lunch.

Scholarships are available. Registration is required. For information or to register, call (816) 523- 5115, ext. 212, or send an e-mail to: info@ignatiancenterkc.org.

10

Sacred Heart Parish, 1100 West St., Tonganoxie, will host its annual turkey dinner and bazaar on Oct. 10. Dinner will be served from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Carryouts will be available. The cost is: $8 for adults; $4 for children ages 3 12; children 2 and under eat free. There will be a country store, bingo, raffles, children’s games and a silent auction.

All young men, ages 15 - 20, and their parents are invited to attend Project Andrew from 4 - 7 p.m. on Oct. 10 at St. Agnes Parish, 5250 Mission Rd., Roeland Park. Young men and their parents will have an opportunity to learn more about vocations; to meet and pray with Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann; and to have dinner with archdiocesan priests. There is no charge to attend; however, registration is necessary. For more information or to register, call the vocations office at (913) 647-0303; send an e-mail to: vocation@archkck.org; or visit the Web site at: www.kckvocations.com.

St. Mary Church, Purcell, will host a pancake luncheon from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Oct. 10. Pancakes, sausage, eggs, homemade pies, and coffee and tea will be served. A freewill offering will be collected.

St. Benedict’s Parish, Atchison, will host its annual fall fiesta from 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Oct. 10 in the Atchison Catholic Elementary School building, 201 Division St. A barbecued pork or chicken dinner will be served. There will be a raffle, silent auction, homemade food and craft booths, and children’s games.

St. Bede, Kelly, will host its annual soup supper and auction from 4 - 7 p.m. on Oct. 10. There will be games for all ages from 5 - 8 p.m. in the parish gym, followed by the auction.

St. Aloysius, Meriden, will host its annual bazaar from 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Oct. 10. A ham and turkey dinner with all the trimmings will be served. The cost is: $7 for adults; $4 for youth; children under 4 eat free.

Corpus Christi Parish, Lawrence, will host a showing of the documentary film “BloodMoney: The Business of Abortion” at 2 p.m. on Oct. 10 in the gym. The film, narrated by Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., exposes the truth behind the abortion industry. For information, call Scott Burkhart at (785) 841-3724 or send an e-mail to him at: lsburk@sbcglobal.net.

The annual eighth-grade pro-life forum and essay contest for all school of religion students and home-schooled students will be held on Oct. 10 at Church of the Ascension, 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park. The evening will begin with Mass at 5 p.m., followed by a pizza dinner and the forum. For information or to RSVP, call Courtney Williams at (913) 642-1730 or Ron Kelsey at (913) 647-0350, or send an e-mail to Williams at: SCJ4X@aol.com or to Kelsey at: prolife@archkck.org. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend.

11

“Journaling for Personal Growth,” a women’s enrichment group, will meet every second and fourth Monday of the month, beginning Oct. 11, from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. 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.

14

The Holy Women series for October will feature prayer and reflection on Mechtilde of Magdeburg from 1 3 p.m. on Oct. 14 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.

Good Shepherd Church, 12800 W. 75th St., Shawnee, will host a concert featuring the Goldenberg Duo at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 14. A freewill offering will be collected.

15

The Center for Spirit at Work will host its annual awards luncheon on Oct. 15 in the Founders’ Hall at Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral, Kansas City, Mo. Tickets may be purchased via the Web site at: www.centerforspiritatwork.org; click on the “Register” tab.

The University of Saint Mary will present “Conjurations,” an exhibition of paintings by painter Elizabeth Kleene of Portland, Maine, in the Goppert Gallery on the Leavenworth campus, located at 4100 S. 4th St. The show opens on Oct. 15 and runs through Nov. 19. The gallery is open Mon. - Fri. from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. An artist’s reception will be held from 3 - 5 p.m. on Oct. 15 in Goppert Gallery. This event is free and open to the public.

15-17

The St. Genesius Guild will present a four-act play, entitled “Saint Bernadette,” at Nettie Harnett El-

ementary School, 1000 3rd Ave., Leavenworth, at 7 p.m. on Oct. 15 and 16 and at 4 p.m. on Oct. 17. Tickets cost: $5 for adults; $3 for youth ages 5 - 11; children under 5 attend free. For information or reservations, send an e-mail to: thesgg kc@gmail.com; call Jim Moran at (913) 721-2257; or visit the Web site at: www. thesgg.org

16

Father John Riley will celebrate the archdiocesan monthly pro-life Mass on Oct. 16 at 8 a.m. at Sts. Cyril and 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; Benediction concludes services at 9:45 a.m.

A memorial liturgy for deceased loved ones will be held at 8 a.m. on Oct. 16 at Curé of Ars Church, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. The bereavement ministry will have its monthly meeting following Mass in the Father Burak Room. Brent Dowster of Catholic Charities Hospice will speak on “Managing the Holidays.”

For information, call (913) 649-2026.

The Altar Society of St. Mary-St. Anthony Church, 615 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan., will host its annual Oktoberfest on Oct. 16. A Mass featuring German hymns will be celebrated at 4 p.m., followed by dinner in Bishop Forst Hall.

The cost for dinner is $8.50 for adults; $4.50 for children 12 and under. Dinner tickets must be purchased in advance. To purchase tickets, call the parish office at (913) 371-1408.

The Knights of Columbus of Sacred Heart Parish, Tonganoxie, will host a showing of the documentary film “BloodMoney: The Business of Abortion” at 7 p.m. on Oct. 17. The film, narrated

by Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., exposes the truth behind the abortion industry. The admission “fee” for the film is a package of baby diapers (sizes 3 & 4 preferably), diaper wipes, or cash donations — to support the Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic and Leavenworth Birthright. For more information, call Ed O’Brien at (913) 593-1184 or Ed Standish at (913) 369-9200.

17

The Knights of Columbus of St. John the Evangelist Church, 2910 Strong Ave., Kansas City, Kan., will host an international breakfast from 8 - 11 a.m. on Oct. 17 in the parish hall. The cost is $7 per person; children under five eat free.

The Franciscan Servants of the Holy Family will host a Franciscan prayer walk from 2 - 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 17 along the trails at the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, 8909 W. 179th St., Bucyrus. A cookout will follow. For information or to RSVP, call Sister Doris at (816) 729-7065 or send an e-mail to her at: srdoris@aol.com.

Immaculate Conception Church, 711 N. 5th St., Leavenworth, will host “Audible Lights,” a concert featuring Allen Asbury and the Brooks Brothers, at 7 p.m. on Oct. 17. Tickets cost $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 4- 12. To purchase tickets, contact Katie or Carol Peterson at (913) 772-8871 or the parish office at (913) 682-3953. Proceeds will benefit the youth group’s World Youth Day fund.

Mary Health of the Sick women’s guild of the Sisters, Servants of Mary

CALENDAR 13

will meet after the 9 a.m. Mass on Oct. 17 at the convent, 800 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kan. Anyone interested in joining the guild is invited to attend.

19

An eight-session knitting and crocheting class for beginners will be offered from 6:30 - 8 p.m. on Tuesday evenings, beginning Oct. 19, at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Needles, crochet hooks and yarn will be provided. Space is limited and reservations are required.

For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the Web site at: www. mountosb.org/kwc.

21

A healing Mass, sponsored by archdiocesan charismatic prayer groups, will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 at Curé of Ars Church, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. Father Anthony Kiplagat will preside; fellowship follows.

22

The Sophia Center, 751 S. 8th St., Atchison, will offer a retreat, entitled “Bridges To Contemplative Living,” from 7 p.m. on Oct. 22 through 2 p.m. on Oct. 24. This small group experience will gently lead participants into a deeper, more contemplative and reflective mode of living in God’s presence. The retreat will be facilitated by Sisters Sheila Carroll and Gabrielle Kocour, Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica and staff members of Sophia Center. The cost of $180 is due

by Oct. 15. For information or to register, call (913) 360-6151 or visit the Web site at: www.mountosb.org/sophia.html.

22-24

The Catholic Campus Center at Washburn University, Topeka, will celebrate its 40th anniversary from Oct. 22 - 24. Activities include: an open house; participation in the homecoming parade; tailgating before the game; a dance on Saturday evening; and a Mass and reception on Oct. 24 with Msgr. Vince Krische. For information, contact Stephen Schiffelbein at (785) 286-1551 or Patti Lyon at (785) 233-2204.

Misc.

El Centro, Inc., will offer classes in home improvements, including electrical, HVAC maintenance, windows and doors, siding and gutters, insulation and airflow, drywall and painting. The classes are free and open to the public. All classes are held at 650 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Participants are asked to preregister. For dates and times of classes, call (913) 677-0100.

A support group for women dealing with any type of addiction, at any stage of recovery, will meet from 6 - 7 p.m. on Tuesday evenings 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.

Healing from pornography? Monthly theology of the body groups and weekly recovery groups are available for men and women. For information, visit the Web site at: LoveIsFaithful.com, or call Sam Meier, MA, LPC, at (913) 6470378.

14 COMMENTARY

THE LEAVEN • October 8, 2010

THE LEAVEN • October 8, 2010

Mark my words

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

Quote Week

of the

“Whenever we called upon the parishioners, they were there to help. … We can do amazing things when we work together.”

John Wienck, parish council president of St. Monica-St. Elizabeth Parish in Blue Rapids See story on page 3

twenty-eighth WEEK IN ordinary time Oct. 10 TWENTY-eighth SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 2 Kgs 5: 14-17; Ps 98: 1-4; 2 Tm 2: 8-13; Lk 17: 11-19 Oct. 11 Monday Gal 4: 22-24, 26-27, 31 — 5:1; Ps 113: 1b-5a, 6-7; Lk 11: 29-32 Oct. 12 Tuesday Gal 5: 1-6; Ps 119: 41, 43-45, 47-48; Lk 11: 37-41 Oct. 13 Wednesday Gal 5: 18-25; Ps 1: 1-4, 6; Lk 11: 42-46 Oct. 14 Callistus I, pope, martyr Eph 1: 1-10; Ps 98: 1-6; Lk 11: 47-54 Oct. 15 Teresa of Jesus, virgin, doctor of the church Eph 1: 11-14; Ps 33: 1-2, 4-5, 12-13 Lk 12: 1-7 Oct. 16 Hedwig, religious; Margaret Mary Alacoque, virgin Eph 1: 15-23; Ps 8: 2-3b, 4-7; Lk 12: 8-12

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simply stewardship

The ‘golden rule’: Do more than just know it

ou have got to be kidding me.

This was my first thought when I read that 45 percent of Americans think that the “golden rule” — “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” — is one of the Ten Commandments. Really? Turn to the article on page 10 of this issue to see what else the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life discovered this summer when conducting its U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey.

At first, after seeing the survey results, I wanted to just sit down and cry.

When I came across the statistic that only 33 percent of Catholics could name Matthew, Mark, Luke and John as the four Gospels, I was tempted to pack up my bags and join the circus.

But, as you can see, I didn’t. I’m still here, plugging away. In fact, here’s what I told the new RCIA class at the parish the very first night we met: “It’s not so important that you memorize all kinds of things about the Catholic faith; if you know where to look things up, that’s fine. However, what is of utmost importance is that you come to answer Jesus’ question — ‘Who do you say that I am?’ — and that you put your faith into action.”

I then held up two books for the RCIA class to see. The first was the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This book, made up of some 850 pages, has 2,865 points about what Catholics believe. I doubt that anyone has the whole book memorized. The second book I showed the class is called “Essentials for Christian Living,” a 127-page book with large print and plenty of white space, published by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. This book’s purpose, as stated in its introduction is “to recall in summary form what Catholics must know and put into practice.” Those two things

— “know” (not necessarily memorize) and “put into practice” — are indeed the “essentials.”

Maybe this little story can help illustrate the point: A certain French nobleman was raised to his powerful position from very humble beginnings. As a youth, he had been a shepherd. In his palace, he had an area known as “the shepherd’s room.”

There, on the walls, were paintings of hills and valleys and running streams and rocks and sheepfolds. Inside that room he kept the staff he’d carried and the clothes he’d worn as a young boy when herding the sheep.

When asked about the meaning of the shepherd’s room, he replied, “If ever my heart is tempted to haughtiness and pride, I go into that room and remind myself of what I once was.” (Adapted from a story in “Quotes & Anecdotes: An Anthology for Preachers & Teachers,” by Anthony P. Castle.)

In a sense, that French nobleman always kept the “golden rule” before him. He knew what it was like to be poor, hungry, uncomfortable, overlooked, taken-for-granted and maybe even exploited during his shepherding days. I suspect that those memories — of once being in the shoes of the less fortunate — influenced his later actions and moved him to have a special care and concern for the poor.

It seems to me that one of the goals

of faith is to get people to adopt the mindset of that nobleman. All of us at times are tempted to think that we’re self-sufficient. With a little bit of reflection, though, we realize what a deceptive idea that is. Once upon a time someone changed our diapers, gave us baths, clothed us, taught us to talk and to walk, and brought us to church to be baptized. And we continue throughout our lives to be dependent upon one another: Someone grows the food we eat, manufactures the cars we drive, refines the gasoline that we put in those cars, maintains the roads we drive on, produces the medicines we take, purifies the water we drink, constructs the homes we live in, brings electricity to our homes, picks up the garbage we generate . . . and on and on.

Simply translated, the “golden rule” reminds us of our dependency and asks us to put ourselves in the shoes of another. If we don’t like being hungry, then we can’t deny food to others. If we want to provide for our children, then we can’t begrudge others that same desire. If we enjoy earning a just wage for our labors, then we can’t be unconcerned about others who want the same thing.

That brings me back to the Pew study and why, after seeing its results, I didn’t suddenly go and join the circus. While it would be nice if people knew exactly where the “golden rule” is found, I’m glad that they at least know what it is!

Let’s set a good example for others during this Respect Life Month by striving to live out that “golden rule.” By the way, if someone should ask you where the “golden rule” can be found in the Bible, send them to Mt 7:12 or Lk 6:31.

But you already knew that, right?

word to life

O

Readings call us to make our choices count

ne hundred and fifty students, hearts lifted in worship, sing the Matt Maher lyric: “This is the first day of the rest of your life, ’cause even in the dark you can still see the light. It’s gonna be all right.”

The setting is a summer service camp, and the atmosphere is heavy Twenty-eighth with change. sunday While the in ordinary time students have Lk 17: 11-19 come to this camp mostly on their own, some were cajoled into it by their parents. But on this night, all are 100 percent engaged and living the present moment. They have decided to follow Jesus, and there is no turning back.

The choices we make each day set the stage for what comes next. A simple choice to come to a service camp can, at the very least, strengthen your relationship with God, or it can alter the course of your life profoundly and be the first step to a religious vocation.

commentary 15

T

Couples need to live together with Christ at the center

ake a pencil and write something on a piece of paper. Now erase your mark. Your mark may be less visible, but the impression of the mark made by your pencil remains, despite your careful erasing.

A couple argues. One person says something that hurts the other’s feelings. “Take it back,” the injured spouse says. “Take it back!”

Retrieving words once they have been spoken is no easier than to erase a mark in an attempt to leave no trace.

Merely by our existence we leave an

impression on those we love. We leave indelible marks that will not go away.

As two of our adult children, two nephews, and a few friends have been married in recent months, I have been thinking about the lives they are beginning to “write” with their chosen spouses. In the joy of their young love and the happiness they have found with each other, I have been moved to tears, an emotional maternal witness.

If words of advice are ever heeded, mine would be to take up their pens

and compose carefully the script that will be their lives. I would advise them to choose their words carefully, to speak always with tenderness and composure.

I would remind them that their actions are their legacy. To say one thing, and to do another, is the clearest and surest way to contradict their integrity, to confuse, and to jeopardize the trust within their marriage and mar forever their own reputation.

It has been said that we evangelize by our works, not by proselytizing. The same is true in a marriage. To love, as we understand love from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, requires patience and kindness — and the careful composure of a thoughtful steward.

One of my sisters advised my newlywed children to always “tithe” and to begin tithing even when they were “young and poor.” She said that it was

important that they begin their marriage by placing Christ at the center of their lives.

She understands well that, as time passes, we can’t go back and erase what we wish we had done differently.

Though we are promised salvation and forgiveness, the stains, the sting, and the regret are best treated if prevented in the first place.

Stewardship, a disciple’s response, is a way of life. Let us pray that all young married couples begin their lives as Christian stewards: giving back, with a fervent understanding that all their blessings, especially their spouses, are gifts from our loving and awesome God. Lesle Knop is the executive director of stewardship and development. You can send an e-mail to her at: lknop@ archkck.org.

protecting families from pornography

Illuminating the darkness of pornography with the hope of Jesus

M

any people remember watching a video about pornography that was shown during Mass several years ago, and we are blessed by Archbishop Naumann’s leadership and courage to confront one of the darkest evils of our time.

We are also blessed to have brave priests, staff, and volunteers at our parishes and schools who continue to help people live with sexual integrity.

Recently, we redesigned a Web site called www.LoveIsFaithful.com, which has a variety of practical resources to protect families and heal marriages from pornography. There are effective tips to

guard children from pornography, a sign up for e-mail updates, locations of theology of the body groups, testimonies, support groups, and counseling resources. The new Web site has been up for one month, and has already drawn visitors from 29 states and 12 countries.

As a counselor who works with men and couples, I meet many good people who have been affected by pornography.

Almost all of the people I talk to started their pornography use around the ages of 9-13. Internet pornography use is growing quickly, and a 2008 survey at

a Catholic high school indicated that 48 percent of the senior boys and 29 percent of the freshmen boys were using pornography one or more times each week. Our children desperately need the support and guidance of their parents. Many families and teens are being strengthened by Catholic Web sites, DVDs, CDs, and books that provide information on a positive and encouraging vision of love and human sexuality, especially with resources on the theology of the body.

On another encouraging note, Jason Evert and Pam Stenzel are speaking to thousands of people at a sexual purity conference in Kansas City on Jan. 28 and 29, 2011. Evert and Stenzel are two of the most popular Catholic speakers on love, chastity, and human sexuality.

Junior high, high school, and college students can attend the conference, and advance registration is recommended due to limited seating. Parents are encouraged to join their teens during this

conference. There are also other speakers and breakout sessions that will be very inspiring for couples and adults.

Finally, we are grateful to a number of donors who have helped raise billboards on I-35 and I-70 with a positive message about respecting women and confronting pornography. The board also contains the Web site name in large letters; you can view the pictures of the billboards on our Web site. We are raising support for additional billboards to protect more families from pornography, while inviting people to the hope and healing of Jesus Christ. We are open to your thoughts and feedback, and deeply grateful for your prayers.

Let’s light up the darkness of pornography with the hope and mercy of Jesus!

Sam Meier is the consultant for the My House Freedom from Pornography Initiative.

building the culture of life

“If we have died with him we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us. If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself” — 2 Tm 2:11-13

Sometimes the choices we make are big ones, such as jobs, relationships and living arrangements. Other times, our choices have more to do with attitudes, free time and moments of prayer.

No matter the size, each choice is like a step forward in our life, with each step bringing healing or pain. Each stride can take us closer or farther from our

eternal goal of heaven.

This week’s readings reveal Naaman plunged into the Jordan seven times for healing. Timothy tells us, “If we have died with him we shall also live with him,” and 10 lepers cry out: “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”

In each reading we are called to make our choices count. For this is the first day of the rest of your life.

I’m sure we can all look back in time and see the choices that have altered our life, relationships, happiness and faith. Sure, some of the things life throws at us we have no choice in, but it is in how we respond to these events that our choices lie.

When only one of the 10 lepers chooses to come back to thank Jesus for the healing, he says to him: “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

May all of our choices have a similar effect.

A

Chemical warfare on the unborn escalates

new prescription drug will be available early next year which is deceptively being promoted as an “emergency contraceptive.”

However, ella is an abortifacient.

Ella is a chemical cousin to RU-486, the abortion drug. Both effectively compromise the lining of the uterus such that it deprives the child of oxygen and nutrients and the child dies.

Here is what the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) says: “Labeling ‘ella’ as emergency contraception is deceptive and dangerous to women and their newly conceived baby. Women deserve to know that ‘ella’ can cause death of the embryo, and the FDA is deliberately misleading women by mislabeling

‘ella’ only as contraception, and not as abortifacient.”

Ella is a new drug that increases an already escalating chemical war being waged on the unborn. We can see this increase in chemical abortions in Kansas in the statistics kept by the state. According to the state, reported chemical abortions in Kansas have increased tenfold in the last 10 years to the point that chemical abortions are now 21 percent of all reported abortions.

However, ella is more sinister than existing drugs considered by all to be abortifacients because abortions

caused by ella will go unreported. Thus, ella-induced abortions will fall into the same category as other methods that can cause abortions but are not reported — the pill, the morning-after pill, IUDs and others. One could certainly suspect that the abortion industry would find this situation of unreported abortions to be very desirable.

The chemical war on the unborn is also a language war. AAPLOG refers to it as “semantic smoke and mirrors.”

Smoke and mirrors are deployed by current medical semantics, which say that pregnancy and conception begin at implantation. But every child, each new human being, begins its life not at implantation but rather at fertilization/ conception which occurs several days prior to implantation.

Clearly, some in the drug industry and medical community are trying to ignore the abortifacient nature of some drugs and devices by denying the ex-

istence of the child in the first several days of its life. So beware of arguments that proponents of so-called contraceptives and emergency contraceptives use to deny that they cause abortions — they are defining pregnancy and conception differently, unscientifically and deceptively. This should remind us that the battle for life is primarily a spiritual battle, with the opposition to life being led by the father of lies and deception.

Your voice is needed to defend the unborn. Truth and scientific, medical facts are two powerful weapons to use in this epic battle. Help make others aware that ella causes abortions. Help defend the unborn in this escalating, massive-scale, chemical warfare being waged upon them.

Ron Kelsey is the archdiocesan consultant for the pro-life office. You can send an email to him at: prolife@archkck.org, or call (913) 647-0350.

16 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • october 8, 2010

The Thrill of the grill

I

By Joe Bollig Leaven staff

n the beginning was the grill.

And then the men said, “Let us add meats to the grill, flavor the meat with savory rubs and sauces, and invite a few friends over.”

They did so, and it was good. In fact, it was better than good.

It was awesome.

Six years ago Steve Meagher, Tom Hall and Dan Bingaman, friends and members of Curé of Ars Barbecue tips Parish in n The best way to Leawood, held cook brisket, pork a little barbeand ribs is low and cue party at slow — low heat for Hall’s house. hours. What the av“ [ W e ] erage person does talked about in their back yard having a little is grill — the meat more fun than being cooked relajust cooking for tively quickly over a your friends,” direct source of dry said Hall. heat. Smoking, on With encourthe other hand, is a agement from slow process during their pastor, which there is some Msgr. Charles distance between McGlinn, the the meat and the three barbecue heat. aficionados n If your smoker grew their little runs about 225 event and made degrees, cooking it an annual times can run for parish celebraabout an hour per tion — the Holy pound (most pork Smokes Barbebutts are 7 pounds; cue Contest — untrimmed briskets held every June. are 7 to 12 pounds).

“In six years n Chicken and we’ve had alsausage can be most 60 teams,” smoked in less than said Hall. “It has 90 minutes, and really become ribs typically take for Curé [Parabout four hours. ish] one of the n Good smoking best-attended, woods include most-fun events hickory or fruit we have all woods. year. It has ren Most meats ally become a can be prepared signature event with a dry rub, but of the church.” chicken works well Barbecue in a marinade or people are albrine. ways looking to step up to the next level.

The three men cooked up an idea to teach their ways to other parishes, so they could have barbecue contests, too.

“Dan and Steve pretty much created the framework for these other parishes to create their own contests,” Hall said.

“It was always in the back of our minds that once we got this event going, and had other parishes doing the same contest,” he continued, “it would be a really neat thing to take the top

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5. Number of Issues Annually: 41 6. Annual Subscription Price: $18 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 12615 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, KS 66109

Brisket

Recipes

Marinade with Wilson’s B-V Gravy Starter for one-half hour.

Next, rub the brisket with dry rub and let it sit for 2 hours, allowing the meat to reach room temperature. Place in the smoker, with the fat side up, and smoke at 225 to 250 degrees for approximately one hour for each pound (a minimum of 12 hours). Remove from smoker, wrap it in Saran wrap with a can of beef consommé, wrap it in foil, and return it to the smoker for at least 3 more hours (total cooking time 15 hours). Remove from smoker and place it in cooler to “rest” for another 3 hours. Remove from foil, taking care to keep the juices. Cut the brisket “against the grain,” place slices in a serving dish, and pour the saved juices over the slices.

Pork butt

Leaven photo by Elaina Cochran

David Jantsch of the Fractured Ribs Social Club and a member of St. Ann Parish in Prairie Village prepares his team’s smoker for the cook-off. teams and allow them to have an allparish cook-off.”

Bingaman and Maurer became apostles of barbecue, helping parishes organize and conduct their own contests.

Each of the “evangelized” parishes began to create their own teams.

“Steve and I counseled about eight other parishes on how to get started, how to conduct it, and how to do judging,” said Bingaman.

The top three winners of these parish-wide contests earned the right to participate in the first All-Parish Barbecue Invitational Cook-Off, which was held Sept. 24 and 25 at Curé of Ars. Six parishes contributed 15 teams: Church of the Ascension, Leawood; St. Ann Parish, Prairie Village; Cure of Ars; St. Thomas More Parish, Kansas City, Mo.; St. Therese Parish, Kansas City, Mo.; and Visitation Parish, Kansas City, Mo. The overall winner was team “Smoke of the Irish,” led by head cook Joe Mur-

8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: 12615 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, KS 66109 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher and Editor and Managing Editor : Publisher: Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, 12615 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas Editor: Rev. Mark Goldasich, 12615 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas Managing Editor: Anita McSorley, 12615 Parallel P arkway, Kansas City, Kansas 10. Owner: Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None

phy, from St. Thomas More Parish.

This first event was small compared to the usual Holy Smokes event, but that’s the way the organizers wanted it.

It followed the usual format that barbecue contests take. On Friday night, the teams set up their grills and did preliminary cooking for family and friends as the band Jupiter Two played. They also began the all-night cooking for the contest.

The food categories were sausage, chicken, pork, ribs, and beef brisket.

Trophies were given for the first three places in each category.

“It was an awesome time,” said Hall, who estimated the crowd to be more than 250.

Enthusiasm was high, and Hall said two teams from Ascension Parish in Overland Park volunteered to host next year’s All-Parish Invitational Barbecue Cook-Off. Anyone interested in starting teams and conducting their own parish barbecue contest is encouraged to con-

15. Circulation:

Av. No. copies

each issue during

preceding 12 mos.

A. Total no. copies printed (Net press run) 54,00 B. Paid Circulation 1. Mail Subscriptions 53,349 3. Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors and counter sales 0 C. Total Paid Circulation 53,349 D. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution 1. Outside-County copies included on PS Form 3541

493

Single issue nearest to filing date

54,000

53,317

0 53,317 454

Use a sharp filet knife to “butterfly” along all the fat and muscle lines.

The goal is to open the meat so the spices can penetrate into the interior of the meat. You may leave the bone in or remove it.

Rub the pork butt with dry rub and then roll the butt back into the original shape. The meat will become firmer as it cooks.

Place the pork butt in the cooker, and smoke at 225 to 250 degrees for approximately 10 hours. At approximately nine to 10 hours, check the interior temperature and take the meat off the smoker when it reaches 160 degrees, wrap it in Saran wrap with a can of chicken broth, wrap it in foil and return the pork butt to the smoker for at least two more hours at 190 degrees.

Remove the meat when it reaches 190 degrees.

Place the meat in a cooler to rest for at least two hours. Open the foil and separate the nuggets and tenderloins of meat. Separate the balance of the lean meat from the fat (this will become the pulled pork).

After the pork has been “pulled,” add just enough sauce to add flavor but not overpower the meat. tact Hall, via e-mail, at: thall19@kc.rr. com, or Bingaman at: dan@kuecker. com. Bingaman and Meagher have developed a guide, “How to Throw a BBQ Contest,” and are willing to help other parishes launch their own contest.

4. Free Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or Other Means) 0 0 E. Total Free Distribution 493

454 F. Total Distribution (Sum of C and D) 53,071 53,074 G. Copies not Distributed Office Use, Left-Over Unaccounted, Spoiled 158 229 H. Total (Sum of 15 f and g) 54,000 54,000 I. Percentage Paid and/ or Requested Circulation 99.1% 99.2% I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and complete.

Rev. Mark Goldasich, Editor