03-30-12 Vol. 33 No. 33 by The Leaven

WWW.THELEAVEN.COM | NEWSPAPER OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF KANSAS CITY IN KANSAS | VOL. 33, NO. 33 MARCH 30, 2012

TOY STORY

Teen helps kids with cancer ‘play away pain’

Nick Pate, 14, holds his 14-month-old brother Matthew — his inspiration for a toy drive at Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa. The drive gathered hundreds of toys and thousands of dollars for boys and girls fighting cancer at Children’s Mercy Hospital. Nick watched Matthew go through months of treatments for leukemia. Now that Matthew is in remission, Nick wants to honor him by helping other kids who have cancer.

ENEXA — It looks like Christmas morning — dozens nancy with baby Matthew. of times over. “They didn’t think he was growing,” she said, and she was evenNick Pate loves coming down the stairs of his famtually restricted to bed rest. ily’s home and seeing a room overflowing with toy When Christy gave birth to Matthew in January 2011 and growth cars, Lego sets, baby dolls — every type of toy imagrestriction proved not to be the case, the family breathed a sigh of inable. relief. The 14-year-old parishioner of Holy Trinity Church But their relief was short-lived. in Lenexa hopes to stack even more toys on top of Matthew soon developed an infection and was adthese. mitted to intensive care. Of course, he and his 16-year-old brother Sam out“Twenty-four hours later, we’d probably seen seven Story by grew these kinds of toys long ago. specialists,” said Christy. “And one of them was oncolJessica Langdon And even though the toys catch the eye of their ogy.” 14-month-old brother Matthew, the gifts aren’t desThey learned that Matthew, who has Down syntined for his little hands, either. drome, had a rare form of leukemia as well — one that Photo by It was Matthew, however, and his fight against leuis unique to people with Down syndrome. It went into kemia that inspired all this. Lori Wood Habiger remission without requiring chemotherapy, and he was It was due to Nick’s work in his little brother’s honable to go home — but with the knowledge that Mator that toys like these will go to scores of other kids thew’s leukemia might come back full-blown someday. fighting cancer. Nick never dreamed he would see such a huge response. But now he’s hoping his toy story will find an ongoing way to brighten even kids’ darkest days.

‘Pretty hard on us’

A shocking diagnosis Cancer was the last thing on the Pates’ minds a year-and-a half ago. With two boys heading to high school and a baby on the way, Dr. Brian and Christy Pate moved their growing family from Prairie Village closer to St. James Academy in Lenexa. The move went well, but concerns soon arose over Christy’s preg-

Once home from the hospital, the Pates settled into life with a newborn. Sam was a student at St. James, but Nick, then a seventh-grader, was still being home-schooled. So he was available to help with meals, diapers — anything Christy or Matthew needed. But when Matthew was six months old, the family was hit with more bad news: Matthew’s leukemia had returned. See “TEEN” on page 15

2 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • MARCH 30, 2012

SECOND FRONT PAGE 3

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS

Irish monks transformed sacrament that fuels renewal still

hile in Rome for the “ad limina” pilgrimage, I had the opportunity to visit Casa Santa Maria, the Pontifical North American College residence for American priests who are studying for graduate degrees.

ascetics and men of superhuman energy but also extraordinarily cultured, refined and lion-hearted. Admiration for this new type of man, unknown to the barbarian world, grew within them as they watched these monks live with Father William J. Slattery, one of never a truce with mediocrity, never a the residents of Casa Santa Maria, gave pause for comfort beyond the utterly each bishop a copy of the first volume necessary, and never a compromise of a trilogy he has authored that is with the lust of the flesh or the tyranny entitled: “Heroism and Genius – How of rulers.” Catholic Priests Built Western CivilizaInterestingly, one of the essential tion.” tools for the renewal of faith, sparked The collapse of the Roman Empire in by the Irish monks, was their innovathe 5th century was followed by what tion regarding the sacrament of pensome have mistakenly labeled the Dark ance. Up until that time, sacramental Ages, and others, more appropriately, confession was rarely utilized. The called the “Age of the Monks.” St. Benedominant pastoral practice regarding dict, rejecting the decadence of the last the sacrament of penance during the days of the Roman Empire, founded first centuries of the the monastery at church was that it Monte Casino. The ith Holy Week upon us, once should only be used foundation of Monte again this year I invite every once or perhaps a Casino inaugurated member of the archdiocese to couple times for an the monastic movemake a pilgrimage to the Catheentire lifetime. In ment across Europe, dral of St. Peter in Kansas City, many places, the which preserved Kan., for one of the Palm Sunday, confession of sins was what was worthwhile Triduum or Easter Sunday litura public matter made and salvageable of gies. I will celebrate: 11 a.m. Mass before the entire Greco-Roman culture at the Cathedral on Palm Sunday, community. Howand began a distinctly the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at ever, even when this Christian culture. 7:30 p.m. on Holy Thursday, the Liturgy of the Passion of the Lord was not the case, the Apparently, one of the at 3 p.m. on Good Friday, the Easpenance was public. reasons our current ter Vigil at 8 p.m. on Holy SaturAfter receiving the Holy Father chose the day and Easter Sunday Mass at sacrament, one was name Benedict was to 11 a.m. I hope that you and your segregated from the invoke the intercesfamily will take advantage of this community, becoming sion of the founder opportunity to visit our beautiful part of the order of of Western monastiCathedral of St. Peter and to join penitents. Oftentimes, cism, as the pope has me in celebrating one of these imthe penance given to set about the renewal portant liturgies during the week penitents was burdenof Christianity in commemorating the most signifisome: the amount of cant events in all of human hisEurope. tory. I am confident you will find prayer, almsgiving, At the same time edifying and spiritually enriching fasting and other that St. Benedict was the beauty and care with which works of charity usulaunching the monasthe liturgy is celebrated at the Caally required months tic movement in Italy thedral of St. Peter. of effort. and southern Europe, The form of the St. Columbanus and sacrament of penhis Irish monks emance that had been developed in the barked on a similar venture in northern Irish monasteries was revolutionary Europe. Similar to Benedict, Columbabecause: 1) the confession of sins was nus was a larger-than-life figure who, in always made privately to an individual a relatively short time, founded a string confessor; 2) the assignment of the of monasteries across Europe. penance was done confidentially; and Father Slattery describes the reac3) the sacrament was available as often tion of the barbarian world to this moas desired and/or needed. The frenastic movement: “The barbarians were quent use of the sacrament of penance perplexed in the presence of such hithbecame a powerful tool in changing erto unknown strength of character. the lives of individual penitents who, in They intuited a purpose and intensity turn, helped to transform the culture. in the asceticism of the monks beside The Irish monks, having utilized the which they suddenly saw their own savfrequent reception of sacramental conage unrestrained ferocity as weakness. fession to assist with their own growth Moreover, they were not only powerful

Archbishop Naumann’s weekly calendar

April 8 11 a.m. Easter Mass — Cathedral

March 30 Eucharistic adoration — St. James Academy, Lenexa

Archbishop Keleher’s

April 1 11 a.m., Palm Sunday Mass — Cathedral of St. Peter, Kansas City, Kan. April 2 Adoration and lunch — Bishop Ward High School, Kansas City, Kan. “Shepherd’s Voice” taping April 3 Chrism Mass — Savior Pastoral Center April 4 Vespers and dinner with Archbishop Keleher April 5 Religious Alliance Against Pornography conference call Lunch with Johnson County priests April 6 3 p.m. Good Friday services — Cathedral

weekly calendar

April 1 Mass — Federal prison Confessions — Church of the Nativity, Leawood April 2 Confessions — St. Michael the Archangel, Leawood April 4 Vespers and dinner with Archbishop Naumann April 5 Mass — Sisters, Servants of Mary April 6 3 p.m. Good Friday services — Cathedral April 7 8 p.m., Easter Vigil — Curé of Ars, Leawood April 8 Easter Mass — Sisters, Servants of Mary

April 7 8 p.m., Easter vigil — Cathedral in holiness, became remarkable confessors and spiritual guides for penitents. Father Slattery describes the spiritual revolution that resulted: “For these monks were not satisfied simply with receiving absolution from the guilt of serious sin. No, they wanted much more. Passionately they wanted to purify the soul from even the ashes of evil in order to allow the new supernatural life received in baptism and the other sacraments to transform their thoughts, aspirations and actions. They wanted Christian perfection, a transformed personality, Christ-likeness — and being Celts, they wanted it fast. But, naturally, such an arduous task and such a subtle surgery of the soul could not be done on one’s own. A master physician was needed, and where else to seek one, and where else to undergo such surgery, than in confession? After all, who knew the soul better than the priest who had just listened to the tale of one’s sins and evil inclinations? And who was better equipped to be a master surgeon than the priest who was already so knowledgeable? Was he not himself a man who had spent years living amidst the peaks of Christian self-conquest? “The insertion of spiritual guidance made Celtic confession a powerful and subtle tool for the pedagogy of transforming raw human nature into

the new Christ-like man. For it was personalized like a tutoring system, able to take each one where he was at, helping him both to appreciate God’s unique love for him as an individual as well as the importance of an energetic response. It was an effective surgical instrument for a successful heart transplant because it facilitated three conditions for the operation: self-knowledge, wise decision-making and practices of self-mastery.” I hope each of you has taken advantage of the sacrament of reconciliation during this Lenten season. If you have not, it is not too late. There are still opportunities in our parishes during Holy Week. The Sunday after Easter is Divine Mercy Sunday and also affords many opportunities for receiving the sacrament of penance. My hope, however, is that people will not just use the sacrament of reconciliation during the penitential seasons of Lent and Advent. I am convinced that, just as it was centuries ago, the frequent use of this sacrament is essential for the renewal of individual lives and the life of the church today. If we are not going to be satisfied with being mediocre or lukewarm Catholics, then we need the medicine for our souls and the power surge of love that this sacrament alone can provide.

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Photo by Audra Sudbeck

From left, Father Ed Oen, CPPS, Father Joe Nassal, CPPS, Abbot Barnabas, OSB, and Father Ron Cornish concelebrate the centennial Mass of Sacred Heart Parish in Baileyville.

Pioneer roots remembered Baileyville Catholics celebrate centenary of parish By Audra Sudbeck

Special to The Leaven

BAILEYVILLE — When Catholics here decided in the early 1900s to establish a parish, Bishop Thomas L. Lillis gave them some advice: Be sneaky. “His Lordship advised that a centrally located block in the village be acquired, if possible, secretly, and ‘to drop down into Baileyville like a bee into a strange beehive,’” according to a parish history written in 1928. Not everyone was thrilled with the prospect of a Catholic church in Baileyville. One owner of a targeted lot said “they preferred the coming of a bunch of rattlesnakes to that of a Catholic priest.” Thanks to the use of proxy buyers, the parish was able to acquire the land, although the original owners had a fit when they found out what happened and would only deed the land to the proxy. The land was finally purchased on March 10, 1910, however, and the first Mass was celebrated in what was known as Marion Hall on March 10, 1912. Fortunately, no subterfuge was required for parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish of Baileyville to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the parish on March 11. The anniversary festivities began with a 10:30 a.m. Mass celebrated by Father Joe Nassal, CPPS. The concelebrants were Abbot Barnabas Senecal,

OSB; Father Ed Oen, CPPS, pastor of Sacred Heart since 2007; and former pastor Father Ron Cornish. Parish members and guests gathered in the church hall after Mass for a dinner, complete with anniversary cake. There, they talked about the church and honored parishioners. Parish memorabilia photos of the parish’s history were on display, as was a timeline that showed all of the priests who shepherded Sacred Heart over the years. At the reception, Father Ed spoke of Sacred Heart’s reputation for hospitality, generosity and thoughtfulness toward the pastor and one another. Baileyville has come a long way from its pioneer days, when it had the nickname “Haytown,” for the great piles of hay that were harvested and stored there. The parish, which began with 50 founding families, now has 203. The town was named for Monroe Bailey and his son, Willis Joshua Bailey, who later became the 16th governor of Kansas. The Baileys founded the town on the edge of their farm in 1880. By the early 1900s, about 50 German Catholic families had settled in the area. On Dec. 1, 1909, a meeting was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Broxterman for all who were interested in the organization of a Catholic parish in Baileyville. Out of that group, a committee of three men — Henry Rethman, Albert Eigenmann and John Houlton — were elected to represent the organizers to the bishop. They drew up a map

illustrating the location of Baileyville and interested family homes in the area. A petition was obtained and presented before Dec. 8 to Bishop Thomas Lillis, then the ordinary of the Leavenworth Diocese. The assignment of a priest to the new parish was delayed by the transfer of Bishop Lillis from the Diocese of Leavenworth to that of Kansas City, Mo. On Dec. 6, 1911, Henry Rethman and Bernard Dalinghaus met with Leavenworth’s new bishop, Bishop John Ward, who promised them a priest by the beginning of the new year. Sacred Heart’s first pastor, Father Joseph Hohe, arrived on Feb. 5, 1912, to organize the new parish. Future parishioners lined the walk from the depot to Marion Hall, where a reception and meeting were held. On March 6 of that year, Father Hohe came to live in Baileyville. Father Hohe celebrated the first Sunday Mass in Marion Hall on March 10, 1912, and it was used regularly that summer for Masses. It wasn’t long before construction of the new church/school was underway, and Bishop Ward dedicated the building on Oct. 22, 1912. In September 1924, under the leadership of Father A.J. Blaufuss, the parish began excavation for the basement of the new church. It was blessed by Bishop Ward on Nov. 22, 1925. The church was covered with a temporary roof because the parish intended to

Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799)

Editor Reverend Mark Goldasich, stl frmark@theleaven.com

Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com

Reporter Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com

President Most Reverend Joseph F. Naumann

Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita@theleaven.com

Production Manager Todd Habiger todd@theleaven.com

Advertising Representative Jennifer Siebes jennifer@theleaven.com

finish the entire structure within five years. The Great Depression postponed construction of the upper portion of the church, and the basement church continued to serve the parish for another 25 years. Father Arthur Trompeter was assigned to Sacred Heart Parish in 1949. During his pastorate, the new Sacred Heart Church was erected on the original site of the “basement church.” The cornerstone of the current Sacred Heart Church was blessed in 1952 by Archbishop Edward J. Hunkeler of the new Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Archbishop Hunkeler dedicated the new Sacred Heart Church and celebrated the first Mass on Jan. 27, 1954. The final cost of the new church, including pews and stained-glass windows, came to approximately $300,000. And the interior of the church is designed so as to draw the eye immediately to the main altar. The parishioners of Sacred Heart are, by and large, the descendents of those German immigrants who were “as a class of virile Catholicity who possessed the spirit of enterprise and sacrifice,” wrote the anonymous chronicler in 1928. As the parish celebrated its accomplishment a century ago, Father Ed offered a hope for the future. “I pray that our parish will continue to be recognized for its deep faith, hospitality and generosity for the next 100 years,” he said.

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

4 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • MARCH 30, 2012

Prayer moves doctor to dump contraception By Joe Bollig Leaven staff

GARDNER — Dr. Kevin J. Punswick was living a compartmentalized life and he knew he had to make a decision about it — the right one — no matter what the cost. On Sundays, Punswick was a faithful Catholic who knew, understood and practiced the church’s teaching regarding artificial contraception and natural family planning. But on Monday, he’d practice medicine in a way that contradicted his deeply held faith. He referred vasectomies, prescribed birth control pills and inserted intrauterine devices. “Even though my wife and I chose natural family planning . . . I felt a departure from what I practiced at home and what I practiced in the office,” said Punswick, a member of Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park and a doctor of osteopathic medicine. Punswick and his wife Jennie learned about natural family planning while taking marriage preparation classes with Father Jerry Volz, who urged them to take a course on NFP. They did, and wholeheartedly embraced it for their family life together. Career-wise, however, it was a different matter. “On Monday, I was a different person than I was on Sunday,” said Punswick. That began to change when the Punswicks became acquainted with their new neighbors four doors down: the Apostles of the Interior Life. It wasn’t long after meeting that the couple decided to undertake spiritual direction with Sister Loredana Mazzei. Out of that developed a growing realization on the part of Punswick that he needed to integrate his life. “I needed a more spiritual, prayerful life in order to gain that conviction to be the same person on Monday as I was on Sunday,” he said. “I was conflicted, knowing in my conscience that I was doing something against church teaching.” Punswick knew that if he stopped doing vasectomies and prescribing artificial birth control he would lose patients, and the loss would impact his income, and, hence, his family. He might also face the hostility of colleagues and the medical establishment. So he thought he might make the transition gradually. But God thought otherwise. Last spring, Punswick had a nursing student following him through his patient load. “She went in and talked with the family prior to me coming in, and then we both went in together again,” said Punswick. “They were asking about

Mandate has ‘chilling effect’

Leaven photo by Joe Bollig

Dr. Kevin J. Punswick went from referring vasectomies, prescribing birth control pills and inserting intrauterine devices to following his conscience and abandoning prescribing any contraception. contraceptive methods, and she explained this was what I did.” “Twenty minutes prior, I had done all that,” he confirmed. “I had prescribed birth control pills, I did tell people to get vasectomies, and I did implant IUDs. And I walked in with her and the patient asked for the contraception, and I said, ‘I don’t do that anymore.’” His patient was confused. His nurse practitioner student stared at him. Punswick apologized to both, saying he couldn’t do this for reasons of conscience. Then, he retreated to his office. “I had a flood of practitioners [come] into the room,” he said. “[They asked,] ‘What’s going on? When did you decide this? Was this told to you? Do you have to do this?’” “I said no one is forcing me to do this,” Punswick said. “No one’s telling me I have to do this — here. God is telling me to do this. After two or three

minutes, my office staff and fellow practitioners said, ‘OK, we understand that’s what you have to do.’ I really haven’t had that many questions about it since.” One colleague even said, “I appreciate you standing up for your convictions.” Punswick went home that night and told his wife. She gave him a big smile. There has been some fallout. He has lost patients, but he hasn’t faced animosity from inside the medical system in his area. Taking this step was made a lot easier by the examples of his mentors, Dr. Bruce Snider and Dr. Patrick Herrick. “I have had people who were upset I wouldn’t refill their birth control or place an IUD, or encourage them to have a vasectomy,” he said. “Those were hard patient visits. But I strive continuously to be a better Catholic,” he added. “Deeper prayer was the

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s contraception, abortifacient and sterilization mandate is having a chilling effect on those learning and practicing medicine, said Dr. Kevin J. Punswick. It’s something he worries about — not only Focus on for current HHS mandate practitioners, but those in the future. “We are going to be forced to provide contraception, sterilization and abortifacients to individuals, going against our morals and religious teachings,” he said. “The way the law is written now will not allow an exception.” Never before has the federal government forced individuals to go into the marketplace and buy something that violates their conscience, he said. But Punswick fears that if the mandates stand as they are — and the administration has indicated that they will — practitioners like him will be put into an untenable position. “It’s a slippery slope,” he continued. “I don’t prescribe birth control, offer abortions, provide IUDs or give referrals for vasectomies because all of these are against the teachings of the church.” “When someone’s health insurance mandates they get it for free, with no co-pay, they can demand this product,” he continued. “It puts me in a position where I’m forced to go against my faith. And therefore my First Amendment rights are at stake.” There are many avenues for a person to get birth control without creating a mandate to drive Catholics out of providing health care, Punswick said. The vulnerable will suffer if the Catholic ethos is extinguished in health care. answer for me. It continues to be the answer for me, because I continue to struggle.” Closing the door to one way of medicine has opened a door to another, he discovered. More people want to know about, and try, natural family planning. “I’m realizing there are a lot of people out there who want to live their faith, but they just haven’t found a practitioner willing to work with them on it,” he said. (For NFP information, go to the website at: fertilitycarekc.com.)

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LOCAL NEWS 5

Converts discover the power of confession By Joe Bollig

It’s not too late

Leaven staff

The sacrament of reconciliation is available at most churches in the archdiocese from 6-7 p.m. every Wednesday of Lent.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Jeff Clary learned about the power of confession when he was only seven years old. “I lied to my mom about where I had been playing — somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be,” said Clary, now a member of Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park. “By that time, I’d learned about Jesus. And I knew in my heart if I didn’t tell her, I wasn’t sorry or sincere.” So that night, he woke her and dropped the dime. She was so groggy that she didn’t remember it — until he reminded her about it 30 years later. He wasn’t Catholic at the time of his youthful infraction, nor was this a sacramental confession. Nevertheless, it taught him that there was something powerful about the act of confessing. “The act of confessing to someone else made it real, like I had skin in the game, that I really meant it and wasn’t just saying it,” said Clary, who became a Catholic at Easter last year. For those who were not raised Catholic, the sacrament of reconciliation can be a difficult and mysterious thing. Thanks to popular entertainment, they might have some idea of what the sacrament is, but they don’t truly know how wonderful it is until they experience the sacrament.

“I went to A Touch of Heaven bookstore and got the children’s book about confession,” said Ramirez. “I learned you needed to prepare before you confess. You just don’t go into a confessional and think, ‘Gee, what sins did I commit?’ You’ve got to be [prepared] before you confess.” Like many converts, Clary made a long list. “I had to do a lot of summarizing,” he said. “It was [for] a lifetime of things I wish I hadn’t done. That one was pretty hard. I guess it was a review of my life up to then.” First-time penitents are, understandably, nervous and a bit scared. They worry the priest will recognize them or they’ll be grilled on their past offenses. But they needn’t worry. “There was no condemnation,” said Clary. “I was expecting more of a crossexamination. It didn’t happen. “The priests are very loving, I would say — showing God’s mercy in the sacrament. It doesn’t mean it isn’t hard. That comes from my own embarrassment and shame that I’ve done something wrong.”

Shifting the paradigm Like many people who came from a non-Catholic background, Kathleen Ramirez had only a vague understanding of the sacrament of reconciliation. As a Protestant, she didn’t believe it was necessary. “I knew people went into a confessional and confessed their sins to a [priest], but I didn’t think very deeply about it,” said Ramirez, a member of Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish in Topeka, who became Catholic in 2011. “I thought, like a lot of non-Catholics, we could just pray to Jesus.” The difference between Catholics and Protestants in regard to the sacrament of reconciliation comes from differences in biblical interpretation, theology and ecclesiology. “It’s not the sacrament as we see it in the Catholic Church,” said Deacon Don Poole, a former Southern Baptist minister who became Catholic in 2000. He is a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Mound City. In his former faith tradition, a person would make a confession by saying “the sinner’s prayer,” acknowledging their sinful nature and need for Jesus to forgive their sins so they could know salvation. “That, with the doctrine of the ‘eternal security of the believer,’ pretty much takes care of you for the rest of your life,” said Deacon Poole. When people lapse into serious sin, they are considered “backslidden,” and

Go with the flow

CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec

Converts to the Catholic faith discover that the sacrament of reconciliation provides a deeper level of trust and more profound experience of Christ’s forgiveness than they have experienced in the past.

“The act of confessing to someone else made it real, like I had skin in the game, that I really meant it and wasn’t just saying it.”

”

Jeff Clary, a member of Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park who became a Catholic at Easter last year thus have damaged their Christian witness. In such a case, individuals might answer an invitation at the end of a service to recommit to their faith, or they might choose to unburden themselves to a minister during spiritual counseling. “There’s a benefit to being able to [make a sacramental confession] and

not worry that something you spoke would go somewhere else,” said Deacon Poole. “As a Baptist, you couldn’t always be certain of that, if you shared your heart with another minister,” he continued. “There was not a level of trust there, so a lot of things were held back. It’s normal for a minister to suggest someone go to a Christian counselor, because they had more of an element of confidentiality.”

Baby steps and leaps of faith Converts to the Catholic faith learn about the sacrament of reconciliation through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. During RCIA classes, they learn about the process of making a confession, which includes preparation beforehand with an examination of conscience and praying an act of contrition.

Allison Morgan wasn’t raised Catholic, but her Grandma Mary used to take her to Mass when she was a little girl. “I was curious [what the confessional boxes] were, so I asked,” she said. Morgan will be entering the church this Easter at St. Joseph-Sacred Heart Parish in Topeka, along with her husband Travis and sons Dalton and Trenton. “Yes, I’m very nervous, but Dalton told me not to be nervous,” said Morgan. Dalton is the pro of the family, already having made his first confession. He admitted the sacrament of reconciliation was “kind of strange” when he first learned about it, but the actual experience went smoothly once he got started. “I just went with the flow,” he said. His advice is to be calm, think about what you’re going to say, and be honest. When a Catholic goes to confession, they really are going to Jesus for forgiveness. And that is tremendously liberating, said Ramirez. “I still feel that — after every confession — that my burdens are lifted,” she said. “I lay my sins at the feet of Jesus and they are forgiven.”

6 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • MARCH 30, 2012

THE PASCHAL

40 CANS Knights of Columbus, Council No. 8411 of Christ the King Parish in Topeka, undertook a 40 Cans for Lent campaign this year. Each Knight and each parish family was asked to donate 40 cans or boxed dry goods, one for each of the 40 days of Lent. Families then dropped the donations in the church foyer. At the end of Lent, the donations will be divided between Doorstep, Let’s Help and the Topeka Rescue Mission — all citywide programs dedicated to serving the less fortunate. As of March 23, the campaign had collected nearly 6,000 pounds of food. At left, Christ the King parishioner Eric Nichol sorts and inventories some of the donations.

ROSARY FOR LIFE Archbishop Emeritus James P. Keleher leads the rosary in front of an abortion clinic in Kansas City, Kan. The archbishop celebrated the monthly prolife Mass on March 17 at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church in Kansas City, Kan., after which a group processed to the abortion clinic for a prayerful protest.

Leaven photo by Marc Anderson

Leaven photo by Joe McSorley

TRIDUUM

STORY BY WOODEENE KOENIG-BRICKER | PHOTOS BY SUSAN MCSPADDEN

atholics the world over will be attending services this Holy Thursday, Good Friday or Holy Saturday without ever realizing an important fact: All three liturgies are most properly viewed as one continuing celebration of faith. In fact, the Triduum services do not end with “Go forth, the Mass is ended” until the conclusion of the Easter Vigil on Saturday evening. That’s because the paschal mystery — the life, death, burial and resurrection of Christ — is not to be viewed as a sequence of events, but rather as the story of our A special thanks goes salvation history. What is to Father Mike Hawken left incomplete on Holy and the St. Joseph, Thursday or Good Friday is Shawnee, parish comcontinued in the next day’s munity, who welcomed liturgy, until all is fulfilled a Leaven photographer at the Easter Vigil. at their Triduum serHoly Week, of course, vices last year. starts with Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, when Christians celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. But the Triduum (the “Three Days”), which starts on Holy Thursday, is measured in the Jewish fashion — from sundown on Thursday to sundown on Easter Sunday, when evening prayer completes the Triduum. During those days, many of the rites and rituals of our faith were established.

At the Last Supper, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. Today, as a sign that we all must become servants if we are to follow our Lord’s new commandment to love one another (Jn 13: 34-35), the celebrant washes the feet of select parishioners on Holy Thursday.

The three sacred oils of the church — the oils of chrism, of catechumens and of the sick — are usually blessed by the bishop at the Chrism Mass in an earlier liturgy on Holy Thursday. They are then presented for use in the sacraments of the individual parish during the Holy Thursday service at that church.

Holy Thursday The Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday not only marks the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper, but also what is called the mandatum — the new commandment of the Lord to his disciples to love one another (Jn 13: 34-35). This is symbolized in the Holy Thursday service by the washing of the feet of members of the congregation by the celebrant of the Mass. This is so critical a part of the liturgy that the pope himself participates in it, washing the feet of 12 priests representing the apostles. At the end of Mass, the altar is stripped, and the Blessed Sacrament is taken to a special altar of repose, where the faithful are invited to spend time with Lord, keeping vigil as did the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. Crosses that can be removed are removed, and those remaining are covered, so that the cross used for veneration on Good Friday will be the focal point.

Trinity Travel presents three pilgrimages June 8 – 19

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Good Friday The only day of the year on which Mass is not celebrated, Good Friday commemorates the passion and death of Our Lord. There are three unique aspects to this service. The first occurs during the Liturgy of the Word, in which the Passion according to St. John is read, followed by a series of ten solemn intercessions, praying for the church, the unity of Christians, the Jewish people, those who do not believe in Christ or God, those in public office and those in tribulation. The veneration of the cross follows. A veiled cross is carried in solemn procession from the entrance of the church and is uncovered in three stages, each beginning with the priest intoning, “Behold the wood of the Cross, on which hung the salvation of the world.” Members of the congregation are invited to come forward and reverence the cross in some fashion — either by bowing or genuflecting, Continued on the next page

After the Holy Thursday Mass, the altar is stripped bare and the Blessed Sacrament is taken to an altar of repose, where the faithful can pray before it and keep vigil with the Lord until midnight. Good Friday is the only day of the year when Mass is not said. Special Good Friday services are celebrated in its place.

Continued from previous page kissing the wood of the cross or the feet of the corpus, or in some other way venerating it. At the conclusion of the veneration, holy Communion, which was consecrated at the Holy Thursday Mass and kept in reserve, is distributed. The priest and people then leave the church in silence. In addition, the Stations of the Cross or other devotions are often celebrated later on Good Friday.

On Good Friday and Holy Saturday, the crucifix is commonly draped and the sanctuary lamp extinguished to indicate that Jesus is in the tomb. The coverings are removed prior to the Easter Vigil and the lamp is relit from the new fire kindled at the beginning of the Easter Vigil.

The celebrant leads the people in a moment of silence at the point in the Good Friday Passion narrative when Jesus dies.

In the Good Friday service, the faithful process to the front of the church for the veneration of the cross. One common way of reverencing the cross is by kissing the feet of the corpus.

Holy Saturday The celebration of the Easter Vigil Mass is the high point of the liturgical year, combining the Service of Light, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of Baptism and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The vigil begins after dark and, if possible, outdoors. There, the celebrant draws from a newly kindled fire the flame to light the paschal candle. The lit candle is then carried into the church, where each member of the congregation holds his or her own smaller candle. Their candles are then lit from the paschal candle as it is carried in procession, as the priest or deacon sings three times, “The “Light of Christ.” Soon light spreads throughout the darkened church. The Easter Proclamation, called the “Exultet,” is then sung. The Liturgy of the Word follows. The Easter Vigil features from three to seven Old Testament readings, which trace the history of salvation, a reading from the New Testament and, finally, a Gospel reading. Following the homily, those who will be entering the church — the catechumens and candidates — are baptized or make a profession of faith in the Catholic Church. Then these new Catholics receive the sacrament of confirmation. The rest of the community then renews its baptismal promises as the celebrant sprinkles all with newly blessed holy water. The Mass then continues as usual, with the new members of the church receiving their first Communion. On Easter morning, Masses are said throughout the day and, for the entire next week, the church celebrates Easter “morning” at its daily Masses. This is known as the Octave of Easter. Even if a Catholic can’t make it to every liturgy of the Triduum, participating in at least some of the rituals of these solemn holy days joins him or her to the universal church in a unique way. Participation in each service of the Three Days, however, can’t help but lead to a greater appreciation of the sacrifice of Our Lord as commemorated in this summit of the church’s liturgical tradition.

The Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday opens in darkness. The liturgy begins with the priest outside or in the vestibule of the church kindling a new flame with which to light the paschal candle. This new flame represents the risen Lord, who brings new light, life and hope into each of our lives.

The veneration of the cross is an integral part of the Good Friday service, which opens with a solemn procession with a veiled cross from the entrance of the church. The priest stops three times on the way to the altar to unveil a part of the cross and to proclaim, “Behold the wood of the Cross on which hung the salvation of the world.” The people respond with “Come, let us worship.”

The new light, taken from the paschal candle, is passed from person to person as each lights his or her candle. In this way, the faith, which begins in Jesus, the light of the world, spreads from person to person throughout the world.

Those joining the church at the Easter Vigil who have never been baptized receive the sacrament as part of this liturgy. If they are of sufficient age, they are also confirmed and receive their first Communion later in the Mass. The new oils presented at the Holy Thursday liturgy are used to confer these sacraments.

THE LEAVEN • MARCH 30, 2012

Pope recognizes Cubans’ struggles By Francis X. Rocca

Catholic News Service

The newly baptized at the Easter Vigil receive a white stole as an outward sign of their Christian dignity. This recalls the Scripture passage that says, “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ” (Gal 3:27).

A special prayer is said for the new members of the church before the sacrament of confirmation at the vigil, asking that the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit be poured upon them.

After the baptisms at the vigil are finished, all members of the parish are asked to renew their baptismal promises, while the priest sprinkles them with the newly blessed holy water.

Those who are confirmed during the Easter Vigil are anointed with sacred chrism as the sponsor places his or her hand on the person’s shoulder as a sign of support.

HOLY WEEK at the Cathedral of St. Peter, 409 N. 15th, Kansas City, Kan. Holy Week is upon us. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann invites every member of the archdiocese to make a pilgrimage to the Cathedral of St. Peter for one of the Holy Week liturgies.

Holy Thursday

April 5: 7:30 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, celebrant

Good Friday

April 6: 3 p.m. Celebration of the Passion of the Lord Archbishop Naumann and Archbishop Emeritus James P. Keleher, celebrants

Holy Saturday

April 7: 8 p.m. Easter Vigil Archbishop Naumann, celebrant

Easter Sunday

April 8: 9 & 11 a.m. Archbishop Naumann will be the celebrant at the 11 a.m. Mass

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba (CNS) — Celebrating an outdoor Mass on his first day in Cuba, Pope Benedict XVI acknowledged the struggles of the country’s Catholics after half a century of communism and described human freedom as a necessity for both salvation and social justice. The pope spoke March 26 in Antonio Maceo Revolution Square, in Cuba’s second-largest city. He had arrived in the country a few For more cov- hours earlier, after erage of the spending three days pope’s visit to in Mexico. Mexico and The Vatican Cuba, see next had said the square week’s Leaven. would hold 200,000 people and it was full; several thousand also filled the streets leading to the square. Cuban President Raul Castro, who welcomed the pope at the airport, sat in the front row for Mass. Before the pope arrived in the popemobile, the original statue of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre, Cuba’s patroness, was driven atop a white truck through the cheering crowd. The statue then was enthroned near the papal altar. In his homily, Pope Benedict recognized the “effort, daring and selfsacrifice” required of Cuban Catholics “in the concrete circumstances of your country and at this moment in history.” Though now more tolerant of religious practice than in earlier decades, the communist state continues to prevent the construction of new churches and strictly limits Catholic access to state media. In a possible allusion to reports that the regime had prevented political opponents from attending the Mass, Pope Benedict extended his customary mention of those absent for reasons of age or health to include people who, “for other motives, are not able to join us.” The pope painted a dire picture of a society without faith. “When God is set aside, the world becomes an inhospitable place for man,” he said. “Apart from God, we are alienated from ourselves and are hurled into the void.” “Obedience to God is what opens the doors of the world to the truth, to salvation,” the pope said. “Redemption is always this process of the lifting up of the human will to full communion with the divine will.”

CNS photo/Paul Haring

Pope Benedict XVI waves to the crowd as he arrives to celebrate Mass in Antonio Maceo Revolution Square in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, March 26. Celebrating the outdoor service on his first day in Cuba, the pope acknowledged the struggles of the country’s Catholics after half a century of communism. Taking his theme from the day’s liturgical feast of the Annunciation, when Mary learned that she would conceive and bear the Son of God, the pope emphasized that fulfillment of the divine plan involved Mary’s free acceptance of her role. “Our God, coming into the world, wished to depend on the free consent of one of his creatures,” Pope Benedict said. “It is touching to see how God not only respects human freedom: He almost seems to require it.” The most specific advice in the pope’s homily regarded a topic familiar to his listeners in the prosperous capitalist countries of Western Europe and North America: the sanctity of the “family founded on matrimony” as the “fundamental cell of society and an authentic domestic church.” “You, dear husbands and wives, are called to be, especially for your children, a real and visible sign of the love of Christ for the church,” Pope Benedict said. “Cuba needs the witness of your fidelity, your unity, your capacity to welcome human life, especially that of the weakest and most needy.” According to the Center for Demographic Studies at the University of Havana, Cuba’s divorce rate has almost tripled in four decades, rising from 22 divorces per 100 marriages in 1970 to 64 in 2009. The country’s parliament is scheduled later this year to consider the legal recognition of same-sex mar-

riage, in response to a campaign led by Mariela Castro, daughter of President Raul Castro. Despite his challenges to Cuban society, Pope Benedict concluded his homily by repeating an earlier call for patience with the Catholic Church’s policy of dialogue and cooperation with the communist regime, a process initiated by Blessed John Paul II during his 1998 visit to Cuba. “May we accept with patience and faith whatever opposition may come,” the pope said. “Armed with peace, forgiveness and understanding . . . strive to build a renewed and open society, a better society, one more worthy of humanity, and which better reflects the goodness of God.” After the Mass, the pope paid homage to Our Lady of Charity by placing at the statue a gold rose weighing more than a pound and standing almost a foot tall. A 30-year-old woman in a baseball cap who identified herself only as Xichel told Catholic News Service she and about 100 others traveled about 165 miles from Camaguey for the Mass, and she hoped to see the pope in Havana. Older pilgrims traveled by train or bus, she said. “I came to see the pope because I am Catholic and he is the successor of Peter, who was the first pope,” she said, adding that she saw Blessed John Paul in Camaguey in 1998.

WORLD 11

Pope offers hope for social change in Mexico SILAO, Mexico (CNS) — Visiting Latin America for the second time in his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI offered a message of hope for social progress rooted in a revival of Catholic faith. The overriding message of the pope’s public statements during his three days in Mexico, March 23-26, was that this troubled country, and the region in general, cannot solve their problems — which include poverty, inequality, corruption and violence — by following the prescriptions of secular ideologies. Instead, the pope said, peace and justice in this world require a divinely inspired change in the human heart. “When addressing the deeper dimension of personal and community life, human strategies will not suffice to save us,” the pope said in his homily during an outdoor Mass at Guanajuato Bicentennial Park March 25. “We must have recourse to the One who alone can give life in its fullness, because he is the essence of life and its author.” Echoing his earlier critiques of liberation theology, a Marxistinfluenced movement that found prominent supporters among Latin American Catholics during the 1970s and ’80s, Pope Benedict told reporters accompanying him on the plane from Rome that the “church is not a political power, it is not a party. . . . It is a moral reality, a moral power.” Christian hope does not merely console the faithful with the promise of personal immortality. The theological virtue of hope, he said, inspires Catholics to “transform the present structures and events that are less than satisfactory and seem immovable or insurmountable, while also helping those who do not see meaning or a future in life.” The practical expression of this inspiration, the pope said, is the church’s extensive charitable activities, which help “those who suffer from hunger, lack shelter, or are in need in some way in their life.”

12 CLASSIFIEDS Employment Outreach call representative - Are you ready to make a difference? Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, a Kansas City-based sponsorship ministry, is seeking an outreach call representative to contact Catholic parishes. Position requires good telephone and database skills, along with familiarity of Catholic culture. Outbound call center, sales or fundraising experience a plus. $11 - $13/hour, depending on experience. Mail cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to: CFCA HR, 1 Elmwood Ave., Kansas City KS 66103 or email in PDF or Word format, to: hr@cfcausa. org. For information, visit the website at: http://www. hopeforafamily.org/EmploymentOpportunities.html. Receptionist/bookkeeper - Overland Park office needs a bright, friendly and detail-oriented person to work from 10:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Mon. - Fri. Must have experience in customer service and be able to accurately and efficiently process and record financial transactions. Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs required. Send resume, via email, to: spjobpost@ gmail.com. Director of development - For St. James Academy, Lenexa. The director of development fosters relationships with constituents, manages fundraising, and conveys the school’s mission in their professionalism. The director will work with the president in coordinating and integrating activities throughout the school community, infusing Catholic faith and culture into all programs. Responsibilities include overseeing the development portion of the operational income, cultivating alumni relations, working with volunteers and managing the booster club. A bachelor’s degree — preferably in marketing, public relations, sales, or a related field — is required. Three years experience in an education setting or development office is preferred. For a complete position description and application information, visit the website at: www.sjakeepingfaith.org/about-us/employment. Custodian/maintenance person - For Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee. Part time, with the possibility of full time in the future. General duties include: cleaning the church; meeting room setup and teardown; light maintenance and repair work; and grounds work. Complete the application available on the website at: http://fe.gd/17K. Interested candidates may apply in person at 5501 Monticello Rd., Shawnee. Carpet cleaning technician - Love interacting with people and being part of a team? Have a passion to serve others and enjoy the benefits of some physical work? Then join one of the most respected, progressive service companies in Kansas City. Make top industry pay and be appreciated for a job well done. Bock’s Steam Star is accepting applications for two positions. $10 - $40K. Call (913) 438-7767 or visit the website at: www.steamstar.net. Financial representative - Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding financial representatives in the Kansas City, Topeka and Atchison areas. This position is ideal for a determined, high-energy, high-expectation, professional, self-disciplined, independent individual desiring to serve others, yet earn a better-than-average income. We provide top-rated financial products to our members and their families and will provide excellent benefits and training. For information or an interview, contact John A. Mahon, 307 Dakota, Holton KS 66436; or call (785) 364-5450.

THE LEAVEN • MARCH 30, 2012 Lawn mowing Free estimates; references Insured, licensed and bonded Local parishioner Call Tony at (913) 620-6063 Mowing & lawn care - Catholic young man with small mowing business is looking to add clients. Mowing, trimming, and blowing. Reliable and dependable. Saving for college. Member of Queen of the Holy Rosary, Overland Park. Serving northern JoCo area. Call Collin at (913) 648-5903. All your lawn and landscape needs - Mowing, trimming, seeding, sod laying, and aerating for your lawn. Plus, spring cleaning – beds cleared, planting, mulching, gutter cleaning, foundation fill dirt, retaining walls, powerwashing and more. Serving the greater Metro area. Call (816) 509-0224. 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. 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. Agua Fina Irrigation and Landscape The one-stop location for your project! Landscape and irrigation design, installation and maintenance. Cleanup and grading services Receive $100 credit toward a landscape or irrigation service by mentioning this ad. Visit the website at: www.goaguafina.com Call (913) 530-7260 or (913) 530-5661 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. bankruptcylawinkansascity.com.

Handyman - Light hauling, electrical, plumbing, painting and carpentry. Efficient and affordable. Call Michael Broton at (816) 728-6109. Member of Christ the King Parish, Mo. and U.S. Air Force veteran. Exterior painting, drywall projects, wood rot repair, bathroom and kitchen remodels, and tile work - Quality products. 20 years experience. References. Call (913) 206-4524. Masonry construction - Division 4 Masonry, Inc. 25 years experience; licensed and insured. Brick, block and synthetic stone; repairs; outdoor living; and new construction. Residential and commercial. Call Tom at (913) 927-6203 or send an email to him at: tomdivision 4masonry@gmail.com. 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. Custom cabinets & woodworking - 20 years experience creating quality woodworking, design, and detail for all your custom cabinetry and furniture needs. Competitive rates; references available. Serving the KC Metro area. Call Dennis at (913) 850-3956. Adept Home Improvements Where quality still counts! Basement finishing, Kitchens and baths, Electrical and plumbing, Licensed and insured. (913) 599-7998

Caregiving – Are you looking for someone to care for your loved one? I am available part time to run errands and do light housekeeping, cooking and laundry. Trustworthy and reliable. References; reasonable rates. Prefer northern JoCo area. Member of St. Ann Parish, Prairie Village. Call Nancy at (913) 722-6915.

Brick mason - Installation and repair of all types of masonry work — brick, stone, and concrete. 17 years of residential and commercial experience. Small and large jobs accepted. Free quotes in the KC metro area. Call Jim or John at (913) 485-4307.

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.

Swalms Organizing Service - Basement, garage, attic, shop — any room organized! Items taken to donation sites, trash is bagged, and areas are clean and neat when job is complete. To view before-and-after pictures, visit the website at: www.swalms.com. Over 20 years of organizing experience; insured. Call Tillar at (913) 375-9115.

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

Tutoring available - For students in grades K 12. For information, call Kathleen at (913) 206-2151 or send an email to her at: Klmamuric@yahoo.com.

Get a jump on your home repairs! - I specialize in painting, wood rot, decks, fences, windows, doors, siding, stucco, landscaping, drainage issues, and concrete. Fully insured. Now accepting all major credit cards. Call Josh Doherty (913) 709-7230.

Quilted Memories LLC - New store now open in downtown Overland Park! Machine quilting. Custom-designed memory quilts using your T-shirts and/or photos. Personalized items for sororities, weddings, graduates and more. We also offer quilting classes and studio/machine rental. Call (913) 6492704. For samples of our work, visit the website at: www.quiltedmemoriesllc.com.

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

Caregiving

Home Improvement

Housecleaning - Old-fashioned cleaning, hand mopping, etc. A thorough and consistent job every time. References from customers I’ve served for over 17 years. Call Sharon at (816) 322-0006 (home) or (816) 214-0156 (mobile).

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.

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

Services

Cleaning lady - Reasonable rates; references provided. Call (913) 940-2959.

THE LEAVEN • MARCH 30, 2012

Perfect Roof - Free estimates; roofing repairs if needed. Hail and wind damage inspections. Insured and reasonable. Call (816) 288-1693. Affordable cabinetry - Are you ready for new cabinets in your kitchen or bath? Our large selection ranges from raised panel to Shaker style with dovetail drawers. We offer many finishes, too! For an estimate, call Wright Cabinets at (913) 850-3956. Masonry work - Quality, new or repair work. Brick, block and chimney/fireplace repair. Insured; second-generation bricklayer. Member of St. Paul Parish, Olathe. Call (913) 829-4336.

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 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.

For Sale First Communion dress sets - For 18” or American Girl dolls. Includes dress, veil, shoes, tights and cross necklace. Full line of doll clothes and accessories in south Johnson County. For an appointment, call Patty at (913) 345-9498. Heirloom quality doll furniture - For the American Girl dolls. John Hember (913) 631-4060. Member of St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee. Visit the website at: www.etsy.com/shop/bedsandthreads. For Sale - One lot at Mount Calvary Cemetery, Kansas City, Kan. Section 3; lot 67; space 8. Current value is $1500; will sell for $1250. Call Neva at (913) 352-8861.

For sale – Two lots in the Garden of Devotion at Chapel Hill Memorial Garden, 701 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kan. Lot 59B; spaces 1 & 2. Call Paula at (660) 638-4666. 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.

Real Estate 10225 Rosewood, Leawood - Large family home (3200 sq. ft.); 4 BR, 3-1/2 BA; living and dining rooms; 22 X 24 ft. great room; sunroom; daylight basement with rec. room and fireplace; gourmet, eat-in kitchen with granite, JennAir cooktop, and large pantry; zoned high efficiency furnaces; concrete tornado cellar; fenced yard on a treed lot with a deck; two-car garage; second family room could easily be converted to a fifth BR with a private entrance. Call John, owner/ agent, Reece & Nichols, at (913) 226-5710. Three-acre lot - In a subdivision south of Olathe, just off I-35 at the 198 mile marker in Franklin County. A very easy 15-minute drive to the “city,” this lot is about 1/4 mile from the highway exit. No gravel roads. $28,000. Owner financing possible. Call (913) 9803559.

For Rent Office space available - Great location in the Ranchmart area of Prairie Village. Ideal for start-ups, professional and small businesses. Flexible terms. Call Marek at (913) 461-4491. For rent – Three-story townhouse located at 123rd Terr. and Ridgeview in Olathe. 3 BR, 2-1/2 BA, full bsmt. $600/mo. Pets for extra charge. First and last month’s rent as deposit; references required. Send an email to: jrobin5135@aol.com, write “rental” in the subject line.

March 31

The Women of Spirit of Holy Spirit Parish, 11300 W. 103rd St., Overland Park, will hold a mini-retreat from 8:30 a.m. - noon on March 31 in the church. Mass will be celebrated, followed by breakfast and a featured speaker. The cost is $10 for members; $15 for nonmembers. To register by March 25, send an email to Maria O’Bryan at: jmobryan@ kc.rr.com, or send a check, made payable to Women of Spirit, to: Maria O’Bryan, 10815 W. 104th St., Overland Park KS 66214. Sophia Center, 751 S. 8th St., Atchison, will host “Why Am I The Way I Am?,” presented by Benedictine Sister Esther Fangman, a licensed clinical professional counselor, from 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. on March 31. This workshop offers the opportunity to explore one’s personal stories through the use of a genogram, a psychological family tree that aids in understanding how past influences affect current behaviors and state of mind. The cost is $75. For information or to register, call (913) 360-6151 or visit the website at: www.mountosb.org/sophia.html. The Knights of Columbus of St. Mary-St. Anthony Church, 615 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan., will host a taco dinner from 5 - 7 p.m. on March 31 in the church basement. The cost is $6 for adults; $4 for children under 10. Carryouts will be available.

For rent - Beautiful 2 BR, 1 BA half-duplex in Overland Park. Walk-out basement and garage; neighborhood pool and exercise room; trash and lawn care included. No pets. Call Catherine at (913) 972-8852.

Child Care Summer nanny - Responsible, 20-year-old college woman wants to nanny for a local family in your home during summer months (KC metro area). Very experienced with child care and fun activities with children (arts & crafts, sports, etc.). Great references and reliable transportation. Please email kcdesign2@ kc.rr.com to arrange interview. Newborn - Experienced mom would love to care for your newborn during the day in my Brookside area home. Excellent references. Call (816) 523-5627. Looking for a summer nanny? - Hello, Catholic families, I am a member of Curé of Ars Parish, Leawood, a graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas High and I currently attend the University of Kansas. I will be home this summer, have a reliable car and ample child care experience. I am very active, fun-loving, outgoing, and adore kids of all ages. Contact Amy at (913) 904-2974 or send an email to: a750a102@ku.edu.

Wanted to Buy Antiques wanted 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.

Miscellaneous Donate a vehicle. Make a difference. Donate your vehicle to Catholic Charities to support those in need. Your tax-deductible donation helps children and families served by Catholic Charities and is an environmentally wise way to recycle your vehicle. Cars for KC Kids is a partnership between Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas and Catholic Charities of Kansas City - St. Joseph. Call 1 (866) 430-9499 or visit the website at: www.cars4kckids.com.

April

Sanctuary of Hope, 2601 Ridge Ave., Kansas City, Kan., will host an Easter egg hunt and bookmobile at 1 p.m. on April 1. There is no cost to attend, and all children are welcome.

The Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., offers a monthly book club for women. The group will meet from 6 - 7:30 p.m. on April 3. This month’s book is “Fly Away Home” by Jennifer Weiner. Free books are provided. Space is limited. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the website at: www.mountosb.org/ kwc.

4 The Serra Club of Johnson County will meet at 7 p.m. on April 4

in the Father Burak Room of Curé of Ars Church, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. John Jurcyk will present “The Trial of Jesus as seen by a Trial Attorney.” The Serra Club supports vocations to the priesthood and religious life. All women and men of the archdiocese are invited as guests. The Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., will offer “SOS Parenting Help for Parents,” a four-part program for parents of children ages 2 – 12, from 9:30 - 11 a.m. on Wednesdays, beginning April 4. There is no cost to attend; men and women are welcome. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the website at: www.mountosb.org/kwc.

5-8 Sophia Center, 751 S. 8th St., Atchison, will host a Holy Week/ Tridu-

um retreat from 4:30 p.m. on April 5 through 1 p.m. on Easter Sunday. Experience the beautiful liturgies and the profound silence of the monastery. The cost is $225. For information or to register, call (913) 360-6151 or visit the website at: www.mountosb.org/sophia.html.

Holy Family Catholic Worker House will sponsor the annual Good Friday Walk for Justice, Kansas City’s annual reflection on the modern day suffering of Jesus, at 2 p.m. on April 6. Meet at Ilus Davis Park, 10th St. and Oak, Kansas City, Mo. For information, call (816) 7532677. The Daughters of Isabella, Circle No. 159, will meet at 6:30 p.m. on April 6 St. John the Evangelist Church, 2910 Strong Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The meeting is open to all women from Our Lady of Unity Parish.

A Runnin’ Revs fun night will be held at Christ the King School, 5973 S.W. 25th St., Topeka, on April 9. Priests and seminarians will challenge eighth-grade and high school boys from area Catholic schools to a heated basketball game. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. Expect biased calls and lots of fun. Donations will be accepted to benefit the seminarians. For information, call (913) 647-0303.

The Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., will offer “Within My Reach,” a six-session workshop for women, provided by Marriage for Keeps. It will be held from 9:30

- 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays, beginning April 10. Learn how to acquire the skills to improve your chances for relationship success. Space is limited; registration is required. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the website at: www.mountosb.org/kwc.

The Holy Women series for April will focus on Margery Kempe, a medieval mystic, presented by Benedictine Sister Mary Collins, from 1 - 3 p.m. on April 12 at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For information or to register, call (913) 9068990 or visit the website at: www.mountosb.org/kwc. The Altar Society of Our Lady of Unity Parish will meet at 7 p.m. on April 12 at St. John the Evangelist Church, 2910 Strong Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Come early for refreshments at 6:30 p.m. All women of the parish are invited to attend. The Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., will offer “Nutrition for Healthy Families” from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. on April 12. Participants will learn nutrition information and watch a cooking demonstration complete with take-home recipes. It is free and open to both men and women. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the website at: www.mountosb.org/kwc.

Join the Singles of Nativity for happy hour from 6 - 8 p.m. on April 13 at 810 Zone, 4800 W. 119th St., Leawood. Look for the yellow balloon. For information, send an email to Sue at: suez3911@ gmail.com.

Queen of the Holy RosaryWea, 22705 Metcalf, Bucyrus, will host a spaghetti dinner from 4:30 - 7 p.m. on April 14. The cost is: $25 for families of four or more; $10 for adults; $5 for children ages 5 - 10; children under age 5 eat for free. Proceeds will benefit the Stilwell Troop 483. St. Patrick Church, 1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kan., will host a trivia night at 7 p.m. on April 14 in the parish center. The doors will open at 6 p.m. The cost is $120 per table of up to eight players. Reservations are required, and there is a maximum of 30 tables for the evening. Prizes will be awarded for best costumed/ themed table, in addition to trivia winners. For information or to register, call the parish office at (913) 299-3370 or Patricia Verbeck at (913) 634-4341.

CALENDAR 13

Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish, 7023 W. 71st St., Overland Park, will host its annual dinner dance on April 14. The theme is “Glitz on the Ritz,” so the attire is dressy-casual to formal. The doors will open at 6 p.m.; dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $20 per person. We will enjoy big-band music during dinner, followed by a mix for dancing. This is an adults-only event. Reservations are required. To purchase tickets, call Patty at (913) 384-4644.

Mater Dei-Assumption Parish, 8th and Jackson, Topeka, will host a Divine Mercy Sunday celebration from 2 - 3 p.m. on April 15. Confessions will be heard from 1 - 2 p.m. and a reception will follow the celebration. For information, call (785) 246-1338. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will lead a Holy Hour in celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday at 3 p.m. on April 15 at Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish, 7023 W. 71st St., Overland Park. All children are invited to join in a flower procession. Children should meet at the back of the church at 2:50 p.m. Flowers will be provided. The Fatima rosary rally will be held at 3 p.m. on April 15 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church (Redemptorist), 3333 Broadway, Kansas City, Mo. Join in praying 15 decades of the rosary, followed by Benediction and enrollment in the brown scapular. Christ the King Church, 3024 N. 53rd St., Kansas City, Kan., will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday on April 15. Reconciliation will be available at 2 p.m., followed by the chaplet of Divine Mercy at 3 p.m. and refreshments at 3:15 p.m.

A Divine Mercy mission will be held from 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. on April 21 at Redemptorist Church, 3333 Broadway, Kansas City, Mo. The cost is $35 per participant. Reservations are required. For information or to register, send an email to: immaculata8@kc.rr.com or visit the website at: www.thedivinemercy.org/ parishmissions.

Misc.

Join the Singles of Nativity every Sunday at 9 a.m. for Scripture study at Church of the Nativity, 3800 W. 119th St., Leawood. For information, send an email to Randall at: gaelwynn@yahoo.com.

14 COMMENTARY

THE LEAVEN • MARCH 30, 2012

MARK MY WORDS

Catholic Press Association Award Winner

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

QUOTE WEEK

OF THE

“The priests are very loving, I would say — showing God’s mercy in the sacrament. It doesn’t mean it isn’t hard. That comes from my own embarrassment and shame that I’ve done something wrong.” Jeff Clary, a member of Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park See story on page 5

Sometimes you have to draw me a picture

ile this under things that you never knew about God: Little Bobby and his grandmother were looking at some vacation pictures. The scenes were breathtaking, each more beautiful than the one before. “It looks just like an artist painted this scenery,” said Grandma. “Do you know God painted it all for you, Bobby?” “Yes,” answered Bobby. “God did it with his left hand.” This confused Grandma a bit, so she asked, “What makes you say God did this with his left hand?” “Well,” said Bobby, “Father said at church last week that Jesus sits on God’s right hand.” All kidding aside, my attention this past week has been directed, oddly enough, toward art . . . and penitence. Let me get the “confession” part of this out of the way first. Last Christmas, I read a review — complete with several pictures — about an art book that really grabbed my attention. I clipped the article and popped it in my “maybe buy later” folder. I might have forgotten all about it had we not done an article in the March 16 Leaven about parishioners from Curé of Ars touring the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Mo. That piece reminded me of that “potentially neat” art book in my files. Long story short, I ended up ordering the book from Amazon, even though it cost (gulp) over $100. When it arrived last week, I realized that apologies were in order to at least three people: the person who shipped the book, the UPS delivery person, and Anita McSorley, managing editor at The Leaven who brought the book from the front desk of the chancery to my office. I

HOLY WEEK April 1 PALM SUNDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD Mk 11: 1-10; Is 50: 4-7; Ps 22: 8-9, 17-18a, 1920, 23-24; Phil 2: 6-11; Mk 14:1 — 15:47 April 2 Monday of Holy Week Is 42: 1-7; Ps 27: 1-3, 13-14; Jn 12: 1-11 April 3 Tuesday of Holy Week Is 49: 1-6; Ps 71: 1-4a, 5-6ab, 15, 17; Jn 13: 21-33, 36-38 April 4 Wednesday of Holy Week Is 50: 4-9a; Ps 69: 8-10, 21bcd-22, 31, 33-34; Mt 26: 14-25 April 5 HOLY THURSDAY EVENING MASS OF THE LORD’S SUPPER Ex 12: 1-8, 11-14; Ps 116: 12-13, 15-16bc, 17-18; 1 Cor 11: 23-26; Jn 13: 1-15 April 6 GOOD FRIDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD Is 52:13 — 53:12; Ps 31: 2, 6, 12-13, 15-17, 25; Heb 4: 14-16; 5: 7-9; Jn 18:1 — 19:42 April 7 HOLY SATURDAY NIGHT: THE EASTER VIGIL Gn 1:1 — 2:2; Ps 104: 1-2a, 5-6, 10, 12-14, 24, 35c; Ex 14:15 — 15:1; (Ps) Ex 15: 1-6, 17-18; Is 55: 1-11; (Ps) Is 12: 2-3, 4bcd, 5-6; Rom 6: 3-11; Ps 118: 1-2, 16ab-17, 22-23; Mk 16: 1-7

guess I’d sort of underestimated the size of the book. It’s a whopper: 17 ½ inches tall and 11 ½ inches wide. It’s also 3 inches deep to accommodate its 800 pages. Uh, and it’s kind of heavy, too: somewhere in the neighborhood of 23 pounds. So, to all who lugged that tome to me: Thanks, and I’m sorry. I knew that it was a coffee-table type of book; little did I realize that it was big enough to actually be a coffee table! The book, by the way, is “Ars Sacra” (h.f. ullmann, 2011). Its subtitle explains why it’s so huge: “Christian Art and Architecture of the Western World — from the very beginning up until today.” Sometimes the reproductions of pieces of art in books are so tiny that you can barely make them out. You can’t say that about this volume: The details — from paintings to mosaics to sculpture to church buildings — leap off the page with stunning clarity. This is not a book to be read; it’s more a museum to be savored. It’s fascinating to see the various ways that Jesus, Mary, the saints and scenes from the Bible are rendered. The “sternness” and otherworldliness of Jesus depicted in mosaics or icons contrasts with the vulnerability and humanness of Jesus found, for example, in Peter Paul Rubens’ “Deposition,” which shows the body of Jesus being taken down from the cross.

I bring all of this up, not to encourage you to rush out and buy this book (although it’s worth every cent), but to suggest a possible way to pray as you journey through Holy Week. Naturally, you can’t do better than to attend the Triduum celebrations. You can check out our four-page guide to these special liturgies in this issue to prepare yourself. But Holy Week is also a time for intensive personal prayer, a time to step back temporarily from our usual daily cares and concerns. Stepping back, however, is harder than it should be. When we try to quiet ourselves, we become conscious of just how noisy our world is — not only on the outside, but inside our minds as well. And that’s where sacred art can help. Looking at a stained-glass window or a painting helps us to focus, calm the chaos and regain God’s perspective on life. Art can make God more accessible to us. The third-century theologian Origen put it this way. He asked people to imagine a village with a statue that was so huge that no one could see exactly what it was supposed to represent. Finally, someone miniaturized the statue so everyone could see the person it honored. Origen concluded, “That is what God did in his Son.” (Found in “Perfect Illustrations for Every Topic and Occasion,” by Craig Brian Larson and Drew Zahn.) This Holy Week, ponder the crucifix on your wall or rosary, hold onto a holy card, or cradle a statue or icon in your hands. Or head to your local museum, library, bookstore or online and let some sacred art inspire you and give you a fresh glimpse of Jesus, our savior, the human face of God.

Does prophet speak for himself, Christ — or us?

hen I hear confessions, I can sometimes easily identify the person, even on the other side of the screen. At other times, the person remains a mystery. I can perhaps guess the age and sex of the person, but nothing more. We might wonder who is the person speaking in Sunday’s first reading — Is 50: 4-7. Since the reading comes to us from the Book PALM SUNDAY OF THE of Isaiah, the PASSION OF THE LORD prophet, we Is 50: 4-7 might suppose that it is Isaiah speaking. On the other hand, most Scripture scholars believe that this section of the book dates from a later period, that it was composed by a disciple of Isaiah whose name was lost, but who is usually called “Deutero-Isaiah.” Frequently, bands of disciples formed around the prophets of the Bible. These disciples helped to collect the teachings of the prophet and to preserve them for posterity. This unknown disciple of Isaiah is a prophet in his own right. Like Isaiah, he also has received a call to bring God’s word to the people. DeuteroIsaiah specifically reports that he has accepted that mission: “And I have not rebelled, have not turned back.” Deutero-Isaiah is able to speak God’s

word, only because he himself has first listened to it on a regular basis: “Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear.” God is the one who opens Deutero-Isaiah’s ears. Because Deutero-Isaiah has been listening to God’s word, he then is in a position to relay it to others: “The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue, that I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them.” And what reward will DeuteroIsaiah receive for faithfully proclaiming God’s word? “I gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard; my face I did not shield from buffets and spitting.” Evidently, the people are not receptive. They only offer insults and injury to the prophet. This harsh response to the prophet is to be expected. In some cases, a prophet was run out of town or physically harmed. The treatment that

Teen touched, inspired, by the generosity of strangers Continued from page 1 “He would require a full course of treatment, which was five rounds of chemotherapy,” said Christy. “That was pretty hard on us,” Nick said. The couple quickly decided that Christy would stay with Matthew at Children’s Mercy Hospital for the course of his treatment. And Christy’s mom would move in with Brian and the boys to keep things at the house running as smoothly as possible. Matthew’s first hospital stay lasted 24 days, but he did so well that the next three visits were much shorter. The fifth, however, was 35 days long — the family would have to celebrate Christmas in the hospital. By then, it was basically a holiday at their “second home,” said Nick. Brian, the boys, and other relatives were frequent visitors to the hospital.

Generosity of strangers Nick was quick to observe in the course of his visits that not every young patient had constant companionship like Matthew did. Many parents can’t be there around the clock because they have to work or take care of children at home, said Christy.

Deutero-Isaiah describes is not at all unusual. So, is Deutero-Isaiah speaking from his own personal experience, or is he speaking in general terms for all prophets? It is not at all clear. In that case, we return to the original question: What person is speaking in Sunday’s first reading? Christian tradition identifies that person as Jesus Christ. The description of the insults and beating closely matches the treatment he received during his passion and crucifixion. Jesus’ faithfulness to his mission, despite what he was enduring, resonates with the passage in Deutero-Isaiah. It all fits. That holds true, whether or not the writer of Deutero-Isaiah believed that he was describing his own experience as a prophet or whether he was speaking on behalf of all prophets. If anything, the undefined identity of the prophet in Deutero-Isaiah helps to link Jesus Christ to the general experience of all prophets, and to the specific experience of Deutero-Isaiah. Like the prophets before him, Jesus Christ had to endure suffering as he brought God’s word to others. Can we expect anything different? Father Mike Stubbs is the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University.

That made an impression on Nick, as did the generosity even complete strangers showed these young cancer patients. People donated pillowcases, blankets and more. Several organizations brightened kids’ days with gifts delivered during the Christmas season. “The thing that really touched my older boys was when [Matthew] would receive toys or stuffed animals,” Christy said.

Honoring a ‘certified leukemia survivor’ Just a couple of days before his first birthday, Matthew got to go home. Once there, and wearing a Onesie® that read “certified leukemia survivor,” he sat on his parents’ bed, “arms out like he had finished a marathon or something,” Christy said. Now in remission, Matthew just needs regular checkups to track his progress. But Nick wanted to do something to honor Matthew and his courageous fight. “My confirmation is coming up,” Nick explained, so he’s been working on service projects. “I decided I would have a toy drive in honor of Matthew and for all the other people suffering from cancer,” he said.

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Play away pain Christy knew her son was taking on a massive project. But she held her tongue. “I didn’t tell him because I didn’t want to discourage him,” she said. Nick did everything himself — from making up the fliers to advertise the toy drive to addressing the congregation at the six different Masses at Holy Trinity one weekend. With Sam next to him, holding Matthew in his arms, Nick explained his project. He expected a modest collection, at best, when he gathered the donations the next weekend. But he underestimated people’s response to the toy drive they titled “Play Away Pain.”

How to help

For more information or to make a donation, contact Nick Pate at: whosyourherokc@gmail.com.

there’s room to store everything. He’s still weighing the best ways to present the toys to children — maybe for Christmas or birthdays or when a child is first admitted to the hospital. And with some other groups working with him to grow the donation, the family is now creating a nonprofit organization to keep the effort going. They were working this month on getting 501(c)3 status.

Young heroes

‘Just in shock’ “It was overwhelming, the support of our parish,” said Christy. By mid-March, they collected more than 250 toys and $2,600. “I was just in shock,” said Nick. “I really didn’t expect so many people to give that many toys or that much cash.” The program’s success has led to more work. Nick has checked with stores to see if he might be able to work out discounted prices to buy even more toys. And he’s spoken to a Child Life specialist at Children’s Mercy to make sure

As happy as Nick is to see the donations roll in, it’s his healthy baby brother that really makes his day. “He’s full of smiles,” said Nick. “His laugh — I love his laugh.” It’s more than that, though. Nick knows it might be a little unusual to look up to someone who’s just a year old, but that’s the way it is. “With all he’s been through and how well he’s done, it’s just really been a motivation,” he said. “I think if I could be more like him, I’d be a much better person.”

1887 – The Christian Brothers in Kansas City – 2011

1910

De La Salle 1971 Alumni Association Memorial Mass

7:00 p.m., Thursday, April 12, 2012 St. Regis Church 8941 James A. Reed Rd. KC MO (north of Archbishop O’Hara High School) Main Celebrant: Father Richard Rocha Our Mass is for all deceased alumni, family and friends. Alumni, relatives, and friends are invited.

Social Hour

in Archbishop O’Hara Commons after Mass

De La Salle Banquet

Friday, April 13, 2012 Finnigan’s – 503 E. 18th Ave. (North of River) Cocktails 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. Dinner 7:00 p.m. Banquet reservations $30 per person

Registration Form Name ___________________________________________________________________________________ Class ______________ Enclosed is my check for $______for_______banquet reservations. _____ I am an alumnus but not on your mailing list. _____ I willbeattendingtheMemorialMassNumbercoming ______ List any deceased alumni, friends or relatives to be remembered at Mass. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ If you know of alumni who are not on our mailing list, notify us at the address below or call & leave a message. St. John Baptist De La Salle, Pray for us. Live, Jesus, in our hearts, forever.

Please send your reservation, check or comment to:

De La Salle Alumni Assn. P.O. Box 380083 Kansas City, MO 64138 Phone/FAX (816)767-9800

email: dis@oharahs.org • website: www.diskcalumni.org

16 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • MARCH 30, 2012

MATER DEI GETS ITS IRISH UP Topeka parishioners get an early look at the renovations of Assumption Church By Marc and Julie Anderson

Special to The Leaven

TOPEKA — Parishioners at Topeka’s oldest Catholic church are seeing a lot of new life at their church this Lent. With a major restoration and renovation project underway at Mater Dei Parish’s Assumption Church site, however, the building wasn’t quite ready at the beginning of Lent to reopen its doors to parishioners. The church will officially reopen, ready for weekend Masses, on April 1 — Palm Sunday. Before that though, with the work 80-percent complete, the church made an early public debut for a Mass and Irish celebration on St. Patrick’s Day. Visitors saw for the first time the work that has been completed, from the refurbishing of the marble to the restoration of the artwork. At the same time, parishioners celebrated their favorite Irish traditions — and added to them with a brandnew Irish Fest, which they hope will become a tradition for the whole Topeka community.

Massive project Thanks to a major financial gift, Mater Dei’s Assumption Church site has undergone quite a face-lift. The work has included: lowering of the main altar, replacement of carpeting, cleaning of the stained-glass windows, restoration of murals, upholstering of the pews, and restoration of two statues — one of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and one of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Work on this phase of renovations began in mid-November. Weekend Masses moved to the nearby Mater Dei Holy Name site, while weekday Masses were held in Assumption’s Rossiter Hall. Christmas and its octave Masses were held once again in Assumption Church, but then weekend Masses were moved again after Epiphany in order for the work to resume. So it was an excited crowd that gathered at Assumption on the morning of March 17 for the church’s unveiling at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Mass. It was celebrated by former pastor Father Thomas Kearns; concelebrants were current pastor Father Jon Hullinger, and Abbot Barnabas Senecal, OSB. They were joined at the altar by Deacon Chris Seago.

Traditions and changes An Irish singalong greeted guests before the Mass, a tradition that goes back to 1980, when Father Kearns was pastor at Assumption. After Mass, the church was right on the route of the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, which began at noon. Located across the street from the Kansas Capitol, Assumption Church has often been a first stop for many St. Patrick’s Day parade spectators. In fact, for many years the parade started right outside the church’s front doors.

Leaven photo by Marc Anderson

From left, Father Jon Hullinger, Father Thomas Kearns, Deacon Chris Seago and Abbot Barnabas Senecal, OSB, celebrate Mass on St. Patrick’s Day for nearly 500 at the newly renovated Assumption Church. Assumption Parish and nearby Holy Name Parish consolidated in 2006 to form Mater Dei Parish. Father Hullinger is the current pastor; Father Kearns served as pastor of Assumption Church in the early 1980s. Deacon Seago is the parish’s permanent deacon. The St. Patrick’s Day Mass was the first time the renovated church building was open to the public and kicked off the parish’s inaugural Irish Fest. Eventually, the parade grew to in- don Eakes, offered to help study the clude other activities — like a street possibilities. fair and a bed race — that now draw “The potential is huge,” said Eakes, nearly 50,000 people, not quite half of adding that the parish decided to host Topeka’s population. Irish Fest, a festival of Irish food and Over the years, routes have changed music. to accommodate the growing particiWhen it came to food, brats and pation. burgers alone just didn’t seem approThe parish has seen some changes priate for St. Patrick’s Day. as well. “So we told everyone in the parish In July 2006, Assumption con- to pull out their favorite recipes and we solidated with Holy Name Parish, not would hold a contest,” said Eakes. “We quite a mile away, to form Mater Dei, a knew we had a lot of excellent cooks in parish of roughly 800 families. the parish. We only had three guideBut one aspect of the St. Patrick’s lines: The food had to be walking food, Day festivities that has not changed it had to be affordable, and it had to be over the years is the number of hungry Irish food.” parade-goers in downtown Topeka, Patty’s Corned Beef Pocket and an many longing for traditional Irish fare offering of bangers and mash won the like corned beef and cabbage. taste test. It has remained a challenge to meet the demand with the number of resComing together taurants open and able to handle the Nearly every parishioner helped Parishioner Ann Leiker serves bangers and crowd. prepare for the inaugural Irish Fest in mash to a customer during Mater Dei Parish’s Mater Dei parishioner Sarah Hutley some way — chopping onions and po- Irish Fest. Bangers and mash is a traditional and others had an idea they thought tatoes, donating sound equipment for Irish dish made of sausages and mashed pomight just do the trick. the Irish music, soliciting donations, or tatoes. coordinating publicity. New ideas “It seemed every time someone parish’s efforts. While other parishioners had long brought up an idea, it fell right into “We hope this is the first of many thought Mater Dei ought to sell food to place,” Eakes said. wonderful Irish Fests,” he said. “Our parade spectators as a potential fundAnd people kept joining the efforts parish has worked hard, and we apraiser, it was Hutley who first articu- to coordinate the celebration. preciate all those who have joined us lated the idea. Working to bring Irish Fest to frui- today.” Hutley saw the parking lot of the tion provided Mary Tritsch with many Perhaps it was Jodi Spindler, former Assumption School — not fully happy hours of fellowship. though, who best summarized the parutilized now that the school merged “Everyone has come together won- ish and its efforts to host Irish Fest. into the Holy Name campus — as a derfully, and it’s been nice to see faces “I am not even from Topeka origigolden opportunity. from every parish here today,” she nally, but our parish has just a big sense “There was a need for food and a said. She saw countless families volun- of family,” she said. “I’m so happy to be need for people to have a place to sit,” teering their time — hers included. here.” Hutley explained. “With the parade goHer husband Dan served as a caParishioners are excited about the ing right by the church and the former shier, while their son Jacob, along festival’s success and the renovations school parking lot, the idea seemed with many teenage boys of the parish, that have brought fresh life to the hisnatural. People who want to sit and eat helped to set up tables and chairs. toric church. The renovation process while watching the parade can do so, will be complete with the installation especially the elderly who might not be of the new altar, which will then be Celebrating the parish up to standing for a long time.” blessed by Archbishop Joseph F. NauFather Hullinger was proud of the mann. Others, including parishioner Bran-