01-09-09 Vol. 30 No. 20

WWW.THELEAVEN.COM | NEWSPAPER OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF KANSAS CITY IN KANSAS | VOL. 30, NO. 20 JANUARY 9, 2009

W Story by

JOE BOLLIG

hat was that vast sucking sound we heard as 2008 ended?

It was the implosion of the economy, which began with the “POP” of the mortgage lending bubble and pulled in the stock market and all other sectors.

For many people, the decline of the economy and fevered attempts to stop its scary decline are what will define 2008.

For others, the year will be defined by the election of a president who symbolized a nation breaking through the old barrier of racism.

And for still others (and especially for those with loved ones in the military), this is seventh anniversary of the ongoing war against terrorism.

Beyond the international and national events that impacted our lives, there were plenty closer to home that touched us: • We learned that our Catholic ancestors were very busy people, as Catholics around the archdiocese cel-

ebrated the numerous centennial and sesquicentennial anniversaries of the founding of their churches.

• We experienced the loss of one of our religious orders, when the Ursuline Sisters of Paola announced that they would sell their motherhouse and merge with another motherhouse in Kentucky.

• We lost St. Ann Church in Effingham to fire.

• We experienced change, as pastoral regions were realigned and regional pastoral plans were adopted.

• We attended big events, like the Global Living Rosary, the papal visit, and World Youth Day. • We celebrated a priestly ordination and incardinations of three additional priests into the archdiocese.

So, before the door closes definitively on the old year, let’s take a look back at the people and events that comprised the life of the archdiocese in 2008.

Turn to YEAR IN REVIEW on page 5

ARCHBISHOP

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THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 9, 2009 THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 9, 2009

SECOND FRONT PAGE 3

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS

Fire destroys FOCUS home in Atchison

Women religious are critical to the vitality of the church

T

he Archdiocese of Kansas City has been blessed throughout its more than 150-year history to be served by many heroic consecrated religious Sisters.

Our elementary schools, our high schools, our Catholic colleges, our Catholic hospitals, and so many of our ministries of charity are the fruit of the remarkable service of these women who espoused themselves to Jesus and spent their lives unselfishly serving his people.

We have had a rich variety of religious Sisters who have served in the Archdiocese. Four religious communities, who have been here for many years, actually have or had motherhouses or provincial motherhouses in the Archdiocese: the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, the Servants of Mary Ministers to the Sick, and, until recently, the Ursuline Sisters of Paola.

This past year marked the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Mother Xavier Ross and the first Sisters of Charity in Leavenworth. Bishop Jean Baptiste Miege, our first bishop, when he was traveling in South America raising money to retire the debt on the cathedral in Leavenworth, instructed his vicar general in a letter to give greetings to the Sisters of Charity, noting that inviting and welcoming the Sisters of Charity to Leavenworth may have been one of the few good things that he had done for the church in northeast Kansas.

Actually, Bishop Miege was an extraordinary bishop who, with dedication and great skill, laid the foundation for what would become the Archdiocese of Kansas City. However, it is true that his decision to invite the Sisters of Charity to Leavenworth was an inspired act that has had an enduring positive impact on the church in northeast Kansas, especially in the areas of Catholic health care and Catholic education.

Last fall, Donnelly College honored the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison for their crucial role in the founding of the college and their continuous service to Donnelly students for the past 60 years. The speeches of a few Donnelly alumni provided touching testimonies of the impact of the Benedictine Sisters — not only on the formal education of Donnelly College graduates, but upon the development of the values and virtues that have allowed them to succeed in their professional and personal lives.

This past year, a group of friends of the Servants of Mary Ministers to the Sick — more popularly known as the Sisters, Servants of Mary — initiated an event to honor and to raise funds for this remarkable group of religious women. Their apostolate, caring for the seriously ill in their homes and providing support and rest to the families of

the sick, has transformed times of great suffering and trial for many families into moments of grace and opportunities for deepened faith. The remarkable success of this event was evidence of the deep love and respect for the Sisters, Servants of Mary within our community.

On October 21, 2008, the feast of St. Ursula, the merger of the Ursuline Sisters of Paola with the Ursuline Sisters of St. Joseph in Maple Mount, Ky., was announced. The Ursuline Sisters of Paola have served the people of the Archdiocese for more than 110 years.

For most of that time, their special charism has been in the field of Catholic education. Like the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth and the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, the Ursuline Sisters have served as teachers and administrators in Catholic elementary schools, high schools and colleges.

One of the most important and beautiful contributions the Ursuline Sisters have made to the Catholic community of northeast Kansas has been their ministry to families of children with special needs.

The Ursuline Sisters are in the process of selling their motherhouse in Paola. In June of this year, 12 of the 23 Ursuline Sisters of Paola will move to Maple Mount. The current plan allows for at least eight of the Sisters to continue living and serving in the Archdiocese of Kansas City.

Sister Kathleen Condry, the former provincial leader of the Ursuline Sisters of Paola, has sought my counsel and kept me well-informed about the process resulting in the merger of our Sisters with the Ursuline Sisters of St. Joseph. While I understand and support the wisdom of the decision to merge,

the selling of the motherhouse and the departure of most of the Sisters is a significant loss to the people of the Archdiocese.

The necessity of this merger is part of the much larger picture in the United States of the declining number of women religious. The notably fewer consecrated religious women in the United States, and the much lower number of young women who are in formation to serve the church as religious Sisters in the future, should be a cause of concern for all Catholics.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, popularly known as the Little Flower, described her understanding of her life as a cloistered Carmelite nun as “being love in the heart of the church.” Following St. Thérèse’s image, fewer women religious diminishes the church’s ability to make the love of Jesus tangible and real in our world.

As challenging as it is today for young men to respond to the Lord’s call to serve his people as priests, it is even more difficult and countercultural for young women to enter the convent to explore a possible vocation as a religious Sister. Just as every Catholic has a responsibility to pray for and encourage vocations to the priesthood, so every Catholic has a responsibility to pray for and encourage young women to consider a vocation as a religious Sister.

Next week, I want to continue this reflection about the importance of consecrated women religious for the vitality of the church by sharing with you some thoughts about some of the communities of religious Sisters who recently have come to serve in the Archdiocese of Kansas City.

Stay tuned!

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By KARA HANSEN Leaven staff

Leaven photo by Elaina Cochran

Father Harry Schneider, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park, incenses the baptismal font at the parish’s rededication ceremony on Dec. 18.

Holy Spirit rededicates church

By KARA HANSEN Leaven staff OVERLAND PARK — Holy Spirit Parish here got its Christmas gift a little early.

It came in the form of a newly renovated church, officially rededicated Dec. 18.

“We moved out of our church in April and had Mass in the school gym until now, which served our needs well enough,” explained Father Harry Schneider, pastor of Holy Spirit.

“But it’s certainly good to be back home,” he added.

The original church space was dedicated in 1984, with the idea that it would someday be converted into a gymnasium for the adjoining parish school. The original plan was for a new church to be built in a separate space on the church property.

As additions were made to the parish, a new pastoral plan in 1997 determined the need for a new gym.

At the same time, parishioners decided that, instead of building a new worship space, they would renovate the existing space. In the process they would not only enhance the worship space, but update and repair things that needed attention as well.

“The space had served our needs well, but it was not designed to be a

permanent church. At the same time, many things — such as the roof, sound system, and plumbing — had really started to deteriorate after 24 years,” said Father Schneider. “We took advantage of the opportunity to take care of it all at once.”

The renovation expanded the church to include 50 additional seats, and a new gathering space and bells were added. Previously, the church had been wired for a set of bells, but none had ever been installed. The church now boasts a permanent baptismal font and choir space, neither of which were features of the original space, as well as a new organ and piano.

Original artwork is featured around the church, complete with devotional spaces honoring St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Peter, St. Anne, and St. Peregrine of Laziosi.

Father Schneider said St. Peregrine, who is the patron saint of those afflicted with cancer, is an unusual saint to find in the devotional area of most churches. But Holy Spirit has a first-class relic of the saint, he said, and he is considering the possibility of having a regular Mass of healing at the parish.

Additionally, each of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit is engraved above the entrance doors to the

church. Finally, the new crucifix is an important addition to parishioners, as their previous church space did not have one.

“The crucifix is pretty close to lifesize. It is Jesus in his last moments hanging on the cross, as he is looking to heaven and handing over his spirit,” said Father Schneider. “It’s very moving.”

Fundraising for the church renovation began three years ago, but many parishioners have been waiting for a permanent church for many years.

“It was a good space for many years, but things had been made to be moved around and changed since it wasn’t a permanent space,” said Father Schneider. “I think this really completes the vision of the parish.

What we keep hearing from parishioners is the new church exceeds their expectations.”

Father Schneider said he thought the new space lent itself to a deeper sense of community among parishioners as well.

“The first Mass we had the weekend after the dedication, it was wonderful to see people standing around in the new gathering space talking afterwards,” he said.

“I think it will build an even greater sense of community in our parish,” he concluded.

Leaven photo by Elaina Cochran

Leaven photo by Elaina Cochran

Father Anthony Lickteig, senior associate at Holy Spirit, lights the candles at the parish’s rededication Mass.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann anoints Holy Spirit’s new altar at a Dec. 18 liturgy to rededicate the church.

ATCHISON — They did not have much, but five missionaries here lost nearly every possession in their home.

A house fire broke out at the home of the five FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionaries assigned to Benedictine College on Dec. 29, 2008. Though none of the women were home at the time, very little was salvageable from the fire, and the home was destroyed.

“Furniture — including beds, couches, and dressers — are some of the more pressing items. Also, a big loss was almost the women’s entire ‘non-winter’ wardrobe,” said Joshua Gideon, team director for FOCUS at Benedictine.

Bridget Halvey of Ohio, Tami Caldwell of Oregon, Brittany Potts of Colorado, Erin LaFleur of South Dakota, and Maria Van Etten of Nebraska were all in their respective home dioceses fundraising over the holiday break, so they had winter clothing and things like their laptops with them, and hence safe from the fire. FOCUS missionaries raise 100 percent of their salaries from donations, making the fire a significant setback.

Gideon said he and his colleagues were working quickly to secure housing and furnishings for the missionaries before they returned to Atchison. Students will be returning to campus at Benedictine on Jan. 11.

“Even with some of these great efforts, it will be challenging to reach out to the students in the same capacity for a week or so,” said Gideon. “This time is vital, as statistics show that the first few days a student is on campus are the most important for them to meet proper influences.”

Gideon said he had located housing options in town. Though the locations of the homes would take the missionaries farther from campus, the landlords of each rental home were willing to cut their rental price to what the missionaries had been paying.

FOCUS started at Benedictine College in 1998 and is now on 39 campuses in 21 states, including Benedictine. The organization sends missionaries to college campuses to evangelize, minister to and help college students grow in their Catholic faith.

Gideon said he was confident the missionaries would work through the tragic experience and continue to minister to students.

“Missionary life is tough. These women give everything they have to Christ’s call and sometimes it hurts, but out of that hurt comes immense joy . . . the opportunity to aid in Jesus’ great commission,” he said.

To help the FOCUS missionaries, checks can be made payable to “FOCUS” and designated for “house fire fund.”

Gift cards are also appreciated. Checks can be sent to: Benedictine College c/o FOCUS 1020 N. 2nd St. Atchison, KS 66002 Furniture and other household item donations will also be accepted. To arrange a donation, please contact Gideon at (405) 600-5020.

4 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 9, 2009

Vocations office launches new Web site

ing vocations to the priesthood and religious life.”

Father Zimmerman said the Web site also makes vocations ministry more efficient, as materials are available for ordering instantly and event information is available to people who want it, as opposed to sending out a large mailing. A list of resources — including brochures, holy cards, and DVDs – is available on the Web site for anyone who is interested.

“We recently got a request for our St. Paul holy cards from a lady in Dayton, Ohio, who wanted to use them for two classes,” said Melanie Norris, administrative assistant for the vocations office.

Norris said feedback on the Web site has been positive so far and has brought greater

traffic, e-mails, and online event registration.

“It’s fascinating to see how quickly features are viewed. If we get a new story posted in the morning, sometimes later in the day I’ll see that 50 people have viewed it,” she said. “Our new Web site is giving us many new and creative ways to communicate with thousands of people.”

So far, the informational bios on each of the seminarians have drawn the most hits.

“I certainly have had people come up to me in person and ask follow-up questions to my bio and other things that I have written on the site, all of which has been very positive,” said Anthony Saiki, a seminarian from St. Paul Parish in Olathe.

Saiki said the new vocations office Web site would have

been a helpful tool had it been available when he began considering the possibility of entering the seminary.

“The new site would have been a great asset in my discernment to enter the seminary and it would have been a great tool for me as I began the application process to interact with those who were already answering God’s call,” he said.

Deacon Pat Sullivan, a seminarian from the Church of the Nativity in Leawood, agreed.

“I remember using the [archdiocesan] vocations Web site when I was considering the seminary, and the information available through it back then was minimal but still helpful,” said Deacon Sullivan. “I could have easily seen myself using the features like the ‘Ask a

January • Parishioners in the Nemaha-Marshall Region rallied to offer support to each other and out-of-town linemen who arrived to restore electrical power during the weeks following a midDecember ice storm.

Pro-life advocates gathered in Topeka and Washington, D.C., to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton abortion decisions.

• The Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women reorganized.

February

April

• A group of archdiocesan Catholics observed the 150th anniversary of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Lourdes by making a pilgrimage to France. Others visited Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in La Cygne.

• Members of El Buen Pastor Parish in El Salvador and Good Shepherd Parish in Shawnee celebrated the 20th anniversary of their sister parish relationship.

• The Ursuline Sisters of Paola announced they would seek a merger with the Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph in Maple Mount, Ky., and sell their Paola campus.

• Archdiocesan Catholics traveled to New York and Washington, D.C., to see Pope Benedict XVI on his first papal visit to the United States, April 18 to 20.

• On April 21, a fire of unknown origin destroyed St. Ann Church in Effingham.

• Abbot Barnabas Senecal, OSB, celebrated an outdoor Mass on April 26 in Doniphan, the site of the former St. John the Baptist Church, to close out St. Benedict Abbey’s 150th anniversary celebrations. ▼ Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM Cap., of the Archdiocese of Denver and a member of the Potawatomi tribe, celebrated a Mass on April 13 at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine at the Potawatomi Reservation, north of Topeka.

March • The Gospel of Life convention was held on April 12 at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park.

• For the fourth time, the archdiocese was found to be in full compliance with the U.S. bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.”

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann installed 20 deacon candidates as lectors on March 29 during a Mass at Savior Pastoral Center.

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Leaven staff

Seminarian’ or ‘Ask the Vocations Director’ forum of the new site.”

Deacon Sullivan said those features, as well as the ability to communicate via e-mail through the Web site, provide a level of anonymity for people who would like more information on vocations but are not yet ready to sit down and chat with the vocations director in person.

“The new Web site gives people a way to access this information 24/7, whenever it might be on their mind,” he said.

Saiki also said the new site fits in well with meeting youth and young adults where they are.

“I think that this new interactive site is just what we need in order to communicate with young people in this day and age, with many of our young people getting all of their information over the Internet through blogs, news Web sites, and in other forums such as Facebook and MySpace. I would encourage everyone to visit this site frequently and to interact with the priests and seminarians,” he said.

Father Zimmerman hopes all the site’s new features will increase his office’s communication with those interested in a vocation and ultimately help them receive the direction and guidance they need for their faith journey, wherever it might lead.

“Our hope is that the thousands of young people in our archdiocese will see the vocations office as a ‘friend,’” he said, “like the ‘friends’ they make on other social networking sites.

“We want to be the office that young people look to often and early, rather than an office that works only with a few young men and women who are currently applying for seminary or religious life,” said Father Zimmerman.

“Our hope is that our new Web site will generate lots of activity and discussion,” he added, “and give more of our young people a chance to say ‘yes’ to a religious vocation.”

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By KARA HANSEN

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of a seminarian looks like? Or how a religious Sister spends her time?

Now is your chance to find out, with the help of the archdiocesan vocations office’s new Web site.

Equipped with several new features, the site includes individual biographies and contact information for each seminarian, a “day in the life” synopsis from current priests in the archdiocese, and information on upcoming vocation events.

“Our old Web site had some basic information, but did not have the kind of content that would keep young people coming back,” said Father Mitchel Zimmerman, archdiocesan vocations director. “Nor did it really tell the ‘story’ of how one listens for and responds to a religious vocation.

“We know that young people go first to the Web for information, so we wanted a site that made a great first impression.”

Rather than focus solely on vocations to the priesthood, the Web site also includes detailed information on consecrated and religious life in the archdiocese.

Among its interactive features are both an “Ask a Priest” and an “Ask a Seminarian” forum, polls, and a spot to sign up for event and news updates.

Father Zimmerman said the Web site, while completely redesigned and vastly improved, was just the beginning of using the Internet as a tool for connecting with people interested in vocations.

“We are getting hundreds of ‘hits’ every month, but I would like to see that turn into thousands as we are able to add more video and audio features,” he said. “Some priests and others in the church are doing great reaching young people through YouTube and really evangelizing that medium.

“I hope we can be out there as well, teaching and promot-

May

June

August

• Members of the Community of the Lamb, a new religious order based in southern France, arrived in the archdiocese to establish a house in the United States.

• On May 5, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann blessed the newly completed Santa Marta community chapel in Olathe.

• Father Marianand Mendem, originally of Anantapur, India, was incardinated a priest of the archdiocese on May 15.

• Archbishop Naumann led a blessing and groundbreaking on May 18 for a new church for Holy Angels Parish in Basehor.

• Archbishop Naumann celebrated a dedication Mass on May 18 for the new Father Quigley Faith Formation Center at Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa.

• Deacon Shawn Tunink was ordained a priest by Archbishop Naumann on May 24 at St. Peter Cathedral in Kansas City, Kan. • About 25,000 Catholics from Missouri and Kansas gathered at Kauffman Stadium on May 25 for a Global Living Rosary and eucharistic adoration.

• The Leaven won six awards at the Catholic Media Convention, May 28 to 30, in Toronto.

• Archbishop Naumann ordained Pat Sullivan, Matt Schiffelbein and Andrew Stroble to the transitional diaconate on May 31 at Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish in Topeka.

• The Benedictine College Institute for Religious Studies and the Holy Family School of Faith merged to form the Benedictine College School of Faith.

• Eight archdiocesan Catholics traveled to Rome to participate in the International Catholic Foundation and the International Catholic Deaf Association pilgrimage to Rome.

• St. John Vianney Church in Eskridge, closed in 2004, was donated to the Flint Hills Coalition PRIDE Boosters on June 28. Plans were for it to be converted into a community center.

• The 11 pastoral regions of the archdiocese were reorganized into eight.

• Father Mark Mertes, pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park, was elected to the presidency of the Jesus Caritas Fraternity on Aug. 7 during the national assembly in Cleveland.

• Archbishop Naumann presided at a Mass and groundbreaking on Aug. 9 for a new school at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Seneca. ▼ Archbishop Naumann was the main celebrant and homilist at the 150th anniversary Mass on Aug. 16 at Assumption Parish in Edgerton.

July • The University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth announced plans to build a new football/soccer complex to be completed by August.

• Michael Schuttloffel, former adviser to the governor of Texas, became executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference.

• Pilgrims from the archdiocese joined tens of thousands of other young Catholics at World Youth Day 2008, July 15 to 20, in Sydney, Australia.

• The Antoinette Berkel Memorial Garden and Shrine were dedicated at Prairie Star Ranch in Williamsburg.

• Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Topeka celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Fiesta Mexicana.

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LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 9, 2009

• Stephen M. LaNasa became the sixth president in the history of Donnelly College, Kansas City, Kan., on Sept. 2.

• Archbishop Naumann was the main celebrant and homilist at a Mass at St. Joseph Church in Leavenworth on Sept. 5, commemorating the 150th anniversary of the parish. Today, the parish is combined with Immaculate Conception Parish, Leavenworth.

• Archbishop Naumann was the main celebrant and homilist at a Mass on Sept. 7 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Holy Family Parish in Kansas City, Kan. • Archbishop Naumann was appointed grand prior for the Northern Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem.

• Archbishop Naumann presided over the blessing and groundbreaking on Sept. 20 for a new parish hall and education center at St. Matthew Parish in Topeka.

• Archbishop Naumann was the main celebrant and homilist at a Mass on Sept. 21 at St. Mary/St. Anthony Church in Kansas City, Kan., to celebrate the 150th anniversary of St. Mary Parish. St. Anthony and St. Mary parishes merged in 1980.

• St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee commemorated its 140th anniversary with an outdoor Mass on Sept. 21.

October

November

• The Leaven launched redesigns of its Web site and print edition on Oct. 10.

• Archbishop Naumann gave an address on faith and politics on Oct. 21 at the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas, Lawrence.

• Archbishop Naumann was the main celebrant and homilist at the 150th anniversary Mass on Oct. 19 at St. Boniface Parish in Scipio.

• Archbishop Naumann was the main celebrant and homilist at a Mass on Oct. 19 commemorating the 100th anniversary of St. Columbkille Church in Blaine.

• Sister Alfonsa Bellido, former provincial superior of the United States Province of the Sisters, Servants of Mary, was elected superior general of the order during a general chapter in Rome.

• The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth closed their yearlong 150th jubilee observance with a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Naumann, on Nov. 14 at the motherhouse.

• Parishioners in the Nemaha-Marshall Region learned during Masses on Nov. 22 and 23 that their regional pastoral plan had been accepted by Archbishop Naumann.

• Mater Dei School in Topeka was named the 2008 School of Excellence by the Catholic Education Foundation.

December • Archbishop Emeritus James P. Keleher celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination as a bishop and 50th anniversary of his ordination as a priest. Vespers and a dinner with priests and chancery staff were held on Dec. 11, and a Mass and reception open to all were held on Dec. 12 at Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood.

• Archbishop Naumann was the main celebrant and homilist at a Mass, followed by a dinner, for the rededication of Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park.

5

6 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 9, 2009 Marjorie (Falk) and Don Handke, members of St. Louis Parish, Good Intent, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Jan. 11.

The couple was married on Jan. 11, 1949, at St. Ann Church in Effingham by ANNIVERSARY Father Matthew Hall.

Their children and their spouses are: Jim and Diane Handke, Huron; Dennis and Marlene Handke, Topeka; Eileen and Don Losito, Charlotte, N.C.; and Tom Handke, Lancaster. They also have five grandchildren.

ANNIVERSARY POLICY 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. Please include the following Information: • The couple’s names; parish; date they were married; church and city they were married; what they are doing to celebrate; names of children (if desired).

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, include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

SOCIETY MEMBERS Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann talks with Liz Arth, seated with her grandson Michael Arth and his father Matt Arth (far right), following the Crosier Society Mass on Nov. 23 at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kan. The Crosier Society is made up of individuals and families who contribute one percent of their income, or at least $1,000, to the Archbishop’s Call to Share. Standing is Liz’s husband, Don Arth. Don and Liz, members of Prince of Peace Parish in Olathe, are the honorary chairpersons of the 2009 Archbishop’s Call to Share.

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HOW LOW CAN IT GO? Financial woes leave millions wondering how far down economy can go

By DENNIS SADOWSKI Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) — History likely will frame 2008 as the year America overcame lingering questions about racism as the country elected its first African-American president in Barack Obama.

But even such a historic election could be overshadowed by the deepening concern about just how far the U.S. economy would sink into recession in the worst economic slump since the Great Depression.

The majority of electoral analysts agreed people voted their pocketbooks Nov. 4, thinking Obama offered them a better chance to save their homes from foreclosure, create jobs and spur an economic turnaround in a shorter period of time than Republican John McCain.

However, as the year drew to a close, the consensus among financial analysts, economists and government policymakers was that any recovery would be more than a year away.

Obama himself acknowledged things would get worse before they got better.

Recent economic projections bore that out: • The financial firm Goldman Sachs, after adjusting its projections for unemployment twice since October, predicted the figure would reach at least 9 percent in 2009.

Unemployment stood at 6.7 percent in November, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

• The Washington-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities expected that such a high rate of unemployment could translate into as many as 10.3 million people falling into poverty. That figure included up to 6.3 million people lapsing into deep poverty, which includes those whose income is below half of the poverty line, which was about $11,500 for a family of four in 2007.

• The gross domestic product — the value of services and goods produced — was expected to fall for another year. The consensus on Wall Street and among Washington policymakers was that it would be well into 2010 before even a minimal turnaround could be expected.

• The Big Three automakers — General Motors, Chrysler and Ford — faced an even bleaker future after Senate Republicans objected to a $14 billion loan package that earlier was approved by the House of Representatives, though the White House was trying to work out a rescue plan to help the companies in the short term as they retooled their business models.

• Home foreclosures had declined slightly by early December but remained at near-record levels.

Housing values continued to decline and prices were expected to tumble another 10 percent to 15 percent before the market began to recover.

The bad forecasts came despite frenetic federal efforts to bail out

CNS photo/Lucas Jackson, Reuters

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Nov. 25. The financial woes of 2008 will leave millions wondering how far down the economy can go.

U.S. banks, which faced shortfalls in revenues thanks largely to defaults on mortgage payments by homeowners deep in debt. After a week of intense negotiations, the Bush administration and Congress agreed to a $700 billion infusion of funds for banks.

Such dire economic news got the attention of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which at its annual November meeting in Baltimore agreed to a statement issued by Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, conference president. The statement expressed solidarity with those who lost jobs, had their homes foreclosed on and saw retirement savings threatened. “‘We are all in this together,” the statement said.

Citing the human and moral consequences of the crisis, the statement said the church would continue to “‘reach out to those in need, stand with those who are hurt and work for policies that bring greater compassion, accountability and justice to economic life.”‘ Pope Benedict XVI spoke about the world economy several times after the near collapse of financial systems in September. He reserved his strongest comments for the Jan. 1 celebration of the World Day of Peace.

In his message, titled “Fighting Poverty to Build Peace” and released Dec. 11, the pope said global governance and a new ethical approach were needed for the world’s financial markets and international commerce so investments and development would contribute to the common good and to world peace.

Policies and norms must be based on a common code of ethics and actions must be guided by the princi-

ples of “fraternity and responsibility,” he said.

As the pope released his document, Catholic Charities USA was working to address the growing need for food, housing, financial assistance and health care amid cuts in government funds that local agencies were experiencing. A fall survey of local Catholic Charities agencies found more middle-class people turning to the diocesan agencies for basic needs in addition to a growing number of the poor.

During a Dec. 11 teleconference, Catholic Charities officials called upon the federal government to boost support for lower income people “on the back street” the same way they supported financial firms on Wall Street and talked about assistance for the middle class on Main Street.

“This is a great opportunity in the economic recovery so that the people who were left out in the past will be included in the future recovery package,” Candy Hill, senior vice president for social policy and government affairs at Catholic Charities USA, told dozens of the agency’s diocesan affiliates. “We’re trying to make sure this is an inclusive package.”

Few places illustrated the devastation of the economic crisis better than Flint, Mich., 60 miles northwest of Detroit. The city where General Motors Corp. was born a century ago, Flint defined what it meant to be the modern American industrial city throughout the 20th century, building its economy around the automobile.

While Flint has been losing automobile-related jobs since the 1980s, losing what’s left of the car

industry would destroy the city, said Rick Carter, executive director of Flint Area Congregations Together, a coalition of about 15 Catholic, Protestant, African-American and Unitarian churches.

The concern in Flint and other similar communities was the Big Three would be forced to declare bankruptcy and end support of health care and pension programs for retirees and their spouses, Carter said.

Unemployment in the once prosperous blue-collar community was approaching 10 percent. Where once the automobile industry in Flint employed 80,000, only about 8,000 jobs remained. The city’s population declined from a peak of nearly 197,000 in 1960 to the current U.S. Census Bureau estimate of 114,000.

Based at St. John Vianney Parish, the Flint-area coalition was working to address growing social ills such as safety, youth violence, abandoned housing and corruption in local politics, Carter said.

“It’s the economy, the lack of jobs, the disinvestment,” Carter said, explaining the flight of manufacturing firms, who have left behind vast tracts of vacant and abandoned properties. “There’s no investment in the community.”

Because of its lack of economic progress, the city was designated by Forbes.com as one of the country’s fastest dying cities.

The economic downturn also left Catholic universities and other Catholic institutions facing staff and budget cuts because investment income declined and charitable gifts were becoming fewer in number.

INTERFAITH PROGRESS

YEAR OF TURMOIL Catholic officials help victims of violence, global crises in 2008

For pope and Vatican, 2008 was important interfaith year

By REGINA LINSKEY Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholic Church officials continued to advocate for and work to help victims of violence and the global food and economic crises in 2008.

In addition to helping refugees from conflicts with global repercussions in the Middle East or Africa, the church has advocated for justice and peace for the poor, hungry and defenseless in Asia and Latin America.

In some of the world’s hot spots, such as India, the violence was sectarian in nature.

Nearly 60 people died, hundreds were injured and thousands were displaced in antiChristian violence in India’s Orissa state. In late August, a Hindu leader and four of his associates were killed and, although a Maoist group took credit for the murders, Hindu fanatics blamed Christians.

Iraq continued to see Christians fleeing the country five years after the U.S. invasion. In northern Iraq, Catholic leaders said Christians were targeted for kidnappings and murder, and Chaldean Archbishop Paul Faraj Rahho of Mosul was among the victims.

Church aid workers provided basic necessities, counseling and legal assistance to many of the 2.3 million Iraqi refugees in Lebanon, Egypt and Syria. For Catholic agencies in host countries, that meant greatly expanding services.

In Lebanon, most of the Iraqis — including nearly 10,000 Chaldean Catholics — were unable to receive work permits or access to health services and schools, and some ended up in prison. In February and March, the Caritas Lebanon Migrant Center successfully negotiated with Lebanese authorities for the release of hundreds of Iraqi refugees detained because of their illegal status.

At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI denounced violence in world trouble spots.

He also spoke against the continuing shortages of food and various economic crises. Just before leaders of the world’s most industrialized nations met in July, the pope said that “speculation and financial turbulence and their perverse effects on food and energy

By JOHN THAVIS Catholic News Service

CNS photo/Finbarr O'Reilly, Reuters

Children who have been abandoned or orphaned by war eat dinner at the Salesian-run Don Bosco Center in Goma in eastern Congo in this Nov. 20 file photo. Fighting in eastern Congo displaced more than 250,000 people in 2008.

More than 1 million were already displaced from previous years of fighting. prices” have increased the vulnerability of the world’s poor and disadvantaged.

One of the most dramatic examples was found in Zimbabwe.

Although opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai won March elections, the government said he did not have enough votes for an outright win. In the months that followed, human rights groups said opposition supporters were the targets of brutal statesponsored violence that left more than 80 dead and 200,000 displaced.

Although Tsvangirai and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe signed a powersharing agreement in September, a month later the head of the country’s Catholic justice and peace commission said political leaders were playing politics at the expense of the poor, who were trying to survive on fruit. Aid agencies said more than 5 million Zimbabweans faced starvation, and the continued disruption in government services, including water and electricity, led to an outbreak of cholera. Zimbabweans, unable to get treatment, fled to South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia and Botswana, spreading the disease. By midDecember, 800 people had died of cholera in

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe attends his inauguration at the State House in Harare, Zimbabwe, June 29. Mugabe was sworn in after being declared the winner of an election which observers said was scarred by violence and intimidation.

CNS photo/Philimon Bulawayo, Reuters

Zimbabwe alone.

Meanwhile, church officials in Congo — where more than 250,000 people were displaced by fighting between August and December— appealed to Canada, the United States, France and Belgium for help implementing a foundering cease-fire agreement signed in January.

Church leaders elsewhere in the world called for peace in their regions.

In his final Easter message before retirement, former Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah of Jerusalem said the Holy Land needs leaders who are ready to “offer their lives” for peace rather than those who “issue orders to kill.”

In the predominantly Catholic Philippines, the country’s bishops worked throughout the year to end the conflict between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has been fighting for self-rule in Mindanao since the 1970s. Despite the efforts of individual bishops, the government ended peace talks with the rebels in September.

Amid the continuing violence in Sri

Lanka, church leaders continued to appeal for the displaced, many of whom were Catholic.

When the government ordered all aid workers to withdraw from Vanni as government forces attacked the region to wipe out the Tamil rebels, several priests, nuns and aid workers from Jesuit Refugee Service defied government orders and stayed with the displaced.

Church staff in Afghanistan, too, stayed despite threats on their lives. In August, four development agency workers were killed south of Kabul, bringing the Western aid agency deaths in Afghanistan to a record high. But aid workers, including those from the U.S. bishops’ Catholic Relief Services, pledged to stay because they said their work was bringing about successes for Afghans.

In addition to appealing for refugees and victims of violence, the church provided a voice for millions of people struggling because of the world food crisis.

In Haiti, the food crisis caused violent protests and political havoc in April. Similar demonstrations linked to spiraling food prices struck countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

In Guatemala, for example, the price of tortillas, a basic food staple, rose 30 percent in the course of only a few months. Poor Mexicans, who eat nearly a pound of tortillas a day per person, have seen the price double in the past two years.

CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec

Priests reach out to Pope Benedict XVI as he leaves Mass at Yankee Stadium in New York April 20.

POPE WOWS THE U.S. U.S. Catholics receive strong dose of encouragement from pope’s visit

By CAROL ZIMMERMANN Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) — U.S. Catholics were repeatedly encouraged to find renewed hope in Christ during Pope Benedict XVI’s April 15-20 visit to the United States.

Whether the pope was addressing international or religious leaders, youths or those Catholics who filled baseball stadiums in Washington and New York, he continually reiterated the trip’s theme, “Christ Our Hope,” and earnestly spoke of a “new springtime” for the church in America.

The pontiff, in his first visit to the United States as pope, celebrated Mass at the ballparks in both cities and spoke at the White House, the General Assembly of the United Nations and at churches in Washington and New York. He also departed from his planned itinerary for a private meeting with victims of the clergy sex abuse crisis.

He often spoke of the “genuinely religious spirit” of the American people and praised the vitality of parish life and church movements. But he also encouraged U.S. Catholics to take their faith experience to a deeper level by evangelizing with renewed zeal and rejecting secularism.

Instead of criticizing U.S. Catholics as some commentators had predicted, the pope gently urged them to be unified and to

be a beacon of hope in the modern world.

The visit had been highly anticipated since it was announced in November 2007. Many wondered how the scholarly pontiff would compare with the crowdpleasing Pope John Paul II. But in all the public venues the cheering crowds dispelled the notions of Americans not warming up to Pope John Paul’s successor.

There was pre-visit speculation about whether the pope would address the clergy abuse scandal — which he did several times — and what he would say to Catholic college presidents — he offered them words of encouragement.

Right from the start — aboard the papal flight to the United States — Pope Benedict addressed the clergy abuse crisis that had scarred the U.S. church, saying he was “deeply ashamed” by it. Throughout the U.S. visit he condemned the abuse scandal and spoke of the urgent need for healing.

During a Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York for priests and religious, the pope urged the congregation to move past divisions and scandal toward a “new sense of unity and purpose.”

In other gatherings he sounded warnings on the dangers of secularism and the misuse of freedom.

During an April 17 Mass at Nationals Park, Washington’s baseball stadium, he told 45,000

people that American society is at a moral crossroads. Three days later at a Mass at New York’s Yankee Stadium, the pope urged more than 57,000 Catholics “to use wisely the blessings of freedom in order to build a future of hope for coming generations.”

Pope Benedict also made a special appeal to young people at the Yankee Stadium Mass, urging them to “step forward and take up the responsibility which your faith in Christ sets before you.” He offered a similar challenge to about 25,000 youths the previous day during a rally at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y. In Washington, the pope urged 400 Catholic college presidents and diocesan education representatives at The Catholic University of America to lead students to deeper faith. He also told about 200 representatives of Islam, Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center “to persevere in their collaboration” to serve society and enrich public life.

The pope began his U.S. visit by meeting privately with President George W. Bush after he was greeted by thousands of well-wishers during a public welcoming ceremony on the White House lawn.

He spoke to about 300 U.S. bishops at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception en-

couraging them to continue their work to restore trust in the church and its ministers.

In New York, he told the U.N. General Assembly that fundamental human rights “cannot be applied piecemeal” and cannot be denied or diminished because of “different cultural, political, social and even religious outlooks.”

One of his most somber visits was at ground zero where the pope knelt alone and offered a silent prayer. He also read a prayer aloud with a small group at his side representing survivors, the family members of the dead and representatives of the New York Port Authority, police and fire departments.

After his departure, many U.S. Catholics said they felt a deeper connection with their spiritual leader and that the effects of the visit would last beyond the six-day trip as they planned to read and reread the texts of his speeches.

For many, what stood out the most was not the huge crowds at papal events but his private meeting at the apostolic nunciature in Washington with five victims of clergy sexual abuse.

One observer summed it up by saying the pope did “exactly what American Catholics needed and wanted to see” from the person who is the highest authority in the church.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI will look back on 2008 as an important year for interreligious dialogue, with the inauguration of a major Catholic-Muslim forum, notable meetings with Jews in the United States, and the opening of ecology as a new terrain for interfaith cooperation.

At the same time, discrimination and violence against minority Christian communities in Asia and the Middle East clouded the interfaith horizon and pushed human rights to the top of the Vatican’s dialogue agenda.

The initial meeting at the Vatican of the Catholic-Muslim Forum in November was a milestone in relations between the two faiths, and represented a remarkable turnaround after a low point in dialogue two years earlier.

The theme of the encounter was love of God and neighbor, and the Vatican representatives made sure to highlight respect for human rights — including the rights of minority faith communities — as an essential area of cooperation.

Pope Benedict addressed the 56 forum participants and emphasized the need for believers to show each other mutual respect and guarantee the right to freely profess and practice their faith.

In December, another major Catholic-Muslim session took place at the Vatican, this one involving representatives of the World Islamic Call Society. The discussion theme of the threeday meeting was the responsibility of religious leaders in times of crisis.

In April, an Iranian Muslim delegation arrived for talks at the Vatican, and participants said in a final statement that “faith and reason are intrinsically nonviolent.” That was a key point raised by Pope Benedict in a 2006 speech in Regensburg, Germany, which prompted Muslim protests because it appeared to challenge Islam on the issue of violence.

Visiting the United States in April, the pope met with about 200 representatives of Islam, Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington. Five young people presented the pontiff with symbols representing peace from various faiths.

The pope told the gathering that, in their attempt to discover common ground, religious leaders perhaps “have shied away from the responsibility to discuss our differences with calmness and clarity.” Interfaith dialogue, he said, should not stop at identifying a common set of values, but go on to probe their “ultimate foundation,” the truth.

Catholic-Jewish relations came under strain early in 2008 when the Vatican published Pope Benedict’s revised prayer for the Jews for use in Tridentine-rite Good Friday liturgies. The new prayer removed old language referring to the “blindness” of the Jews, but it prays that Jews will recognize Jesus, the savior, and that “all Israel may be saved.”

The Vatican sought to reassure Jews that the prayer, used in very limited circumstances, did not represent a step back from the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. Church officials said the new wording referred to salvation at the end of time and was not a call for a missionary effort among the Jews.

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 9, 2009

LOCAL NEWS 11

▲

SPREADING CHEER

DEFENDING LIFE Stem-cell debate quieter in 2008, but conscience protections waver WASHINGTON (CNS) — In the year marking the 40th anniversary of “Humanae Vitae,” Pope Paul VI’s encyclical on human life and birth control, discussion of bioethical issues was relatively muted, but 2009 is not expected to follow suit.

The year began with high hopes that discoveries by research teams in Japan and the United States in November 2007 would make stemcell research involving the destruction of human embryos obsolete.

The teams found that human skin cells could be reprogrammed to work as effectively as embryonic stem cells, thus negating the need to destroy embryos in the name of science.

But the findings seemed to have little effect on those already committed to embryonic stem-cell research.

Despite a concerted campaign by the Catholic Church and others in the state to oppose it, Michigan voters approved a ballot question expanding state funding of embryodestroying stem-cell research.

And the two major U.S. political parties each nominated candidates for president who pledged to lift the ban on federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research. President-elect Barack Obama was expected to make more funds available for such research soon after his Jan. 20 inauguration.

Midway through the year, at their June meeting in Orlando, Fla., the U.S. bishops approved a new document calling the use of human embryos in stem-cell research “gravely immoral” and unnecessary.

“While human life is threatened in many ways in our society, the destruction of human embryos for stem-cell research confronts us with an issue of respect for life in a stark new way,” said the seven-page policy statement.

“The issue of stem-cell research does not force us to choose between science and ethics, much less between science and religion,” the document adds. “It presents a choice as to how our society will pursue scientific and medical progress.”

As the year drew to a close, the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued an instruction warning that certain recent developments in stem-cell research, gene therapy and embryonic experimentation violate moral principles and reflect an attempt by man to “take the place of his Creator.”

The latest advances raise serious questions of moral complicity for researchers and other biotech professionals, who have a duty to refuse to use biological material obtained by unethical means, said the 32-page document titled “Dignitas Personae” (“The Dignity of a Person”), issued Dec. 12.

But in the United States, conscience protections for medical personnel and health care institutions were at risk.

▲

By NANCY FRAZIER O’BRIEN Catholic News Service

Kansas City, Kansas’ Bishop Ward High School students volunteered and brought some Christmas spirit to the children at Operation Breakthrough in Kansas City, Mo., by hosting a holiday party after school on Dec. 11. Bishop Ward students regularly visit Operation Breakthrough to spend time with the children.

Pictured are: (front row from left) sophomore Marla Gritzan; teacher Annie Tompkins; sophomore Ellyn Calvert; junior Stephanie Duenas; sophomore Norma Lozano; and sophomore Jocelyn Villanueva; (middle row from left) ; coach Travis Grosdidier; junior Amanda Garcia; freshman Andrea Duenas; sophomores Jessica Alonso, Jessica Downing, Casandra Marquez, Miguel Torres, Sebastian Manriquez, and CJ Jaramillo; (back row from left) sophomore Carlos Beruman; and juniors Amaury Marquez and Tim Rodriguez.

▲ BUDDING ARTIST

Nick Walker, a kindergartner at Holy Rosary School, Wea, won the “Bag Your Favorite Book” contest for the kindergarten grade level as part of Price Chopper’s Feeding the Reading Appetite program for the 2008-2009 school year. By winning, Nick’s school library will receive $500 and his class will have a celebration party courtesy of Price Chopper. The contest allowed students to create a book jacket design of their favorite book. Over 1,000 entries were submitted from across the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area.

Walker’s winning entry was an original book jacket design of “Food for Thought” by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers.

DeLeon Furniture

Contact Lenses • Eye Glasses CNS illustration/Emily Thompson

An illustration depicts an early stage human embryo following the union of an egg cell and a sperm cell. The new Vatican document “Dignitas Personae” (“The Dignity of a Person”) warns that certain recent developments in stem-cell research, gene therapy and embryonic experimentation violate moral principles and reflect an attempt by man to “take the place of his Creator.”

In August, the California Supreme Court upheld the rights of a lesbian to be artificially inseminated despite the religious objections of her physician, a decision that officials of the California Catholic Conference said violated the physician’s rights of religious freedom and freedom of speech.

“No one has the right to demand a nonemergency medical procedure from someone who finds that procedure morally unacceptable — or religiously objectionable,” said Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Curry of Los Angeles following the court’s ruling in North Coast Women’s Care Medical Group v. Guadalupe T. Benitez.

The debate over conscience rights also continued in Wisconsin, after a judge in the state upheld the official reprimand of a Catholic pharmacist who refused to dispense a contraceptive drug to a college student or

transfer the prescription to another pharmacy.

In a March 24 decision, 3rd District Court Judge Michael Hoover rejected pharmacist Neil Noesen’s appeal of sanctions imposed on him by the Wisconsin Pharmacy Examining Board in 2005. In June the state Supreme Court declined to review the case.

However, Kim Wadas, associate director for education and health care at the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, said Hoover acknowledged in his decision that conscience rights under the state constitution are even broader than those granted by the U.S. Constitution, an affirmation she called a step in the right direction.

A move by the Department of Health and Human Services to guarantee the conscience rights of health care providers and institutions remained in limbo, however, as the

new Obama administration prepared to take office.

Proposed regulations advanced by the administration of President George W. Bush would have required federally funded institutions to certify that they comply with laws protecting provider conscience rights. The regulations drew strong criticism from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and other groups that support legal abortion, who said they would “permit institutions as well as individuals to refuse to provide women access not only to abortion but to contraceptive services and information.”

The abortion issue also played a role in the 2008 presidential elections, when some bishops told Catholics they should not vote for Obama because of his support for keeping abortion legal.

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ROBOTS TAKE OVER

St. Agnes students Luke Ziglinski, Christopher Castrop, Isaac Ziglinski, Patrick Fontaine, Elizabeth O’Connell, Connor Aguilar, Sarah Hook, Sophie Utz, and Stuart Paulson watch their robot work at the first Lego League Competition held Dec. 14, 2008, at Liberty High School in Liberty, Mo. St. Agnes School in Roeland Park sent two teams of students to participate in the event. The teams built robots to complete tasks, like picking up and delivering cargo to designated areas, opening levies, and raising objects. The students also researched how climate affects their community and identified solutions to problems caused by climate changes. They presented their research at the competition. In addition to those pictured here, team members participating from St. Agnes Grade School included: Caden Churchman, Isabella Ellington, Thomas Kroh, Steven Langley, Ryan Madrigal, Alex McGraw, Daniel Mitchell, Rory Reidy, Simon Scholl and Victoria Wall.

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12 CLASSIFIEDS ■ EMPLOYMENT Seeking dy nami c Cathol ic school pri ncipal s Who embrace the Catholic faith and possess spiritual leadership skills blended with strong instructional leadership and managerial skills. Two schools in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas have openings for the position of principal for the 2009 - 10 academic year: St. Matthew, Topeka – St. Matthew School serves 167 students in grades K – 8. The school employs 23 faculty and staff members. St. Matthew is proud of the rich diversity in the student and family population and is looking for an excellent communicator who can build upon the strong Catholic identity and academic programming that is a hallmark of the school. In addition, the principal at St. Matthew is expected to implement a comprehensive marketing initiative to increase school enrollment. In order to be successful at this effort, the principal will need to have an energetic and creative approach to reaching the entire St. Matthew community.

I m m a cu l a ta H i g h S c h o ol , L e a v en w o r t h – Immaculata High School currently enrolls 113 students in grades 9 – 12 and employs 18 faculty and staff members. Immaculata is a comprehensive high school that produces strong academic outcomes. The principal will be expected to be an exceptional instructional leader who will be able to bring creativity and flexibility to the position in order to provide the best academic and co-curricular program possible. In addition, the principal will be expected to enhance the mission focus of the school, as well as participate in an aggressive recruiting effort designed to increase enrollment.

Principal applicants must be a practicing Catholic and hold (or be eligible for) an administrative license from the Kansas State Department of Education.

Interested individuals should complete the principal application available on the Web site at: www.archkckcs.org. Applications are due by Jan. 13.

Questions may be directed to Dr. Kathleen O’Hara, superintendent of schools, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, at (913) 721-1570, or via e-mail, to: kohara@archkckcs.org.

T e a c h e r a s s i s t a n t s - Prince of Peace Early Education Center, Olathe, is seeking temporary fulltime teacher assistants to work with 2- and 3-yr-olds.

Qualified applicants must be 18 yrs of age. Child-care experience and flexibility are required. Positions needed March through summer and could lead to permanent employment. For information, call Amanda at (913) 829-2728.

Help desk/support – Customer-driven, friendly, service-oriented people needed. Qualifications include: proficiency in MS applications; the ability to assist Web users with demos; navigation of our Web application; and other support-related issues. Great opportunity with a growing company. Salary, bonus, benefits, and 401(k) plan. Send your resume, via email, to: HR@cobraguard.net. EOE. Working from home and loving it! - Work with a team of moms to own your own business. Helping moms work from home. No selling, no parties, no inventory, no risk. For information, visit the Web site at: www.MomsForGreen.com.

■ SERVICES

Counseling services - Our contemporary society can present families, couples and life partners with unique challenges, stress, breech of trust, financial loss and communication breakdown. We each have the power to change and improve the quality of our life. This is the purpose of therapy. I provide affordable, confidential therapy for individuals, couples and families. I also specialize in clinical outpatient substance abuse treatment for adult men and women. Call JB Strong, MA, LCPC, AAPS, at (913) 7221118.

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 9, 2009 Financial adviser - Investments down 25-40%?

Looking for a new adviser? How did your investment strategy work in a down market? Don’t have a strategy? Call me today for a free, no-obligation review of your investment, insurance and retirement plans. We can talk about a strategy to protect your assets in these volatile markets. Call Ed Pendergast at (913) 322-6838. Active member of Curé of Ars Parish, Leawood. Member FINRA/SPIC. Securities offered through General Securities.

Tutor - Available for test preparation: ACT, GED, SAT, TOEFL, CLEP, study skills, and various subjects in the K - 12 curriculum, plus college-level French and music. I am currently working on a master’s of education at Rockhurst University. I will customize lessons and tutor in a fun and meaningful context.

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THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 9, 2009

■ HOME IMPROVEMENT General construction work - Landscaping, concrete work, etc. — you name it, we can do it! Licensed and insured. Call Josh at (913) 709-7230.

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In crease your in come! 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.

Contractor - Commercial and residential work — painting and renovating. Free estimates; insured; 20 yrs. experience. Call (913) 206-4524.

L e a f re m ov a l - Commercial and residential.

Vacuum, blow and haul away. Also ask about our monthly-average snow removal plan which can save you up to 30% off of all seasonal work. Licensed, bonded, insured; references. Call now for a free estimate. (913) 620-6063.

T im th e H a nd y ma n - Insured; free estimates.

Carpentry: new and repair deck, doors, windows, siding, screens. Plumbing: faucet, garbage disposals, toilets. Electrical: switches, outlets, ceiling fans, light fixtures. Light landscape: fill dirt, trimming, planting, garden tilling and mulching. Serving Johnson County. Call Tim at (913) 859-0471.

Home security systems only $99! - Protect your family and property. Call Mike at (913) 269-1394.

Member of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Overland Park.

Organizing & handyman services - Basements, garages, attics and shop spaces organized! Your items sorted, boxed & labeled; areas cleaned when finished!

Wall repair, interior painting, tile work, handicap bars and ramps. Great references and insured. For pictures of current projects, view my Web site at: www.swalms.com. Call Tillar Swalm at (913) 375-9115.

Damaged sheetrock repaired – WyCo and JoCo areas. Ceilings, painted or textured. 25 yrs. experience; insured and reliable. Call (913) 631-5241.

EL SOL Y LA TIERRA *Commercial & residential * Lawn renovation * Mowing * Clean-up and hauling * Dirt grading/installation * Landscape design * Free estimates Hablamos y escribimos Ingles!!

Call Lupe at (816) 252-3376.

■ REAL ESTATE

Beautiful DeSoto home for sale - 4 BR, 2-1/2 BA, on one-acre treed lot. Two fireplaces, hardwood floors, basement, and 3rd garage in 30 x 40 shop. Move-in

ready! Not far from St. James Academy. $299,000. For appt. to view, call (913) 583-9983.

Jan.

■ VACATION

Vacation rental - 3 BR, 2 BA condo in south Fort Myers Beach, Fla. Overlooks canals, boats, back bay.

Two blocks to beach and golf course. Available two wks to a month. View at: www.ftmyersvacations. net.

Hibiscus Point, unit 521, or call Coldwell Banker rentals at (239) 463-3151 or owner at (239) 498-6376.

Sunny and 80 - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. 2 BR, 2 BA beachfront condo. Fully equipped, sleeps 6. Great location; close to everything. $125/night. Call (816) 835-7994, or send an e-mail to: kelgang@ aol.com.

Bahamas beachfront condo - Enjoy the crystal clear waters, beachfront pool or the beautiful sunrises from our newly remodeled condo that sleeps four. $125/night; $750/week. Local owner will rent to mature adults and families. Visit the Web site at: www.coralbeach1602.com, or send an e-mail to: coralbeach1602@gmail.com.

10

Sacred Heart, Tonganoxie, will host its 8th annual bingo fundraiser to support the parish youth on Jan. 10 in the parish center, located at Hwy. 24/40 and Washington St., Tonganoxie. Food will be served starting at 5:45 p.m., and bingo will follow at 7 p.m. Play one card all evening for $10 or purchase individual cards. For information, contact Shari at (913) 3698697, or send an e-mail to: sacredheart center@sunflower.com.

F or sa l e - Ivers and Pond console piano with matching storage bench. American classic in maple.

Excellent condition! Will consider all offers. Member of Queen of the Holy Rosary, Overland Park. Call Barbara at (913) 706-3410 or (913) 544-2723.

■ FOR RENT

Offi ce/ wa rehouse space for lea se - 83rd and Monticello in Shawnee. Half office and half warehouse. 1500 sq ft. is $1075, plus taxes; 3000 sq ft. is $2150, plus taxes. Great location with easy access.

Call Kurt at (913) 208-0742 or (913) 962-6990.

■ CHILD CARE

Registered home child care -Southern Overland Park and Leawood areas. Call (913) 636-2782.

■ MISCELLANEOUS

Re si d en t i a l l i ft s - Buy/sell/trade. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. Recycled and new equipment. Call Silver Cross® - KC at (913) 3932042. Member of St. Michael the Archangel Parish.

■ WANTED TO BUY

A healing Mass, sponsored by archdiocesan charismatic prayer groups, will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 15 at Curé of Ars Church, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. Father Tom Kearns will preside; fellowship follows.

For more information, call (913) 649-2026.

16

Ski cabin in Winter Park, Colo. – 2 BR, 1 BA, on free ski shuttle route. $110/night. Call (913) 6423027. For pictures, visit the Web site at: cabin. forcadeassociates.com.

■ FOR SALE

The Singles of Nativity will host dinner and a movie night on Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. Meet at Red Robin, located on the southeast corner of 135th and Antioch, Overland Park, followed by a movie at the Palazzo Theater.

For information, send an e-mail to Silvia Gonzales at: sylviagonzales08@ yahoo.com.

The Knights of Columbus of St. Patrick Parish will sponsor their annual free throw shoot-out for all boys and girls ages 10 - 14 from 6 - 9 p.m. on Jan. 16 in the parish center, located at 94th and State Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Finalists at the council tournament will advance to districts, with a chance to go to regional and national competition. According to KSHSAA rules, participating students should not wear their school uniforms to this event. Bring your birth certificate as proof of age. For information, contact Jim Christoph at (913) 299-8929 or David Yantz at (913) 3347496.

Ski week (2/28 - 3/6) – Condo in Winter Park, Colo. 2 BR, 2 BA condo with kitchen; sleeps six. Fully furnished, fireplace, rec. center on complex. Inn at Silver Creek. $500 per week. (913) 649-7596.

Ski vacation - Winter Park, Colo. 2 BR, 1BA, sleeps 6. Fully furnished, fireplace, rec. center with pool & hot tub. $125/night; $750/week. Call Joe Frederick at (913) 385-5589.

Kan. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990.

▲ St. Paul Parish, 900 S. Honeysuckle Dr., Olathe, will present “Mr. Stinky Feet and Funky Mama — Live in Concert” from 6:30 - 8 p.m. on Jan. 10 in the gymnasium. Funk and fun for the whole family. Come prepared to sing, dance and have fun. Concessions will be available. Tickets cost $5 and are available at the door. For information, visit the Web sites at: www.mrstinkyfeet.com and www. funkymamamusic.com.

12 & 26

“Writing for Life Workshop,” a series designed to help women heal from the past and recapture lost dreams, will be held from 10- 11 a.m. on Jan. 12 and 26 at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the Web site at: www.mountosb.org/kwc.

15

“Afternoon at the Spa,” a free opportunity to be pampered and learn easy and inexpensive ways to indulge yourself at home, will be held from 2 -3 p.m. on Jan. 15 at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave, Kansas City,

***ANTIQUES WANTED*** Postcards, old photos, military items, trains, coins, watches jewelry, political buttons, old toys and banks, Red Wing crocks, Indian rugs, signs and sterling silverware. Call Chris (913) 642-8269.

17

A memorial liturgy for deceased loved ones will be held at 8 a.m. on Jan. 17 at Curé of Ars Church, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. The bereavement ministry will have its monthly meeting following Mass in the Father Burak Room. The topic will be “Looking Ahead to the New Year.”

For information, call (913) 649-2026.

The Knights of Columbus, Council No. 2332, 11221 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, will open the winter polka season on Jan. 17, featuring the Brian McCarty Combo. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and music starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10 and include sauerkraut-and-sausage sandwiches and beverages. For information, call event chairman Dan Nicks at (913) 631-4633.

The Knights of Columbus at Good Shepherd Parish, 12800 W. 75th St., Shawnee, will host a “real” sausage dinner at 6 p.m. on Jan. 17, featuring authentic kielbasa and kraut or Italian sausage and spaghetti. The cost is: $8 for adults; $7 for seniors; $5 for children ages 6 - 10; and free for children 5 and under. For information, call (913) 631-7116.

Msgr. Mike Mullen will celebrate the archdiocesan monthly pro-life Mass at 8

a.m. on Jan. 17 at Sts. Cyril & Methodius, 44 N. Mill, Kansas City, Kan., followed by a rosary procession to an abortion clinic four blocks away. Eucharistic adoration is available for those not processing, with Benediction concluding services at 10 a.m.

20

Msgr. Gary Applegate will give a presentation on the annulment process from 7 - 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 in the St. Joseph Room at Church of the Nativity, 119th and Mission Rd., Leawood. This program is for divorced people who want reliable information about annulments.

Monsignor Applegate is the tribunal judicial vicar for the archdiocese.

23

The Altar and Rosary Society of St. Agnes Parish, 5250 Mission Rd., Roeland Park, will host a day of recollection on Jan. 23, featuring a presentation on “The Life of St. Paul,” by Father Zachary of the Mother of God, SOLT, director of formation for the lay faithful. The mini-retreat will begin with a rosary at 9 a.m. in the church, followed by Mass. A continental breakfast will follow in the parish center with the presentation beginning at 10:30 a.m. The day will conclude with a closing prayer at noon. Both men and women are encouraged to attend. There is no charge for this event. A freewill collection will be taken up.

31

The Family Ties ministry (families tied together through adoption and infertility) of Good Shepherd Parish, Shawnee, will host a trivia night on Jan. 31 in the church community center. Tickets cost $12.50 per person; $100 for a table of eight. The doors open at 6 p.m.; the game begins at 7 p.m. For tickets or information, send an e-mail to Sarah at: fourhawkeyes@kc.rr.com.

Misc.

Make a New Year’s resolution to get out of debt! Find out how following Catholic Church teaching helps you with your budget and finances. “7 Steps to Becoming Financially Free,” a completely Catholic faith and finances course created by Veritas Financial Ministries, will help individuals and couples set financial priorities based on solid Catholic teachings. Small groups are led by local volunteers and last eight weeks. Groups are forming now in Topeka, Lenexa, Shawnee Mission, and Atchison.

Meetings will begin in mid-January. For information or to register, contact Gary Pratt

“We constantly hear how grateful children are that their parents had things taken care of. Have you done this for your children?”

■ ENTERTAINMENT

Disc jockey - For your wedding, kolos, nightclubs, corporate parties, teenage celebrations, holiday parties, sock-hops, ethnic, birthdays, holiday parties, hip-hop/rap, golden oldies. Member of St. Therese Parish, KCMO. Call Zepster’s A to Z Party DJ’s at (816) 741-4777.

at (913) 647-0365, or send an e-mail to him at: gpratt@archkck.org.

The Singles of Nativity will gather for round-robin-style tennis from 2:30 - 5 p.m. at the Indian Creek Recreational Center, 103rd St. and Marty, Overland Park, on Sundays throughout the winter, weather permitting. If the temperature is above 45 degrees and it is not windy, we will play outdoor tennis. Beginners are welcome; there is room for everyone. We may go out for a light dinner afterwards, because the idea is to share friendship. For information, send an e-mail to Jane Zaccardi at: service@son- ministry.org.

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.

Individual and family counseling is available at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Counseling is offered in partnership with Catholic Charities; the fee is based on a sliding scale and is very affordable. Free child care is provided during some time periods.

To schedule an appointment, call (913) 6218749.

For those struggling with an addiction to pornography, Sam Meier, MA, LPC, provides counseling and men’s groups for sexual integrity. Call (913) 647-0378, or send an e-mail to: mhmg@archkck. org.

Women can contact Beth Meier for information on groups for spouses and loved ones at (913) 647-0379, or send an e-mail to: bmeier@ archkck.org. Support is confidential and from a Catholic perspective. To listen to live testimonials, visit the Web site at: www. archkck.org/myhouse.

Divorced? Widowed? Beginning Experience Weekend gently helps people move through their loss to a new beginning in their lives. The next weekend for the Kansas City area will be Feb. 27 - March 1.

For information or for registration material, call John at (913) 219-3465 in Kansas City, Sue at (785) 331-2216 in Lawrence, or visit the Web site at: www.beginningexperience. org.

■ Calendar items must be received nine days before the publication date. E-mail submissions are preferred; send to: jennifer@the leaven. com.

Vince O’Halloran

Vince O’Halloran Agency Inc. 12740 S. Pflumm Rd., Olathe (913) 782-3035 office Parishioner, Christ the King, Mo. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Monday - Friday; Evenings and Saturdays by appointment.

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Contact Jim: 913-226-7442 Contact Julie & Marilyn: 913-647-7118 Office Line: 913-647-7132 jimblaufuss@aol.com | www.BlaufussTeam.com

13

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Serving Lawrence, Topeka and surrounding areas.

Topeka (785) 233-3447 Lawrence (785) 749-1696 In business since 1963

14 COMMENTARY

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 9, 2009

MARK MY WORDS

Focus in on the new year

President MOST REVEREND JOSEPH F. NAUMANN Editor REVEREND MARK GOLDASICH, STL frmark@theleaven.com Managing Editor ANITA McSORLEY anita@theleaven.com Senior Reporter JOE BOLLIG joe@theleaven.com Production Manager TODD HABIGER todd@theleaven.com Advertising Representative JENNIFER SIEBES jennifer@theleaven.com Reporter KARA HANSEN kara@theleaven.com Circulation sub@theleaven.com Intern Seán T.D. Kane

Catholic Press Association Award Winner 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Archbishop Edward O’Meara Award Winner 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003

D

o one thing . . .

Oops, wait for one second please, I need to get something out of my book bag. . . . OK, I’m back.

Let’s see, where was I? Oh, yeah, you might remember back in October I wrote a column inviting readers to construct their life motto or autobiography in six words. The idea came from the editors of Smith magazine, a storytelling publication. Mine was: God isn’t done with me yet!

A number of readers graciously answered, and I thought the new year was an ideal time to share their responses and maybe inspire others to construct their own six-word masterpieces.

Whoops, hang on while I go and retrieve that file. And, as long as I’m up, I guess I’ll grab one (or two) of the few remaining Christmas cookies. Be back in a jiffy. . . . All right, now we’re set.

Here are some readers’ six-word entries: • Mary-Theresa, of St. Francis de Sales in Lansing, wrote: God is good . . . all the time.

• Don, a former resident of the archdiocese who now lives in downtown Kansas City, Mo., had three written down in his pocket calendar: Love people and blessings of earth; Be joyful, be grateful, be prayerful (from a Father Ed Hays book); Death of old man not tragedy (which Don said be-

comes more and more appropriate for him!).

• Carolyn, from Sacred Heart in Tonganoxie, wrote: There is no peace without Christ.

Whoa, my iPhone just vibrated.

There’s a voice mail there. Excuse me, while I check it. . . . OK, back to those responses: • Mike’s made me nod in agreement: What I really should have done . ..

• Sister Mary Mediatrix of All Grace submitted a phrase (with a smile) that comes to her mind when being called to obedience (and trust) whether in the convent or in faith: No one’s paying you to think.

• Betty, of Sacred Heart Parish in Ottawa, proposed one where the sixth word changes, depending on the circumstance: It never hurts to ask . . .

God, friends, family, salesclerk, etc.

• Louise, I suspect, is a real go-getter, judging from hers: Better to wear out than rust.

• A Topeka entry was sent via the

regular mail and . . . oh boy, I put it down somewhere. Let me get up and see if I can find it. Be right back . . .

Well, that took longer than expected. While looking, I remembered that I was going to recharge my Nintendo DS. I’ve been running the battery down since Christmas playing “Cradle of Rome,” a great game, by the way.

Then as I was passing by the cats’ food bowls, I saw they needed to be refilled, so I did that and gave each of them a little bit of attention. I also came across a few old magazines and skimmed a couple of good articles there. Oh, I found some old coupons and catalogs, too, that I shredded and recycled. Once I uncovered the Topeka letter, I realized I was saving it for something that I’ll be writing about in the future, so I won’t mention it here after all.

You know, it’s just occurred to me how long it takes to write this column anymore. You’d think that after about two decades, I’ve have it down pat, but . . . My e-mail program just chimed; let’s see who’s writing . . .

I’m back. That e-mail had a link to a really interesting Web site that . . .

Eureka! I finally figured out why these columns (and other things) are taking so long to finish.

Folks, I’ve got my new six-word motto for 2009: Do one thing at a time!

Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799) Published weekly September through May, excepting the Friday the week after Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Christmas; biweekly June through August. Address communications to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Phone: (913) 721-1570; fax: (913) 7215276; or e-mail at: sub@theleaven.com.

POSTMASTER : Send address changes to The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. For change of address, provide old and new address and parish.

Subscriptions $18/ year. Periodicals postage paid at Kansas City, KS 66109.

SCRIPTURE READINGS FIRST WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME Jan. 11 THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD Is 42: 1-4, 6-7; Ps 29: 1a, 2, 3ac-4, 3b, 9b-10; Acts 10: 34-38; Mk 1: 7-11 Jan. 12 Monday Heb 1: 1-6; Ps 97: 1, 2b, 6, 7c, 9; Mk 1: 14-20 Jan. 13 Hilary, bishop, doctor of the church Heb 2: 5-12; Ps 8: 2a, 5-9; Mk 1: 21-28 Jan. 14 Wednesday Heb 2: 14-18; Ps 105: 1-4, 6-9; Mk 1: 29-39 Jan. 15 Thursday Heb 3: 7-14; Ps 95: 6-11; Mk 1: 40-45 Jan. 16 Friday Heb 4: 1-5, 11; Ps 78: 3, 4bc, 6c-8; Mk 2: 1-12 Jan. 17 Anthony, abbot Heb 4: 12-16; Ps 19: 8-10, 15; Mk 2: 13-17

THE GOSPEL TRUTH

Church adopted Baptist’s symbol of repentance

B

iscotti are very hard and dry Italian cookies. As such, they can be difficult to eat.

But I have discovered that if I dip them in coffee, it softens them sufficiently to bite into them. Then they ligious connotation on its own, we taste delicious. I immerse one and know that John is not baptizing Jesus count to 10. More than that, and the out of hygienic concern or as part of cookie will fall apart. some water sport. The Gospel text situThe Greek word for “dip” or “imates Jesus’ baptism in the context of “a merse” gives us the English word “bapbaptism of repentance for the forgivetize.” But we would never say ness of sins,” which John ad“I baptized the cookie in the ministered to the crowds who THE BAPTISM coffee.” That is because the flocked to him in the desert. It OF THE LORD English word has acquired a clearly had a religious purMk 1: 7-11 very narrow meaning that it pose. lacks in the original Greek.

At the same time, the bapFor us, “baptize” means “to administer tism of Jesus did not mean exactly the a sacrament marked by the ritual use same as our own baptism. That sacraof water which makes the recipient a ment made us a member of the church, member of the church.” a part of the community of faith.

I bring this up because this Sunday On the other hand, when Jesus was we celebrate the feast of the Baptism baptized, there was no church. And of the Lord. Accordingly, the Gospel while the crowds who flocked to John reading, Mk 1:7-11, features the bapfor baptism were faith-filled, we could tism of Jesus: “It happened in those hardly call them a community. They days that Jesus came from Nazareth of lacked the cohesiveness necessary for Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan that designation. They were too fluid a

by John.” group. Instead, they resembled what Even though the Greek verb “bapwe would call a movement. tize” does not carry any particularly reThe term “movement” sounds par-

ticularly appropriate, because John was persuading the crowds to turn back to God. The Hebrew word “teshuvah,” sometimes translated as “repentance,” literally means “return.”

Through his baptism, Jesus signaled that he was joining this movement of renewed faith, of increased religious fervor. He was endorsing it.

Eventually, Jesus would attract crowds of his own by his preaching, much as John the Baptist had. Some people in the crowd might even, at one time, have followed John. In any case, they were continuing in the same direction, turning back to God. It was very appropriate, then, that when that movement coalesced into a community, that it would adopt as a sign of membership the same baptism which signified renewal. The sacrament that means initiation also means turning away from sin, turning toward God. It reminds us that belonging to the church always includes that spiritual renewal. That lies at the very core of our faith.

This Sunday, then, as we celebrate the baptism of Jesus, we also anticipate the birth of our church.

Father Mike Stubbs is pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lansing and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University.