www.theleaven.com | Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas | Vol. 31, No. 10 october 9, 2009
Around the World in 24 years Story and photos by
Jill Ragar Esfeld
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EAVENWORTH — Sister of Charity of Leavenworth Madonna Stehno wore out the tennis balls on her first walker. She wore out the wheels on her second. Finally, this summer, she finished walking around the world with her third. Her route may be figurative, but she’s cut no corner. The distance is very real. “I walked around the middle — 25,000 miles,” she declared firmly. “I didn’t walk around the top or the bottom.” She’s equally clear about the accuracy of her mileage. Although she has two pedometers, she hasn’t found them reliable. So she’s developed her own method. “I count the miles. I count twelve blocks to a mile, and they’re long blocks,” she said. “Somebody I was talking to once said, ‘Sister, I’ve driven what you just walked, and it’s a mile in the car’ — so I’m not fudging!” No one who knows Sister Madonna would suspect her of fudging. As a matter of fact, this probably isn’t the first time she’s walked around the world. But she didn’t start keeping track of her mileage until she turned 55, so she’s not counting anything before then. “I don’t know why I decided to do it,” she said. “I
Turn to “Now” on page 16
Too short
Father Neal Stull, SOLT, only served as a priest for seven years, but he left behind a legacy of love and compassion.
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road warrior The University of Saint Mary safety officers are accustomed to seeing Sister Madonna on her daily walks. They often stop to chat with her. Above, Officer Melvin Lister stops to congratulate Sister Madonna on reaching her goal of walking 25,000 miles.
epic celebration
World mission sunday
St. John the Evangelist Parish in Lawrence celebrated its 150th anniversary with a Mass that drew so many, it had to be held in an auditorium.
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The World Mission Sunday collection will be taken up in parishes the weekend of Oct. 18 and is used to support missionary efforts around the world.