01-20-12 Vol. 33 No. 22

WWW.THELEAVEN.COM | NEWSPAPER OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF KANSAS CITY IN KANSAS | VOL. 33, NO. 22 JANUARY 20, 2012

Vickie Lumley (right) gets emotional during Mass on Dec. 20. Lumley is an inmate at the Topeka Correctional Facility and converted to the Catholic faith that day as she was baptized and confirmed. With Lumley is fellow inmate Sharon McDonough.

MINISTRY BEHIND BARS

T

Archbishop Keleher delivers the sacraments to the women of the Topeka Correctional Facility

OPEKA — On the day of the Chrism Mass in April 2011, Archbishop Emeritus James P. Keleher picked out of the crowd two faces he knew from a different place entirely — prison.

“You haven’t invited me back to prison lately,” Archbishop Keleher told Mike and Caroll Glotzbach. The Glotzbachs split their time between Christ the King Parish in Topeka, where Caroll is a charter member, and Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish, where Mike works.

For more than two decades, the Glotzbachs have been involved in women’s prison ministry at the Topeka Correctional Facility.

FROM THE HOLY LAND

Father Pat Sullivan, who will be making the School of Faith pilgrimage with Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann to the Holy Land, will be blogging their journey at: http://annunciationfrankfort.org.

Click the Holy Land Journal tab.

Story by

JESSICA LANDGON Photos by

LORI WOOD HABIGER

That’s where they got to know Archbishop Keleher, who, in retirement, has made his prison ministry work one of his priorities.

Mike Glotzbach was touched by the archbishop’s interest in returning to this facility in Topeka.

“He genuinely wanted to come back to Topeka to be with those ladies,” Mike Glotzbach said. “It’s awe-inspiring. It really is.”

And so they started making plans.

CALLING ALL COOKS The Leaven is looking for meatless Lenten entrees to share with our readers. Please email your favorites to: Jennifer@theleaven. com, or mail them to Jennifer Siebes, The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. A good mix of recipes will appear in print; all will appear on the paper’s website.

Story continues on page 8

FISH FRY NOTICE

Because of space constraints, The Leaven does not list Lenten fish fries in the calendar during Lent. However, a full page of archdiocesan fish fries will appear — all ready to be clipped and saved — in the Feb. 17 edition of The Leaven. Fish fry notices should be emailed to: todd@theleaven.com.

The deadline is Feb. 3. Keep notices to less than 40 words.

Please do not include full menus.

2 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 20, 2012

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 20, 2012

Leo and Mary Jane Hammes:

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS

B

SALT OF THE EARTH

Project Rachel helps post-abortive find healing and peace

y the time you read this column, I will be on my way to the Holy Land, accompanying a pilgrimage organized by Mike Scherschligt and the School of Faith.

for abortion; he gave her that option.

Our family was in panic, utter chaos and fear and it seemed to be the only With another 100 pilgrims, most choice at the time. How wrong I was. I from our Archdiocese, I will have the was present for the procedure but in a opportunity to pray at the places made split second it was over and I knew imholy by the conception, birth, childmediately that we had made the wrong hood, ministry, passion, crucifixion, decision. resurrection and ascension of Our Lord Over the past 22 years, I have Jesus Christ. watched my daughter change from a Among the pilgrims will be five carefree teenager into someone I barely priests, one permanent deacon, and recognize. She suffers daily from pain, three of the Sisters of guilt, and torment the Apostles of the Indue to the experi‘The Shepherd’s Voice’ ence. It has caused interior Life. Our group makes up a beautiful numerable arguments programming notes microcosm of the between us over the Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann’s church. I will carry all years, practically radio program on KEXS 1090 AM of you in my prayers making us enemies airs at 10 a.m. on Sunday and is during these special instead of mother and repeated at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday days of pilgrimage. daughter. I watched and 3:30 p.m. on Thursday.

I regret that my her lose her faith in time in the Holy Land the church. After the will prevent me from participating in abortion, she attempted to confess her the annual Marches for Life in Washsin, but the priest was brutal to her in ington, D.C., and Topeka. I will pray the confessional and she is not sure for all of our March for Life pilgrims he even gave her absolution. She was as they make this extraordinary effort devastated. I did not question my own to witness to the sanctity of each and faith at the time, but even after having every human life as our nation obconfessed my sin several times over the serves the tragic 39th anniversary of years, I still do not feel vindicated. the Supreme Court decisions legalizing Our marriage was shaky at best, abortion. If you have never particiand our family did not pull together to pated in the March for Life in Washinghelp our daughter. As a result, I have ton, I encourage you to make plans to not only lost a grandchild but the love attend next year. It is truly a powerful and respect of my daughter. It created and inspiring experience. a wedge between my husband and me This past October (Respect Life and destroyed what was left of our Month), I received the following letter. failing marriage. I had lost everything.

The author, while desiring to remain Abortion is a life-altering decision and anonymous, invited me to share her one you live with the rest of your life. experience with Leaven readers.

There is NO PEACE and it is NEVER over. I know we will carry this heinous Dear Archbishop Naumann, act with us to the grave. I hope God It has been 22 years since the day will be merciful. we made that fateful decision to abort If this testimonial can help at least my daughter’s unborn child. She was one person caught in this horrible 17. It was not a family decision based situation, I will feel I have helped save on God’s will, but one based on fear. a life. I couldn’t help my own daughThe doctor she saw planted the seed ter but maybe someone else can learn

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from this experience. Unlike other bad things that happen to people, you cannot talk about this to anyone or commiserate as you would if you had lost a family member through an accident or death for fear of being found out. You must carry the secret in shame with you all alone when you know your heart is broken and your life is shattered. I have carried this burden with me all these years and my husband took it with him to his grave. When you think of lives destroyed, this certainly is an example. I know what it has done to our family.

We do not know what happens to souls when they leave this earthly world, but I most sincerely hope that God has made a place for these lost babies and the mothers who must carry the burden of guilt with them every single day of their lives. I am so sorry for failing my daughter and not being strong enough to do the right thing. I only hope that God in his mercy will remember that any sin we have committed on this earth we have surely paid for with our sadness and tears, hopelessness and even our sanity.

People do judge you by your acts.

So be kind to those who have done the unspeakable. There but for the grace of God go I. Yours in Christ, I am very grateful for this woman writing to me and allowing me to share her tragic experience with you. In her cover letter, she indicated that she was aware of Project Rachel and Project Joseph — our post-abortive ministries for women and men, but she felt that most post-abortive mothers are too embarrassed and too afraid of their sin becoming known by others to take advantage of these resources.

This letter saddens me in so many ways. I was particularly distraught to learn that her daughter had such a horrible experience with the sacrament of reconciliation. Knowing the compassion of our priests and their desire to be truly caring confessors, it grieves me that her experience was so different from what is usual. Actually, the author’s (the grandmother’s) experience is quite common for individuals involved in abortion, who go to confes-

SECOND FRONT PAGE 3

Archbishop Naumann’s

By Woodeene Koenig-Bricker

weekly calendar

Jan. 20-30 Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Archbishop Keleher’s weekly calendar

Jan. 22 Mass — St. Sebastian, Fla.

sion but do not feel forgiven, because they find it so difficult to forgive themselves.

This is why Project Rachel is such a necessary ministry, as it helps individuals remove the obstacles they place between themselves and the experience of God’s mercy. I truly hope that anyone who is suffering because of a past involvement with abortion will take advantage of Project Rachel or Project Joseph. (Call (913) 621-2199 or visit the website at: projectrachelkc @archkck.org.) I assure you that your confidentiality will be protected. I have known so many women and men who have found healing and peace after many years of heartache like that described in this poignant letter.

God’s mercy is greater than any of our sins. His desire is not for us to be mired in guilt and shame for the rest of our lives. The whole reason Jesus came into our world was to bring to all of us the mercy of God. The Jan. 15 edition of Our Sunday Visitor contained a wonderful series of articles about postabortion ministries in the church and the healing they have brought to the lives of so many.

I ask all our Leaven readers this week to pray for this woman and her daughter that the Lord will give them the strength to seek the help that is available to them. Pray also that this woman’s courage in relating her story will prevent another woman, another family, from knowing the tragic pain that abortion has caused in so many lives. These intentions will be included in my daily prayers in the Holy Land.

Special to The Leaven

W

hen Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth” (Mt 5:13), he might very well have been talking about this year’s honorary chairs of the Archbishop’s Call to Share annual appeal.

Each year, pastors from around the archdiocese are asked to submit names of couples for consideration as co-chairs. From the long list of candidates, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and the Clergy Advisory Committee select a couple who live out Christ’s call to “go out and teach all nations” and whose lives exemplify selfless stewardship.

Leo and Mary Jane Hammes of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Seneca do just that.

“We are always to see Christ in one another, to model Christ and live out the Gospel,” said Father Ric Halvorson, one of the archdiocesan priests who nominated the Hammeses.

“We are meant to inspire. . . .

The Hammeses are examples of inspiration for all of us. The call to share is so essential to the mission of the church, not just here in northeast Kansas, but in the world.”

“We are all called to be a part of it,” he added. “The Hammeses are a good example of people that, because they are faithfilled, respond to the call.”

For Leo and Mary Jane, their response to live the Gospel is part of the fabric of their being. Their Catholic faith is paramount to their lives.

“It means everything,” said Mary Jane. “It’s number one.

“Although our family is close, God is first in our lives.”

Although Leo’s education was in engineering, his roots were always in the land. From 1973 until his retirement in 2007, Leo was a grain and livestock farmer outside of Seneca.

“I wanted to raise my kids on a farm and learn the ethics of farming,” he said.

He and Mary Jane, who worked as a hospital nurse, raised their five children with such basic values as hard work and support for their rural community, as well as for the church.

“They have been tremendous leaders,” said Lesle Knop, executive director of the archdiocesan office of stewardship and development, who helps sponsor the honorary chair.

Leo and Mary Jane Hammes, members of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Seneca, are this year’s honorary chairs of the Archbishop’s Call to Share annual appeal.

“We’ve really tried to show people who are quiet, faithful stewards — not people who would normally get attention,” she said. “Each one of us is called by God to a life of discipleship. Each of us is called to give back a little of our abundance. We are called to be stewards.”

Stewardship, Knop continued, “begins in the domestic church, the churches of the home. A lifelong orientation toward service begins in the home, and stewardship is learned from early childhood.

From there, she said, “the seeds bloom into a mature Christian.”

“The Hammeses teach us to

be grateful by their example,” she added.

Indeed, the Hammes are a sterling example of the domestic church. Although they have done more than their fair share of work for the church, perhaps their greatest accomplishment is that all five of their adult children — ranging in age from 33 to 45 — and their 13 grandchildren still practice

the faith. Their youngest son, Father Greg Hammes, serves as a priest for three parishes in the archdiocese.

When asked what they did to promote the faith, Leo’s answer was simple.

“We tried to be honest and fair,” he said. “Kids are going to follow what you do. We wanted to be a good example to our children.”

Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799)

Editor Reverend Mark Goldasich, stl frmark@theleaven.com

Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com

Reporter Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com

President Most Reverend Joseph F. Naumann

Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita@theleaven.com

Production Manager Todd Habiger todd@theleaven.com

Advertising Representative Jennifer Siebes jennifer@theleaven.com

They tried to live out their faith in the community, as well, he said.

“People need to evangelize, to share,” said Leo. “They need to become involved — just don’t be a one-hour-a-week Christian.”

Father Hammes agrees.

“My parents lived their faith and tried to practice what they preached and what the church teaches,” he said. “They were never pushy, but they lived their faith. Their example impacted us and has been passed down.”

In his homily for Call to Share, Archbishop Naumann said, “Sometimes when we hear the word ‘vocation,’ we think that it only applies to priests or religious Brothers and Sisters. Actually, each of us through our baptism and confirmation has received a call to follow Jesus.”

The Hammeses strive to do that daily.

“If you share your talents, you will be rewarded and blessed,” said Mary Jane. “It makes you feel good you’ve done something for someone else.”

Moreover, she added, “We try to do God’s will.

“Sometimes it’s hard. But we try — and that’s the main thing.”

“The most important lesson is that we need to trust in God, and he will see us through,” said Leo. “When things look bleak, there is always a better day.

“We just need to trust.”

Like so many of their predecessors as Call to Share chairs, the Hammeses were surprised by their nomination.

“We always thought we could do more,” said Leo. But Knop disagrees.

“They were so sweet in their humility, in their witness, in their kindness toward each other,” she said.

“The lessons we learn from Leo and Mary Jane are that faithfulness is key,” she continued, “trusting in the Lord and opening your hearts to God’s teaching, keeping the commandments and being generous with your time, talent and treasure.”

“Not all of us can go to the four corners of the world,” said Knop, “but we can each be effective in our little corner of the world.”

“They are just genuine people,” she concluded warmly, “the salt of the earth.”

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.

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4 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 20, 2012

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 20, 2012

Haskell’s helping hand

‘There is just so much poverty’

Catholic community finds a mission that hits close to home

Continued from page 4

By Jill Ragar Esfeld Special to The Leaven

LAWRENCE — “We are poor,” said Monica Olivera, director of the Catholic Campus Center at Haskell Indian Nations University here.

“But we don’t have to leave the country to find people who are so much worse off than we are,” she added.

Olivera is recently back from a mission trip that center members made to a Native American reservation in South Dakota.

“It was really quite sad,” she said.

“There is so much need there.”

Fortunately, with the outpouring of help they received from the Catholic community in Lawrence, the young missionaries were able to brighten the new year of their fellow Native Americans a little.

Outreach

Photos by Jill Ragar Esfeld

s While some children made cookies, Deliece Bonita (left) and Caitlyn White decorated cards for the Haskell Catholic Campus Center’s mission trip to Eagle Butte, S.D. s

Nakia Wilson rolls out dough to make cookies for children on a Native American reservation in Eagle Butte. S.D. Wilson’s grandmother grew up on the reservation.

For more information If you would like to see the documentary that inspired Monica Olivera to action, you can find a link to it on the website of the Friends of Pine Ridge Reservation at: www. friendsofpineridgereservaton.org.

The Cheyenne River Youth Project maintains a youth center for Native American children and teens in Eagle Butte, S.D. If you’d like to help them provide activities for youth at the reservation, visit the website at: www.lakotayouth.org.

For more information about the Cheyenne River Sioux in Eagle Butte, go to the website at: www. sioux.org.

A local connection Olivera shared her thoughts with Victoria Wilson, a member of the community who is working on a degree while supporting her three children.

She asked Wilson if she had any thoughts on how they could help fellow Native Americans on reservations in South Dakota.

Wilson’s response was quick, and positive.

“Yes,” she said. “I come from that area.”

Wilson’s mother, Goldie Stroup, who lives in Lawrence now, was born in a little log cabin just outside Eagle Butte, S.D. “We’re actually Lakota Sioux,” explained Wilson. “But the tribe [in Eagle

The Haskell group added toys to the list and made 110 tags — one for each gift; two gifts for each of the 55 children.

But how could a community that was struggling to provide for its own families, buy 110 gifts for others?

A call for help Butte] is named Cheyenne River Sioux.”

“My mom was born and raised there and we have family there,” she said. “So we go back for ceremonies — we’re still culturally connected with our tribe.”

With Wilson and her mother’s help, Olivera was able to make contact with the reservation at Eagle Butte.

She then arranged for her community to provide Christmas gifts for 55 children there.

When Olivera received a list of what the children wanted, she was surprised.

“They did not ask for toys,” she said.

“It was a list of necessities — shoes and winter clothes.”

“I prayed about it,” said Olivera. “And I called my friend Nancy [Krische, social and communications coordinator] from St. Lawrence [Catholic Campus Center].”

The St. Lawrence Center was happy to help out.

See “THERE” on page 5

Eagle Butte “It was plain and flat,” Olivera said of the drive into the reservation. “But it’s a different flat from Kansas. The land is not able to be farmed.

“It’s really a tough location for people. They’re extremely isolated.”

Eagle Butte is about three hours from the nearest city. The town itself has only a Dairy Queen, a Taco John’s, a gas station and a Dollar Day store.

There is one hotel on the reservation.

It was clear to Olivera why most of the Native Americans here live in poverty.

“They can’t farm the land, and the young people can’t go find a job,” she said. “There’s nothing there.”

Wilson said her family had never visited in the winter months and she immediately understood why the children had asked for winter clothes instead of toys.

“Everybody is walking around with mismatched old sweats and sweaters,” she said. “They wear slippers instead of shoes because they can’t afford shoes.”

The Haskell group arranged to meet families in the hotel. When families showed up, they went immediately to the used clothing.

“The first thing most of them took were the coats,” said Olivera. “The parents were very, very grateful.”

“For everybody who gave a gift, it’s not the gift that’s important. I think what you did is you took Jesus, the Holy Spirit, to a child.”

Monica Olivera

Photos courtesy of Monica Olivera

s Seven children share this bunk bed in a small home on the Native American reservation in Eagle Butte, S.D. It is not unusual for children to sleep four to a bed.

Prince of Peace Church to host free coat exchange Jan. 29

A mother and two children share this cramped two-bed FEMA trailer with 11 other people.

Wilson was amazed at the change in attitude when the coats were donned.

At first, the children, walking around in old sweaters, “were holding their heads down because they were not proud of what they were wearing.

“And then I saw them light up after they got on jackets, and they were holding their chins up.

“It made me feel good to know they felt good.”

Olivera had also brought along a box of Christmas ornaments from Peru. She was surprised when the children dug through the box with excitement and began playing with the ornaments.

“I thought it was really interesting,” she said. “In Lawrence, children are so used to toys they would not even consider to play with something like that.

“But these children were all excited with it. For them, never having had a toy, that was fascinating.”

The children were equally delighted with the gifts, and Olivera was grateful to the Lawrence Catholic community for its generosity.

“For everybody who gave a gift, it’s not the gift that’s important,” she said.

“I think what you did is you took Jesus, the Holy Spirit, to a child.”

Continuing the mission Olivera and Wilson are still haunted by many of the images they saw on

Conferences on sexuality, intimacy and marriage OLATHE — Passion, intimacy and happiness as God intended them will be the focus of three upcoming “Love and Intimacy Conferences.”

Last year more than 3,000 Christians of various faith backgrounds attended the three conferences, which were cosponsored by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and the College Church of the Nazarene.

The “Men of Valor” conference will be held Jan. 27 and 28 at the College Church of the Nazarene, 2020 E. Sheridan, Olathe. The “Women of Virtue” conference will be held Jan. 27, and Feb. 3 and 4, also at the College Church, with the Feb. 3 session for couples.

A general session for youth, called “Real Love: I’m Worth It,” will be held Jan. 27 at the College Church, with a specific session for young women on Jan. 28 at Prince of Peace Parish, 16000 W. 143rd St., Olathe; and a specific session for young men at the College Church.

The conferences will feature nationally known speakers presenting on issues of sexuality, intimacy and marriage. Jason Evert, Janet Smith, Matt Fradd, Doug Weiss and Molly Sanborn will speak on Jan. 27 and 28. Todd Frye will speak to couples on Feb. 4, and Pattie Schneier and Leslie Vernick will speak to women.

For more information and tickets, visit the website at: www.afaksmo.net.

s

Haskell Indian Nations University is a land grant institution for members of federally recognized Native American tribes in the United States.

Olivera, who is originally from Peru, has been working with Native Americans at Haskell for four years. She’s familiar with their struggles — most members of the student body come from poor reservations; many are single parents trying to support a family while pursuing an education.

But a few months ago, Olivera watched a documentary, entitled “A Hidden America: Children of the Plains,” which took an in-depth look at an Indian reservation in South Dakota.

She was shocked by what she saw — Third World poverty here in the United States.

“I have seen that kind of poverty,” she said. “I was raised in Peru; I’ve been to India and other places.”

After watching the program, Olivera decided she had to do something.

“I know I have unemployed people in my community,” she said. “We’re struggling; we don’t have much money here.

“But we are a lot better off than they were.”

Olivera specifically wanted members of the Haskell Catholic Campus Center to be able to reach out to those whose need was greater than their own.

“I thought it’s important for our children in my community to know that there are other Natives here in the United States that are a lot worse off,” she said.

Word spread and Corpus Christi parishioners in Lawrence also volunteered to take some tags.

Then, St. John the Evangelist Parish’s Secular Franciscan Group and Hispanic Small Community Group offered to buy some gifts as well.

“The outpouring of generosity was just amazing to me,” said Olivera. “The willingness to help of people here in Lawrence really touched me.”

Some of the Haskell community children chose to use their own money, earned doing chores around the community center, to buy gifts. And they asked Olivera if they could send treats and cards to Eagle Butte.

“Even though here in Lawrence, they would probably be considered poor,” said Olivera, “the children, by their own planning and their own desire, decided that they all wanted to bake some cookies for the families.

And they wanted to make their own cards.”

On the weekend before Christmas, a small group from the Haskell Catholic Campus Center, including Olivera, Wilson and Stroup, set out for Eagle Butte in a car and van packed tight with gifts and donated winter clothing.

To limit the amount of money spent on the trip, the group drove 13 hours straight through to Eagle Butte on Friday and drove back Sunday, another 13 hours straight through.

LOCAL NEWS 5

their trip: abandoned children, overcrowded trailers with inadequate heat, and children in need of medical help that simply isn’t available.

“And this is just one reservation out of a lot of reservations in that area,” said Olivera. “There is just so much poverty.”

“These people have so much to give,” added Wilson. “And yet they don’t even know how to get out of the cycle because they are stuck in it.”

It would be easy to feel overwhelmed and hopeless, but Olivera believes she is meant to find a way to help again.

“The need is out there and the response has been wonderful,” she said.

“I honestly think God is working here.”

She hopes to make contact with a Catholic parish or community in South Dakota that the Haskell Catholic Campus Center can work through to help their fellow Native Americans.

“For me, this is just the beginning of something,” she said. “I’m just going to let the Holy Spirit take it from here.”

OLATHE — Prince of Peace Parish here is holding its annual “Give ’n’ Get Coat and Shoe Exchange” on Jan. 29 from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the St. Luke’s Room, next to the school cafeteria (16000 W. 143rd St.). This event is sponsored by students of Prince of Peace and Prince of Peace alumni. There will be a huge selection of items that come in all sizes and are slightly used and are free to all members of the community. Items will include coats, boots, blankets, shoes, hats, gloves, scarves, and other items needed for the winter. Donations will be accepted through Jan. 28 in the church gathering area.

D

evelopment Director – St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison, Kansas, is seeking an experienced director of development. Primary responsibilities will include organizing and coordinating fundraising events and activities, developing relationships with donors and supporters, and managing office operations. St. Benedict’s Abbey has many loyal college and secondary school alumni, grateful members of parishes served by our community, and numerous other persons to whom we turn for annual fund and capital campaign support. A qualified candidate will possess sales, marketing and public relations skills, and be able and willing to travel. Familiarity with Benedictine institutions and persons and a willingness to live in or near Atchison are desired qualities. Individuals interested in this position may send a resume to Father Maurice Haefling, OSB, St. Benedict’s Abbey, Atchison KS 66002. His email address is: MauriceHaefling@cs.com, and his office phone is (913) 360-7854.

The fax number is (913) 367-6230.

6 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 20, 2012

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 20, 2012

Meet the parents

The Serra Clubs of Wyandotte and Johnson counties hosted a dinner for seminarians and their parents Dec. 28., 2011, at Corpus Christi Parish in Lawrence.

Seminarians, parents and Serrans gathered together for Mass, lunch and a short program. Each family was given a copy of “Why Priests Are Happy” from the archdiocesan vocations office.

Photos by Joe McSorley

Seminarian Daniel Schmitz of St. Dominic Parish in Holton chats with Serran Bill McHale during the luncheon.

Donald J. and Esther J. (Fasso) Conaty, members of St. Patrick Parish, Kansas City, Kan., will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary with a special dinner with their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and close family friends. The couple ANNIVERSARIES was married on Jan. 25, 1947, at St. Benedict Church in Kansas City, Kan. Their children and their spouses are: Donald J. Conaty Jr., Blue Springs, Mo.; the late Dennis M. Conaty; and Sharon K. and Tom McMillan. They also have six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

Glen and Katherine (McGrew) Huston will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary on Jan. 24. The couple was married on Jan. 24, 1942, in Kansas City, Kan. Katherine is a member of Divine Mercy Parish in Gardner. Their children and their spouses are: Jerry and Pat Huston, Mission; and Nancy and Mike Howell, Olathe. They also have five grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren.

Deacon Oswaldo Sandoval, who will be ordained to the archdiocesan priesthood later this year, talks with seminarian Jamie Zarse (sitting), a member of Prince of Peace Parish in Olathe, and Zarse’s mother Alecia (right).

ANNIVERSARY POLICY: The Leaven only prints 50, 60, 65 and 70th anniversary notices.

LOCAL NEWS 7

Through the eye of the abbot Abbot Barnabas Senecal, OSB, creates a calendar out of his photos

By Jessica Langdon

Calendars for sale

Leaven staff

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — More than once, people have remarked to Abbot Barnabas Senecal, OSB, that he has a good eye and ought to keep taking pictures.

He has taken the advice to heart over the years.

And he is happy to share what his eyes see — and what his lens captures — with those around him.

For a second year in a row, a monthly calendar, filled with his photographs and reflections that accompany them, is available through St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison.

“It’s just kind of a work of love for him,” said Dan Madden, director of development for the abbey.

Photos and reflections in the 2012 calendar are among those that have been published in Celebration, an ecumenical liturgical guide published in Kansas City, Mo. The pictures in the calendar, which was produced at the abbey, correspond with the seasons. February shows a snowy bench. The leaves are changing in October.

Each month offers a scriptural quote, along with a reflection by the abbot.

The stanzas reflect what Abbot Barnabas sees in the pictures through the eyes of his faith. While they’re not necessarily what he would call poetry, the stanzas are written in measured language, and regular readers tell the abbot they know his writings when they see them.

One of the photographs shows a door handle on one of the doors in the older part of the abbey.

Abbot Barnabas heard from a reader at a monastery in another state, who told him he had been able to put the material to use, from lectures to a novena to memorizing it and preaching it.

What: Calendars featuring Abbot Barnabas Senecal’s photography and reflections are available for purchase.

Cost: $10 To purchase: Call the St. Benedict’s Abbey development office at (913) 360-7906, or send an email to: development@kansasmonks.org.

Abbot Barnabas Senecal, OSB, has produced a new calendar featuring his photography. In addition, each month he offers a reflection.

The pictures in the calendar, which was produced at the abbey, correspond with the seasons. This is the second year the abbot has created such a calendar.

“That’s kind of heartwarming,” said Abbot Barnabas, “to have somebody write back and say how practical it had been for them.”

Abbot Barnabas has also had work published in Kansas Monks magazine.

Some of his photography is on display at the abbey, and more will be on display soon at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kan. The exhibit will be mounted Jan. 23, with the official opening set for Feb. 28.

The opening reception is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. on Feb. 28, and organizers encourage all who are interested to attend. Those who would like to attend the free reception may register online through the Catholic Fine Arts Council website at: www.catholicfinearts.org.

Abbot Barnabas’ inspiration for his

photography comes from near and far.

After spending 24 years at thenMaur Hill Prep School in Atchison in teaching and in administration, he had a year’s sabbatical, during which time he studied for 10 weeks in Rome.

“I took a lot of pictures in Rome,” he said.

And people took notice, urging him to stay with it. He took encouragement from that. One of those was a Lithua-

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nian artist — a friend — who told him as they rode a train from Boston to Chicago that he has a good eye and should keep taking pictures.

Following his sabbatical, and before he was elected abbot, Abbot Barnabas was named associate pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park for a few years, and even served as principal there for part of that time. He built relationships with families there through his photography.

He has also taken many photographs during trips to Brazil to visit the Benedictine priory. The faces there make for great photographs. The people are “good picture people, good smiling faces,” he said.

And he takes pictures much closer to home, including many at the abbey.

The calendars are available for $10 each, and proceeds go to the abbey’s general fund to support the works of the monks.

Anyone interested in purchasing one may call the development office at (913) 360-7906, or email the office at: development@kansasmonks.org.

It’s really less of a fundraiser than a ministry that highlights some of what they do in Atchison, the abbot pointed out.

“It’s more than a scene,” he said of the photographs. “I’ve tried to make a faith relationship for the reader.”

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Continued from page 1

A special occasion Archbishop Keleher arrived at the Topeka Correctional Facility on Dec. 20 to hear confessions, celebrate Mass, and to baptize and confirm.

Michael Rebout, a parishioner at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kan., often travels with him to serve as an acolyte.

The facility houses women from across the state of Kansas. This particular building is considered minimum- to medium-security.

When Archbishop Keleher arrived, he discovered there had been a drill earlier in the day. So after he went through the required security measures, he learned there would be about an hour’s delay so the women could eat.

That didn’t turn out to be the case, however. To his surprise, women started arriving for the service right away.

“They skipped dinner so they wouldn’t be late, God bless them,” said Archbishop Keleher.

They told him they would have a snack when they finished.

Food for the soul was a more immediate concern.

Inmate Carolyn Gonzalez clutches a missalette during Mass with Archbishop Keleher. Gonzalez is one of the regulars at the prison’s Sunday Communion service.

Powerful voices praising God Archbishop Keleher began the day by hearing confessions.

He found the women to be very sincere and serious about their faith.

After the sacrament of reconciliation came the baptism and confirmation of Vickie Lumley and Jamie Hernandez, followed by their first Eucharist. After Aleisha Gremmel was received into the church, confirmed and received her first Eucharist; Yvonne Ornelas Pando was also confirmed.

Other inmates joined the four for the Mass that followed, which took place in a prison meeting room. A simple table served as the altar, and a green chalkboard provided the backdrop.

Despite the rustic surroundings, the archbishop found the women’s faith humbling to witness.

They didn’t have a piano or organ, but you’d never miss one here, Archbishop Keleher noted. They used recorded music, and it perfectly complemented the moving sound of the women’s voices as they sang the hymns.

Archbishop Keleher anoints the forehead of Aleisha Gremmel as she makes her confirmation inside the Topeka Correctional Facility. Mike Glotzbach, who has volunteered at the facility for two decades, said the conversion stories he’s seen within the walls of the prison are inspirational.

Jamie Hernandez is baptized by Archbishop Emeritus James P. Keleher. Assisting the archbishop is acolyte Michael Rebout, a parishioner at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kan. Holding Hernandez’s hair is fellow inmate Nelda Woolverton who served as her sponsor for the sacraments of initiation.

‘You can’t keep God out’ The archbishop sees women here who are trying to lead a devout life.

“If it’s a cave, if it’s a prison, if it’s barbed wire, if it’s a concentration camp, you can’t keep God out,” he said.

He praises the work of the volunteers who keep the ministries running here and at other prisons.

When Mike Glotzbach visits on Sundays for Communion services with the women, he picks up on a lot of power in the prayers.

“If there were the kind of intense prayer accompanying every aspect of the Mass in any given parish like we have from our dozen or so ladies that

Inmate Sharon McDonough follows along during Mass on Dec. 20 at the Topeka Correctional Facility.

Two women were baptized and four were confirmed at the service. show up every Sunday, it would just be mind-boggling,” said Glotzbach.

“They’re that intense in their prayer, — what they’re about, what they’re doing.”

Many of the women have jobs, whether inside the prison or somewhere else. They carve as much time out of their schedules as they can to pray and learn more about their faith.

The Glotzbachs see the women every other Sunday; they alternate with

volunteer Frank Werder, a member of Immaculate Conception Parish in Valley Falls. One night a week, Betty Henderson, a member of St. Matthew Parish in Topeka, volunteers to go to the prison to lead a two-hour study session. Nelda Woolverton converted to the Catholic faith. An inmate here, she assists in the sessions and has served as a sponsor for other women.

The study sessions give the women a chance to update their knowledge of

Archbishop Keleher celebrates Mass inside the prison. A meeting room served as the worship space and a simple table as the altar. their faith.

“Sometimes they’ll bring a friend along,” said Mike Glotzbach. “And sometimes that friend will end up converting.”

Changing lives Glotzbach still remembers what one inmate told him early on in his years of

prison ministry.

“We didn’t get here by singing too loud in the choir,” she said.

Glotzbach knows some of the women who find themselves within these

walls might never have known what many would consider a normal relationship. For some, drugs were a way of life.

One has told him she’s glad she’s here; if she had still been out on the streets living the life she had been, she would be dead.

“You can see the conversion of their life,” said Glotzbach. “You can see their dedication to their faith.”

For those with just a short time left in their sentences, leaders of the program encourage them to go through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program at their own parish once they’re released.

Archbishop Keleher urges the northeastern Kansas community to welcome men and women who are released from prison with an opportunity, if possible.

“The most important thing when a prisoner gets out is to be given a chance at a job,” he said.

Employment allows someone to provide for a family and to begin a new chapter of life with feet on a solid path.

Work of mercy Archbishop Keleher sees his prison visits as a corporal work of mercy.

Knowing how busy their regular responsibilities keep parish priests, Archbishop Keleher proposed to Archbishop

Joseph F. Naumann that he make visiting the prisons part of his ministry in retirement. His offer gladly accepted, Archbishop Keleher and several retired priests have been faithful to this challenging call.

Dealing with the prison bureaucracy isn’t always easy, and there is a lot of training involved. But Archbishop Keleher finds the ministry very rewarding.

In the years he has been visiting prisons, he has only experienced a few tense moments.

In fact, he enjoys his visits and knows the inmates need people who care about them.

The church emphasizes two things inmates need, said Archbishop Keleher.

They need education, which can serve them well beyond these walls one day.

And they need spiritual counseling.

“If they get those two things, there’s a good chance they won’t come back,” he said.

Glotzbach, too, finds the ministry a rewarding one — one in which you really feel as though you’re helping someone.

And the volunteers have a chance to witness a faith that is truly humbling.

“The idea is we go out there for them,” said Glotzbach.

“But we really end up getting as much out of it as they get from us,” he concluded.

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 20, 2012

VATICAN LETTER 11

Making the old new: Vatican encourages a recovery of ‘apologetics’

By Cindy Wooden

Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In the Catholic Church, it’s true that everything old can be new again, and the Vatican wants one of those things to be the art of “apologetics” — dusted off and updated to respond to new challenges, including those posed by militant atheists.

The term “apologetics” literally means “to answer, account for or defend,” and through the 1950s even Catholic high school students were given specific training in responding to questions about Catholicism and challenges to church teaching.

At least in northern Europe and North America, the effort mainly was a response to Protestantism. Today, while sects and fundamentalist groups challenge Catholics in many parts of the world, almost all Catholics face objections to the idea of belief in general, said Legionary of Christ Father Thomas D. Williams, a professor at Rome’s Pontifical Regina Apostolorum University.

Father Williams is author of “Greater Than You Think: A Theologian Answers the Atheists About God,” written in response to the late Christopher Hitchens’ book, “God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything,” and similar works.

Over the past 50 years, apologetics lost its general appeal because “it was considered proselytism,” an aggressive attempt to win converts that was replaced by ecumenical dialogue, he

said. It didn’t help that many Catholics started seeing all religions as equally valid paths to salvation, so they thought it was best to encourage people to live their own faith as best they could without trying to encourage them to consider Christianity.

Among the Regina Apostolorum students, he said, there is a renewed interest in apologetics — usually covered today under the heading of fundamental theology. “You can change the name, make it gentler and nicer, but you always have to give reasons for your hope and belief,” he said.

While there have been scattered attempts to train Catholics to explain their faith to others since Vatican II, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has asked for a more widespread effort to get apologetic material into the hands of Catholics.

In early January, the congregation issued a note on preparing for the Year of Faith, which will begin in October. Addressing national bishops’ conferences, the congregation said, “It would be useful to arrange for the preparation of pamphlets and leaflets of an apologetic nature” so that every Catholic could “respond better to the questions which arise in difficult contexts” from sects to moral relativism and from secularism to science and technology.

The congregation included a reference to the biblical admonition from the First Letter of Peter: “Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks

you for a reason for your hope.”

The passage continues by saying responses should be given “with gentleness and reverence,” which Jesuit Father Felix Korner said means taking the attitude that “the person talking to me has a real question; through the question I discover the deeper grounds of my hope and joy; I try to respond by making myself and our faith understood.”

The Jesuit, a theology professor at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University and expert in Christian-Muslim relations, said, “Apologetics in the restricted, poor, primitive sense later became: ‘I learn some answers, and I respond to any question as if it were an attack by refuting the other.’”

To make apologetics part of a true Christian witness, he said, involves “being interested in the newness of the question” posed and “challenged by its rationality, daring to explore deeper my own tradition and hope.”

Pope Benedict XVI and the Pontifical Council for Culture have chosen the path of dialogue to explore the issues and objections to faith raised by some secular humanists, atheists and agnostics. The pope invited nonbelievers to his day of dialogue for peace in Assisi last October and the pontifical council has launched a dialogue project called “the Courtyard of the Gentiles” to explore issues raised by experts in the fields of politics, economics, law, literature and the arts.

An effort to combine dialogue and

apologetics is found in Catholic Voices, an organization in the United Kingdom that compiles detailed responses to current questions and trains Catholics to present official church teaching civilly and clearly in the media when questions are raised on controversial topics.

The need for articulate Catholics who could remain calm under fire became evident after a 2009 formal debate in England in which Hitchens and the actor Stephen Fry faced off against Nigerian Archbishop John Onaiyekan of Abuja and Ann Widdecombe, a Catholic member of Parliament. The crowd clearly was on the side of Hitchens and Fry, who argued against the motion that “the Catholic Church is a force for good.”

Jack Valero, coordinator of Catholic Voices and U.K. press spokesman for Opus Dei, said the group began by trying to respond to objections raised by groups protesting Pope Benedict’s 2010 visit to Scotland and England. The issues included homosexuality, contraception, assisted suicide, clerical sexual abuse, abortion, AIDS, same-sex marriage and women in the church.

“Once we had identified the issues, we studied how best to answer them and developed our apologetics materials,” Valero said.

But having written responses isn’t enough. “If somebody communicates aggressively, which is not a very Christian way to behave, then the message does not come across,” he said.

12 CLASSIFIEDS

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 20, 2012

Employment

Job Seeking

Teachers - St. Joseph Early Education Center, Shawnee, is seeking to hire two part-time extended day teachers to work with students in grades K - 6, Mon. - Fri., from 3 - 6 p.m. and an infant teacher. Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Virtus training is preferred. Contact Ms. Theresa at (913) 248-4589 or (913) 631-0004.

Bookkeeper/office manager - Seeking a parttime or full-time position as a bookkeeper or a clerical position in the Johnson County area. 30 years experience. Member of St. Patrick Parish, Kansas City, Kan. For a resume, contact Nancy at (913) 788-3563 or send an email to: powellna2001@yahoo.com.

Administrative assistant – Church of the Holy Cross, Overland Park, is seeking a part-time (25 hours per week) administrative assistant in the church office. Applicants should possess effective interpersonal skills; be able to organize daily office activities and special projects; be familiar with Microsoft Office software; and have data entry experience. Fluency in English and Spanish is desirable. For a complete job description or an application, contact Mark at (913) 381-2755; send an email to: mengen@holycrossopks. org; or visit the website at: www.holycrossopks.org.

Application deadline is Jan. 31.

Marketing manager for New Channels Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA), an international nonprofit organization sponsoring children in 22 developing countries, is seeking an individual with an entrepreneurial spirit and a heart for serving families living in poverty. The marketing manager for New Channels will help develop strategies to cross paths with people of all faiths and invite them to join us in the empowering adventure of sponsorship. We are looking for someone with specific skills and demonstrated experience researching and entering new markets with strategies and plans designed to meet organizational goals. Qualifications include: a bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, business or related field, or equivalent corporate/nonprofit experience in a professional capacity; plus 3 - 5 years of progressively responsible experience in guiding, managing and implementing marketing, communications, advertising and/or business development. Experience in branding strategies and/or experience working with nonprofits a plus.

For information or to apply, visit the website at: www. cfcausa.org/employment.

Services Dog- and/or housesitting - Graduate of Rockhurst High School and Benedictine College is available for dog- or housesitting. Will also do basic yard work, moving, errand-running, chauffeuring and more. Curé of Ars parishioner. Call Seán Rielley at (913) 563-9333 or send an email to: srielley@sbc global.net.

Academic tutoring and music lessons - Instructor is degreed. For information, call (913) 2062151 or send an email to: Klmamuric@yahoo.com.

Theresa’s Tutoring - Tutoring of all ages. 28 years of experience. References provided. Call (913) 271-5891.

Machine quilting - by Jenell Noeth, Basehor.

Also, quilts made to order. Call (913) 724-1837.

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

Computer repair and upgrades/virus, spyware & malware removal - Microsoft certified, 11+ yrs. experience. Member of Sacred Heart Parish. Call Matt at (816) 876-6619 or send an email to him at: mattcomputerfix@gmail.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).

Principal - Holy Trinity Elementary School, Paola, is seeking a principal. Holy Trinity serves 141 students, taught by 14 teachers. Applicant must be a practicing Catholic and hold an administrative license from the Kansas State Department of Education, or be eligible to receive one. Candidates should complete the principal application available on the website at: www.archkckcs.org. Application deadline is Feb. 3. For information, call Dr. Kathleen O’Hara, archdiocesan superintendent, at (913) 721-1570 or send an email to her at: kohara@archkckcs.org.

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

Hospice chaplain - Full-time (40 hours/week) salaried position. Requirements include: a minimum of two years hospice experience; completion of one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education, or the willingness to obtain; graduation from an accredited seminary or school of theology. To download an application, visit the website at: catholiccharitiesks.iapplicants.com/ application.php (EEO)

Semi-retired arborist - Available for tree and shrub trimming. Call Bob at (913) 231- 6460.

Associate superintendent of Catholic schools - For the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. The ideal candidate will have the knowledge, skills, and theological depth and experience to provide leadership and vision in the areas of Catholic identity, curriculum and technology integration. Candidates who are interested in making a difference in Catholic education, hold an advanced degree in education, professional credentials in educational administration and have a minimum of five years experience as a Catholic school administrator, are encouraged to call Christine Ostrom at (816) 756-1850, ext. 277. To apply online, visit the website at: http://jobs.diocese-kcsj. org/?cid=4&lid=118. Application deadline is Feb. 1.

Financial representative - Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding financial representatives in the Kansas City, Topeka and Atchison areas. This position is ideal for a determined, high-energy, high-expectation, professional, self-disciplined, independent individual desiring to serve others, yet earn a better-than-average income. We provide top-rated financial products to our members and their families and will provide excellent benefits and training. For information or an interview, contact John A. Mahon, 307 Dakota, Holton KS 66436; or call (785) 364-5450.

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: mikehammermoving@aol.com.

QuickBooks® for small business - Setup, customization and maintenance; quarterly and/or yearly accounting; support to your CPA, balance monthly statements, profit and expense tracking. Free consultations! Call Ann Evans Consulting LLC at (913) 4069778.

Caregiving 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.

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 and based in Lenexa. Call Benefits of Home-Senior Care at (913) 422-1591 or visit our website at: www.benefitsofhome.com.

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 20, 2012 CNA home health care professional - Provides excellent service and personal assistance for seniors and the homebound. Over 20 years experience. Excellent references and reasonable rates. Let me reduce your stress by helping you keep your loved one comfortably at home. Call Rosalyn at (816) 830-7455.

Private senior care - Registered nurse offering medical and nonmedical services. Keeping seniors at home and independent. Call (913) 522-4938 or send an email to: jcseniorcare@gmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity Parish, Lenexa.

Certified CNA - Looking to give the very best nursing care to your loved one in the privacy of their own home. Experience with dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. Excellent references; background check welcome. Full time; daytime preferred. Johnson and Wyandotte County areas. (913) 999-4340.

Housekeeper/companion/elder care - Retired nurse with over 25 years experience is seeking a fulltime care position. Days/nights/weekends. Will consider outside the metro area or a live-in position as well. Rates negotiable. Call (913) 579-5276.

Home Improvement Adept Home Improvements Where quality still counts!

Basement finishing, Kitchens and baths, Electrical and plumbing, Licensed and insured.

(913) 599-7998 Helping Hand Handy Man - Home maintenance, upgrades and chores available by the hour. Special rate for senior and single-parent households. Electrical, painting, wood refinishing, wood rot repair, deck repair, yardwork, small to medium tree trimming, gutter cleaning, shelving and organizing. Most home problems and needs solved. Member of Prince of Peace, Olathe. Call Mark Coleman at (913) 526-4490.

Handyman - Light hauling, electrical, plumbing, painting and carpentry. Efficient and affordable. Call Michael Broton at (816) 728-6109.

Tim the handyman - Small jobs are my specialty! Faucets, garbage disposals, toilets, light fixtures, ceiling fans, handrails, window screen repair, bush trimming and garden tilling. Free estimates. JoCo only. Call (913) 859-0471.

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) 579-1835. Email: smokeycabin@ hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.

Electrician - Free estimates; reasonable rates.

JoCo and south KC metro. Call Pat at (913) 963-9896.

Master electrician - Licensed in Missouri and Kansas. 35 years experience in residential and commercial electrical needs. Call Rick, L & M Electric, at (913) 362-1501 or (816) 781-1501.

Roofing insurance specialist - Free estimates; repairs if needed. Hail/wind damage inspections. Insured and reasonable. Call Rob (913) 206-4524.

Heating and air conditioning - Serving Johnson, Wyandotte and northern Miami counties. Seasonal tune-ups, full system replacements, and everything in between. 20 years experience. Call Jon at (913) 850-3376.

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 Custom countertops - Laminates installed within 5 days. Cambria, granite, and solid surface.

Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.

Fire & water damage restoration - Framing, insulation, painting, tile and mold treatment. Lead safe certified; fully insured. Serving Wyandotte and Johnson counties for 22 years. Call Jerry at (913) 631-5241.

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.

Swalms Organizing Service - Basement, garage, attic, shop — any room organized! Items taken to donation sites, trash is bagged, and areas are clean and neat when job is complete. To view before-andafter pictures, visit the website at: www.swalms.com.

Over 20 years of organizing experience; insured. Call Tillar at (913) 375-9115.

Vacation Travel to Cuba - With the Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce from June 7 - 15. The cost of only $3,299 per person includes round-trip airfare from Miami, meals, lodging, daily touring and more. This People to People cultural program is in conjunction with our member partner, Chamber Explorations.

Call Sherri Lund at (785) 242-1000; send an email to: chambersl@ottawakansas.org; or visit the website at: www.ottawakansas.org. Call today! $500 deposit is due by Jan. 27.

Breckenridge, Colo. - 2 BR, 2 BA condo; sleeps 8. Roomy, first-floor unit with washer/dryer, gas fireplace, ski closet, Wi-Fi, cable and covered parking. One block to slopes; two blocks to downtown; 30 steps to hot tubs. For discounted pricing and availability, call (816) 392-2730.

For Rent For rent - 1 BR, 1 BA apartment in Shawnee near Nieman and Johnson Dr. $510/month; utilities included. 10911 W. 59th Terr. For a virtual tour, visit the website at: www. shawnee-rentals.com. (913) 649-7596.

For Sale Rare opportunity – Last chance to get four adjacent burial lots in the Ascension Garden at Resurrection Cemetery, Lenexa. Current value is $1725 each; will only sell together at $1700 each. Call Jim at (706) 467-2632.

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.

Wanted to Buy Typewriter - Manual or electric in good working condition. Call (816) 561-0721.

Lionel trains wanted - Call Don at (913) 485-6700.

Cash for your antiques - Coins, watches, silverware, old rifles and shotguns, pocket knives, old military items, Zippo lighters, duck decoys, antique toys, old signs, old pine or primitive furniture. Call Chris at (913) 593-7507 or (913) 642-8269. *** Want to buy *** Antique or vintage jewelry Single pieces or entire estate Renee Maderak (913) 631-7179 St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee 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.

To purchase a classified ad:

Send an email to: jennifer@theleaven.com, or call (913) 647-0327. The cost is $17.50 for the first five lines; $1.50 per additional line.

Jan. 21

A memorial liturgy for deceased loved ones will be held at 8 a.m. on Jan. 21 at Curé of Ars Church, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. The bereavement ministry will have its monthly meeting following Mass in the Father Burak Room. The topic will be: “Challenges in the New Year.” For information, call (913) 649-2026.

The archdiocesan monthly pro-life Mass will be held at 8 a.m. on Jan. 21 at Sts. Cyril & Methodius Church, 44 N. Mill, Kansas City, Kan., followed by a rosary procession to an abortion clinic four blocks away. Eucharistic adoration is available for those not processing; Benediction concludes services at 9:45 a.m.

The Shawnee Knights of Columbus will host a dance from 7 - 11 p.m. on Jan. 21 in their hall, located at 11221 Johnson Dr. The band Riptide will perform music from the ’60s and ’70s. The suggested donation of $5 includes Polish sausage, chips and snacks. Drinks will be available for purchase. Adults only; 21 years and older. For information or to make a group reservation, call Keith Winterhalter at (913) 631-2173 or Gary VandeBerghe at (913) 226-4407.

St. Francis de Sales Parish, 900 Ida St., Lansing, will host a mini-retreat from 10 a.m. - noon on Jan. 21, led by Father John Graden, OSFS. Lunch will be provided. Freewill offerings will be appreciated.

St. Agnes Parish, 5250 Mission Rd., Roeland Park, will host a day of recollection from 9 a.m. - noon on Jan. 21.

The mini-retreat will include praying the rosary, Mass, a presentation by Father Harry Schneider, a continental breakfast, and Benediction. All are welcome to attend. There is no charge; freewill donations will be accepted.

The Shawnee Knights of Columbus will hold their annual basketball freethrow contest on Jan. 21 in the small gym at St. Joseph Parish, 11525 Johnson Dr. Boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 14 should arrive by 8:30 a.m. and bring a copy of their birth certificate and parental permission form. There is no entry fee. High school athletes are advised to check with their coach regarding eligibility. Plaques will be awarded.

For information, call Robin Mika at (913) 268-9934.

The Curé of Ars Singles will host a winter fantasy dance from 7:30 - 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 21 in the school cafeteria located at 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood.

The cost of $15, payable at the door, includes hors d’oeuvres, desserts, wine, beer, soda, and bottled water. For information, call (913) 631-6873.

22

The Daughters of Isabella, Little Flower Circle No. 503, will host a covered dish luncheon at noon on Jan. 22 at Rossiter Hall, 204 S.W. 8th, Topeka.

A rosary for sick and deceased members and a business meeting will follow.

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

A candlelight vigil in remembrance of the anniversary of Roe v. Wade will be held from 7 - 8 p.m. on Jan. 22 in front of the abortion clinic located at 7th and Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Leaders of local pro-life organizations will attend and speak briefly about the services they provide.

25

Daughters of Isabella, Our Lady of Fatima Circle, will meet at 1 p.m. on Jan. 25 in Davern Hall at Christ the King Church, 3025 N. 53rd St., Kansas City, Kan. The Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., will offer “Leaving a Spiritual Legacy” from 9:30 - 11 a.m. on Jan. 25. A spiritual will is a statement of core values. Participants will learn the process for writing a spiritual will. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the website at: www.mountosb.org/kwc.

Sophia Center, 751 S. 8th St., Atchison, will host “Give Beauty Back To God,” presented by Sister Thomasita Homan, OSB, from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Jan. 25. How does one give beauty back to God, source of all beauty? Come and ponder this question as you visit beauty in Scripture, creation, literature, art and daily life. For information or to register, call (913) 360-6151 or visit the website at: www.mountosb.org/sophia.html.

A course in the sympto-thermal method of natural family planning will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 25 at St. John the Evangelist School, 1208 Kentucky St., Lawrence. A reasonable course fee is charged. For information or to register, call Christine or David Downey at (913) 837-3182; the Couple-to-Couple League of Kansas City at (913) 894-3558; or visit the website at: www.cclkc.org.

26 Join the Direction for Our Times prayer group in praying the

luminous mysteries of the rosary at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 26 at Holy Cross Church, 8311 W. 93rd St., Overland Park.

For information, call Colette Morrissey at (913) 341-9682 or visit the website at: www.directionforourtimes.org.

The Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., will offer “Senior Nutrition: Cooking for One or Two” from 9:30 - 11 a.m. on Jan. 26.

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

27 & 28

The 2012 Men of Valor Conference, as well as the Women of Virtue and the Youth for Truth conferences, will be held on Jan. 27-28 at the College of the Nazarene, 2020 E. Sheridan, Olathe. For more information or to register, go to the website at: http://kcmov.eventbrite.com. The event is sponsored, in part, by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and Prince of Peace Parish, Olathe.

28

The Knights of Columbus at Curé of Ars Parish, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood, will host a Valentine’s Day family night at 6 p.m. on Jan. 28 in the school cafeteria. An Italian dinner catered by Carrabba’s Italian Grill will be

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

served. The cost is $20 per person; $55 maximum per family. Proceeds benefit local seminarians. For information or to RSVP, call (913) 226-4476.

Marillac Center, 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth, will host a one-day retreat, entitled “Making Things New,” from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Jan. 28. Presenters Cathy Newton and Sister Noreen Walter teach participants how to discover new possibilities; face the challenges of change; live in the present moment; and identify strategies to be more innovative. The suggested donation of $15 will include refreshments and lunch. Overnight accommodations are available for an additional $55. To register, visit the website at: www.marillaccenter.org or send an email to: retreats@scls.org.

Tom Jacobs will offer a mini-retreat, “The Art, Prayer and Practice of Meditation,” from 9 a.m. - noon on Jan. 28 at St. Joseph Medical Center, 1000 Carondelet Dr., Kansas City, Mo. Learn the sacred practice of meditation and contemplative prayer. The cost is $25, payable at the door. Space is limited and preregistration is required. For information or to register, call (816) 619-3499 or send an email to: tbjacobs@earthlink.net.

The Altar Society at Holy Family Church, Kansas City, Kan., will offer a struklji making class at 10 a.m. on Jan. 28 at the social club, 513 Ohio Ave. Participants will learn how to make this traditional Slovenian dish and enjoy a salad luncheon. To RSVP, call Marcia Wolf at (816) 454-1378, Sandy Sachen Cannon at (913) 396-1564, or the parish office at (913) 371-1561. A donation of $10 to cover the cost of supplies and lunch is appreciated.

Holy Cross Parish, Overland Park, will host its annual celebration “Bettin’ on the Future” on Jan. 28 in the parish activities center, 8101 W. 95th St. The doors will open at 5 p.m. The cost is $60 per person. For information or to purchase tickets, call Melissa Nielsen at (913) 962-5852 or send an email to her at: nielsen@everestkc.net.

The school council of Holy Family School, Topeka, will host a homecoming dinner, dance and silent auction on Jan. 28. A social hour will begin at 5 p.m., followed by an Italian dinner and dancing from 7 - 11 p.m. Tickets cost $25 per person. For information or to purchase tickets, call Debi Meier at (785) 640-4662. Limited child care will be available.

29

The Altar Society of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, 411 Pioneer St., Seneca, will host a pancake breakfast on Jan. 29 from 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. Freewill donations will be collected.

The students and alumni of Prince of Peace Parish, 16000 W. 143rd St., Olathe, will host their annual “Give and Get” coat and shoe exchange from 7:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Jan. 29 in the St. Luke Room (next to the school cafeteria).

A huge selection of gently used coats, shoes, hats, scarves, mittens, blankets and more will be available to all members of the community. Donations will be accepted through Jan. 28 in the church gathering area.

CALENDAR 13

30

The Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., will offer “Fashion and Flair on a Budget” from 10 - 11 a.m. on Jan. 30. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the website at: www.mountosb. org/kwc.

Feb.

2

The St. Philippine Duchesne Latin Mass Community will celebrate a Mass in honor of the purification of Mary at 7 p.m. on Feb. 2 at Blessed Sacrament Church, 2203 Parallel, Kansas City, Kan. A traditional blessing of candles and procession will proceed the Mass. The sacrament of reconciliation will be offered 30 minutes before Mass.

For information, contact the Fraternity of St. Peter at (913) 236-0005.

4

The Boy Scout Troop at Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish, 22705 Metcalf, Bucyrus, will host a spaghetti dinner from 4:30 - 7 p.m. on Feb. 4 in the parish hall. The cost is: $10 for adults; $5 for children ages 5 - 10 (children under 5 eat free); $25 maximum per family.

5

St. Patrick Parish, 1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kan., will host a spaghetti dinner on Feb. 5 from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. All proceeds will benefit the Sisters, Servants of Mary. For information or to purchase tickets in advance, call (913) 371-3423.

Misc.

Rediscover your marriage! The Retrouvaille program offers the opportunity to rediscover yourself, your spouse, and a loving relationship. The next Retrouvaille weekend is Feb. 17 - 19. For confidential information or to register, call 1 (800) 470-2230 or visit the website at: www.retrouvaille.org.

MOCSA provides a support group and counseling for Spanish-speaking women who have experienced sexual assault. Sessions are held at Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For information, call Marcela Rogers at (816) 285-1333.

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

Calendar submissions: Are due at noon on Wednesday, nine days prior to the publication date.

Calendar items will be publicized according to the date of the event. Email submissions to: jennifer@theleaven. com.

Want to help someone heal from an abortion?

Call Toll Free 888-246-1504

14 COMMENTARY

Catholic Press Association Award Winner

1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

QUOTE WEEK

OF THE

“Everybody is walking around with mismatched old sweats and sweaters. They wear slippers instead of shoes because they can’t afford shoes.”

Monica Olivera See story on page 4

THIRD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

H

Jan. 24 Francis de Sales, bishop, doctor of the church 2 Sm 6: 12b-15, 17-19; Ps 24: 7-10; Mk 3: 31-35 Jan. 25 THE CONVERSION OF PAUL THE APOSTLE Acts 22: 3-16; Ps 117: 1-2; Mk 16: 15-18 Jan. 26 Timothy and Titus, bishops 2 Tm 1: 1-8; Ps 96: 1-3, 7-8a, 10; Mk 4: 21-25 Jan. 27 Angela Merici, virgin 2 Sm 11: 1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17; Ps 51: 3-7, 10-11; Mk 4: 26-34 Jan. 28 Thomas Aquinas, priest, doctor of the church 2 Sm 12: 1-7a, 10-17; Ps 51: 12-17; Mk 4: 35-41

COMMENTARY 15

MARK MY WORDS

SIMPLY STEWARDSHIP

Stop whatever you’re doing right now

Counting my blessings (instead of sheep)

ey, I’m serious about that headline. Please stop for 30 seconds or so.

There. Feel better? Now, take a few moments to read this little story: A farmer awoke one morning, looked out his window and found that overnight a field of daffodils had sprung up around his home. “How beautiful!” he exclaimed. “I’d like to stay and wander among the flowers, but I have to plow the north wheat field today.” When he returned that evening, the daffodils had withered and died.

The next day, the farmer saw two small sparrows perched on the branch outside his window. Their feathers were smooth and dark and their song soared joyfully about him. “What beautiful music!” he sighed. “I’ll come and listen after I’ve milked the cows.” But when he returned, the birds had flown away.

The following day, the farmer awoke and heard the clatter of hooves on his front drive. He looked out the window and saw a great white stallion dancing and cavorting in the sunlight, inviting him to ride through the fields. “You are the most beautiful horse I’ve ever seen,” he said. “I’ll return to ride off with you as soon as I have mended the south fence.” When he returned, the stallion was gone.

Each morning for many years, the farmer witnessed some new wonder outside his window. But there was a farm to care for and he never found time to stop and share in these miracles.

(Adapted from Paul J. Wharton’s “Stories and Parables for Preachers and Teachers.”)

There’s a four-letter word, found in that story, that I encourage you to use often: STOP. Most of us are so busy each day that we only remember to take time for ourselves when we’re so exhausted or ill that our bodies force us to rest.

Like the farmer above, when we fail

Jan. 22 THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Jon 3: 1-5, 10; Ps 25: 4-9; 1 Cor 7: 29-31; Mk 1: 14-20 Jan. 23 Vincent, deacon, martyr 2 Sm 5: 1-7, 10; Ps 89: 20-22, 25-26; Mk 3: 22-30

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 20, 2012

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 20, 2012

to stop — when we’re constantly driven by our work or our commitments — we fail to really notice and appreciate the miracles in life. And, by being so tired that we simply react to what life throws at us, we then open ourselves to all sorts of grief. An unguarded comment, an angry outburst or an impulsive choice, for example, can have long-lasting, devastating consequences.

In his helpful and entertaining book, “Why Make Yourself Crazy?” author C. Gaynor McTigue writes: “There’s nothing wrong with doing nothing. In fact, it wouldn’t hurt to set aside time each day to do just that. Nothing. Sit and relax. . . . You’re grabbing the reins of a runaway team of horses and pulling them back into an easy, manageable pace. You’re freeing up your mind. Getting control of yourself. Learning that living is not just doing . . . but being. Cut yourself some slack now and then and enjoy some good, salutary nothing time. Why make yourself crazy?”

A new year is always a great time to try something different and beneficial.

Why not stop some of the insanity in your life and replace it with peacefulness? Practicing that four-letter word — stop — is a simple way to make life, well, simpler.

Here are some quick examples: • When you’re out shopping and reach for some “impulse item” in the checkout line, mentally say, “Stop.” Very often, that split second is enough to help you resist buying what you probably

don’t really need.

• While driving, a whispered “Stop!” to yourself when someone cuts you off or doesn’t signal a turn can prevent you from honking your horn or yelling at the offending party . . . and thus keep your blood pressure in check.

• Instead of complaining about the cold weather, taking a moment to stop and reflect can shift your thinking into being grateful for the blessing of a warm home or a working heater in your car.

• When tempted to fly off the handle with a child’s “energetic” behavior, taking a second to stop can provide a different perspective: for example, being grateful that your child isn’t spending the day in a hospital battling some serious illness.

Taking time to rest is nothing new to us of the Judeo-Christian tradition.

The Third Commandment directs us to keep holy the Sabbath. A beautiful explanation of what this means comes from Father Anthony Oelrich, the rector of the cathedral in St. Cloud, Minn., who writes that the Sabbath “was made for human beings, for human flourishing, not human beings for the sake of observing laws concerning the Sabbath.

Or another way to say it, the point of observing a weekly Sabbath rest is to help human beings experience authentic life.” The Sabbath is a gift, an invitation to take a step back each week from our normal duties, to reorient our priorities, and to realign our vision with that of God. It’s too bad that the days of the telegram are over. Its traditional way of stating messages can be a vivid reminder of the importance of taking a break.

Wow, I don’t believe it, but this telegram just arrived for you: ARTICLE READ STOP ALL ELSE CAN WAIT STOP PRAY NAP TREASURE BLESSINGS STOP MAKE TIME DAILY TO . . . STOP

IN THE BEGINNING

Nineveh serves as both example and promise

S

ome rivalries last for generations. The rivalry between Kansas University and the University of Missouri dates back to the years following the Civil War, which marked considerable antagonism between the two states. With the University of Missouri leaving the Big 12 conference, that may change. But old rivalries die hard.

In ancient Israel, the city of Nineveh represented a THIRD SUNDAY IN major rivalry.

ORDINARY TIME The center of Jon 3: 1-5, 10 the Assyrian empire, it was located near the modern city of Mosul, in present-day Iraq.

This hostility between Nineveh and Israel establishes the context for the story in Sunday’s first reading — Jon 3:1-5, 10. God sends the prophet Jonah to Nineveh to warn the people there of impending punishment for their sins: “Forty days more and Nineveh shall be destroyed.”

Jonah had barely begun to spread this message when the people of Nineveh took it to heart: “The people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast and all of them, great

and small, put on sackcloth.”

This dramatic conversion on the part of the inhabitants of its hated rival provides the people of Israel with an example to imitate. It also issues a strong challenge: If the Ninevites can repent, surely the Israelites can as well.

Just as important is the other point that the story makes. Even though the Ninevites are sworn enemies of Israel, God is still willing to forgive them: “When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil that he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.”

But this reprieve does not last forever. In 612 B.C., the city of Nineveh was completely destroyed by the Baby-

lonians and never rebuilt. The prophet Nahum views Nineveh’s destruction as a judgment upon its wickedness: “A jealous and avenging God is the Lord, an avenger is the Lord and angry; the Lord brings vengeance on his adversaries, and lays up wrath for his enemies.”

Nahum’s entire book focuses upon God’s punishment of Nineveh.

Most likely, the city of Nineveh had already been destroyed when the Book of Jonah was written, probably some time after the exile in Babylonia.

The Book of Jonah then is looking back to earlier times, to an earlier rivalry that would no longer threaten Israel, to an example of God’s mercy which, being somewhat removed in time, could be viewed with a more objective eye.

In this way, the story of Jonah and the Ninevites becomes a call to conversion for the people of Israel, and a reminder of God’s mercy toward all people.

Father Mike Stubbs is the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University.

R

osemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Eddie Fisher, Amy Grant, Diana Krall, Barry Manilow, and who knows how many other performers have sung this memorable song written by Cole Porter, “Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep).”

I think of when I had none at all And I fall asleep counting my blessings

I have no doubt that you can sing it yourself. This song was one of our family’s favorites, always reminding me of the 1950s and 1960s when my brothers and sisters and I were kids.

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds If you’re worried and you can’t sleep Just count your blessings instead of sheep And you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings

When I’m worried and I can’t sleep I count my blessings instead of sheep And I fall asleep counting my blessings When my bankroll is getting small

“Count your blessings” was among my mother’s many little sayings. “Pray about it” was another. My nieces established a Facebook group for our

family named after another of her habitual sayings: “Love ya, love ya, love ya!” Once was not enough. She always repeated “love ya” three times.

As we embark on another year in the archdiocesan office of stewardship and development and the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas, counting our blessings is high on our list of things to do. So is prayer. Without daily prayer, we are aware that we could lose our focus on why we are here.

The people in this office serve God, one another and the church by stewarding responsibly the many gifts we have received. Every day the people in our office work hard to help strengthen and sustain the archdiocese, our parishes, and ministries by doing work that is often unnoticed.

From rosters and data entry, to minutes and correspondence, to important documentation and reports, to websites and training manuals, their work is substantial and historically important to the archdiocese. We each

realize that we are just doing our part as members of the body of Christ, and that we are privileged to do so.

I would like to commend, however, with deep gratitude, the people who work hard for you and our beautiful church: Stacy Niedbalski, annual appeal specialist for the Archbishop’s Call to Share; Becky Calvert, data management specialist; Gary Pratt, planned giving officer; Dianna Bagby, administrative assistant; and our part-time accountant from the accounting office, Peg Ellington. Please pray for them and for a successful 2012 Archbishop’s Call to Share.

I often go to sleep counting my blessings. These bright, faith-filled workers are right there at the top of my list. I would like to say to each of them: “Love ya, love ya, love ya!”

Lesle Knop is the executive director of the archdiocesan office of stewardship and development. You can email her at: lknop@archkck.org.

¿QUÉ PASA? — IN HISPANIC MINISTRY

A

Animator provides his own ministry’s ‘year in review’

recent issue of The Leaven was called “2011: The Year in Review.” I read and reread it from cover to cover and it seems to me that it missed quite a few events. And so here you have it — the 2011 Hispanic Ministry Year in Review.

• January — The 2010 census numbers indicated that we have grown another archdiocese, as over 100,000 in our area now identify themselves as Hispanic.

• February — We began the preEncuentro process as our office visited all 11 parishes with Hispanic ministry for some listening sessions to plan the future.

• March — We held an archdiocesan Encuentro at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kan., where we brought together 145 leaders to evaluate the past and plan the future of Hispanic ministry here in the archdiocese.

• April — A group of religious leaders begin to meet around the issue of immigration. We would eventually form an organization called AIRR (Advocate for Immigration Reform and Reconciliation) and we even received a grant from Justice for Immigrants campaign of the U.S. bishops.

• May — On May 7, the Hispanic community gathered together at Sts.

Cyril & Methodius Church in Kansas City, Kan., for the annual Pro Vida Mother’s Day Mass and procession.

• June — We celebrated another Impactos family retreat with about 200 people at the pastoral center and, in November, our archdiocesan team would bring the gift of Impactos to the Diocese of Salina, organizing its first retreat.

• July — We celebrated another chastity retreat with the True Love Waits program in which about 50 teens participated.

• August — In this month and the next, the Catholic Hispanic community was busy doing door-to-door missions in Topeka, Bonner Springs and Kansas City, Kan. • September — Once again, we started up the second year of faith formation for 33 students of the Formation of Leaders for the New Evangelization and we also started up a catechetical formation program.

• October — The first anniversary

of Mass in Spanish at Holy Trinity in Lenexa was celebrated with the joyful voices of our children’s choir.

• November — We celebrated the Day of the Dead for the Hispanic community in Bonner Springs at its local community center.

• December — Guadalupe celebrations were in full swing with all parishes reporting record-breaking numbers.

• January 2012: We started off the year running full steam with a two-day workshop — “The Word of God” — in Topeka; a weekend vocation retreat; and also a two-day workshop on human relation.

These are just a few of the highlights of 2011. And, yes, we could say more, but as The Leaven reminds us, there just isn’t enough space to print everything.

Feliz 2012.

Father Pat Murphy, CS, is the archdiocesan animator for the archdiocesan office of Hispanic ministry.

World Marriage Day Marriage as Sacrament: The Healing Power of Love ALL MARRIED COUPLES are invited by

Archbishop Joseph Naumann

to celebrate their Sacrament at a special Mass for Marriage

Sunday, February 12, 2012 3:00 p.m. Mass

For information contact Office of Marriage & Family Life 913-721-1570 St. Therese Parish, 7207 NW Highway 9, Kansas City, MO. 64152

16 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 20, 2012

38th annual Snow Ball supports neighbors in need The generosity of the Catholic community shone at the 38th annual Snow Ball, as patrons and guests came together to raise more than $1.6 million for the Catholic Charities Foundation of Northeast Kansas on Jan. 14.

Proceeds from the black-tie gala will help provide the most basic needs, such as food and utilities, to children and families in the community.

One such Snow Ball-funded entity is the Emergency Assistance and Housing program. Last year 43,380 individuals received food and assistance for utilities, rent and other needs.

Another program is the St. Benedict’s Early Education Center in Kansas City, Kan. Many young parents depend on the center for child care while they pursue an education to better the lives of their children and themselves.

Still another program is Shalom House, Wyandotte County’s only homeless shelter for men. Last year, 150 men found refuge there and received 160,000 meals provided by volunteers.

More than 1,650 guests enjoyed a cocktail reception and formal dinner, followed by dancing to the Karen Davis Project and Billy Meynier at the Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center, formerly the Hyatt Regency.

For more event coverage, visit the website at: www.catholiccharitiessnow ball.org.

Mel and Pat McAnany, Snow Ball presidents, announce to the more than 1,650 guests that the event raised more than $1.6 million.

Pat and Mel McAnany, Snow Ball presidents, and Marlys and Michael R. Haverty, honorary Snow Ball presidents, display an original painting of the good Samaritan at the 38th annual Snow Ball, held in Kansas City, Mo. The painting was presented to the Havertys as a token of appreciation for their work.

Photos by Brian Turner

Jan Lewis (left), president and CEO of Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, speaks with Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and his niece, DeeDee Naumann (right).