03-29-13 Vol. 34 No. 32

theleaven.com | vol. 34, no. 32 | march 29, 2013

“Let all corners of the earth be glad, knowing an end to gloom and darkness!�

As once again we commemorate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, may the risen Lord console each of you with his blessings of hope and light. +Joseph F. Naumann Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas

+ James P. Keleher Archbishop Emeritus of Kansas City in Kansas

2 archbishop

theleaven.com | march 29, 2013

second front page 3

march 29, 2013 | theleaven.com

Life will be victorious

Awareness of our sins lead us to awareness of our Redeemer

I

am elated that so many throughout the Archdiocese have chosen to spend 33

days prayerfully preparing to consecrate their lives to Jesus through Mary on the feast of the Annunciation, celebrated this year on April 8.

Father Gaitley’s book, “33 Days to Morning Glory,” provides beautiful, yet challenging meditations each day based on the insights of St. Louis de Montfort, St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, and Blessed John Paul II. One of my favorite meditations is the one for the 19th day, entitled “Heart-Pondering Prayer.”

It is based on the spiritual insights of Mother Teresa.

Father Gaitley notes how easy it is for us to fail to recognize the many blessings that we receive from God each day and focus rather on the “daily annoyances, burdens, difficulties, and inconveniences.”

If we focus on all the negatives of our life, then we quite easily become like the Israelites while journeying to the Promised Land, who were always grumbling and complaining against God and Moses, despite the many miracles that they had experienced since their exodus from Egypt.

Father Gaitley observes: “Mother Teresa lived in some of the poorest environments on earth. She had to put up with burning heat, bad breath, stuffy rooms, nagging fatigue, endless responsibilities, bland food, hard beds, body odor, cold water bathing, and agoniz-

archbishop Joseph F. Naumann ingly deep spiritual aridity.

Yet, despite all this, she radiated joy.”

Father Gaitley believes there were two “secrets” to Mother Teresa’s ability to manifest an authentic joy in the midst of so many adversities.

First, Mother Teresa followed the example of Mary by “pondering in her heart” all that God was doing in her life. Father Gaitley believes that Mother Teresa found God in the details of her life, pondering “deeply in her heart his many signs of love.”

Mother Teresa’s second secret was that she followed the spiritual counsel of St. Ignatius of Loyola by making an examination of conscience at the end of the day. The method proposed

by St. Ignatius and followed

by Mother Teresa was not simply to focus on a laundry list of sins, but to begin the examination by reflecting on God’s many blessings during the day.

St. Ignatius recommends that we begin the examination by first placing ourselves in the presence of God. Once we have become aware of God’s presence, the next step is to review our day by recalling many of the blessings of the day. St. Ignatius was confident that if at the end of the day we thanked God for his many blessings, we would soon recognize and give thanks to

Don’t forget the Marian Consecration Masses Archbishop Naumann will be celebrating two Masses at which those who joined him in the 33-day retreat can consecrate themselves to Jesus through Mary at a communal celebration: • April 7 at 5 p.m. Mass at St. Michael Church in Leawood • April 8 at noon Mass at Most Pure Heart of Mary Church in Topeka

God for his blessings as they occur throughout the day.

Next, St. Ignatius instructs us to ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to recognize our sins. Without the grace of the Holy Spirit, we will remain blind to the many ways in which we deny God his rightful place in our lives and hurt others by our words and actions.

Next, we reflect on the times during our day when we were sad and anxious.

St. Ignatius refers to these as moments of desolation. If we seek the underlying causes for our desolations, we will discover an aspect of our sinfulness, which will include how we chose to react to the sins of others that wounded us.

As we allow ourselves to become more aware of our sinfulness, we may be tempted to run away from Jesus. This is precisely the wrong thing to do. When we become aware of our sin, we also become aware of our need for a redeemer. It is at this moment in our prayer that we should run to Jesus and allow him to embrace us with his merciful love.

One concludes the examination by making a resolution. Having recognized our sins of the day, we want to make resolutions that will challenge and help us not to repeat those very same sins during the course of the new day. Part of our resolution may include striving to do something kind and loving toward someone whom we hurt with our sin the previous day.

If you begin to follow this simple methodology in your night prayers, I believe that you will begin to see some amazing changes in your life.

By recognizing and pondering God’s blessings, we will find ourselves more and more thanking and praising God throughout the course of the day.

The grateful heart is a ripe field for the Holy Spirit to set our souls on fire with love for God and for our fellow human beings. Not only will we find ourselves much happier, but we will

God’s Tender Mercies April 19 - 20, 2013

The mercies of God are for each and all: “full measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over” (Luke 6:38); Courage to cross bridges; Faith to open doors; Hope to “let go”, grieve and move forward. This time together is about “noticing”, “remembering” and praying about God’s mercies received and needed in life’s journey.

Sister Marie Micheletto, RSM, M.A., L.P.C., LMHP, is a psychotherapist and educational humorist, does marital and individual counseling and is a national and international speaker.

calendar archbishop

Naumann March 29 Good Friday liturgy at Cathedral March 30 Easter Vigil at Cathedral March 31 Easter Mass at Cathedral April 2 Administrative Team meeting Confirmation — Queen of the Holy Rosary, Wea

April 3 Eucharistic adoration — St. James Academy, Lenexa Confirmation — Holy Cross, Overland Park April 4 Religious Alliance Against Pornography conference call Mass — Bishop Miege High School, Roeland Park Confirmation — Christ the King, Topeka April 5 Donnelly College Events Center dedication April 6 Symposium for new evangelization Mass — Benedictine College, Atchison April 7 RCIA Mass — Benedictine College, Atchison Marian Consecration Mass — St. Michael the Archangel, Leawood

April 9 Dinner and meeting with philosophy and theology majors — Benedictine College April 10 Vocation Day — Prince of Peace, Olathe Confirmation — Church of the Ascension, Overland Park April 11 Adoration and Benediction — Hayden High School, Topeka Confirmation — Church of the Ascension, Overland Park April 12 Vespers, Mass and dinner with Apostles of the Interior Life April 14 Pastoral visit — St. Michael the Archangel, Leawood April 15 Curia meeting “Shepherd’s Voice” taping Confirmation — St. Paul, Olathe April 17 Confirmation — St. Joseph, Shawnee

archbishop

keleher March 29 Mass at Cathedral

March 30 Curé of Ars confirmation at Easter Vigil March 31 Mass — Sisters, Servants of Mary, Kansas City, Kan.

April 8 Marian Consecration Mass — Most Pure Heart of Mary, Topeka

April 7 Confirmation — St. Sebastian, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Confirmation — Church of the Nativity, Leawood

April 17 St. James auction dinner

find those around us drawn to the source of our gratitude and joy.

Perhaps you are skeptical about the power of this simple, daily spiritual exercise.

Leaven photo by Marc Anderson

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and Father Tom Aduri, pastor of Mother Teresa Parish in Topeka, toss the first shovelfuls of dirt on March 16 to break ground on the Family Formation Center, a new 19,600-square-foot addition to the parish complex which will expand the meeting rooms available for use by the various parish ministries and groups. Father Lourdu Marreddy Yeruva (far left), the parochial administrator of nearby St. Theresa Parish in Perry, and Father Bill Bruning, Mother Teresa’s founding pastor (second from left), also participated in the festivities.

To this, I respond: “Just try it. It worked so powerfully in the life of Mother Teresa, consider what a difference it could make in your life.”

Topeka parish breaks ground for addition

By Marc and Julie Anderson Special to the Leaven

T

OPEKA — When a growing family needs space, they sometimes build an addition.

And so it is with Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish here.

When the parish was founded in 2004, it had 378 families. Today, it’s bursting at the seams with 828.

On March 16, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann led the parish in a site blessing and groundbreaking ceremony for an addition to the existing parish building — doubling the space for the growing parish family.

Archbishop Naumann was the main celebrant for a Mass before the groundbreaking. The concelebrants were pastor Father Tom Aduri, founding pastor Father Bill Bruning, and parochial administrator of St. Theresa Parish in Perry, Father Lourdu Marreddy Yeruva.

Archbishop Naumann said it was a joy for him to be there at the parish, celebrating both the Year of Faith and the groundbreaking. He said he was pleased to be able to celebrate the special time with parishioners as the universal church experienced the first days of the pontificate of Pope Francis. He thanked the parishioners for their generosity as

Friday, 7:30 p.m. to Saturday, 3:00 p.m. Program Fee: $ 45. Rooms per night: Single Occupancy: $ 42.00 plus tax. Double Occupancy: $ 34.00/person plus tax. Meals: $ 15.50 plus tax.

St. Benedict Center Located 3 miles north of Schuyler at Hwy. 15 P.O. Box 528 • Schuyler, NE 68661-0528 • Phone: 402-352-8819 • Fax: 402-352-8884 Email: Retreats@StBenedictCenter.com • Web Site: www.StBenedictCenter.com

Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799) President: Most Reverend Joseph F. Naumann

they continue to move forward with the parish’s growth.

Prior to the ceremonial first tosses of dirt, Archbishop Naumann led the parishioners gathered at the site in prayers for a successful, safe project. Readings focused on the Lord’s involvement in building a house and how Jesus Christ is the cornerstone.

The moment also brought a little levity as the archbishop told the crowd that Father Aduri had promised him it would be 80 degrees. The crowd laughed — the temperature in Topeka had reached nearly 80 degrees the previous day but had plummeted to the 30s and 40s by then.

Father Aduri is excited about the project, although he felt a little hesitant at first.

“The challenging aspect of the project thus far has been anticipating the cost of the project. Depending on the anticipated cost, I was not sure if I could take the leap of faith and go forward with the project,” said Father Aduri.

“The thing that brought me joy related to the project was how most of the people were very supportive of this project,” he continued. “They keep encouraging me. The money just keeps coming in. In spite of the bad economic times, people make sacrifices to sup-

“

“The thing that brought me joy related to the project was how most of the people were very supportive of this project. They keep encouraging me.”

Father Tom Aduri, pastor of Mother Teresa Parish in Topeka

port their parish.”

The parish was founded in 2004 to serve a growing population of Catholics north of the Kansas River. With the exception of two outdoor Masses at the parish site, Masses were held in the Hayden High School cafeteria.

In 2006, Archbishop Naumann joined pastor Father Bill Bruning and parishioners on the parish property to break ground. And despite near blizzard conditions, the archbishop and parishioners returned for the dedication

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of the multipurpose worship space on Dec. 22, 2007.

The current, 19,200-square-foot parish facility consists of parish offices, meeting rooms, classrooms, a social hall, a serving kitchen, an adoration chapel and worship space.

The Mother Teresa Family Formation Center is a 19,600-square-foot addition of two floors that will expand the number of available meeting rooms.

Additionally, the new structure will extend the use of the original groundsource heating and cooling system and is designed in such a way to accommodate a third floor in the future.

Since the parish began under Father Bruning’s leadership, he, too, said he felt great joy about the project and looked forward to its completion. One of the questions he always asks himself when presented with a parish project is: “Is this project doing something beautiful for Christ?”

If the answer is “yes,” then the project is worth doing, he said. The Mother Teresa Family Formation Center will do something beautiful for the entire parish community from the young members to the oldest — essentially serving everyone “from the cradle to the grave and everything in between.”

Published weekly September through May, excepting the Friday the week after Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Christmas; biweekly June through August. Address communications to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Phone: (913) 721-1570; fax: (913) 721-5276; or e-mail at: sub@theleaven.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. For change of address, provide old and new address and parish. Subscriptions $18/year.

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theleaven.com | march 29, 2013

The face of human trafficking ‘These are human beings that matter’

By Marc and Julie Anderson Special to The Leaven

T

OPEKA — Lent. It’s a time of repentance — and a time of renewal.

Perhaps that explains why the students at Topeka’s Catholic Campus Center at Washburn University undertook a unique service project for the Lenten season.

For years now, the students of the campus center have given up all drinks except water and donated the money they would have spent to charities to help fund clean drinking water projects in poor countries around the world.

This year was different. The students decided to raise funds instead for Veronica’s Voice, a grass-roots agency dedicated “solely to victims of prostitution and commercial exploitation.”

Founded in 2000 by Kristy Childs, Veronica’s Voice is the only agency working in the Kansas City area to help men and women get out of the world of human trafficking and prostitution.

Initial funding for the agency was provided by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health Systems. On March 4, Childs spoke to a group of roughly two dozen students and faculty members on the Washburn campus.

It’s a topic of which Childs has much personal experience. At age 12, she ran away from home and started hitchhiking. Eventually, she was taken in by truck drivers in exchange for sexual favors. For the next 24 years, Childs was part of the world of human trafficking and prostitution until one sound changed everything — that of her unborn son’s heartbeat. In a guest biography posted on the website of “The 700 Club,” Childs said, “God told me to keep my son and he would get me out of the lifestyle.”

From that point on, Childs has been free of drugs, depression and her former lifestyle and has dedicated herself to helping others start their lives anew.

In her presentation, she discussed all the dangers facing those involved in lives of prostitution, including drug addiction, rape, physical abuse and the high possibility for the prostitutes themselves to be murdered.

And while most people would like to think these things don’t happen in their own communities, the simple fact, Childs said, is they do — and to a certain extent always have.

“It’s not new,” said Childs. “This has gone on for centuries. . . . People using people and exploiting people has gone on forever.”

Childs’ compassion for the victims of the industry led her to found Veronica’s Voice in memory of Veronica Neverdusky. In 1993, Neverdusky was just 21 years old and had three young children. A victim of human trafficking

Leaven photo by Marc Anderson

Kristy Childs, founder of Veronica’s Voice, tears a regular sheet of notebook paper into different sizes to explain the various groups of people involved in human trafficking within the United States. and prostitution, she was found murdered in Penn Valley Park in Kansas City, Mo. Childs named her grass-roots agency in her honor and dedicated her work to “women and girls who are caught in commercial sexual exploitation who are without voices.”

A few of the programs and services that Veronica’s Voice offers those seeking to begin their lives anew include: a place at an undisclosed location where women and girls go for assistance with basic needs such as showers, clothing, food and referrals to other community service agencies; Restorative Justice, an educational program aimed at reducing arrest recidivism; and personal outreach, crisis lines, drug and alcohol abuse recovery and job training.

Additionally, Veronica’s Voice offers women a homelike environment in the Magdalene Home, a 5,000-square-foot residence in the Hyde Park area of Kansas City, Mo., so women and girls have a place to stay while accessing services.

Childs said it’s important for people to realize that women and girls often get caught in the industry due to a lack of jobs skills or a reliance on their handlers for food, shelter and clothing.

“These are human beings that mat-

ter,” Childs emphasized, adding that too often society and the legal system look down on these women.

Veronica’s Voice does not receive any government funding. As a result, the agency relies upon the generosity of donors. So, in addition to sponsoring Childs’ presentation, the Catholic Campus Center held two fundraisers to benefit Veronica’s Voice.

First, the students sold bracelets in the student union during peak times, distributing literature about human trafficking and Veronica’s Voice at the same time. Then, the students conducted a night at Buffalo Wild Wings on March 6 with 10 percent of the profits going to help Veronica’s Voice.

For Anna Frantz, a senior and a member of the campus center, the idea to help Veronica’s Voice made complete sense. However, she cannot claim credit for the idea, she said. That goes to Debra Banister, a senior and a social work major who had heard Childs before and took the idea back to the campus center’s leadership.

“It (the H2O Project) gets a lot of interest, but we wanted to do something a little closer to our own community,” said Frantz, adding many people do not

Statistics • There are approximately one million prostituted women in North America, or one percent of women in North America are involved in prostitution.

• An estimated 600,000 children under 18 are involved in prostitution or pornography.

• Twelve is the average age of entry into pornography and prostitution.

• As many as 2.8 million children live on the streets. One out of every three will be lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home.

• A national study shows that 75 percent of all women used in prostitution were victims of incest and/or physical abuse as children.

• Most of those involved in prostitution ran away from home at an early age to escape their abuse . . . then turn to prostitution as a way of survival.

• Most prostitutes became drugor alcohol-addicted on the streets; their need to earn money to support their habit only serves to trap them in the lifestyle even more.

• Average arrest, court, and incarceration costs amount to nearly $2,000 per arrest. Cities spend an average of $7.5 million on prostitution control each year, ranging from $1 million (Memphis) to $23 million (New York).

• A high percentage of prostituted women have considered suicide.

• Every year a prostituted woman is raped 19 times, kidnapped 10 times and beaten repeatedly.

• In 1998, the United States was the world’s largest consumer of child pornography.

• Trafficking in women plagues the United States as much as it does underdeveloped nations. Organized prostitution networks have migrated from metropolitan areas to small cities and suburbs.

• Girls involved in prostitution are increasingly getting younger, dropping from 14, to 13 and 12 years of age. Child prostitution in the United States began to escalate in the late 1980s after new laws made it more difficult for officials to detain runaway children.

• Females in prostitution have a mortality rate 40 times higher than the national average.

• The process of recovery for a woman leaving prostitution takes two years of very supportive intervention. Women who are trying to leave the sex industry have the same needs that traditionally battered women have. Many are fleeing with the clothes on their backs with no money and no place to go.

Source: www.vernoicasvoice.org

realize how close to home the issue of human trafficking really hits.

local news 5

march 29, 2013 | theleaven.com

‘Blessed are the merciful’

Divine Mercy Sunday celebrations invite Catholics to share in devotion

By Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — To Kathy Dorst, the Catholic Church is full of gems, and she and her husband Bob have discovered one they love to share.

The Topeka couple had prayed the chaplet of Divine Mercy for years, but the devotion really took on new life for them at a conference in Overland Park in 1998.

“The graces and blessings are just tremendous,” said Kathy Dorst.

Since then, they have taken the lead in sharing this devotion and working to help enthrone the Divine Mercy image in homes, buildings and parishes.

All of the Topeka parishes, including their own Mother Teresa of Calcutta Church, have enthroned this image of Jesus, surrounded by pale rays representing the water of baptism and red rays representing the blood of Christ.

The Dorsts look forward to April 7 — the Sunday after Easter, which the church celebrates as Divine Mercy Sunday — and hope Catholics across the archdiocese will join in the devotion.

Michael Podrebarac, archdiocesan consultant for liturgy, explains the relatively new devotion this way.

“Jesus wished to reveal to humanity the image and the contemplation of his divine mercy,” he said.

This particular attribute of God does not outweigh any other because God is whole.

But its application resonated in a special way with circumstances in the world at the time the devotion began — and still does today.

The private revelation in the 1930s to a Polish nun, Sister Faustina Kowalska, came at a point in history when the world had just emerged from one world war and would soon enter another.

In the 1950s, a Polish cardinal — who later would become Pope John Paul II — took up the cause for this devotion, understanding both the cultural and the theological context of the revelation.

As pontiff, Pope John Paul II inaugurated the feast of Divine Mercy in 2000 with the canonization of St. Faustina.

“The themes of the Divine Mercy are very consistent with the ways in which Jesus shows mercy in the Bible,” said Podrebarac.

Jesus revealed to St. Faustina seven ways to access his divine mercy, he continued.

They include: 1) Contemplating the image of the Divine Mercy, which Jesus revealed to St. Faustina and asked her to replicate.

It always includes the phrase “Jesus, I trust in you” or “Jesus, I trust in thee.”

Local Divine Mercy celebrations Christ the King Parish, 3024 N. 53rd St., Kansas City, Kan., will offer reconciliation at 2 p.m. on April 7. The chaplet of Divine Mercy will begin at 3 p.m., followed by celebration of the Eucharist at 3:15 p.m.

Refreshments will follow.

Church of the Nativity, 3800 W. 119th St., Leawood, will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday at 3 p.m. on April 7. The service will include recitation of the chaplet, Divine Mercy litany and Benediction. The parish will have a first-class relic of St. Faustina present at the service.

Divine Mercy Parish, 555 W. Main St., Gardner, will hold a special celebration at 3 p.m. on April 7, including exposition, Benediction, and the Divine Mercy chaplet with prayers for the church and Pope Francis.

Good Shepherd Parish, 12800 W. 75th St., Shawnee, will have a blessing of the Divine Mercy image and pray the chaplet at 9:15 a.m. (between the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.

Masses) on April 7.

Holy Trinity Parish, 501 E. Chippewa, Paola, will recite the chaplet of Divine Mercy at 3 p.m. on April 7, followed by Benediction and reconciliation.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish, 2014 N.W. 46th St., Topeka, will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday at 3 p.m. on April 7 with exposition, Benediction and a Holy Hour. A reception will follow.

Prince of Peace Parish, 16000 W. 143rd St., Olathe, will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday at 3 p.m. April 7 with a Holy Hour of adoration and Benediction, including recitation of the Divine Mercy chaplet and a blessing of the Divine Mercy statue.

Queen of the Holy Rosary, 7023 W. 71st St., Overland Park, will host an hour of prayer with Benediction, led by Father John Maier, at 2:30 p.m. on April 7. Children are invited to take flowers to Jesus, the Divine Mercy, and flowers will be provided.

2) A renewed simple and straightforward trust in Jesus.

3) Celebrating the feast of Divine Mercy — which Pope John Paul II directed to take place at the Octave of Easter.

4) Participating in the sacrament of reconciliation. “To me, one of the most beautiful expressions of it is Jesus counsels St. Faustina with these words: ‘Tell people that when they come to confession, I’m waiting there for them; I wish to receive them,’” said Podrebarac.

5) Faithful participation in the Eucharist.

6) Praying the chaplet of Divine Mercy, based on prayers said using rosary beads, with the words “For the sake of his sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world” at its heart; and 7) Living in and showing mercy to others, which includes merciful words — forgiving and comforting; prayer on others’ behalf; and deeds of mercy.

“Not only are we accessing mercy or petitioning mercy for ourselves,”

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Archbishop Naumann will be celebrating two Masses at which those who joined him in the 33day retreat can consecrate themselves to Jesus through Mary at a communal celebration: • April 7 at 5 p.m. Mass at St. Michael Church in Leawood • April 8 at noon Mass at Most Pure Heart of Mary Church in Topeka

Podrebarac said, “but we’re extending that gift of mercy to others as members of the body of Christ.”

A plenary indulgence is granted to those who fully participate in the Divine Mercy devotion.

Podrebarac believes the beatitude “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” might best capture the idea of Divine Mercy.

And there are many ways to incorporate it into a Catholic’s life throughout the year, from reading St. Faustina’s diaries to praying the chaplet daily.

Catholics often pray the novena daily between Good Friday and Divine Mercy Sunday, and the novena focuses on prayers for different groups each day.

“It’s really made a huge impact. The Lord has just shown us so much,” said Kathy Dorst. “The Catholic Church is just so rich with these little tidbits that become monumental opportunities for graces.”

Sacred Heart Parish, 101 Cottonwood, Emporia, will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday at 3 p.m. on April 7 by praying the Divine Mercy chaplet. There will be adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Benediction and an opportunity to receive the sacrament of reconciliation.

St. Benedict’s Parish, 1000 N. 2nd St., Atchison, will say the Divine Mercy novena at 3 p.m. each day beginning March 31 until Divine Mercy Sunday. At the 11 a.m.

Mass on April 7, there will be the recitation of the chaplet and Benediction.

St. Joseph-St. Lawrence Parish, 211 W. Riley, Easton, will host a Holy Hour with adoration and Benediction at 3 p.m. on April 7. There will be opportunity for confession.

St. Patrick Parish, 1066 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kan., will hold a Holy Hour at 3:30 p.m. April 7. The hour will include adoration, Benediction, a reflection on mercy and the praying of the Divine Mercy chaplet. Prayer cards will be provided.

St. Pius X Parish, 5500 Woodson Ave., Mission, will offer opportunity to pray the Divine Mercy novena at 3:30 p.m. on March 31 and then at 3 p.m. each following day until Divine Mercy Sunday. At 3 p.m. on April 7, the parish will sing the chaplet of Divine Mercy.

Reproductive health care seminars set for April 26 & 27 KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The worldrenowned Pope Paul VI Institute is conducting two seminars on women’s reproductive health care. The first on April 26 is designed for clergy and medical professionals. The second seminar on April 27 is designed for the general public.

These seminars will present authentic, objective, and scientific approach-

es to women’s reproductive health as compared to the dominant approach used as the standard today.

Details and online registration can be found at: www.prolifekc.com or by contacting the archdiocesan pro-life office at (913) 647-0350 or by email at: prolife@arch kck.org.

Advance registration through April 24 is $15 and includes lunch.

6 local news

theleaven.com | march 29, 2013

Animator for Hispanic ministry steps down

Stormy weather: Basehor has the drill down pat

By Sheila Myers Special to The Leaven

n Father Pat takes on A new challenge in Tijuana, Mexico

B

ASEHOR — With the spring storm season approaching, Holy Angels Church here has decided to make like Boy Scouts and “be prepared.”

It even conducted a run-through of its new evacuation plan after Masses March 9 and 10.

The exercise tested the parish’s ability to safely and swiftly move churchgoers to designated shelter areas in case of sudden danger during Mass.

Parishioner Chuck Magaha, who spearheaded the plan, said the runthrough was a success.

“We actually had the church totally evacuated last night in 45 seconds,” said Magaha. “I was looking at two minutes. This morning [after 9 a.m.

Mass] was a minute and 20 seconds.”

As the emergency manager for Leavenworth County, Magaha knows how destructive Kansas’ weather can be, especially in the spring. He worked the aftermath of the tornadoes that struck in Greensburg (May 2007), Reading (May 2011) and Harveyville (February 2012). Churches are particularly vulnerable to damage.

“All churches have wide spans and are several stories high,” he said. “That poses a risk because they are susceptible to wind and tornadic activity. We can get storms with winds higher than 80 miles per hour.”

Magaha proposed the idea of creating an emergency plan for the parish last year, but had to delay its implementation because of his busy schedule.

“This year, Father [Richard McDonald] said, ‘Let’s go!’” he said.

Creating an evacuation plan posed a challenge for Magaha because the church, consecrated in February 2010, has no basement. He worked with the parish council to identify various shelter areas on the church grounds to accommodate up to 900 people, the likely attendance at Mass on Palm Sunday and Easter.

“A suitable shelter area is someplace on the lowest level possible with as many walls as possible,” said Magaha.

local news 7

march 29, 2013 | theleaven.com

Staying in touch Anyone who would like to stay in touch with Father Pat Murphy, CS, including those who want more information about helping Casa del Migrante in Tijuana, Mexico, may contact him by email at: patmurphycs@comcast.net.

By Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com

K

Leaven photo by Doug Hesse

Usher Tim McDonnell (in red) watches as parishioners file out of the church’s mechanical room after an emergency preparedness drill at Holy Angels Parish in Basehor.

“Restrooms are good. They become unisex during an emergency. Also, the sacristy and the mechanical area.”

The parish also purchased weatheralert radios so ushers can monitor weather reports during Mass.

About 45 people, mostly Magaha’s fellow Knights of Columbus, attended a short training session March 3.

Father McDonald announced the run-through to attendees before Mass.

“As pastor, I am concerned with the safety of souls and your physical safety as well,” said Father McDonald. “For that reason, and because we live in tornado alley, we have an emergency preparedness plan.”

Immediately following Mass, ushers helped lead churchgoers from each section of the church to their designated area. Some were led across the parking lot to the old chapel basement.

Others were shepherded to the sacristy or music room in front of the church.

Run-throughs after the first two Masses revealed a few glitches that Magaha and his team ironed out in time for the 10:30 a.m. Mass drill. They blocked off parking in front of a sidewalk and designated a spotter to help guide parishioners over a small step to the chapel.

Grand Knight Tom Phelan, who helped with the drill, was surprised at how much is involved in successfully evacuating a large number of people.

“Just give them precise instructions, take charge, lead them where they need to go and do it quickly,” instructed Phelan.

Participants were good-natured about the drill — probably not how they would react in a real emergency.

“You always need to be prepared,” said Lynne Sebree, who, with his family, stood shoulder to shoulder with others in the sacristy.

If your parish would like to learn more about emergency preparedness and how to create an evacuation plan, contact Chuck Magaha at (913) 6840455.

It beats the meat locker, which is where Sebree said he had to sit out a storm at the local Price Chopper a few years ago.

Ushers paid special attention to parishioners with ambulatory difficulty, such as parishioner Lea Ann England.

England walks with a cane. She, her husband Scott, and other people with handicaps were evacuated to the music room at the front of the church.

But England made the best of it.

“They left us with the electric organ so we could entertain ourselves,” she said.

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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — A gardener tending his patch might not appreciate its full beauty until he steps back to take it all in.

Now, after nearly 10 years of helping Hispanic ministry blossom across the archdiocese, Father Pat Murphy, CS, can step back, pleased with the rich faith he sees thriving.

Plenty of work lies ahead. But he trusts the ministry will be well cared for after he leaves his post as animator for the Hispanic ministry office on April 1.

Father Pat has been named director of his Scalabrinian community’s 160bed men’s shelter for migrants in Tijuana, Mexico.

He’s excited about his new assignment, but leaving Kansas City has proven more difficult than he expected.

But just as God opened this door in 2003 when he was wrapping up his years as provincial of his community, he sees a new one being opened for him in Tijuana.

As he celebrated his last Masses at different parishes and attended a host of goodbye parties, he spotted couples whose weddings he had celebrated, or whose babies — some now gradeschool age — he had baptized.

Some of the young people who grew up knowing him as a constant figure in their lives have had a hard time meeting his eye — they’ve had tears in theirs.

“When you leave an archdiocese where you’ve worked in 13 different parishes, it’s really hard to say goodbye,” he said.

Fabian and Edith Peña, who are very involved at St. Mary-St. Anthony Church in Kansas City, Kan., have come to know Father Pat as a fixture of countless important moments in their lives — from their wedding to retreats to meals at their home, which meant the world to them.

Although Father Pat’s time was always in demand, when he promised a meeting, he followed through, making everyone feel special, the couple said.

He championed integrity and social justice in the public square, they said, and is passionate about forming strong Catholics.

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Father Pat Murphy, CS, will step down as archdiocesan animator for Hispanic ministry to become director of a shelter for migrants in Tijuana, Mexico.

As a result of his work here, said Fabian Peña, who assists with confirmation preparation, “You know more about your religion. You can speak [about] it better and teach it to your friends,” Edith prepares children — and their families — for first Communion.

And while their family — which also includes daughter Sarah, 13; and sons Esteban, 7, and Fabian, 5 — is sad to see him go, Edith Peña believes the faith Father Pat planted in people has come alive.

Planted seeds “We’ve always tried to plant seeds,” said Father Pat, “and the seeds that I’ve seen planted have been, number one, in the growth of Hispanic ministry and starting of Spanish Masses in eight different parishes.”

St. Patrick Parish and the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kan., both launched Spanish Masses in the past year, and have seen good attendance.

More seeds have been planted in formation.

“We started some really good faith formation courses,” said Father Pat. And new leaders are sprouting up.

“They’re just stepping up and taking ownership of the ministry and service and wanting to reach out to other people,” he said.

Father Dan Gardner, pastor of All Saints Parish in Kansas City, Kan., has seen the fruits of leadership development classes Father Pat has offered.

“He does it with the Scriptures.

He does it with the teachings of the church,” he said. “That needs to continue and grow.”

Father Pat doesn’t take credit for what’s been accomplished — he sees community behind everything.

He spent his final weeks in Kansas City, Kan., working with his successor, Father Livio Stella, CS, who served in Rome for the past six years as vicar general of the Scalabrinian community.

Father Livio has worked extensively with the Hispanic community in Mexico, Guatemala and Los Angeles, said Father Pat. “He just has to walk with the people and keep them going,” he said. “He’ll add his own personality, his own touch to it, as well.”

And he’ll have the help of Father Jesus Olivares, CS, who serves as the associate in the Hispanic ministry office, as well as other staff.

Looking ahead Father Pat served at the now-25year-old Casa del Migrante in Tijuana once before, for a short time 20 years ago.

“Our job is to just live out what Matthew’s Gospel says: ‘I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,’” he said.

The center feeds, clothes, and provides temporary shelter, guidance and assistance to 9,000 people a year.

Many of its residents have been deported from the United States, includ-

ing some who haven’t been to Mexico — or spoken Spanish — since they were small children.

People generally stay a few days.

Casa del Migrante has seen high-profile visitors over the years, including Mother Teresa.

Father Pat is already talking to people in Kansas about mission possibilities.

Area parishes could help his work in Mexico through everything from on-site work projects to collections for basic needs like soap, toothpaste and socks for the guests.

He looks forward to the joys and challenges that lie ahead in Mexico, but Kansas and its people will hold a place in his heart.

Father Pat is sorry to miss out on some of the future developments he sees coming — especially the comprehensive immigration reform the American bishops have been championing for years.

“I feel more confident than ever that it’s going to happen,” he said.

He’s also delighted to see the growth of vocation awareness within the Hispanic community. The Peña family told him they would love to have a religious vocation within their family.

“How do you walk with that family and if there is a vocation, help it prosper and grow and not get lost along the way?” he said is the challenge.

That interest, said Father Gardner, is part of Father Pat’s legacy here.

Father Pat’s work has been instrumental in bringing more people to the church, he said.

“He was always a joy to be around and always very helpful and insightful and had lots of words of wisdom,” he said.

Archbishop Naumann concurred.

“Our Lord has accomplished a great deal through Father Pat Murphy’s priestly ministry here in the archdiocese,” he said. “Under his leadership and hard work, Hispanic ministry has grown dramatically.”

“We will miss him greatly, but will enjoy the fruits of his labor here for many years to come,” the archbishop continued. “And we wish him the best of luck in Tijuana.”

‘We’re brothers’

Vatican security scrambling, yet prepared for pope’s love of the scrum

Pope Francis meets Pope Benedict

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

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CNS photo/Clarin handout via Reuters

Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, pictured as a young man in back second from left, and his family members are seen in this undated handout photo.

Despite close ties, pope skipped family barbecues to minister in slums

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters

Historic

Pope Francis embraces Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, March 23. Pope Francis traveled by helicopter from the Vatican to Castel Gandolfo for a private meeting with the retired pontiff.

C

ASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (CNS) — With a warm embrace, a helping hand, shared prayer, a long discussion and lunch together, Pope Francis spent several hours with retired Pope Benedict XVI March 23 at the papal summer villa.

Pope Francis gave Pope Benedict an icon of Mary and Jesus that the Russian Orthodox delegation to his inauguration had given him just a few days earlier.

“They told me this was Our Lady of Humility. If I may say, I thought of you,” Pope Francis said. Pope Benedict, obviously moved, grasped his successor’s hands.

Pope Francis told Pope Benedict, “You gave us so many examples of humility and tenderness.”

The meeting took place in Castel Gandolfo, where Pope Benedict is staying while a Vatican monastery is being remodeled as a residence for him.

The retired pope moved with much greater difficulty than he did a month ago. Walking with a cane, he took smaller and slower steps.

When the two went into the chapel of the papal villa to pray, Pope Benedict indicated that Pope Francis should take the front pew, but Pope Francis, reaching out to help his

predecessor walk, said, “We’re brothers,” and they knelt side by side.

Traveling by helicopter from the Vatican, Pope Francis arrived shortly after noon.

While the two have spoken by telephone at least twice, this was their first meeting since Pope Francis’ March 13 election.

Pope Benedict, wearing a quilted white jacket over a simple white cassock — without a short cape or white sash — was driven to the garden heliport to greet his successor.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said the two rode in the same car to

the villa. Pope Francis sat on the right — the spot reserved for the pope — and Pope Benedict sat on the left.

After their visit to the chapel, the two spent 45 minutes talking alone, Father Lombardi said. He would not release details of the conversation and would not explain what was in the large box and two large envelopes seen on the table between the two.

The two had lunch together at Castel Gandolfo, then reportedly went for a short walk. Pope Francis returned to the Vatican about two-and-a-half hours after he arrived.

Vatican workers join pope for early morning Masses

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

V

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Dressed in orange safety vests, green jumpsuits or other workers’ attire, Vatican gardeners, garbage collectors and cleaning crews joined Pope Francis for a 7 a.m. Mass March 22.

Usually in the Vatican, “we’re the invisible ones,” Luciano Cecchetti, coordinator of the Vatican gardeners and sanitation workers, told Vatican Radio after the Mass.

“To find ourselves before the

Holy Father, at a Mass for us, is something that doesn’t happen every day. I turned and looked at the faces of the employees: We all left there misty-eyed,” he said.

After the Mass, there was time for private prayers. Pope Francis joined the others, going to a seat in the last row of chairs in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he is staying.

Before the employees headed back to work, Pope Francis greeted each of one of them.

Almost all of the gardeners, Cecchetti said, offered to give the pope a guided visit of the

Vatican Gardens.

“He didn’t say no,” he said.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said the pope gave a brief homily, focused on the Gospel reading from St. John, in which some Jewish leaders pick up rocks, intending to stone Jesus for blasphemy.

The Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, summarized the pope’s homily: “When we have hearts of stone, we pick up rocks and stone Jesus Christ in the form of our brothers and sisters, especially the weakest.

We must open our hearts to love.”

Along with the outdoor crews, the congregation included members of three women’s religious orders who work in the Vatican: the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, who run a free pediatric clinic for the poor; the Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, who care for retired nuncios living at the Vatican; and the Polish Presentation Sisters, who staff a Vatican storage facility.

Father Lombardi said the pope also had special guests at Mass March 21: the cooks, cleaning crew and other staff of the Domus Sanctae Marthae.

V

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Even though Pope Francis is very close to his family, he would often skip their barbecues to spend Sundays or holidays in Buenos Aires’ slums, the pope’s sister said.

“That’s the way he is: totally devoted to the mission of a priest; he is the pastor of the least,” said Maria Elena Bergoglio.

The youngest of five, Bergoglio, 65, is the pope’s only surviving sibling, said a report in the Italian Catholic newspaper, Avvenire, March 19.

She told the newspaper that she and her brother are extremely close, which she attributes to their parents’ emphasis on “the value of love.”

“We’ve always had a very close relationship despite the 12-year age difference. I was the youngest and Jorge always pampered and protected me,” she said of her brother.

“Every time I had a problem, I’d go running to him, and he was always there.”

Even though his ministry and duties as Jesuit provincial and then as archbishop of Buenos Aires kept her brother busy and often prevented him from visiting, the two siblings always spoke by phone every week, she said.

His priority was the neediest in his archdiocese, which meant he often spent Sundays or holidays in the city’s shantytowns, instead of attending the family “asado” or barbecue, she said.

“Jorge taught me to always be there for people, to always be welcoming, even if it

meant sacrificing something,” she said of her brother.

She said she named her first-born son Jorge, “in honor of my special brother,” who also was moved to be asked to be the child’s godfather.

The pope’s nephew, Jorge, 37, told the paper that his uncle “is someone who is very open, we talk about everything, long talks,” he said.

Bergoglio said the media has only been reporting on her brother’s love of tango, opera and soccer, but that very few people know he is an excellent cook.

“He makes fantastic stuffed calamari; it’s his favorite dish,” she said.

She said she and her family stayed home in Ituzaingo, near Buenos Aires, to watch the pope’s inaugural Mass on television out of respect for his public request that Argentines give to the poor the money they would have spent on airfare.

“We are near him in prayer,” she said.

Her house was still busy with phone calls and visitors, and occasional motorists would still drive by, honking their horns, shouting “Viva el papa,” Avvenire reported March 19. Maria Elena and her husband painted the gate to the house yellow and white in honor of the election, the paper reported.

She said she spoke to her brother March 14, the day after he was elected pope.

“I wasn’t able to say a thing and he wasn’t either” because they were so overwhelmed with emotion, she said.

“He just kept repeating, ‘Don’t worry, I’m fine, pray for me.’”

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis’ style of breaking away from his security detail and diving toward the crowds means his protectors have had to do a quick rewrite of strategy, sometimes on the spot.

Concern and urgency were visibly etched on the face of the head of the Vatican police, Domenico Giani, after the pope celebrated Mass in the Vatican’s Church of St. Anne March 17.

Giani swiftly shouted out fresh commands for undercover guards and police to regroup as Pope Francis made a beeline toward a large cheering crowd pressing against a barricade outside the entrance into Vatican City. This came after the pope personally greeted, often hugging, each of the approximately 200 members of the congregation right after Mass.

The pope has preferred to walk short distances within Vatican City instead of taking a waiting sedan and has also eschewed a multi-car security escort for longer trips, preferring just one vehicle to get him to his destination. He had no qualms about stopping the open-air popemobile mid-ride March 20 to climb out, kiss and bless a disabled adult in the throng.

The new papal approach “is perfectly fine; it’s his way of doing things,” Cpl. Urs Breitenmoser of the Swiss Guard told Catholic News Service.

“We are worried if there

CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano

Pope Francis kisses a disabled man after spotting him in the crowd and having his popemobile stop as he rode through St. Peter’s Square March 19 ahead of his inaugural Mass at the Vatican. is more contact with people, because that means there’s a greater possibility something can happen,” he said March 21.

But “we have to fully adapt ourselves” to what the pope wants, he said, and security will in no way try to prevent or dissuade him from greeting people.

The Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, told journalists the pope’s security detail is able to smoothly switch gears and follow the pope’s lead.

It is because of their “ability and intelligence” that the papal

guardians “know how to adapt and be flexible according to the pope’s manifest wishes and intentions,” he said March 18.

The 110 Swiss Guards’ main duties are protecting the pope and his residence while the Vatican’s own police force, the gendarme corps, is responsible for crowd control, traffic within the Vatican and other duties within the walls of Vatican City.

Together, the hundreds of people who guard the pope and the Vatican have tried to strike a delicate balance between providing tight professional security and a reasonable amount of

access to the public.

Pope Pius XII began the practice of having “audiences outside” among the general public, Breitenmoser said.

Since then, the men guarding the pope, both in uniform and undercover, have had to develop “a system that’s worked for years” of being able to provide discreet yet diligent protection, he said.

“It’s wonderful to be able to experience up close” the pope meeting and interacting with the people even though “it makes us a little nervous, which is normal,” he said.

Pope on Palm Sunday: Christ’s passion leads to joy

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service

V

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis celebrated his first Palm Sunday Mass as pope March 24, telling an overflow crowd in St. Peter’s Square that Christ’s death on the cross is a source of eternal consolation and joy.

“A Christian can never be sad. Never give way to discouragement,” the pope said in his homily, assuring listeners that with Jesus, “we are never alone, even at difficult moments, even at difficult moments when our life’s journey comes up against problems and obstacles that seem insurmountable, and there are so many of them.”

As he has done with striking frequency since his election March 13, Pope Francis warned against the action of the devil, who he said comes to discourage believers in times of trouble, “often disguised as an angel who insidiously tells us his word. Do not listen to him.”

Recalling Jesus’ triumphant arrival in Jerusalem, acclaimed as a king only days before his crucifixion, the pope stressed

CNS photo/Paul Haring

Pope Francis carries woven palm fronds as he walks in procession at the start of Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican March 24. it, he cleanses it with his blood, the otherworldly nature of with the mercy and the love Christ’s reign. of God. . . . Christ’s cross em“Jesus does not enter the braced with love does not lead Holy City to receive the honto sadness, but to joy.” ors reserved to earthly kings, Pope Francis characteristito the powerful, to rulers; he cally strayed from his prepared enters to be scourged, insulted text in a personal aside when and abused,” Pope Francis said. deploring the sin of greed, add“His royal throne is the wood of ing that money is something the cross.” “no one can bring with him. My “Jesus takes upon himself grandmother would say to us the evil, the filth, the sin of the children, ‘No shroud has pockworld, including our own sin,” ets.’” the pope said, “and he cleanses

Noting that “for 28 years Palm Sunday has been World Youth Day,” the pope told young people in the congregation that “you bring us the joy of faith, and you tell us that we must live the faith with a young heart, always, even at the age of 70 or 80.”

Pope Francis confirmed that he would attend the July 2013 World Youth Day celebrations in Rio de Janeiro, saying, “I will see you in that great city in Brazil.” Though the announcement was widely expected, it drew applause from the crowd in the square and the avenue beyond.

Before the Mass, young people carrying woven palm fronds led a procession that included bishops, cardinals and Pope Francis in the popemobile.

They processed to the ancient Egyptian obelisk in the center of the square, where the pope blessed palm and olive branches held up by members of the congregation.

After Mass, before praying the Angelus from the altar set up in front of the basilica, the pope made special mention of “people afflicted with tuberculosis, as today is the world day against this disease.”

10 local news Carolyn and Joe Brown, members of Good Shepherd Parish, Shawnee, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on March 23 with a family dinner. The couple was married on March 23, 1963, at St. Peter Church, Marshall, Mo. They have five children and 11 grandchildren.

Bernice and Donald Stone, members of Blessed Sacrament Parish, Kansas City, Kan., will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on March 31. The couple was married in Oceanside, Calif. A family dinner to celebrate will be held on March 31. Their children and their spouses are: Frank and Debbie Mance; Robert and Karen Janes; David and Danielle Stone; Bryan and Stephanie Barry; and Donald Stone Jr. They also have 12 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

theleaven.com | march 29, 2013

Sister Owen Marie Falk, SCL Leavenworth — Sister Owen Marie Falk, SCL, 92, died March 21 at the motherhouse here. She served as a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth for 73 years.

Zita Marie Falk was born in Decatur, Ill., on Feb. 2, 1921, the oldest of six children born to Harry A. and Marie McKey Falk.

The family later moved to Colorado. Zita Marie graduated from St. Joseph Grade School and Fort Collins High School, Fort Collins, Colo.

She entered the Sisters of Charity on Sept. 1, 1939, and received the name Sister Owen Marie. She professed her vows on March 2, 1941.

Trained as a teacher, Sister Owen Marie received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth. With the excep-

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tion of one year when she was housemother for the girls at the St. Joseph Home in Helena, Mont., Sister Owen Marie taught in Catholic schools in the West and Midwest from 1941 until 1980.

After retiring from teaching, Sister Owen Marie began a second career with the Denver Archdiocesan Housing Committee, Inc., at Holy Family Plaza as hospitality coordinator and receptionist before taking the position of activity director. This career lasted 20 years. While there, Sister Owen Marie and her sibling Sister Marie de Lourdes were members of a group of seniors from AHCI residences known as The Plazettes. They would travel the city of Denver performing lively line dance numbers.

Deciding to try something else after leaving her position with archdiocesan housing, she and Sister Marie de Lourdes marched into Denver’s Exempla-St. Joseph Hospital and offered to volunteer. They served nine years in the oncology department. Sister Owen Marie retired to the motherhouse in 2010.

march 29, 2013 | theleaven.com

Banquet honoring Abbot Barnabas Senecal set for April 27 atchison — Abbot James Albers, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and the Society of St. Benedict will host a banquet honoring Abbot Barnabas Senecal at 6 p.m. on April 27 at the Doubletree Hilton in Overland Park.

For the last 18 years, Abbot Barnabas served as the spiritual father at St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison. For much longer than that, he has served the greater Kansas City Catholic community in a variety of ways — from confirming hundreds of Catholic youth to serving on the boards of Benedictine College and Maur Hill-Mount Academy.

Known as the “artful abbot,” his photography received high praise from PBS correspondent and author Judith Valenti and Ingram’s magazine identified him as “One of Fifty Kansans You Should Know” (January 2011).

To attend, go to the website at: www. kansasmonks.org/banquet or call St. Benedict’s Abbey at (913) 360-7908. Seating is limited.

Blessing the abbot

On March 17, Father James Robert Albers, OSB, was blessed as the ninth abbot of St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann. Abbot James had served as prior of the abbey for 10 years. Abbot James was raised in St. Benedict Parish in Bendena and is a 1994 graduate of Benedictine College. He professed vows Dec. 8, 1996, and was ordained to the priesthood on July 1, 2000. Archbishop Naumann said, “The blessing of a new abbot is a monumentally important moment for the community of St. Benedict’s [Abbey] and the institutions that it sponsors: Benedictine College [and] Maur Hill-Mount Academy. . . . [Abbot James] knows what his priorities are and he places God first. I think he will be a great leader for the community because he is insightful, compassionate and caring.”

local news 11

12 classifieds Employment Chief financial officer - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking a chief financial officer (CFO) to assume responsibilities of the position on July 1. The CFO is a key collaborator with the archbishop, through the vicar general and chancellor, to ensure the financial stability of the archdiocese and to assure ethical, wise and transparent management of the temporal goods of the local church. The CFO is responsible for all aspects of financial planning, control, reporting and treasury functions of the archdiocese. Direct reports to the CFO include the director of accounting and the director of human resources. The position includes oversight of accounting and management of financial resources; human resources and employee benefit programs; pension plans; investments; risk management; and stewardship of all assets. The CFO is appointed by the archbishop for an initial five-year term, which may be renewed for subsequent terms. Due to the ecclesiastical nature of this position, the candidate must be a Catholic in full communion with the church, accepting of all magisterial teachings, and be a person of solid moral character. Qualified candidates must have 8 to 10 years of experience in financial management with increasing responsibilities requiring multifaceted direction and planning. Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance required; CPA or master’s degree preferred. Interested applicants are required to submit the following: a cover letter addressing why you want to work for the church; resume; and letter of support from your pastor. Please mail to: Kathleen Thomas, Director of Human Resources, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, CFO Search, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Materials may also be submitted by sending an email to: kthomas@archkck.org. Submission deadline is April 5.

Facility manager - St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Leawood, is seeking a professional, detail-oriented individual to be responsible for all aspects of facilities management for the parish campus, including custodial, maintenance, purchasing, and facility staff management. Duties will encompass the parish education center, church, rectory and grounds. 3 to 5 years of similar facility management experience is required. This full-time position includes the archdiocesan benefits package. Complete job description and contact information are available on the website at: www. stmichaelcp.org.

Youth minister - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking a dynamic individual for a new position in urban youth ministry. The Wyandotte County youth outreach coordinator will assist with the creation and implementation of programs, as well as develop training for those serving the evangelization, youth ministry and catechesis efforts in Wyandotte County. The ideal candidate will be committed to Catholic teaching, knowledgeable of theology and catechesis, and possess leadership skills with a track record of innovation and collaboration. This position requires fluent bilingual abilities in English and spanish, a bachelor’s degree, preferably in youth ministry, theology or related field; master’s degree preferred. Also requires minimum five years of program management experience relatable to the position. For a full job description, go to the website at: www.archkck.org/jobs. Interested candidates must submit the following: a cover letter expressing your desire to serve the church in this position; resume; letter of support from your pastor; and a completed application form (available on the Web page) to: jobs@archkck.org, or by mail to, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, Human Resources - Urban Youth Search, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109.

Submission deadline is April 15.

Position opening - The board of trustees of the Leavenworth Regional Catholic School System (LRCSS) is seeking a faith-filled, proven leader to become the president of LRCSS. The president will oversee the Catholic high school and elementary school in the Leavenworth County pastoral region of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Immaculata High School is a coeducational, comprehensive, 9-12 school with 122 students enrolled and 16 staff employed.

Xavier Elementary serves 212 students in grades K-8 and 115 students in preschool, employs 18 full-time teachers and 11 part-time teachers. The schools are accredited by the Kansas State Department of Education and the AdvancEd international accreditation agency. The new president will be expected to be a person of great faith and a registered and active member of his or her parish, in order to lead the schools’ faith initiatives. In addition, the new president must be skilled in financial management, strategic planning, and development. Compensation for this position will be competitive. Interested individuals should send cover letter and resumé, along with a pastor recommendation to: Dr. Kathleen O’Hara, Superintendent of Schools, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. (913) 721-1570. Documents may be sent by email to: kohara@archkckcs.org.

School principal - Xavier Elementary, Leavenworth, is seeking a dynamic, experienced Catholic school principal for the 2013-2014 academic year, who embraces the Catholic faith and possesses spiritual leadership skills blended with strong instructional leadership and managerial skills, as well as excellent interpersonal skills. In addition, significant experience with implementing current best practices (MTSS, PBS, DI, Common Core) in schools is expected.

Xavier serves 212 students in grades K-8 and 115 students in preschool, employs 18 full-time teachers and 11 part-time teachers, and is looking for a leader who possesses the skills to manage the strategic plan for the school. Principal applicants must be practicing Catholics and hold (or be eligible for) an administrative license from the Kansas State Department of Education. Interested individuals should complete the principal application available online at: www. archkckcs.org. Applications are due by April 17. Questions may be directed to Dr. Kathleen O’Hara, superintendent of schools, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas at (913) 7211570 or send an email to: kohara@archkckcs.org.

theleaven.com | March 29, 2013 Childcare teachers - Childcare teachers in Shawnee; experience in early education preferred but not required; no weekends. Please call Theresa at (913) 248-4589.

School care coordinator - Before- and after-school care coordinator in Shawnee, Monday through Friday. Please call Theresa at (913) 248-4589.

Teachers - Bishop Miege High School, Roeland Park, has teacher openings for the 2013-14 school year for Spanish, AP Gov/U.S. history, and PT instrumental music-HS drumline/grade school band. Send letter of interest and resume to Mariann Jaksa at: mjaksa@bishopmiege.com.

Executive director - The St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center in Lawrence is seeking an executive director to lead its fund development programs and manage the related processes for the center. The executive director is responsible for raising funds for the advancement of the ministry at the center, which serves the University of Kansas community. Applicants must be practicing Catholics and have a bachelor’s degree. The right candidate will have executive level leadership experience, polished marketing and presentation skills and be very organized. Applicants will have experience in planning and forecasting, work as a team player, and have the ability to communicate effectively and compassionately. They must be computer literate and be familiar with grant writing. Interested individuals should send an email with cover letter and resume to: dev@st-lawrence. org. Applications deadline is May 3.

Principal - St. Peter Parish, located in the Brookside area of Kansas City, Mo., seeks a dynamic principal with strong leadership and communication skills, committed to Catholic education and innovative learning initiatives. St. Peter’s, a parish school serving approximately 550 pre-K to 8th-grade students, has a faculty/staff of 50. Candidate must be a practicing Catholic, have a master’s degree in educational administration, teaching experience, and preferably three years administrative experience. Applications should be made to the Catholic school office on the website at: http:// jobs.diocese-kcsj.org/?cid=4&lid=118 by April 1.

Principal - St Andrew the Apostle Parish in Gladstone, Mo., seeks a principal committed to Catholic education with strong leadership, communication and motivational skills.

St. Andrew School is a parish school serving approximately 280 pre-K to 8th-grade students with a staff of 24. The qualified candidate must be an active practicing Catholic in good standing with the Catholic Church (magisterium), a master’s degree in educational administration, teaching experience and preferably three years administrative experience. Applications may be made to the Catholic schools office on the website at: http://jobs.diocese-kcsj.org/?cid=4&lid=118. All applications must be received by April 10.

Services Garage door and opener sales and service - 24-hour, 7-day-a-week service on all types of doors. Replace broken springs, cables, hinges, rollers, gate openers, entry and patio doors, and more. Over 32 years of experience. Call (913) 227-4902.

Tree service - Pruning trees for optimal growth and beauty and removal of hazardous limbs or problem trees. Free consultation and bid. Safe, insured, professional. Cristofer Estrada, Green Solutions of KC, (913) 378-5872. www.

GreenSolutionsKC.com.

Lawn mowing - Catholic young man with small mowing business saving for college wants to add clients. Mowing, trimming, blowing and leaf clean up. Member of Queen of the Holy Rosary. Serving northeast Johnson County. Call Collin at (913) 648-5903 for an estimate.

All your lawn and landscaping needs.

Commercial/residential mowing. Spring seeding. New planting and shrub trimming. Powerwashing, gutter cleaning, foundation dirt, retaining walls, and sprinkler repair.

(816) 509-0224 Mike Hammer local moving - A full-service mover. Packing, pianos, rental truck load/unload, storage container load/unload, and in-home moving. No job too small. Serving JoCo since 1987. St. Joseph, Shawnee, parishioner. Call Mike at (913) 927-4347 or send an email to: mikehammermoving@aol.com.

ALL AREA CATHOLICS WELCOME Christ the King Parish Federal Credit Union 5417 Leavenworth Rd., Kansas City, Kan. Good Car Loan and Share Loan Rates (913) 287-8448 or (913) 980-2192 Hours: 7 - 9 p.m., Mon., Wed., Fri. Spring Cleanup Lawn mowing. Leaf removal. Tree and shrub trimming.

Local Parishioner Call Tony at (913) 620-6063 Free Estimates/Insured/References 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.bankruptcylawin kansascity.com.

Piano lessons - Give your child the gift of music! Quality piano lessons with a positive, caring and motivating teacher. Excellent piano method, and children excel quickly. 15 years of teaching experience. Call (913) 3383022.

Heating and cooling repair and replacement.

Call Joe with JB Design and Service. Licensed and insured with 20 years experience. Member of Divine Mercy Parish.

Call Joe at (913) 915-6887.

Housecleaning - I love what I do and you can love it, too!

20-plus years experience. Excellent references. Southern JoCo area. Call (913) 548-8702.

Machine quilting - by Jenell Noeth, Basehor. Also, quilts made to order. Call (913) 724-1837.

Rodman Lawn Care - Mowing, leaf removal, mulch and more. Call John Rodman, member of Holy Cross Parish, Overland Park, at (913) 548-3002 or send an email to him at: Rodman.Lawn@yahoo.com.

Caregiving Summer nanny - I am a college sophomore who would like to nanny this summer. I have nanny experience and have had first-aid training. I enjoy children and love to be active. If interested, please contact (913) 481-3644 or send an email to: bridgeto@ksu.edu.

Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management, and transportation to the elderly and disabled in home, assisted living and nursing facilities.

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

MEDICATION SETUP & MANAGEMENT - RN support visits for filling weekly pill boxes & managing medication. Affordable and convenient. To learn more, call Home Connect Health Services at (913) 627-9222.

Caregiver - Former practical nurse and massage therapist with 20 years experience with same family available to give superior, personalized care to you or your loved one. Have passport and will travel. $15 per hour. (913) 384-2119. Excellent references.

Agua Fina Irrigation and Landscape The one-stop location for your project!

Landscape and irrigation design, installation and maintenance.

Cleanup and grading services It’s time to repair your lawn. 20% discount on lawn renovations with mention of this ad.

Visit the website at: www.goaguafina.com Call (913) 530-7260 or (913) 530-5661

Looking for high quality home care? - Whether you’re looking to introduce care for your family or simply looking to improve your current home care quality, we can help. Our unique approach to home care has earned us a 99% client satisfaction rating among the 1,000-plus families we have assisted. We are family-owned, with offices in Lenexa and Lawrence. Call Benefits of Home - Senior Care, Lenexa: (913) 422-1591 or Lawrence: (785) 727-1816 or visit our website at: www.benefitsofhome.com.

Electrician - Free estimates; reasonable rates. JoCo and south KC metro. Call Pat at (913) 963-9896.

MISCELLANEOUS

Home Improvement Tim the Handyman - Small jobs, faucets, garbage disposals, toilets, ceiling fans, light fixtures, painting, wall ceiling repair, wood rot, siding, desks, doors, windows, and gutter cleaning. Call (913) 526-1844.

Swalms Organizing Service - Reducing Clutter - Enjoy an Organized Home! Basement, garage, attic, shop, storage rooms - any room organized! Belongings sorted, boxed and labeled, items hauled or taken for recycling, trash bagged.

For before and after photos, visit: www.swalmsorganizing. com. Over 20 years of organizing experience; insured. Call Tillar at (913) 375-9115.

Spring is here! I do decks, fences, siding, windows, doors, roofing, exterior house painting and can cover all your landscaping needs. I bid and do the work, and am fully insured.

Serving the Leaven parishioners for 12 years. Call Joshua Doherty at (913)-709-7230.

Ugly tile? Nasty grout? - Bella Bath Surrounds offers a revolutionary bath system with the look of granite at half the price! No grout. No sealing. Installs in a day.

Member of St. Joseph, Shawnee. Call (913) 269-7757 or visit: www.bellabathsurrounds.com.

STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 491-5837 or (913) 579-1835.

Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.

Home repair help available through Catholic Heart. Are you in the Kansas City, Kan., or Kansas City, Mo., area? Are you in need of some minor home repairs? Or just some general cleanup around home, or do you know of someone in need who may not see this article? Catholic HEART (Helping Everyone Attain Repairs Today) will be in your area, July 15 - 18.

Catholic Heart provides the labor and some materials such as paint, tools, and wood. Requests for assistance must be submitted by June 14. If you miss the deadline, please send in your request anyway. Visit our website at: https://www. archkck.org/ministries--offices/ecat-youth/ecat-youth--catholic--heart-work--camp for more information and to fill out the work order forms. For information, call Ernest Boehner at (913) 433-2085, Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, or Rick Cheek in the youth office at (913) 284-1725.

for RENT For rent - Seniors +55, senior-friendly duplex/neighborhood. 3 BR, 2 BA, 1-car garage, no stairs, walk-in shower, NW of 29th and Croco, Lake Shawnee, Topeka. No smoking, no pets, maintenance free. $925 per month. (785) 423-0698 after 7 p.m. and anytime on weekends.

for sale For sale - Successful building services company. A great opportunity for an enterprising family to own a business with a proven track record of profitability and satisfied clients.

Nearing retirement and pleased to train new owners who are motivated and prepared to grow. (913) 909-1019.

Perfect Roof - Free estimates; roofing repairs if needed. Hail and wind damage inspections. Insured and reasonable. Call (816) 288-1693.

First Communion dress sets for 18” or American Girl dolls. Includes dress, veil, tights, shoes and cross necklace. Full line of doll clothes and accessories in south Johnson County. For an appointment, call Patty at (913) 345-9498.

The Drywall Doctor, Inc. - A unique solution to your drywall problems! We fix all types of ceiling and wall damage — from water stains and stress cracks to texture repairs and skim coating. We provide professional, timely repairs and leave the job site clean! Lead-certified and insured! Serving the metro since 1997. Call (913) 768-6655.

Residential lifts - Buy/sell/trade. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. Recycled and new equipment. Member of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Leawood. Call Silver Cross KC at (913) 327-5557.

Ceiling, wall crack and water stain repair Ceilings retextured or painted. Interior painting, no mess!

Serving Kansas City, Kan., and the Johnson County area for 23 years. Call Jerry at (913) 206-1144.

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

Call Lupe at (816) 252-3376 Custom countertops - Laminates installed within 5 days.

Cambria, granite, and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058.

Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.

Brick mason - Available year-round; installation and repair of all types of masonry work — brick, stone, tile and flat work. 19 years of residential/commercial experience. Free quote – KC metro area – small and large jobs accepted. Call (913) 485-4307. Yes, we renovate kitchen/bathroom cabinets and install new floor tile.

Adept Home Improvements Where quality still counts!

Basement finishing, Kitchens and baths, Electrical and plumbing, Licensed and insured. (913) 599-7998

vacation

calendar 13

March 29, 2013 | theleaven.com

April “Vatican II: The Times, the Man, and the Lasting Legacy” is a four-part series to be offered by Jennifer Greene, pastoral minister, on Wednesdays, April 3 - 24 from 9:30 - 11 a.m. at Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. To register, call (913) 906-8990.

3

The Catholic Education Foundation Futures group is hosting a “First Thursday” art event at Boulevard Brewery, 2501 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, Mo., on April 4 from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. The cost to attend is $35, which includes drinks, appetizers and admission to an art exhibit featuring submissions by local professional artists and aspiring artists from CEF schools. Art will be available for purchase and all proceeds benefit CEF’s scholarship program, which serves families in need throughout the archdiocese. To register, visit the website at: www.cefks.org/Futures, or send an email to: ekratofil@archkck.org. CEF Futures is a group for young professionals, ages 20s to 40s, committed to promoting the mission of CEF.

4

Does your marriage need fine tuning? Do you and your spouse need help with improving your communication skills? Marriage for Keeps, an outreach of Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, is coming to Christ the King Parish, 3027 N. 54th St., Kansas City, Kan. Marriage for Keeps offers education, support and resources for couples seeking to improve their marriage and strengthen their family. Workshops teach couples to communicate more effectively, reduce conflict, connect emotionally and learn to better meet each other’s needs. Classes begin April 4 and run six Tuesdays from 6 - 8:30 p.m., skipping April 24. Registration is required. Call (913) 621-5775.

A Taize prayer will be at 7 p.m. on April 4 at the Annunciation Chapel on the campus of the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth. For information, call (913) 680-2342, or visit the website at: www. marillaccenter.org.

Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., will partner with Marriage for Keeps to offer a six-week series “Love Can Be Within My Reach” on Fridays, April 5 - May 10, from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Women will be helped to acquire skills to improve chances for relationship success. Lunch is included and space is limited. Call Marriage for Keeps to register at (913) 621-5775, ext. 1427.

5

Holy Family Altar Society, 513 Ohio Ave., Kansas City, Kan., will host a taco dinner from 6:15 7:15 p.m. on April 6. Bingo will begin at 7:30 p.m. The cost to attend is a $15 donation, which includes the taco supper, one bingo card, beer, drinks, and dessert.

For tickets, contact Sandy at (913) 3961564 or (913) 492-2612 or the church office at (913) 371-1561.

6

“Ladies Night Out” will be held at 6 p.m. on April 9 at St. Matthew Parish, 2700 Southeast Virginia, Topeka. The event will include a potluck meal, game, and entertainment by the Hayden jazz band. All women of the archdiocese are welcome to attend. This event is sponsored by ACCW. The cost to attend is a $5 donation to help the Hayden jazz band with expenses. For more information, contact (785) 246-2121.

9

Did you know that veterans and spouses can qualify for a tax-free pension to help defray the cost of long-term health care? A representative from Kansas Veteran’s Association will give a presentation about eligibility requirements and other VA benefits at 9:30 a.m. on April 10 at St. Ann Parish, 7231 Mission Rd., Prairie Village.

10

The Daughters of Isabella at Holy Trinity Parish, Lenexa, will host their annual day of reflection on April 13. Christine Rossi, author of “Heads Up,” will share ways to spring clean old attitudes. Mass begins at 8 a.m., followed by breakfast, the retreat, and a blessing and prayer at noon. Register now for $10, or $15 after April 10. Make checks payable to Daughters of Isabella, and mail to Terri Peterson, 7620 Bell Rd., Shawnee, KS 66217. For more information, send an email to Sandy Cannon at: csandysangels@aol.com.

Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish, 71st and Metcalf, Overland Park, will host its annual dinner dance at 6:30 p.m. on April 13. The theme is denim and diamonds. The cost to attend is $22 per person, which includes a barbecue dinner, drinks, and music from Complete Music. Attendees must be 21 and over. Call Patty Miller at (913) 384-4644 for tickets or further information. Reservations are required by April 9.

Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., is offering a program specifically designed for young professional women, “Networking 101: Making Your Contacts Count” on April 17 from 9:30. – 11 a.m. Call (913) 9068990 to register.

17

A Rachel’s Vineyard retreat will be held from April 12 - 14 for those suffering from the emotional pain of an abortion. Women and men of all ages are welcome. For confidential information and to start the healing, call (816) 363-9489 or send an email to: rvkcmo@gmail.com. For more information, visit the website at: www. rachelsvineyard.org.

Christ’s Peace House of Prayer in Easton will host a contemplative prayer retreat day from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on April 20. Instruction will be provided on request. Fullor half-day options are available, with a noon meal included. The cost is $25 per participant. The retreat may be extended for an overnight stay. For information or to register, call (913) 773-8255 or send an email to: info@shantivanam.com.

The “Genius of Women” annual event will be held at 7:30 p.m. on April 12 in the Gridiron Room of the Burge Union on the University of Kansas campus, Lawrence.

Donations raised from the talent show go to help Family Promise of Lawrence, which supports the dignity and well-being of women and families. There is no cost to attend.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will celebrate the archdiocesan monthly pro-life Mass on April 20. Mass is at 8 a.m. at Sts. Cyril & Methodius Church, 44 N. Mill, Kansas City, Kan. Immediately following Mass is a rosary procession to an abortion clinic approximately four blocks away. Eucharistic adoration is available for those not processing. Benediction concludes services by 9:45 a.m.

12

St. Paul School will host the second annual Chef’s Classic Knock Out Bout on April 13 from 6 - 9 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, 11411 Pflumm Road, Overland Park. Local chefs will be sparring in two rounds of head-to-head competition. A food and beverage experience will also be featured at the Chef’s Classic highlighting food, wine and culinary vendors from around the metro area with live demos, sampling and selling to the guests. The fundraiser will also feature a live and silent auction. The funds raised will benefit St. Paul School in Olathe.

13

20

Easter season is the perfect time to bring new life into your marriage by learning natural family planning. Classes in the sympto-thermal method of natural family planning are offered at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 S.W. 10th Ave., beginning on April 21 at 1 p.m. Call Dana or Eric Runnebaum at (785) 3800062 or the Couple to Couple League of Kansas City at (913) 894-3558 for more information. Registration is required on the website at: www.ccli.org.

21

The St. Thomas Aquinas High School music department will present its annual “Parade of Stars” dinner theater on April 26 - 27. Featured performers will be soloists, small ensembles, the STA chorale, the “Swingin’ Saints” show choir, and the concert choir, accompanied by the dinner theater band. The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. on both nights, with dinner served to you by the “stars” of the evening. For tickets and reservations, visit the website at: www.stasaints.net/choir; call Joe Heidesch at (913) 319-2455; or send an email to: jheidesch@stasaints. The cost to attend is $25 per person. Dinner reservations are required.

26

The world-renowned Pope Paul VI Institute is conducting two seminars on women’s reproductive health care. The first on April 26 is designed for clergy and medical professionals. The second seminar on April 27 is designed for the general public. These seminars will present authentic, objective, and scientific approaches to women’s reproductive health as compared to the dominant approach used as the standard today. Details and online registration can be found at: www.prolifekc.com or contact the archdiocesan pro-life office at (913) 647-0350 or by email at: prolife@archkck. org. Advance registration through April 24 is $15 and includes lunch.

Our Lady of Unity Church and School will host its inaugural car, truck and cycle show on April 27 from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Our Lady of Unity Church, 2646 S. 34th, Kansas City, Kan. Each car, truck and cycle entry is $15 until April 1 and $20 after April 1. There will be food booths and assorted vendors. There is no cost to attend.

Contact Sherry at (913) 207-0900.

New respite volunteer training will be on April 27 from 9 a.m. 3:30 p.m. at St. Joseph Health Center, 1000 Carondelet Dr., Kansas City, Mo. Respite is a rewarding ministry giving companionship and care to homebound persons, while allowing their caregiver some much needed time away. Men and women are needed to become volunteers. Volunteers serve in their own parish. For more information or to make a reservation, call Pat Scheibel at (913) 897-6589.

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Calendar submissions

• Submissions are only printed twice • Due nine days prior to publication date • Must be typed • No phone submissions • email: calendar@theleaven.com • Mail to: 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109, attn: calendar

Lake of the Ozarks - 2 BR, 2 BA house with a large dock.

Gravois Arm P-Road. Rent for the summer season, May 1 November 1. Call (816) 223-3244 or send an email to: john brulez@aol.com.

Ski cabin in Winter Park, Colo. - 2 BR, 1 BA, fully furnished; sleeps four. View of Continental Divide from deck. Close to points of interest and activities. $115/night. Call (913) 6423027. For pictures, visit the website at: www.tillmancabin. com.

wanted to buy Antiques wanted I buy old pocket & wristwatches; sets of silverware; souvenir spoons; advertising signs; coins; and Native American turquoise jewelry, arrowheads & rugs. Call Chris at (913) 593-7507 or (913) 642-8269.

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

Contact Tom at (913) 238-2473. Member of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee. *** Wanted to buy *** Antique/vintage jewelry, paintings, pottery, prints, sterling, etc.

Renee Maderak (913) 631-7179 St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee

The New Evangelization Stands at the forefront of our Church today. Blessed John Paul II coined this term to describe the time in the Church in which we use new methods with new vigor to evangelize the modern world in the ordinary dayto-day workplace.

Join us April 5-6th at Benedictine College for the Symposium on Advancing the New Evangelization to dialogue with top professors, field experts, and clergy to deepen an understanding in how various disciplines play a critical role in building a culture of freedom.

Register at: www.benedictine.edu/ima

14 commentary

theleaven.com | march 29, 2013

from the super

mark my words

Right, left . . . or scattered?

Scripture Readings Octave of easter April 1 Monday within the Octave of Easter Acts 2: 14, 22-32 Ps 16: 1-2a, 5, 7-11 Mt 28: 8-15 April 2 TUESDAY within the Octave of Easter Acts 2: 36-41 Ps 33: 4-5, 18-20, 22 Jn 20: 11-18 April 3 WEDNESDAY within the Octave of Easter Acts 3: 1-10 Ps 105: 1-4, 6-9 Lk 24: 13-35 April 4 THURSDAY within the Octave of Easter Acts 3: 11-26 Ps 8: 2a, 5-9 Lk 24: 35-48 April 5 FRIDAY in the Octave of Easter Acts 4: 1-12 Ps 118: 1-2, 4, 22-27a Jn 21: 1-14 April 6 SATURDAY within the Octave of Easter Acts 4: 13-21 Ps 118: 1, 14-15, 16ab-21 Mk 16: 9-15 Second Week of Easter April 7 SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER (OR SUNDAY OF DIVINE MERCY) Acts 5: 12-16 Ps 118: 2-4, 13-15, 22-24 Rv 1: 9-11a, 12-13, 17-19 Jn 20: 19-31 April 8 THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD Is 7: 10-14; 8: 10 Ps 40: 7-11 Heb 10: 4-10 Lk 1: 26-38 April 9 Tuesday Acts 4: 32-37 Ps 93: 1-2, 5 Jn 3: 7b-15 April 10 Wednesday Acts 5: 17-26 Ps 34: 2-9 Jn 3: 16-21 April 11 Stanislaus, bishop, martyr Acts 5: 27-33 Ps 34: 2, 9, 17-20 Jn 3: 31-36 April 12 Friday Acts 5: 34-42 Ps 27: 1, 4, 13-14 Jn 6: 1-15 April 13 Martin I, pope, martyr Acts 6: 1-7 Ps 33: 1-2, 4-5, 18-19 Jn 6: 16-21

R

ight or left brain?

I’m sure that you’re aware of the theory that we humans tend to favor one side or the other.

Left-brain types are more analytical and logical; right-brain types, more subjective and intuitive. With all of the news from Vatican City these past few weeks and its effect on our work here at The Leaven, I’ve developed a third type: scatterbrained.

Happily, though, the following story has given me some hope.

The famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright once told of an incident that seemed insignificant at the time, but had a profound influence on the rest of his life.

The winter when he was nine years old, he went walking across a snow-covered field with his reserved, no-nonsense uncle. As the two of them reached the far end of the field, his uncle stopped him. He pointed out his own tracks in the snow — straight and true as an arrow’s flight. Then he indicated young Frank’s meandering path all over the field.

“Notice how your tracks wander aimlessly from the fence to the cattle to the woods and back again,” his uncle said. “And see how my

Father Mark Goldasich Father Mark Goldasich is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989. tracks aim directly to my goal.

There’s an important lesson in that.”

Years later, the world-famous architect liked to tell how this experience greatly contributed to his philosophy in life.

“I determined right then,” he’d say with a twinkle in his eye, “not to miss most things in life as my uncle had!”

(Found in “Life Goals” in “Perfect Illustrations for Every Topic and Occasion,” by Craig Brian Larson and Drew Zahn.)

Obviously, we did get all of the issues of the paper out on time (right brain) and in a style that was, I hope, inviting, attractive and creative (left brain). In the process, though, I’ve learned a whole lot about the new pope — tons of fascinating tidbits that we didn’t have room for in the paper

(scatterbrained).

Maybe being scatterbrained, taking that meandering path instead of the most direct route, is a blessing in life, as Frank Lloyd Wright discovered. The meanderer is open to seeing and experiencing new things.

For me, that’s what Easter is all about. The risen Christ brought a new way to look at things, a fresh hope, a recreated life. He invites us each year to not pursue the most efficient way in life, or the way that we’ve always done things before. Easter is meant to shake things up. It teases us to believe in life after death, light shining in darkness, happiness sending sorrow packing.

I continue to read with great interest the stories of Pope Francis. I think that he and Frank Lloyd Wright would get along well. Although it no doubt causes fits for the Swiss Guards and Vatican police, I relish that we have a pope who, while heading to the altar in St. Peter’s Square, asks the popemobile driver to stop so that he can get out and kiss the head of a disabled man or hold and bless a tiny baby. I love that he has Mass not only for important dignitaries in the church or government, but for the gardeners, cooks, and sanita-

tion workers at the Vatican.

And while I’m sure that he’ll carve out time for meetings and encyclicals, it’s exhilarating that he’s not afraid to dart into a crowd just to spend time with ordinary people.

During these seven weeks of the Easter season, let’s take a meandering path to Pentecost. Treat yourself to something new. It doesn’t need to be earthshaking. It can be as simple as going to a different Mass or parish on Sunday, staying after Mass to visit in the parking lot, driving to church by a new route, or even walking there if possible.

You might try a new way to pray (there are many), or venture into an unfamiliar area of ministry (such as visiting shut-ins or volunteering at a food kitchen or building a Habitat house). Or you can just open up new areas in your personal experience (like trying a new food or recipe, wearing two different socks, or exploring a new hobby).

At least for these next few weeks, breathe in the Resurrection, set aside stifling efficiency and the pressure to rush. Take time to explore the wonders of your world, travel the long and adventurous route, and see life from the perspective of our new “roamin’” pontiff.

In the beginning

I

commentary 15

march 29, 2013 | theleaven.com

Baptismal waters represent both death and life

n the past few generations, most Catholics have been accustomed to seeing baptism by the pouring of water over the head of the person being baptized.

This method is called infusion. More recently, though, baptism by immersion has appeared in many Catholic churches. In fact, the official ritual book presents this as the preferred method: “He immerses the child or pours water upon it.”

This preference for baptism by immersion represents a return to the practice of the early church. It also brings out the meaning of baptism as an immersion into the death and resurrection of Christ. That symbolism lies behind the words of St. Paul, heard in the epistle

Father Mike Stubbs Father Mike Stubbs is the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University. reading of the Easter Vigil: “Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death . . . so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life (Rom. 6: 3, 4).

Water can stand for death, as well as life. Water can drown people, bring destruction and havoc through

flooding. That is the meaning of the immersion under water of the person being baptized. The coming up out of the water represents the resurrection from the dead, the new life that results from union with the risen Christ.

One of the required readings for the Easter Vigil, Ex 14:15 – 15:1, recounts the escape of the Hebrews from the hands of Pharaoh and his army. The Hebrews pass dry shod through the midst of the sea, while Pharaoh and his army, in hot pursuit, drown in the waters which rush over them.

It is highly ironic. The Egyptians had planned to destroy the Hebrew people through drowning: “Pharaoh then commanded all his subjects, ‘Throw into the river every boy that is born to the Hebrews’” (Ex 1: 22). Instead,

THE PRACTICAL CATHOLIC I’m thinking about inviting Pope Francis to Tonganoxie — not only to visit Sacred Heart, but also to stay at my duplex and “guilt” me into changing my ways.

You might have read in last week’s Leaven that the new pope has only one pair of shoes. Only when that pair wears out will he get a new pair. Now, I’m certainly no Imelda Marcos, but I’ve got a good number of shoes — dress, casual, walking, slippers — and duplicates of many other items as well.

the Egyptians themselves perish by drowning.

It is a paradox. The water brings death to the Egyptians. At the same time, the water brings life and salvation from their enemies to the Hebrews, because it enables the Hebrews to escape. The water stands for both death and life in this incident in Exodus, just as it does for us in the sacrament of baptism.

“For baptism recalls and makes present the paschal mystery itself, because in baptism we pass from death of sin into life. The celebration of baptism should therefore reflect the joy of the resurrection, especially when the celebration takes place during the Easter Vigil or on a Sunday” (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, No. 6).

I suspect that Pope Francis would ask me why one person needs so many “doubles.” The simple answer is: I don’t. Smiling, I imagine he’d then encourage me to think of the poor and start small: by rounding up all of those duplicates — of shoes, office supplies, old eyeglasses, assorted electronic equipment, kitchen gadgets, etc. — and get them into the hands of those who can actually use them.

By ditching the duplicates, I bet I’ll double something else: the free space in my apartment.

— M.G.

New technologies fueled by imagination of kids like ours

D

ear friends of Catholic schools,

“Gram, why doesn’t your computer have an apple on it?”

That’s the question my five-year-old grandson asked me during his recent visit.

To say that I am not an “early adopter” of things electronic might be an understatement. However, my husband Jim is the opposite.

His interest probably influenced our kids and, between him and them, I was dragged into the electronic world.

Now my calendar is elec-

kathy o’Hara Kathy O’Hara is the superintendent of archdiocesan schools. tronic; I read board packets on my iPad mini; Skype or FaceTime with family, etc.

However, I found myself grumbling about all the negative aspects of our modern technological world: the 100 or so emails I receive a day (that does not include junk

or spam!); the lack of civility in many of those emails(!); the trivial, even narcissistic nature of social media; the speed at which inaccurate and misleading information can be transmitted; the false sense of human connection; and so on.

Recently, though, my attitude has changed. I have come to truly better focus on how technology improves both our personal and work-related lives.

Perhaps my change in attitude has to do with how our now retired Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has promoted the use of technology for evangelization. Perhaps it has to do with the Holy

Spirit opening my eyes to all the good that comes from the positive use of technology.

However, I think in addition to these, I have come to realize that many of those who create our devices, software, and apps are doing just what we teach in Catholic schools. They are developing their God-given talents to the fullest. Furthermore, they are approaching the world with inquisitive minds by looking at situations and thinking, “I wonder if there could be a way to . . . ” Then they are persisting in their efforts to produce better and/or new ways of living in this world.

They are the modern-day

Ben Franklins and Thomas Edisons. It is this type of thinking and learning that we strive to foster in our students.

Can and is technology sometimes used for evil purposes? Yes. But if we teach our students well and model what we teach, our technology can bear great fruit.

In Catholic schools, we embrace technology for good. We are blessed to be able to teach our students in the way one principal explains, “Use technology to inspire, to motivate, to bring yourself and others closer to Christ.” Would that all of us heed that direction! ¡Vaya con Dios!

simply stewardship

Cultivate your spirituality at April stewardship conference

S

tewardship conferences help us bloom where we are planted.

I have been impatient to get into our gardens after our snow-packed winter.

With Eastertide comes a desire for renewal that drives me outdoors and onto my knees in praise of the goodness of God’s many gifts.

Just as plants in our gardens need sunlight and water, our understanding of what it means to be a Christian steward grows when we apply the “nutrients” of prayer, community, and new ideas.

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

I would urge all who want to cultivate a life as a disciple of Christ, a Christian steward, to attend the International Catholic Stewardship Council’s Region IX Stewardship Conference on April 19. This educational opportunity for Catholic clergy and laypeople from

the far corners of Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas is offered every other year.

Recent regional conferences, like the one planned later next month, have been at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kan., due to its central location, convenience, affordability, and comfortable amenities.

Excellent speakers, the celebration of the holy Eucharist, lunch and other refreshments typically attract about 400 Catholics.

Our office of stewardship and development plays a small role in the planning of the conference. The work is shared by genuinely passionate individuals from throughout our fourstate region, who will bring

their burning love for Jesus, bright ideas and parish activities to share with you.

Many of these people have become friends during my almost seven years serving the archdiocese. I can say with confidence that each speaker selected for the conference has inspirational and practical suggestions for you to share with your loved ones and fellow parishioners that can be applied immediately when you return home.

Our own Deacon Dana Nearmyer, consultant for evangelization and Catholic formation of youth, and Gary Pratt, planned giving officer, will speak on topics for which they are considered experts by their peers:

stewardship and the new evangelization and Catholic legacies.

While many of you are planting summer flowers and dreaming of vegetable harvests, I hope some of you will also nourish your own spirituality in this Year of Faith by attending our region’s conference.

Please plan to dig in to the rich soil of Christian stewardship by spending Fri., April 19, with new and old friends at Savior Pastoral Center. I promise that you will “bloom where you are planted.”

Registration information is available on our archdiocesan website at: www.arch kck.org. Space is limited.

que pasa en hispanic ministry

Columnist bids archdiocese goodbye, introduces successor

I

n this special time of the year as we await the celebration of the Lord’s resurrection, I find myself living out the last few days of Lent with mixed feelings.

I am filled with joy with the fact that the new Holy Father is from Latin America and is first and foremost a true pastor. On the other hand, I am bit sad because this will be my last column for The Leaven because, in early May, I will be moving to Tijuana, Mexico. There

father pat murphy, cs Father Pat Murphy, CS, is the archdiocesan animator for the archdiocesan office of Hispanic ministry.

I will begin a new mission as director of a house for immigrants that offers hospitality to 160 people on a nightly basis. It will be a challenge, but I am ready for it — and even more inspired

by Pope Francis to go and serve the poor. Please pray

for me and if you want to keep in contact or even feel the call to come and serve, contact me by email at: pat murphycs@comcast.net.

The new animator of Hispanic ministry will be another Scalabrinian missionary, Father Livio Stella, who together with Father Jesus Olivares, CS, and our wonderful staff here at the office, will continue to provide for the pastoral care of our Spanish-speaking in the archdiocese.

I have great confidence that Father Livio has a lot to bring to the table and will continue to build on what we have done over the last 10 years.

I would like to close out my experience of pastoral

ministry here in the archdiocese by offering you the top 10 reasons why I am happy to have served and optimistic for the future: 1. We have 13 parishes with Hispanic ministry, and we also have a pastoral plan.

2. The new evangelization is a reality here thanks to some wonderful pastoral movements like SINE, Cursillo and Impactos Family retreat.

3. We were able to form great leaders in the threeyear formation program, the biblical pastoral institute and the certification for catechists.

4. We have offered many workshops and retreats to help people grow in their faith.

5. The archdiocesan Faith Initiative allowed us to reach so many people.

6. The archdiocese has made Hispanic youth a priority in the local church.

7. The Hispanic people have constantly challenged us to offer the very best in terms of programs and services.

8. The team at the office is always willing to go the extra mile to serve its brothers and sisters.

9. The priests who work in Hispanic ministry have been a source of inspiration.

10. The support given by the archdiocese and, in a special way, by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and Father Gary Pennings.

16 local news

theleaven.com | march 29, 2013

Soccer’s in her blood

St. James Academy alumna gets a shot with professional soccer league

By Sheila Myers Special to The Leaven

A

FC Kansas City home opener

St. James Academy alumna had a dream come true when she was drafted to play in a brand-new national women’s professional soccer league.

Nia Williams, a 2009 graduate of St. James in Lenexa, was the fourth-round draft pick by FC Kansas City, one of the eight teams in the National Women’s Soccer League, formed in November 2012.

“It was probably one of the most surprising things that’s ever happened to me,” Nia said.

While surprised, Nia had an ace up her sleeve. An assistant coach for FC Kansas City had followed her career for years with more than just a passing interest. That coach was Huw Williams, her father.

WHO: FC Kansas City vs. Portland Thorns FC WHEN: April 13 at 7:35 p.m.

WHERE: Shawnee Mission North Stadium, 7401 Johnson Dr., Overland Park TICKETS: start at $10 each (General Admission: $15 at the gate). To purchase tickets, call (855) 4524625, ext. 7212. (Tickets are subject to availability.)

surrounding Nia with a supportive extended family. Her cousins are her best friends, and both grandfathers play a big role in her life.

Her Welsh heritage is also a source of pride. Annual visits to her paternal grandfather in Portmadog, Wales, helped to hone her soccer skills.

“We would play [soccer] all the time in the back of my grandpa’s house, and in the garages and on the beaches,” said Nia. “There were always soccer games going on. That’s one of the biggest things I loved.”

Soccer DNA The father-daughter duo holds none of the tension you would expect to find. In fact, Nia welcomes the opportunity to learn more from the best coach she’s ever had.

“My dad has been my coach since I was in second grade,” she said. “He’s taught me everything I know.”

A native of Wales, Huw Williams started playing professional soccer at age 14 when he played for the Blackburn Rovers in Wales.

After coming to the United States, Huw established himself as a highly regarded soccer coach, leading his teams to many regional, state and national titles and earning several “Coach of the Year” awards.

With his eye for talent, it was obvious to Huw that Nia had the ability to be a great soccer player.

“She had the coordination, the athletic ability and balance early on,” said Huw. “She’s always been fast.”

Nia excelled in many sports growing up, including softball and volleyball, but she decided to focus exclusively on soccer her freshman year at St. James.

Deacon Dana Nearmyer, archdiocesan consultant for evangelization and Catholic formation of youth, coached Nia all four years in high school and knew she was special.

“When I first met her, she was sweet and smart,” said Deacon Nearmyer. “Everyone said she was an incredible soccer player — fast and never diminished by her physique (Nia is 5 feet 4 inches tall).”

Nia helped carry the St.

The big league

St. James Academy graduate Nia Williams will make her professional soccer debut as part of FC Kansas City. The new women’s professional soccer league begins play on April 13.

James Thunder to the state championships her junior and senior year.

“She’s a really skilled surgeon with a soccer ball,” said Deacon Nearmyer. “No one scored when she was in.”

Nia went on to play defender for the Missouri State Bears, establishing herself as a key set-piece organizer and setting team records for assists. At the same time, she won several academic awards, not an easy thing for a college athlete to do.

“She’s par excellence,” added Deacon Nearmyer. “She cares so much and works extra hard when things don’t come easy.”

An elementary education major with a math emphasis, she hopes to teach middle school math. But with spring training kicking off in March, she’s had to postpone her

student teaching until the season is over in August.

Faith and family While competition is a big part of Nia’s life, it takes a back seat to her faith, which was strengthened during high school at St. James.

“That high competition in high school makes you realize that everything needs to be centered around God. And you can’t separate it, because God gave you all those gifts and that’s how you’re able to participate in those sports and in those events,” she said.

Nia often led the team in prayer before and after practice.

Deacon Nearmyer teared up as he recalled the many times Nia offered prayers for her good friend and classmate,

Brooks Wisdom, who suffered from a condition that took his life in August 2008, just before his sophomore year.

“I would push his wheelchair and we had conversations. And we went to the first dance together,” said Nia. “It was a good time. He was in all my classes. I was close to him at different times.”

That ability to accept people for who they are comes from the example of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

“She was always warm and she never said ‘no’ to anyone,” Nia said. “I read this quote book [of hers] a lot. She talks about smiling. That’s one of my biggest things — that a smile can brighten everyone’s day. It’s important to have a smile even if you’re down.”

She also values family. Her parents divorced when she was six, but each remarried,

Though many teenagers abandon their faith after high school, Nia did not. Her two college roommates are Catholic, as are most of her teammates.

“One of my roommates goes to daily Mass a lot and when I can, I go with her,” she said. “We have a Bible study on our soccer team [at Missouri State] as well.”

She knows that can change when she goes pro, but she’ll work hard to make room for her faith.

“I would ask people, especially if we’re in a new city, if anyone wants to join me [for Mass],” said Nia. She’s also looking forward to facing off against top-level players, like two-time Olympic gold medalist Abby Wambach of the Western New York Flash.

“I’m extremely excited and so up for the challenge,” said Nia. “I hope I get the opportunity to do that. But it will be different than what I’ve done before. The level of playing will be so much higher.”

With her dad nearby to offer coaching tips, she has nothing to fear.

Not even his criticism.

“I know he’s going to be honest with me no matter what,” Nia said. “It’s always been like that.”