03 19 21 Vol. 42 No. 31

THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 42, NO. 31 | MARCH 19, 2021

MIEGE STUDENTS ‘LEAD THE WAY’

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD

Bishop Miege seniors Erin Garr, left, and Charlie Hill, both National Merit Finalists, place a truss in the engineering department’s Structural Stress Analyzer.

Program fosters thinking on your feet to solve real-life problems

By Jill Ragar Esfeld jill.esfeld@theleaven.org

R

OELAND PARK — Bishop Miege senior Aidan Oblepias believes being a part of the innovative engineering and computer science program Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is the most meaningful part of his high school experience.

“I think without it,” he said, “I really would have no idea where I would be going to college.

“Since I’ve been able to experience those real-world applications of problems [through PLTW], I kind of have a direction where I want to take my education.”

Oblepias is not the only student to feel this way. Since the PLTW curriculum was introduced in 2016, the outcomes have been outstanding.

This year, six PLTW students are

What is STREAM education?

STREAM learning includes the traditional STEM disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. At Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park, it includes “R” for Religion and “A” for the Arts. STREAM education utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to learning that gives students the opportunity to learn in a hands-on environment while addressing relevant real-world problems. It engages students and equips them with critical thinking, problem-solving, creative and collaborative skills that will provide a foundation for success in college and career. This type of learning applies to a wide variety of jobs and professions.

For more information, visit the website at: bishopmiege.com and choose STREAM from the ACADEMICS drop-down menu.

National Merit Scholars, including four Finalists.

Two of the six also received perfect scores on the ACT. The curriculum of PLTW is part of the high school’s STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Math) initiative. It offers college-credit eligible classes in engineering and computer science.

The courses prepare students for top engineering and computer science careers.

According to STREAM coordinator Joan Gladbach, the “secret” of the program’s positive outcomes is projectbased learning.

“Students need to be able to think on their feet,” she said. “You see kids think differently when they take

these courses.

“They’re better prepared for life.”

Bishop Miege principal Maureen Engen has seen that think-on-your-feet behavior when she visits the classrooms “With traditional education,” she said, “the questions educators typically get are: ‘What’s on the quiz? What’s on the test? How much is it going to be worth? Does spelling count?

“I’ve never once walked into a PLTW class where students weren’t talking about something on the computer or actually working together and building something.”

“It teaches the skills people are really going to need when they go into the workforce,” she continued, “being a team player, being a team partner and knowing how to participate in a real collaborative effort and take your own part and be courageous enough to give >> See “IT TEACHES” on page 7

2

MARCH 19, 2O21 | THELEAVEN.ORG

St. Joseph was a man of prayer — and of action “ I HAVE LEARNED LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN a large print of a painting of St. Joseph.

I imagine that the artist is attempting to capture the expression of St. Joseph when he awoke from one of those life-altering dreams.

Joseph was a dreamer, but not in the sense that he was an unrealistic idealist.

Three times in the first two chapters of St. Matthew’s Gospel, Joseph receives instructions from an angel in a dream.

Can you imagine trusting that God’s will has just been revealed to you in a dream?

That Joseph had such clarity is an indication that he was a profoundly spiritual man.

He had the humility and quietude in his heart to discern God’s will.

Each of these dreams were disruptive of St. Joseph’s plans. Joseph, engaged to Mary, becomes aware of her pregnancy and knows he is not the father of her child. This had to be

incredibly disturbing. Joseph is noble in his response to a gut-wrenching circumstance. He does not want to shame Mary, but chooses quietly to separate from her.

The angel in a dream tells Joseph not to be afraid but rather to go forward with his marriage to Mary, because it is through the Holy Spirit that she has conceived this child. Amazingly, Joseph is able to accept what was, humanly speaking, an impossible explanation.

After the birth of Jesus and the visit of the Magi, Joseph has another dream with the angel telling him to flee immediately to Egypt in order to protect Jesus from the murderous plans of Herod.

Joseph again discerns the message is authentic. His swift and decisive action saves the infant Jesus from being killed. The dream again totally disrupts Joseph’s life and plans, requiring him to gather up his family and go to a foreign nation.

When Herod died, the angel appeared

again in a dream to Joseph instructing him now to take Mary and Jesus back to Israel.

Joseph is once again open and compliant to God’s will.

I suspect, at some point, Joseph often must have feared to fall asleep, not knowing what new orders the angel might have for him in his dream.

Yet the Gospel reveals Joseph was a man of prayer and action. He didn’t hesitate to listen to God. And there is no hint that Joseph ever complained about all of these significant disruptions to his plans.

In his apostolic letter “Patris Corde,” Pope Francis recognizes in Joseph what the Holy Father terms “creative courage.” Joseph is presented with a series of disturbing and difficult challenges.

However, not only does he not complain, he never fails to act decisively. Joseph finds a way to do God’s will, no matter how improbable or impossible it might seem. That is why in the tradition of the church, we call upon Joseph for help in temporal affairs.

Pope Francis has helped popularize a devotion to the “Sleeping St. Joseph,” a statue of whom he keeps on his desk. The Holy Father has shared that, when he is facing a difficult challenge and he is uncertain of the right solution, he places the problem underneath the image of the sleeping Joseph.

I have a couple of

“

S

eventeen years ago today, on the solemnity of St. Joseph — Husband of Mary, I was officially welcomed in a Mass at Church of the Ascension in Overland Park as the coadjutor archbishop for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

Eight years ago today, Pope Francis began serving as a successor of St. Peter.

Reflecting his great devotion to St. Joseph, Pope Francis initiated a special year dedicated to St. Joseph and invoking his intercession for the church.

My father was killed when my mother was three months pregnant with me. My only sibling, my brother Fred, carried my father’s name. After the suddenness of my father’s death, my mother was keenly aware of the fragility of life. She was also aware of the challenges her sons would face growing up without their father.

My mother named me Joseph because St. Joseph was a great foster father for Jesus.

Our heavenly Father entrusted his only begotten Son to the paternal earthly care of St. Joseph.

Mom thought that was a very impressive credential on St. Joseph’s resume, so she entrusted me to him as a spiritual foster father. I am grateful to my mother for giving me from birth a special relationship with St. Joseph.

In my office, I have

ARCHBISHOP

A LOT FROM ST. JOSEPH OVER THE YEARS. I STRIVE TO BE LIKE HIM: A MAN OF PRAYER, SEEKING FIRST AND FOREMOST TO KNOW AND EMBRACE GOD’S WILL. these images of the sleeping Joseph — one on the desk in my office and one on the writing table in my chapel. Imitating the Holy Father, I place there papers with some vexing issues and ask St. Joseph to help me discern God’s will.

Though I have not had any angels giving me orders in my dreams, I sleep better knowing that I can count on St. Joseph’s assistance.

I have learned a lot from St. Joseph over the years. I strive to be like him: a man of prayer, seeking first and foremost to know and embrace God’s will. I also want, like St. Joseph, to be a man of action. St. Joseph did not utter a single word in the Gospels, but his actions spoke volumes.

I desire to be like St. Joseph by not complaining about challenges and problems but seeing them as opportunities to be

creative and courageous.

St. Joseph is a great role model for fatherhood.

Joseph was humble and obedient to God’s plan for him. He was strong and fearless in protecting Mary and Jesus. St. Joseph was willing to make any personal sacrifice of his own wants and desires for the good of Mary and Jesus. This is the type of spiritual father that I desire to be for those under my pastoral care.

Unfortunately, many children today, like me in my formative years, are growing up in a home where their father is not present.

Strong and loving fathers are a great gift to their children. It is a blessing to have a father that you can trust and have confidence that he will protect and watch over you.

In my experience, St. Joseph can be that type of spiritual father for all of us, but especially for those whose father is absent.

Most uniquely, St. Joseph teaches us if some problem is worrying us, making us anxious and even disturbing our sleep, we can turn it over to St. Joseph, asking him to help us discover God’s will and have the courage to follow wherever it leads.

We probably will not receive any angelic messages like St. Joseph, but I am confident we will sleep better.

Wagner’s Mud-Jacking Co. Specializing in Foundation Repairs Mud-jacking and Waterproofing.

Serving Lawrence, Topeka and surrounding areas.

Topeka (785) 233-3447 Lawrence (785) 749-1696 In business since 1963 www.foundationrepairks.com NEED HELP HEALING FROM A PAST ABORTION? Call or text 913-621-2199

LOCAL NEWS

MARCH 19, 2021 | THELEAVEN.ORG

3

Local Burmese community protests military coup in homeland

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

K

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Members of the metropolitan area’s Myanmar community participated in protests on Feb. 6, 13 and 20 against the military coup.

CNS PHOTO/REUTERS

Demonstrators crouch after police opened fire to disperse an anti-coup protest in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 3. Pope Francis appealed for an end to deadly violence against protesters in Myanmar, calling on the military junta to free political prisoners and let dialogue and the journey toward democracy prevail.

“

“

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Hearts are breaking in the Greater Kansas City area as bodies are bleeding in Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma.

On Feb. 1, Myanmar’s military overthrew the democratically elected civilian government, declaring the November 2020 election null. The coup triggered widespread protest, to which the military has responded with brutal suppression.

Myanmar has been under military dictatorship for much of its history since it achieved its independence in 1948 from the United Kingdom.

“It broke my heart when I first heard this news,” said Alice Pyoe, a college student and member of Holy Family Church in Kansas City, Kansas. “I could not believe it was happening during the pandemic, and I was shocked.”

Pyoe was born in Thailand as a refugee, where her parents fled because of persecution by the military regime then ruling Myanmar.

“Our parents had to flee [Myanmar] because of many reasons,” said Pyoe.

“They were uneducated; they did not have information access; they did not have sufficient communication systems, unity and good leadership.”

Pyoe, her parents and many others from Myanmar moved to the Greater Kansas City area under the U.N. refugee resettlement program. Many are Catholic, and some became members of Holy Family and St. Patrick parishes in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

Members of the metropolitan area’s Myanmar community participated in protests on Feb. 6, 13 and 20 against the military coup.

“I and my Burmese community have been peacefully protesting against the coup . . . to raise awareness of human rights in Myanmar and supporting the Civil Disobedience Movement,” said Pyoe.

Many people were surprised by the overthrow, said Simon Padue, a leader in the St. Patrick Parish Chin community. The Chin are an ethnic group from Myanmar.

“Every day, what can we do?” said Padue. “We just talk when we go to church and pray for our families and country. When we go to work, we meet each other and talk about the military coup happening right now.”

Communication has always been difficult between the United States and Myanmar, but it had improved in recent years with the help of technology. Since the coup, however, the military has restricted all means of communication — including that by cellphones and the internet — to short windows of time.

“From Feb. 1 until [Feb. 26], I talked to [my relatives] just two times,” said Padue. “I cannot catch them during the times they’re open.”

The protesters in Myanmar, and those in the Kansas City area as well, want four things, said Padue. They want an end to all forms of dictatorship; the abolition of the military-

MY PARISHIONERS — THEY WORRY ABOUT THEIR RELATIVES AND THE FUTURE OF MY COUNTRY BECAUSE THEY WERE UNDER MILITARY GOVERNMENT FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS. FATHER MICHAEL VAN LIAN influenced 2008 constitution; the establishment of a federal democratic union; and the release of the unjustly

detained civilian leaders.

Many Myanmar parishioners at Holy Family and St. Patrick are worried, said Father Michael Van Lian, a priest from Myanmar who ministers at the two parishes.

“Our people, my parishioners — they worry about their relatives and the future of my country because they were under military government for more than 50 years,” said Father Lian.

“Most of the people experienced how hard life was when it was under the military.

“A lot of people ask me, ‘How can it be so? How can we help the country?’

I tell them we have to pray for them.”

Prayers for peace and justice in Myanmar have been offered at each Mass. There have also been rosaries, Holy Hours and eucharistic adoration.

President Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann

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) 721-5276; or e-mail at: sub@theleaven.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109.

For change of address, provide old and new address and parish. Subscriptions $21/year. Periodicals postage paid at Kansas City, KS 66109.

Production Manager Todd Habiger todd.habiger@theleaven.org

Editor Rev. Mark Goldasich, stl frmark.goldasich@theleaven.org

Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has asked all pastors to pray for a “swift, safe and peaceful return to the work of democracy” in Myanmar. Pastors have also been asked to include prayer petitions for Myanmar in the prayer of the faithful during Mass.

Father Lian has been trying to keep in contact with his bishop and family in Myanmar, but the military government shuts down the internet from 1 to 9 a.m.

“Their intention, in my opinion, is if they have the internet, people will contact each other through foreign countries,” said Father Lian.

Since the military government declared martial law, there has been a curfew from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. This is when the military and police raid homes and arrest young people and civilian government members.

“If they have [connectivity], people will livestream when they are arrested,” said Father Lian. “[The military] worries about that.”

People in Myanmar cannot secure their homes with locks and video as in the United States, said Padue.

“Families wait all night and never sleep,” he said. “Most of us are poor, and our houses are not like here. [We have] nothing to lock the door. We try to use wood to block the doors. So, when the soldiers and police come to the house, they push down and open the door where they want to. They come in whenever they want. Some protesters are shot in the daytime.”

Padue hopes that other Catholics in the archdiocese will also pray for the people of Myanmar.

“Pray for us and help us,” he said.

“Pray together in the name of the one body [of Christ]. This is our Catholic faith. We really need to pray for our people.”

Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita.mcsorley@theleaven.org

Advertising Coordinator Beth Blankenship beth.blankenship@theleaven.org

Social Media Editor/Reporter Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org

4

LOCAL NEWS

MARCH 19, 2O21 | THELEAVEN.ORG

Debate format changes created challenges, opportunities

By Jill Ragar Esfeld jill.esfeld@theleaven.org

T

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD

Hayden senior Marcel Pryor, left, and junior Sean McConnell won the Kansas Debate Classic and the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) 4A 2-Speaker state tournament, a feat Hayden hadn’t accomplished in 24 years.

“

OPEKA — “It feels pretty good,” said Hayden High School junior Sean McConnell. “All the hard work is paying off.”

Sean and his debate partner senior Marcel Pryor have had some outstanding success this season.

And by outstanding, we mean historic.

The pair won the Kansas Debate Classic and the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) 4A 2-Speaker state tournament, a feat Hayden hadn’t accomplished in 24 years.

As if that wasn’t enough, last December, they qualified for the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) national tournament.

They’re the first team in Hayden history to do so.

John Samqua, the head debate and forensics coach at Hayden, is more impressed than surprised.

“I felt like they were going to have success this season,” he said. “I didn’t know how far it would go” Sean and Marcel are both members of Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish in Topeka. They’ve known each other since middle school, but didn’t start debating together until the 2019-20 season, when Sean was a sophomore and Marcel was a junior.

Samqua, who debated in high school and has been part of the coaching staff at Hayden since 2013, had an intuition the two would work well together.

He was right. The success of their partnership stems from the way their strengths and talents complement each other.

“Sean is really geared toward the pre-round preparation, evidence gathering and research,” said Marcel. “And I’m definitely more gifted at persuading people inside the round, making analytical arguments.”

Marcel believes his faith has helped him hone those skills.

“Anytime you take up an ideology like Catholicism,” he said, “it entails defense — not just defense from other people you argue with, but internal

“ THE ADMINISTRATION IS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF DEBATE. THIS YEAR WE’VE REQUIRED A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS VIRTUAL. JOHN SAMQUA HAYDEN HEAD DEBATE AND FORENSICS COACH

defense from doubts you may have.

“I think the ability to rationalize and articulate competing arguments has played a role in my ability to skillfully defend my faith.”

The debate team also credits its success to the exceptional encouragement it gets from the school and community.

“The administration is very supportive of debate,” said Samqua. “This year, we’ve required a lot of technology because everything is virtual.

“Initially, I was like, ‘Oh no, how is this going to work? This is super

scary,’” he said. “But it really worked out. Whatever I needed, they were able to get me. They were very supportive.”

As the season began and it was clear all the debates would take place online, Samqua put effort into making the experience as normal as possible.

“Because nothing has been normal for like a year now,” he said.

Teams meet at Hayden and set up with their partners in private rooms.

They debate using platforms like Zoom or the NSDA’s Campus.

And there are advantages.

“One of the setbacks for in-person debating,” said Marcel, is “since you’re in a classroom with the other team and the judge, if you wanted to craft arguments or pick strategies with your partner, you had to whisper really quietly.

“With COVID and the online protocols, you can just mute yourself on the Zoom call and talk normally and strategize.

“That’s been a huge help.”

Marcel and Sean didn’t rest on their laurels for long. They’re already hard at work preparing for the national

competition. Though the topic is the same one they’ve debated all year, arguments have to be fresh and up-todate.

They’ll be searching the internet for current information to support their arguments. Then they’ll cut, cite and organize key points so they can be accessed at a moment’s notice.

“We’ll have to do a lot of this,” said Sean, “because debate comes down to who has the most and better evidence, coupled with who has the better speaking abilities.”

They’ll have a few opportunities to fine-tune their strategies before nationals take place this June.

“KSHSAA grants us five spring semester debate tournaments,” said Samqua. “So, we’ll be doing one or two tournaments a month just to keep fresh with arguments, try to hit some harder completions, test things out.”

The boys are confident because they know their own district’s reputation.

“The Flint Hills Kansas Debate District is historically one of the most competitive and talented districts across the country,” said Marcel.

“We’ve always felt like even low-level competition here is going to be as hard, if not slightly harder, than the pool of competition at nationals.”

Samqua’s focus is making the experience special despite the fact that the team won’t be traveling to a national competition.

“We’ll compete from the school,” he said. “But we’ll try to have some food and a good bonding experience.

“We’ll be here to seriously compete, but we’ll try to find a way to make it special.”

For their part, Sean and Marcel are focused on learning and improving whatever the outcome of the competition may be.

“There have been tournaments we haven’t done as well at,” said Sean.

“And we take the time after to reflect on how we can improve.

“I think that’s a crucial point that involves faith, because we just know that no matter what, getting better with debate and being better people just comes over time.”

MARCH 19, 2021 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

5

Catholic school students fill barrels to the brim

By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Curé of Ars School in Leawood has hosted a handful of Dignity Drives for Giving the Basics during Catholic Schools Week.

But for assistant principal Jared Herzet, the experience never gets old.

“It’s crazy during that week,” he said, “because we have barrels sitting all over our different entrances and hallways.

“And then, as they start overflowing, I’m going around with a cart and trying to pile [the products] up onto the cart so people can get through the hallways.”

It’s a good problem to have. This year, Curé donated more than 11,300 items to Giving the Basics.

“You’ll see kids walking in [that week], and they’re so excited to donate to that cause,” said Herzet. “That’s why we keep doing it.”

‘The heart of the community’ Giving the Basics is “Kansas City’s hygiene hub,” said president and CEO Teresa Hamilton, a parishioner at Queen of the Holy Rosary in Wea. The organization supplies basic hygiene products to more than 250,000 people each month.

Based in Kansas City, Kansas, its growth over the years has prompted a move into the national market.

Locally, Giving the Basics provides hygiene products for Catholic schools in Missouri. Kansas Catholic schools are currently in the process of registering for its services, too. It also provides for Catholic Charities food pantries.

Hamilton said that because these products are not covered by government assistance, many people go without and struggle to keep clean.

The need has been even greater lately because of COVID-19.

Fortunately, Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas stepped up in a big way.

During Catholic Schools Week, Curé, Ascension School in Overland Park, St. James Academy in Lenexa and St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park held Dignity Drives for the organization.

Their zeal for the drives is amazing, said Hamilton.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. JAMES ACADEMY

From left, Lenexa’s St. James Academy students Terry Irvine, Andrew Brown, Julia Kropf (wearing a black mask), Meghan Starkey, Lindsay Russell (wearing a blue mask), Emma Chik, Grace Radke, Danny Walsh and Bridget Walsh hold items they collected for Giving the Basics. St. James donated nearly 25,000 products to the organization during Catholic Schools Week.

“The students have a heart for other children that are going without,” she said.

“You can really see the heart of the community come through when the schools get involved,” she added.

St. James seniors Justine Bichelmeyer and Ipo Watts organized their school’s drive this year.

Because of their efforts, St. James collected nearly 25,000 hygiene items.

“It feels amazing to know how many people were affected and how many lives we were able to reach,” said Bichelmeyer. “Our community went above and beyond, and the love that they showed was incredible.”

The experience makes Bichelmeyer even more grateful for her Catholic education.

“Whenever we are gifted opportunities like these and our mission as a school is fulfilled, I find myself realizing how different and wonderful my education has been,” she said.

Shaped by Catholic schools Madison Hamilton, communications

and marketing coordinator for Giving the Basics, knows firsthand the impact service opportunities can have on a student’s future.

She joined the organization in 2017.

“When I first heard about their mission and why it has to exist, I was deeply moved,” said Madison.

“I know that the work Giving the Basics does is vital to health, hope and dignity for our community,” she added.

Madison is a product of Catholic schools. She attended St. James and said her time there made a lasting impact on her life.

It taught her that “even the days when my work seems small, I can offer it all as a prayer,” she said. “My choice to work at Giving the Basics was greatly shaped by that.”

Seeing young people continue to have similar learning opportunities is exciting for Madison.

“It is really special to see students working so hard to help other students, families, seniors, veterans, etc., [who] they will most likely never get to see,” she said.

Herzet also believes in the power of Catholic education.

“I think it is very unique to Catholic schools — our willingness to give back

How to help

G

iving the Basics relies on donations and volunteers.

Check out the links below to discover the various ways you can help.

To learn more about Giving the Basics, visit the website at: givingthe basics.org.

To host a product drive and have barrels delivered to your company or organization, go online to: givingthe basics.org/how-to-give/dignity-drive.

To sign up for a virtual online product drive, go online to: givingthebasics. org/how-to-give/virtual-product-drive.

To volunteer, visit: givingthebasics. org/get-involved/volunteer.

To donate online, go online to: givingthe basics.org/donate-kansas-city.

To donate by mail, send a check to: Giving the Basics, 927 S. 7th St., Kansas City, KS 66105.

to those in our community that need it,” he said.

“It’s a great opportunity for our kids to learn [service],” he added, “which I don’t think they get everywhere else.”

6

LOCAL NEWS

MARCH 19, 2O21 | THELEAVEN.ORG

SELF-EXAMINATION AND THE RIPPLE EFFECT

By Doug Fencl Special to The Leaven

I

was in my driveway, still in my running car, staring at my closed garage door.

I had just driven from the federal prison in Leavenworth, yet had little recollection of the 50-minute trip back to my home.

I sat in my car for a few more minutes, got myself reoriented and back to reality.

My first thought was that I was thankful I’d managed to avoid any Part kind of traffic mishap or ac2 of 2 cident.

My second thought: What has just happened to me?

This, in fact, was my first real experience of a proper self-examination which, by the way, I wouldn’t recommend while driving! At that time, though, I didn’t know what to call it.

I was a nonpracticing Catholic for 35 years, and self-examination, in a Catholic sense, was not something with which I was familiar.

All I knew was that during that hour drive, I was beginning to see myself differently . . . and not in a good way.

That day started normally enough. I was at the prison mentoring a couple of inmates with whom I had been working over the past few weeks. Also on that day, there happened to be a Victim Impact Seminar that I had no intention of attending — this was for criminal violators, not me. The chaplain asked me to stay, however, thinking it would be helpful with my mentoring work. I reluctantly agreed, and sat self-satisfied and indifferent in the back row.

The seminar featured conversations, both recorded and live, with victims of crime and how those crimes negatively affected their lives, as well as the lives of others.

These heartbreaking narratives all had one terrifying characteristic: One criminal action has ramifications far beyond what anyone can imagine. It’s called a “ripple effect,” as if throwing a stone into a pond and then watching the waves radiate outward. A kind of wake of unintended and unrealized injurious consequences.

In short, it was story after story of how one’s thoughtless actions not only negatively affect the victim, but also their spouse, family, friends and community.

One traumatizing event, perpetrated on

After attending a Victim Impact Seminar and hearing heartbreaking narratives, our author experienced a “ripple effect,” a kind of wake of unintended and unrealized injurious consequences. the innocent, with repercussions that could last for days, weeks, years and even lifetimes. And all usually begun by one individual whose world revolved around his own needs and wants — with little or no knowledge, or concern, of the firestorm he carelessly set in motion.

Responses, as one can imagine, were varied. Some continue to insist that the ripple effect didn’t apply to them, ignoring evidence to the contrary. Others kept the memories of their acts locked away, buried, refusing to confront them.

But the ones that were on their way to positive change — the courageous — began to understand the unimaginable scope of the pain and trauma their destructive behaviors had on their victims, both known and unknown.

The reactions of the participants mirrored my own in that I experienced them all. At first, I ignored, telling myself the ripple effect didn’t pertain to me. I wasn’t one of them. Then slowly, I began to realize that destructive actions, throwing rocks into the pond, precursors to the

ripple effect, are not limited to those who commit crimes. Any sin we commit can be a rock thoughtlessly thrown. We are all sinners, constantly thinking, saying, and doing things that negatively affect those around us, to which we blithely don’t give a second thought.

Our self-absorbed, narrow-minded egos create a wake of destruction, in full view, just behind us. And it will stay behind us — hidden, growing, gaining momentum — unless we turn around, face it and deal with it.

It was just that wake I started to see clearly when I left the prison that day, my first real self-examination that ended at my garage door. It was the coming to term with sins forgotten, buried, ignored and offhandedly dismissed, the consequences of which I could not even imagine.

It was the recognition of the fact that there is no such thing as a victimless sin. Somewhere, someplace, somehow, selfish careless actions will always disrupt the peace that God desires for this

ACROSS 1 Future Farmers of America (abr.)

4 Radiuses 9 Dowel 12 Cincinnati baseball team 14 Grown-up 15 Phoenician god 16 Son of Seth 17 Objects of false worship 18 Upon 19 Window covering 21 Dodger 23 Chicken 24 Insult 26 Samuel’s mentor 27 Some 28 Comedian Jay 29 Far away 31 Speech giver 35 Common people 39 Press 40 School group 41 Soft cheese 42 Shoot clay targets 44 Books of the Apocrypha 47 Japanese dress 49 Audio-system 50 Exist 53 Tyrannosaurus COPYRIGHT © BY CLIFF LEITCH, THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE REFERENCE SITE, WWW.CHRISTIANBIBLEREFERENCE.ORG. USED BY PERMISSION

54 Vane direction 55 Coffee holder 58 Church official 60 Inhabits 62 Do __ others 63 Excite 67 Wine bottle 68 Alter 69 At no time 70 Tree growth 71 Compass point 72 Adolescents 73 Dike DOWN 1 Anew 2 Enclosure 3 Decorate 4 Pouring 5 Count 6 Couple 7 Sick 8 Its own 9 Chinese bear 10 Consumed 11 Give __ to God 13 South southeast 15 Snake 20 Adam and Eve’s garden

world. And it was the recognition that I was a foolhardy, blinded participant in the destructive ripple effect process.

The burden of these realizations can be overwhelming and crushing. But when dealt with properly, through confession, the painful acknowledgment of one’s sins — rocks thrown and their insidious ramifications — removes the burden of guilt, which engenders empathy and love for the other.

Then, we can truly become participants in the positive maturation of God’s kingdom, rather than the unwitting, reckless destroyers of it. Meaningful self-examination is a potent antidote to the toxic power of the ripple effect.

Doug Fencl worked in the field of law enforcement for more than 30 years, after which he worked for almost 10 years as a mentor/counselor in prison ministry at the U.S. Penitentiary Leavenworth. Fencl is a parishioner of Church of the Ascension in Overland Park.

22 Bottle 25 Bear Creek product 26 Ear pain 28 Alleys 30 Jewish teacher 31 Possessive pronoun 32 Noah’s __ 33 Fish eggs 34 Estimated time of arrival 36 Anger 37 Draw 38 Yea 43 Tropical edible root 45 Ashes 46 Not many (2 wds.)

48 Turn away from sin 50 Treat badly 51 Ice skating areas 52 Sugar-free brand 55 Nimbus 56 Radical 57 Hymn of praise 59 ___ come?

61 Recede 64 Downwind 65 Street abbr.

66 X Solution on page 15

MARCH 19, 2021 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

7

All three COVID vaccines morally acceptable, says pope, U.S. bishops

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Catholics might soon have a choice as to which coronavirus vaccine they can receive — and they may

not.

If given the choice, Catholics are encouraged to choose either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. But if the only one offered to them is the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, it is morally acceptable for them to take it, and they are encouraged to do so.

These instructions come not only from the Vatican, but also from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The instructions from the USCCB came in a memo on March 2 by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend and chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Doctrine, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

“The [Vatican’s] Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has judged that ‘when ethically irreproachable COVID-19 vaccines are not available . . . it is morally acceptable to receive COVID-19 vaccines that have used cell

CNS PHOTO/KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI, REUTERS

A Walgreens health care professional prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTec COVID-19 vaccine in Evanston, Illinois, Feb. 22. Both the Vatican and the U.S. bishops said that use of all three vaccines available in the United States — Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson — are morally acceptable to receive. lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production processes’.”

The memo further says: “However, if one can choose among equally safe and

effective COVID-19 vaccines, the vaccine with the least connection to abortion-derived cell lines should be chosen. Therefore, if one has the ability to choose a

vaccine, Pfizer’s or Moderna’s vaccines should be chosen over Johnson & Johnson’s.

“While we should continue to insist that pharmaceutical companies stop using abortion-derived cell lines, given the worldwide suffering that this pandemic is causing, we affirm again that being vaccinated can be an act of charity that serves the common good,” the two bishops said.

The following vaccine-related information can be found online at: archkck. org/prolife/resources/vaccines: • Moral considerations regarding the new COVID-19 vaccine • USCCB statements on the COVID19 vaccine • Additional resources on COVID-19 vaccines • Summary of the COVID-19 vaccine candidates • Take action (downloadable letter to print off and send to vaccine producers) • The morality of using some vaccines • Vatican Congregation of the Faith’s “Note” • Vatican COVID-19 commission statement

‘It teaches the skills people need when they go into the workforce’ your own opinion.”

Courses allow students to experience science and technology in a way that informs them about what pursuits may suit them best in college.

“I studied engineering in college,” said engineering department chair J.C. Clark, “with very little understanding of what it involved other than it was kind of hard and involved a lot of math and science. And that’s about it.

“Here, students can build skills that I didn’t see until college — exposure to different disciplines in engineering, different technology pieces like using computer and design CAD software or the industry standard for architectural design or doing structural analysis on a truss for a bridge.”

“That’s what’s cool about the program,” he added. “It’s student-driven and student-directed, collaborative,

“

>> Continued from page 1

“ THAT’S WHAT’S COOL ABOUT THE PROGRAM. IT’S STUDENT-DRIVEN AND STUDENT-DIRECTED, COLLABORATIVE, PROJECT-BASED, HANDS-ON, AND APPLIES AUTHENTIC REAL SKILLS THAT THEY WOULD NEED AS ENGINEERS. J.C. CLARK BISHOP MIEGE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT CHAIR project-based, hands-on, and applies authentic, real skills that they would need as engineers.”

“They go into college with a real clear vision that this is something I’m passionate about and want to do,” Clark concluded.

Along with giving students a clear vision of what they might want to study in college, project-based learning gives them a leg up

on the standardized test that will help them enter the college of their choice.

“It requires students to do a lot of trial-and-error to figure out what will work and what won’t work,” said Gladbach. “We don’t give them the answers; they have to figure out the answers.

“That creative learning forces students out of the memorization and regurgitation cycle that we sometimes

get into as educators, and pushes them into a realm of figuring it out as they go.

“The PSATs are geared toward figuring it out as you go — they don’t require you to have something memorized.”

With the success of PLTW, Bishop Miege is committed to incorporating the philosophy of project-based learning into every discipline so all students can reap the benefits of problem-solving through creative thinking.

“We’re trying to make sure students see the responsibility of the skills they’re being taught beyond their highschool classrooms,” said Clark, “so they can become good citizens of our country and disciples of Jesus.

“There are a million problems out there. Which problems are you going to solve? And how are you going to serve the church by doing that?”

NEED HELP SELLING A HOUSE? Please call me. I’m local, I pay cash anytime. Leave items not needed.

I’ll even pay your closing cost.

MAKE IT EASY. Mark Edmondson 913-980-4905 www.Mark@BuyKCProperty.com Holy Trinity Parishioner

SALES Advertising Account Manager Sell ad space for Church bulletins.

Salary, expenses, commission PLUS benefits.

Reply: Recruiting@jspaluch.com www.jspaluch.com

NEED HELP HEALING FROM A PAST ABORTION? Call or text 913-621-2199

‘IT’S LIKE CHRISTMAS MORNING’

BENEDICTINE STUDENTS BUILD BEDS FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE NONE

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

A

TCHISON — Sam Fabozzi was a freshman at Benedictine College here in 2019 when he heard about something new happening on campus, something called Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

It was about building free beds for kids who needed them.

Intrigued, he called the leader of the project, associate professor of engineering Patrick O’Malley. The more Fabozzi heard about it, the more enthused he became.

Here, he thought, he could put to good use the carpentry skills he’d developed since his childhood.

He asked O’Malley if he could help deliver beds, to see what it was all about.

“Do you have a truck?” said O’Malley.

“Yeah,” said Fabozzi.

“Good,” said the associate professor. “We’re going to need it.”

Fast forward to 2021.

“Now, I do a lot more than just deliveries,” explained Fabozzi, a junior majoring in mechanical engineering. “But it’s something I really enjoy doing — getting to see the kids’ faces when I knock on the door and say, ‘Hi, I’m Sam from Sleep in Heavenly Peace, and I’m here to deliver your bed.’ The smiles I see and the excitement — it’s like Christmas morning.”

Sleep in Heavenly Peace is a nonprofit founded in 2012 by Luke and Heidi Mickelson in Twin Falls, Idaho. Their idea was simple: have volunteers build and deliver free beds for children who would otherwise have none.

O’Malley traveled to Idaho in 2018 with student Sage MacKay to learn how to run a chapter. The Atchison group held its first build day in May 2018. Since then, they have built a total of 485 twin-size beds for children. Beds are delivered within a 40-mile radius of Atchison.

The most recent build day was Feb. 27; they’ll deliver the beds they built that day on March 20.

“I was looking for a volunteer project I could work on with my family and bring in the college students,” said O’Malley. “I recognized there was a need out there and I had the ability with my position in the engineering school to do something about it. So, I approached the college about starting a chapter and they were very supportive.”

O’Malley and student Rosie Schuberg, a senior, are co-presidents of the Atchison SHP chapter, which has a core team of seven students but utilizes hundreds of volunteers from the college and the towns of Atchison and St. Joseph, Missouri.

The SHP Atchison chapter has partnered with Catholic Charities, the YWCA domestic violence shelter and city housing authority in St. Joseph, school nurses, and many other organizations and individuals for referrals.

“The problem of not having a bed is a hidden problem,” said O’Malley. “We have programs in place for kids who aren’t getting enough food; we have the school lunch program. Or if someone is sitting outside without a coat on, that’s

an obvious problem you can address. But if the kid doesn’t have a bed, no one sees that except his family.”

“There was a house literally a block up the street from where I live,” O’Malley continued.

“I had no idea they didn’t have beds [until] we got a request. We gave that family six beds. A lot of people don’t know how big the need is.

“Even when we were starting, I thought, ‘How many beds are we possibly going to need to build?’ And I was blown away by the demand and how big the need is.”

The waiting list was approximately 250 people as of March 1.

The Atchison chapter holds build days, during which volunteers come to the Benedictine College engineering building to construct a large number of beds on a single Saturday.

“I manage all the setup,” said Fabozzi. “On Friday night before the build day, I spend two to three hours moving stuff around in the engineering shop and setting up all the tables and stations, so when people show up at 9 a.m., everything is good to go and we can begin building and sanding.”

“On Saturday, I do a lot of moving people around,” he continued, “making sure people know what they need to do at each station, and make sure everything is moving smoothly along with Dr. O’Malley.

“I know all the steps myself, so if I have to step in . . . I do. Besides the build days, I also manage the inventory. I tell Dr. O’Malley when we need to order more bedding or mattresses, when we’re getting low on bed frames so we can schedule another build day. . . . I take people on deliveries who’ve never done them before.”

One of the student volunteers who has become a core team member is Ricky Muniz, a senior double majoring in finance and international business. As a “vetter,” he finds out which families have the greatest need and schedules deliveries.

“I really enjoy helping out in the community,” said Muniz. “I did a lot of community service back home in Nicaragua. I missed it, and when I heard about Sleep in Heavenly Peace, I really wanted to get involved.”

Curtis and Erin Couldry of St. Joseph have four children — three of whom outgrew their beds. They needed something soon for their twin 3-year-old sons and their 5-yearold son.

“We were very concerned about having to buy beds for the boys,” said Erin. “It was looking like it would be several hundred dollars for beds. That was just a massive cost. When I told [Curtis] about this program, he was happy about it.”

The twins got their beds first, and a month later, SHP delivered one for the 5-year-old.

“He walked into the room and said, ‘A big-boy bed for me!’” said Erin. “He was so happy about it. I said, ‘Do you like your bed?,’ and he said, ‘I just love it so much.’ He was so happy and so excited to have a big bed of his own.”

To volunteer, make a financial donation or to request a bed, go to the website at: shpbeds. org/chapter/ks-benedictine-college.

Sawdust goes flying as Thad Friess (right) cuts the wood for bed frames while Joseph W local kids who don’t have one.

Benedictine College athletic director Charlie Gartenmayer drills holes for the bed frame Tyson Albright helps him keep things steady.

Journey Reynolds stacks completed bed frames outside of Westerman Hall. The beds w ered to needy families on March 20.

Wandishin (left) assists. Benedictine College’s Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter built 50 beds on Feb 27. The beds will be donated to

Quincy Dolan assembles a headboard inside Westerman Hall at Benedictine College in Atchison.

e lumber as

will be deliv-

Aidan McEnerney brands the Sleep in Heavenly Peace logo on the headboard of a recently built bed as Megan Ostrander looks on. More than 150 volunteers helped in some capacity on Feb. 27 to build beds on the Atchison campus.

LEAVEN PHOTOS BY JAY SOLDNER

10

NATION

MARCH 19, 2O21 | THELEAVEN.ORG

Jesuits pledge $100 million for descendants of enslaved people

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service

W

ASHINGTON (CNS) — The Jesuit order is pledging to raise $100 million for descendants of enslaved people once owned and sold by their order as a way to make reparations and also help the nation move toward racial healing.

The funds will be placed in a new partnership called Descendants Truth and Reconciliation Foundation formed by the Jesuit order and the GU272 Descendants Association — named after the 272 enslaved men, women and children who were sold by the Jesuit owners of Georgetown University to plantation owners in Louisiana in 1838.

The New York Times first announced this foundation March 15. A news release about the partnership said it was the “first of its kind” between the descendants of enslaved persons and the descendants of their enslavers.

“Our shameful history of Jesuit slaveholding in the United States has been taken off the dusty shelf, and it can never be put back,” said Jesuit Father Tim Kesicki, president of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.

“Racism will endure in America if we continue to turn our heads away from the truth of the past and how it affects us all today. The lasting effects of slavery call each of us to do the work of truth and reconciliation,” he added in a release announcing the new partnership.

The priest told The New York Times the Jesuits have already put $15 million into a trust established to support the foundation, whose governing board will include representatives from other institutions with roots in slavery. He also said the order has hired a national fundraising firm to help raise the rest of the funds within the next three to five years.

Joe Stewart, acting president of the new foundation, is a retired corporate executive and one of more than 1,000 descendants of Isaac Hawkins, an enslaved man sold by Georgetown University.

In the announcement of the new

CNS PHOTO/TYLER ORSBURN

Isaac Hawkins Hall is seen on the campus of Georgetown University April 4, 2017. The hall, previously known as Mulledy Hall and later Freedom Hall, was renamed in 2017 for one of the 272 enslaved men, women and children sold by Georgetown’s Jesuit community to plantation owners in Louisiana in 1838. Hawkins was the first enslaved person listed in the sale documents. partnership, he said the group would “set an example and lead America through dismantling the remnants of slavery and mitigating the presence of racism.”

He also said it would “support the educational aspirations of descendants for future generations and play a prominent role in engaging, promoting and supporting programs and activities that highlight truth, accelerate racial healing and reconciliation, and advance racial justice and equality in America.”

Cheryllyn Branche, president of the GU272 Descendants Association, said that from its start this group has worked on identifying and rebuilding ancestors’ families impacted by slavery and to create investments to help them move forward, an effort the new partnership can continue for future generations.

The group also aims to work with institutions of higher education and other entities that profited from slavery.

In the past several years, Georgetown University and the Jesuit order which

sponsors the school, has been looking closely at what it can do to make reparations for the sale of enslaved people, which helped finance the school’s operations.

In 2017, Georgetown and the Jesuits’ Maryland Province apologized for their roles in the sale of enslaved individuals for the university’s benefit at an event with over 100 descendants of the enslaved.

That same year, the university renamed a building as Isaac Hawkins Hall, named after the one of the enslaved people sold by the university. Another building, once named for Jesuit Father William McSherry, who helped with the 1838 sale, has been renamed Anne Marie Becraft Hall in honor of a free woman of color and pioneer educator who founded a school near the campus for Black girls in 1820.

In 2019, undergraduate students at the university voted overwhelmingly to pay a new student fee that would be for paying reparations to the descendants

of the enslaved who were sold by the school.

A few years before that, the university announced that descendants’ families will receive the same admissions benefits as other members of the Georgetown community, including faculty, staff and alumni.

The sale of the enslaved people by Jesuits at Georgetown brought in the equivalent of $3.3 million today. At the time, Citizens Bank of New Orleans, later acquired by JPMorgan Chase, used some of the enslaved people as collateral.

“The institution of slavery and systemic racism are tragic parts of America’s history, and we have a responsibility to drive sustainable change for the people and communities who have been impacted by this bitter legacy,” said Brian Lamb, the global head of Diversity and Inclusion at JPMorgan Chase, a major supporter of the foundation.

Photographer gives collection to Dallas Diocese

By Jeff Miller Catholic News Service

D

ALLAS (CNS) — For Ron St. Angelo, photography became a passion at Beaumont High during the mid-1960s and then his life’s work soon after his return from two tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Navy.

Two of his most frequent subjects have been the Diocese of Dallas, with which he has published four books, and the Dallas Cowboys, for which he served as official photographer for more than three decades — earning him three Super Bowl rings.

St. Angelo recently donated his now-digital photographic collection to the diocese.

“The work that I did was pretty much a gift from me to God for the talent he gave me,” St. Angelo said.

At 72, he said he’s 100% disabled from exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam, which prevents him from attending in-person Mass, but he is a graduate student at the University of

CNS PHOTO/KEVIN BARTRAM, THE TEXAS CATHOLIC

Ron St. Angelo, who was the official photographer for the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys for more than three decades, poses at his home in Grapevine Feb. 26.

Dallas in Irving studying theology and philosophy.

“I decided I was going to dedicate

the rest of my career to repaying God for giving me that talent,” he told The Texas Catholic, diocesan newspaper of Dallas.

“We are grateful to Ron for gifting the Diocese of Dallas with the St. Angelo Collection,” said Kelly Halaszyn, development director for the diocese.

“This historical collection of photography of the Diocese of Dallas captures the richness of our faith, and we look forward to preserving these images as part of our treasured collection.”

Said Joyce Higgins, the diocesan archivist: “Ron St. Angelo’s use of the camera to create this photographic collection gives us an opportunity to see ourselves and the world around in these historical moments of the Diocese of Dallas. They will be used for generations to come.”

St. Angelo’s professional routine has included prayer.

“When I pray before I photograph, I say, ‘God, I want you to show me what you want me to see,’” he said.

St. Angelo’s passions for the Catholic faith and America’s Team, as the Cowboys are known, crossed paths late

in the 1993 football season when he decided to shoot a time-lapse image of Texas Stadium during a Monday Night Football game from Braniff Memorial Tower at the University of Dallas.

That required lugging his equipment to the top and tying it down with bungee cords before shooting. The result was particularly memorable, and he returned to the tower in April 2010 to record the implosion of the stadium.

“I’m a storyteller with a camera,” St. Angelo said. “I use the same style with the Cowboys and the diocese. A lot of stuff is unfolding in real time in front of you. When something important happens, you’d better be ready.”

He and his wife of 41 years, Joanna, live in Grapevine, Texas, on “a little piece of heaven” that includes a springfed pond. He’s a founding member of Mater Dei Personal Parish in Irving and is a patron of the Carmelite monastery in Dallas.

Of his involvement at the Catholicrun University of Dallas, St. Angelo said: “I plan to be attending class at the University of Dallas for the duration of my life.”

MARCH 19, 2021 | THELEAVEN.ORG

WORLD

11

Priest sees surge in Hong Kong’s homeless

H

ONG KONG (CNS) — Oblate Father John Wotherspoon loves McDonald’s restaurants, and it’s not because of

the fries.

The reason the Catholic priest favors the fast-food chain is that the 24-hour stores were among the few places that allowed homeless people to stay in the late evening and early morning hours. The unofficial policy even resulted in a nickname, “McSleepers,” for the late-night denizens.

“God bless McDonald’s for their compassion to the poor, it was the only place for these people to go,” Father Wotherspoon said, noting that the restaurant chain has regularly donated meals for the homeless in Hong Kong.

But the after-hours haven of the golden arches ended abruptly about a year ago when the coronavirus pandemic tightened its grip on the city, prompting the government to order the closure of all restaurants at 6 p.m.

— recently amended to 10 p.m. — and forcing scores of homeless onto the streets to look for places to sleep.

“When people couldn’t go to McDonald’s, that’s when things increased rapidly [for the worse],” Father Wotherspoon said.

The city’s social welfare department said there were just over 1,100 homeless people in Hong Kong in 2017. But charities and nongovernmental organizations say the actual number is much higher now in this city with a population of about 7.5 million. Pro-democracy protests in 2019 crippled the economy and jobs were jettisoned. The economy reached a nadir as the pandemic intensified with waves of new infections.

Social distancing measures designed to stem the spread of COVID19 have continued the stagnation.

With the city government struggling

V CNS PHOTO/STRINGER

Father John Wotherspoon talks to visitors and a worker at a second-hand shop in the Jordan neighborhood of Hong Kong March 6. to reverse the economic tailspin and unwilling to provide shelter for the growing number of homeless people, a crisis was in the making, Father Wotherspoon said.

“In my opinion, this is the worst the homeless problem has ever been in Hong Kong,” said Father Wotherspoon, 74, a native of Brisbane, Australia, who has been in Hong Kong for 36 years and in the Jordan neighborhood on the Kowloon side of the city for 11 years.

But it was a moment of apparent divine intervention that provided some relief.

A local report in a Cantoneselanguage newspaper last year about the looming homeless crisis mentioned the priest’s name and resulted in an unprecedented flood of donations, Father Wotherspoon said.

“It just multiplied from there,” he said. “I never looked for money. It found me.”

A friend who asked Father Wotherspoon for permission to post his bank

account number on a Facebook page increased the flow of donations.

The funding allowed the priest and the NGO he started in 2016, MercyHK, to rent rooms in an apartment building in the adjoining neighborhood of Yau Ma Tei for those without a place to sleep.

Soon after MercyHK found apartments for those who used to be on the street, a restaurant in the same apartment building agreed to donate free meals every Wednesday.

Father Wotherspoon said the homeless problem will get worse as the effects of the pandemic continue and the economy remains in the doldrums. There are still scores of homeless who are addicted to drugs or suffering from mental illness who are unsuitable to be placed in an apartment and thus remain on the street.

They are still given food and support.

Father Wotherspoon admitted he occasionally has difficult days.

“But it’s never as bad as it is for these people,” he said.

Irish plan synod to hear from fallen away Catholics

By Michael Kelly Catholic News Service

D

UBLIN (CNS) — Ireland’s Catholic bishops plan to hold a synod within the next five years to — among other things — hear from people who were raised Catholic but have walked away from the church.

A March 10 statement released after the bishops’ conference virtual general assembly explained that the prelates believe “a synodal pathway leading to a national synod is inviting us to journey together in discernment of what the Holy Spirit is saying to the church in Ireland at this time.”

The bishops said they are “acutely aware of the huge challenges to the Catholic faith” that have emerged during the past 50 years, including the rapid transformation and secularization of society, that have led to fewer people practicing the faith and a decline in religious vocations.

They also expressed concern for the many people who left the church and “in some cases feel ignored, excluded or forgotten” and that those voices need to be heard.

Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has said he wanted to breathe fresh

Pope names woman Scripture scholar as secretary of biblical commission

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, Northern Ireland, right, arrives for a session of the Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and vocational discernment at the Vatican Oct. 9, 2018. Irish bishops have announced a plan for a national synod within five years to hear from people who were raised Catholic but have left the church. life into the concept of synodality articulated at the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s.

A recent document from the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith defined the principle of synodality as “the action of the Spirit in the communion of the Body of Christ and in the missionary journey of the People

of God.” In the Irish context, the process is expected to lead to a national gathering of laypeople, priests, bishops and religious women and men to chart a new pastoral program for the church’s future.

The church leaders acknowledged that “we hear a cry for transparency, greater participation and accountability in the church.”

The process also will especially include the voices of women, the bishops said.

“While many women are very engaged in church life in Ireland, we acknowledge the critical need to honor the contribution of women, to hear their deep concerns, to formally recognize their roles and articulate new models of co-responsibility and leadership involving all laypeople — women and men.

The plan calls for two years of prayer, listening and discernment that will coincide with a nationwide consultative process.

A task force is expected to be established this summer involving laypeople, religious, priests and bishops.

“As we embark on the synodal pathway, we ask for prayers that this may be a time of renewal, reform and new hope for all the people of God in Ireland,” the statement concluded.

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has named Sister Nuria Calduch-Benages, an Old Testament scholar and professor at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University, to be secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission.

The Spanish member of the Missionaries of the Holy Family of Nazareth is the first woman to hold the position, which involves coordinating the work of the 20 biblical scholars from around the Sister Nuria Calduch-Benages world who study topics in Scripture studies and interpretation on behalf of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

According to the norms of the commission, as revised by St. Paul VI in 1971, the secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission also serves as a consultant to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Sister Calduch-Benages, who will celebrate her 64th birthday March 26, was born in Barcelona, Spain, and earned a bachelor’s in theology from the Pontifical Urbanian University in Rome. She earned her license and doctorate in sacred Scripture from Rome’s Pontifical Biblical Institute and has taught at the Gregorian University since 1991.

Vatican plans expenditure cuts for 2021 without hurting jobs, mission

V

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Revenue shortfalls and a current budget deficit require increased efficiency, transparency and creativity while working to continue to fully carry out the mission of the universal church, said the head of the Vatican’s economic office.

“A time of financial challenge is not a time to give up or to throw in the towel, it is not a time to be ‘pragmatic’ and forget our values,” Jesuit Father Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, told Vatican News March 12.

“Protecting jobs and wages has been a priority for us so far,” the priest said.

“Pope Francis insists that saving money does not have to mean laying off employees; he is very sensitive to the plight of families.”

The prefect spoke with the Vatican’s media outlet as his office released a detailed report of the Holy See’s 2021 budget, which had already been approved by the pope and released to the public Feb. 19.

The Vatican expects a deficit of 49.7 million euros ($60 million) in its budget for 2021, given the continued economic repercussions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to provide “more visibility and transparency to the economic transactions of the Holy See,” the Secretariat for the Economy had said that, for the first time, the budget would consolidate incomes and grants from the Peter’s Pence collection and “all dedicated funds.”

CLASSIFIEDS

12 EMPLOYMENT Full-time faculty needed - Donnelly College, located in the heart of Kansas City, Kansas, is in need of full-time faculty in the following fields: math, humanities, nursing, history and geography. The following qualifications are required: master’s degree in specified field or at least 18 graduate credit hours in a closely related field; teaching experience at the college level; philosophically aligned with the mission and values of the college to engage and support our Catholic identity; and practicing Roman Catholic. Must be willing to develop innovative teaching strategies and be committed to diversity and serving a diverse population. Donnelly College is an independent coeducational Catholic institution founded by the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica and sponsored by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Donnelly College offers programs leading to bachelor and associate degrees and certificates. Send letters of interest to: Lisa Stoothoff, vice president of academic and student affairs, at: lstoothoff@donnelly.edu.

Membership director - St. Lawrence, the church at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, seeks a membership director who invites new students, parents, alumni and friends to become members and supporters. Bachelor’s degree required. Experience in communication, event coordination and fundraising preferred. The director must be a strong and engaging communicator. For more information, go online to: kucatholic.org/jobs.

Marketing manager - Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, Kansas, is seeking a faith-filled individual to serve on and support the advancement team. This individual will successfully promote and support the mission of Bishop Ward High School through development and management of all activities related to marketing and communications.

This development associate must be comfortable with design programs including: InDesign, Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator specifically, website (content management), developing collateral such as alumni newsletter invitation, annual fund, etc. Must be willing to work some evenings and weekends, and be prepared to juggle various tasks every day. This position is responsible for overseeing the brand of Bishop Ward High School and promoting the success of the school through various marketing efforts.

Qualified candidates can send cover letter and resume to Kerry Stein at: kstein@wardhigh.org.

Communications director - Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Overland Park is creating the position of communications director. The successful candidate will work directly with Father Bill Bruning and the parishioner chairs of the communications committee, the evangelization committee and will coordinate the volunteers who will be responsible for our livestreaming and online presence. The job will also require marketing skills in the form of branding and marketing communications. Interested persons are invited to review the job description and send their resume to: qhradmin@qhr-opks.org.

Director of faith formation - Corpus Christi in Lawrence is seeking a full-time director of faith formation. The director of faith formation is responsible for coordinating all faith formation and sacramental preparation of all adults and children of Corpus Christi. This includes religious education for children not in our parish school, all sacramental preparation and adult religious education.

For a full job description and application information, go online to: www.cccparish.org/jobs then scroll down and click on “Job openings at Corpus Christi.”

Associate superintendent for schools - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking an associate superintendent for student services. This position is responsible for assisting schools in meeting the needs of students with special learning needs enrolled in Catholic schools within the archdiocese. This position provides onsite consultation with principals and teachers regarding students with special needs; provides on-site training for teachers; works with archdiocesan school counselors; and engages in the Student Improvement Teams. Additionally, the incumbent assists schools in accessing funds from federal title programs to support students with special needs. The ideal candidate will be a practicing Catholic in good standing. This position requires a master’s degree in special education with at least five years’ experience in special education. Please visit: www.archkck.org/jobs for application instructions. Submission deadline: March 22.

Assistants - Assistants needed to provide support for developmentally disabled adults in a day program setting. Hours are 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. five days a week. Health, dental and vision premiums paid in full after two months of employment. Join us for meaningful, fulfilling relationships with our community. Larcheks.org.

Caregiver, homemaker or CNA - Full-time/part-time PRN homemaker positions are available in Johnson County. Work from 4 - 40 hours per week. Weekdays only; no nights, weekends or holidays. Each assignment is usually 2 - 3 hours per client. Visit: www.catholic charitiesks.org/careers, scroll down to “View Job Openings,” then click on “Caregiver Homemaker or CNA” for more information and to apply.

Hospice aide - Full-time hospice aide positions available in the Kansas City and surrounding area. Competitive wages and benefits. Shifts to include: M - F daytime only; no weekends; or Tuesday - Saturday/Sunday - Thursday options available. No holidays. Candidates must be CNA or HHA. If no CNA, agency will assist in obtaining HHA certification. Visit: www.catholiccharitiesks.org/careers to learn more about this opportunity and to apply.

Elementary school principal – Resurrection School in Kansas City, Kansas, is seeking an individual with demonstrated skill in spiritual, academic and advancement leadership for the 2021-22 school year. Resurrection has approximately 260 students in grades preschool through 8th grade, served by 25 teachers. Resurrection families come from diverse socioeconomic, language and cultural backgrounds. Applicants for principal must be practicing Catholics, understand the mission of Catholic schools and have or be eligible for Kansas licensure in educational leadership. In addition, applicants must have experience implementing and advancing school-wide STREAM and project-based learning initiatives and working with a diverse community of learners and families. (Dual language skills are a plus.) To learn more about Resurrection, visit: rcskck.org. Please apply online at: www.archkckcs.org.

Deadline for applications is March 26.

High school teachers - St. James Academy is seeking to fill several teacher openings for the 2021-22 school year.

Please visit the employment page on our website for details: sjakeepingfaith.org/about/careers/. Ideal candidates will be practicing Catholics with a passion for evangelization and discipleship who are licensed, experienced secondary teachers. Those interested should apply at the archdiocesan website and send a cover letter and resume to the St. James principal, Dr. Shane Rapp, at: srapp@sjakeepingfaith.org.

Latin teacher - Christ the King School is seeking a Latin teacher for the 2021-22 school year. Partnering with parents in their role as primary educators, Christ the King School extends the mission of the church in forming true disciples of Jesus Christ. Through a Catholic Classic Liberal Arts education centered on Christ, we provide an integrated approach fostering a love for truth, beauty and goodness. We seek to instill a natural desire for wisdom and virtue in all students. We seek candidates who not only possess a deep understanding of Latin but also possess a love of lifelong learning. The ideal teacher at Christ the King has not only developed a level of mastery in the discipline that they teach, but also understands how that discipline belongs within the context of a strong liberal arts education. Classical languages give us access to a wealth of Western thought that aids in the formation of virtuous Catholic souls; therefore, six years of Latin (3rd – 8th grades) is not an elective, but is part of the core curriculum at Christ the King. Qualifications, education and experience: bachelor’s degree; master’s degree preferred and reflected in compensation; mastery of subject matters to be taught, as demonstrated by references and education; two years of teaching experience preferred, with exceptions granted for outstanding candidates who demonstrate a record of effective leadership in a relevant field of work; the applicant must also possess a love of teaching and a passion for mentoring and a desire to continue in their own learning. Interested applicants should send a cover letter, resume and CV to Cathy Fithian, principal, at: cfithian@ctkkck.org, or email to: www.ctkclassical.org/ or mail to Christ the King School, 3027 N. 54th St., Kansas City, KS 66104.

Community live-in assistants - L’Arche Heartland of Overland Park serves adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities in day program support services and in residential services. We are seeking assistants who are looking for a unique opportunity in a faith-based organization. We are in immediate need of live-in assistants and potential live-out assistants to work in our day program serving 30 adults. We have a recycling program and community activities. Our core members participate in distributing for Meals on Wheels and Rise Against Hunger. They also attend community events such as the library, movies, bowling and going to parks. We also have a need for live-in and live-out assistants in our five residential homes. If interested, contact Jamie Henderson, community leader, by email at: jamie@larcheks.org.

Part-time client advocate - Advice & Aid Pregnancy Centers is hiring a part-time client advocate for both English- and Spanish-speaking clients. This position meets Spanish-speaking clients and translates material from English to Spanish for publication. Works in cooperation with the entire client services team to assure that every client receives all appropriate services. Each candidate must be a committed Christian who maintains a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and actively participates in a local, Bible-believing church. They must subscribe to and support the vision, mission and statement of faith of Advice & Aid Pregnancy Centers and demonstrate a consistent life-affirming philosophy. Send resume and cover letter to: andreac@adviceandaid.com.

Teaching vacancies for 2021-22 - St. Patrick School in Kansas City, Kansas, is seeking qualified applicants to join our team! Due to expanding enrollment, we are seeking elementary teachers and a PE/religion teacher. To apply, go online to: www.archkck.org/catholicschools/ employment/teacher-application-page. You may send your resume and cover letter to: Tim Conrad, principal, at: tconrad@stpatrickkck.org. If you have questions or would like to discuss further, contact us at (913) 2998131. These positions are open until filled.

Positions available - St. Teresa’s Academy in Kansas City, Missouri, has several positions available: a fulltime, benefits-eligible position; a part-time custodian position, scheduled to work late afternoon and evenings; full-time teaching positions for the 2021-22 school year in social studies and in science; seasonal head coaching positions in volleyball and golf. A job description and application form can be found on our website at: www.stteresasacademy.org/jobs. For more information, email Patty Thompson, director of human resources, at: pthompson@stteresasacademy.org.

Drivers and aides - Assisted Transportation is now hiring safe drivers and aides to transport students with special needs in Johnson, Wyandotte and Clay County, Missouri, in company vans. Drivers earn $14 - $16 per hour. Aides earn $12 per hour. Part-time and full-time schedules available. CDL not required. Retirees encouraged to apply.

Make a difference in your community by helping those in need. Call (913) 521-4955 for more information. EEO Help wanted - Do you enjoy tinkering and working with your hands? Then this is the job for you! We are a small, family-owned local company looking for someone who is handy with small equipment and enjoys traveling every now and then. We need team members with a positive attitude who are flexible, dependable, self-motivated, mechanically inclined, customer-service oriented and have great time management skills. Mostly on the job training. Electrical knowledge is a plus. Please send your resume to: Yourcareer101@gmail.com.

Accountant – St. Teresa’s Academy is seeking a full-time staff accountant. The accountant will be responsible for all aspects of accounting, including financial statements, payables, tuition billing/collection and budget monitoring.

The candidate must have a BA in accounting, at least two years of accounting experience and proficiency in Excel.

This individual will report to the director of finance. For more details and to apply, visit: stteresasacademy.org.

Evening facility coordinator - St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Leawood, is seeking a facilities assistant.

Hours may vary but will generally be Mon. – Fri. from 1 - 9:30 p.m. Responsibilities include monitoring building use; setup for events and meetings; janitorial duties; routine maintenance projects; and secure buildings at the end of the evening. This position is eligible for full benefits, and compensation will correspond with experience. Please submit resume to Denise Greene at: denise. greene@stmichaelcp.org.

Full-time assistant teachers - With multiple locations in Johnson County, Special Beginnings Early Learning Center provides high quality child care in a safe, loving Christian environment. With a balanced curriculum of pre-academics and the right environment, we believe we are providing the children the foundation to e successful in life. We are looking for full-time assistant teachers for all ages who have an excellent work ethic, a heart for children and a willingness to learn more about early childhood education. Experience and/or education is a plus, but we will train the right candidate. Duties include supervising and ensuring the safely and well-being of the children at all times; following predetermined curriculum and daily schedule; decorating the class and keeping classrooms clean and orderly; creating and filling out daily reports for each child; communicating with parent; meeting children’s basic needs (diapers, bottles, etc.). Must be patient and able to respond to difficult situations calmly; have good interpersonal skills with coworkers, parents and children; and be able to lift 25 pounds on a regular basis. There are opportunities for career advancement.

For more information or to apply, call Carolyn Andruss at (913) 894-0131, option 3.

Groundskeeper - Rockhurst High School is seeking a groundskeeper to work in all phases of groundskeeping and maintenance, meeting the needs and objectives of both the maintenance department and Rockhurst High School. This position is an hourly year-round position, Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. with a 30-minute lunch. There may be occasional evening, or weekend work. Responsibilities include: mowing, edging, trimming, weed control, fertilization and pruning; regular trash and debris pickup; maintenance activities as deemed appropriate by the supervisor and within the scope of the individual’s skill level; assist with all aspects of stadium and sports field care for the purpose of ensuring that the fields and facilities are safe and aesthetically pleasing; assist with the preparation of the grounds for the purpose of providing adequate, attractive and safe areas for assemblies, athletic events and other activities; monitor and maintain in safe condition all equipment, vehicles, tools and grounds equipment; report all incidents of damage or vandalism to the supervisor; perform snow removal services for the purpose of providing safe areas clear of snow and ice; report all unsafe and /or unhealthy conditions to the facilities supervisor; assist with other related duties as well as in other areas of maintenance as assigned by the supervisor; all other job duties as assigned. Must have a high school diploma or the equivalent and a valid driver’s license; the ability and suitability to work in a child-centered environment; ability to abide by safety procedures in order to maintain a safe working environment for students, visitors and employees; ability to meet the physical demands of the position, which includes significant lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, stooping, kneeling, crouching and climbing; ability to work under temperature extremes; ability to comply with the maintenance department’s health and safety guidelines.

To apply, send a resume to: rsmith@rockhursths.edu.

Career opportunity - Due to the growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are looking for professional men who are interested in helping fellow Catholics with their faith, family and finances. This is a full-time career opportunity that will allow you to be your own boss and a respected professional member of the community. If you or someone you know is self-motivated, good with time management and has a desire to succeed, this might be the opening you’ve been looking for. Benefits include unlimited professional income potential, flexibility, quality training program and incentive award trips such as Rome, Hawaii and Ireland. There are openings in northeast Kansas and western Missouri. If you want to serve your community, strengthen the church and change the world, call John Mahon at our regional office at (785) 408-8800 or toll free at (855) 356-4849.

MARCH 19, 2O21 | THELEAVEN.ORG

SERVICES FREE LIFE INSURANCE QUOTE IN LESS THAN A MINUTE - For your free, no obligation life insurance or final expense quote from a dozen highly rated carriers, visit: www.mcevoyins.com or call (913) 481-2896. Sean McEvoy, Donnelly College graduate, and Bill McEvoy, Ascension parishioner.

Custom countertops - Laminates installed within 5 days. Cambria, granite, and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.

Faith-based counseling to cope with life concerns - Kansas City area. Call Mary Vorsten, licensed clinical professional counselor, at (913) 909-2002.

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) 252-1391 ACT Prep - Founded by a Bishop Miege graduate, Pathway Prep has helped over 250 students during the last four years improve their scores. In-person or virtual sessions available. For more information, visit: pathway prepkc.com and contact Alex Pint at (913) 991-8217 or: alex@pathwayprepkc.com.

Senior Care Authority - Navigating senior care options can be overwhelming. We’ll help you sort through and understand all your care and living options and point you to vetted resources. Placement assistance is FREE. We do a thorough assessment, do all the research and walk with you as you make these big decisions for you or your loved one. Call (913) 359-8580.

Mike Hammer local moving - A full-service mover.

Packing, pianos, rental truck load/unload, storage container load/unload and in-home moving. No job too small. Serving JoCo since 1987. St. Joseph, Shawnee, parishioner. Call Mike at (913) 927-4347 or send an email to: mike@mikehammermoving.com.

Win disability benefits - Disabled and no longer able to work? Get help winning Social Security disability benefits. Free consultation. Eight years’ experience. No fee unless you win. Call (785) 331-6452 or send an email to: montemace2000@yahoo.com or visit http://www. montemacedisability.org.

Memory quilts - Preserve your memories in a keepsake quality quilt, pillows, etc. Custom designed from your Tshirt collection, baby clothes, sports memorabilia, neckties . . . Quilted Memories. (913) 649-2704.

Handyman - Furloughed railroader just trying to keep the bills paid for my little family. I advertised here as Father and Son Home Exteriors and Remodeling for 13 years before working for the railroad last year. I can do all carpentry, windows, doors, trim, siding and decks. I can paint, sheetrock and love to do tile. Just about any project you have around your home, I can do. No project too big or too small. Just give me a call at (913) 709-7230 and ask for Josh.

8 to Your IdealWeight Get Real, Get Healthy, Get Empowered Take back your power and release weight, fatigue and joint pain without hunger or cravings!

Call or text Kathi at (816) 809-7739 Email: imagewellness2@gmail.com Bankruptcy consultation - If debts are overwhelming you, seek hope and help from compassionate, experienced Catholic attorney, Teresa Kidd. For a free consultation, call (913) 422-0610; send an email to: tkidd@kc.rr. com; or visit the website at: www.teresakiddlaw.com.

Please do not wait until life seems hopeless before getting good quality legal advice that may solve your financial stress.

HOME IMPROVEMENT DRC Construction We’ll get the job done right the first time.

Windows - Doors - Decks - Siding Repair or replace, we will work with you to solve your problems. Choose us for any window, door, siding or deck project and be glad you did.

Everything is guaranteed 100% (913) 461-4052 www.windowservicesoverlandpark.com drcconswindows@gmail.com Rusty Dandy Painting, Inc. – We have been coloring your world for 40 years. Your home will be treated as if it were our own. Old cabinets will be made to look like new. Dingy walls and ceilings will be made beautiful. Woodwork will glow. Lead-certified and insured. Call (913) 341-9125.

Painting - Diamond Painting, (913) 648-4933, Residential/ Commercial, Exterior/interior, Free Estimate, Affordable, Decks, DiamondPaintKc.com, Kcmo/Overland Park Metropolitan area. >> Classifieds continue on page 13

CALENDAR/CLASSIFIEDS

MARCH 19, 2021 | THELEAVEN.ORG

BLOOD DRIVE St. Joseph Parish 11221 Johnson Dr., Shawnee March 22 from 1 - 7 p.m.

The Community Blood Center is calling on all healthy individuals to make a life-saving blood donation. If you wish to make a donation, appointments are needed. To make an appointment, contact Virginia Wiedel at (913) 268-3874 or send an email to: vwiedel63@gmail.com.

SOLEMNITY OF THE ANNUNCIATION MASS WITH ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN Prince of Peace Parish 16000 W. 143rd St., Olathe March 24 at 7 p.m.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will give a special blessing for children in the womb and the expectant parents. All are welcome.

The vigil Mass will be livestreamed on the Prince of Peace Facebook page, which can be found by searching for “Prince of Peace Catholic Church Olathe” or by going to the parish website at: www.popolathe.org and clicking on the Facebook icon.

>> Continued from page 12 Garage Door Repair New Garage Doors Platinum Amarr dealer, Elite Home Advisor top rating.

Call Joe, mention The Leaven discount.

A Total Door (913) 236-6440.

‘MERTON & DAY: LENTEN WISDOM FOR CRISIS TIMES’ Via Zoom March 26 from 7 - 8:30 p.m.

March 27 from 9:30 - 11 a.m.

In their many writings, Dorothy Day and Thomas Merton seem to be speaking directly to the personal and social challenges we are facing today. We will delve into what they have to say about healing division and conflict, meeting social needs, seeking peace, the importance of prayer and taking time to pause.

We will look at how we, too, can become “contemplatives in action” and work to heal a broken world. To register, Google “Sophia Spirituality Center,” click on “Retreats” and then on “Program Offerings.” From there, scroll down to “Merton & Day: Lenten Wisdom for Crisis Times” and go to the end of the description of the retreat to register.

PALM SUNDAY RETREAT WITH THE SHROUD OF TURIN Christ’s Peace House of Prayer 22131 Meager Rd., Easton March 26 - 28

The retreat will begin March 26 at 5:30 p.m. and end March 28 at 4:30 p.m. Prepare your hearts on this Palm Sunday for the end of the Lenten season and look toward the resurrection of the Lord through study and contemplation of the Shroud of Turin. There will be conferences, eucharistic adoration, Mass, confession, Stations of the Cross, and time for private prayer, reflection and walking. The suggested donations are: $170/single or $250/couples for the cabins and courtyard rooms; $100 for the single guest rooms.

Meals are included. To attend, sign up online at: christspeace.com; send an email to: info@ christspeace.com; or call (913) 773-8255.

PROJECT CHRYSALIS Via Zoom March 30 from 7 - 8:15 p.m.

Project Chrysalis is a ministry offering hope through sacred Scripture and community to parents/grandparents who have lost a child or grandchild. While this ministry is not a bereavement group, our mission is to offer support and hope through Scripture in a time of transformation. Our guests will be Bob and Kelly Specht talking about mental health awareness and what we can do to better understand the importance of good mental

Popcorn ceiling texture removal Cracks repaired and wall painting available.

Call Jerry at (913) 206-1144. 30 years’ experience.

Accepting major credit cards.

Call with questions.

CASH FOR YOUR HOME (913) 980-4905 Any condition in the metro area Mark Edmondson - local parishioner http://www.buykcproperty.com

REAL ESTATE

FOR SALE

Local Handyman - Painting int. and ext., wood rot, masonry (chimney repair), gutter cleaning (gutter covers), dryer vent cleaning, sump pump (replace, add new), windows, doors (interior and exterior) honey-do list and more! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118.

Whole Estates Need to sell a home and everything in it?

We buy it all at once in as-is condition.

Call (816) 444-1950 or send an email to: www.wholeestates.com.

Residential lifts - New and recycled. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. St. Michael’s parishioners. KC Lift & Elevator at (913) 327-5557. (Formerly Silver Cross - KC)

STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 579-1835. Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.

Farm - Ranch - I am interested in purchasing a farm or ranch. If you have considered selling but would like to stay in a home on the property, then we could work that out. My home parish is Holy Trinity in Lenexa. Please call me if interested or with questions. Thank you and God bless. Dennis Montgomery, (913) 208-1379.

Concrete construction - Tear out and replace stamped, stained or colored patios and drives. Retaining walls, footings, poured-in-place safe rooms, excavation and hauling. Asphalt drives and lots. Fully insured; references. Call Dan at (913) 207-4371 or send an email to: dandeeconst@aol.com.

We Buy houses and whole estates - We are local and family owned, and will make you a fair cash offer. We buy houses in any condition. No fees or commissions and can close on the date of your choice. Selling your house as is never felt so good. Jon & Stacy Bichelmeyer (913) 599-5000

For sale - Beautiful antique statue of the Blessed Mother with pedestal. Deserves a wonderful home. If interested, call (913) 341-2565.

WANTED TO BUY Wanted to buy - Old cars or hot rods. Uncompleted project cars in any condition, with or without titles. Cash buyer. Call (913) 980-3559.

Wanted to buy - Antique/vintage jewelry, paintings, pottery, sterling, etc. Single pieces or estate. Renee Maderak, (913) 475-7393. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.

13 health. For more information and the Zoom link, contact Deacon Ken Billinger at (913) 634-4210 or send an email to: kbillinger@ archkck.org. The group is open to parents or grandparents who have lost a child.

ST. PATRICK, KCK, VIRTUAL AUCTION Online April 5 - 10

Go online to register at: https://stpatrick kck.cbo.io beginning on April 5 at 9 a.m. All silent auction items will be open for bidding until April 10 at 9 p.m. If you have questions or want to learn about ways to help, send an email to: stpatrickauction@stpatrickkck.org.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS GRADE SCHOOL SUMMER CAMPS St. Thomas Aquinas High School 11411 Pflumm Rd., Overland Park June and July

There will be a variety of camps for students entering grades K - 8. Registration and further information are available online at: www.stasaints.net/summercamps. For more information, call (913) 319-2416 or send an email to: btriggs@stasaints.net.

Wanted to buy -Do you have a car or truck that you need to get rid of? If you do, CALL ME! I’m a cash buyer. We’re Holy Trinity parishioners.

My name is Mark. (913) 980-4905.

Will buy firearms and related accessories - One or a whole collection. Honest evaluation and top prices paid.

Contact Tom at (913) 238-2473. Member of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee.

CAREGIVING Looking for assisted living at home? - Before you move, call us and explore our in-home care options. We specialize in helping families live safely at home while saving thousands of dollars per year. Call today for more information or to request a FREE home care planning guide. Benefits of Home - Senior Care, www.benefits ofhome.com or call (913) 422-1591.

Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management, and transportation for seniors in their home, assisted living or nursing facilities.

We also provide respite care for main caregivers needing some personal time. Call Daughters & Company at (913) 341-2500 and speak with Laurie, Pat or Gary.

Call or stop by to learn about the options of advanced planning, and pick up your FREE Personal Arrangement guide.

We Guarantee your services at today’s prices.

NEED HELP HEALING FROM A PAST ABORTION? Helen Skradski

Steve Pierce

913-371-1404

Carrie Kaifes-Lally

www.skradskifh-kc.com Proudly Serving our Community Since 1929

Call or text 913-621-2199 Compassionate, Confidential, Free

THE SHEPHERD’S VOICE 8:30 a.m. Sundays on 92.9 FM and KEXS AM 1090 Encore Monday at 11:30 a.m.

14

COLUMNISTS

Getting the vaccine was a shot in the arm

DAILY READINGS FIFTH WEEK OF LENT March 21 FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT Jer 31: 31-34 Ps 51: 3-4, 12-15 Heb 5: 7-9 Jn 12: 20-33 March 22 Monday De 13: 1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 Ps 23: 1-6 Jn 8: 1-11 March 23 Turibius of Mogrovejo, bishop Nm 21: 4-9 Ps 102: 2-3, 16-21 Jn 8: 21-30 March 24 Wednesday Dn 3: 14-20, 91-92, 95 (Ps) Dn 3: 52-56 Jn 8: 31-42 March 25 THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD Is 7: 10-14; 8: 10 Ps 40: 7-11 Heb 10: 4-10 Lk 1: 26-38 March 26 Friday Jer 20: 10-13 Ps 18: 2-7 Jn 10: 31-42 March 27 Saturday Ez 37: 21-28 (Ps) Jer 31: 10-13 Jn 11: 45-56

Turibius of Mogrovejo 1538-1606 Spanish-born Toribio taught law in Salamanca until 1574, when he was appointed inquisitor of Granada. In 1580, though not yet a priest, he was named archbishop of Lima, Peru, with his episcopal ordination in Seville. After arriving in Lima in 1581, his 25 years of missionary service included diocesan and provincial synods, visits around the vast diocese, clergy reforms and Indian-language catechisms. He also introduced European religious orders into Peru, opened the first seminary in the New World and encouraged Indians to become priests.

MARCH 19, 2O21 | THELEAVEN.ORG

I

’m gonna be here forever.

That was my first thought on Feb. 10 as I opened the door to the Riverfront Community Center in Leavenworth.

To my right was a sea of folding chairs with about 40 people sitting in them. Since I was so excited to get the first of two Moderna shots, however, I was prepared to wait. After all, I’d brought plenty of reading material.

It didn’t take long for me to realize how wrong I was. I’d filled out the necessary forms at home and soon was being whisked from station to station where my name was checked off a list and I was given a small vaccination card and asked which was my dominant arm. I was then directed to one of about a dozen people giving the shots.

I sat down and removed my coat and one arm from my long sleeve shirt. When I asked why the shot was going into my dominant arm, the nurse said she wanted me to

MARK MY WORDS

FATHER MARK GOLDASICH Father Mark is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989.

use that arm as much as possible afterwards to reduce soreness. She had no more answered my question than she said, “You’re done!” I didn’t feel a thing.

That’s when things spiraled out of control.

I stood up but couldn’t find the sleeve to put my arm back into my shirt. A helpful nurse from another station guided my arm in.

Then, my own nurse started laughing as I proceeded to put the buttons into the wrong buttonholes. She helped

me with that, hoping no doubt that this “poor soul” (me) hadn’t driven myself that day!

And what about that sea of people I’d seen upon entering the center? They’d all received their shots already and were simply waiting the required 15 minutes before leaving.

The whole vaccine experience was impressively slick.

March 10 found me back in Leavenworth for the second shot.

Since the weather was warm, I was able to wear a light jacket and a T-shirt. Like before, I was whisked through the various stations and soon found myself seated before a nurse.

She looked at me and said, “Father Mark? I

took care of your mom when she was at Vintage Park (the assisted living residence in Tonganoxie)!”

She went on to say that Mom was always so nice and never looked her age. (She didn’t say the same about me.) The T-shirt eliminated any unfortunate “long sleeve shirt issues” from the first shot and soon I was waiting the required 15 minutes. (Incidentally, the only side effects I’d experience would be a very slight fever and a lot of fatigue, both which passed by the evening of the next day.)

While I sat there, this little story popped into my head: A couple strolled about in New York City one warm evening and came upon a ConEd electric generating station, quietly humming about its business. The wife mused, “Though we live nearby, we’ve never known it was here.”

“That’s just like people who quietly do their jobs,” replied the husband. “Just as

ConEd keeps the city and its suburbs running, inconspicuous people keep the world running.” (Adapted from “Sower’s Seeds Aplenty: Fourth Planting,” by Brian Cavanaugh, TOR.) I was amazed at how many “inconspicuous people” made my vaccination possible: the people who organized the event, those managing all the paperwork, the folks giving the shots, the people directing traffic inside the center, the workers who set up all of the chairs and pathways and the janitorial staff who took care of the place.

I then reflected on the professors who trained the medical personnel, the researchers who discovered the vaccine, the manufacturers of the syringes, the drivers who delivered the vaccines . . . and the list could go on and on.

I left the community center with a humbled and grateful heart, knowing that all these inconspicuous people and their service were the real shot in the arm.

Readings demonstrate God’s desire to draw closer to us

O

ver the centuries, artists have attempted to depict God in paint, sculpture, stone and stained glass. Their challenge is to show the invisible mystery of God in artistic forms visible to the senses.

Some artists depict God as a ray of pure, radiant light streaming out of the heavens, while other artists show God with his powerful hand emerging from the heavenly realm.

The Bible offers many compelling, beautiful images of God, rooted in God’s own words and deeds in the history of salvation, such as Sunday’s first reading from the Book of Jeremiah the

,

JEM SULLIVAN Sullivan is a professor at The Catholic University of America.

prophet. Lent is a perfect time to revisit our image of God in the light of God’s word.

From Jeremiah we learn of God’s burning desire to be in friendship with the people he calls to covenant

relationship. This is not a picky, distant, uncaring and judging God. Rather, here is an image of God who is love. God desires to be in close communion, writing on his people’s hearts his law of love to bring them genuine happiness and lasting peace: “I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. . . . All, from the least to the greatest,

shall know me, says the Lord, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.”

The prayers of the psalmist also offer powerful images of God. For the psalmist lives in close friendship with God, calling out to God as one friend calls out to another in the troubles and joys of life.

“Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.

Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me,” prays the psalmist while painting the image of a loving, merciful and healing God. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus speaks

of his close relationship with God, his Father. Jesus’ earthly life and mission originates in the desire of God to reconcile the world to himself through his life, death and resurrection.

Just as a grain of wheat dies in order to bear fruit, so will Jesus’ death on the cross bring about God’s victory over every sin that separates us from God. Jesus loses his life on the cross and is raised to eternal life with God, his Father.

The sacred event of Jesus’ death on the cross, at the heart of our Lenten journey, is offered as the pattern of our daily lives as we pray, “Speak to me, Lord.”

Pope to confessors: Be fathers, brothers who offer consolation, mercy VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Every confessor should understand he is a sinner, forgiven by God, and he is there to offer his brothers and sisters — sinners, too — the same divine mercy and forgiveness he has received, Pope Francis said.

“The religious attitude that emerges from this understanding of being a forgiven sinner that each confessor must have is

peacefully welcoming [the penitent], welcoming as a father” would with a smile, a peaceful look and “offering tranquility,” he said March 12.

“Please, don’t have it be a tribunal, a school exam; don’t be a snoop into other people’s souls; [be] merciful fathers, brothers,” he told a group of seminarians, new priests and priests who hear

confessions in the major basilicas of Rome.

The pope made his remarks in the Vatican’s Paul VI hall to those who participated in a weeklong formation course offered each year by the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court that deals with matters of conscience and coordinates the work of confessors in Rome’s major basilicas.

MARCH 19, 2021 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

15

Residents see light at the end of the tunnel

By Mike Achoki Special to The Leaven

O

LATHE — A longawaited milestone for Santa Marta residents was reached March 1, when after a year of pandemic-induced uncertainty, the Catholic-sponsored senior living community here hosted its final onsite COVID-19 immunization clinic that day.

The event capped off vaccinations for the community after several weeks of visits from CVS and AuBurn Pharmacy representatives.

Both doses of the vaccine were offered to residents community-wide, as well as Santa Marta’s entire staff.

In fact, the community was able to secure vaccinations for its independent living residents even before the state of Kansas had a concrete plan in place for immunizing seniors in independent living.

“It’s naturally a huge weight off our shoulders,” said Santa Marta executive director Chet Surmaczewicz, who commended residents and associates for their resilience, support and cooperation to ensure everyone’s safety during the pandemic.

“We’re blessed to have a strong support system in place, which has enabled us to persevere up to this point.”

“It’s like seeing a light at the end of the tunnel,” said resident Jan Kramer, who has lived at Santa Marta for nearly five years. “The staff and the pharmacies did such a great job.

We feel very fortunate to have been able to receive the vaccinations here at the community, especially since there are many seniors across the

Tim and Patience Walter, members of Christ the King Parish, Topeka, celebrated their 50th anniversary on March 13. The couple was married March 13, 1971, at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Cawker City.

They have five daughters — Stacey Scott, Margaret Boyles, Heather Germann, Tiffany Noller and Whitney Kinyua — and 11 grandchildren.

ANNIVERSARY submissions PHOTO COURTESY OF SANTA MARTA

Residents of Santa Marta, a Catholic-sponsored senior living community in Olathe, hosted its final on-site COVID-19 immunization clinic on March 1. country who are still waiting to get their shots.”

Prior to the vaccinations, many services and activities at Santa Marta had been suspended as a necessary safety precaution. With immunizations concluded, some semblance of normalcy is settling in. Communal dining in a limited capacity has resumed. The community has also reopened its fitness center and pool so residents can exercise alongside their neighbors.

Social events are even making a return, and residents were able to enjoy a live musical performance together in early March.

The excitement stemming from these developments is palpable.

“I’ve really enjoyed exercising and having dinner with others,” said Kramer. “It’s comforting to be re-

united with our Santa Marta family.

We knew we missed some things but didn’t realize how much we missed them until we started mingling again.”

Despite the ongoing lifting of some restrictions, Surmaczewicz emphasized safety protocols will remain in place at Santa Marta for the foreseeable future based on evolving guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We’re taking everything one step at a time and listening to the health experts,” he said. “While we’re thrilled we’re able to loosen up a bit, our main focus is still on ensuring everyone’s safety above all else.

However, the peace of mind that comes from being vaccinated makes life a little easier.”

POLICY: The Leaven prints 50, 60, 65 and 70th anniversary notices. They are for parishioners in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas DEADLINE: 10 days before the desired publication date.

WHERE TO SUBMIT: Email: todd.habiger@theleaven.org

Crossword solution

16

LOCAL NEWS

MARCH 19, 2O21 | THELEAVEN.ORG

Tax date not extended yet — but keep an eye on the news

W

A

ith spring almost here and vaccines on the march, there is a lot to be excited about. But before most of us can enjoy either, we’ll most likely have to tackle another challenge that has been impacted by the pandemic: our tax returns.

After the overhaul of the tax system a couple of years ago, some t h i n g s were much s i m p l e r.

But like e v e r y thing else, the pandemic has changed all that, at least temporarily.

To guide readers through the pitfalls and opportunities of this year’s tax changes, The Leaven talked to Beth Coleman, director of accounting for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

. If you, your spouse or dependents have been adversely affected by COVID-19 and you made a withdrawal before the age of 59 ½, you will not owe the early withdrawal penalty. There are several options on repaying it or taking it into income over the next three years and it can be complicated so I would suggest consulting with your tax preparer so that it is done correctly.

Q

. Tons of people are now working from home that weren’t prior to the pandemic. Can they now write their home office off as a business expense?

A

. If you are working from home and are an employee (receive a W-2), you cannot take a home office deduction.

If you are self-employed, you use the home office exclusively for business and it is your principal place of business, you can take a home office deduction.

Q

. Many people have been laid off and have no extra money for tax preparation. Is there any help for them?

Q

. Last year, the pandemic caused the Internal Revenue Service to push back the date tax returns were due. Is there any likelihood of that happening this year?

A

A

. Presently, the due date is April 15, but with the passage of the American Rescue Plan of 2021 on March 11, there is a possibility that the IRS may extend the due date. The AICPA and the House Ways and Means Committee have requested the IRS to extend the date, so keep checking to see how the IRS has responded.

Q

. Will the American Rescue Plan affect your 2020 tax return?

A. It could affect your 2020 return

if you received unemployment income during 2020 and you had adjusted gross income of less than $150,000. The act will exempt the first $10,200 in unemployment benefits and it is retroactive to 2020. If your return has already been filed, you will need to amend it to get the benefit. If you have not filed yet, you might wait until the IRS has adjusted the tax forms so that you can receive this benefit.

Q

. How will the American Rescue Plan affect families with children?

A

. The child tax credit has been expanded for one year. In 2021, the credit will be $3,600 for children under age 6 and $3,000 for children age 6 through 17. Families could get advance payments on a monthly basis between July and December, which would represent half of the credit. The remaining credit can be claimed when they file their 2021 tax return. The expanded credit begins to phase out at adjusted gross incomes of $75,000 on single returns, $112,000 on head-of-household returns and $150,000 on joint returns.

Q.

Many Americans have received a stimulus check (the Economic Impact Payment, or EIP) in tax year 2020. Do they need to report that on their tax returns?

A

. The stimulus check you received will not be taxed.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY TODD HABIGER

Beth Coleman, director of accounting for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, answers questions about the tax season.

Q.

Others have not received theirs yet, though. How should they proceed?

A

. If you were eligible to receive the stimulus checks but did not get them, you can receive a credit on your 2020 tax return.

Q

. Will receiving the stimulus check affect other federal benefits someone might already receive, like unemployment or Social Security?

A

. No, the stimulus check should not affect other federal benefits.

Q.

There seems to have been a few small changes to the actual tax form since last year, some due to the pandemic. One of them will benefit many Catholics who support their parish financially. Could you explain?

A

. There is a temporary tax law change to help charities. Taxpayers who take the standard deduction on their 2020 tax return can deduct up to $300 in charitable donations that are made by cash, check or credit card. Donations of noncash items — i.e., clothes and household items — do not qualify.

In previous years you were only allowed to take a charitable donation deduction if you itemized your deductions.

Q. So what does a taxpayer now

need to gather up to take to his/her tax preparer?

A

. Along with your prior year’s tax return, social security numbers of yourself, spouse and dependents, and bank account and routing number for direct deposit of your refund you will

need the following: • W-2s – If you worked as an employee • All 1095 forms – Health Insurance Statements • Any 1099s you received: — 1099NEC – if you worked as an independent contractor — 1099R – if you received money from a pension, retirement plan, IRA or annuity — 1099SSA – if you received Social Security — 1099G - if you received unemployment compensation ($10,200 of this income is not taxable if your AGI is less than $150,000) — 1099INT, 1099DIV, and 1099B for investment earnings Many employers and investment companies have gone paperless which requires you to get these forms off their portals/websites.

For those with children in day care, bring the total amount paid and the provider’s name, address and their Social Security number or Federal ID number.

For those with college age children, obtain the 1098T in order to claim the Education Credits.

Teachers of K-12 can deduct up to $250 for out of pocket classroom or professional development expenses.

In 2020, because of COVID-19, PPE expenses, including disinfectants and supplies, can also qualify for this deduction.

Those with student loans should obtain form 1098E from the lender.

Q

. The CARES Act allowed people affected by the pandemic to withdraw up to $100,000 from their retirement accounts, including IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s and others, in 2020. Will taxpayers be taxed on their withdrawals?

. There are several places to go to find out if you are eligible for free tax filing and support: • www.irs.gov — If you or your family have adjusted gross income of less than $72,000, you can use the IRS’s tool to find a brand-name tax software to prepare your tax return for free.

If you decide to use that software to prepare your state tax return, there is a charge for that service.

Kansas does have a free file service called KS WebFile that you can use to prepare your Kansas return if you are a Kansas resident or non-resident and have filed a Kansas income tax return in the last three years. Go online to: www.kansas.gov/webfile/ • www.myfreetaxes.com — United Way provides this website to assist people in filing federal and state returns and connects users to partner nonprofits who are part of the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.

• www.taxaide.aarpfoundation.org — AARP Foundation helps those over 50 with low to moderate incomes.

Q

. Finally, apparently scammers took advantage of the pandemic to file fraudulent claims in the names of people whose identity they have stolen. What should people do if they receive a Form 1099-G that reflects unemployment earnings that is not accurate?

A

. If you received a 1099G for unemployment you did not receive, you must report it to the state unemployment office that gave you the 1099G — not the IRS — so that a corrected form can be issued to you, including if the amount is $0. In Kansas, go online to: https://www.dol.ks.gov. Failure to get a corrected form could result in the IRS taxing you on this income even if you leave it off your return.

Coleman worked for 12 years as an auditor in public accounting before serving for the last 31 as director of accounting for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Coleman is also currently serving on the Audit Committee for the University of St. Mary in Leavenworth; she and her husband Mark belong to Prince of Peace Parish in Olathe.