theleaven.com | vol. 35, no. 22 | january 17, 2014
The sky’s the limit By Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com
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ILLIAMSBURG — If they start in fifth grade and return every year through high school, kids might camp at the Prairie Star Ranch here eight different times. But they’ll never repeat an experience. Camp leaders rewrite the curriculum every year, developing new ways to infuse faith and fun into kids’ summers, and they’re already looking ahead to summer 2014. Registration for Camp Tekakwitha — including the popular Camp Tekakwitha Extreme — opens on Jan. 29 for students entering high school grades in the fall. Registration opens Feb. 5 for campers starting seventh and eighth grades. Families with campers entering fifth and sixth grade may begin registering their children for Camp Kateri on Feb. 12. Registration starts at 9 a.m. on each of those dates. Families are encouraged to register online, but mailed registrations are also accepted. Families should wait to mail them until the registration Jan. 24 — Scholarship apperiod for the appropriate plications due age group opens. Jan. 29 — Registration One group Deacon opens for campers enterDana Nearmyer, camp ing ninth-12th grade co-director, really wants Feb. 5 — Registration to draw to camp this opens for campers entersummer is girls in middle ing seventh/eighth grade school. Feb. 12 — Registration Last summer saw light opens for campers entercamp attendance among ing fifth/sixth grade this age group. Recognizing that this is an intensely busy age — with many activities competing for every moment of their time even during the summer — Deacon Nearmyer noted that it is also an incredibly important time in their lives. Camp leaders have even heard from young high school students that the junior high grades need greater focus. “We’re writing curriculum especially for junior high kids,” said Deacon Nearmyer. “It preserves their innocence, but it’s tracking into where the culture’s trying to take them.” Deacon Nearmyer recently immersed himself in the latest apps that he hopes — combined with a wide range of fun outdoor activities — will help provide the answers kids today are seeking to their very “sophisticated” questions about their faith. This is also the first year the Wet Willie water slide will be open to all the camps. The new attraction opened during mid-summer last year. Brochures, registration information and other details are available on the archdiocesan website at: www.archkck.org.
Important dates for 2014
Check out our story on camp counselors on pages 4 & 5
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theleaven.com | january 17, 2014
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january 17, 2014 | theleaven.com
Life will be victorious
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Blessed aunt’s witness taught many life lessons
his past Friday, I was in Munster, Ind., to celebrate the funeral Mass for my Aunt Dolores.
She was my mother’s only sibling. As recently as this September when my aunt turned 86, she was still healthy enough to drive herself to a weekly bridge game. However, for the past several months, she has been in hospice care, so her death was hardly unexpected. In the mid-1950s, my aunt and uncle moved to Griffith, Ind. — a suburban community between Gary and Chicago. When they moved to Griffith, they did not know anyone within 300 miles. At the time, they had five of their eventual eight sons. Quickly, they became involved with their local parish — St. Mary’s. The elderly and very wise pastor formed what he called the St. Theodore Club, whose members were young couples with growing families. Through this club, my aunt and uncle made some incredible friends, who became as close as family. My brother and I would spend most of the summer with my cousins. They would come to St. Louis for a couple of weeks and most of the rest of the summer we stayed with my cousins in Indiana. What generosity it takes to give birth eight times — to endure the discomfort of nine months of pregnancy as well as the pain of labor and delivery. However, as every seasoned mother knows, labor and delivery are the easy part. The real challenge is spending the next 20-plus years nurturing, caring for, teaching and sacrificing for
archbishop Joseph F. Naumann the children to whom you have given life. During the prayer service at the wake, when various family members shared memories, one of my cousins expressed his gratitude for the discipline and tough love my aunt provided which saved him from becoming a spoiled child and a self-centered adult. At the time of my aunt’s death, I was on retreat with the bishops from Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska at Prince of Peace Abbey in Oceanside, Calif. As I boarded the flight from San Diego heading back to the Midwest, a very friendly flight attendant asked: “Father, did you know that you are on an unmanned flight?” She explained the pilot and co-pilot and all the flight attendants were female. There was definitely a feminine touch to the flight. The pilot actually came out of the cockpit to address and welcome all the passengers. After complimenting us for having exquisite taste in choosing our airline, she took time to explain briefly our route and flying conditions. It was a great flight. The captain and entire crew did an excellent job. The Gospel text for the funeral Mass concluded with Jesus saying to the apostles: “Where I am going you know the way.” Thomas asks: “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?” Jesus responds to this ob-
jection with the declaration: “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” What does Jesus mean when he says that he is “the Way and the Truth and the Life?” This passage from the 14th Chapter of John’s Gospel is situated right after John’s unique description of the Last Supper. John does not give us any of the details of the institution of the Eucharist found in the other Gospels. Instead, John recounts the washing of the apostles’ feet by Jesus. The One, whom they called Lord and teacher, assumed the role of a servant, performing the most menial gesture of service — the washing of the dusty, dirty, smelly feet of guests. When Jesus completed washing all of the apostles’ feet and Our Lord resumed his place at table, he said: “Do you know what I have done for you? You call me teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.” Jesus is the Way! What is this way? It is the way of servant love. Jesus is the Truth! What is this Truth? It is the Truth that God so loved us that he assumed our humanity by being born into this world. Our Lord emptied himself. He humbled himself, accepting even death on the cross for our sake. Jesus is the Life! What is this Life? According to Jesus, we have to lose our life to find abundant life. We have to be like the seed that dies and (because it dies) produces fruit a hundredfold! In my aunt’s era, being an airline pilot was not a possibility for a woman. Aunt
Dolores was a very bright, gifted, spirited and fearless woman. In my estimation, she was capable of being an airline pilot or anything else she might have desired to achieve. Yet, I am hardpressed to think of anything more important Aunt Dolores could have done or achieved than caring for her family. When I reflect upon Aunt Dolores’ 86 years of life, I believe she really did follow the One who is the Way and the Truth and the Life. Aunt Dolores spent her life living the great command of Jesus — to love as he loved. As a wife and mother, she chose in many ways to lose her own life in the service of her family. In fact, I do not know any group about whom it is truer than mothers — and especially mothers of large families, who willingly choose to lose their lives in order to give life and nurture the lives of others. Mothers lay aside so many personal preferences, their own privacy, and indulging their own desires in service to their spouse and children. There is a lot of debate today about the very nature of marriage. What is lost in much of the debate about the definition of marriage is that, historically, marriage has never been just about the couple. Most definitely, one of the essential purposes of marriage is for the mutual good of the couple. However, the reason that marriage is so important and throughout history has been given such a special status is that it is also about giving life and forming the next generation. In this, marriage serves a critical, absolutely essential role for culture, society, the nation and the church. I suppose my aunt could have chosen to spend her life in many other ways and made a difference in the
calendar archbishop
Naumann Jan. 16-17 Kansas Catholic Conference — Topeka Jan. 18 “Catholic Way” taping Catholic Charities Snow Ball Jan. 19 March for Life Mass — Savior Pastoral Center Jan. 21 Pro-Life Leadership Mass — Washington, D.C. March for Life vigil Mass — Washington, D.C. Jan. 22 March for Life — Washington, D.C. Jan. 24-26 Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher winter council
archbishop
keleher Jan. 18-19 Mass — St. Sebastian, Fla. Jan. 25-26 Mass — St. Sebastian, Fla.
world. My aunt outlived most of her own friends and contemporaries. Yet, still there was a significant crowd at her funeral — many of whom would not be alive were it not for her and my uncle’s love. Everyone in that congregation had been significantly touched by a woman who had lost her life and, in the process, produced life a hundredfold. Stay tuned. Next week, I will conclude my reflection on lessons from Aunt Dolores.
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World Youth Day — time to get this party started By Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com
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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — You might think since World Youth Day Krakow, Poland, is in 2016, there’s plenty of time to decide if you’d like to attend, then plan and prepare for the trip itself. Wrong! So very, very wrong! “It will be here so fast it will make your head spin, especially when you plan for something of this magnitude,” said Rick Cheek, consultant for the office of evangelization and Catholic formation of youth for the archdiocese. Parents and their high school- and even college-age youth should be having a conversation right now about attending World Youth Day. In fact, the first date on the payment schedule is Feb. 15. It’s surprising how much planning is required to take part in an international gathering of Catholic youth that attracts millions of participants, thousands of miles away in a foreign country. Who knew? The next WYD will be from July 23 to Aug. 1 — and yes, summers in Poland can get warm. And it rains there, too. Organizers are expecting a pretty big crowd, since Poland is a very Catholic country, and it is the home of Pope John Paul II — who by that time will be St. John Paul II. There are a lot of reasons why someone might want to go to World Youth Day — and not just to celebrate our latest papal saint. At this event, young people have the opportunity to witness the universality of the church, walk in the footsteps of Pope John Paul II, and get close to our current pontiff, Pope Francis, said Nancy Ruoff, coordinator of youth ministry at Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Topeka. “Of all the events young people attend, World Youth Day is probably one they’ll unpack for the rest of their lives,” said Ruoff. “I don’t think they always understand the full impact on them until years later . . . for the rest of their lives.” But it won’t happen without planning. What type of planning? Well, since it’s a pilgrimage, you need spiritual preparation. And you need to become part of a group that be-
Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799) President: Most Reverend Joseph F. Naumann
CNS photo/Mar cin Mazur
The city’s main square and St. Mary’s Basilica are seen in a nighttime view of Krakow, Poland. The Polish city, the former see of soon-to-be saint Blessed John Paul II, will host the next international gathering of World Youth Day in 2016.
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“[World Youth Day] will be here so fast it will make your head spin, especially when you plan for something of this magnitude.” Rick Cheek, consultant for the office of evangelization and Catholic formation of youth for the archdiocese
comes your “pilgrim family.” You also need to get a passport and do all the little practical things that go along with foreign travel. Finally, of course, there’s the fundraising. The cost per pilgrim is $3,728, which covers the cost of travel, lodging and food. That’s a hefty chunk of change,
Ruoff admits, but she’s had energetic youth who’ve managed to pay 95 to 98 percent of their WYD pilgrimage through fundraising. As a veteran of several World Youth Days, Ruoff has relied on a variety of fundraising activities: pancake dinners, penny-a-mile-pledges, appeals to people on the family Christmas card list, parish scholarships, and more. Some young people have even taken part-time jobs to pay their pilgrim way to WYD, said Ruoff. As it has for most WYDs, the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas youth office will sponsor youth pilgrimage groups. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, vocations director Father Scott Wallisch and archdiocesan seminarians will also be part of the pilgrimage. Some parishes organize groups to be a part of the archdiocesan WYD pilgrimage. If youths at a parish that isn’t forming a group want to go, all they have to do is contact Cheek and he’ll connect them with a group that is part of the archdiocesan youth office WYD pilgrimage.
Editor Reverend Mark Goldasich, stl frmark@theleaven.com
Production Manager Todd Habiger todd@theleaven.com
Reporter Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com
Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita@theleaven.com
Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com
Advertising Coordinator Julie Holthaus julie@theleaven.com
Signing up
To download a brochure and the payment schedule, go to the archdiocesan website at: www.archkck. org. Go to the top of the page and click on the pull-down menu for “Ministries & Offices.” Go down and click on “Youth Formation & Activities.” Then click on “Youth Ministry” at the top of the page and scroll down until you reach the bottom. Finally, click on “World Youth Day 2016.” On this page you will find links to a registration form, a World Youth Day brochure with payment schedule and itinerary, a contact email and a youth minister guide.
For information about WYD and the archdiocesan-sponsored pilgrimage, contact Cheek at (913) 647-0351, or online at: youth2@archkck.org. Or visit the official World Youth Day site at worldyouthday.com/krakow-2016.
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) 721-5276; 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.
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January 17, 2014 | theleaven.com
Counselors dish about life at camp
Joan (Brennan) and Vince Totta, members of Church of the Ascension, Overland Park, will celebrate their 50th we d d i n g anniversary on Jan. 18. The couple was married on Jan. 18, 1964, at St. Ann Church in Independence, Mo. Their children and their spouses are: Nick and Amy Totta; Paul and Paige Totta; Roman and Vickie Totta; Quintin and Staci Totta; and Ivy and Quint Ellis. They also have 14 grandchildren. In August, all 26 members of the family will enjoy a vacation in Gulf Shores, Ala.
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By Jessica Langdon o give parents an idea of what their kids can expect this summer, The Leaven turned to a panel of experts: camp staffers who spent last summer leading kids through the activities and helping them grow in friendship, confidence and faith.
They are: • Faith Bila, a member of Church of the Ascension in Overland Park and a student at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn. • Abby Donart, a member of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Shawnee and a student at Kansas State University in Manhattan • Kayla Mauro, a member of Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park and a sophomore at Kansas State University • Jordan McEntee, a member of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood and a sophomore at the University of Kansas in Lawrence • Dan Weger, a member of Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa and a seminarian in his first year of pre-theology at Mundelein Seminary, near Chicago
What should every camper know before arriving? “They should know that they are entering a safe place where they will be loved and taken care of. Although they might be a little nervous at first, it is important to have an open heart and be ready to see what great plans God has for their experience.” — Kayla “Come to camp with an open mind! . . . When you come to have a good time, you will, because when you are having fun, everybody has fun and camp is FUN.” — Abby “Every camper should know that they will be loved — no matter who they are, what color hair they have, how tall they are, how many freckles they have, or anything like that. Everyone on staff wants them to grow closer to Jesus, have a ton of fun, and feel like Prairie Star Ranch is their home.” — Jordan
“Do high ropes. We have the coolest team of people on ropes and they will not let anything happen to you. Everyone I know who was nervous and tried it was so happy they faced their fears. And you always get to zipline at the end!” — Abby Then there’s this very important consideration for any prospective camper: How’s the food? “The menu changes all the time and it is all good. The cooks are always stupendous.” — Dan So what foods are staffers still dreaming about? “Mac ’n’ cheese and mini corn dogs for lunch were always my favorite. I’d say 99 percent of kiddos love mac ’n’ cheese,
Abby Donart, a student at Kansas State University in Manhattan, encourages campers to arrive at Prairie Star Ranch with open minds — and to be ready to have fun as they grow in their faith. She enjoyed bonding with fellow staff members over the summer. so you can’t go wrong there. But my alltime favorite camp food is the Reese’s peanut butter cookies on picnic night. I may or may not have eaten six in one night before . . .” — Jordan
“Whenever I had a homesick camper in my cabin, I would pray a rosary with her to calm her down, and [I’d] remind her that Mama Mary is always here with us. That usually tends to cheer them up!” — Jordan
“I wish I could still eat the roast beef. YUMMY!” — Faith
“God loves you so much and he wants to let you know that! He wants to spend a few days with you without any distractions, so even though being away from home is kind of hard at first, it is so worth all the great memories, new friends, and the deeper relationship with Christ. He tells us that he will be with you wherever you go, and when you are away from home, he will be with you so much more! All exciting adventures can be scary sometimes, but doesn’t the good always outweigh the bad?” — Kayla
“Cream puffs. They are perfect.” — Kayla What is your best advice for a homesick camper? “Tough it out. Keep participating in Bible studies and activities, even though it may seem hard. As long as you try, you will have fun and, before you know it, you’re going home, and you cannot wait to come back.” — Abby “Get involved. As long as you are participating in everything, you will have a blast. I mean, there is climbing, running, puzzles, games, swimming, canoeing, horseback riding and more. The campers who get homesick and don’t have fun are the ones who don’t do anything.” — Dan
“Open up your heart, be willing to try new things. And no matter what, you will have people who love you afterwards.” — Faith
“Don’t try and hide candy or snacks in their baggage. We’ll find it and that’s awkward. Tell your camper that you love them and you want them to have fun at camp, and leave them in the hands of their counselor quickly. The kids who have the toughest time getting into camp are the ones whose parents had a tough time letting them go. They love you (whether they say it or not) and will miss you, but the more you play to that, the harder it will be for them to have fun.” — Dan “They should realize that their kids are going to be having an incredible experience while they are at camp, and they should be prepared to listen to lots of really amazing stories of their exciting week. Even though you are not with them physically during their time at camp, the time you take to listen to them when they come back is the best way to show them how much you care.” — Kayla
What activity should every camper absolutely try? “The new Wet Willie water slide is an absolute must. It looks scary from the top, and you think twice about going down, but it is so much fun. Totally worth it.” — Jordan “High ropes. I know it seems high, and it can be scary, but it is so worth it. When I was a camper, I was afraid of heights. I did it anyway, to help my buddy who was even more afraid than I was but really wanted to go. I instantly loved it. You won’t regret trying.” — Dan
What should parents know before sending their kids to camp?
Kayla Mauro, bottom right, poses with campers in her Camp Tekakwitha Extreme cabin. The K-State student encourages campers to try high ropes. “The ropes course is challenging, but so worth it! And there is no better reward than the zip line at the end!”
“Parents: Your kids are in safe hands! While they’re at camp, don’t worry about them — pray for them. They are going to be changed in one way or another while they are here, and prayer is the most powerful weapon for them to come closer to Christ.” — Abby >> See “Mark” on page 5
Jordan McEntee, a student at the University of Kansas, worked as a lead counselor in summer 2013. Here, she has just jumped from the power pole at Prairie Star Ranch. As a staff member, she has learned to thrive outside her comfort zone, and she encourages campers to have “a ton of fun” — and to know that they are loved.
Mark your calendar — then register >> Continued from page 4 “Parents should know that we as counselors have everything under control. We know what to do if there’s bad weather. We know what to do if your son or daughter gets sick. And most importantly, we know how to have tons of fun and guide your kiddos in their relationship with Christ. That’s our job, and we love every minute of it.” — Jordan What skills did you pick up from a summer spent working with so many kids? “I learned my capacity to love. I learned that my heart can open up so much more than it already has. The campers teach me more about myself than I could ever know. They help me to become a better woman of God. Hope is the name of the game.” — Faith “I’ve learned to thrive out of my comfort zone. Camp is all about new experiences, climbing up tall poles, singing louder than you ever have before, meeting new people, and offering all of that up to Christ. It’s different, it’s crazy, it’s ridiculous, but it’s so amazing.” — Jordan “Over the four summers I’ve worked there, I’ve learned to include everyone — and being able to see God in everything and everyone.” — Dan “I have learned to see the beauty God has put into every single kid that comes through camp.” — Abby What moment from camp has stayed with you since summer? “Last summer at camp, one of my campers left eucharistic adoration absolutely bawling. I went over to comfort
her and ask her what was wrong, and she just said, ‘He loves me so much. I kept wanting to sit down, but I looked up at his bruised knees and saw what he did for me, and I just couldn’t leave my knees.’ That was so beautiful.” — Jordan “For me, it has simply been being able to witness Christ transform the hearts and minds of the campers. There is no greater joy than to watch a child learn to love Christ with their pure childlike faith. I have learned so much from them.” — Kayla “Something that I always think of when I think about camp is the community we have there. The counselors we have there are the cream of the crop and you won’t find much better. Being able to spend a whole summer bringing kids closer to Christ helps you develop deep and long-lasting relationships with them. Week by week is never the same; new kids and switching jobs with new partners every week helps us to grow with different people, which creates a faith-filled atmosphere for the kids every single week. Camp truly is a family, and that is what sticks out to me.” — Abby What do you miss most? “I miss the decompressions after the ropes activities. Seeing campers’ faces light up when you make a connection to their own life with something that seemed so distant and far away from any connection with Our Lord. Then hearing what they had to say back, and opening up new thoughts.” — Faith “I miss the joyful environment. That place is like a huge holy bubble of joy that, once you’re in it, you never want to leave. If I could live there forever, I would. But it’s our job to also take that joy out into the world.” — Jordan
Camp dates for 2014 Camp Kateri — fifth/sixth grade ($230) Session 1: June 9-11 Session 2: June 12-14 Session 3: June 29-July 1 Session 4: July 14-16 Camp Tekakwitha Junior High — seventh/eighth grade ($370) Session 1: June 2-7 Session 2: June 23-28 Session 3: July 7-12 Session 4: July 21-26 Camp Tekakwitha Senior High — ninth-12th grades ($380) June 16-21 Camp Tekakwitha Senior High Extreme — ninth-12th grades ($430) July 28-Aug. 5 Camp Tekakwitha Family Camp 2014 (children younger than 2: free; ages 2 and up: $125 per camper) July 18-20
“The people. Everyone on staff is super joyous and happy to be there. It is exhilarating. They are also holy people, and that holiness rubs off on you. Iron sharpens iron, after all.” — Dan “Being able to serve Christ in a very real way alongside my friends. The only thing greater than loving God is the opportunity to love him in the midst of an amazing community. I love how camp is such a family-oriented community, as well. It is always so cool to see how God brings not just [individuals] but whole families closer to Christ. I miss being immersed in that edifying environment every day.” — Kayla
Marlene and Robert Keating Sr., m e m bers of Corpus Christi Parish in Lawrence, celebrated their 6 0 t h wedding anniversary on Jan. 9. The couple was married at St. Vincent Church, Kansas City, Mo., on Jan. 9, 1954. Their children and their spouses are: Bob and Dawn Keating, Overland Park; Bill and LouAnn Keating, Harrisonburg, Va.; Jerry Keating, Paradise Valley, Ariz.; Ed Keating, Overland Park; Joe and Gina Keating, Lawrence; and Tony and Kitman Keating, Olathe. They also have 17 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Ernestine (Peine) and Howard Ledom, members of Sacred Heart Parish, Ottawa, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Jan. 25. The couple was married on Jan. 25, 1964, at Sacred Heart. Their children and their spouses are: Cyndi and Larry Wilson, Paola; David and Rhonda Brown, Ottawa; Scott Brown, Ottawa; and Tony Ledom, Rantoul. They also have 13 grandchildren (one deceased) and 12 great-grandchildren.
Anniversary policy
• The Leaven prints 50, 60, 65 and 70th notices. • Announcements are due eight days before the desired publication date. • Announcements must be typed. • They are for parishioners of Catholic parishes in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, or for those who have resided in the archdiocese for a significant period of time. 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 specifications: • Emailed photos need to be at least 200 dpi. • Mailed photos can be any size. • If you would like your photo returned, include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Send notices to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109, attn: anniversaries; or send an email to: Todd@theleaven.com.
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theleaven.com | January 17, 2014
Uniquely qualified to promote this year’s Call to Share
Band to rock Sacred Heart Parish in Emporia
By Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com
By Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com
ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kent and Donna Saylor met on a blind date as students at the University of Kansas. And with that date, the first words of their decades-long love story were written. The couple married after graduation. Kent went on to law school and Donna taught kindergarten in DeSoto. Later they moved north — first to Kent’s hometown of Morrill and later to nearby Sabetha. They joined Sacred Heart Church in Sabetha in 1972 and raised their four daughters in the Catholic faith — building a connection so strong that all four women returned to their home parish to get married. Donna taught CCD for 25 years. She has served as a sacristan and on the parish council. Kent — who practiced law for a time but spent much of his career in banking and insurance — has served on the finance council. The Saylors’ love of their church and their faith flowered in a new way recently when the couple started an endowment designed to support faith formation indefinitely at Sacred Heart. Two smaller endowments were established for St. Augustine in Fidelity and St. James in Wetmore. It’s a visible sign of the love they have for family — which has grown to include six grandkids — and faith. And they’re active and involved in both. “Maybe the older we get, the more we see how important those things are,” said Donna. The Saylors’ love story will now serve as a shining light to others across the archdiocese. Kent and Donna have been selected as the 2014 honorary chairpersons for the Archbishop’s Call to Share annual appeal. “Their story mirrors our theme, which is ‘A Story of Love,’” said Lesle Knop, executive director of the archdiocesan office of stewardship and development. “If their story isn’t a story of love, I don’t know whose is.” The theme stems from a homily Pope Francis gave, in which he described the church as more of a mother than an institution or organization. In his homily for Jan. 18-19 — the kickoff weekend for the 2014 Arch-
MPORIA — As families settle into the rhythm of the school year again, the director of music ministry at Sacred Heart Parish here hopes many will take a break from the routine to let some new rhythms into their lives. A concert celebrating Catholic education will offer just such an opportunity. The Mikey Needleman Band will perform at 3:30 p.m. in the Sacred Heart Parish hall in Emporia on Jan. 26 to kick off Catholic Schools Week, which runs Jan. 26-Feb. 1. “I think it will bring an excitement — and also a style of music that some people don’t even know exists — in a Christian arena,” said Anna Ryan, director of music ministry at Sacred Heart. The concert is just one in a series of concerts designed to bring people closer to God through music at Sacred Heart. From a summer performance of the Tallgrass Chamber Choir and Orchestra of the Flint Hills to Advent Lessons and Carols, the parish hosts concerts throughout the year. And that’s not all. The parish boasts a scholars program, through which exceptional local talent is identified, and parishioners donate to scholarships allowing musically gifted Emporia State University students to sing with the church’s choir. So it’s no wonder that Ryan is excited to hear what January and February bring, starting with the Mikey Needleman performance in celebration of Catholic schools. “Anytime that we come together, Christ is present, and I think one of the biggest ways I see the Spirit moving is when we have a music event — and I see people from outside of our parish coming together,” said Ryan. Working in harmony with Angie Bittner, rural outreach coordinator for the archdiocese, Ryan extends an invitation to anyone who would like to attend the Mikey Needleman concert, especially young people and families from parishes across the Southern Region. Bittner was happy to help spread the word and for the additional op-
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january 17, 2014 | theleaven.com
Upcoming concerts
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Leaven photo by Jessica Langdon
Donna and Kent Saylor have been selected as the 2014 honorary chairpersons for the Archbishop’s Call to Share annual appeal. “Their story mirrors our theme, which is ‘A Story of Love,’” said Lesle Knop, executive director of the archdiocesan office of stewardship and development. “If their story isn’t a story of love, I don’t know whose is.” bishop’s Call to Share annual appeal — Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann touches on the pope’s message. “Pope Francis said that the church began ‘in the heart of the Father, who had this idea . . . of love,’ which resulted in the Father sending his Son into the world,” said Archbishop Naumann. “The pope characterized the church as a love story.” And every Catholic plays a role in that story. “We — the women and men of
the church —we are in the middle of a love story; each of us is a link in this chain of love,” said Pope Francis. “And if we do not understand this, we have understood nothing of what the church is.” The church’s many ministries are divided into four pillars — pastoral care; evangelization and catechesis; education; and human services — and Call to Share serves as a “lifeline” for those ministries and programs, said Knop. “I would say that the Saylors’ ser-
vice and their history crosses all four pillars,” she added. “They’ve worked very hard in education. They’ve worked very hard in making funds for adult education and catechesis available in their parish communities.” Because they’ve seen programs and projects ebb and flow as different priests have rotated through the parish, one of the couple’s greatest accomplishments has been to put a mechanism in place that would support a strong faith formation program at Sacred Heart, St. Augustine and St. James — all served by the same pastor — even when there are changes in personnel. Despite this and other contributions, the Saylors were stunned when they received the message they’d been nominated as this year’s honorary chairpersons. Their pastor at the time, Father Greg Hammes — whose own parents Leo and Mary Jane Hammes served as honorary chairs in 2012 — nominated the Saylors before he began serving as pastor of Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish in Topeka. The Saylors felt many others were more deserving of this honor. Still, they hope their commitment to the appeal will inspire others to share their own gifts. “We’re hoping this will make people think, ‘Oh, you know, I may not be able to do a lot, but I can do this amount,’” said Donna. “Not just financially — but also time.” Knop describes a leader in this appeal as someone who makes his or her own gift first, and she believes the Saylors — a couple she sees as spiritual and dynamic — perfectly fit that description. “They’re not afraid to say, ‘I’ve given. You need to believe in the mission of the church and give, too,’” said Knop. “Our gifts, together, collectively, can do so much good. [The Saylors’] enthusiasm and their leadership mean a lot to me personally.”
Catholic Tour to Ireland
Mikey Needleman When: Jan. 26, 3:30 p.m. Where: Sacred Heart Parish hall, 102 Exchange, Emporia Additional details: Admission is free. If you have a large group planning to attend, let the parish know at (620) 342-1061 to make sure space is arranged.
Allegro Con Spirito young men’s choir When: Feb. 27, 7:30 p.m. Where: Sacred Heart Parish hall, 102 Exchange, Emporia Anyone who would like to receive emails about Sacred Heart’s concert series may send email to: annaryan333@gmail.com.
“ Leaven file photo
The Mikey Needleman Band will perform at 3:30 p.m. in the Sacred Heart Parish hall in Emporia on Jan. 26 to kick off Catholic Schools Week, which runs Jan. 26-Feb. 1. portunity to bring youth together, after the Jan. 4 “Re-New Year Heart” event for junior high and high school students held at Sacred Heart. “Anytime those kids get to realize the big church that they share — all these common things and faith with kids around them — I think that’s exciting for them,” said Bittner. High school students might see someone at a sporting event, for example, and then at an event like one of these gatherings, and realize they share the same faith.
“You connect that you have this beautiful thing in common,” said Bittner. Ryan agrees that finding those common notes is important, and hopes the Catholic Schools Week concert will be a hit with families and young people alike. “The song,” she said, “that keeps coming into my head is ‘We are one body, one body in Christ; and we do not stand alone.’” Ryan is also excited about another upcoming performance, scheduled
“Anytime that we come together, Christ is present, and I think one of the biggest ways I see the Spirit moving is when we have a music event — and I see people from outside of our parish coming together.” Anna Ryan, director of music ministry at Sacred Heart Parish, Emporia for 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 27. It will feature the Allegro Con Spirito young men’s choir from Kansas City, directed by Jacob Narverud. “Everybody’s welcome to come,” said Ryan.
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Difficult conditions in Myanmar, their country of origin, have compelled tens of thousands of Chin people into an exodus for a new “promised land” in the United States and other nations, including Matthew Peng Lian and Mary Hla May.
exodus ended Refugees from Myanmar ( formerly Burma), given warm welcome in Kansas City, Kan.
K
S tory by J oe B ollig
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P hotos by J oe M c S orley
ANSAS CITY, Kan. — There were no shy voices in the basement lunchroom of St. Patrick School here. In the humble setting of their temporary sanctuary, the people sang with passion: “Ra tuah, ra tuah, Emmanuel, Israel thongtla run tlanh hna; Ngaihchiat lunghno in an tap ko; Pathian Fapa a rat hlantiang.” To almost anyone visiting that Sunday afternoon, the tune was familiar even if the words were not: “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” More than most archdiocesan Catholics, the Chin people who gathered on Dec. 8 could relate to the ancient Advent hymn. Like the children of Israel, they know what it is like to long for redemption while in lonely exile. But now, after years of exile, they have finally found a home — both temporally and spiritually — in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
Let my people go The original home of the Chin is located exactly 8,229.84 miles west of Kansas City, Kan., in the southeast Asian country of Myanmar, also known as Burma. Myanmar (Burma) was a British colony before it became independent again in 1948. It was ruled by a military dictatorship from 1962 to 2011. The Chin of St. Patrick Parish are from the Diocese of Hakha in northern Chin State, which is located in western Myanmar. Although 89 percent of Myanmarese are Buddhist, most Chin (about one percent of Myanmar’s population) are Christian. There are seven recognized languages in Myanmar, but also a large number of dialects.
Although Catholicism has been present in Myanmar for 500 years, the first Christian missionaries to arrive in northern Chin State were Baptists from the United States. Catholic missionaries only arrived in 1938. In recent years, tens of thousands of Chin have left their homeland because of government and unofficial mistreatment. Like other minorities in Myanmar, the Chin have been subjected to a “Burmanization” program — which means assimilation and/or expulsion. They have faced at various times employment discrimination, forced labor, abuse, rape, starvation and extrajudicial killings. In short, the Chin have been brutalized for their faith, their language and their ethnic origin.
Although most Chin flee to India, the new St. Patrick parishioners came from refugee facilities in Malaysia. They were resettled in Kansas City, Kan., with the help of the U.S. government, the U.N. High Commission on Refugees, and Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas.
Cheerful and lively “This is simple, but we try to make it a church setting,” explained Msgr. Michael Mullen, as he gestured toward the altar set up in the grade school lunchroom. The Chin have come to the monthly Mass dressed in their Sunday best. Several men wear jackets adorned with colorful Chin motif. Some women wear traditional Chin clothing with similar designs — skirts, blouses and shawls. The group includes many families with young children. Mothers manage fussy babies, while older children play happily, chatter, and occasionally run up and down the aisles. The congregation, comprised of about 70 people, is cheerful and lively. A curtain and a crucifix have been hung on a wall behind the table that serves as the altar. Upon the clean, white altar cloth are the usual liturgical items, along with two vases with fresh, red roses. An ambo has been similarly draped in white. Off to the side are a guitarist and an electric keyboard player, together responsible for the sound system and music. When the Mass begins, the people’s parts are primarily recited in the Chin language, although Msgr. Mullen presides in English. He also proclaims the Gospel in English, but then pauses after each passage to allow time for Simon Dua Tlia, who speaks English, to read the same pas-
Five Chin couples had their civil marriages convalidated during a recent Mass at their new parish, St. Patrick in Kansas City, Kan. Simon Dua Tial assisted Msgr. Michael Mullen. The wedding parties included, from left, witness Justine Cung, groom Joseph Maung Hnin and bride Rose Mary Shwe Aye, and witness Madelena May Hlaing. The Chin Catholics are noted for their devotion to their Catholic faith, strong families, love of children and a desire to maintain their ethnic identity. Adults kneeling in front are, from left: Robert Sibia, Ceeilia Kyi Kyi Win, Joseph Thla Thang, Mary Ni Ni Aye, Mathew Peng Lian, James Pa Ling and Joseph Maun Hnin.
sage from a Chin language Bible. Msgr. Mullen’s homily, also translated by Tlia, was short because something a bit out of the ordinary was happening at this Mass. “Five couples will marry today in the church,” said Msgr. Mullen. “In each marriage, there is husband and wife and Jesus Christ. As husband and wife, you see Jesus in each other. You see Jesus in your children.” The five couples — some accompanied by their youngest children — then came forward and stood before Msgr. Mullen and the altar. Behind them stood their witnessing couples. One by one, Msgr. Mullen joined each couple in a simple convalidation ceremony. The Myanmar government doesn’t recognize religious marriages and requires that couples undergo civil ceremonies, said Msgr. Mullen. Although the United States already recognizes their civil marriages, these Chin couples have a deep love of the sacraments and wanted to regularize their marriages according to church teaching. After the convalidations, the Mass proceeded as usual. After the dismissal, the Chin hurriedly stripped the altar and turned it into a reception table for
the wedding cake and set up additional tables for a dinner. A high school-age brother and sister duo sang a special song for the couples. The Chin couples were then introduced to an American wedding custom: Each was given a small, round cake to keep in the freezer until their first anniversary.
Free to live, free to believe Only two of the Chin speak English. Both Robert Sibia and Simon Dua Tlia attended a seminary in Myanmar, so their language skills and knowledge of the Catholic faith make them natural leaders of their small community. The first Catholic Chin came to Kansas City, Kan., about four years
ago, although some arrived only this year. Throughout their journeys and difficulties, they have attempted to maintain their unity and faith. The Kansas City Catholic Chin, who number about 100 persons, live in an apartment complex near 78th and State Ave. in Kansas City, Kan. “Chin people are very simple and help each other,” said Sibia. “They usually solve their problems together. Since we came to this city, [we] found work nearby, so they bring more friends and relatives. So more and more people [come] to this city.” The story of the Chin mirrors in a remarkable way the immigrant stories of the other peoples that now comprise much of the Catholic population of the metropolitan area: Croatians, Slovenes, Poles, Irish, Germans, Mexicans and others. Like these earlier groups, the language barrier makes it difficult for
the Chin to find jobs. Several of the men, however, commute by van to work at a meatpacking plant in St. Joseph, Mo. Likewise, the language barrier made it difficult to find a place to worship “whether we were in Malaysia or in the United States,” said Sibia. In fact, after several unsuccessful attempts to fit into other local congregations, the Chin began to gather in an apartment on Sundays to have a Liturgy of the Word service and read through the Mass. Meanwhile, they continued their search for a parish home.
Home in the promised land Msgr. Mullen had no idea that the “lost tribe” of the Catholic Chin
were living within his parish boundaries. “Last spring, in April, I got a telephone call and the voice on the other end said, ‘We’d like to come and visit with you Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.,’ and I wasn’t even sure who was coming,” said Msgr. Mullen. “I knew it was a [foreign] voice, but I couldn’t place it.” The doorbell rang at the appointed time, and Msgr. Mullen opened the door to find 11 men. He took them to the living room and they sat in a circle. Simon and Robert acted as translators for the others. They explained who they were and asked if they could meet at the parish every week. Would Msgr. Mullen help them? Msgr. Mullen contacted the Wyandotte Pastoral Region priests and various archdiocesan officials, and worked out an arrangement that accommodated the Chin’s unique needs. Now, the Chin meet at 2 p.m. each Sunday in the basement cafeteria. Monsignor celebrates one Mass a month, and either he or someone else leads a Communion service on other Sundays. Along the way, the Chin have benefited from a couple of providential personnel developments. First, during the summer, seminarian Gerald Alba, who was born in the Philippines, assisted at the parish. Although he doesn’t speak Chin, he and the Chin quickly established a rapport. “The minute Gerald walked in the door, the Chin brightened up and said, ‘Ah, he’s Asian!’” said Msgr. Mullen. “He did a nice job of getting to know them.” Second, a Chin priest from the Diocese of Hakha, now serving as a missionary in Cambodia, decided to include St. Patrick Parish on his visits to Chin Catholic communities in the United States during November and December. Msgr. Mullen is rightfully proud of the way the long-established St. Patrick’s families have welcomed the Chin. Additionally, a small group of parishioners from Good Shepherd Parish in Shawnee has offered to teach the Chin English. Twenty-eight Chin families are now registered with St. Patrick Parish and are rapidly developing their community, said Msgr. Mullen. They have formed a men’s group and a women’s group. They have a “liturgy committee” that sets up and takes down for Mass. Their children attend weekly parish religious education classes, and the Chin hold additional classes on Sundays before Mass or the communion service. They always take up a collection for the parish. “It’s almost like the early church, how they’ve developed a community for worship and for catechesis,” said Msgr. Mullen. The Chin are busy settling into American life as well. Recently, Msgr. Mullen performed a house blessing for the first Chin homeowner. If history is any guide, the Chin will integrate more into the parish as time goes by. When they are ready, Msgr. Mullen would like the Chin to serve on the school and parish councils, and he’d like to encourage vocations from their group. “I’m excited,” he said. “I appreciate the spirit of vitality that they bring.”
10 nation
theleaven.com | january 17, 2014
‘War on Poverty’ gets renewed commitment By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service
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ASHINGTON (CNS) — When President Lyndon Johnson declared a “war on poverty” in his 1964 State of the Union address, few then expected just what it would take to wipe out domestic poverty. Fifty years later, acknowledging the task in front of them, Catholic and political leaders alike have stated their intent to lessen poverty in the United States. On Jan. 8, the 50th anniversary date of Johnson’s address, Catholic Charities USA brought together a host of other organizations, including Feeding America, Save the Children, the Salvation Army, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Lutheran Services in America, United Way and the Alliance for Children and Families, to work together in 2014 to educate, innovate and act to reduce poverty in communities across the country. Catholic Charities outlined the principles for the groups to follow in the effort: Educate the public about the everyday challenges facing the more than 46 million people living in poverty in America today; highlight innovate solutions to poverty by connecting local practitioners with national leaders; and act to reduce poverty in communities across the country using newfound knowledge and techniques. The participating organizations also will host a poverty round table in February. “The partnership announced today will explore tangible opportunities to work together throughout 2014 to support each other’s poverty-reduction initiatives,” said a Jan. 8 statement from Father Larry Snyder, Catholic Charities’ president. “We signed on. We’re for it. It’s great,” the Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, the Christian citizens anti-hunger lobby, told Catholic News Service Jan. 9.
CNS photo/Jim West
People in need line up for free Thanksgiving turkeys last year in Detroit. The 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson’s declaration of the War on Poverty Jan. 8 prompted a renewed commitment by Catholic and other faith groups to address poverty. Rev. Beckmann said the U.S. poverty rate was cut in half between 1964 and 1973. “The country was concerned about poverty. And the economy was strong,” he said, but “we haven’t had a president since Lyndon Johnson who considered poverty one of his top five priorities.” He added progress at cutting poverty was “very modest” between 1974 and 2008, “and then with the financial crisis in 2008, there was a big increase in hunger and poverty.” “It would have been bigger,” he said, without the programs put in place between 1964 and ’73. “In the last five years, the social programs had been the lifeline for families.” One problem Rev. Beckmann sees in cutting poverty further is that “wages haven’t kept up with inflation for working people. . . . We haven’t continued serious progress against poverty because we as a nation haven’t tried. We’ve been preoccupied with other issues. That’s why I’m just thrilled the
anniversary of the war on poverty just in the last few days prompts a debate on the war on poverty, and it’s a serious debate.” Rev. Beckmann is glad he’s got a new ally. “I’m Lutheran, but I think Pope Francis is saying all the right things,” he said. In fact, he recently gave copies of the pope’s exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), to a dozen Bread for the World donors. “In it, he says it’s right that markets are important, but if free markets result in homeless people dying on the street, we’ve got to intervene somehow. He’s right!” Rev. Beckmann said. “The bottom line is we’ve got to get systems in place to keep people from dying in the cold.” Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami also focused on “The Joy of the Gospel” in a Jan. 6 op-ed essay he wrote for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel daily newspaper. The “throwaway culture” Pope Francis condemns in the exhortation “should provoke reflection — and lead to action — especially in the face of the challenges faced by low-wage workers in our economy today,” Archbishop Wenski said. “This year, the minimum wage in Florida will rise to a paltry $7.93 an hour. This is hardly enough for a worker to support oneself, much less a family.” Archbishop Wenski added, “Low wages that do not allow workers to earn enough to pay rent at the end of the month and to put enough food on the table for their kids leads to what the pope has also called ‘an economy of exclusion,’ stunting the lives of the poor for lack of opportunity.” With half of all new jobs projected to be in low-wage occupations, “the growing gap in wages between the most affluent of our citizens and middle- and lower-income workers needs to be addressed,” the archbishop said. “As Pope Francis has repeatedly said, we cannot tolerate a ‘globalization of indifference.’ We cannot rob the working poor of hope.”
No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act called ‘long overdue’
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ASHINGTON (CNS) — Two Catholic witnesses at a Jan. 9 hearing on the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act endorsed the bill, one of them calling it “long overdue.” One of those testifying at the hearing sponsored by the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice was Richard M. Doerflinger, associate director of the U.S. bishops’ Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities. Doerflinger said the bill, if enacted, would “write into permanent law a policy on which there has been strong popular and congressional agreement for over 35 years” with the adoption of the Hyde amendment in the annual appropriations bill for the federal department of Health and Human Services. “Even public officials who take a ‘pro-choice’ stand on abortion have supported bans on public funding as a ‘middle ground’ on this contentious issue — in recognition of the fact that it is not ‘pro-choice’ to force others to fund a procedure to which they have fundamental objections,” Doerflinger said. “And even courts insisting on a constitutional ‘right’ to abortion have said that this alleged right ‘implies no limitation on the authority of a state to
make a value judgment favoring childbirth over abortion, and to implement that judgment by the allocation of public funds.’” Doerflinger said the implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act may still force Americans to pay for elective abortions through state insurance exchanges. “Each insurance company will decide whether its plan will include elective abortions, for those who receive federal subsidies as well as those who do not,” Doerflinger said. “Once that decision is made, federal law will demand that every enrollee must help pay for those abortions, notwithstanding any conscientious objection they may have,” he continued. “This mandatory surcharge for abortion will be kept in a separate account from the account used for federal premium subsidies, apparently so it can be said that no ‘federal tax dollars’ are being used for elective abortions; and insurers are forbidden by federal law to make any special effort to inform people that their plan includes such abortions, or to tell them how much they will be paying for other enrollees’ abortions.” Helen M. Alvare, a law professor at the George Mason University School of Law in Virginia and a public
information officer for the U.S. bishops’ pro-life secretariat in the 1990s, testified: “It serves the interests of American women for the federal government once and for all to remove itself from the business of abortion funding.” “Americans, including American women, have never made and will never make our peace with abortion,” Alvare said. “Abortion is not a social good deserving of federal funding, let alone funding in the name of women’s health or well-being.” The federal budget funds programs that “support and promote human life versus death, insecurity and want,” Alvare said. “But abortion, in the words of our Supreme Court, is different. Even if the court doesn’t get its biology exactly right, it has said that ‘no other procedure involves the purposeful termination of potential human life.’” When it comes to the role abortion plays in the federal government’s efforts to promote women’s health, Alvare said, “the federal government is decidedly uncurious about the role abortion plays respecting women’s health. The Centers for Disease Control doesn’t even require mandatory reporting by the states and consequently doesn’t have complete or standardized data on abortion.”
Low water levels prompt bishops to pray for rain SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CNS) — California’s Catholic bishops are asking Catholics and all people of faith to pray for rain as lower-than-normal rainfall in the state enters its third year. “Water is essential to who we are as human beings,” said Bishop Jaime Soto of Sacramento, president of the California Catholic Conference of Bishops, in a Jan. 6 posting on the conference’s website. “Our reliance on water reveals how much we are part of creation and creation is a part of us.” Drought has not been officially declared in the state, but the shrinking levels of groundwater and reservoirs and a reduced snowpack are becoming increasingly evident. Bishop Soto offered a prayer all could say to ask for rain: “May God open the heavens and let his mercy rain down upon our fields and mountains. Let us especially pray for those most impacted by water shortages and for the wisdom and charity to be good stewards of this precious gift. May our political leaders seek the common good as we learn to care and share God’s gift of water for the good of all.”
Court won’t take Arizona abortion ban case WASHINGTON (CNS) — Arizona’s law banning abortions at the 20-week stage remains unenforceable, after the Supreme Court Jan. 13 declined to hear the state’s appeal of a lower court ruling that the 2012 law is unconstitutional. Without comment, the court declined to take Horne v. Isaacson. In that case, the state appealed a May 2013 ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that found the law banning abortions late in pregnancy is unconstitutional “under an unbroken stream of Supreme Court authority, beginning with Roe (v. Wade) and ending with Gonzales (v. Carhart). Arizona simply cannot proscribe a woman from choosing to obtain an abortion before the fetus is viable.” That unanimous ruling by the five-judge panel of the 9th Circuit reversed a lower court that had upheld the law. The circuit court had been asked to uphold the law on the basis of evidence that fetuses as young as 20 weeks can feel pain. But the court was clear in finding that the constitutional line set in the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision is that states may not “deprive a woman of the choice to terminate her pregnancy at any point prior to viability,” which is generally held to be several weeks later than the 20week point.
End-of-life decision-making the focus of recent cases BALTIMORE (CNS) — Recent conflicts in California and Texas between physicians and the families of patients considered to be brain dead have prompted new questions about end-of-life decisionmaking. But the nationally publicized case of 13-year-old Jahi McMath in Oakland, Calif., and the less-well-known case of Marlise Munoz, a 33-year-old pregnant woman in Fort Worth, Texas, provide a teaching moment to help clarify Catholic teaching on the determination of death, according to the leading Catholic bioethical organization. The cases are distinctly different, but each pits health care professionals against relatives of the brain-dead patients. McMath’s family transferred her from Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland to an undisclosed location Jan. 5 to continue medical treatment despite the issuance of a death certificate Dec. 12. Her doctors had declared McMath brain dead following complications after routine surgery for sleep apnea. McMath’s mother, Nailah Winkfield, has said her Christian beliefs require her to remain open to the possibility that God will perform a miracle and restore her daughter to health.
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january 17, 2014 | theleaven.com
Priest hitches a ride on popemobile By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service
By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service
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ATICAN CITY (CNS) — When Father Fabian Baez booked his trip to Rome, he didn’t have an appointment to meet with the pope, so he gave himself ample time in the Eternal City to be able to arrange some way to see him. A week and a half in Rome seemed like plenty of time to meet up with the pope “because I thought I needed to find a ticket, to get a ticket to a general audience. Instead, he found me,” the priest told Catholic News Service Jan 9. Father Baez, a parish priest in the pope’s former Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, arrived in Rome late Jan. 7 but did not manage to get a ticket to the next day’s general audience in St. Peter’s Square. He said he did not worry about it because he still had another week to try. He still went to hear the catechesis anyway, sending out a message on Twitter saying he was on his way to the square. Little did he know a short time later he would end up having the best seat in the house: first with the pope on the popemobile, then VIP seating during the audience talk. Father Baez said: “I had no ticket so I couldn’t really come into the square. I was outside the audience area. But he saw me from a distance.” The pope yelled to him, “What are you doing here?” the priest said. And he yelled back, “I came to see you!” The pope had the driver stop the vehicle. He gestured to the priest to come, “And I ran as best I could,” squeezing past the people pressed in front of him, past the large wooden barricades snaking through the square and past a large security detail that is now used to protocol being thrown to the wind. The pope said, “Come, get on!” and gave the priest an empty seat next to his papal assistant. The priest said that later, when he thought about it, he felt that phrase “Come, get on” was also meant for the whole world.
CNS photo/Tony Gentile, Reuters
Pope Francis embraces Father Fabian Baez of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Jan. 8. The pope spotted the priest in the crowd and invited him to board the popemobile. “When he invited me, he invited all priests to be near the people,” he said, and the pope was also inviting all people “to stand up, rise up and go,” and lift their hearts and lives up to the Lord. When the priest from the church of Our Lady of the Pillar climbed onto the popemobile, the pope told him, “The picture will go around the world,” as many unique and touching images capturing the pope interacting with those around him have. “I really didn’t think about that” and the instant fame he was going to have “because I was just so happy to see him. I’ve known him for 20 years; he was my bishop for 15.” “I hadn’t seen him since he became pope and I really wanted to see him and give him a big hug. I was so happy because I saw him and we spoke.” Father Baez spoke very fondly of his former bishop: “He’s a very good priest, whether he was a bishop, a pope, he is first and foremost a priest.” “He showed all of us priests how to be a priest, how to care for people, to be a pastor with the smell of sheep,” he said. Father Baez’s parish runs a school and two residential homes: one for girls to live in while doing studies and
one for homeless women with children. “We’re not a poor parish, but we work for the poor,” he told Catholic News Service. The priest said Pope Francis “is the same man he was as a priest and as a bishop,” and his recent apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), contains “everything he thinks, everything he believes, does and says” in his ministry — “to proclaim Christ’s love.” As a bishop, the pope always needed to demonstrate that love and show it by example, the priest said, so “I think it is difficult for him” being pope because his actions and mobility are more limited. “He likes people, he likes being with the poor, hearing confessions,” he said. Father Baez has seen a large uptick in his @paterfabian Twitter following. He’s replaced his header image with one of him and the pope hugging at the end of the general audience and added a new bio: “Priest in Buenos Aires. The pope once invited me to get on the popemobile with him. My mission is to be a pastor and I am on Twitter because I want you to get closer to God.”
Experts call for end of weapons flow to Syria By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service
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ATICAN CITY (CNS) — A Vatican study group is urging world leaders to stop the flow of arms into Syria and to press for an immediate and complete cease-fire there with no political preconditions. “Political transformation is needed,” a written statement said, but “it is not a precondition for ending violence; rather it will accompany the cessation of violence and the rebuilding of trust.” Once greater trust and cooperation are built, “new political forms in Syria are needed to ensure representation, participation, reform and the voice and security of all social groups,” it said. The statement was based on what came out of a daylong closed-door workshop hosted Jan. 13 by the Pontifical Academy for Sciences. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said the initiative was a “brainstorming” session meant
Pope names 19 new cardinals, including six from Latin America
to gather ideas for Pope Francis and not form an official Vatican position. The statement, which was addressed to Pope Francis, was also meant to help inform leaders taking part in United Nations-backed peace talks being held in Geneva Jan. 22. Seven international experts and leaders — including former Egyptian Vice President Mohamed ElBaradei and U.S. economist and adviser Jeffrey Sachs — attended and explained the different positions of some of the major players involved in the conflict. Nearly two dozen people were invited as observers; they included ambassadors to the Vatican and religious leaders representing the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church. One of the observers, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Vatican observer at U.N. agencies in Geneva, told Vatican Radio that the recommendations coming from the day’s discussions would be offered to those taking part in the socalled Geneva 2 peace talks. Those peace talks, in order to be
successful, the statement said, will have to make sure there is “inclusive participation of all parties to this conflict, within the region and beyond.” The recommendations, detailed in the Vatican statement, begin with an immediate cease-fire and an end to the funding and supplying of weapons by foreign countries to all sides in the conflict. The next step needs to be “the immediate start of humanitarian assistance and reconstruction,” it said. Both rebuilding the nation and the cease-fire need to start “even before all the political and social questions are resolved,” it said. Syria’s brutal civil war has left at least 100,000 people dead, 6.5 million people displaced inside Syria and forced nearly 2.5 million people to flee the country. The three-year conflict has hurt assistance and humanitarian efforts on the ground because of the lack of security, blocked access and insufficient resources inside Syria.
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis named 19 new cardinals, including the archbishops of Westminster and Quebec and six men from his home region of Latin America, and announced a consistory for their formal induction into the College of Cardinals Feb. 22. The pope announced the nominations to the faithful in St. Peter’s Square shortly after noon Jan. 12, after praying the Angelus. The consistory will bring the total number of cardinals to 218 and the number of cardinals under age 80 to 122. Until they reach their 80th birthdays, cardinals are eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Two current cardinal electors will turn 80 in March, bringing the number of electors back to the limit of 120 set by Pope Paul VI. (Other popes have occasionally exceeded that limit for short periods of time.) Five of the new electors are from Latin America, an increase by one-third of the current number from the region. Latin America, home to about 40 percent of the world’s Catholics, will account for 16 percent of the group eligible to choose the next pope. Four of the new cardinal electors are from Italy, leaving that nation’s share practically unchanged at nearly a quarter. Four new cardinal electors are Vatican officials, three of them in offices that traditionally entail membership in the college. Another three of the new cardinals are already over the age of 80 and, therefore, ineligible to vote in a conclave. The pope uses such nominations to honor churchmen for their scholarship or other service to the church. Among the new so-called honorary cardinals is Cardinal-designate Loris Capovilla, who served as personal secretary to Blessed John XXIII. Here is the list of the new cardinals: • Italian Archbishop Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, who will turn 59 Jan. 17. • Italian Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, general secretary of the Synod of Bishops, 73. • German Archbishop Gerhard Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 66. • Italian Archbishop Beniamino Stella, prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, 72. • English Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, 68. • Nicaraguan Archbishop Leopoldo Brenes Solorzano of Managua, 64. • Canadian Archbishop Gerald Lacroix of Quebec, 56. • Ivorian Archbishop Jean-Pierre Kutwa of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, 68. • Brazilian Archbishop Orani Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro, 63. • Italian Archbishop Gualtiero Bassetti of Perguia-Citta della Pieve, 71. • Argentine Archbishop Mario Poli of Buenos Aires, 66. • Korean Archbishop Andrew Yeom Soo-jung of Seoul, 70. • Chilean Archbishop Ricardo Ezzati Andrello of Santiago, 72. • Burkina Faso Archbishop Philippe Ouedraogo of Ouagadougou, 68. • Philippine Archbishop Orlando Quevedo of Cotabato, 74. • Haitian Bishop Chibly Langlois of Les Cayes, 55. • Italian Archbishop Capovilla, 98. • Spanish Archbishop Fernando Sebastian Aguilar, retired, of Pamplona, 84. • Saint Lucian Archbishop Kelvin Felix, retired, of Castries, 80.
12 classifieds Employment Appeal specialist - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking an individual with administrative experience in managing fundraising appeals. The position is essential to the successful operation of the archdiocese’s annual appeal and reports to the executive director of stewardship and development. Ideal candidate will be a practicing Catholic in good standing; have experience working in a fundraising environment; be proficient at data input and analysis; and demonstrate effective communication skills, written and verbal. Position requires a bachelor’s degree and minimum of one year experience in a fundraising environment, preferably one utilizing Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge database. A complete job description, application and benefits information are available on the archdiocese’s website at: www.archkck.org/employment. Interested individuals should mail cover letter, resume, and application by Jan. 27 to: Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, Office of Human Resources, Appeal Specialist Search, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109, or send an email to: jobs@archkck.org. Teachers - Bishop Miege High School has an immediate opening for a licensed theater/video production teacher and a part-time drumline instructor for the spring semester of 2014. Send an email with letter and resume to Mariann Jaksa at: mjaksa@bishopmiege.com. Principal - A principal is needed for Sacred Heart School (pre-K–12) in Sedalia, Mo., a faith community with 405 students and 39 faculty. Applicants must be practicing Catholics with at least three years of successful teaching, preferably in a Catholic school. Requirements include a master’s degree and principal’s certificate. For more information, contact Tony Farkas by email at: sh.prin.ap plications@gmail.com by Feb. 3. Application deadline is Feb. 15. Financial representatives - Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding a financial representative in the Kansas City metro, Lawrence, Topeka and the Seneca - Sabetha area. 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. Please contact John A. Mahon, general agent, for more information or an interview by sending an email to: john. mahon@kofc.org, by phone at (785) 408-8806 or at 1275 Topeka Blvd., Topeka, KS 66612.
Services Garage door and opener sales and service - 24-hour, 7-day-a-week service on all types of doors. Replace broken springs, cables, hinges, rollers, gate openers, entry and patio doors, and more. Over 32 years of experience. Call (913) 227-4902. Brick mason - Brick, stone, tile and flat work. 19 years of residential/commercial experience. FREE QUOTES - KC metro area. Small and large jobs accepted. Call Jim at (913) 485-4307. www.facebook.com/faganmasonry. CLUTTER GETTING YOU DOWN? Organize, fix, assemble, install! “Kevin Of All Trades” your professional organizer and “HONEY-DO-LIST” specialist. Call today for a free consultation at (913) 271-5055. Insured. References. Visit our website at: www.KOATINDUSTRIES.com. Housecleaning - Old-fashioned cleaning, hand mopping, etc. A thorough and consistent job every time. References from customers I’ve served for over 17 years. Call Sharon at (816) 322-0006 (home) or (816) 214-0156 (mobile). Serving the 913 area code area.
theleaven.com | JANUARY 17, 2014 Tim the Handyman - Small jobs, faucets, garbage disposals, toilets, ceiling fans, light fixtures, painting, wall ceiling repair, wood rot, siding, decks, doors, windows, and gutter cleaning. Call (913) 526-1844. Electrician - Free estimates; reasonable rates. JoCo and south KC metro. Call Pat at (913) 963-9896. Chem-Free Cleaning LLC - Cleaning your home or office naturally. More than 23 years experience. Call (913) 6692327 for a free estimate. Cleaning lady - Reasonable rates; references provided. Call (913) 940-2959. Tree service - Pruning trees for optimal growth and beauty and removal of hazardous limbs or problem trees. Free consultation and bid. Safe, insured, professional. Cristofer Estrada, Green Solutions of KC, (913) 378-5872. www. GreenSolutionsKC.com. Mike Hammer local moving - A full-service mover. Packing, pianos, rental truck load/unload, storage container load/unload, and in-home moving. No job too small. Serving JoCo since 1987. St. Joseph, Shawnee, parishioner. Call Mike at (913) 927-4347 or send an email to: mikehammer moving@aol.com. Bankruptcy consultation - If debts are overwhelming you, seek hope and help from compassionate, experienced Catholic attorney, Teresa Kidd. For a free consultation, call (913) 422-0610; send an email to: tkidd@kc.rr.com; or visit the website at: www.teresakiddlawyer.com. We moved! Come check out our new office in Lenexa. Agua Fina Irrigation and Landscape The one-stop location for your project! Landscape and irrigation design, installation and maintenance. Cleanup and grading services It’s time to repair your lawn. 20% discount on lawn renovations with mention of this ad. Visit the website at: www.goaguafina.com Call (913) 530-7260 or (913) 530-5661 MEDICATION SETUP & MANAGEMENT - RN support visits for filling weekly pill boxes & managing medication. Affordable and convenient. To learn more, call Home Connect Health Services at (913) 627-9222.
Home Improvement Custom countertops - Laminates installed within 5 days. Cambria, granite, and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 9625058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee. House painting Interior and exterior; wall paper removal. Power washing, fences, decks. 30 years experience. References. Reasonable rates. Call Joe at (913) 620-5776. STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 491-5837 or (913) 5791835. Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa. Swalms Organizing Service - Reducing Clutter - Enjoy an Organized Home! Basement, garage, attic, shop, storage rooms - any room organized! Belongings sorted, boxed and labeled, items hauled or taken for recycling, trash bagged. For before and after photos, visit: www. swalmsorganizing.com. Over 20 years of organizing experience; insured. Call Tillar at (913) 375-9115.
Detail construction and remodeling - We offer a full line of home remodeling services. Don’t move — remodel! Johnson county area. Call for a free quote. (913) 709-8401. Adept Home Improvements Where quality still counts! Basement finishing, Kitchens and baths, Electrical and plumbing, Licensed and insured. (913) 599-7998
Heating and cooling repair and replacement - Call Joe with JB Design and Service. Licensed and insured with 20 years experience. Member of Divine Mercy Parish. Call Joe at (913) 915-6887. ALL THINGS WOOD ROT Windows and fiber cement siding. New windows, decks, basement remodel or kitchen update. Insured and only the best crews. Serving Johnson and Wyandotte for over 2 decades. Call Frankie to set up a free estimate today at (913) 209-9926. The Drywall Doctor, Inc. - A unique solution to your drywall problems! We fix all types of ceiling and wall damage — from water stains and stress cracks to texture repairs and skim coating. We provide professional, timely repairs and leave the job site clean! Lead-certified and insured! Serving the metro since 1997. Call (913) 768-6655. 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
vacation Ireland in the spring - A roundabout tour. April 30 – May 13, 2014. Meet the Irishman — your tour guide — on Jan. 23 at 5 p.m. Refreshments. Call Gerry for a reservation at (913) 648-1560. Enjoy spring break week - March 14 - 21. 7 nights and 8 days in sunny Phoenix, Arizona! 2 BR, 2 BA condo with kitchen and laundry in unit at The Legacy Golf Resort with pools, tennis, golf and spa. $2,000. Call Marty at (913) 706-0913. Colorado vacation - Winter Park; 2 BR, 1 BA, furnished. Mountain biking, golf, hiking, and fishing. $125 per night or $700 per week. Call (816) 392-0686.
REAL ESTATE For sale - 28 Binder Lane, Ottawa, built in 2004. 4 BR, 3 BA, with a finished walkout basement, oak floors and vaulted ceilings. Sits on 5.7 acres of trees and manicured lawn with lake. All paved roads and covenants. Call (913) 980-3007 or send an email to: tomandmaryw@gmail.com for pictures and pricing. For sale - South Plaza, $599,000. 34 W. 53rd Terr., Kansas City, Mo. 5 BR, 3.5 updated BA, hearth/family/breakfast room. Large updated kitchen. For more information, call Jim Kraus Jr. at (816) 806-7653. Offered by Brookside Real Estate Co. (816) 333-3330.
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) 327-5557.
Caregiving Have a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease? Inquire about our fresh, unique approach to care. At ComfortCare Homes of Kansas City, we provide a calm, stress-free and well-structured home environment for five to eight residents living with Alzheimer’s disease. A ComfortCare home is not “homelike” but rather it is a real home in a real neighborhood — there are no signs in the yard, no restaurant-style dining and no long, impersonal halls lined with patients. To tour and learn more, call Courtney Minter at (913) 609-1891 or visit the website at: www.Comfort CareKC.com. Looking for high quality home care? - Whether you’re looking to introduce care for your family or simply looking to improve your current home care quality, we can help. Our unique approach to home care has earned us a 99% client satisfaction rating among the 1,000-plus families we have assisted. We are family-owned, with offices in Lenexa and Lawrence. Call Benefits of Home - Senior Care, Lenexa: (913) 422-1591 or Lawrence: (785) 727-1816 or www.benefitsofhome.com. Caregiving - CNA home health care specialist provides quality home comfort and care for the elderly. Available anytime. References. Affordable/seasoned/nonsmoker. Call (816) 521-1336. Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management, and transportation to the elderly and disabled in home, assisted living and nursing facilities. We also provide respite care for main caregivers needing some personal time. Call Daughters & Company at (913) 341-2500 and speak with Laurie, Debbie or Gary.
For sale - 2 plots at Mount Olivet, 7601 Blue Ridge, Kansas City, Mo. Valued at $1,675 each; asking $3,000 for both. Call (913) 894-5517. For sale - First Communion dress sets for 18” or American Girl dolls. Includes dress, veil, shoes, tights, and cross necklace. Full line of doll clothes and accessories in south Johnson County. Will mail anywhere if needed. Call Patty at (913) 345-9498.
wanted to buy Wanted to buy - Antique/vintage jewelry, lighters, fountain pens, post card collections, paintings/prints, pottery, sterling, china dinnerware. Renee Maderak, (913) 631-7179. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee Wanted - Lift chair in good condition with a high seat back. Call (913) 894-2825. Wanted - Old drugstore, pharmacy, apothecary, soda fountain. Also will buy old signs and Coca-Cola. Call (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.
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JANUARY 17, 2014 | theleaven.com
January St. Philippine Duchesne Knights of Columbus Assembly 2260 will host a winter formal from 7:30 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 18 at the Father Quigley Center on the Holy Trinity Church campus, 9201 Summit Rd., Lenexa. The cost to attend is $18, which includes food and drinks. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Bob Sherman at (913) 709-9671 or send an email to: bobby sherm@everestkc.net. Tickets will not be available at the door.
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The monthly archdiocesan pro-life Mass will be held at 8 a.m. on Jan. 18 at Sts. Cyril & Methodius Parish, 44 N. Mill, Kansas City, Kan. Immediately following Mass is a rosary procession to an abortion clinic approximately 4 blocks away. Eucharistic adoration is available for those not processing. Benediction concludes services by 9:45 a.m. The Curé of Ars Singles will host their winter wonderland dance on Jan. 18 from 7:30 - 11:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria at 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. The cost to attend is $15 at the door. Call (913) 631-6873 for more information. Sacred Heart Parish, 1100 West St., Tonganoxie, will host its annual bingo fundraiser on Jan. 18. Food will be served at 5:45 p.m.; bingo starts at 7 p.m. Play one card all evening for a suggested donation of $10 or purchase individual cards. Money raised supports the youth of the parish. For information or directions, call Bill or Tamera at (913) 369-8697 or send an email to: bntbehm@gmail.com. A New Year retreat focused on the new evangelization will be held Jan. 18 at the Sanctuary of Hope Prayer and Retreat Center, 2601 Ridge Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The cost to attend is $30. For more information and for reservations, send an email to: julie@sanctuaryofhope.org or call (913) 321-4673.
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The fourth annual “Give ’N’ Get Coat and Shoe (and more) Exchange” will be held at Prince
TOUCH OF HEAVEN
Catholic Store 119 SE 18th Topeka, KS (785) 232-2543 Hrs. T-F - 10 a.m. 5:30; Sat. 9 a.m. to noon
of Peace Church, 16000 W. 143rd St., Olathe, on Jan. 19 from 8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. All are welcome to come and receive free winter coats, shoes, hats, gloves, scarves, blankets and purses, or bring in your old items and exchange for newer ones. Advice and Aid Pregnancy Centers, Inc., is in need of volunteers and will be offering a volunteer informational meeting on Jan. 20 from 7 - 9 p.m. at 11644 W. 75th St., Shawnee. For more information, contact Mary Newcomer at (913) 9620200 or send an email to: volunteer@ adviceandaid.com.
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The Daughters of Isabella, St. Faustina Circle, will gather at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 for prayer, a meeting and fellowship at the Divine Mercy Parish center, 122 E. Warren, Gardner. Catholic women over the age of 16 are invited to join. “Exploring the Joy of the Gospel” will be held from 7 - 8:30 p.m. on Wednesdays from Jan. 22 - Feb. 19 at the Precious Blood Center, 2130 Saint Gaspar Way, Liberty, Mo. This will be a series of discussions on Pope Francis’ “Evangelii Gaudium.” Each evening will focus on a different chapter from the document. Register by Jan. 20 by sending an email to Father Keith Branson at: kbcpps@gmail.com.
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“Living Waters: Restoring Relational Integrity through the Broken Body of Christ” is a prayer and teaching group that will run for 20 weeks on Wednesday nights, beginning Jan. 22. How does Jesus transform our brokenness into a gift to his church? We can begin by applying Jesus’ mercy to the ways we fail to love well: the shame of sexual sin, the damage done by others’ sin, giving too much, or withholding ourselves altogether. Drawing upon the Divine Mercy of St. Faustina and Pope John Paul II’s theology of the body, we will seek wholeness through honest admission of brokenness. This confidential, in-depth group is for men and women, marrieds and singles. For more information, send an email to: morelivingwaters@ gmail.com or call (816) 739-9529.
Concrete Work
Any type of repair and new work Driveways, Walks, Patios Member of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish
Harvey M. Kascht (913) 262-1555
Father Steve Beseau, chaplain of the St. Lawrence Campus Center, is the guest speaker for the KCK Serra Club meeting at noon on Jan. 22 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 5th and Minnesota, Kansas City, Kan.
son, will speak, and the Catholic Education Foundation will be receiving an award. Proceeds will go toward the school’s heating and cooling system.
A Marian Mass for the right to life will be held Jan. 22 at Sacred Heart Parish, Topeka, beginning with confessions at 6 p.m., a rosary at 6:30 p.m., and Mass at 7 p.m. All are welcome.
“What Makes Pope Francis Tick?” will be presented on four Tuesdays, Jan. 28 - Feb. 18, from 1 - 2:30 p.m. at Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Join Jesuit novices Jonathan Calloway and William McCormick for a fascinating look at Jesuit spirituality as a way to view the world and guide our everyday lives. All are welcome. To register, call (913) 906-8990.
Learn about and practice the ancient art of prayerful reading, “lectio divina,” from Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. - Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. at Sophia Spirituality Center, 751 S. 8th St., Atchison. There will be time for sharing, silence, solitude and reflection. The retreat will be conducted by Sister Micaela Randolph, a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, director of the Souljourners program, a spiritual director and retreat leader. The cost to attend is $115. For more information or to register, call (913) 360-6151 or visit Sophia Spirituality Center’s website at: www.sophiaspiritualitycenter.org. Our Lady of Fatima Circle, Daughters of Isabella, will hold a business meeting on Jan. 22 at 1 p.m. in Davern Hall at Christ the King Parish, 53rd and Leavenworth Rd., Kansas City, Kan. A Mass with prayers for healing, sponsored by archdiocesan charismatic prayer groups, will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 23 in the Father Burak Room at Curé of Ars Parish, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. For more information, call (913) 649-2026.
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The Holy Name 8th-grade class will host a taco dinner fundraiser on Jan. 24 from 5 - 8 p.m. at the Holy Name School cafeteria, 1007 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, Kan. The cost to attend is $5. Resurrection School will host its second annual “Taste of KCK” fundraiser on Jan. 25. Registration is now open by visiting the website at: www.resurrectionkck.edu12. net. The cost to attend is $30 each, or $240 per table of eight. Steven Minnis, president of Benedictine College in Atchi-
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Surrogacy is often referred to as “womb renting,” whereby a wom28-29 an agrees to use her body to undergo a pregnancy and deliver a child for others. This is a growing trend in the United States and in Kansas and is fraught with complexity and controversy. A free screening of a new film on surrogacy, called “Breeders,” sponsored by the archdiocesan pro-life office will be shown on Jan. 28 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at O’Connor Hall, Most Pure Heart of Mary Church, 3601 S.W. 17th St., Topeka, and on Jan. 29 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Keleher Conference Center, Savior Pastoral Center, 12601 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kan. There is no cost to attend. To RSVP, send an email to Ron Kelsey at: prolife@ archkck.org or call (913) 647-0350. A pasta dinner and bingo will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 31 at St. Patrick Parish, Kansas City, Kan. The cost to attend is: $8 for adults; $4 for children under the age of 12; or $20 for a family. For more information, contact Fritz Vertz at (913) 515-0621.
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14 commentary Scripture Readings
theleaven.com | january 17, 2014
Jan. 19 SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Is 49: 3, 5-6 Ps 40: 2, 4, 7-10 1 Cor 1: 1-3 Jn 1: 29-34 Jan. 20 Fabian, pope, martyr; Sebastian, martyr 1 Sm 15: 16-23 Ps 50: 8-9, 16-17, 21, 23 Mk 2: 18-22 Jan. 21 Agnes, virgin, martyr 1 Sm 16: 1-13 Ps 89: 20-22, 27-28 Mk 2: 23-28 Jan. 22 Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children 1 Sm 17: 32-33, 37, 40-51 Ps 144: 1-2, 9-10 Mk 3: 1-6 Jan. 23 Vincent, deacon, martyr; Marianne Cope, virgin 1 Sm 18: 6-9; 19: 1-7 Ps 56: 2-3, 9-13 Mk 3: 7-12 Jan. 24 Francis de Sales, bishop, doctor of the church 1 Sm 24: 3-21 Ps 57: 2-4, 6, 11 Mk 3: 13-19 Jan. 25 THE CONVERSION OF PAUL, THE APOSTLE Acts 22: 3-16 Ps 117: 1-2 Mk 16: 15-18
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Get into the Spirit of a new year
n a certain town there were three merchants who owned shops in the same building. Times were tough, so the owner of the shop at one end of the building put a sign above his front entrance that said: YEAR-END CLEARANCE. The owner of the shop at the other end of the building responded with his own sign that read: ANNUAL CLOSEOUT! The owner of the middle store, after careful consideration, hung a sign above her front door. It said: MAIN ENTRANCE. (Adapted from “1001 Illustrations That Connect,” by Craig Brian Larson and Phyllis Ten Elshof.) Gotta love that middle storeowner! She would certainly feel right at home as we celebrate International Creativity Month in January. So, how has your 2014 been so far? Has it been a happy new year or have you settled back into old routines, ruts and habits? A few weeks ago, I wrote about the “happy” component of a new year; here, I’ll concentrate on the “new” aspect, which could promote and ensure the “happy” part. When I’m feeling stale
Father Mark Goldasich Father Mark Goldasich is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989. and “blah,” I pull out a little book to shake things up. It’s from 2001 and is called “Fanning the Creative Spirit.” Written by Maria and Charlie Girsch, two toy inventors, it’s packed with ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Are you creative? Take their one-question creativity test. Ready? OK, here’s the question: Were you ever a child? If you answered YES, the authors congratulate you and say: “You are a C, that is, Creative.” The Girsches point to statistics “that show a shocking creativity decrease from 98% creative at age 5 to less than 10% creative by age 30.” While there are a number of factors for why this is, the authors want to reverse that
trend. One of my favorite ideas from the book is called “stretch-ercises,” meaning “a way to open one’s mind for creative risk taking” or “a fun thing to try.” Here are a few: “Practice telling what you like about an idea before expressing any concerns you might have”; “With your eyes closed, spend a few minutes visualizing a favorite getaway place”; “Turn on some favorite music and ‘direct’ the music with feeling and finesse”; “Spend some time with an old magazine, decorating people’s faces with glasses, mustaches, etc.”; and “Have a meal or take a walk with someone who inspires you.” Next, take a look at how your spiritual life shapes up, in terms of creativity. Do you attend the same Mass every weekend and sit in the same pew? And when praying, do you recite the same “rote” prayers that you memorized as a kid or only read “official” ones found in a prayer book? If your spiritual life seems dry and boring, perhaps it’s time to be “inspired,” to breathe in the creativity of the Holy Spirit.
Some examples might be: • Attend a different Mass this weekend, sit in a different place or take a drive to a different parish several times this year. • Explore a new prayer style, like centering prayer, writing in a journal (with colored pens even), go on a retreat or parish mission or participate in a Bible study. • Send cards to friends on their name day. (You know, the day in the church calendar when their patron saint is celebrated.) • Go to a class or workshop on “lectio divina,” Pope Francis or his new apostolic exhortation, just to name some of the offerings in this week’s calendar on page 13. Since so many of us are reluctant or frightened to think outside the box, the Girsches have posted a “permission slip” on their website: www.creativitycentral.com. Print one out, write your name in the space at the top, and let yourself dream dreams, try new and different things, find quiet time, have fun and make more misteaks in this new year. See, that’s the Spirit!
In the beginning
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humanitarian crises
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Second week of ordinary time
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Jesus’ baptism foreshadows his resurrection
n many large houses a century-old or so, a secondary, smaller staircase, in addition to the principal staircase, connected the various floors. The principal staircase was set aside for the use of family members and guests, while the secondary staircase was intended for the servants. Usually the servants lodged in the attic, considered to be less desirable than the lower floors. Few families have live-in servants anymore. They belong to a different era. But, once, it was very common, especially for the wealthy, to employ servants. They were also very common when the Bible was being written. In Sunday’s first reading — Is 49:3, 5-6 — the word “servant” appears three times. An unnamed person is identified as the Lord’s servant.
Father Mike Stubbs Father Mike Stubbs is the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University. The term “servant” clearly suggests a subordinate role. The servant accomplishes the will of the master. But there is more to it than that. Frequently, the servant was considered part of the household. There was a tie that went beyond that of the modern employeremployee relationship. The master felt a certain responsibility toward the servants because of his superior sta-
Pope francis Christians must love through concrete actions, not words, which are just whisked away in the wind, Pope Francis said. True love knows it’s more important to give — “give things, give life, give oneself to God and others” — than receive, the pope said in his homily Jan. 9 during his morning Mass in the Domus
tus. In a sense, the servant belonged to the family, even though he or she occupied the lowest rank. In reflecting upon the reading from Isaiah, it is important to remember that nuance concerning the role of the servant of the Lord. He or she is not just a person who happens to work for God. A specific relationship has developed between the two. Ties of loyalty and affection bind the servant to the Lord. Conversely, the Lord feels a responsibility toward the servant. The obligations between the two extend far beyond the payment of wages and the performance of duties. They approach the level of covenant. In the Christian tradition, we identify the servant of the Lord described in Isaiah as Jesus Christ. In his life on earth, he fulfills the will of
Sanctae Marthae, where he lives. Christian love is generous and real, it’s not some dreamy romantic notion and “not the love on soap operas,” he said, according to Vatican Radio. When Jesus spoke of love, “he speaks to us of concrete things: feed the hungry, visit the sick,” and more, the pope said. “When there isn’t this concreteness, one can be living a Christianity of illusion because the
God the Father. To accomplish his mission, he lowers himself, even though he is divine. He behaves as an underling, as a servant. That makes it all the more dramatic when God claims Jesus as a son. It is an astonishing reversal of fortunes — on the level of the pauper being revealed as the prince. God announces this claim at the moment of Jesus’ baptism: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Jesus’ status as God’s son, revealed at his baptism, is definitively confirmed when he rises from the dead on Easter. Through the resurrection, it is made clear to all that Jesus is not only the servant of the Lord, but also the Son of God. In that sense, Jesus’ baptism looks forward to his resurrection. It anticipates Easter.
person doesn’t really understand the core of Jesus’ message,” he said. The pope said there were two things that make Christian love concrete. “First, love with actions, not with words. The wind whisks words away; today they’re here, tomorrow they’re not,” he said. The second thing is “for love, it’s more important to give than receive.” — CNS
washington letter 15
January 17, 2014 | theleaven.com
n Enormity of ongoing crises throughout the world brings challenges By Patricia Zapor Catholic News Service
W
ASHINGTON (CNS) — Much has been said about the sheer enormity of the humanitarian crisis created by Syria’s brutal civil war — 100,000 are dead, 6.5 million people are displaced inside Syria and nearly 2.5 million have fled the country — but in other ways as well, the situation presents atypical challenges. In a Senate hearing Jan. 7 and a panel discussion at the Brookings Institution Jan. 9, experts from humanitarian agencies spelled out the extent of the needs in Syria and elsewhere in 2013 and tried to forecast the demands of 2014. Fighting in South Sudan and the Central African Republic have pushed those two countries to the list of urgent situations, for example, and ongoing efforts to help victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines continue to be critical. Sophie Delaunay, executive director of Doctors Without Borders USA, said Syria presents the medical aid organization with the unusual situation of having had a modern medical system that now lies in ruins. “This is a country where the health system was quite sophisticated,” Delaunay said at the Brookings event. While Doctors Without Borders is accustomed to coping with malaria and other tropical diseases in crisis-stricken countries, Syria was a highly developed country where diabetes and cancer were the significant public health concerns. With the medical care system in tatters, aid organizations have had to step in to provide a different type of care than usual. Add to that the thousands of people suffering from the effects of chemical weapons used in a Damascus suburb last year and the medical organization has had to rework its usual strategy of aiding victims of a civil war, she said. “Our machinery was not prepared to deal with that,” Delaunay said. In prepared testimony for the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing two days earlier, Nancy Lindborg, assistant administrator for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance at the U.S. Agency for International Development, explained some of the challenges in trying to reach all those displaced Syrians. Lack of security, blocked access and insufficient resources mean that “despite a massive mobilization of assistance and funding, international aid has not reached 2.5 million people inside Syria,” Lindborg said. Fighting, security checkpoints and access routes deliberately cut off to humanitarian aid create what she called “an unconscionable campaign of starvation.” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., chairman of the Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights, said in a statement to the committee that in a visit last year to Kilis, a refugee camp for Syrians in Turkey, he was especially struck by the plight of children, adding that “a generation of Syrian children is at risk.” He said more than 11,000 children
Central African Republic
CNS photo/Emmanuel Braun, Reuters
A youth squats inside a burned out car in Bangui, Central African Republic, Dec. 10, 2013. French troops in Bangui manned checkpoints in the capital and searched for weapons in an operation to disarm rival Muslim and Christian fighters responsible for hundreds of killings since early December.
Philippines
CNS photo/Erik De Castro, Reuters
Survivors stand amid debris as residents salvage belongings from the ruins of their houses Nov. 10 after Typhoon Haiyan battered Tacloban, Philippines. Rebuilding in typhoon-ravaged regions of the Philippines is expected to take up to five years, a Catholic Relief Services official said at a Dec. 3 congressional hearing.
SOUTH Sudan
CNS photo/James Akena, Reuters
A displaced man being treating for injuries is seen at Tomping camp, where thousands of displaced people who fled their homes are sheltered by the United Nations near Juba, South Sudan. have been killed, including hundreds who have been shot by snipers or summarily executed. “There are 1.1 million Syrian refugee children, 70 percent under the age of 12. Sixty percent of these children are not attending school. One in 10 Syrian refugee children are working to support their families, including some as young as 7 years old,” he explained.
“Thousands of children are unaccompanied or separated from their parents. And we have heard troubling reports of boy refugees being recruited as combatants and girl refugees being forced into early marriages.” Durbin quoted one medical expert who had been examining underweight refugee children: “‘We have a middle income country that is transforming it-
self into something a lot more like Somalia,’” Durbin’s statement said. “Aid workers report that signs are posted at regime checkpoints that say, ‘kneel or starve.’ This is a deplorable war crime and it must be stopped.” At the Brookings panel, Iain Levine, deputy executive director of programs for Human Rights Watch, said in another crisis situation, the escalation of violence in South Sudan should have been anticipated. “They missed the warning signs, or at least didn’t respond to growing tensions there,” Levine said. In the last month, tribe-on-tribe violence has killed more than 1,000 people and driven 180,000 from their homes, according to The Associated Press. The AP Jan. 9 quoted Linda Thomas-Greenfield, assistant secretary for African Affairs at the State Department, as saying, “Each day that the conflict continues, the risk of all-out civil war grows.” Levine said that although the United Nations has stepped up quickly, agreeing to send 5,500 peacekeepers into South Sudan, the violence went too far because other nations “apparently didn’t respond to human rights violations because they didn’t want to criticize a new government too much.” South Sudan became independent three years ago. Speakers at the Brookings event and the Senate hearing tried to give a sense of what to expect in those and other hot spots in the coming year, and several expressed concerns about aid organizations being able to keep up the huge financial commitments necessary to support such vast populations of needy people. Lindborg told the Senate committee that a donors’ conference in midJanuary in Kuwait will “press donors to give generously, including those that do not typically respond to these appeals.” She said the United States has contributed $1.3 billion in humanitarian aid to Syria since the conflict began there several years ago. In addition to medical needs and food, displaced people inside Syria and Syrian refugees in adjacent countries need basic infrastructure including water and sewer services, housing, schools and jobs, the witnesses said. As to how to keep the world’s attention focused on long-running conflicts and the needs they generate, Levine repeated a story he’d been told by a friend. The friend, an expert on Rwanda who was immersed in 1994 in trying to get the world to respond to the genocide underway there, had a meeting with Anthony Lake, then-national security adviser to President Bill Clinton. After failing to persuade him to support sending U.S. troops into Rwanda, the friend asked him, “How do I convince you?” His reply, said Levine, was “make my phone ring off the hook.” Today, Levine said, “the principle is the same,” though the tools may be different. Besides making officials’ phones ring, he encouraged people to be vigilant about emailing and using social media to keep attention on troubled areas. “There are 500,000 videos on YouTube documenting the crisis in Syria,” he said. “We have an amazing capacity these days . . . to tell stories, shape the narrative and influence policymakers.”
16 local news
theleaven.com | january 17, 2014
‘This one’s for the girls’
Local priest, parishioners, bring hope to children in India By Marc and Julie Anderson Special to The Leaven
I
t was 4:45 a.m. We had just cleared immigration and customs and had retrieved our baggage. Chennai, a city of seven million, was waking up to a sultry Monday morning, and the airport was bustling with activity. Our adventure began 29 hours earlier when my wife Terry, my youngest daughter Molly, and I left our home in Overland Park, Kan. It seemed longer, and we were exhausted — the type of exhaustion brought on not through physical exertion, but through interruption of routine and discomfort of travel. Stepping out into the humid south Indian morning, we were surrounded by throngs of Indians and foreign travelers like ourselves, searching for friends, family and associates. People laughed and embraced as porters scrambled to earn a few rupees. Through this mass of human activity, I spotted a familiar face . . . smiling. It was Father Tom Aduri, a gentle man and a dear friend, pastor of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Topeka, Kan. He was there to take us to the town of Porumamilla, 225 miles distant, seven hours north by car. Thus begins a short essay by John Gillcrist, entitled “A Sojourn to India.” In it, Gillcrist, a member of Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park, gives a firsthand account of a trip he, his wife, and youngest daughter made to India to see the fruits of their and countless others’ efforts to fund, build and run the Blessed Brian Home. The home is for young children, primarily girls, who have lost one or both parents or who have been abandoned. Located in Porumamilla, India, in the district of Cuddapah, the home currently provides a secure environment for 38 girls and 16 boys, supplying food, clothing, health care, education and guidance. Opened in June 2012, the Blessed Brian Home has a capacity to serve 80 to 100 girls and boys ranging in age from 5 to 17 years old. The home has had what some might call an extraordinary start, given the fact that Father Tom Aduri, the vision behind the home and its ministry, has only been a priest for 10 years, all of which have been spent in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas instead of in his native India.
‘With great love’ In 2003, in his first parish assignment, Father Aduri, a native of Porumamilla, served as associate pastor in Overland Park at Holy Spirit Parish. Not only was he new to the priesthood, having just been ordained, but he was also new to the United States, having never traveled here previously. Yet, his upbringing and faith formation back home provided him with a passion for serving those in greatest need, in imitation of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta. While in the seminary, he had done some work with the order founded by Mother Teresa herself, the Missionaries of Charity. Like so many who have worked with Mother Teresa or the Missionaries of Charity, Father Aduri has never forgotten the important lessons he learned there, the most famous of which is attributed to Mother Teresa herself, who was fond of
The Blessed Brian Home is a haven for young children, primarily girls, who have lost one or both parents or who have been abandoned. Located in Porumamilla, India, in the district of Cuddapah, the home currently provides a secure environment for 38 girls and 16 boys. telling everyone she encountered, “Don’t look for big things, just do small things with great love.” When the tsunami of 2004 struck near the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, Father Aduri started thinking and praying about what he could do to help those affected by the natural disaster, especially those in India. Eventually, through the kindness and generosity of people here in the United States — and working in conjunction with his home diocese of Guntur — he was able to help build a home for boys.
Spreading the word But he longed to do something for orphaned girls as well. Without help or the funds to construct it himself, however, he was temporarily stymied. Still, the idea was never far from the young priest’s mind. He prayed about it often and occasionally discussed the idea with parishioners and friends. By January 2010, he had received enough donations from people in the archdiocese to purchase a piece of land and did so during a trip to India. That’s when the project started gaining momentum. In spring 2010, the Gillcrists, who by this time had become close friends with Father Aduri, decided to aid the effort. Together with extended family members across the United States, the Gillcrists raised and donated the money necessary to start construction and to cover the initial startup costs. The Gillcrist family also, inadvertently, provided the inspiration behind the home’s name. When Brian Gillcrist, John’s brother, died before the project was complete, the extended family wanted to honor his memory. As John explained during a recent interview, Brian was the type of person who would give away his coat to someone who didn’t own one. He would let people he barely knew stay at his
house — many of whom were down on their luck — even if it posed a potential risk to himself. “He was just that way,” said John. But the family stopped short of naming the home solely in his honor. When the family, with Father Aduri’s help, researched saints of that name, they learned there was none — but there was a Blessed Brian Lacey, one of the London martyrs of 1591. The name seemed like a good fit.
One year in In June 2012, the Blessed Brian Home opened and started receiving young people under its roof. And on Aug. 5, Father Aduri, the Gillcrists and countless others were on hand for the official dedication. Last summer, the Gillcrists traveled back to the Blessed Brian Home to celebrate its first anniversary, and John had this to write about the visit: Entering Porumamilla, a rural town of approximately 20,000, the bulk residing on the main street (the only paved road, running through the center of town), vendors packed both sides of the road, plying their trades from stalls offering groceries, poultry, pots and pans, cellphones, clothes, hardware, and almost anything else one would need. Turning off the main road, we spotted a brightly colored, three-story building: the Blessed Brian Home, our destination. As we drove closer, we saw 60 to 70 people, mostly young girls, waving to us. Exiting the vehicle, an army of laughing children — some still in school uniforms, others in their native Punjabi attire — swarmed Father Tom, yelling, “Father! Father!” Today, Rani and Ravi Chitta, Father Aduri’s sister and brother-in-law, who supervised the home’s construction, manage a staff of six operating the facility. A network of 30 local donors provides critical support for the home, supplying the children’s food and clothing, among oth-
For more information on the Blessed Brian Home, its mission and how to make a donation, go to the website at: www.blessedbrianhome.org.
er needs. A local pediatrician provides free medical care to all of the home’s residents, and free education is provided at nearby local and private schools. A trip to the orphanage, according to the Gillcrists, will change your life. Near the end of his essay, John writes about the children benefiting from the kindness and generosity of countless people throughout the archdiocese, the United States and India. By day five, the children are calling Molly “aka,” or “big sister,” Terry, “auntie,” and me, “uncle.” We spent a large portion of our time speaking individually with each child. Pleased to be the focus of such undivided attention, something sorely lacking in their young lives, the children opened up and shared their stories. Most brought tears to your eyes: Salambi, 16, along with her mother and brother, was doused with kerosene and set on fire by her father; Vishnu, 16, and his brother, Nani, 10, were orphaned after their mother committed suicide due to abuse by her husband (her suicide was followed by their father’s suicide from grief); Seyatha, 12, and her brother, Marshtan, 6, were orphaned when both parents died of tuberculosis. Each of the 54 children has their own heart-wrenching story. As our stay neared its end, the children came up to us, grabbed our hands, looked into our eyes, and said, “Auntie, I am so sad you are leaving,” or “Aka, will you write to us?” Vishnu said to me, “Uncle, are you coming back next year?” I replied, “I think I am.” He said, “Are you sure?” I said, “I will try hard to come back.” He said, “Uncle, when you come back next year, I will be taller than you!” I bet he will be.