12-25-09 Vol. 31 No. 20 by The Leaven

www.theleaven.com | Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas | Vol. 31, No. 20 December 25, 2009

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T h e r e w i l l b e n o Le av e n nex t week. The nex t issue of The Leaven will be Jan. 8, 2010.

2 ARCHBISHOP

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS

True Christmas miracles puts secular traditions to shame

ardinal Francis George, the archbishop of Chicago, in his recently published book, “The Difference God Makes,” entitled one of his chapters: “Too Good to Be True?”

He begins the chapter by recounting an experience he had many years ago while visiting a priest friend who was a missionary in Zambia. The people this missionary served had a very hard life. Most were subsistent farmers. Many of the young parents were dying of AIDS. The difficult economic conditions in Zambia resulted in poor health care and a scarcity of educational opportunities. One morning Cardinal George was standing outside the priest’s residence when four men approached him and asked where they could find the priest. Cardinal George directed them to the rectory. Three of them went to speak with the priest, but the fourth man remained outside. Cardinal George struck up a conversation with the man. He told Cardinal George about the many difficulties and hardships his family faced. Cardinal George asked him why he and his companions had come to see the priest. He explained that in his village they had heard many stories about Jesus, the Gospel and the church. They had come to ask the priest for information about Christianity. Cardinal George asked the man why

he had not gone inside with his friends to speak with the priest. He responded: “Oh, I’ve thought about what we’ve heard, even while I was walking here, and I’ve decided that it makes no sense when I look at my life — that God would love us, that God would sacrifice himself for us, that God is stronger than the spirits who harm us. I don’t believe it. It’s too good to be true.” Those of us who have grown up in strong Catholic families, where we were taught the faith as young children and benefited from the examples of believing parents and other devout Christian adults, can easily take for granted the power and the beauty of what we believe. Indeed, it is incredible — too good to believe — that the Creator of the universe would choose to become a human being, much less being born a helpless baby. It is even more amazing that this God-man would live so humbly in this world and allow himself to be subjected to the most cruel torture and ignominious death so that we could share in his eternal life. Yet, if we ponder carefully the words of the Christmas carols that we sing during this season, this is precisely what we believe God has done. It was belief in God’s incredible love for his people — revealed in the God-man, Jesus Christ — that inspired so many of

the first Christians to relinquish life in this world rather than deny this good news. Nourished by this same Jesus Christ, who makes himself present body, soul and divinity in the Eucharist, Christians for 2,000 years have found the strength to live heroic lives of virtue. Christmas is not about chestnuts roasting on an open fire or scenic snowcovered landscapes or Santa Claus coming to town. Christmas celebrates something so much more beautiful, more amazing and more powerful than these pale secular substitutes. That Zambian man, who conversed with Cardinal George some years ago, took seriously what Christians believe. I hope that perhaps his friends were able to open his heart to experience the love of God who became flesh and dwelt among us. I pray that we may take very seriously the great miracle we celebrate during this season and open our hearts to the great miracle of love we encounter each time we receive the Eucharist. Moreover, if we truly believe what we profess as Christians — in a God who so loved the world that he became flesh and dwelt among us so that we might have abundant and eternal life — then it should make a difference in the way we live. If we are serious about the incredible truths we believe, then we cannot help but be filled with a gratitude that motivates us to live lives of equally incredible generosity. Do you believe in the true Christmas miracle — God becoming man so that we could share in his divine and eternal life? Do you believe in what some may think is too good to be true? And if so, what difference does it make in the

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Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799)

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

days of Christmas (not including pipers piping)

Villa St. Francis

Editor Reverend Mark Goldasich, stl frmark@theleaven.com

Twelve ways to celebrate the

way you live your life? These are good questions to ponder during these days of Christmas.

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THE LEAVEN • december 25, 2009

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By Nick Wagner

his year, hand on heart, I saw Christmas decorations for sale on Oct. 1. When I was little, we didn’t even start thinking about Christmas until after Thanksgiving. My family would spend most of Advent getting ready. We’d shop for a tree, pull decorations down out of the attic, stock up on wrapping paper, and make lists for Santa. Most years the grownups would gather for a Christmas Eve party, and we kids would struggle to stay awake late into the night. At the end of the evening, we’d bundle up against the cold and drive over to the church for Midnight Mass. Early the next morning my brothers and I would clatter down the stairs to the living room to tear into our presents. And then Christmas was over. For the next week or so, we played with our new toys and waited for school to begin again. In the church calendar, however, Christmas does not end on Christmas Day. It is only the beginning. In an earlier time Christmas lasted for 12 days — a tradition from which we get the famous Christmas song. The customs of the larger society have clearly shifted, and there is no way we are ever going to restore the ancient balance of having our Christmas merry-making take place during the 12 days after Dec. 25. Still, there are many ways we can mark the Christmas season (the one that starts with Christmas), and deepen our Catholic identity. Here are 12 suggestions.

Make time for family.

The Sunday after Christmas — this year, Dec. 27 — is the feast of the Holy Family. Plan to spend the entire day with family — including extended family, if possible. If you like to cook, plan for a festive brunch after Mass. Or make reservations and let your favorite restaurant do all the work. During the meal, share stories of your favorite times together. If you live alone or if you don’t live in a traditional household, be creative about gathering today with those who are family to you. Invite some friends for dinner, or phone someone who you haven’t talked to in a long time.

SECOND FRONT PAGE

Wait for it.

In our grandparents’ day the Christmas tree wasn’t decorated until Christmas Eve. For most of us, it might not be practical to wait until then, no matter what our grandparents might have done. Still there are some things we can do to keep the traditional Christmas cycle. Go ahead and put up the tree whenever you like, but save placing the star on top until the night of Dec. 24. Plan to leave the tree up until the Christmas season ends on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, usually the second Sunday in January. Also consider waiting until Dec. 24 to complete the crèche. Many Latino families put the crèche out early in Advent, but they leave the manger empty until after Midnight Mass. Whenever you put the crèche out, place the Magi statues a good distance from the manger. Each day of Christmas, until Epiphany, move the Wise Men a little closer to the crèche. This might seem like a no-brainer, but I’ve heard more than a few families say they like going to the Christmas “Eve” 4 p.m. children’s liturgy to “get it out of the way” before Christmas. If you are raising children, keep in mind you are creating lifelong memories for them. I still remember the smell of incense and the sounds of carols at the Midnight Masses I went to as a child. If midnight really is too late for you, at least consider worshiping on Christmas Day itself instead of the afternoon before so the children learn to place Jesus at the center of the season.

2 3 5

Pay it forward.

Dec. 26 is the feast of St. Stephen, the church’s first martyr. He was also one of the first deacons, whose job it was to care for the poor. A good way to celebrate St. Stephen’s Day is to follow his example. Spend 20 minutes online, either alone or as a household, researching poverty issues in your area. Make a commitment to volunteer or donate more during the coming year to serve the poor as Stephen did. Perhaps spend an hour on this day going through your closets and drawers to find clothing you seldom wear, and donate it to a shelter.

Pick a card. Another great way to keep the Christmas season alive is to gather up all the Christmas cards you’ve received and choose one at random each evening to read at dinnertime. If you live with family or a roommate, share some memories about the person who sent you the card. If you live alone, recall how you met the person and resolve to send an e-mail or make a phone call to reconnect in the coming week.

Bridge the gap.

Dec. 27 is the feast of St. John the Evangelist, though he gets bumped by the Holy Family this year. It is a day of reconciliation in Eastern European churches. In 1983, it was the day Pope John Paul II reconciled with the man who tried to assassinate him. Take the opportunity during these Christmas days to reach out to an estranged friend or family member. If it is too big a step to call or send an e-mail right now, at least take a moment ask St. John to pray for your reconciliation.

Story continues on page 16

4 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • december 25, 2009

THE LEAVEN • December 25, 2009

Miege campus minister honored by K-State By Kara Hansen Leaven staff

ROELAND PARK — Bishop Miege’s Mary Perrini wasn’t just informed that she was to be the first recipient of an American Humanics Student Association award from Kansas State University. She was also informed that the brand-new award was to be called the Mary Jean Perrini Inspire to Serve Award. Miege alum and KSU student Stephanie Larson was on hand at the Roeland Park high school on Nov. 24 to present the award to the campus ministry and Christian social service program director at an all-school Mass. “The award is being named in honor of Mrs. Perrini because of her continuous inspiration of high school students to serve,” explained Larson. “It is because of high school teachers and mentors like Mrs. Perrini that students like myself have the opportunity to learn the importance of serving at a young age and how to make service to others a lifelong commitment.” Each year, the Mary Jean Perrini Inspire to Serve Award will be presented to a high school teacher who demonstrates the importance of community service and philanthropic work as well as academic excellence. The teacher must also be passionate about his or her students’ growth — not only in the school, but as individuals as well. Additionally, the recipient must also devote his or her personal time to the betterment of every student in his or

Mary Perrini her classroom. Finally, the teacher must inspire involvement in campus activities, community leadership and service. Dr. Joe Passantino, president of Bishop Miege High School, could not think of a more fitting honor for Perrini. “What makes Mary so deserving of this award is that she does much more than just organizing all of these service experiences for our students,” said Passantino. “Teens, like all of us, are looking for role models. Mary provides that example through her powerful Christian witness as she goes on many of these service opportunities herself — whether it is in town or across the nation.” Although there are numerous service projects available to teens, Passantino said Perrini was particularly dedicated

to creating meaningful service opportunities for students. Her work has not gone unnoticed. “Under Mary’s leadership and guidance, our campus ministry program has earned a national reputation for serving people in need all over the nation,” said Passantino. “The huge number of service hours our students do over and above the requirement is a real testament to her efforts. Each year over 150 Miege students give up time from their winter, spring or summer breaks to go on mission trips.” Through it all, Passantino said, Perrini’s goal is always for students to connect the service to their faith. “I admire how she always relates these experiences to our Catholic faith — by using Christ as her example of how he served the poor,” said Passantino. “It is so very impressive to see Mary inspire our students to walk in Christ’s footsteps and serve those in need.” Perrini will tell you she has many goals for what kids will experience during campus ministry activities and service projects. But it all really boils down to one overarching concept. “I really want to inspire kids to see that they can make a difference,” said Perrini. Perrini said that the desire to inspire and help kids is what landed her in campus ministry in the first place. “I started out as a theology teacher and then went back to get my master’s in counseling because kids would come to see me for help and to talk, and I wanted to be able to better help them,” said Perrini, who has been at Bishop Miege since 1989 and the campus min-

Remember your recently deceased loved one by attending a Memorial Mass Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010 9 a.m. Prince of Peace Chapel, Resurrection Cemetery 83rd & Quivira Lenexa

Eagle Scouts

Five Boy Scouts from Troop 251, sponsored by Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park, recently obtained their Eagle Scout awards. Standing with pastor Father Mark Mertes are: (from left) Luke Belamy, Tim Bontrager, James Dunham, Devin Kelly-Collins, and Isaac Dressman. For his Eagle project, Belamy constructed a bluebird sanctuary at Shawnee Mission South High School’s environmental area; Bontrager’s project was to organize and conduct an elementary school-level science fair for John Diemer School; Dunham constructed a 16-foot by 8-foot bridge at the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Eucharist convent in Independence, Mo.; Kelly-Collins built a privacy fence at The Bridge Home Foundation’s home for unwed teenage mothers in Kansas City, Mo.; Dressman constructed a deck with sun shield and rocking bench at the same Bridge home.

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The missionary’s next mission:

It is because of high school teachers and mentors like Mrs. Perrini that students like myself have the opportunity to learn the importance of serving at a young age.” Stephanie Larson, Kansas State University student and presenter of the Mary Jean Perrini Inspire to Serve Award istry director since 1994. “Being in campus ministry is a nice blend of faith and counseling . . . with a lot of service.” For Perrini, it is gratifying to see Miege alumni going on to make a difference after high school — like Larson and 2004 alum Paul Titterington, who both had strong experiences with campus ministry at Miege and were instrumental in nominating Perrini for the honor at KSU. “It’s seeing the best in young people,” said Perrini. “I’m never disappointed in seeing youth come through difficult circumstances. Getting to see them just be themselves is really rewarding.” For Passantino, the way Perrini was nominated for the award says it all. “That these students would want to recognize her for how she has inspired them by naming an award for her is a great tribute to her wonderful work,” he said.

MT CALVARY – KCKS Guadalupe Q. Aguilar Dorothy Balint Ann L. Barvick John P. Baska Virginia Baska Dolores J. Cervantes Elaine I. Chisam Patricia A. Davis Rose Marie Davis John P. Delich Dorothy C. Forck Gabriel C. Gramillo Angela A. Hernandez Josue Eliseo VaqueraJaramillo Rose M. Kobe Anna M. Laskowski Nellie G. Martinez Frank J. Martynowicz Michael S. Miskec Carl E. Neff Herbert L. Porter Esperanza L. Pulido Therese Kobe Smith Mary A. Wolf RESURRECTION Shirley Carlos Margarita Carter Jackson Robert DeBrineChristy Conrad L. Cohorn Edward L. Dale Friedrich W. Dieker Giovanna J. Diorio Mary Ellen A. Doherty Donald N. Fleming Isabella Mariam Goitom Eunice N. Hansen Marie G. Harris Richard L. Hugunin Preston Inthapaseuth John J. Joyce C. Joseph Knipper

LOCAL NEWS 5

James D. Krisman Jerzy Lazarczyk Elliot Francis L’Esperance Connor M. Lehr Stephen Lierz Alice R. Leonard Louis C. Manganiello William K. Morrison Neil P. Murphy William J. Nunnink Matthew Louis Oberdorf Thomas R. O’Hare Lyla Marie Patterson Charles P. Powers Kenneth J. Reaume Henry E. Ritter Jr. Richard C. Rosberg Marie E. Seckinger Richard L. Sonnich Leslie K. VanDyke Zhongfen Zu ST JOSEPH John W. Gay Mary R. Henke Nancy A. DeGraeve-Jones Joseph E. McGuire Lillian M. McDonald- Reed Alice E. Richardson William C. Sewell ST JOHN – LENEXA Vera M. Kadietz MT CALVARY – OLATHE Eli James Feller GATE OF HEAVEN Freddie L. Finley Agnes R. Frost James J. Hamm James D. Sextro Mary F. Theroff

home

By Joe Bollig

Leaven staff

OPEKA — Coming home to Kansas has been a great experience for Father Bob Conroy, MC. It has also been a little weird. Father Bob spent most of his time in impoverished, third-world countries for the better part of the last 20 years. Returning to his boyhood home of Topeka has required some adjustments. “Coming back to America has been a little bit of a culture shock,” he said. “I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience for about a month, trying to figure everything out, like, checking accounts.” And Wal-Mart. And the BIG food portions in restaurants. In fact, just about everything seemed a little weird at first. “I haven’t worn shoes for 20 years,” he said. “I only wore sandals. [Shoes] were strange. I got blisters on my feet.” Father Bob was given permission by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and his religious order, the Missionaries of Charity Fathers, to spend some time in ministry in his hometown. Currently, Father Bob is associate pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. He was born in Minneapolis. After living in other places, his family moved to Topeka when Father Bob was five years old, so Topeka is home. His father, Dr. Robert Conroy, and his stepmother Carolyn live there. His mother Beverly is deceased. He has two younger brothers who live in California. Father Bob knew he wanted to be a priest from the time he was seven years old. And he knew he wanted to serve the poor. This calling came to him while he was still a little boy, and the family was living in El Paso, Texas. “At a certain point, my father was thinking of getting out of the military, and we were looking for a home,” he said. “At one point, we were driving along the border,” he continued. “On one side was suburbia; on the other was Rio Grande, and these shacks made of tar paper and cardboard, and women drawing water out of the river with buckets.” The jarring juxtaposition of wealth and poverty made a powerful impression and became the catalyst for his vocation. He wanted to serve the poor as a priest. When the family moved to Topeka, his father found a job with the Menninger Institute. Father Bob graduated from Washburn Rural High School in 1979 and entered St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana as an archdiocesan seminarian. After graduating in 1983, Archbishop Ignatius J. Strecker sent him to Rome for further studies. While in Rome, Father Conroy lived at the Pontifical North American College and studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University. One year before his scheduled ordination, the young seminarian was in-

Photo courtesy of Father Bob Conroy

Mother Teresa stands with Bob Conroy at his ordination to the transitional diaconate. Father Bob was ordained a priest for the Missionaries of Charity Fathers — the male branch of the order founded by Mother Teresa in 1989.

Photo courtesy of Father Bob Conroy

Although Father Bob Conroy was ordained a priest for the Missionaries of Charity Fathers, he maintained strong ties to the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. His mother Beverly (left) and father Robert (center) settled in Topeka. Above, Father Norbert Lickteig greets Mother Teresa at Father Bob’s ordination. spired to join the Missionaries of Charity Fathers — the male branch of the order founded by Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. He was subsequently ordained a priest for that order on Jan. 28, 1989, by Bishop Emilio Carlos Berlie Belaunzaran of Tijuana. Mother Teresa was at his ordination. From 1992 to 1996, Father Conroy served in his order’s house of formation in Rome as novice master, postulant master and prefect of studies. He returned to Tijuana, was appointed vicar

general of his order in 1999, and also continued as novice master until 2001. From 2001 to 2003, he was a missionary to the indigenous people of Tamahau — a remote, mountainous region of northern Guatemala. “We [Missionaries of Charity] took it because it had been a Dominican mission in the 16th century, but it was abandoned by the diocese later on,” said Father Bob. “These people were just left to the four winds.” “There were two tribes that didn’t

speak Spanish. We had to learn two native languages — Poqon and Q’eq’chi,” he continued. “We served about 30 villages in the mountains. We’d have to walk four or five hours up the side of a mountain on these little trails carrying everything. You had to be in great shape. It would be raining, and you’d climb like a billy goat, and reach the top above these clouds and celebrate Mass. “It was great. I loved it.” He was called back to Tijuana when he was elected superior general of his order in 2003, and served in that capacity until 2008. Over the past few years, the Missionaries of Charity Fathers have been changing the focus of their vision on how to serve the poor. The community closed its missions in Africa, Guatemala, and other places. This new direction affected Father Bob’s vocation, so he took a sabbatical, spending part of it at a Benedictine monastery in South Dakota from late 2008 to 2009. Then, he made a weeklong Ignatian retreat under the direction of Father Benedict Groeschel of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Father Benedict recommended that he spend some time in ministry in his home archdiocese. Father Bob began serving at the parish on Oct. 22. Being at Our Lady of Guadalupe has been a wonderful experience, said Father Bob. In a sense, the mission has come to the missionary. “I never realized there was such a large Hispanic population in Topeka,” said Father Bob. “The people and [pastor] Father John Cordes have been welcoming.” “The [celebration of the] feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe was a three-day event,” he continued. “It was fantastic — the singing, the dancing, the Masses — it was like we were in Mexico. We really have a good spirit here.” The priest, whose desire was always to serve the poor, has discovered that he could do that here as well. “Coming back to the archdiocese, I’ve really enjoyed working directly with the people — visiting them in the hospitals and in their homes, and celebrating Mass,” he said. “We have an incredible evangelization program.” Coming home has also reminded him of something the late Bishop Marion Forst once told him. “He said to me in 1986, ‘Why do you have to leave? We need priests who want to be missionaries. We need priests who want a simple life. We need priests who are zealous for serving the poor. Why do you have to leave to do that?’” said Father Bob. “I feel like God, in his providence, has brought me back to Kansas — to Topeka even — and now I see Topeka with new eyes,” he said, “like the scales have been taken from my eyes. “The spirit of Mother Teresa is alive and well. And I believe in my heart that this is what God has called me to do — to serve the poor in whatever way I can.”

6 LOCAL NEWS Celebrating

THE LEAVEN • december 25, 2009

THE LEAVEN • December 25, 2009

Sister Maria Edwards, SCL

Sister Pilar Ocampo of the Sisters, Servants of Mary celebrated 60 years in the religious order with a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Naumann.

LEAVENWORTH — Sister Maria Edwards, 84, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth, died on Dec. 17 in Ross Hall at the Sisters’ motherhouse here. Born on April 29, 1925, to Richard Travis and Mabel Ann Leahy Edwards, the former Sybil Ann Edwards was raised in Pawhuska, Okla. She was a citizen of the Osage tribe of Native Americans. As a girl, she took ballet lessons and as a teenager obituary hosted dances on the front porch of her Main Street home. Sybil Ann graduated from Immaculate Conception Grade School and Pawhuska High School. She entered the religious community of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth on June 8, 1946, and, as Sister Maria, made her profession of vows on Aug. 15, 1948. Sister Maria received a bachelor’s degree in drama/English/psychology from Saint Mary College in Leavenworth. She taught at the elementary and secondary levels in Kansas, Missouri, Montana, and Nebraska for many years. In 1975, Sister Maria began her volunteer work at Saint Mary College and tutored many international students, both from Saint Mary College and from Fort Leavenworth.

Photos by Susan McSpadden

Above, the Sisters, Servants of Mary congratulate Sister Pilar on her 60th anniversary as a member of the order. Left, baby Juan Emanuel Sandoval comes in for his attention as well.

Ooh la-la! SOS goes French? Oui! By Joe Bollig Leaven staff

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — There’s a very good reason why Jodie Stockwell agreed to be co-chairperson for the 2010 Support Our Seminarians dinner and auction. She loves the church. “I love our church and I know that it is imperative for the future of the church that we have good priests,” said Stockwell, a member of Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood. “And the only way we will have good priests is to offer [young men] an excellent education and time to pursue a life of prayer and formation,” she continued. “These things can’t be rushed. And there is no way to put a price tag on it.” The 17th annual Support Our Seminarians dinner and auction will be held

Jan. 29 at the Marriott Allis Plaza Hotel in Kansas City, Mo. It will start off with cocktails and a marketplace at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and the live auction at 8 p.m. The event co-chairs with Stockwell are Tim and Katy Forrest, also members of Curé of Ars. The co-chairs have been assisted by a 25-member steering committee. Funds raised by SOS are distributed equally among the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, and Conception Seminary in Conception, Mo. Each entity uses SOS funds for ongoing seminarian formation and support. This support includes tuition and textbook assistance, upgrades to academic programs, or improvement of physical spaces — such as a library or chapel. This year’s SOS is dedicated to the

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secondary patron of the archdiocese and a model for the priesthood: St. John Vianney, also known as the Curé of Ars. “We’ve taken our nod from the pope, who not only dedicated this year as the Year of the Priest, but also named St. John Vianney as the priest for all priests of the world,” said Stockwell. Since this humble priest was French, the SOS organizers settled on a French theme for the event. The “Eiffel Tower” in lights will feature, at its base, a marketplace, where auction items will be displayed. “There will be music and an ‘artist in residence’ (Mike Debus from St. James Academy in Lenexa) to begin the live auction,” said Stockwell. “A fabulous dinner has been chosen, served with fine choice wines. Seminarians will be there to meet and greet, and to get to

know the people they’re preparing to serve with their lives.” Stockwell hopes that, despite the past year’s economic travails, this auction will surpass last year’s event. SOS 2009 was attended by approximately 750 people and raised more than $150,000. Tickets to attend SOS are still available, with 10-place table sponsorships ranging from $10,000 for “Angels” to $1,500 for “Saints.” Individual tickets are $150, or $175 after Jan. 20. Donations will be gladly accepted from those who are unable to attend. For tickets, contact Martha Hodes at (913) 649-9013, or via e-mail at: mmmh66@sbcglobal.net. It’s not too late to donate auction items, either. To donate, call Laurie Murphy at (913) 642-7433.

New devotion set for 2010 OVERLAND PARK — Holy Spirit Parish here, at 11300 W. 103rd St., will begin a new rosary devotion in January 2010. Anyone interested in praying the Project Rachel Life Rosary is invited to the Holy Spirit adoration chapel starting Jan. 5 at 2 p.m. The devotion will continue on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. The life rosary is an intercessory prayer for victims of post-abortion syndrome.

LOCAL NEWS 7 Barbara (Nye) and Robert Prockish, members of St. Bernard Parish in Wamego, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Jan. 4, 2010. Anniversaries The couple was married at St. Joseph Church in Flush. They will celebrate with their children and their spouses: Bob and Ann Prockish, Rick and Lea Prockish, Wayne and Besty Prockish, Joyce and Scott Schau, and Penny and Chris Adams, along with their 12 grandchildren and four greatgrandchildren.

Anniversary policy Members of Nativity Parish School’s student council recently coordinated a food drive for Catholic Charities. Over 500 bags of food were collected to help feed the needy in the community. The Leawood school and its students received recognition from Catholic Charities for collecting the most food ever by one school.

Brothers earn rank of Eagle Brothers Logan Ross, 18, and Skylar Ross, 16, members of Boy Scout Troop 169 of Basehor and Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie, were honored in a ceremony on Oct. 25 for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. For his project, Logan designed and constructed a mobile library book cart for Frank Rushton School in Eagle scouts Elementary Kansas City, Kan. For his project, Skylar organized the refurbishing of an outdoor butterfly garden, constructed a storage closet, and painted the greenhouse for Glenwood Ridge Elementary School in Bonner Springs.

Logan and Skylar Ross

The Leaven only prints 50, 60, 65 and 70th anniversary notices. Announcements are due by 5 p.m. eight days (Thursday) before the desired publication date. Announcements must be typed. They are for parishioners of Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Please include the following Information: • The couple’s names; their parish; the date they were married; church and city where they were married; what they are doing to celebrate; date of the celebration; names of children (if desired); number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren; photo. Send notices to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109, attn: anniversaries; or send an e-mail to: Todd@theleaven.com. If you would like your photo returned to you, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Best Rest of the

Over the course of each year, I see thousands of photos. Some assignments bring in hundreds of images that I have to narrow down to just a handful — and sometimes to a single shot. Needless to say, there are many intriguing photos that never make it past my eyes — a fact that I find somewhat sad. So every year The Leaven tries to showcase some of the best photos you never saw in print in our annual edition of the “Best of the Rest.” Here are this year’s. Enjoy! —Todd Habiger, Leaven production manager

Intense

As a football fan, I found this image of a Holy Trinity CYO football player particularly striking. I love the concentration photographer Chris Vaughn captured as the player listens to his coach’s instructions. Coupled with the mouthpiece hanging half out of his mouth and the butterfly Band-Aid on his forehead, you gotta love this classic shot.

Silhouette

I’m a sucker for silhouettes. Photographer Susan McSpadden captured this image of Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann at the ordination of three new archdiocesan priests at Church of the Ascension in Overland Park.

s Shadow Dancing

Touching

How do you properly honor more than an century of service? You can’t. After more than 100 years of service to the archdiocese, the Ursuline Sisters of Paola merged with a group of Ursulines in Kentucky. I found this tender moment — captured by photographer Elaina Cochran — between a Sister and an Urusline supporter at one of their going away parties particularly touching.

Sometimes photographers have to look beyond the usual and think outside the box. That’s what Susan McSpadden did here when, instead of focusing on the dancer, she focused on her shadow.

s Yesteryear

Sometimes what catches a photographer’s eye has nothing to do with Catholicism. Senior reporter Joe Bollig was making his way home from an assignment in Wetmore when he chanced upon this blast from the past — and recorded it for posterity.

Whoops!

Camp Tekakwitha’s X-Treme Camp always yields great pictures. This one catches two campers suspended from their safety cables after falling from one of the high ropes tasks.

s cramped

I love this shot that Joe Bollig took on his bus trip to the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., in January. The photo conveys in a way that words just can’t the cramped chaos of the long bus trip. I also love the strong angles he used to pull the viewer into the photo and make you feel like you’re right there.

10 NATION

THE LEAVEN • December 25, 2009

House pushes to move immigration bill forward WASHINGTON (CNS) — In a packed House hearing room Dec. 15, nearly two dozen members of Congress, flanked by dozens of kids wearing T-shirts reading “Future Voter” opened the push for a new comprehensive immigration reform bill. The legislation — called Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act of 2009, or CIR ASAP — was unveiled before a roomful of advocates from churches, community groups and others with interests in fixing the current immigration system. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., who has shepherded the process of drafting the bill, said the bill would carry the name of Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Texas, founder of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Ryan Dwyer, immigration policy adviser for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, outlined for Catholic News Service some of the differences between the new legislation and previous immigration reform bills. They include new standards for immigrant detention; no “touchback” provision, which in previous bills would have required undocumented immigrants to return to their home countries to apply for legalization in the U.S.; the end of a program that gave local law enforcement agencies the authority to enforce federal immigration laws; a prohibition on creating a national identification card; and provisions allowing spouses and minor children to continue with their applications for naturalization or status adjustment even after the death of the family member that is a U.S. citizen or legal resident.

Mississippi fifth-grader is main character’s voice in Disney film JACKSON, Miss. (CNS) — At the end of the first nine weeks of classes when report cards went out from St. Richard Catholic School, Elizabeth Dampier’s mother, Jeanna, went in for the usual parent-teacher conference. “She wanted to meet us and say hello,” said Krista Garrard, Elizabeth’s fifth-grade teacher. “During the conference I told her I loved to hear Elizabeth talk in class and read out loud. I told her Elizabeth had a very soothing, very good voice,” said Garrard, who hears more than 100 voices a day at school. That was when Garrard discovered she was not the only one impressed with Elizabeth’s voice. As a matter of fact, the girl’s mother told her Elizabeth “was in this movie, ‘The Princess and the Frog.’” That was in October and most of Elizabeth’s fellow students didn’t know she was going to be in Disney’s new animated movie, the teacher said. In the first weekend of its Dec. 11 release, it earned $25 million, making it the No. 1 movie in the country.

THE LEAVEN • December 25, 2009

Tourism to Holy Land promoted as way to peace

Help the unemployed avoid foreclosure By Mark Pattison

Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) — Large numbers of homeowners are underwater with their mortgages, meaning they owe more than the house is now worth. The problem is worse when the homeowner is unemployed. The federal government has been pressuring banks, whose own assets were bailed out a year ago in a $700 billion package, to pick up the pace in helping homeowners, but banks have been slow to meet the challenge. However, there are state-run mortgage assistance programs which, if applied nationwide, could provide “significant but temporary assistance to the unemployed,” according to Morris Davis, a professor of urban economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business and a former economist with the Federal Reserve Bank. “The unemployed simply don’t have enough unemployment insurance benefits to make mortgage payments,” Davis said during a Dec. 9 conference call sponsored by the PICO National Network, founded in 1972 by a Jesuit priest. PICO stands for People Improving Communities Through Organizing. Davis and John Dodds, director of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project, met Dec. 14 with members of the White House Economic Council to tout foreclosure-diversion programs that have worked at the state level. Wisconsin and Massachusetts offer programs that issue grants to out-of-work homeowners to help meet mortgage payments. Massachusetts also offers a program that makes loans to unemployed homeowners to keep their mortgage payments current. Pennsylvania has had a program in place since 1983 called the Homeowners Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program, which has made 43,000 loans with a total value of $236 million. “Homeowners have repaid $246 million — a $10 million profit for the state,” Davis said. “This seems like expensive public policy. However, since about 50 percent of all mortgages are government-insured, doing nothing and allowing foreclosures is also expensive public policy,” Davis said.

By Judith Sudilovsky

Catholic News Service

CNS photo/Zohra Bensemra, Reuters

CNS/Desmond Boylan, Reuters

SOLDIER PRAYS — A U.S. Army soldier from Task Force Denali 1-40 CAV prays during a Christian service at Forward Operating Base Clark in Khowst province, Afghanistan, Dec. 13. President Barack Obama’s goal of a “responsible transition” in Afghanistan must serve as the “overall ethical framework for U.S. actions” there, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of Albany, N.Y., chairman of the bishops’ international policy committee, said in a Dec. 18 letter to the national security adviser.

PILGRIM PUSHES ROCK — A Cuban man dressed in a sackcloth crawls as he pushes a rock along a road leading to the shrine of St. Lazarus in El Rincon, Cuba, Dec. 17, to pay homage to the saint. Thousands of Catholic Cubans as well as followers of Santeria, a belief system that mixes Christian and traditional beliefs, expressed their faith and devotion to St. Lazarus by making a pilgrimage on his feast day.

Bishops’ committee backs Obama goal in Afghanistan

Vatican calls for ‘new thinking’ to address climate change

By Nancy Frazier O’Brien Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) — President Barack Obama’s goal of a “responsible transition” in Afghanistan must serve as the “overall ethical framework for U.S. actions” there, the chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace told the national security adviser. In a Dec. 18 letter to retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones, Bishop Howard J. Hubbard of Albany, N.Y., called for the development of “specific criteria” for troop withdrawal, as well as efforts to help the Afghanis “secure an adequate basis for future political and economic stability.” He urged that “each course of action taken by the U.S.” in Afghanistan be “weighed in light of the traditional moral principle of ‘probability of success.’” “In other words, will this action contribute to a ‘responsible transition’ and withdrawal as soon as appropriate and possible?” the bishop said. “Will it improve Afghan security and minimize loss of life? Will it provide an adequate foundation for long-term development?” Bishop Hubbard said the international policy committee met Dec. 2 to discuss the revised Afghan strategy outlined by Obama the night before in

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a talk at West Point. At that meeting, the committee “affirmed and extended” the themes of an Oct. 6 letter from the bishop to Jones. “In the face of terrorist threats, our nation must respond to indiscriminate attacks against innocent civilians in ways that combine a resolve to do what is necessary, the restraint to ensure that we act justly, and the vision to focus on broader issues of poverty and injustice that are unscrupulously exploited by terrorists in gaining recruits,” Bishop Hubbard wrote in both letters. He reiterated several principles outlined in the earlier letter: • “Restrain use of military force and ensure that civilians are not targeted.” • “Address the root causes of terrorism rather than relying solely on military means to solve conflict.” • Encourage international collaboration to provide humanitarian assistance and rebuild Afghanistan.” He urged the Obama administration “to continually review the use of military force — whether and when force is necessary to protect the innocent and resist terrorism — to ensure that it is proportionate and discriminate, and to develop concrete criteria for when it is appropriate to end direct U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan.”

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (CNS) — The world must confront its current moral crises, ranging from hunger to environmental destruction, with “discernment and new thinking,” said the head of the Vatican delegation to the United Nations climate change conference. Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Vatican’s nuncio to the U.N., invited delegates during a plenary session Dec. 17 to “a new and deeper reflection on the meaning of the economy and its purposes, and a profound and far-reaching revision of the model for development, to correct the malfunctions and distortions.” The archbishop’s address in Copenhagen came as negotiations slowed on a climate change pact to build upon the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which obligated industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a specific amount every year through 2012. No agreement had been reached by midday Dec. 18, the conference’s final day. “With realism, trust and hope we must assume the new responsibilities which call us to the scene of a world in need of a deep cultural renewal and a rediscovery of fundamental values on which to build a better future,” Archbishop Migliore said. He called attention to efforts being

Bishop resigns over his handling of clerical sexual abuse DUBLIN, Ireland (CNS) — Bishop Donal Murray of Limerick has resigned after weeks of pressure over his handling of clerical sexual abuse when he served in the Dublin Archdiocese. Speaking Dec. 17 after the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI had accepted his resignation, Bishop Murray told a large congregation in St. John’s Cathedral in Limerick, “I humbly apologize once again to all who were abused as little children.” “I know full well that my resignation cannot undo the pain that survivors of abuse have suffered in the past and continue to suffer each day,” he told the congregation, which included many priests of the diocese. A government investigation found that Bishop Murray, who served as auxiliary bishop of the Dublin Archdiocese from 1982 to 1996, failed to investigate allegations of abuse against a priest and called his action “inexcusable.” The findings from the investigation, published Nov. 26 in the so-called Murphy Report, looked at the handling of some 325 abuse claims in the archdiocese in the years 1975-2004. The commission in charge of the investigation also found that church leaders had put the avoidance of scandal and the reputation of the institution before the rights of victims. Immediately after the report’s publication Bishop Murray rejected calls for his resignation. However, Cardinal Sean Brady of Armagh, Northern Ireland, president of the Irish bishops’ conference, publicly called on the embattled bishop Dec. 5 to “do the right thing” and resign.

Bishops’ president backs qualified support for martial law MANILA, Philippines (CNS) — The president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has endorsed the qualified support the archbishop in Maguindanao province gave for the imposition of martial law. In a statement issued Dec. 8 on behalf of the bishops’ conference, Bishop Nereo P. Odchimar of Tandag called for a “speedy dispensation of justice” to end the stream of violence in Maguindanao, the Asian church news agency UCA News reported. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo imposed military rule in the southern province Dec. 4, 11 days after the massacre of 57 people in a politically motivated attack. Arroyo’s decision has drawn criticism from some in the church as well as from her opponents. Archbishop Orlando B. Quevedo of Cotabato offered conditional support for the martial law declaration Dec. 6 while insisting that the rights of all, including massacre suspects, must be upheld. Bishop Odchimar advised that martial law should be administered justly and lifted as soon as possible.

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made to reduce energy consumption around the globe. He said efforts should not only revolve around scientific and technical solutions, but must include changes in personal habits and lifestyle. “The wisest and most effective programs focus on information, education and the formation of the sense of responsibility in children and adults toward environmentally sound patterns of development and stewardship of creation,” he said. To help stress his point, the archbishop briefly reviewed steps taken by the Vatican to incorporate renewable energy into daily activity as a way to reduce its emissions of carbon dioxide, which scientists have said is a leading cause of climate change. He also cited efforts at Catholic schools and universities to raise awareness of environmental concerns. “These efforts are about working on lifestyles, as the current dominant models of consumption and production are often unsustainable from the point of view of social, environmental, economic and even moral analysis,” he said. “We must safeguard creation — soil, water and air — as a gift entrusted to everyone, but we must also and above all prevent mankind from destroying itself,” he said.

JERUSALEM (CNS) — Pilgrimage to the Holy Land can become a bridge to peace, said an Israeli tourism official, noting the positive effect the spring pilgrimage of Pope Benedict XVI had on creating cooperation between Palestinian, Jordanian and Israeli officials. “There are many disputes in the Holy Land but something we don’t have disputes about is when it comes to pilgrims,” Rafi Ben Hur, deputy director general of the Israeli Tourist Ministry, said during a Dec. 16 press conference. He said Israeli and Palestinian tourism officials have been working together to promote the region as a pilgrimage destination. There also has been cooperation with Jordanian tourism officials, he said. “We are putting our first priority on pilgrimage; pilgrimage in particular is a bridge to peace,” he said, citing how the Holy Land visit of Pope Benedict XVI in May created “tremendous” cooperation between Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian tourism officials. The papal visit has helped attract pilgrims despite the worldwide economic slump, he said. Israel also was endorsing Bethlehem as an important part of the pilgrimage experience with tour operators abroad, he explained. “Here is an opportunity to show that it is safe [to go to Bethlehem] and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity should be taken,” he said. Israeli Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov saw Christian religious leaders not only as “real friends” in the endeavor to promote the Holy Land as a pilgrimage site, but as “real partners in creating bonds with Israel and her neighbors.” “Tourism and pilgrimage can be a real uniting force through joint economic interests and job creation,” he said. The year 2009 was another peak year in tourism with nearly 3 million visitors expected to make the trip to Israel by the end of the year. Misezhnikov said about a third of them also have visited Bethlehem.

World 11

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12 CLASSIFIEDS Employment Bookkeeper – St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Leawood, is seeking a bookkeeper for the church and school. Responsibilities include: processing accounts payable, payroll, and contributions, and preparing monthly reports for income and expenditures. A qualified candidate will possess strong interpersonal and organizational skills; 3 years experience in the field, with a bachelor’s degree in business or accounting preferred; and the ability to adapt to our internal accounting software. For a complete job description or to apply, visit the Web site at: www.stmichaelcp. org. Part-time musician - St. John LaLande Parish, Blue Springs, Mo., is seeking a part-time musician with strong conducting, organ and piano skills. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills are also essential in working with musicians/volunteers at all levels of proficiency. Requirements include: keyboard expertise and sight-reading ability; knowledge of Catholic liturgy and music; and experience planning and coordinating all seasonal liturgies as well as funerals and marriages. Responsibilities include: conducting and accompanying established adult/ bell choirs and other ensembles for rehearsals; directing and accompanying several weekend Masses and other celebrations, including holy days, holidays, and special liturgies throughout the year; conducting weekly cantor rehearsal; and ongoing recruitment of volunteer musicians. Salary commensurate with experience. To apply, submit cover letter, résumé, and references, via e-mail, to: mverstraete@stjohnlalande.com. 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, self-disciplined, independent individual desiring to serve others, yet earn a better-than-average income. We provide top-rated financial products to our members and their families and will provide excellent benefits and training. For more information or an interview, contact John A. Mahon, 307 Dakota, Holton KS 66436; or call (785) 364-5450. Help wanted - COBRAGuard is a nationally recognized leader in COBRA administration. We are expanding our business and are seeking qualified individuals to help with our tremendous growth. If you are looking for an opportunity with a growing firm, make sure you apply with us. We have openings in our call center, sales, IT, and accounting departments. To apply, visit the Web site at: www.cobraguard.net, follow the link to “Jobs”; or send an e-mail to: HR@ COBRAGuard.net. EOE.

Services Are you facing divorce, layoff, foreclosure, or bankruptcy? - Consider financial coaching to turn your situation around. Guiding you through a 7-step program toward financial peace and prosperity. For a free confidential consultation, contact Denise Bergin, CPA, at (785) 760-0065 or send an e-mail to her at: jayhawktax @sunflower.com. Serving Kansas City, Lawrence, and Topeka. Counseling - Confidential and affordable individual, marriage and family counseling and outpatient substance abuse treatment. JB Strong, MA, LCPC, AAPS; (913) 722-1118. Computer help! - 20+ years of experience. I can fix slow systems, secure networks, set up a home server, establish Internet security, provide technology refresh, eliminate virus/malware issues, and do data recovery. Call Dan O’Boyle at (913) 707-5020. Initial first half-hour is free. Machine quilting by Lyn - I also do T-shirt, photo, and memorial quilts. Official Hobbs distributor. Located in Overland Park. Call Lyn at (913) 492-8877.

THE LEAVEN • DECEMBER 25, 2009 Granite, Cambria and Silestone countertops See our new showroom at 5820 Barton, in the heart of beautiful downtown Shawnee. Call The Top Shop, Inc., at (816) 898-8685 or (913) 962-5058. Member of St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee. Tutoring - Mamuric Studios is accepting students for tutoring for 2010. Tutor is currently working on her masters of education at Rockhurst University and has experience with students in the K - 12 grades as well as college-level students. Tutor also specializes in test preparation, study skills, French, Spanish, and music. Sessions are customized to fit the student’s needs and are fun and meaningful in context. For information, call (913)206-2151 or send and e-mail to: Klmamuric@yahoo.com. Foley’s Lawn Care Lawn mowing Fall cleanups & gutter cleaning www.foleyslawncare.com (913) 825-4353 Serving Johnson County Tree service - Pruning ornamental trees for optimal growth and beauty and removal of hazardous limbs or problem trees. Free consultation and bid. Safe, insured, professional. Brad Grabs, Green Solutions of KC, (913) 244-5838. www.GreenSolutionsKC.com. Leaf Removal & Fall Yard Clean ups Tree Services. Gutter Clean outs. Licensed/Bond/Ins/Refs Free estimates (913) 620-6063 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. Increase your income – Interest rates are low, but a gift annuity with the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas often pays effective rates of over 10 percent for the rest of your life. Your gift benefits your parish or another Catholic organization of your choice in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. You may even get a tax deduction. For information, call (913) 647-0365. Home Care Services - We provide care management, medication administration, transportation, companionship, shopping and other needs to the elderly and disabled at home. Reasonable rates. Full time or part time. Days/nights/weekends. Call Pamerick Home Health Care and speak with Mimi at (913) 488-5993. 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 Andrea, Sara or Gary. Do you or your parents need help at home? - For as little as $60 per week, Benefits of HomeSenior 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.

THE LEAVEN • DECEMBER 25, 2009 House painting - Interior and exterior; wallpaper removal. 20 years experience. Reasonable rates. References. Call Joe at (913) 620-5776. Painting, exterior and interior, drywall projects, powerwashing, rotted window sills repaired - Quality products. 20 years experience. References. Call (913) 341-7584. Bath, kitchen and basement remodels -Quality work; reasonable prices. 25 yrs. experience. Free estimates. JoCo area. Call Ralph at (913) 707-9589. 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. Electrician - Free estimates; reasonable rates. JoCo and southern KC metro area. Call Pat at (913) 963-9896.

Adept Home Improvements Where quality still counts! Basement finishing, Kitchens and baths, Electrical and plumbing. Licensed and insured. (913) 599-7998

Brown’s Carpet - Installation and repair carpeting; vinyl and wood installation. Free estimates. 10 years experience. Serving the KC metro area. Call (913) 231-4961. 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 Swalms Organizing Service - Basements, garages, attics, and shop spaces organized! Items sorted, boxed & labeled; areas cleaned when finished! Clean out services also available. Great references and insured. For pictures of current projects, visit the Web site at: www.swalms.com. Call Tillar Swalm at (913) 375-9115.

Real Estate Home for sale - 2919 W. 51st St., Westwood. Walking distance to St. Agnes and Bishop Miege. This house is not a drive-by. Much larger than it appears. 4 BR, 3 BA, two-car detached garage. Recently remodeled kitchen with granite and new flooring. $288,950. Call Marie Greenhaw, Reece & Nichols, at (913) 6349034. Kansas land - Have land to sell? Marisa Morgan Dallman, owner-broker, Kansas Land Brokers, LLC. Call (913) 915-9151 or visit the Web site at: www. KansasLandBrokers.com.

Home Improvement For Rent Woodbright - A very affordable alternative to refinishing, refacing or replacing stained cabinets and woodwork. The average kitchen only costs $500. 18 years experience. Call Woodbright at (913) 940-3020. 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: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity Church, Lenexa.

Duplexes for rent - Shawnee duplex: 2 BR, 1 BA, one-car garage. Washer/dryer hookups. $675/ month; Kansas City Kan.: 3 BR, 2 BA, one-car garage. Washer/dryer included. $650/month. Call (913) 268-5824 or (913) 706-6463. 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.

Dec.

Vacation Ski cabin in Winter Park, Colo. – 2 BR, 1 BA, on free ski shuttle route. $110/night. Call (913) 6423027. To view pictures, visit the Web site at: cabin. forcadeassociates.com. Ski vacation - Winter Park, Colo. 2 BR, 1 BA, sleeps 6. Fully furnished, fireplace, rec. center with pool & hot tub. $125/night; $750/week. Call Joe Frederick at (913) 385-5589.

For sale 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.

Wanted to buy ***WANTED*** I buy coins, older watches, silverware, slot machines, old rifles and shotguns, stoneware crocks and jugs, old furniture from basement or attic. Call Chris at (913) 593-7507 or (913) 642-8269 Will buy firearms and related accessories One or a whole collection. Honest evaluation and top prices paid. Contact Tom at (913) 238-2473. Member of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee.

The Johnson County Unos will gather for 4:30 p.m. Mass on Dec. 26 at St. Pius X Church, 5601 Woodson, Mission. Dinner will follow at Leona Yarbrough’s Restaurant, 11900 Shawnee Mission Pkwy., Shawnee.

The Topeka Catholic Singles Fellowship will gather for dinner at 6 p.m. on Dec. 29 at L & J’s II, 222 N.W. Independence, Topeka. For information, call Melanie at (785) 233-5579.

Holy Trinity Church, 92nd and Pflumm, Lenexa, will host an all-city Christian singles New Year’s Eve dance from 8 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. on Dec. 31 in the parish hall. Tickets cost $30 if purchased in advance; $35 at the door. The cost includes light sandwiches and appetizers, beer, wine, soda, and champagne at midnight. To purchase tickets, mail a check payable to Zepster’s A to Z Party DJ’s, before Dec. 21, to: P.O. Box 14321, Kansas City, MO 64152. For information, call (816) 292-2848 or send an e-mail to: zepster707@gmail.com. The Topeka Catholic Singles Fellowship will host a New Year’s Eve party on Dec. 31 from 6 p.m. - midnight at Gina’s. Bring your own beverages.

*** Wanted to Buy *** Antique and vintage costume jewelry Member St. Joseph Parish Renee Maderak (913) 631-7179

Miscellaneous Freedom from pornography - Men’s group and counseling; call Sam Meier, MA, LPC, at (913) 6470378. Women’s group; call Beth Meier, MA, at (913) 647-0379. Visit the Web site at: LoveIsFaithful.com.

Roommate Female roommate wanted - 26-year-old single, professional woman is seeking a roommate in mid20s or early 30s. Looking for an apartment, loft, house, or townhouse close to downtown, the Plaza, Roeland Park, Shawnee, or surrounding areas. I prefer my own bedroom and bathroom. I am very clean, easygoing, and easy to live with! No smoking and no pets. Send an e-mail to: erinjab@neb.rr.com.

Entertainment Kansas City’s New Year’s Eve singles extravaganza - Dec. 31 at Holy Trinity Church, 92nd and Pflumm, Lenexa. Doors open at 8 p.m. Dancing to the music provided by Zepster the DJ from 8:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. Tickets cost $30 if purchased in advance; $35 at the door. The cost includes light sandwiches and appetizers, beer, wine, soda, and champagne at midnight. To purchase tickets, mail a check payable to Zepster’s A to Z Party DJ’s, before Dec. 21, to: P.O. Box 14321, Kansas City, MO 64152. For information, call (816) 292-2848 or send an e-mail to: zepster707@ gmail.com. You don’t want to miss this one!

Jan. 1-4

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will host Quo Vadis, a retreat for single men ages 18 - 35 who wish to know what God is calling them to do with their lives. The retreat lasts from Jan. 1- 4 at Savior Pastoral Center, 12601 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kan. There will be Mass, prayer, recreation, and personal time with the archbishop, priests, and seminarians. There is no cost to attend. To register, visit the vocation office’s Web site at: www.kckvocations.com, or send an e-mail to: vocation@archkck.org.

1-9

Join the Worldwide Marriage Encounter community in praying a novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe for the sacrament of marriage, beginning on Jan. 1. The novena can be found on the Web site at: www.neksme.org; click on the “Events” link.

The Topeka Catholic Singles Fellowship’s book club will meet at 2 p.m. on Jan. 3 at Planet Sub, 2130 S.W. Wanamaker, Topeka.

Holy Spirit Parish, 11300 W. 103rd St., Overland Park, invites all to pray the Rachel Life Rosary in the adoration chapel at 2 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month beginning Jan. 5. The Rachel Life Rosary is an intercessory prayer for victims of post-abortion syndrome and provides an excellent way to lend compassionate and loving support to those who have been affected by abortion.

5-6

Sister Micaela Randolph, OSB, will facilitate a retreat on lectio divina, the ancient art of prayerful reading, beginning at 10 a.m. on Jan. 5 through 2 p.m. on Jan. 6 at Sophia Center, 751 S. 8th St., Atchison. There will be time for sharing, silence, solitude and reflection. The registration deadline is Dec. 20. For information or to register, call (913) 360-6151 or visit the Web site at: www.mount osb.org/sophia.html.

The Johnson County Unos will hold their monthly meeting and potluck dinner at 5 p.m. on Jan. 8 at St. Pius X Church, 5601 Woodson, Mission. Bring meat casseroles, salads, vegetables or desserts — enough to feed 8 — or $5 to pay for your meal. Entertainment will be cardingo (a cards/bingo hybrid game).

Holy Spirit Parish, Overland Park, invites all college-age alumni to be a part of our 25th anniversary celebration! Join us for 5 p.m. Mass on Jan. 9, followed by pizza and fellowship in St. Elizabeth Hall. Reconnect with old Holy Spirit friends before heading back to school. To RSVP, send an e-mail to: hkinkade@hsschool.net. St. Thomas Aquinas High School will offer an eighth-grade placement exam at 8 a.m. on Jan. 9. Students are asked to bring two No. 2 pencils, a calculator, social security number, and $15 exam fee. No preregistration required. A pizza luncheon will be served following the test. A makeup exam will be offered on Jan. 23. For information, call Diane Pyle, admissions director, at (913) 319-2423 or send an e-mail to her at: dpyle@stasaints.net.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish, 2014 N.W. 46th St., Topeka, will host exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Benediction and a Divine Mercy Holy Hour at 3 p.m. on Jan. 10. Fellowship will follow. For information, call (785) 246-1338 or (785) 246-1295.

The Catholic Charities Foundation of Northeast Kansas will host its 36th annual Snowball on Jan. 16 at the Crown Center Exhibition Hall at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Kansas City, Mo. This black-tie evening will feature cocktails, dinner and dancing. For reservations or information, call (913) 433-2046 or visit the Web site at: www. catholiccharitiessnowball.org.

Want to help someone heal from an abortion? Call Toll Free 888-246-1504

Get set for a fun-filled night of trivia competition! St. Thomas Aquinas High School alumni, parents, staff, alumni parents and friends are invited to trivia night on Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. in the auxiliary gym. The cost is $15 per person. Register via the Web site at: www.stasaints.net. Reservations are required by Jan. 22. Bring your own beverage, appetizers or snacks to share. Prizes will be awarded for the best decorated team table, trivia winner and runner-up teams. Individuals and groups are welcome. For information, call Beth Hartung at (913) 208-3321 or send an e-mail to her at: bethhartung@sbcglobal. net. Volunteer are needed, too!

The Boy Scouts of St. Ann Parish, 7241 Mission Rd., Prairie Village, will host a pancake breakfast from 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Jan. 24 in the cafeteria. Proceeds will benefit the troop’s summer camp fund.

Sophia Center, 751 S. 8th St., Atchison, will host a day of reflection for RCIA candidates and catechumens from 8:15 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Jan. 30. The focus of the day will be on deepening one’s understanding of the commitment implied when praying the Lord’s Prayer. Mary Kay Whitacre will be the presenter. She has served in RCIA ministry for 25 years and is currently the RCIA coordinator at St. Thomas More Parish in Kansas City, Mo. Registration is limited. For information or to register, call (913) 360-6151 or visit the Web site at: www.mountosb.org/ sophia.html. Save the date for the annual Support Our Seminarians dinner and auction, which will be held on Jan. 30 at the Marriott Allis Plaza Hotel in Kansas City, Mo. For information or to purchase tickets, send an e-mail to: vocation@archkck.org or visit the Web site at: www.kckvocations.com.

Misc. The Apostles of the Interior Life, along with spiritual director Father Steve Sotiroff, will host a spiritual pilgrimage to Italy from June 11 - 21, 2010. Cities to be visited include: Rome, Orvieto, Assisi, Siena, Florence, and Loreto. The cost of $2799 (double occupancy) includes airfare, hotels, daily breakfast and dinner, and sightseeing tours. Optional trip insurance is available for $185. Registration and deposit are due by March 1, 2010. For information or to book a reservation, contact Adriatic Pilgrimages at 1 (800) 262-1718 or visit the Web site at: www. adriatictours.com. A Holy Land pilgrimage in the footsteps of Jesus, is planned for June 1 - 14, 2010. Spiritual director Father Jorge Ramirez will lead participants on a tour through Bethlehem, Nazareth, Cana, and Mount Tabor and Cairo

CALENDAR 13

in celebration of the great mysteries of Jesus’ life. The cost is $3295 per person/double occupancy; $445 single supplement. The Cairo extension costs $795 per person, double occupancy. Space is limited. A reservation and $400 deposit are due by Feb. 15, 2010. For information, call Pilar at (913) 341-7779. Mary, Health of the Sick Guild has published a new cookbook to benefit the Sisters, Servants of Mary. The cookbook contains over 350 recipes, including ones submitted by the Sisters themselves. The cost is $12 (plus $2 for postage). Make checks payable to the Sisters, Servants of Mary and send to: 800 N. 18th St., Kansas City KS 66102. Cookbooks may also be purchased at the motherhouse at the above address. For information, contact Barbara Butler at (913) 362-0723 or the convent at (913) 371-3423. There are 14 men in the My House men’s groups that have broken free from pornography for over one year! Also, the My House women’s group is available for wives and loved ones who are healing from the effects of their loved one’s struggles. For more information, visit the Web site at: LoveIsFaithful.com. Were you injured while on active duty in the military? Do you have combat-related nightmares or are you bothered by memories of combat? A “veterans helping veterans” support group is forming in this area. If you are in need of help or are available to help, call John at (913) 909-3368. Spiritual direction helps us notice God’s action in our daily lives. By meeting monthly with a skilled spiritual director, we become more conscious of God’s presence and love. For information or to schedule a free appointment, call the Keeler Women’s Center at (913) 621-8749. St. Monica home school support meets monthly. For information and locations, call Stephanie Jacobson at (913) 766-0412. The Serra Club invites all men of the archdiocese to pray with them to increase vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Meetings are held at noon on every second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For information, contact Jim Conrad at (913) 432-4162, John Muehlberger at (913) 441-5061, or Bill Peters at (913) 8946967. Catholic Charities is sponsoring Mother to Mother, a program that provides emotional support for mothers. Meetings with speakers on various topics are held once a month in Olathe. Mothers are also paired with a support/mentor mother. For more information, contact Carla Golden at (913) 7824077 or send an e-mail to her at: cgolden@ ccsks.org. Calendar items must be received nine days before the publication date. E-mail submissions are preferred; send to: jennifer@ theleaven.com. Submissions may be mailed to: 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109.

Concrete Work

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14 COMMENTARY

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

Archbishop Edward O’Meara Award Winner 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003

Scripture Readings octave of christmas Dec. 27 the holy family of jesus, mary and joseph Sir 3: 2-7, 12-14; Ps 128: 1-5; Col 3: 12-21; Lk 2: 41-52 Dec. 28 THE HOLY INNOCENTS, MARTYRS 1 Jn 1:5 — 2:2; Ps 124: 2-5, 7c-8; Mt 2: 13-18 Dec. 29 THE FIFTH DAY IN THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS 1 Jn 2: 3-11; Ps 96: 1-3, 5b-6; Lk 2: 22-35 Dec. 30 THE sixth DAY IN THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS 1 Jn 2: 12-17; Ps 96: 7-10; Lk 2: 36-40 Dec. 31 THE seventh DAY IN THE OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS 1 Jn 2: 18-21; Ps 96: 1-2, 11-13; Jn 1: 1-18

Jan. 3 THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD Is 60: 1-6; Ps 72: 1-2, 7-8, 10-13; Eph 3: 2-3a, 5-6; Mt 2: 1-12 Jan. 4 Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious 1 Jn 3:22 — 4:6; Ps 2: 7-8, 10-12a; Mt 4: 12-17, 23-25 Jan. 5 John Neumann, bishop 1 Jn 4: 7-10; Ps 72: 1-4, 7-8; Mk 6: 34-44 Jan. 6 Blessed André Bessette, religious 1 Jn 4: 11-18; Ps 72: 1-2, 10-13; Mk 6: 45-52 Jan. 7 Raymond of Peñafort, priest 1 Jn 4:19 — 5:4; Ps 72: 1-2, 14, 15bc, 17; Lk 4: 14-22a Jan. 8 Friday 1 Jn 5: 5-13; Ps 147: 12-15, 19-20; Lk 5: 12-16 Jan. 9 Saturday 1 Jn 5: 14-21; Ps 149: 1-6a, 9b; Jn 3: 22-30

commentary 15

Mark my words

inside catholic charities

Will 2010 be a bowl of cherries or just the pits?

Christ comes each day in the face of the needy

ne book short. That’s what I felt a couple of weeks ago, as I was putting together my list of possible Christmas gift books here. I’d received a promotional flyer for what I thought would be a wonderful book to recommend but, sadly, after requesting a copy, I found out it was not yet published. Well, guess what? Last week, a copy of the book arrived and it is every bit as wonderful as I expected. And I have to admit that God’s timing is much better than mine (once again). The book is much more appropriate to recommend as we head into a brand new decade of this still new millennium. Based on the popular idea of “paying it forward,” the book’s intention is simple: to help readers take advantage of a moment “to make tomorrow a better place, for seeing opportunities to act and to give.” If you do just one of the suggestions in this volume per day, you should complete them all by the middle of 2023. Yes, there really are that many ideas here. Oh, by the way, the title of the book is “5001 Simple Things to Do for Others (and Yourself)” (Liguori, Mo.: Liguori Publications, 2010; 306 pgs.; $19.99). The authors are listed as “your friends at Liguori Publications.” The book is broken down into 130 short sections, which provide one- or two-sentence ideas for doing good. While many common sense items are listed, there are also loads of ideas I would never have thought of. (And the fact that even the “common sense” things have grown uncommon in the lives of many means that we need a refresher course in them.) Here is just a sampling of the sec-

Jan. 1 OCTAVE OF CHRISTMAS: THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF GOD Nm 6: 22-27; Ps 67: 2-3, 5-6, 8; Gal 4: 4-7; Lk 2: 16-21 Jan. 2 Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, bishops, doctors of the church 1 Jn 2: 22-28; Ps 98: 1-4; Jn 1: 19-28

THE LEAVEN • december 25, 2009

THE LEAVEN • December 25, 2009

tions: Simple Ways to Start Paying It Forward; Super Nice at the Supermarket; Gym Gems; For the Troops & Veterans; More Soulful on the Job; Advice Young Adults Don’t Want to Hear; Crafty for a Cause; If I Had A Hammer; Satisfying Basic Needs for the Homeless; Fashion Forward; Improving Life When You Don’t Have a Job; Teaching Kids About Sports; and Lead the Charge to Paradise. For just about every conceivable situation, there are some practical suggestions listed. Until you get your own copy of “5001 Simple Things,” here are a few items to get your new year off to a positive start: 10. Say a prayer when you hear a siren — there is usually a victim behind it. 42. Stop to consider the consequences of your actions. 265. If you have a basement and live in a tornado-prone area, make sure your basementless neighbors know they are welcome to seek shelter there. 266. Roll an elderly neighbor’s garbage cans back up the driveway at the end of trash pick-up day. 558. Dance with your children, and teach them to dance or sing or play a musical instrument. 570. Help children to experience the delight of giving. 1488. Ask if your employer would

hire nonviolent parolees for employment. These people have a very hard time finding employment. 2258. Buy gift cards at popular food chains and give them to the homeless who may solicit you for change. 2618. Send get well cards, but don’t stop at just one if the person will have a long recovery — send one every two weeks. (Put it on your calendar as a reminder!) 2622. Set a date to eat lunch with a good friend every month, without fail. 2671. Write a nice little note to someone and put it on their car windshield or driver’s side window. They will be very pleasantly surprised when they leave at the end of the day and see a nice note from you! 2680. Master the 30-day rule — wait 30 days before buying, then ask yourself if you still want it. 3805. Never say “I don’t know”; say “I’ll find out.” 4596. Buy church cookbooks. They always contain the best recipes. 4601. Ask your pastor if someone on your church’s sick list would like a visit, then visit her. 4609. Sit in the first pew. The book’s cover features a bowl of cherries. It’s a visual reminder that doing these suggestions can make life a bowl of cherries — something that is very pleasant for all — instead of “the pits.” I’d add one more thing; call it no. 5002: Get a copy of this book for yourself and for at least three of your friends. Start doing the suggestions; cross off the ones you’ve accomplished. Then on Jan. 1, 2011, look back and see if it isn’t true that “kindness, like a boomerang, always returns.”

the gospel truth

Jesus’ true identity revealed in Temple story

remember when my young niece informed me that she was now a preteen. She had reached the advanced age of 12.

Sunday’s Gospel reading, Lk 2:4152, mentions that Jesus is 12 years old when he and Joseph and Mary travel reads: “Did you not know that I must to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. be in my Father’s house?” That interWhen Joseph and Mary leave to return pretation makes Jesus’ words a questo their home in Nazareth, Jesus tion of location: “Did you not know remains behind, without Mary and Jowhere I must be?” It identifies the seph noticing that he is not with them. temple of Jerusalem, where Jesus has Three days later, after searching for the been passing the time with the scholmissing Jesus, they find him ars, as the Father’s house. in the temple at Jerusalem. Jesus’ question implies that THE HOLY FAMILY OF Understandably, Mary is JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH he should be in the temple, concerned. She asks Jesus: rather than at the marketLk 2: 41-52 “Son, why have you done place, or out in the fields, or this to us?” This is not the someplace else, because the first time that a preteen has been questemple was the dwelling place of God. tioned about his or her whereabouts. Since Luke’s Gospel places a great They often give an evasive answer, deal of emphasis on the temple of Jerusuch as “Nowhere” or “Why do you salem, this option makes a lot of sense. want to know?” After all, the action of the Gospel beJesus is apparently no different. gins in the temple, with Zechariah, the He responds to Mary’s question with father-to-be of John the Baptist, burna question of his own: “Why were you ing incense at the altar of God. The looking for me? Did you not know that temple of Jerusalem runs throughout I must be in my Father’s house?” Luke’s Gospel as an important theme. The second part of Jesus’ question We can easily see how it could make its to Mary and Joseph can legitimately be appearance here. translated two different ways. The first The second possibility instead possibility, adopted by our Lectionary, reads: “Did you not know that I must

be about my Father’s business?” This interpretation makes Jesus’ words a question of activity: “Did you not know what I must be doing?” Since Luke’s Gospel places a great deal of emphasis on spreading the word of God, this option also makes a lot of sense. As Jesus meets with the teachers, “listening to them and asking them questions,” he is sharing the word of God with them. This activity will engage Jesus throughout the rest of his life. This scene of the young boy Jesus then provides a preview of his adult life. Does Jesus’ question allude to his location or to his activities? Take your pick. The text will support either translation. In either case, though, perhaps the more important aspect of the question involves Jesus’ description of God as his Father. Jesus’ words contrast with Mary’s reference to Joseph as Jesus’ father: “Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” Mary and Joseph have found Jesus’ physical location: the temple in Jerusalem. But Jesus’ words to them suggests that they are still in the process of finding out who Jesus really is, of discovering his true identity. That is the real find — to know that he is the Son of God. Father Mike Stubbs is pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lansing and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University.

s I reflected on the Nativity story during the days leading up to Christmas, I could not help but be struck by the parallels between the life of Jesus Christ and the lives of those we are called to serve at Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas.

Contained within the beauty of the season is a message that points to the heart of our Savior and his ministry on earth. A young woman has all of her hopes and dreams changed by an

unexpected pregnancy. She, like many teenage mothers today, faced a life of uncertainty in a society that would be judgmental and condemning of her situation. A father and mother, displaced by circumstances beyond their control, seek shelter for the night. Finding no place for them, they settle in a lowly spot: a stable. For many homeless families today that lowly spot may be their old car, an abandoned building, a deserted campsite or under a bridge — anywhere that will give some measure

of protection from the weather and the dangers of the street. The Holy Family, faced with the threat of persecution and even death, fled their homeland for the safety of Egypt. Still today, millions of individuals and families are forced to flee their homes due to war, famine, genocide, slavery and rape. Hundreds of these find their way to our little corner of the world in northeast Kansas, seeking a safe home and renewed hope. As a young man beginning his ministry, Christ the Lord sees that his people are hungry. Using the resources given to him by a faithful follower, he feeds the multitude with only five loaves and two fish. At Catholic Charities, tens of thousands are fed each year through food pantries that are miraculously stocked by the faithful. This gift of food helps to stretch the budgets of lowincome, working families who struggle

in jobs that barely pay a living wage. Christ the Lord saw the sick and afflicted, and he was moved by compassion and healed many of them. Today, the healing hand of Christ can be found in the compassionate care of counselors, social workers, chaplains and nurses who, through Catholic Community Hospice, ease the pain and heal the spirit of the dying and their families. The Christ Child whose birth we celebrate today came as a light in the darkness. He came as a beacon of hope to those who were hopeless. He came to point the way for us, showing us how to live a life of service. We don’t have to wait for Christ to come again; he comes to us each day in the faces of the least of our brothers and sisters. Jan Lewis is the executive director of Catholic Charities.

building the culture of life

This season become an ambassador for Christ

he Christmas season provides us an occasion to reflect on the divine context within which to ponder the value of every human being. This is a critically important reflection at this time in human history because society as a whole has lost the true sense of the value of man.

God shows us the value of each human being in the most dramatic ways possible within his divine plan. Let’s look at his plan beginning with the Incarnation. At his incarnation, Jesus assumed our human nature and became a human being, while still retaining his

divine nature. This divine act is beyond our human ability to fully comprehend and appreciate, yet what does the fact that God became a human being tell us about the value of a human being? At the same instant of his incarnation, another human being was elevated — again beyond our human comprehension — to become the Mother of God. What does this tell us about the value of a human being? We also know that God’s dramatic and awesome plan does not stop here, although he has already revealed the infinite value of every human being.

After spending nine months in the womb, an experience Jesus shares with each of us, the fruit of the womb is born. Thirty-three years later, the fruit of the womb, the Son of God, willingly accepts crucifixion, giving himself completely for the benefit of all, and dies for every human being. As a result, each of us may choose to live eternally with God. In this eternal union and family relationship with God, God even shares his divine nature, thereby giving everything that he has for the benefit of every human being. God has obviously, resoundingly acted and spoken about the value of every human being. In justice, he expects us to also value all human life. In the Book of Genesis, God says, “and from man in regard to his fellow man I will demand an accounting for human life” (9:5). Yet, in our human weakness, our society rejects the value of human be-

ings in so many ways. We even reject the foundational value of life. Hence, we have abortion, in vitro fertilization, prenatal genetic screening resulting in the deaths of human beings, embryonic stem-cell research, assisted suicide and euthanasia. How do we correct these grievous wrongs? First, we must turn to Jesus. He will help us overcome our human weakness. We can ask for his help to align our will with his will. We also can approach the Blessed Mother and ask her to help us see Jesus in every human being, especially during this Christmas season. As ambassadors for Christ, we can help others see the value of each human being. Ron Kelsey is the archdiocesan consultant for the pro-life office. You can send an email to Ron at: prolife@archkck.org or call (913) 647-0350.

From the super

Catholic schools help kids encounter the world through the lens of faith

ear friends of Catholic schools,

Picture this: Two kindergartners run up to the crèche at their Catholic school. Just as they get to the manger, the young boys stop in their tracks, stuff their hands into their pockets, and stand very still. (No doubt some wise mom and/or teacher taught them this “hand-in-the-pocket” strategy when they are allowed to look but not touch!) They have repeated this ritual of standing at the crèche each week during Advent. Apparently, it is a tradition at this particular school to add figures to the scene as Advent passes. First, the manger appeared. Then the hay bales arrived, followed by sheep and donkey figurines. Just before Christmas vacation, Mary, Joseph,

and an empty crib were added. This was the scene this particular day when the little boys were standing at the crèche. One whispered to the other, “Where’s the Baby Jesus?” “I don’t know,” the other replied. “Maybe he’s lost.” A first-grade girl who was listening came over to them. She told them, using a voice of a much “older and wiser” first-grader, “I can tell you why the Baby

Jesus isn’t in the crib. It’s because Santa brings him on Christmas morning!” This story is part of what I love about Catholic schools. Even though these young students were a bit confused(!), at least they have the opportunity to learn in school what Christmas is. Some of my fondest memories of my own Catholic schooling and that of my children (and now grandchildren) are of how we celebrated the liturgical seasons and holy days. We learned about them in religion class, read stories about them in literature, made projects in art, and sang hymns in music. It seemed that everything that we did in school was related to our faith. Even at a young age, I remember that being very comforting. Catholic schools today are providing that same experience and comfort. It

is a great gift we give our students — to help them make sense of the world around them through the lens of our faith. Yet, somehow I think it is our students who truly are the teachers at times. As I reflect on the story of the two kindergarten boys, I am reminded of Jesus’ admonition that we should have faith like children. The purity and innocence of the boys at the manger touches my heart, and I feel so blessed to be able to serve in the ministry of Catholic schools. May you and your families have a blessed Christmas season. I pray you have the opportunity to experience it through the eyes of a child. ¡Vaya con Dios! Kathy O’Hara is the superintendent of archdiocesan schools.

16 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • december 25, 2009

Examine your conscience.

December 31 is the feast of St. Sylvester I, who, along with Pope John Paul II, is one of the 10 longest-reigning popes (Jan. 31, 314, to Dec. 31, 335). Not much is known about St. Sylvester, but there are stories about him giving hospitality to Christians who would travel through Rome. Like Jesus, he would wash their feet and serve them at the dinner table. One way to mark the end of the year is to have a dinner party or at least a special family dinner. Ask everyone to bring something to the party or dinner that symbolizes a blessing received from God in the last year. Place them all under the Christmas tree, and, just before midnight, ask everyone to describe their blessing.

On Dec. 29, we celebrate the feast of St. Thomas Becket. After Thomas became the archbishop of Canterbury in 1162, he had to struggle with spiritual and political decisions that affected the role of the church in England. He did not always choose wisely, sometimes giving in to the powerful influence of King Henry II. But, in the end, he picked the right path, taking a stand for justice, and it cost him his life. Today is a good day to examine our own lives and resolve to do more to overcome injustice in the world. We can begin with ourselves. Where have we been unjust? When have we used our influence or authority solely for our benefit? Take some time today to write or e-mail your congressional representative about an issue of injustice that needs to be corrected. See the Web sites — usccb.org/ sdwp/takeaction.shtml and congress.org — for ideas.

8 9 10 11 Ring in the New Year.

Besides being New Year’s Day, Jan. 1 is also the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Years ago, many Catholic households, especially German Catholics, used to pray the rosary as a family after dinner. That custom has mostly faded, but the feast of the Mother of God is a good opportunity to revive the practice for a day. If you need a refresher on how to pray the rosary, go to: tinyurl.com/pray therosary.

Count your blessings.

Say, “I love you.”

On Jan. 2, we celebrate the feast of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen. These are two great fourth-century Eastern saints who did a lot of serious thinking and teaching about the Trinity. As young men they studied together in Athens where their friendship grew into a lifelong brotherly love. Spend some time this day with your closest friends, and be sure to let them know how much they mean to you.

Claim your name.

In his Letter to the Philippians, St. Paul says that God bestowed on Jesus “the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (2:10). January 3 is the day we take that message to heart: the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus. Names have great power, and Orthodox Jews are forbidden to even say God’s name. When St. Paul, a good Jew, says Jesus’ name is above every other, he is equating Jesus’ name with God’s name. Just as Jesus’ name is holy, so is ours. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “Everyone’s name is sacred. The name is the icon of the person. It demands respect as a sign of the dignity of the one who bears it.” Find out from your parents (if you can) why they chose your name and what it means.

Clean house.

In the United States, Epiphany is celebrated on the Sunday between Jan. 2 and 8. In 2010, Epiphany falls on Jan. 3. The arrival of the Magi to honor Jesus is not the only tradition associated with this day. Another ancient Epiphany practice is to bless our homes by marking the entrance to the house with chalk. To bless your home, grab a piece of chalk, gather everyone outside the front door, and offer this prayer: Leader: “Let us bless our home and pray that all will be welcome here. Let this door be an entry for the blessings of God. Let this door be a gateway of God’s blessings to the world.” Members of the household take turns inscribing “20 + C + M + B 10” over the top of the door. C, M, and B are the initials of the traditional names for the Magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. Leader: “Christ taught us to call upon the Father, and so we pray: Our Father . . .”

Remember your ‘birthday.’

Before the Second Vatican Council, the Baptism of Jesus was celebrated on Epiphany. The church leaders who revised the liturgical calendar after the council decided to create a separate feast day focused solely on Christ’s baptism. In doing so, they wanted to emphasize three truths of faith: 1. At the moment of his baptism, we come to know Jesus is the Son of God. 2. We also come to know him as the Messiah at his baptism, which is symbolized in the Gospels by the descent of the dove — an anointing in the Holy Spirit. 3. Through his baptism, which was not required of Jesus, Jesus affirms his complete solidarity with all of us fallible human beings who do require the saving waters of grace. Plan to spend some time today telling stories about family baptisms. If you live alone, call your parents or godparents and ask them to tell you what your baptism was like.

ick Wagner is the editor of Today’s Parish magazine and the author of “The Way of Faith: A Field Guide for the RCIA Process” (Twenty-Third Publications). His Web site is: TeamRCIA.com. This article appeared in the December 2009 issue (Vol. 74, No. 12, pg. 17) of U.S. Catholic magazine. Copyright 2009 U.S. Catholic. Reproduced by permission from the December 2009 issue of U.S. Catholic. Subscriptions: $22/year from 205 W. Monroe, Chicago, IL 60606; Call 1 (800) 3286515 for subscription information, or visit the Web site at: www.uscatholic.org/.