02-06-09 Vol. 30 No. 24

WWW.THELEAVEN.COM | NEWSPAPER OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF KANSAS CITY IN KANSAS | VOL. 30, NO. 24 FEBRUARY 6, 2009

Leaven photo by Elaina Cochran

Quinn Michaud (left), Ellie Todd, Parker Schmitt, Daisie Atkinson, and Kelcey Hund, all first-graders at Xavier Elementary School in Leavenworth, demonstrate just what makes Catholic schools something to celebrate.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK

C

atholic schools in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas celebrated Catholic Schools Week Jan. 25-31. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann spent the week crisscrossing the archdiocese, praising the efforts of Catholic educators and their staffs and

celebrating Mass for the schoolchildren. For more Catholic Schools Week coverage from Topeka, Leavenworth and Seneca, see pages 8-9.

DON’T LET US DOWN

ST. PAUL

Did you forget? We need you to help us celebrate Catholic Press Month. Tell us which of our stories have touched your heart, changed your life, or just made you proud to be a Catholic.

Send your submissions to: anita@theleaven.com or Anita McSorley c/o The Leaven.

Leaven senior reporter Joe Bollig continues his series on St. Paul, detailing his persecution of Christians and his conversion.

And while you’re at it, could you also write to tell us how you spent your best Lent? Did you fast, pray, read, write, or do something else entirely? We’ve used up every single idea we’ve ever had for making a good Lent, and yet here it is, right around the corner again.

Send your submissions to the address above, but don’t delay. Lent starts Feb. 25.

3

2 ARCHBISHOP

THE LEAVEN • FEBRUARY 6, 2009

THE LEAVEN • FEBRUARY 6, 2009

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS

I

Of course, there is plenty of bad economic news that they have a responsibility to report. However, it seems, for the past couple of years, some in the media actually have been disappointed when the standard economic indicators did not meet the criteria for a recession. Now that we are definitely in a recession, there are some who seem eager to claim that the American economy is as bad as the Great Depression or even worse.

I readily admit that I am no economic expert. However, from my reading of economic history, one of the key factors that could help pull our nation into an economic depression is fear or panic.

There is a reason that President Franklin Roosevelt, when he was attempting to lead the nation out of the Great Depression, counseled Americans: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

Media professionals will tell you that bad news sells newspaper and gains high broadcast media ratings. However, with all the good that I witness every day happening within the church, it confuses me that the only things that are deemed worthy to report are the most recent layoff, the latest negative economic statistic, the gruesome violent crime of the day, the current political corruption scandal and the most recent attack on traditional moral values. This steady drumbeat of

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bad news gives one the impression that our nation is caught in the perfect storm.

There are several episodes in the Gospel where Jesus is with the disciples during a storm. In the fourth chapter of Mark’s Gospel (4:35-41), Jesus is asleep in the stern of the boat when “a violent squall came up and waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was already filling up.” The disciples wake up Jesus, asking him: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

Some days in my prayer, I can identify with the disciples. It seems like our world is caught in an uncontrollable storm and the Lord must be asleep. I feel like echoing the question of the disciples to the Lord: Do you not care that we are perishing?

Once Jesus was awakened, he “rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Quiet! Be still!’” At the command of Jesus, “the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” Then, Jesus has his own questions for the disciples: “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”

The image of Jesus serenely asleep in the boat during a violent storm, while the disciples are experiencing a panic attack, seems apt for our own circumstance. Our situation appears very

stormy and our fate uncertain. Even apart from all the societal chaos and bad news, there are the many personal burdens so many carry — a sick child, a strained marriage, a family member suffering from a terminal illness, a confused teenager, etc.

It is easy to become overwhelmed with fears for oneself, one’s family and for our country. Usually, when I bring all of my worries and anxieties to the Lord in prayer and allow Jesus to calm the turbulence of my spirit, I hear him asking me the same questions he asked the disciples in the boat: “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?”

Then, I begin to recall all the ways throughout my life that the Lord has blessed me and helped me through what I thought at the time were impossible situations. I begin to feel like the Israelites after the Lord had rescued them from slavery, complaining about the difficulty of their journey. Recall that after Moses left the people for a few days of prayer on the mountain where he received the Ten Commandments, he returns only to find that the Israelites have abandoned the true God who had liberated them to worship an idol fashioned by their own hands.

It requires no faith to believe what can already be seen clearly. Religious faith is trust that has been built through years of experience of the Lord’s fidelity to us.

Abraham, the great model of faith in the Old Testament, remained confident that God would fulfill his promise to make him the father of a great nation, even when, from human calculation, it no longer appeared possible.

Jesus has promised his disciples that he will remain with us until the end of time. Jesus is in the boat with us as surely as he was in the boat with his first disciples on that turbulent lake. If we have faith and we trust in him, Jesus can give us peace even in the midst of life’s most severe storms.

A little later in Mark’s Gospel (Mk 5: 21-43), we find the story of Jairus, a synagogue official, who pleaded with Jesus to come and heal his sick daughter. On their way to his home, Jairus receives word that his daughter has died.

Members of his own household counsel Jairus that the situation is futile and there is no longer any need for Jesus to come. The Lord has his own advice for Jairus: “Fear is useless. What is needed is trust.” Jesus goes to the home of Jairus and raises to life the young girl, who had already been pronounced dead.

If you are feeling overwhelmed and frightened because of what is going on in our world, our nation and/or in your own personal life, I suggest that you put down the newspaper and turn off the television. Instead, go to Mass or spend an hour in prayer before our eucharistic Lord. Surrender to Jesus all the problems that burden and weigh you down.

Ponder all the ways in which the Lord has brought you through so many challenges in the past. Take to heart the words Jesus spoke to Jairus: “Fear is useless. What is needed is trust.”

The chaos around you probably will not have subsided, but I am certain that Jesus will help you find peace even in the midst of the storm. unplanned pregnancy? decisions to make?

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Road to Damascus leads Saul in new direction

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Damascus to receive further instructions. When the vision was over, Saul was blind.

Meanwhile, another man was also receiving instructions from God: Ananias, a devout believer, was told to seek out Saul.

Ananias was a little apprehensive, because he knew of Saul’s reputation. But he obeyed.

Going to Saul, he laid hands on him saying, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:17).

Next, he baptized Saul. The persecutor had become the believer.

Paul’s conversion was not a radical change in religions, wrote Father Ronald D. Witherup in “101 Questions and Answers on Paul.” He did not trade Judaism for Christianity. He remained a Jew, but one who believed he had found, and was commissioned by, the Messiah.

According to Wright, the “Damascus Road Incident” forced Paul to totally rethink his perspective on the way God would act on his plan of salvation.

By JOE BOLLIG Leaven staff ou might say that Saul of Tarsus was a one-man wrecking crew.

In first-century Jerusalem, this rising young star among the Temple elite was creating a buzz. He was already known for kicking down doors and taking down names of the members of the subversive little sect that was spreading after the death of its charismatic leader, one Jesus of Nazareth.

Saul, the well-connected scion of a Jewish family in Asia Minor, spent his teenage years in Jerusalem studying the Torah under the renowned Rabbi Gamaliel.

The precocious Saul may have learned a lot from Gamaliel, but he didn’t share his tendency toward tolerance, according to the Anglican writer N.T. Wright, in “What Saint Paul Really Said.”

In fact, Saul quickly graduated from an earnest young scholar to a young tough for God. He participated in the lynch mob that stoned the first Christian martyr, the deacon St. Stephen.

And it didn’t end there.

Y

A man without a country

Threats, murder, and pursuit When the Temple authorities launched a severe persecution against the followers of Jesus — driving all but their leaders, the apostles, out of Jerusalem — Saul of Tarsus was right in the thick of it, according to the New Testament: “But Saul was ravaging the church by entering house after house; dragging off men and women, he committed them to prison” (Acts 8:3).

Saul, however, was no loose cannon. He was acting under the express authority of the Temple rabbis. In fact, he probably was in the mainstream of popular sentiment. In all probability, he thought he was a pretty good guy, acting in accord with the will of God. In “What Saint Paul Really Said,” Wright observes: “Saul of Tarsus was acting as best he knew ‘according to the Scriptures’ . . . a story in search of an ending, an ending he himself would help bring about.”

Why did he do what he did?

Look at it from Saul’s perspective.

Had the words of the prophets been fulfilled? No. Had Israel been restored?

Roman occupation was proof enough that it had not. Had the Messiah come and redeemed Israel? Obviously not.

If not, why not?

There could be only one answer: because Israel had not been faithful and was not pure.

Did not the holy Scriptures

photos courtesy of The Crosiers

CONVERTED

Paul was converted on the road to Damascus (above) where Jesus appeared to him and asked, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Afterwards, Paul began to preach passionately about Jesus as the Son of God. teach that disaster had fallen upon Israel in ancient times for just these reasons?

It was a relentless logic that led Saul the scholar to become Saul the persecutor. Not only would he hasten the day of the Lord by keeping the Torah wholeheartedly; he would force his fellow Jews to do likewise — by violence, if necessary. If Israel was to be saved, these apostate followers of Jesus of Nazareth must repent or die. God’s will be done!

So, Saul helped clean out Jerusalem. He was working on Judea and Samaria as well.

But it wasn’t good enough: “Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them

bound to Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1-2).

Destiny at high noon What happened next could have been likened to an episode of “The Twilight Zone.” The “Damascus Road Incident,” known to us as “the conversion of St. Paul,” is told three times in the New Testament’s Acts of the Apostles (9:1-19; 22:6-16; and 26:12-18).

Saul was nearing Damascus at about noon when a dazzling light flashed above him and he was knocked to the ground. A voice asked him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

“Who are you?” Saul responded.

“Jesus,” came the answer.

Saul then received his marching orders: to serve and testify to what he has seen; to open the eyes of those to whom he was being sent; to go to

ESCAPE Paul’s conversion from persecutor to believer made him the target of an assassination plot that was foiled when the Damascus Christian community smuggled him out of the city by lowering him over the wall in a basket (above).

As a new believer in Christ, Paul could not simply return to Jerusalem and continue his old associations. Nor could he necessarily join the local Christian community, which knew him only as a persecutor.

What next? It seems that God may have given him a direction: “So that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus” (Gal 1:16-17).

Paul began to passionately preach about Jesus being the Son of God. He was very effective, “confounding” other Jews with his message and change.

They asked themselves, “Isn’t this the guy who raised havoc in Jerusalem and sought to arrest those who believed Jesus was the Messiah? Now, he’s one himself!”

Apparently, Paul was so irritating that some of those he “confounded” decided to assassinate him. The Damascus Christian community found out and smuggled him out of the city by lowering him over the wall in a basket.

Ironically, it wasn’t until three years after his conversion experience that Paul decided he wanted to meet his fellow apostles in Jerusalem.

The question was: Would they want to meet him?

4 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • FEBRUARY 6, 2009

Archbishop hosts beneficiaries of Catholic Education Foundation

By KARA HANSEN Leaven staff KANSAS CITY, Kan. — For many of the families served by the Catholic Education Foundation, a simple “thank you” just isn’t enough.

“Being able to send our child to a Catholic school here is such a relief.

We’re so blessed to have it as an option for an education that is supportive of our Catholic beliefs,” said Kelley Murphy, a parishioner at Sacred Heart Parish in Ottawa.

That’s why she was delighted to have the chance to thank Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and the director of CEF face to face for the support they’ve received.

Murphy’s son Jackson is a firstgrader at Sacred Heart. Though Murphy said she and her husband, Ryan, always hoped to send their children to Catholic schools, they were not sure if it was something they could afford. Jackson’s sister has spina bifida and the medical treatment and services required by her disease strain the family’s finances.

“Without the foundation, it would be really hard for us to afford a Catholic education. CEF has been an incredible blessing,” said Murphy.

Murphy said she has already seen

The Catholic Education Foundation provides scholarships to children in need, providing an opportunity for them to receive a Catholic education. CEF serves children in one high school and 15 elementary schools across the archdiocese. This school year, 1,055 kids received financial assistance from CEF to attend their parish schools. To find out more information about CEF, visit the Web site at: www.cefks.org.

Photo courtesy of Patty Morrisey

Ryan and Kelley Murphy pose with Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann at a CEF dinner hosted by the archbishop at his house in December. The Murphys took the opportunity to thank him personally for the assistance they’ve received from the Catholic Education Foundation. the impact the Catholic environment Archbishop Naumann how much they has had on her son — from how he appreciate a Catholic education for beams when chosen to read at Mass to their sons and daughters. Archbishop his enthusiasm when asked to help his Naumann hosted the five families at a classmates.

Mass and dinner at his residence in “It’s been great to see him grasp the December.

Catholic faith,” said Murphy.

“This was a chance to bring CEF parThe Murphys, along with four other ents closer to Archbishop Naumann, families whose children are served by and the archbishop closer to them,” CEF, had the opportunity to share with said Michael Morrisey, executive direc-

tor for CEF. “Having that chance to share with one another gives the families a better understanding of the commitment Archbishop Naumann has made to Catholic education, and it helps him understand better the commitment these families make regardless of their socioeconomic situation.”

Families that participated were nominated by their children’s principals.

“We shared stories of what a Catholic education means to us,” said Murphy. “It was great to be able to relate to some of the bigger Catholic schools by talking to the different families, and it was incredible to hear everyone’s stories.”

Couple finds solace, purpose in sharing their son’s story Continued from page 16 room — all his friends and relatives.”

Msgr. Tank came to the Crosslands’ home that evening, where friends and family gathered for support.

“He talked to all Drew’s buddies and his friends,” said George. “We talked openly together, which was really good for everybody that night.”

“The kids were just overwhelmed,” said Jeane. “They don’t expect their friends to die at 23.”

Dealing with grief The Crosslands relied heavily on their strong faith and their Catholic community as they worked through their grief.

They said their parish family at Church of the Ascension was “outstanding” in its support.

George had begun an interdenominational Bible study earlier that year. He

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was grateful for the way it strengthened his faith.

“It’s strange how things work,” he said. “You always wonder if someone is moving you in a way to help prepare you for what is about to happen.”

After Drew’s death, Msgr. Tank told Jeane to be prepared to see signs of life she never would have noticed before.

“And it’s true,” she said. “As soon as we got home from the hospital, I got out of the car and I found a robin’s egg. Then, I was walking down a dirt road at our lake house and I found a rock in the shape of a heart. I just feel like [Drew] is our guardian angel.”

The Crosslands created a memorial around a redbud tree Drew had planted, incorporating rocks decorated with messages from his friends.

The family was only gradually learning to cope with their loss when Dallas entered STOP’s scholarship program, and God gave their tragedy a purpose.

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Healing through sharing Karen Leisner, coordinator for the Regional Prevention Center of Johnson, Leavenworth and Miami Counties in Olathe, said the scholarship essay submitted by Dallas was exactly what the agency was looking for.

“His application was exactly what STOP wanted to reward kids for — someone who was impacted and wants to take a stand against teenage drinking,” she said.

Leisner met the Crossland family at the STOP scholarship awards banquet in June 2007. When Jeane and George asked if there was any way they could become involved, Leisner didn’t hesitate.

STOP provided the perfect venue for the Crosslands to share their experience, suggested Leisner. By sharing their story, the couple could perhaps prevent future tragedies by helping to change old attitudes toward teen drinking.

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Audience reaction to the Crosslands’ speech has been “nothing but positive and supportive,” said Leisner. “They’re the last ones to leave the room at these presentations because so many people come up and want to talk.”

The schools have embraced the program and several have made it mandatory for both students and parents to attend. Leisner said STOP is extremely grateful to the Crosslands.

“They’ve been so helpful to our coalition, and I’m very thankful that they’re volunteering and giving us that story to share,” she said. “They’re there to say, ‘Look, we are the typical family. We tried everything, we raised great kids, and this happened. So it could happen to anybody.’”

“It’s really tough getting up there sometimes,” said Jeane. “But I know what happened to us happens to a lot of families.”

“I just want to help one child,” she added quietly, “and I hope I have.”

Collection helps black and Indian missions My dear friends, For over 125 years, dioceses across the country have collaborated in evangelizing Native-American and AfricanAmerican people in the United States through the National Black and Indian Mission Collection.

The tradition continues to this day: Many churches and schools in the Native-American and AfricanAmerican communities are supported in their evangelization efforts through grants to continue their programs and pastoral activities. In our own archdiocese, funds have gone to promote the Gospel to young Native Americans who attend Haskell Indian University and outreach in the urban communities of northeast Kansas City, Kan. Nationally, funds go to support and strengthen evangelization programs among the Black, American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleute communities of the United States.

Please join me as we Catholics carry out our Lord’s great commission to “go out and make disciples of all the nations” (Mt 28:19) by supporting the National Black and Indian Mission Collection which will be taken up Sunday, Feb. 8.

Together, we can make a difference in the faith lives of our black and Indian brothers and sisters when we support the national collection.

Dolores and Elmer Hutfles, members of St. Bede Parish, Kelly, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Feb. 7. The couple was married on Feb. 7, 1959, ANNIVERSARIES at Sacred Heart Parish in Sabetha. Their children and their spouses are: Eileen and Damian Gronniger, Denton; and Stanley Hutfles, Corning. They have one granddaughter. Cards may be directed to the couple at 1105 N Road, Corning, KS 66017.

Judy (Meyer) and Jim McGrath, members of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Topeka, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Feb. 7 with a Mass at 4 p.m. and a reception and dance at 6:30 p.m. at Mother Teresa Parish hall, hosted by their children. The couple was married on Feb. 7, 1959, at St. Dominic Church, Holton, by Father Anthony Lickteig.

Their children and their spouses are: Jerry and Carolyn McGrath, Topeka; Janet and Ted Kenney, Saunderstown, R.I.; and Jill and Wayne Hiegert, Topeka. They also have nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

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Stewardship conference set for March 26-27

Anna Margaret (Scott) and Richard Gudenkauf, members of St. Matthew Parish, Topeka, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Feb. 7. The couple was married on Feb. 7, 1959, at St. Brendan Church in Leon, Iowa,

by Msgr. E.J. Harkin. Their children and their spouses are: Greg and Cindy Gudenkauf, Independence; Mark and Carol Gudenkauf, Topeka; and Scott and Denise Gudenkauf, Garden Plain. They also have 11 grandchildren. They will celebrate with a Mass at St. Matthew and a reception, dinner and dance at the Shawnee Country Club.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The International Catholic Stewardship Council’s Region IX Stewardship Conference will be held March 26-27 at Savior Pastoral Center here.

Bishop Michael Jackels of the Diocese of Wichita will be the keynote speaker on March 26.

Bishop Jackels Dan Conway, who has nearly 30 years of experience helping Catholic organizations in the area of strategic planning, communications, and stewardship development, will be the keynote speaker on March 27.

Workshops include: •Creating a Parish Pastoral Plan • The Stewardship Committee: A Practical Approach •The Foundations of Stewardship in Sacred Scripture • The Eucharist: The Heart of Stewardship •Encouraging a New Generation of Stewards: Stewardship Among Generation Wh(y) • What is Your Role in God’s Story?

Storytelling in Postmodern Fundraising •Stewardship with Hispanics For more information, call (573) 635-9127, ext. 202.

Patricia and Donald Adkinson, members of Holy Trinity Parish, Lenexa, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Feb. 10. The couple was married on Feb. 10, 1959, at Holy Angels Church, Garnett. A celebration for family and friends, hosted by their daughters, will be held in June in Father Quigley Hall at Holy Trinity. Their children are: Carla Kinsey of Merriam and Denise Bates of Lenexa. They also have two grandchildren.

Vatican ambassador to speak at Benedictine College + JOSEPH F. NAUMANN Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas

Appointment With the approval and permission of Father James Urbanic, CPPS, the provincial of the Society of the Precious Blood, Father Ed Oen, CPPS, is appointed pastor of St. Mary Parish, St. Benedict, while continuing to serve as pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Baileyville. Effective immediately.

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Young Adult Beginning Experience Weekend set for March 20-22 March will be an opportunity for young adults, 14 years of age or older, to gather for a weekend retreat with other young adults and adult team members to deal with their feelings of loss after experiencing a parent’s death, divorce, or separation.

Within a safe, structured environment, these young people can share their concerns with peers who understand and support them in their struggles to handle the changes in their lives.

The Young Adult Beginning Experience Weekend will be at the

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Spiritual Life Center, 7100 E. 45th St. North, Wichita. It is being sponsored by the Diocese of Wichita. Meals and lodging are included in the weekend fee.

If registering before March 8, the cost is $75. After March 8, the cost will be $85. Scholarships are available on request.

For more information, contact Marnie at (316) 729-4437 or send an e-mail to: bmarsha748@yahoo.com. A pamphlet with application can be downloaded by contacting the e-mail address above.

— Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Vatican ambassador to the United Nations, will speak at Benedictine College here at 7:30 p.m. on Feb.18 at 7:30 p.m. in the O’Malley-McAllister Archishop Migliore Auditorium. The subject of his presentation is “The Role of the Catholic Church in the United Nations.” The event is free and open to the public.

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LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • FEBRUARY 6, 2009

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THE LEAVEN • FEBRUARY 6, 2009

Evangelization and Catechesis: Call to Share funds help form disciples

T

he Lord wants to do something significant in northeast Kansas. He is opening doors throughout our area so that more people can come to know him and live in the community of his church.

As we move forward, the archdiocese is implementing an evangelization initiative entitled Prairie Fire. We have enlisted many prayer warriors to begin praying that the work of the New Evangelization — so often called for by our Holy Father, Pope Benedict, and his predecessor, Pope John Paul II — might take root here in Kansas.

In this past year, in order to fully respond to this call: • Over 100,000 prayer cards were handed out, in Spanish and English, inviting Catholics in the archdiocese to begin praying for a New Pentecost, for a New Evangelization.

• Over 80,000 educational pamphlets were made available to parishes to help prepare Catholics to come back more often to the sacrament of reconciliation.

• Six parishes have committed teams of 12-15 people to begin the Light of the World evangelization process in their parishes. The process begins this May with leadership team retreats for these parishes.

• Four parishes and the archdiocesan department of parish ministries

have committed teams of six to eight people for an extended training in evangelization called Making Disciples.

These teams have agreed to formulate a plan of action for evangelization at their own parishes.

• The archdiocese has worked in collaboration with the Maryvale Institute, a leader in catechetical renewal in the church, to establish a Maryvale Center in Kansas. This is the first center in the United States. Eleven lay leaders from the archdiocese have begun study with Maryvale for a master’s degree.

Another 30 people started a two-year Maryvale certificate in catechesis in January. The certificate in catechesis program has received recognition from the Congregation for Clergy in the Vatican.

• The most significant drop in church participation occurs from time a young person enters college until the time he or she graduates: 75 to 30 percent. To respond to this alarming trend, the office of evangelization and catechesis has worked with Saint Paul’s Outreach (SPO) to begin out-

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reach to college students by college students. Over 20 young people participate in SPO households at Benedictine College in Atchison. These young people have begun forming relationships with people at Washburn and the University of Kansas in hopes of establishing households for evangelization at those schools also. SPO will be hosting a Fan Into Flame Retreat for students from those three schools this February at Prairie Star Ranch in Williamsburg.

• Nearly 400 people attended the Called and Gifted workshop designed to help lay Catholics discern their spiritual gifts in January. The conference was co-hosted by the archdiocesan office of evangelization and catechesis along with the Bishop Helmsing Institute in Kansas City, Mo. • We continue to try to meet the growing demand for resources and to respond more wholeheartedly to the Lord’s commission: “Go, and make disciples.”

Sign of peace Aaliyah Hasenkamp, Brandon Schroedl, and Sara Wohlbrandt (right), first-graders at St. Gregory School in Marysville, exchange a sign of peace during a Jan. 29 Mass celebrating Catholic Schools Week at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Seneca.

Catholic Schools celebrate service

Sing praise Sixth-graders of Christ the King School in Topeka sing a hymn during the Catholic Schools Week Mass at Hayden High School. They are: (top row, from left to right) Theresa Bagley, Kylee Kresin, Mallory Konrade; (second row) Emma Reeves, Katherine Moore, Gabby Marmon; (third row) Morgan Allen, Hailey Bluml, and Marcus Meier. The Mass drew students from all Topeka grade schools as well as Hayden.

Catholic Schools Week is highlighted by regional Masses celebrated by a very special visitor

Body of Christ Most Pure Heart of Mary seventh-grader Blake Weiter receives Communion at the Topeka Catholic Schools Week Mass held at Hayden High School in Topeka as fellow seventh-grader Steven Amrein waits his turn.

The big guy Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann mingles with Immaculata High Schools student following the Catholic Schools Week Mass in Leavenworth.

Our Father From left, Immaculata High School junior Ashley O’Neil, Katie Fratzel, and Bridget O’Neil join hands in reciting of the Lord’s Prayer at the Leavenworth Catholic Schools Week Mass held at Immaculate Conception Parish Jan. 26.

▲ Following Paul

From left, Sts. Peter and Paul School fifth-graders Dylan Schraad, Randee Bontrager, Hannah Holthaus, and Keegan Schmelzle, playing Roman soldiers, join sixth-grader Abe Elder (back) in a skit about the travels of St. Paul.

Full house Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann addresses a packed gymnasium at Hayden High School in Topeka, when students from all the Catholic elementary schools in Topeka, as well as Hayden, joined him in a Mass celebrating Catholic schools on Jan. 27.

▲

Light the way

▲

Hayden High School senior Lauren Amrein prepares to join in the procession at the Catholic Schools Week Mass in Topeka.

Celebrating service At the close of Mass, students of Immaculata and Xavier Elementary in Leavenworth are directed to turn toward the choir loft and bless all the volunteers in attendance.

Good shepherd

Second-grader Jonathan Stallbaumer of Sts. Peter and Paul School in Seneca watches a play about St. Paul during Catholic Schools Week.

Photos by

Elaina Cochran

10 NATION

THE LEAVEN • FEBRUARY 6, 2009

Brain death raises questions, from Minnesota to the Vatican WASHINGTON (CNS) — Don’t talk to Raleane “Rae” Kupferschmidt about brain death. The 66-year-old woman from Lake Elmo, BRIEFLY Minn., was declared brain dead nearly a year ago after a massive cerebral hemorrhage. She was removed from a ventilator, following her wishes, and her family took her home to die. But when Kupferschmidt began responding to family members, they rushed her back to the hospital, where she regained what her husband called “98 percent” of her earlier vigor.

In late September she experienced another health crisis and went into a coma. Although doctors were not as hasty to term it brain death this time, they offered little hope of her survival — a prediction she defied again in October. “I keep thinking that [God] saved me a second time so I could inspire people and let them know they shouldn’t give up, even when things look hopeless,” she told the Stillwater [Minn.] Gazette in a Jan. 13 interview.

Coincidentally, the newspaper’s interview with Kupferschmidt took place the day after the President’s Council on Bioethics issued “Controversies in the Determination of Death,” a 144-page white paper on what the council prefers to call total brain failure.

Tuition agency for 14 Catholic schools declares bankruptcy LIVINGSTON, N.J. (CNS) — A New Jersey-based agency that collects tuition payments for Catholic schools in New Jersey, Texas and New York has declared bankruptcy leaving 14 schools with a $3.6 million shortfall. Tuition Program Inc. filed a bankruptcy petition Jan. 12 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey, according to a story in The Star-Ledger daily newspaper in Newark. The tuition company, based in Livingston, was designed by Catholic parents in 1985 as a way to streamline tuition collections for parish schools. The company lost money in stock investments and also owes Wachovia Bank $867,000, according to court documents. Tuition Program collected payments from parents and in turn paid the schools each month. The agency invested the funds prior to making payments to schools. The schools owed payments by the Tuition Program were relying on their dioceses to loan them the funds to cover their losses.

THE LEAVEN • FEBRUARY 6, 2009

In a bad economy, schools’ Catholic identity seen as a draw

By CHAZ MUTH

New DVD features young celebrities’ reflections on praying the rosary

Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) — A speaker urged the presidents of Catholic colleges gathered in Washington Jan. 31-Feb.2 to market the Catholic identity of their institutions to compete in a bad economy.

The Catholic identity will help draw students to these colleges and universities, but the schools’ leaders have to make sure people know these schools are Catholic, Diane F. Viacava said Feb. 1 at the 2009 annual meeting of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities in Washington.

“In these tough times, families are looking for something important for their children,” said Viacava, a senior credit officer for Moody’s Investors Service, a New York company that provides financial advice to institutions of higher education.

“That’s why it’s so important to maintain and stress your Catholic identity,” Viacava told a roomful of college and university presidents from all regions of the United States. “Sometimes it’s really hard to tell if it’s a Catholic college. You need to market that.”

Parents also will be looking at the cost of tuition, which puts most Catholic colleges at a disadvantage compared to state institutions and community colleges, she said.

“In this economy there is going to be some sticker shock,” Viacava said. “That is why it’s also important for you to let the public know about financial aid and what is available.

That can help ease that sticker shock.”

The presidents also were advised to diversify their investments, restructure their departments for peak efficiency, include staff and faculty in cost-cutting decisions, and reassure the college community the institution will be able to weather the bad economy with sound strategic, tactical and symbolic policies.

“It’s important that you provide a good example,” said Arthur F. Kirk

CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec

Oblate Father Thomas B. Curran, president of Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo., delivers the homily during Mass at the annual meeting of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Jan. 31 in Washington. A speaker at the meeting said a college's strong Catholic identity could be a draw for students even in a bad economy.

Jr., president of St. Leo University in Florida. “It really struck home with me when we saw the Big Three automakers fly to Washington in separate corporate jets to ask Congress for a bailout. We can’t have that kind of perception in this economy.”

Eliminating visible signs of better times is a good place to start, but it’s also important to celebrate the little successes, Kirk said.

“We learned some of the things to do and not to do in a bad economy during the dot-com collapse,” said John A. Sejdinaj, vice president of finance at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. “We enhanced our giving programs, increased our liquidity, created budget incentives and stressed cost containment and energy efficiency.”

Though the college presidents were advised to exercise economic prudence, they also were told that a bad economy was a good time to hire talented professionals and make other bold moves such as continuing merit-based salary increases and investing in their college’s mission.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (CNS) — A new DVD from Family Theater Productions, titled “Rosary Stars: Praying the Gospel,” features the reflections and prayers of 21 young celebrities as well as interacMore information and t i v e a trailer from the DVD teaching are available on the tools and a historiWeb at: cal timewww.familytheater.org line of the or rosary. www.rosarystars.org.

It was The DVD can be orscheduled to be redered online for leased $19.95, plus shipping Feb.7with and handling. a screening in Hollywood and national broadcasts by several Catholic TV outlets.

Later screenings are scheduled for April 19 in Easton, Mass., on the campus of Holy Cross-run Stonehill College, adjacent to the headquarters of Holy Cross Family Ministries; and for May 3 at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Peoria, Ill., in conjunction with preparations for a rosary Marian year in the Peoria Diocese.

“Rosary Stars: Praying the Gospel” was produced by the media production ministry founded by the “rosary priest” and media pioneer Holy Cross Father Patrick Peyton. Producers hope the DVD will promote a better understanding and appreciation of the rosary and the mysteries of the rosary.

It features such celebrities as 2006 World Series pitcher Jeff Suppan; fivetime major league All-Star Mike Sweeney; actor Matthew Marsden (“Rambo” and the upcoming sequel “Transformer: Revenge of the Fallen”); TV host Matt Gallant (Animal Planet’s “The Planet’s Funniest Animals”); humanitarian, author and Rwandan genocide survivor Immaculee Ilibagiza; Ali Landry, actor and former Miss America; and Eduardo Verastegui, star of the motion picture “Bella.”

Vatican and traditionalists:

A story whose end has not been written

By JOHN THAVIS Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In the longstanding conflict between the Vatican and the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X, Pope Benedict XVI has been a key figure in reconVATICAN LETTER ciliation efforts that, so far, have always fallen short.

When the pope lifted the excommunication of four of the society’s bishops in January, it finally seemed to open the way to the elusive “full communion” between the society’s leadership and the Catholic Church.

But the ending of this story has not yet been written, and even inside the Vatican there are questions about what the pope’s latest move really signifies for the short term and the long term.

One of the biggest short-term questions regards the standing of the Swissbased society’s bishops and priests — specifically, whether in the Vatican’s view they remain suspended from their ministry until a more complete agreement is reached.

The answer, according to several Vatican sources, is that there’s no clear answer. The Vatican’s own experts had different interpretations of how canon law applies in this case. Some felt that the removal of excommunication for the four bishops implied removal of their suspension, but others disagreed.

Most at the Vatican hold that the priests of the Society of St. Pius X remain suspended from ministry until they are regularized, which presumably will happen in future talks between the Vatican and the society’s leaders. In the meantime, Masses celebrated by these priests are considered valid, even though illicitly celebrated; but other sacraments carried out by the suspended priests, like marriage and confession, are not valid, in the view of several canon law experts.

In a sense, the Vatican has decided to look past what one official called a “canonical mess” and focus instead on the overriding goal: how to reach full communion.

There were some hopeful signs.

Vatican officials said Bishop Bernard Fellay, head of the society, had already begun “pacification” efforts among the society’s priests and seminarians in France and Germany to prepare them

CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz

A worshipper uses a missal during a Tridentine Mass at St. Michael the Archangel Chapel in Farmingville, N.Y., Feb. 1. The chapel is affiliated with the Society of St. Pius X. for re-entry into official unity with the universal church.

Bishop Fellay, they said, seemed to appreciate that Pope Benedict has built a bridge to the society by making two decisions that were not very popular among mainstream Catholics: lifting the excommunications and restoring wider use of the 1962 form of the Mass, known as the Tridentine rite.

But Vatican officials said much remains to be negotiated — “about a hundred details,” in the words of one source.

The Society of St. Pius X appears to be counting on Pope Benedict to make one more big concession: the granting of a special jurisdictional status to the society that would allow members to continue their traditional practices with some degree of autonomy.

The more problematic issues are not jurisdictional but doctrinal, and the elephant in the room is the Second Vatican Council.

The council was not mentioned in the official Vatican decree removing the excommunication or the accompanying statement. When he thanked the pope for his action, Bishop Fellay made a point of saying that the society accepts all the church councils “up to the Second Vatican Council, about which we express some reservations.”

In fact, the four bishops and many society members have at various times rejected Vatican II teachings on such matters as liturgy, ecumenism, interreligious

dialogue and religious liberty, and blamed the council for the current “crisis” in the church.

“They’ll have to resolve that for sure,” said one Vatican official.

The only one to publicly mention Vatican II in connection with the future negotiations has been Pope Benedict. At his general audience Jan. 28, he said he hoped the society was ready to recognize the teaching and authority “of the pope and of the Second Vatican Council.” If the past is any guide, those will be tough talks.

Some Vatican sources said that while the excommunication removal is a major Vatican concession, it also puts more pressure on the society to come to an agreement on full communion. For one thing, they said, the canon law ambiguities that are now being tolerated cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely.

Pope Benedict has been close to agreement with the society before. As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, at the request of Pope John Paul II, he conducted 11th-hour talks in 1988 with the late French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the society’s founder.

Archbishop Lefebvre had been suspended from his ministry in 1976 after ordaining priests against Vatican orders and was threatening to ordain bishops — a move the Vatican said would result in schism and the automatic excommunication of those involved.

WORLD

11

Pope condemns Holocaust denial, reaffirms solidarity VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI renewed his “full and unquestionable solidarity” with the BRIEFLY world’s Jews and condemned all ignorance, denial and downplaying of the brutal slaughter of millions of Jewish people during the Holocaust. The pope’s comments Jan. 28 came a day after the Chief Rabbinate of Israel postponed indefinitely a March meeting with the Vatican in protest over the pope lifting the excommunication of a traditionalist bishop who has minimized the severity and extent of the Holocaust. Speaking the day after International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Pope Benedict said he hoped “the memory of the Holocaust will persuade humanity to reflect on the unpredictable power of evil when it conquers the heart of man.” The Jews were “innocent victims of a blind racist and religious hatred,” he said at the end of his general audience in the Paul VI hall. The pope recalled his many visits to Auschwitz, calling it “one of the concentration camps in which millions of Jews were brutally slaughtered” by the Nazis.

“May the Holocaust be a warning to everyone against forgetting, denying or minimizing” what happened to millions of Jews “because violence waged against just one human being is violence against everyone,” he said.

Pope cautions against granting annulments too easily VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Granting marriage annulments too easily and without real cause plays into a modern form of pessimism that basically says human beings are not able to make lifelong commitments to loving another person, Pope Benedict XVI said. “We run the risk of falling into an anthropological pessimism which, in the light of today’s cultural situation, considers it almost impossible to marry,” the pope said in a speech Jan. 29 to members of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota. The tribunal mainly deals with appeals filed in marriage annulment cases. Pope Benedict said there is still a need to deal with a problem Pope John Paul II pointed out in a 1987 speech to the Roman Rota, that of saving the church community from “the scandal of seeing the value of Christian marriage destroyed in practice by the exaggerated and almost automatic multiplication of declarations of nullity.”

12 CLASSIFIEDS ■ EMPLOYMENT P r i n c i p a l - St. Andrew the Apostle Parish, Gladstone, Mo., established in 1999 and currently enrolling 265 students, seeks an enthusiastic and visionary principal to guide our preschool — 8th grade program. The ideal candidate will have a strong ability to communicate well with staff, students and parents; possess marketing and recruitment skills; and have a collaborative leadership style. The qualified candidate must be a practicing Catholic in good standing with the church; have a minimum of 3 years of teaching experience; possess a master’s degree in education, administration or a related field; and have an administrative certificate from the state of Missouri (or the ability to obtain one).

Applications are available by contacting the school office at (816) 756-1858, ext. 274, or by visiting the Web site at: www.diocese-kcsj.org/schools.

Overnight sleep staff positions - Two part-time positions — one works two nights weekly; the other works three nights weekly. For three female mentally retarded and developmentally disabled clients in their Overland Park home. Sun. - Thurs. nights from 6 p.m. - 7 a.m. Great for a college student, or if you are looking to supplement your income. Female applicants only. Call Amy at (913) 221-9158.

Working from home and loving it! - Work with a team of moms to own your own business. Helping moms work from home. No selling, no parties, no inventory, no risk. For information, visit the Web site at: www.MomsForGreen.com.

O r g a n i s t / m u s i c d i r e c t o r - Christ the King Parish, Fort Smith, AK, is seeking a full-time director of music ministries. The successful candidate will teach music in our pre-K thru 6th grade school as well as oversee our church choirs. Competitive salary, benefits, and retirement. Bachelor's degree required. E-mail resume, references, and inquiries

by Feb. 28, to Father Tom Elliott at: FatherT@ FatherT.com.

■ SERVICES

* All lawn services * snow removal * hauling * Save up to 25% on your 2009 lawn care by booking early. Call now for a free estimate. Family owned by local parishioners. Licensed, bonded and insured.

References available. Call (913) 620-6063.

“G ran dpa M o se s” of s tai ne d g l ass Specializing in custom-made door side-lights. Fits over your existing window. JoCo only. Call Ed at (913) 648-0099.

N eed a s pe a ke r f o r y o u r ne x t me et i n g o r ev ent ? G. Hall Harsh, CLTC, can discuss custodial long-term care, Medicare, Medicaid, and long-term care insurance. Member of St. Pius X Parish, Mission. Call Hall at (913) 663-1414.

Bankruptcy - When debt becomes overwhelming, seek professional help. Experienced, compassionate Catholic attorney Teresa Kidd. For a confidential, no obligation consultation, call (913) 4220610; or send an e-mail to: tkidd@kc.rr.com.

THE LEAVEN • FEBRUARY 6, 2009 Piano lessons - For children and adults. Years of experience. Located in the 159th and Ridgeview area in Olathe. Call (913) 829-2315.

W ed d i n g d e cora t i on s - Relax, I decorate for church, receptions, anniversaries and parties.

Includes cleanup. Free consultation. References.

Greater KC area. Call Twila at Elegant Wedding Decor at (913) 724-1408.

C a re g i v e r p os i t i o n w a n t ed – Retired nurse looking to care for your loved one — mornings, Mon. – Fri.; some evenings; and Sat. and Sun. Hospice experience. Call (913) 579-5276.

Tutoring - Available for K - 12 in various subjects and college-level French and music. Tutor is working on a master’s in education at local university. Tutor customizes lessons and teaches in a fun and meaningful context. For information, call (913) 206-2151 or send an e-mail to: klmamuric@yahoo.com.

Accountin g assi stance - For small businesses.

Too busy to do it yourself? I can provide part-time bookkeeping services with QuickBooks. References available. Member of St. Agnes, Roeland Park. For a consultation, call (913) 669-4981.

Ma chi n e qu i l ti n g - by Jenell Noeth, Basehor.

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

Husband and wife cleaning team - Reasonable rates; references provided. Call (913) 940-2959.

C aregi v i ng - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management, and transportation to the elderly and disabled in home, assisted living and nursing facilities. We also provide respite care for main caregivers needing some personal time. Call Daughters & Company at (913) 341-2500 and speak with Andrea, Sara or Gary.

Pres erv e y our memori es by t el l in g y ou r li fe story! I can type your memoirs from handwritten or recorded notes. Also provide secretarial services.

Call All About Words at (913) 438-5922.

Granite, Cambria and Silestone countertops See our new showroom at 5820 Barton, in the heart of beautiful downtown Shawnee. Call The Top Shop, Inc., at (816) 898-8685 or (913) 962-5058.

Do you need hel p caring for an elderly family member? Contact Benefits of Home – Senior Care and let our social work expert help you build a plan of care. We provide assistance with homemaker and personal care services, in the comfort of your home.

To speak with our social worker, contact Benefits of Home at (913) 422-1591.

W h en w a s t h e l a s t t i m e y ou u p d a t e d y o u r wil l? Is it valid? Would you like to make changes?

Does it include your parish or a local Catholic organization? To speak with a confidential adviser about free estate planning information, call the Cathol ic Foundation of Northeast Kansas at (913) 647-0365 or visit the Web site at: www.cfnek.org.

THE LEAVEN • FEBRUARY 6, 2009

■ HOME IMPROVEMENT Ti m t he Ha n dy ma n - Insured; free estimates.

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

Electrician - Free estimates; reasonable rates.

JoCo and southern KC metro area. Call Pat (913) 963-9896.

Cu stom-ki tchen cou ntert ops - Laminate tops manufactured and installed within 5 days.

Competitive prices, dependable work. St. Joseph Parish member. Call The Top Shop, Inc., at (816) 898-8685 or (913) 962-5058.

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

S TA (S u re Thi ng Al wa ys ) Ho m e R e p ai r Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Call for free estimates. Cell: (913) 579-1835; phone: (913) 491-5837; e-mail: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity Church, Lenexa.

Organizing & handyman services - Basements, garages, attics and shop spaces organized! Your items sorted, boxed & labeled; areas cleaned when finished! Wall repair, interior painting, tile work, handicap bars and ramps. Great references and insured. For pictures of current projects, view my Web site at: www.swalms.com. Call Tillar Swalm at (913) 375-9115.

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.

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

S k i v a c a t i on - Winter Park, Colo. 2 BR, 1BA, sleeps 6. Fully furnished, fireplace, rec. center with pool & hot tub. $125/night; $750/week. Call Joe Frederick at (913) 385-5589.

■ REAL ESTATE

Beautiful Kenilworth home for sale - 4 BR, 31/2 BA, hardwood floors, full basement, office w/ outside entrance, landscaped yard. Kids walk one block to Curé of Ars School, Leawood. $249,500. For appt. to view, call (913) 302-2861.

■ FOR SALE

For sale - Two side by side cemetery lots and vaults in the Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Olathe. Current value is $4,716. Will sell at the 2003 price. Call Kathy at (913) 829-2315.

■ MISCELLANEOUS

St. Michael the Archangel Preschool, Leawood - Is now registering for the 2009-10 school year.

Packets are available at the parish office, the preschool wing, or on the Web site at: www. stmichaelcp.org. In addition to the PM extendedcare, the preschool will be adding an AM extendedcare and a Spanish program. For information or questions, call Lindsay Schnichels at (913) 402-3971.

■ WANTED TO BUY

*** BUYING *** Coins — Sterling — Watches I buy coins, old watches, sterling silverware, postcards, photographs, military items, political campaign pins, Zippo lighters, fountain pens, toys, slot machines, old signs & tins, quilts, Indian rugs, beadwork, baskets, pottery and 22-gauge rifles.

(913) 593-7507 or (913) 642-8269. *** Wanted to Buy *** Antique and vintage costume jewelry Member St. Joseph Parish Renee Maderak (913) 631-7179

■ FOR RENT

■ ENTERTAINMENT

A p a r t m e n t f o r r e n t – 1 BR, 1 BA. $495 per month, includes utilities. One-year lease. 10911 W. 59th Terr., Shawnee. Near St. Joseph Parish. View at: www.shawnee-rentals.com, or call (913) 6497596.

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

■ VACATION

TO PURCHASE A CLASSIFIED

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

Two blocks to beach and golf course. Available two wks to a month. View at: www.ftmyersvacations. net. Hibiscus Point, unit 521, or call Coldwell Banker rentals at (239) 463-3151 or owner at (239) 4986376.

Send an e-mail to: jennifer@theleaven. com, or call (913) 647-0327. The cost is $16 per column inch, five lines or less. Each additional line is $1.50. Classified ads will also be posted online at The Leaven’s Web site: www.the leaven.com.

Feb. 7

Mary Kay Whitacre will facilitate a retreat, entitled “The Lord’s Prayer: A Retreat for RCIA Groups,” from 8:15 a.m. 4 p.m. on Feb. 7 at The Sophia Center, 751 S. 8th St., Atchison. The cost is $50 per person; $40 per person for groups of eight or more. For information or to register, call (913) 360-6173.

The eighth-grade students at Holy Name School, 1007 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, Kan., will host a taco dinner and raffle on Feb. 7 in the cafeteria. The cost is $5.50 for adults; $3.50 for children under 10. Proceeds will be used to defray graduation expenses. For information, call the school office at (913) 722-1032.

The Mothers of Young Children group at Curé of Ars Parish, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood, will host its annual Valentine family fest from 3 - 5 p.m. on Feb. 7 in the school cafeteria. There will be refreshments, crafts, games and a concert from kid-friendly rock band Dino O’Dell and the Velocirappers. The cost is $5 per person; $20 per family. Donations of diapers, wipes and formula for St. Benedict’s Special Children’s Center will be greatly appreciated. For information or to purchase advance tickets, call Jo Yun at (913) 236-0041 or Jenn Miller at (913) 3810188.

8

The annual Frank Ladek memorial bowling tournament will be held on Sundays from Feb. 8 - March 1 at St. John’s Catholic Club, 4th and Barnett, Kansas City, Kan. The entry fee is $15. To sign up or for information, call (913) 3719690. All are welcome.

Skilled Nursing Facility 170 beds

• Medicare and Kansas Medicaid certified • 24 - hour nursing care • Dementia/Alzheimer’s unit • Physical, occupational and speech therapist on staff/ Rapid recovery • Nutritious Home cooked meals • Private and Semi Private rooms • Beauty and Barber Shop • 24 hour snacks Affiliated with the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas

M-F 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sat. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Summer Months: Sat. 10 a.m to 3 p.m.

13

Join the Singles of Nativity for happy hour and a February birthday celebration, beginning at 6 p.m. on Feb. 13, at Kansas City Public House, 12030 Blue Valley Pkwy, Overland Park. We have the back room reserved for the evening. There is a pool table, shuffle board and a dart board for our entertainment. Look for the yellow balloon and our greeters who will be at the table until 7:30 p.m. Questions?

Send an e-mail to: social@son-ministry. org.

14

Holy Family Club, 513 Ohio, Kansas City, Kan., will host a Valentine’s Day dance and dinner, featuring the Don Lipovac Orchestra, on Feb. 14. An Italian dinner by Jamie McCarthy will be served at 6 p.m., followed by dancing from 7 - 11 p.m. This is a family-oriented event.

Tickets cost $20 for adults; $5 for children.

For information or to purchase tickets, call Richard Schutte at (913) 669-3677, Matt Palcher at (913) 371-8225, or Mike Waliczek at (913) 342-1785.

11

St. Thomas Aquinas High School, 11411 Pflumm Rd., Overland Park, will celebrate an inaugural Mass of Remembrance at 7 p.m. on Feb. 11 in the chapel. We will be honoring students, alumni, parents, siblings, grandparents, faculty, staff, and other loved ones of our community who have passed away. To RSVP, visit the Web site at: www.stasaints.net. A reception will follow in the Commons.

12

The Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 10552, Shawnee, will host its annual allyou-can-eat chili bowl from 5 - 7 p.m. on Feb. 12 in the Knights of Columbus Hall, 11221 Johnson Dr. The cost is $6. For information, call Richard Soetaert at (913) 2204926.

16600 W. 126th Street • Olathe, Kansas 66062 Phone: (913) 829-5201 Fax: (913) 829-5399 Daily Mass in the Chapel at 10 a.m.

The University of Saint Mary, 4100 S. 4th St., Leavenworth, is proud to present its annual Lincoln Lecture on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m., featuring a keynote address on “Leadership in a Time of Crisis” by Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth. The lecture will be held in the Xavier Theatre on campus. This event is free and open to the public. However, seating is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. For information, call (913) 758-6165 or visit the Web site at: www.stmary.edu.

The Knights of Columbus, Marian Council No. 3768, at Christ the King Church, 53rd and Leavenworth Rd., Kansas City, Kan., will host a pancake breakfast from 8:30 - 11 a.m. on Feb. 8 in Davern Hall.

The Holy Women series for February will feature Jan Stoever, presenting “The Life of Dorothy Day,” on Feb. 12 from 1 - 3 p.m. at Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the Web site at: www.mountosb.org.

V i l l a St . F r a n c i s

to $100 worth of gift cards. Free child care is provided. Space is limited and registration is necessary. For information or to register, call (913) 621-5255, ext. 111, or send an e-mail to: mfk@ccsks.org.

A new session of Marriage for Keeps in Spanish will begin on Feb. 12 and meet each Thursday evening through April 30 at 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Marriage for Keeps is for married couples who want to participate in “no-cost date nights” that consist of weekly complimentary dinners and marriage education sessions in a small group setting. Couples who participate are eligible to receive up

men on Feb. 21 - 22 at Savior Pastoral Center, 12601 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kan. The retreat will include prayer, talks and discussion about how God talks to young people, and sports and games. The cost is $25, which includes overnight lodging and meals. For information or to register by Feb. 16, visit the Web site at: www. kckvocations.com .

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The Singles of Nativity will host a movie night on Feb. 19 at AMC Town Center Theaters, 119th and Nall, Leawood.

We will meet at Panera Bread Co. across the parking lot from the theater at 6 p.m. for a quick bite to eat before the movie.

For information, send an e-mail to: social@son-ministry.org.

19 & 21

The St. Thomas Aquinas High School performing arts department will present “Get Smart” by Mel Brooks at 7 p.m. on Feb. 19 and 21 in the theater. Tickets cost $5. For information or reservations, call Kim Harrison at (913) 319-2433 or send an e-mail to her at: kharrison@stasaints.net.

21

Benedictine College, Atchison, will host its annual scholarship ball on Feb. 21, honoring Nell Hill’s Mary Carol and Dan Garrity and Matt and Ann Anthony with the Cross of the Order of St. Benedict. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Century Ballroom at the Westin Crown Center Hotel, 1 E. Pershing Rd., Kansas City, Mo., followed by dinner and the program at 6:30 p.m. Black tie optional. For reservations or information, call (913) 360-7401 or visit the Web site at: www.benedictine.edu/ scholarshipball.

21 & 28

Sister Antonella Bayer, CSJ, will facilitate “Treasures of the Triduum,” a retreat for RCIA groups, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Feb. 21 and again on Feb. 28 at Sanctuary of Hope, 2601 Ridge Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The cost of $20 per person includes lunch. For information or to register, send an e-mail to: julie@sanctuaryofhope.org or call (913) 321-4673.

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Queen of the Holy Rosary, Overland Park, will host an “Evening in Paris” dinner and dance on Feb. 14. Doors open at 6 p.m.; dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m., with dancing to follow. The cost is $22 per person, and reservations are required. To purchase tickets, make your check payable to Queen of the Holy Rosary and mail to the church office at: 7023 W. 71st St, Overland Park, KS 66204; attention Sheryl Lickteig. Include your phone number for confirmation. For information, call Patty at (913) 384-4644.

15

Gaudeamus igitur! Let us be joyful! Sanctuary of Hope, 2601 Ridge Ave., Kansas City, Kan., will host “Meditation with Music & Movement,” a concert featuring Our Lady and St. Rose gospel choir and The Ebony Chorale, from 2 - 4 p.m. on Feb. 15. For information, call (913) 321HOPE (4673) or visit the Web site at: www.sanctuaryofhope.org.

St. Bede Parish, Kelly, will host its annual pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 15. A freewill donation will be collected.

16

Father Mitchel Zimmerman, archdiocesan vocation director, will host a Venite et Videte retreat for high school

Sophia Center, 751 S. 8th St., Atchison, will host “The Dream and The Journey,” a retreat by Sister Therese Elias, OSB, from 7 p.m. on Feb. 27 through 4 p.m. on March 1. The cost is $180; an advance deposit of $10 is required. For information or to register, call (913) 360-6151.

28

“How to Grow in Holiness Through Knowing Christ,” a retreat sponsored by the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women and led by Archbishop Emeritus James P. Keleher, will be held from 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 at Savior Pastoral Center, 12601 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kan. The call to sanctity for everyone is a fundamental teaching of Vatican II, and the Catholic Church has unique means to bring your soul to union with Christ. The cost of $35 includes a light breakfast. To RSVP, mail a check to: Terry Barnes; 9012 Pawnee, Overland Park, KS 66206. For information, call Barnes at (913) 383-1411 or (913) 491-5149.

Misc.

The Serra Club invites all men of the archdiocese to pray with them to increase vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Meetings are held at noon on every second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the Hilton Garden Inn, 520

CALENDAR

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Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For information, contact Jim Conrad at (913) 432-4162, John Muehlberger at (913) 4415061, or Bill Peters at (913) 894-6967.

You can help your marriage! Do you feel alone? Are you frustrated or angry with your spouse? Do you argue or have you just stopped talking to each other?

Retrouvaille helps couples through difficult times in their marriages. The program does not require you to air your problems to others. The focus is on giving you the tools and time to work through your feelings. For confidential information or to register for the upcoming Retrouvaille weekend on Feb. 27 - March 1, call 1 (800) 470-2230 or visit the Web site at: www.

Retrouvaille .org.

A caregivers support group for women will meet from 10 - 11:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Sandy Silva from the Alliance on Aging will be available to offer information about resources and services that can assist you in caregiving and reduce your stress. For information or to register, call (913) 6218749 or visit the Web site at: www.mount osb.org.

It’s not too late to make a new year’s resolution to grow more deeply in love with y our spouse! The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend will be held from Feb. 13 - 15. For information or to register, call (913) 469-8453, or visit the Web site at: www.neksme.org.

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

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

The Catholic Charities “Mother to Mother” program in Olathe is looking for volunteer support/mentor mothers to serve partner mothers who are often young, single and living at or below the poverty guidelines. We especially would be interested in volunteers who speak Spanish. A minimum investment of four hours per month is required, which includes a monthly meeting held in Olathe on a Monday night. Training is provided. If you are interested in volunteering or know someone who could benefit from our program, contact Carla Golden at (913) 7824077 or send an e-mail to her at: cgolden@ccsks.org.

Individual and family counseling is available in English and Spanish at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Counseling is offered in partnership with Catholic Charities; the fee is based on a sliding scale and is very affordable. Free child care is provided during some time periods. To schedule an appointment, call (913) 621-8749.

Support women in crisis pregnancies!

The Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic will host a volunteer information/training session from 9 a.m. - noon on Feb. 28 at the clinic, located at 3021 N. 54th St., Kansas City, Kan. At this meeting you will learn about a variety of volunteer opportunities and how you can help. No experience is necessary; training will be provided. You decide where you can help us continue our mission. There’s no commitment of how long you volunteer. To register, call (913) 287-8287.

14 COMMENTARY

THE LEAVEN • FEBRUARY 6, 2009

THE LEAVEN • FEBRUARY 6, 2009

Editor REVEREND MARK GOLDASICH, STL frmark@theleaven.com Managing Editor ANITA McSORLEY anita@theleaven.com Senior Reporter JOE BOLLIG joe@theleaven.com Production Manager TODD HABIGER todd@theleaven.com Advertising Representative JENNIFER SIEBES jennifer@theleaven.com Reporter KARA HANSEN kara@theleaven.com Circulation sub@theleaven.com

Catholic Press Association Award Winner 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Archbishop Edward O’Meara Award Winner 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003 Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799) Published weekly September through May, excepting the Friday the week after Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Christmas; biweekly June through August. Address communications to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Phone: (913) 721-1570; fax: (913) 7215276; or e-mail at: sub@theleaven.com.

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

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

SCRIPTURE READINGS FIFTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME Feb. 8 FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Jb 7: 1-4, 6-7; Ps 147: 1-6; 1 Cor 9: 16-19, 22-23; Mk 1: 29-39 Feb. 9 Monday Gn 1: 1-19; Ps 104: 1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 24, 35; Mk 6: 53-56 Feb. 10 Scholastica, virgin Gn 1:20 — 2:4a; Ps 8: 4-9; Mk 7: 1-13 Feb. 11 Our Lady of Lourdes Gn 2: 4b-9, 15-17; Ps 104: 1-2, 27-30; Mk 7: 14-23 Feb. 12 Thursday Gn 2: 18-25; Ps 128: 1-5; Mk 7: 24-30 Feb. 13 Friday Gn 3: 1-8; Ps 32: 1-2, 5-7; Mk 7: 31-37 Feb. 14 Cyril, monk, and Methodius, bishop Gn 3: 9-24; Ps 90: 2-6, 12-13; Mk 8: 1-10

Witnesses truly blessed by loving couple’s example

What the world needs now

“W

e should never leave this world not having the people that we love know that we love them.”

Richard Leonard was 16 when he first read these words of Jesuit Father John Powell. They inspired him to take them on as a personal challenge, as he came from a family that was “not particularly demonstrative. We do not make regular declarations of our love accompanied by long hugs.”

At the time Richard’s sister was working with Mother Teresa and his brother was living in another city. He wrote letters to both of them, telling them that he loved them. Neither wrote back.

Richard decided to try next with his mom. One Saturday night, he approached his mother — “with my heart pumping and my tummy churning” — while she was watching the news on TV after dinner.

Richard announced that he had something very important to tell her.

Without taking her eyes from the screen, she replied distractedly, “What’s that?”

Undaunted, he pressed on, saying, “Mum, I’ve never told you this before and I need to say it tonight.”

Apparently, his urgent tone got her attention. She turned off the TV and faced him, with a worried expression on her face.

Richard blurted, “Mum, I just want to tell you that I love you.”

With great relief, his mother said, “I hope so!” And then promptly snapped the TV back on.

After this incident, Richard concluded: “There were no hugs and kisses, no violins playing or statements about how long Mum had been waiting to hear one of us talk of our love for her.

As I walked back to my room, I thought I would never take John Powell’s advice again!”

By the way, Richard later found out that both his brother and sister wrote to his mom after they received their “love letters” from him. Both were worried about what was wrong with him. Mom and siblings concluded it was just a phase he was going through.

(Adapted from “Preaching to the Converted,” by Richard Leonard.)

Richard Leonard went on to become a Jesuit priest of the Australian Province and is now director of the Australian Catholic Film Office, a consultant to the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Media Committee, and a film critic, author and lecturer. Of his family’s assessment of his youthful expressions of love to them, he said, “I hope

it’s a phase I never get over!”

If Father Richard’s experience above was an isolated instance, I would sympathize with critics about a certain day — February 14 — now just a week away. You know the complaint: Valentine’s Day is just an artificial “holiday” (or conspiracy, depending on who you talk to) cooked up by card companies, candy producers, the postal service, florists and restaurant owners — not only to line their own pockets, but to add yet more stress to men’s lives.

While I can’t vouch for the purity of the merchants’ motives regarding Valentine’s Day, what I do believe is that our world and our lives can never have too many expressions of genuine love and care. If we need an “artificial day” to remind us of that, then so be it.

And can it be that all this groaning is really just masking a guilty feeling that, if we didn’t have Feb. 14, our love would rarely, if ever, be expressed?

Call me a hopeless romantic, but I’m all for Valentine’s Day and the potential good it can do — not only on the day itself, but deep into the rest of the year. Nothing can melt the cold of midwinter faster or more effectively than reassurances — via words, cards, gestures or gifts — that we are important, treasured, loved.

Father John Powell was right: Telling the people we love that we love them should never get old or burdensome. Like Father Richard, I hope this is a phase that I, or any of us, never get over.

THE GOSPEL TRUTH

Jesus obscures his true identity in Mark’s Gospel

W

hen a doctor starts his or her practice in a new town, a notice will often appear in the local newspaper to introduce the professional to the local population.

there: “So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out That notice will include background demons throughout the whole of details, some indication of the doctor’s Galilee.” expertise and focus. It is useful inforJesus quickly becomes known as a mation. At the same time, it can only preacher and a healer. At the same give us a hint of what the pertime, he is more than just that. son is like. In a sense, the Throughout the course of FIFTH WEEK same thing happens with Mark’s Gospel, we constantly OF ORDINARY Jesus in the Gospels. face the question of Jesus’ TIME In the past couple of identity.

In this Sunday’s Mk 1: 29-39 Sunday Gospel readings, we Gospel reading, that question have witnessed the dramatic reappears in Jesus’ silencing beginnings of Jesus’ ministry. of the demons he has exIn last Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus drove pelled: “He drove out many demons, out a demon while in the synagogue not permitting them to speak because on the Sabbath. they knew him.”

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Mk On one hand, we can interpret the 1:29-39, Jesus cures Simon Peter’s silencing of the demons as part of the mother-in-law of her fever later on usual exorcism, which would bind the that same day. News rapidly spreads demons and deprive them of power. about Jesus’ abilities as a healer. That One way demons would try to exercise evening, all the sick of the town gather power would be through speaking. At at his door to seek his help. The next the same time, the Gospel text specifiday, Jesus leaves town, so that he cally ties the silencing of the demons might visit the other towns and vilto their knowledge of Jesus’ identity: lages of Galilee to continue his work “because they knew him.” As supernat-

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FAMILY MATTERS

MARK MY WORDS President MOST REVEREND JOSEPH F. NAUMANN

COMMENTARY

ural beings, the demons would have access to Jesus’ identity beyond that of mere mortals, even though they would not build upon that knowledge to acquire faith in Jesus.

Jesus does not want the limited insights of the demons to confuse the people and to lead to unjustified expectations on their part. He knows that there is more to his identity than even the demons can imagine. He knows that his ministry of preaching and healing will eventually culminate in his death on the cross. His identity will be closely tied to his death and resurrection. But at this point, it is impossible for Jesus to explain that. Instead, he cloaks his identity with secrecy.

Throughout Mark’s Gospel, we face the question of Jesus’ identity. At the same time, we encounter a cagey Jesus, constantly veiling his identity in secrecy. It is almost as though the Gospel is playing hide-and-go-seek with us.

At the same time, this game has a serious purpose. The Gospel wishes to lead us to faith in Jesus Christ. It wishes us to go beyond a superficial understanding of his identity to a deeper connection with him. That can happen only when we ask the question: Who is Jesus?

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

here are a myriad of ways that love is shared with others, but one picture always comes to the mind of my husband, our daughter, granddaughter and myself.

T

Every Saturday evening, the four of us sat in the same pew. We were almost always behind a couple that had recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

It happened right before our eyes. It was the words to “The Servant Song” unfolding in every caring gesture: “Will you let me be your servant, let me be as Christ to you.”

The love, care and concern that

Mackie bestowed on his beautiful wife Pat was so gently given as gift, that it became golden to those of us who gathered in the pews of our church. Their love greatly impacted us as a family as we watched unselfish love in action.

To sit behind them was to witness many moments of tender love for one another as Mackie gently attended to her.

Then one day, Pat came in with a portable oxygen tank, and we saw

Mackie’s attentiveness become even more centered. He did so lovingly and with great tenderness. Her beautiful smile for him was a visible “thank you” that echoed yet another line of “The Servant Song”: “Pray that I may have the grace to let you me my servant too.”

Soon she graduated to a much larger oxygen tank on wheels, and all of our hearts responded with deep concern.

Mackie’s tender response to her as he anticipated her every need magnified her dignity. Another line of “The Servant Song” reflected his love: “We are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.”

The day came when she was no longer at his side. It is a vision engraved in our hearts. My husband turned and looked over at me with seldom-seen tears in his eyes. I looked at our daughter, and my tears met hers. She, in turn,

looked to her daughter, and again, tears met tears. The shared pain that rose up in all of us was one that encompassed many losses: the earthly separation of Pat and Mackie, the soft and vibrant love that overflowed to those who resided in the beauty of their love, and the sacramental sign they had been to those lives they had touched.

When we left church and sat silently as the parking lot cleared, our teenage granddaughter spoke up and said, “We were truly blessed because we were able to see what real love is.”

With hearts longing to be engulfed in that image of faithfulness, we nodded our heads and agreed, “Yes, we were indeed richly blessed.”

Jacki Corrigan is the archdiocesan consultant for the office of family life.

WORD OF LIFE

New catechesis program off to a great start ith more reports of job layoffs, companies going out of business, foreclosures, and seemingly limitless government bailout plans, it can be hard to maintain hope, even for the most optimistic among us.

W

As Catholics, we know the only solid foundation on which to base our hope is Jesus Christ. Despite the bad economic news, the Lord is continuing to do amazing things. Two great examples of this in our own archdiocese are the work of the Maryvale Institute and of Saint Paul’s Outreach.

The archdiocese has just begun a partnership with the Maryvale Institute, to

offer a master’s degree in religious education and catechesis and a certificate in catechesis. There are 11 people currently enrolled in the MA program. Their first weekend was in England and they were taught by the finest of scholars, including teachers from Oxford University. A number of students were overwhelmed with joy by the kindness of the Lord on their first weekend. You can read more about their experiences at the Web site: www. archkckecat.org.

We also have 30 students enrolled in the Maryvale certificate in catechesis

program. The students at the first study day were very excited to begin the course. They learned of fellow students throughout the world who are participating in this same course, including those in a number of Arab states who train at the risk of their own lives.

Training of catechists and leaders for catechesis is foundational for the future of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. One student said to me, almost in tears, “Thank you so much for bringing this program in. I never thought I would be able to study this.”

Saint Paul’s Outreach, a Catholic university outreach program that began in St. Paul, Minn., has begun to bear fruit in our archdiocese. At Benedictine College in Atchison, about 20 men and women live in gender-specific households, host prayer meetings, and do evangelization outreach. We lost one of the women from the women’s household this semester. But that is good news, because she

joined the convent!

A few of the students from Benedictine made the journey over to Topeka to visit and invite students at Washburn University to a Fan into Flame Retreat and to consider beginning the work of Saint Paul’s Outreach at Washburn. Patty Lyon, the director of campus ministry at Washburn, invited us to speak at Mass. Afterwards, one of the male students from Washburn, visibly moved by the work of the Lord, said, “This is exactly what I have been praying for the last two years.”

I hope you find these stories encouraging. No matter your state in life, age or financial situation, there is hope for your life in Jesus Christ. His mercies are not exhausted. They are renewed each morning — so great is his faithful love!

Matt Karr is the consultant for the office of evangelization and catechesis. He can be reached at ecat@archkck.org.

DO UNTO OTHERS

We ‘mess’ with marriage at the risk of our future ach year it’s a scene that never ceases to amaze: hundreds of Christian men, Catholic and Protestant, gathering to lift up the virtue of purity and get real about the challenges we men face in a highly sexualized culture.

E

This year’s scene: One thousand men cheering keynote speaker Christopher West as he shared the late Pope John Paul II’s teachings on the theology of the body. I was honored to be one of the presenters for a special breakout session on the issue of gay marriage.

Social justice consultants rush in where angels fear to tread. In preparing the talk, I soon learned how difficult the

subject of same-sex “marriage” is to address. How do we talk with compassion about a subject that is so volatile and prone to mischaracterization?

First, it is difficult to confront the articulate, well-organized, strategically sophisticated campaign for same-sex marriage when you are trying to defend a tradition that transcends history.

Suppose motherhood suddenly found itself the target of a Madison Avenue smear campaign. One would be at a loss for words initially, while still knowing that motherhood is good and worth de-

fending. Common sense can be hard to articulate just because it is so common.

Second, there is now in the culture a hair-trigger readiness to impugn defenders of marriage as bigots. Given that marriage between a man and a woman is one of very few human universals, it is certainly not bigoted to question the prudence of tampering with the means by which we project ourselves into the future through sexual reproduction.

Regardless of nation, culture, creed, or place in history, all peoples create a publicly recognized sexual union between one man and one woman where rights and responsibilities to each other and the children produced from their sexual union are clearly defined and publicly supported.

Marriage is the primary institution by which cultures protect children. Chief among its purpose is that it bonds fathers to their sons and daughters. We as a nation should not mess with our future by

messing with marriage. We learned at the Men of Valor conference on Jan. 27 that the marital act between husband and wife images the love of Christ for the church. In marriage, our bodies are meant to prophesy the life-giving love experienced in the Trinity.

However, if our bodies can tell the truth, they can also lie. Without fear or phobia, we as Christians are compelled to speak truth to power and reject the lie of gay marriage, while still acting with compassion and love for men and women who have same-sex attraction.

If your church or parish group would like me to come speak about the issue of gay marriage, contact the office for social justice.

Bill Scholl is the archdiocesan consultant for social justice. You can e-mail Bill at: socialjustice@archkck.org.

16 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • FEBRUARY 6, 2009

Tragedy transformed

By JILL RAGAR ESFELD Special to The Leaven OVERLAND PARK — “Sometimes it just smacks me in the face — gosh, my child is dead,” said Church of the Ascension parishioner Jeane Crossland.

Even after two years, it’s still hard for her to accept that her son Drew is never going to walk through the door again.

Her husband George finds himself waking up every morning at exactly 3 a.m., with Drew on his mind.

“I think about the situation. I think about myself. He was the most like me.

We were the same type of person,” he said.

The circumstances of their son’s death are best summarized in an essay written

by Drew’s youngest brother, Dallas Crossland, as part of an application for a college scholarship from the Johnson County STOP Underage Drinking Project: “For the last two years my brother was drinking alcohol. We thought he was getting better, as we begged him to stop.

Eventually he moved out of the house and seemed much better. Unfortunately, our hopes were too high. His best friend found him passed out over his computer.

He carried him to his car and rushed him to St. Joseph’s hospital where ER specialists hooked him up to life support. We all stayed by his side for the next two days; hoping he would wake up and we could get him to stop drinking and rejoin the family. But he never woke up.”

William Andrew Crossland was 23 years old when he died.

Leaven photo by Jill Ragar Esfeld

Jeane and George Crossland lost their son Drew to alcohol poisoning when he was 23. They credit their faith and their Catholic community with helping them work through their grief. It has been the chance to share their story with others that has helped make some sense of their tragedy. about doing this,” he said. “Hopefully [those listening] will realize that we’re real people just like any of them. That it can happen; that it did happen.”

cial norm or rite of passage, the program argues, can prove deadly — as it did for the Crosslands.

On his own A daredevil with a big heart

Drew was the Crosslands’ second of Going on four sons. He loved his family, was close Dallas’ essay won the STOP scholar- to his brothers and had many friends. He ship in 2007. That same year, his parents loved playing soccer and rollerblading. began volunteering as spokespersons for He was a risk-taker and enjoyed chalSTOP, sharing their very personal story lenges like rollerblading down handrails. in the hope that it would save another His dad called him a daredevil and his family from the tragedy they’ve endured. mom said he “always had this grin on his Initially, it was difficult — especially face like he was up to something.” for Jeane, a stay-at-home mom who nevHe was sensitive — the kind of kid er imagined she would do any kind of who would cart home stray animals and public speaking. The first time she spoke ask if he could keep them. was to a group of 30. She broke down “He found a newborn kitten in a parkhalfway through; her husband had to ing lot once,” recalled his mom. “He take over. would get up nights and But Jeane refused to let bottle feed that kitty.” emotional pain or stage Typical of an energetic FACTS fright stop her from delivboy, Drew didn’t care • In Johnson County ering her message. much for school, but treathe average age to It was too important. sured the friendships it start drinking is 13; “I felt like this was my brought him. to drink regularly, calling,” she said.

He got into trouble 14.

Now, a year and a half with alcohol for the first • One-third of later, she can tell her story time when he was 16. He Johnson County 13straight through: from the was at a friend’s home, but year-olds drink. moment she got the most the boy’s parents were • Power/binge terrifying phone call of her out. When Drew drank too drinking, consuming life to the moment when much, his friends got at least 4-5 drinks in she realized all hope was scared and took him to a a row, is increasing. lost. hospital. His parents were • Alcohol abuse is Today, she and George called to pick him up. the leading cause of often share their story When they arrived, they death among 16- to with crowds as large as found him inebriated, but 24-year-olds.

500. George often internot to the point of passing • Alcohol kills 6.5 jects facts and information out. times more young about teenage drinking “Like any other parpeople than all othinto Jeane’s account. He, ents, we gave him some er illicit drugs comtoo, feels called to speak punishments and that bined. out — a call grounded in kind of thing,” said the fact that he believes George, “but I thought it that his was a typical family; that he and was part of growing up.”

Jeane were good parents who did the But, emphasized George, “that’s the best they could to raise good children, wrong of passage,” referring to the antijust like most of the families in their audidrinking program he and Jeane present ences. as part of the STOP coalition. Society’s “That’s the reason we feel strongly acceptance of underage drinking as a so-

Drew didn’t have another incident with alcohol during high school. After graduation, he studied at a business technology center, became an apprentice machinist, and decided to move out on his own.

Sadly, independence brought poor friendship choices. Drew overindulged in alcohol and was introduced to drugs, developing an addiction to OxyContin. As soon as his parents realized he had a problem, they confronted him and insisted he get professional help, but to no avail.

“We found out that once [teenagers] are 18, legally, if they aren’t willing to get the help, there’s nothing we can do,” explained his father.

Eventually, however, Drew did move back home, and Jeane took on the responsibility of helping him recover.

“She was with him all the time. She detoxed him and he actually got better.

He was taking care of himself and running every day,” said George.

“He seemed to be doing great,” he continued. “In May [2007] he decided to get his own place, and we were all for that.

“I remember I went with him, and his biggest thing was he bought his own lawnmower.”

But Drew also had a price to pay for his involvement with alcohol. He had been issued a DUI (a citation for driving under the influence) earlier that year and chose to take diversion rather than fight the charge. He was just beginning to meet the requirements of the diversion program when he moved out.

“He called us the day before he died,” his mother said. “He said, ‘Mom, I’m doing good. I passed my drug test!’”

“So, he was celebrating passing that when he got drunk and died,” said George starkly.

STOP is committed to providing youth, parents and the community with factual data, education, prevention and intervention tools designed to reduce underage drinking and related tragedies.

For more information, visit the agency Web site at: www.4prevention. info or www.jocostop.org; contact Karen Leisner at (913) 715-7880; or send an email to her at: Karen.leisner@ jocogov.org.

No going back That fatal day, Drew and his roommate were having a party. They’d been drinking Red Bull and vodka — a dangerous combination because the energy drink reduces the drinker’s awareness of the alcohol’s side effects.

Drew’s roommate went out for a while. When he returned, he found that Drew had passed out. He rushed Drew to St. Joseph Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo. He called the Crosslands en route.

“It was 10:30 when the phone rang,” recalled Jeane. “He was frantic. And I was like, ‘Who is this?’ Then I understood, ‘Drew . . . CPR . . . St. Joe . . .’”

“When we got there, they had Drew in the ICU and were doing CPR and stripping his clothes off of him,” said George.

The emergency medical team at St. Joseph Hospital managed to revive Drew, but he had a shallow heartbeat and poor respiration.

“His brothers and family, all of us were there for a couple of days. He wasn’t responsive. His eyes were dilated.

They figured there was probably some brain damage,” said George. “They brought us together and told us, because there were no brain waves, there wasn’t much hope.”

Ascension pastor Msgr. Thomas Tank came to the hospital, gave Drew the sacrament of the sick.

When Drew died, George recalled, “there were probably 40 of us in the Turn to COUPLE on page 4