THELEAVEN.COM | VOL. 36, NO. 32 | APRIL 3, 2015
“W
hy do you seek the living among the dead?” As the angel consoles the women, and the guards shudder in terror, may you be consoled in faith and remain in awe at the triumph of our blessed Lord over sin and death.
no k be ee ill t w e w ex er n n Th ave Le Leaven 04-03-15.indd 1
+ James P. Keleher Archbishop Emeritus of Kansas City in Kansas
“THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST” BY FRENCH ARTIST NOEL COYPEL (CNS/BRIDGEMAN ART LIBRARY)
+ Joseph F. Naumann Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas
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2 ARCHBISHOP
THELEAVEN.COM | APRIL 3, 2015
LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS
Easter reminds us the victory of the Lamb is assured
M
arcellino D’Ambrosio in the preface to his recently published
book, “When the Church Was Young: Voices of the Early Fathers,” described the world into which Christianity was birthed: “Rome’s engineers were busy building new buildings, and its legions were conquering new territories. “But Rome herself was no longer new. She had grown old and decrepit. The republic of Cicero had degenerated into the despotism of Caesar. Tyrant after tyrant had seized power at the price of much bloodshed. Devotion to family, hard work and frugality had been replaced by an addiction to pleasure and power. A welfare state based on conquest and slave labor bought the loyalty of the mob with free bread and gladiator games. The people were all too ready to trade their liberty for creature comforts.” Dr. D’Ambrosio compares the Fathers of the Church to the Founding Fathers of our country. Much as the American Founding Fathers defined the nature and purpose of the United States, so the early Church Fathers helped to articulate the vision of the church that Jesus had entrusted to the apostles and to define the practical implications of what Christians believe. Dr. D’Ambrosio defines the Fathers of the Church as “those great Christian writers who passed on and clarified the teaching of the apostles from approximately the second through the eighth centuries.” Reflecting on the parallels between challenges confronting the early Church Fathers and the challenges Catholics face today, Dr. D’Ambrosio observes: “The cynical, tired world today is remarkably like the worn-out Roman society of their day.” Reading the daily newspaper, watching the nightly news or however you keep current with the affairs of the world in this digital age can easily become quite depressing. It is painful to witness our nation and the Western world appearing impotent as innocent people are
ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN brutalized and executed simply because they are Christian. What a tragedy that our own government is attempting to coerce Catholic ministries and Catholic business owners to be complicit in providing abortifacient drugs, contraceptives and sterilizations against our deeply held religious and moral convictions. (In case you were wondering, the HHS mandates that the administration chose to make part of the application of the Affordable Care Act remain a major moral problem for Catholics and many other people of faith. We are in the precarious position of hoping for favorable decisions from the Supreme Court.) Our economy rests on a very fragile foundation as our national debt, much of it to nations who are our political enemies, continues to rise. Sadly, there are few of our political leaders who have the courage, skill and leadership to attempt to change our economic trajectory. Those that do will have a difficult time winning reelection. Many in our culture not only are incapable of distinguishing evil from good, but actually trumpet, as fundamental freedoms, the right to kill one’s own child and the right to redefine something as fundamental as the nature of marriage and family. I found Marcellino D’Ambrosio’s comparison of our world today to the one in which Christianity was born as both challenging and comforting. If we know history, we are aware that the collapse of the Roman Empire was the result of the moral decay of the culture. The lowering of moral and ethical standards in the name of tolerance in American society appears to have our culture in a similar rapid decline. Yet, the collapse of our nation and culture are not inevitable. Culture is the
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cumulative results of the personal life choices made by individual citizens and the civic choices that we make by those we elect to public office. The question before us is: Are we content to allow our culture to continue to decay as long as we have our material creature comforts? It is quite easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless in light of the cultural attacks against the sanctity of life, the ferocious efforts to redefine marriage and family, and the assault on religious liberty and conscience rights. What can we do against such powerful adversaries? Personally, I am often overwhelmed by my responsibilities as archbishop to shepherd well the Catholic community of northeast Kansas. I imagine my anxieties are not much different from Christian parents as they struggle to provide well for the material and spiritual needs of their children. I find comfort in recalling the challenges facing the early church. How even — or perhaps especially — during times of persecution, the church grew at a rapid pace. Even when Christians appeared to be on the losing side of the cultural battles, they were never without peace and joy, because they were never without Jesus and his Holy Spirit. We have the promise of Jesus to be with his church until the end of time. True, Jesus did not promise that in every particular locale and culture the church would flourish until the end times. We know many places, for example, in North Africa, where Christianity had a vibrant presence but today Christians are less than one percent of the population. We have a responsibility to fight hard and heroically to preserve rights of conscience and religious freedom. We must defend the respect for human life from its very beginning in the wombs of our mothers until our natural death. We must advocate fearlessly for the preservation of marriage and family life. We must strive mightily, cooperating with God’s grace, to live lives of moral integrity and to do what we can to renew our nation and culture. Easter reminds us that we
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CALENDAR ARCHBISHOP
NAUMANN April 4 Easter Vigil Mass — Cathedral, Kansas City, Kansas April 5 Easter Sunday Mass — Cathedral, Kansas City, Kansas April 7 Mass — Bishop Ward High School, Kansas City, Kansas Confirmation — Holy Cross, Overland Park April 8 Curia Meeting — Savior Pastoral Center Catholic Education Foundation board meeting — Bishop Ward High School, Kansas City, Kansas Confirmation — Sacred Heart, Shawnee
April 17 Eucharistic adoration — Bishop Miege High School, Roeland Park April 18 Pro-life training day — Savior Pastoral Center April 19 Groundbreaking new cathedral — Knoxville, Tennessee April 20 Confirmation — Church of the Ascension, Overland Park April 21 “Shepherd’s Voice” recording St. Lawrence Center Advisory Council meeting — Lawrence April 22 Fellowship of Catholic University Students campus missionaries Mass and breakfast
ARCHBISHOP
KELEHER
April 9 Eucharistic adoration — Hayden High School, Topeka
April 4 Confirmation for adults — Curé of Ars, Leawood
Confirmation — St. Matthew, Topeka
April 5 Easter Mass — Sisters, Servants of Mary
April 10 Confirmation — Holy Trinity, Lenexa
April 8 Mass — Federal prison
April 11 Pastoral visit — Church of the Ascension, Overland Park
April 10 Confirmation — Holy Trinity, Lenexa
April 12 Rite of Christian Initiation Mass — Benedictine College, Atchison
April 11 Confessions and Mass — Holy Spirit, Overland Park
April 13-15 Jesus Caritas bishops’ retreat
April 12 Confirmation — St. Joseph, Shawnee
April 15 Eucharistic adoration — St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Overland Park 5th-Grade Vocation Day — Prince of Peace, Olathe High school art exhibit — Savior Pastoral Center April 16 Religious Alliance Against Pornography conference call Priests Personnel meeting U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Communications video conference Confirmation — St. Michael the Archangel, Leawood
know already the end of the story. We know the victory of the Lamb is assured. The Risen Jesus and his Holy Spirit remain with us, promising peace and joy even in the midst of life’s tumultuous storms. May Easter inspire us to
April 14 Confirmation — St. Francis de Sales, Lansing April 16 Confirmation — St. Michael the Archangel, Leawood April 18 Abbots Table benefit dinner — Sheraton Hotel, Kansas City, Missouri April 19 Confirmation — St. Patrick, Kansas City, Kansas April 21 Confirmation — Our Lady of Unity, Kansas City, Kansas
treasure even more the gift of our Catholic faith, make us more determined to live with integrity what we believe, and renew within us zeal to bring others to know the love of Jesus and the joy of his Gospel!
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SECOND FRONT PAGE 3
APRIL 3, 2015 | THELEAVEN.COM
GOING UP TO JERUSALEM
Father Lazar Carasala creates a memorable Palm Sunday by riding a donkey to church By Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com
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ALLEY FALLS — A child just doesn’t want to miss some things in life — like watching a priest ride a living, breathing donkey, as Jesus would have ridden into Jerusalem more than 2,000 years ago. Larry and Joyce Heinen’s 7-yearold grandson Jack lives in Topeka, but often goes to Mass with his grandparents at Immaculate Conception Parish in Valley Falls. When Jack heard that Father Lazar Carasala was going to process in on a donkey on Palm Sunday, he arranged to spend the weekend in town. “I bet he won’t forget seeing the priest ride a donkey; that’s something you just don’t see,” said Larry Heinen. “I think it adds a lot. We had real good participation from the congregation itself.” Father Carasala, parochial administrator of St. Joseph Parish in Nortonville, Immaculate Conception
in Valley Falls, and Corpus Christi Parish in Mooney Creek, led two processions atop the donkey on March 29, first at St. Joseph and later at Immaculate Conception. A picture is worth a thousand words, he said. When an action — like this one — is involved, the experience can last a lifetime. Processions and reenactments are part of the Catholic culture of his native India, where he credits his home parish and the faith it fueled for a high number of religious vocations. There, his friend and fellow priest rode the donkey, while he worked with youth on a threemile reenactment of Christ’s journey to Calvary. Now in Kansas, the idea for this year’s procession struck him when he saw two donkeys on his way to the airport. “That’s a little different,” Heinen admits to thinking when he first heard this was going to happen. But he was game. “It’s a good different,” he said. Just as
Jesus asked two of his disciples to go find a colt for his journey into Jerusalem, Father Carasala enlisted two parishioners to secure a donkey. The mission fell to Bob Weishaar, who is a member of the Knights of Columbus at St. Joseph, and his grandson Colby Weishaar. Ruling out a lot of options, the elder Weishaar suddenly remembered a donkey he’d seen on the way to Oskaloosa. The owner agreed to trade her pet’s services for a bale of hay. “She was just tickled for us to do something with the donkey,” said Weishaar. This one was different from the animals Father Carasala had seen in India, however. “First thing he said was, ‘It’s too big,’” said Weishaar. Father Carasala test-rode the donkey a few times as they prepared for the big day and decided the donkey would do. “I was one of the lucky ones who walked fairly close alongside
the burro,” said Aloysius Funk, a member of St. Joseph Parish. “If anything happened, we could come to Father’s rescue.” But that wasn’t necessary. “It was unbelievably tame,” he said. The donkey didn’t seem to mind all the singing as the parishioners processed to the churches. And in retrospect, parishioners agreed it was a unforgettable event. “Father said he wanted to do this because it would make Palm Sunday more memorable for the children,” said Dianna Welsh, secretary for the parishes. “I think it made it just as memorable for the adults, too!” That includes a woman in her 90s who wouldn’t miss it. “She had her lawn chair out by her car and sat and watched the procession,” said Welsh. With social media and word of mouth, the Catholic churches quickly became the talk of the town, said Funk. “I’m so happy that children can participate and they can visualize this one,” said Father Carasala, who is making even more plans for the future. Funk loves seeing Father Carasala’s ideas at work, especially when it makes connections with the younger crowd. “Hopefully, this will create some special memories that will keep them involved,” said Funk.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CLARKE DAVIS OF DAVIS PUBLICATIONS IN VALLEY FALLS
Dianna Welsh, left, leads a donkey ridden by Father Lazar Carasala, with help from Colby Weishaar, as Bob Weishaar walks alongside them as a spotter outside Immaculate Conception Church in Valley Falls on March 29. The Weishaars found the donkey Father Carasala rode at Immaculate Conception and at St. Joseph Church in Nortonville during Palm Sunday processions, reenacting Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem.
Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799) President: Most Reverend Joseph F. Naumann
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Editor Reverend Mark Goldasich, stl frmark@theleaven.com
Production Manager Todd Habiger todd@theleaven.com
Reporter Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com
Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita@theleaven.com
Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com
Advertising Coordinator Julie Holthaus julie@theleaven.com
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.
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4 LOCAL NEWS
THELEAVEN.COM | APRIL 3, 2015
Project taught eighth-graders what they’re ‘capable of ’ By Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com
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HAWNEE — The eighth-grade assignment might have sounded almost easy at first. At its most basic level, the “Honor Project” instructed students at Sacred Heart of Jesus School in Shawnee to live their lives for eight days. But it came with a special condition: no moral shortcuts, no hurting friends or family, no breaking any rules. “I don’t think they expected it to be as challenging as it was,” said Kathy Clevinger, the religion teacher who organized the project. She even participated along with the students, knowing it would mean a week without so much as even sneaking a little chocolate. “We started it out by saying we’re all good people,” said Clevinger. “Could we be better if we really focused on it? That was the launch pad.” Clevinger’s husband Ralph actually sparked the project when he read a magazine article about someone’s experience living with no moral shortcuts. “Kathy, this would be an awesome thing for your eighth-graders to do,” he told her. Both Lent and confirmation were approaching, and the eighth-grade religion curriculum aims to show students how their Catholic faith fits into their lives. The pair brainstormed examples of scenarios leading up to the eight-day project the students participated in from Feb. 9-16. In one, a boy dashed back to a fastfood restaurant to pay for a sandwich after noticing he wasn’t charged. In another, a girl sacrificed a certain ride home from the mall when she insisted on going back in to return a bracelet that had attached itself to a scarf. “They were really good about it,” said Clevinger. “We talked about what would it look like if you were this person at home, what it might look like at school, what it might look like if you’re playing CYO basketball.” The students wore bracelets around the clock as reminders. Clevinger didn’t expect them to be perfect. That’s why she suggested that when they stumbled, they switch the bracelet to the other wrist as a fresh start.
PHOTO COURTESY KATHY CLEVINGER
From left, Brianna Streeter, Cait Dorsey, Cole Sheridan and Katie Cosse, students at Sacred Heart of Jesus School in Shawnee, share insights they gained about themselves and their faith during the “Honor Project” this winter. The project prompted them to think through everything they said and did as they focused on conscience and virtue and honoring God. “Could it change our school?” Clevinger asked them. “Could it change your family? Could it change you?” According to the responses from the students, who wrote journal reflections each day, the answer was: Yes. “I realized I didn’t put much thought into my choices,” said eighth-grader Rebekah Nelson. “That really surprised me.” Peter Merrill, also an eighth-grader, agreed. “When I put some forethought into my choices, I realized the things I could be better at,” he said. The power of the project hit home for him when he and some friends were hanging out and they started talking about people. “I remembered the Honor Project and said, ‘Guys! We really shouldn’t be doing this,’” said Peter. “Just like that, they changed the subject. I thought,
DIVINE MERCY CELEBRATIONS IN THE ARCHDIOCESE The Cathedral of St. Peter, 409 N. 15th, Kansas City, Kansas, will host the Divine Mercy devotions on April 12 at 3 p.m. A procession begins at 2:30 p.m. The service will be in Spanish. Holy Name Parish, 1001 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, Kansas, will host a
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Young Adult Mass Mob on April 12 at 11 a.m. in honor of Divine Mercy. Young adults from around the area are welcome. There will be a gathering for young adults immediately following Mass in the school cafeteria. Holy Name Parish, 1001 Southwest Blvd., Kansas
‘Wow! I really can affect my friends.’” Clevinger noticed the students’ efforts to live up to the project’s standards at school, and some said their families were spending more time together at home as well. The students were also asked to meditate on certain Scripture passages each day. Clevinger was impressed with the ideas they expressed in their journals. “One young lady wrote, ‘It surprises me how much we sin without realizing it,’” she said. And another student wrote: “God is telling me to let him show through me.” “I have become more aware of my sins and I’m trying to work on them more,” another student reported. “I pray to God more and I have more motivation to pray,” said another. “I should only hang around people who bring out the best in me and lead me toward God,” was another comment. Even when the project wrapped up on Feb. 16, several students decided
City, Kansas, will have eucharistic adoration, confession, and the chaplet of Divine Mercy from 3 to 4 p.m. Sacred Heart Parish, 101 Cottonwood, Emporia, will host a Divine Mercy celebration on April 12 at 3 p.m. with the recitation of the Divine Mercy chaplet, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and confessions. Immaculate Conception Parish, 606 S. Elm, Louisburg, will have a Divine Mercy Sunday service April 12 from 1 to 3 p.m. Service includes the rosary, chaplet of Divine Mercy, and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with Benediction at 3 p.m.
to wear bracelets — new purple ones Clevinger found with the word “spirit” — through Lent as a reminder to continue the project. The class wholeheartedly recommended that next year’s eighth-graders take on the Honor Project. “Because you want them to suffer like you suffered?” Clevinger asked her students with a chuckle. She was assured that was not the reason. Rather, as one student put it, “It should be a rite of passage before confirmation,” she said. “You should have to do this to know what you’re capable of.” “It’s a good preparation for high school and just to be a better person,” said Peter. “It’s neat to realize you actually can make a difference with your friends and the attitude of those all around you.” “The Honor Project was a good experience,” said Rebekah. “It opened my eyes to see how much I don’t think about my choices. The effect is lasting beyond the project.”
Good Shepherd Parish, 12800 W. 75th St., Shawnee, will have a service for the Divine Mercy at noon on April 12. Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, 411 Pioneer, Seneca, will celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday on April 12 with the Divine Mercy chaplet sung at 3 p.m., followed by Benediction. St. Pius X Parish, 5500 Woodson, Mission, will have a Divine Mercy celebration at 3 p.m. Sacred Heart Parish, 408 S. Cedar, Ottawa, will have a Divine Mercy service on April 12 at 3 p.m.
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LOCAL NEWS 5
APRIL 3, 2015 | THELEAVEN.COM
A BLESSING THROUGH DRESSING
Project pairs first communicants in need with outfits for special day
CNS FILE PHOTO/OSWALDO RIVAS, REUTERS
A program at the Keeler Women’s Center in Kansas City, Kansas, helps make first Communion special by offering assistance with clothing to families in need.
“ K By Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com
ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Sister Carol Ann Petersen, OSB, still remembers the white dress with lilies of the valley she wore for her own first Communion and other special occasions in second grade. As every Catholic family knows, special dress clothes for both boys and girls are customary for this milestone occasion. As a longtime school principal and now as director of the Keeler Women’s Center in Kansas City, Kansas, Sister Carol Ann knows those dressy outfits don’t come without substantial sacrifice by some families. “There are expectations about the clothing and the children looking nice,” she said. “I think parents will sacrifice putting food on the table to buy a pair of shoes that need to be white.” That’s why she was thrilled to see Patricia Kowal step in with a plan to match families’ first Communion clothing needs with assistance from someone willing and able to help. Kowal, a parishioner of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Shawnee, volunteers at Keeler. Working with a Scripture and journaling group last year, she met a woman whose daughter’s first Communion was coming up. Like many parents, the woman wanted to have a cake and a nice event to celebrate this important moment in her daughter’s journey of faith, but her resources were very limited. Her child already had a dress, but still needed shoes and a veil.
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It is such a special occasion — it’s a sacrament — and surely clothes are not the most important thing about the day, but clothes can surely make the child feel special and feel part of the bigger church and part of the group.” Sister Carol Ann Petersen, OSB
Kowal, who has two daughters herself, figured she could come up with a veil, but started hitting thrift stores in search of shoes. Realizing other families must be in the same boat, Kowal expressed her interest at the various shops she visited in picking up appropriate items that might be able to go to a family in need. When one woman heard what she was doing, she offered her help in making a veil. So Kowal was soon able to deliver a veil, a couple of shoe options and even a gift from the veil-maker to the first communicant when she next saw the mother at Keeler. “She was so excited,” said Kowal.
“Everything was coming together. It was such a simple little thing. It made a difference in how she felt.” Now, Kowal hopes to be able to help more families of young girls and boys the same way. She’s already had several offers of help — ranging from offers to shop for a young girl by a woman who had no daughters herself, to financial donations. She’s also hoping to get the word out to Catholic school principals, religious education directors and families that this type of help exists. Kowal doesn’t want a child to go into the sacrament feeling inappropriately dressed or for a family to hold off on it because they feel they just can’t afford all that goes with it. For those uncomfortable asking for help, or for having members of their own parish or school know they need assistance, said Sister Carol Ann, this project is designed to make it possible for the donation to come from a different parish. Families don’t even have to go through their school or pastor; they can reach out directly by calling Kowal at (913) 205-8788. Nor is the program limited to the Kansas City area, but can hopefully help people in rural communities as well. Sister Carol Ann believes Kowal is the perfect person to make a success of this initiative. “She’s very organized, she’s very generous,” she said. “She speaks Spanish.” And the need is real. While first Communion costs seem negligible to wealthier families, every Catholic family knows it’s a memorable day — and a big deal. Sister Carol Ann knows from her
First Communion outfit assistance Need help or want to help? Contact Patricia Kowal, project coordinator, a parishioner of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Shawnee and a volunteer at the Keeler Women’s Center in Kansas City, Kansas. Kowal and the Keeler Women’s Center hope to pair people who need help obtaining a boy’s or girl’s outfit for first Communion with assistance from those who would like to help. Kowal may be reached by phone at (913) 205-8788.
teaching days that children are very aware of being dressed differently from their peers and naturally pick up on the financial stress their parents are experiencing. But kids shouldn’t need to worry about the clothing component at all, she said. “It is such a special occasion — it’s a sacrament — and surely clothes are not the most important thing about the day,” said Sister Carol Ann, “but clothes can surely make the child feel special and feel part of the bigger church and part of the group.” Because it broke Kowal’s heart to know that families are struggling to make that a reality, she hopes to pair people together to ease that burden. “I just want people to think back and remember their first Communion and how special it was,” said Kowal. “We just want to make sure everybody in our community can experience that joy.”
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6 LOCAL NEWS
THELEAVEN.COM | APRIL 3, 2015
ALL-STAR REVENGE K STORY BY JOE BOLLIG \ PHOTOS BY DOUG HESSE
Thomas Maddock, an archdiocesan seminarian at Conception Seminary College in Conception, Missouri, looks to penetrate the Serra All-Stars defense.
ANSAS CITY, Kan. — In all the years they’ve played, the Runnin’ Revs have regularly whupped the Serra All-Stars. But not this time. On March 9, the All-Stars — an amalgamation of eighth-grade players from Catholic schools in Johnson, Wyandotte and Douglas counties — whupped the Revs by a score of 6564 at Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park. It was like the Washington Generals beating the Harlem Globetrotters. These things just don’t happen. Sure, it was an ugly win — but it was a win just the same. The winning coach was Bill Maloney; the coach for the Revs was Msgr. Michael Mullen. Even augmenting their bench with an Apostle of the Interior Life and a Benedictine Brother from Atchison couldn’t help the 14 Revs overcome the 28-member All-Stars team. So age and cunning do not always beat youth and vigor. With this loss in the rearview mirror, the Revs now face the Serra AllStars at 7 p.m. on April 20 at Hayden High School in Topeka.
Luke Doyle, an archdiocesan seminarian, battles for a rebound in a 65-64 loss to the Serra All-Stars March 9 at Bishop Miege High School.
Above, Father Scott Wallisch, archdiocesan vocation director, plays some tough defense. Right, George Rhodes, a seminarian at Cardinal Glennon College in St. Louis, pushes the ball up the court. Father Daniel Schmitz, associate pastor at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood, blocks an All-Star shot.
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LOCAL NEWS 7
APRIL 3, 2015 | THELEAVEN.COM
RUNNING THE RACE
REPORTING ABUSE
Join your suffering to Christ’s on the cross
If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, you should make a report to the Kansas Department for Children and Families Protection Report Center by calling (800) 922-5330. If you or someone you know has been abused by a cleric, employee or volunteer of any archdiocesan parish, school or agency — regardless of when the abuse may have occurred — call the archdiocesan confidential report line at (913) 647-3051 or Dr. Dennis Schemmel, victim assistance coordinator, at (913) 909-2740, after calling local law enforcement. The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas places the protection of children as its first priority. Furthermore, the archdiocese respects the sincere concerns of all individuals who report misconduct, and is thus committed to conducting thorough investigations of all such allegations.
C
rucifixion. Does the word convey any terror to you?
Editor’s Note: This is the last installment of Vince Eimer’s seven-part series on journeying through the Lenten season.
Have you heard it so often from such a young age and seen such a vast array of crucifixes over the years that it has been rendered tamed? It was not that way for Jesus and his followers. There were many examples of people the Romans left hanging for days struggling to breathe, moment by moment, until the muscles of their legs could no longer raise their bodies for a breath. “Here is what we will do to you if you step out of line.” Crowd control through primal fear. It was a time of great unrest, a time when many were expecting the Messiah to come soon and drive out the deeply hated Romans and restore a free Israel. The Romans noticed when anyone drew followers. It was always a threat. The Jewish authorities, who cooperated with the Romans and knew how violently they would respond to any threat, also noticed. Jesus knew where it was all heading as he did the Father’s will to bring the life of God to the people
Some will respond with an act of their will to not be overcome by suffering. They will stoically endure. Others will respond with depression or even despair, without hope. Then there are those who will abandon God when they need his grace: “He did not answer my prayers, so why should I have anything more to do with him?” A hurt child. When deeply suffering, Jesus is our role model in how to respond to our agony. Each time he prays for the cup to be taken from him, he ends up by asking the Father’s will be done. He trusts in the Father because of their close relationship, one we can also develop in prayer. Look closely at the difference in Jesus in his agony — “Take this cup” — and in his acceptance: “Thy will be done.” Strength and peace come with acceptance. Join your suffering to that of Jesus on the cross to help save souls. Share in his redeeming work.
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VINCE EIMER Vince Eimer is the spiritual and retreat director of Christ’s Peace House of Prayer near Easton. of his time and to us. Crucifixion. Up to a point, our response would be like Christ’s: “Father, take this cup from me.” We all have difficult times in our lives when we have asked God to remove our cup from us. For some, it is when a deeply treasured relationship ends painfully, either suddenly or through slow erosion over the years. For others, it is the various crosses that come because of our bodies breaking down: cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart trouble, and on and on. Many suffer because of the pain endured by those they love and whom they can only help in small ways.
Semiannual Family Day set for April 19 WILLIAMSBURG — Prairie Star Ranch here, located at 1124 California Rd., will host its semiannual Family Day on April 19 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Spend the day tackling the climbing tower, riding on horseback or casting in a line at one of two lakes while exploring woods, prairie land and waterfront. For details and registration information, visit the website at: www.archkck. org/ranch or call (785) 746-5693.
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‘THE LANSING SIX’
Deacon candidates take their ministry behind bars to prisoners at the Lansing Correctional Facility
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STORY AND PHOTO BY JOE BOLLIG
ANSING — Everything about the Lansing Correctional Facility communicates the serious purpose of this place. From the silent testimony of the weathered limestone structures and the watchful surveillance cameras, to the silvery metal fences topped with razor-wired fences, to the brooding watchtowers, this place is a grim testimony to a growth industry. The facility, known until 1990 as the Kansas State Penitentiary, is the oldest and largest prison in Kansas. It houses more than 2,400 inmates — each with a story, a crime and a punishment. And one more thing, too: a soul. Prison is not a happy place, but it is not a place without hope, or even redemption. And in recent months, the prison became a little more hopeful thanks to “the Lansing Six” — a group of permanent deacon candidates in their third year of formation for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Between last October and Easter, “the Lansing Six” have formed remarkable relationships in faith with a group of maximum security inmates. Thanks to “the Lansing Six,” some of the inmates have become Catholic or have a renewed life of faith in Christ.
To the max The threefold ministry of the deacon is this: word, sacrament and charity. Each man being prepared for ordination as a deacon must take on each of these roles. In keeping with this necessary versatility, all 19 of the current deacon candidates are doing some sort of prison ministry this year as part of their pastoral ministry training. Most are mentoring inmates preparing to reenter general society, and two are working with incarcerated youths. But six deacon candidates thought there was a need to mentor inmates in a spiritual sense, so they proposed a 24week program of Bible study and catechesis. Prison officials approved the idea — and assigned the six to inmates in maximum security.
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Great expectations Although all were willing, some had concerns. “I had extreme reservations,” said Steve White, a member of Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood. “The thought of it was scary and intimidating for me. I thought of those men as, frankly, violent and mean. I thought it would be a very difficult thing. It was way out my comfort zone, so I was not comfortable at all.” Phillip Nguyen, a member of Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park, was also a bit uncomfortable. “To be honest with you, I was kind of surprised and, in a way, a little bit scared,” he said. “I’ve never been to a prison — in America, anyway. Years ago, my father was in a prison in Vietnam, for when we tried to escape. My father got caught by the communists and was put in a prison deep in the jungle, and my sister and I visited him. So I was a little bit scared. In the back of my mind, I thought prison is a tough place for tough people.” But while some deacon candidates had reservations or simply didn’t know what to expect, others had a pretty good idea. “I had no problem with it,” said John Stanley, from the Church of the Ascension Parish in Overland Park. “Probably why I’m the de facto leader [of ‘the Lansing Six’] is because I’ve had some experience [with incarcerated men] through the St. Dismas Prison Outreach, which is an archdiocesan-wide program. . . . I’ve had involvement in that for four years.” Mike Moffitt, from St. Paul Parish in Olathe, also had a jump on the rest of the deacon candidates because of his background.
“Inmates are frequently negatively stereotyped,” said Moffitt. “Fortunately, I had previously worked 14 years at Osawatomie State Hospital, so I was accustomed to locked units. I was also the program director for one particular hospital unit that was designated for treatment for the criminally insane.” “Because I had this past training, I realized that the men we were working with were just like me,” he continued. “We’ve all made mistakes . . . but we are still children of God and need to be treated with respect and dignity.”
Upper Room community The deacon candidates received six hours of training from the coordinator of the mentor program about the “do’s and don’ts.” “Interestingly, during our tour of the prison, maximum was on lockdown, so we didn’t get to see it,” said White. The plan was for the deacon candidates to lead the sessions in rotation, two men to a session. The space given to them was on the second floor of a building, which the deacon candidates dubbed “the Upper Room.” For lesson plans, they adapted ones created by White for high school level catechesis. The classes were scheduled for Tuesdays, beginning at 6:45 p.m., and would last for 90 minutes. No guard would be
“
I WAS A LITTLE BIT SCARED. IN THE BACK OF MY MIND, I THOUGHT PRISON IS A TOUGH PLACE FOR TOUGH PEOPLE.” Phillip Nguyen, a member of Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park, in the room during the class. “[Inmates] can only come if they’re on an approved list and have no demerits,” said Stanley. And then, they met the inmates. “Our very first night, we decided, ‘Let’s just go in there and give them our story of where we are,’” said White. “Everyone has things in their past they wish they hadn’t done. “We were very open with them, and I think it helped them accept us — [that] we weren’t coming in there to judge them,” he continued. “We quickly developed a rapport with them, and we tried to be as loving and charitable and kind and accepting as we could toward them.” Class size varied from five to 10 on any given night. The inmates range in
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From left, deacon candidates Joe Allen, Phillip Nguyen, Chris Slater, Mike Moffitt, John Stanley, and Steve White stand outside the Lansing Correctional Facility before starting their weekly ministry to prisoners.
tic adoration. “To the best of my knowledge, this was the first time ever that this has occurred in the history of Lansing Correctional Facility,” said Moffitt. The deacon candidates also held an evening of mental prayer. All the lights were turned down, and there were candles and Scripture meditations. There were a lot of tears during that time, said White. The classes have been good for the inmates, but the deacon candidates have gotten a lot out of it as well. They walk away with a totally different view of inmates. “I don’t see anger, I don’t see resentment, I don’t see men feeling sorry for themselves,” said Stanley. “I see men who are very happy that volunteers have taken the time to spend with them, and I see a genuine hunger to learn about their faith and to share. I share faith with them, and they share faith with me. There’s a fellowship aspect. “It’s like going to a men’s group, only this one happens to be in Lansing prison.”
Transforming experience
age and are from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. “The inmates’ religious backgrounds are also very diverse,” said Moffitt. “Several of the inmates are already baptized Catholics who simply want to grow in their faith. Others are baptized Christians who want to convert to Catholicism. Some are non-Christian who are simply interested in finding out more about religion in general.” Sometimes, even the most tenuous link to faith can bring an inmate to class. “The majority of them had some type of Catholic connection when they were younger,” said Joe Allen, a member of Prince of Peace Parish in Olathe. “One younger man’s grandmother was a good, devout Catholic. The only wholesome, pure thing he can remember [from his childhood] is his grandmother. So when he heard about the catechism class, he wanted to check it out, because it reminded him of his grandmother.” The classes were held with the men sitting in a circle, with the deacon candidates leading them in prayer, offering instruction and taking part in Q&A dialogues. “The first night, I was a little nervous,” said Allen. “But once I got there and met the guys, I realized they wanted to be there. They’re very interested in what we have to say. The stereotype is that these guys are threatening, but they’re very welcoming. They’re happy to see us there. They’re not used to
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people from the outside doing things for them.”
Hungry for God Despite whatever earlier concerns they may have had, the deacon candidates found the inmates to be respectful, engaged and very hungry to learn more about God. The inmates were sincere and wanted to grow deeper in faith. They wanted to change. “They’re on the road to conversion,” said Chris Slater, a member of Prince of Peace Parish. “You can really see it in these guys. We don’t know what they’ve done — they’re in maximum security for a reason — but going from what life they had before and seeing where they are now is just a tremendous change.” “They’re very caring for each other, they look out for each other,” he continued. “They desire to share God as much as they know already, and welcome everybody they know into their little community of Catholic prisoners.” The inmates asked good questions and clearly weren’t there just to kill time. “It has been beautiful to see how the group of men has grown in their knowledge about their faith and the reverence in which they attended class,” said Moffitt. “They made special arrangements to have a crucifix and holy water avail-
able for each class. As they enter the room, they dip their hands, make the sign of the cross and genuflect before the crucifix. Several men bring their rosaries to class, as well as their Catholic Bibles and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.” Although the inmates don’t talk about their crimes — and the deacon candidates don’t ask them — the men are sincere in their remorse for their crimes. For most of them, their lives went off kilter during their high school years. “The message I get from all of the guys is, ‘Gosh, if I had met you guys when I was younger and learned about the Catholic faith, I might have made better choices and not ended up here,’” said Allen. The inmates told them that their Catholic faith helps them survive in prison, and they plan to keep building their faith when they get out, to “stay on the right path,” said Allen. Being locked up, the inmates have no opportunity to go to an actual church, although Masses are said for them by the part-time Catholic chaplain, Father Roderic Giller, OSB. Despite being unable to go to church, the inmates were able to have two beautiful prayer experiences that came close. With the permission of the prison authorities, Father Roderic led an evening service that included the Stations of the Cross, Benediction and eucharis-
As much as the prisoners have been changed by the experience, the experience changed the deacon candidates, too. “This has really opened my eyes to the depth of need [in prison],” said Slater. “It impacted me in many ways,” said Nguyen. “I understand the diaconate to be service. Regardless of who you serve, you have to serve with a sincere heart and love. This prison ministry has given me a chance to really come close to the prisoners, who need a lot of love and guidance. It was very fulfilling in the way of service. We are servants — serving men and serving God.” For some of the men, the experience has been a signpost in their vocational discernment. “It has totally reinforced my calling,” said Allen. “I feel called to the diaconate and to serve the people of the archdiocese, and that includes the people in the prisons. “As deacons, we will serve those who no one thinks about. Think about the poor and lowly, the outcast. Here in our parishes, many sign up . . . to do great work, but few think of serving in prisons. This has been very rewarding. “When I leave the classes, I realize I’ve taken the message of the Gospel to someone who was not getting it.” Where and how the men will serve as deacons — should they complete the program — is up to the archbishop. They see a need for this ministry and are open to future ministry. “At this point in time, it’s difficult to see where I might be assigned by the archbishop if I am fortunate enough to complete the program and be ordained,” said Moffitt. “I could see myself providing some continued services to the prison population in the future, possibly on a part-time basis.”
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10 NATION
THELEAVEN.COM | APRIL 3, 2015
Wounded warrior’s journey to church interrupted twice by war By Michele Jurich Catholic News Service
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AKLAND, Calif. (CNS) — Twice before, Aaron Tam has come close to being baptized. Once was in Jacksonville, North Carolina, but in preparing for his deployment to Iraq, he missed too many classes. His instructor in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program, himself a retired Marine Corps sergeant, gave him the bad news: “You can’t get baptized this Easter.” “I said, ‘I totally understand,’” he recalled. He left that May for Iraq. Another time, he prepared aboard ship, working his way over to deployment. That effort came up short as well. Duty called. Come Holy Saturday, April 4, his service to his country completed, nowretired Marine Sgt. Aaron Tam, expected the only call he’d hear to come from the Lord. He is one of the 349 people to be baptized at the Easter Vigil at Masses throughout the Diocese of Oakland. An additional 279 people will be received into full communion the church. Tam will receive the sacraments of initiation at St. Joseph Basilica, the Alameda parish he calls “home.” “Every time we would come home on leave, we would always come to St. Joseph Basilica,” he told The Catholic Voice, newspaper of the Oakland Diocese. Often the leave would come in late December. “We always go to midnight Mass. It’s home to us.” As the Easter Vigil approached, “I’m excited and nervous all at the same time,” said Tam, 31. “I’m excited because the journey’s not over. It’s just beginning.” His RCIA leaders’ words have made their mark. “The best words that hit home to me were: When you get baptized, it’s a blessing, but it also comes with a great responsibility.” He had been thinking the same thing. “It doesn’t stop there,” he said. “I wonder what’s going to happen after the RCIA program.” Going to Mass once a week will not be enough, he said. He looks forward to becoming involved in ministries. Some parishioners cook at the Midway Shelter in Alameda; Tam said he thinks he and his wife, Angela, will become involved in that, too.
CNS PHOTO/MICHELE JURICH, THE CATHOLIC VOICE
Retired U.S. Marine Sgt. Aaron Tam speaks to about 100 people at Books Inc. in Alameda, Calif., March 15. Tam is one of the 349 people who will be baptized at the Easter Vigil at Masses throughout the Diocese of Oakland, Calif. Tam is featured on the cover of the February 2015 issue of National Geographic magazine. Before the Easter Vigil, Aaron and Angela Tam, who were married civilly seven years ago, have a date at the altar to have their marriage officially recognized by the Catholic Church — a process called “convalidation” in church law — at St. Joseph Basilica.
Giving back is hard-wired in Aaron Tam, father of a daughter and a son, and fitness trainer settling into life in his hometown. He was a high school senior — honor student, student athlete and battalion commander of the Junior ROTC — when
he walked into his Advanced Placement English class on 9/11 to see images of the World Trade Center on the television screen. That spring, he was accepted to four colleges, but he didn’t want to get loans and “didn’t want to be a burden on my parents,” he said. He made this decision: “I’m going to join the Marine Corps.” Working security for Explosive Ordnance Disposal, he was 10 feet from a device when it detonated. “When I came to, I thought I was knocked down,” he said. “My vision was going in and out.” But he could see his exposed kneecap and femur. He heard, “Stay down. You’re hit.” “They are miracles, if you think about it,” he said. “I was bleeding out so bad they said, ‘You might not make it.’ Someone’s watching out for me.” Flown to Baghdad by helicopter, he waited for a neurosurgeon to arrive from Germany to repair his damaged brain. His next memory was waking up in the ICU. His speech was garbled, his left arm dangled, his legs didn’t move, but his right hand worked. “Hey, I’m OK,” he recalled. He spent the next year and a half recovering. “I was 20 at the time,” he said. “You want to get back up. “Getting back up” meant training to become an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician, which led to 12 more years in the service. “It was hard on my family, my kids, my wife,” he said. “I think it was God’s plan for me to have my kidneys fail, because I never would have gotten out on my own,” said Tam, who retired after two episodes of kidney failure. Tam’s journey has been more than a decade in the making. “I wanted to become Catholic,” he said. “I thought about it when I was in boot camp — this was before I met Angela — but I didn’t really know much. That’s not the time you start asking questions.” The desire to become Catholic stayed with him “as the years went by,” he said. “You don’t have to be religious, but if your life is in danger, you’re going to start believing in something real fast. “Right then and there, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” he said. “I wanted to go toward Catholicism. I like the community. It’s one thing to be Christian, to be Catholic, the community is tighter.”
Life and death justice issues face court, draw faith leaders’ voices By Patricia Zapor Catholic News Service
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ASHINGTON (CNS) — In separate cases the Supreme Court will hear March 30, April 29 and next fall, the justices will consider persistently unsettled angles on criminal sentencing, including death sentences for people with mental disabilities and life sentences for juveniles. The court was to hear oral arguments March 30 in a Louisiana case that challenges the death sentence of Kevan Brumfield, who his attorneys say should be exempt from capital punishment because he is intellectually disabled. The case asks the court to allow evidence of disability to be considered in a reconsideration of his death sentence. In April, the court will hear oral arguments in another type of death penalty case on whether the lethal injection protocol used in Oklahoma is constitutional.
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In Glossip v. Gross, being heard April 29, the court will review the constitutionality of a lethal injection process that is shown to provide no pain-relieving properties before drugs that may cause pain and suffering are given. That case was brought by four Oklahoma death-row inmates, although one of them was executed before the court took the case. Florida uses the same drugs for executions. On March 23, a divided court declined to hear a Texas man’s appeal of his death sentence on multiple grounds, including that others were responsible for the murder for which he was convicted and that executing him more than 30 years after his conviction would be unconstitutionally cruel punishment. Three justices — Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor — said they would have thrown out the death sentence of Lester Bower of Arlington, Texas, because the jury never heard evidence that might have led them to
impose a lighter sentence. The same day, the court agreed to hear another Louisiana case that seeks to define how far back a ruling may be retroactively applied. The court in 2012 prohibited life-without-parole sentences for crimes committed by juveniles. Montgomery v. Louisiana, which will be heard in the fall, involves a man sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole for his role in the 1963 killing of a deputy sheriff. Henry Montgomery was 17 at the time of the crime. Since the 2012 ruling, lower courts have split as to whether the ruling should be retroactively applied. In Montgomery, the court will first consider whether it has jurisdiction to weigh in on how states decide such cases. In Brumfield v. Cain, the court on March 30 will consider whether Brumfield was entitled to a hearing in which a District Court found that he is intellectually disabled to a degree which would disqualify him from capital punishment
under the Supreme Court’s 2002 ruling in Atkins v. Virginia. In that case, the court ruled that executing people with intellectual disability is unconstitutional. Brumfield was convicted in the 1993 murder of Baton Rouge police officer Betty Smothers during a robbery. Brumfield has always maintained his confession to police was coerced and that he was not responsible for the officer’s death. Brumfield’s conviction preceded the court’s 2002 ruling about intellectual disability being a barrier to death sentences. After Atkins was decided, Brumfield’s pro bono lawyer raised several facts from his trial that suggested he might be intellectually disabled. The state court declined to provide funding for evaluation or a hearing to consider his abilities. Rulings in Brumfield and Glossip are expected before the court recesses for the summer in late June.
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APRIL 3, 2015 | THELEAVEN.COM
Pope sends assistance to displaced in Iraq, Nigeria
Jesus falls the first time, the third Station of the Cross, is depicted in the 2013 prayer book for the Way of the Cross service on Good Friday at Rome’s Colosseum. This year’s Way of the Cross celebration will be written by Italian Bishop Renato Corti.
Way of Cross takes Jesus’ point of view to help others carry crosses
By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service
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ATICAN CITY (CNS) — People following the Stations of the Cross at Rome’s Colosseum this year will be guided in an exercise of imagining what Jesus was thinking and feeling along the Via Dolorosa. Those moments of bitterness and pain — “Now I am sharing the ultimate, painful experience of every human being near death,” one meditation says — also are accompanied by moments of faith and gratitude, especially for the assistance and consolation Jesus experiences along the way. Written by an Italian bishop wellknown for leading spiritual exercises, the meditations are meant to inspire today’s men and women to think about their own crosses in light of Jesus’ passion and how, by following his way, they can endure and find new meaning and life. Several days before the pope’s Good Friday commemoration April 3, the Vatican released the Way of the Cross meditations, along with the commentary and prayers for the 14 Stations of the Cross. Every year, the pope asks a person or group of people to write the meditations that are read aloud during the nighttime, torch-lit Good Friday ceremony, which he presides over. For 2015, Pope Francis picked 79-year-old Bishop Renato Corti, the retired head of the Diocese of Novara, in northern Italy, and a longtime spiritual director. Often called to lead spiritual exercises for priests and laypeople, St. John Paul II even asked the prelate to lead his Lenten retreat in 2005. The common thread throughout the meditations is to reflect on how God protects his people and calls everyone to watch over each other, Bishop Corti told the Italian Catholic
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magazine, Credere. He said Pope Francis’ homily from the Mass inaugurating his pontificate in 2013 served as the inspiration for the meditations; celebrating the feast of St. Joseph — the “custos” or protector of Mary, Jesus and the church — the pope highlighted God’s example, invitation and command to protect and safeguard all of creation. In a world that shows little interest in or dedication to protecting, it is in “the contemplation of God’s love, which protects us, that leads the disciples in turn to be protectors of humanity, in imitation of their teacher,” said Bishop Corti. He crafted the meditations, reflections and prayers for each station in such a way as to stir in people’s hearts “deep and sincere empathy,” first with Jesus and then with one’s own fragility and the needs of one’s neighbors, he said. It mirrors a practice the Jesuit pope is very familiar with: the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, who invited people to “enter the scene, become part of the main characters, look at Jesus, understanding his feelings and thoughts” when reading the Gospels, Bishop Corti said. Empathy with Jesus includes “thinking about the human condition today, the crucified of today and those who crucify mankind. Empathy means being close to humanity and it also requires conversion,” the bishop said. Among the victimized and their victimizers illustrated in the meditations are those persecuted or killed for their faith or because they work for justice and peace in the world. The second station — Jesus takes up his cross — includes a prayer for “the fundamental right of religious freedom” after an excerpt of “the words of a martyr, Shahbaz Bhatti,” a Catholic and the federal minister for religious minorities in Pakistan who
was murdered in 2011 for his work on behalf of religious minorities. Reflecting on the fourth station — Jesus meets his mother — the bishop highlights “the many dramatic family situations in our world.” While “it is easy to judge,” he wrote, “it is more important to put ourselves in the place of others and to help them as best we can.” That reflection includes a prayer for the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the family asking that the pope, bishops and others taking part will be “docile to the Holy Spirit and carry out their discernment with wisdom” so that “mercy and truth will meet.” The 10th station — Jesus is stripped of his garments — underlines the evil of child abuse as it looks at the “appalling realities of human trafficking, child soldiers, slave labor, children and adolescents robbed of their souls, wounded in their deepest being, barbarously violated.” After contemplating Jesus forgiving his persecutors, the 11th station — Jesus is nailed to the cross — asks when will the death penalty be abolished and “every form of torture and the violent killing of innocent persons come to an end? Your Gospel is the surest defense of the human person, of every human being,” the bishop wrote. Despite all the physical and spiritual trials, the author shows in his Way of the Cross meditations that the human heart is ready for something other than despair and hate. It “awaits something completely different: the protection of love,” he wrote. Together with prayers that God protect everyone on earth, the bishop included a prayer that each person take responsibility to protect his or her own heart — to make it open and expansive as God’s, open to hope, caring, consolation and “bringing light to those living in darkness.”
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As Holy Week and Easter approached, Pope Francis wanted to show his ongoing concern for people persecuted and displaced by violence in Iraq and in northern Nigeria. Although not specifying the amount, the Vatican press office said March 27 that the pope was sending aid money to people seeking shelter in Iraq’s Kurdistan region and to the Nigerian bishops’ conference to assist families in the northern part of the country where the terrorist group Boko Haram has been on a rampage. In addition, the Vatican said, the people of the Diocese of Rome, “united with their bishop,” Pope Francis, held a special collection and will send “colomba” Easter cakes to the displaced in Iraq. “In Holy Week,” the Vatican statement said, “these families share with Christ the experience of being unjustly subjected to violence and they participate in the suffering of Christ himself.” Cardinal Fernando Filoni, who visited refugees and displaced people in Iraqi Kurdistan last August, will return for Holy Week, the Vatican said. The cardinal is prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and the former nuncio to Iraq. “Pope Francis is constantly concerned about the situation of Christian families and other groups who have been the victims of being expelled from their homes and villages, particularly in the city of Mosul and on the Ninevah Plain,” the Vatican said. Terrorists from Islamic State have been active in the region.
World Youth Day 2016 will offer ‘Message of Mercy’ WARSAW, Poland (CNS) — A new airport, improved road and rail links, a fleet of dream buses and “Youth Bible” are among features projected for the Catholic Church’s 14th international celebration of World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland, in 2016. “It’s still 16 months to go, but the planning is well advanced,” said Msgr. Bronislaw Fidelus, a co-organizer of the event scheduled for July 26-Aug. 1. “There’s huge interest abroad, and we’ve already registered large church groups from the U.S., Europe and Latin America. We’re sure the theme of Divine Mercy, chosen specially by the pope, will create a real openness to Christ among young participants,” Msgr. Fidelus said. World Youth Day organizers expect the 13th international event will attract more than 2 million people from around the world.
‘Golden thread’ links Year of Mercy and St. Faustina VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The rector of a Rome sanctuary dedicated to Divine Mercy said he sees a “golden thread” connecting the upcoming Holy Year of Mercy and the message Jesus conveyed to St. Faustina Kowalska nearly 85 years ago. Father Jozef Bart, rector of the Church of the Holy Spirit, said the three most recent popes all “insisted on this message of mercy,” starting with St. John Paul II, who canonized St. Faustina in 2000 and declared the Sunday after Easter to be Divine Mercy Sunday. St. Faustina was a Polish Sister of Our Lady of Mercy. She had visions of Jesus saying he would show mercy to those who prayed for it and shared it with others. The Church of the Holy Spirit, just a block from St. Peter’s Square, has a side chapel dedicated to Divine Mercy. Father Bart, who was born in Poland but is a priest of the Diocese of Rome, said Pope Francis’ Year of Mercy is the culmination of the church’s official recognition of the message of Divine Mercy. “It seems that heaven is in a great rush to come help this world that truly has many problems, that is sick and wounded,” he said.
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12 CLASSIFIEDS EMPLOYMENT Student recruitment/process manager - An educational ministry of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking an employee to manage student recruitment/processes for the new tax credit for low- income students scholarship program. Applicants must be practicing Catholics in good standing, be able to speak authentically about Catholic education, have a bachelor’s degree and a minimum of five successful years of experience working with schools. The ideal candidate must be able to communicate effectively and compassionately with a variety of constituencies to include families seeking scholarship assistance. The individual must be self-motivated and extremely organized. Applicants must demonstrate competency in Excel and database management skills. Interested individuals should email cover letter and resume to: tcl@archkck.org no later than noon on April 7. Teacher assistant - Special Beginnings, Lenexa, is seeking full- or part-time teacher assistants at all locations. We are looking for a teacher assistant candidate who has an excellent work ethic, heart for children, and a willingness to learn more about early childhood education. Experience and/or education is a plus but we will train the right candidate. Teacher assistants will work with the lead teacher to care for and educate the children. Primary responsibilities include assisting the lead teacher with: care and supervision of children, lesson plan implementation, parent communication, cleanliness and organization of classroom. Starting hourly pay ranges based on experience and education. Pay increases are based on job performance. Opportunities for advancement are available as the company prefers to promote from within. Apply by sending an email to chris@special beginningsonline.com or in person at 10216 Pflumm Rd., Lenexa, KS 66215. Facilitator of faith formation - St. John’s is a rural parish eight miles southwest of Wichita in Clonmel, Kansas, serving 210 families, 590 souls, 50% of which are under the age of 25. The mission of St. John Catholic Parish is to “share life in Christ.” We are seeking a facilitator of faith formation to share the Gospel message with our parishioners in order to proclaim the person of Jesus Christ. This position carries a special emphasis in Catholic youth ministry outreach and coordination. This is a salaried position with a 40-hour workweek that includes Wed. evenings, Sun. mornings and various weekends throughout the calendar year. The deadline for application is April 24. For a detailed job description, visit the website at: www.stjohnsclonmel.org, or to submit your resume, send an email to Father Jarrod Lies at: frjlies@ catholicdioceseofwichita.org. Maintenance/custodian worker - Good Shepherd Parish, Shawnee, has a July 1 opening for a maintenance/ custodian worker. This position is responsible for workday custodial duties and light maintenance for the rectory, church/school facilities and parish grounds. The ideal candidate would be competent with basic custodial, electrical, plumbing, carpentry and other maintenance related skills. Familiarity with Microsoft Office programs, Internet use and email required. This is a full-time position and is eligible for parish and archdiocesan benefits. Please submit a cover letter and resume by email to: slemons@gsshawnee.org by April 22. Accounting controller/manager - Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph is offering a rewarding career opportunity to individuals interested in working as a fulltime accounting controller/manager. The accounting controller/manager is responsible for leading a team that manages the recording, reconciliation, reporting and analysis of the company’s financial results and financial controls. For a complete job description, please visit the website at: www.catholiccharities-kcsj.org. Staff members - John Paul II Preschool/Child Care is seeking lead and assistant staff members for our school year and summer programs, as well as substitute staff for our entire program. Send an email to Donna Hogue at: dhogue@archkckcs.org for more information or to apply. Technician - Small family-owned business in Lenexa is seeking a full-time installation and service technician for residential lift products. Basic knowledge of electrical systems, primarily low voltage. Mechanical aptitude, no physical limitations, able to lift 50-100 pounds periodically. Working knowledge of power and hand tools. Training on the product and processes provided. Ability to drive a service van and follow a schedule and company procedures. Salary is negotiable based on knowledge and skill level; $15-21 per hour. Send inquiries by email to: mkoch@silvercross.com or call (913) 327-5557. English instructor/assistant professor - Donnelly College, located in the heart of Kansas City, Kansas, is an independent, coeducational, Catholic institution founded by the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica and sponsored by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. It has an opening for a full-time English instructor. For a complete job description, visit the website at: www.donnelly.edu/about/careers.cfm. To apply for this position, please email your cover letter, resume and transcripts to: hr@donnelly.edu with English instructor in the subject line. No phone calls please.
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THELEAVEN.COM | APRIL 3, 2015 Drivers - Special Beginnings Early Learning Center is seeking part-time drivers for its school-age program located in Lenexa. Candidates must be able to drive a 13-passenger minibus, similar to a 15-passenger van. CDL not required, but must have an excellent driving record. Candidates would pick up children from area schools and then work directly with them when arriving back at the center. Experience preferred. Must have strong work ethic and the ability to work with children. Insurance provided. Background check will be conducted. Great opportunity for retired persons or those seeking a second job. Job responsibilities include: ensuring safety and well-being of children who are being transported at all times, including loading and unloading. Driving short, round-trip routes to elementary schools in Lenexa/Olathe area. Summer only: Driving short, roundtrip routes to two Lenexa city pools. Maintaining mileage log. Keeping interior of vehicle clean. Apply by sending an email to chris@specialbeginningsonline.com or in person at 10216 Pflumm Rd., Lenexa KS 66215.
Detail construction and remodeling - We offer a full line of home remodeling services. Don’t move — remodel! Johnson County area. Call for a free quote. (913) 709-8401.
Pre-kindergarten lead teachers - St. Patrick Early Education Center, Kansas City, Kansas, has a part-time lead teacher position open for the 2015-16 school year. The positions available are for 3-year-olds and 4-yearolds pre-kindergarten classrooms. Qualified candidates must be Catholic, have prior teaching experience, and a degree in early childhood, child development or elementary education. Send an email with resume and contact information to: stpatrickeec@archkckcs.org or call (913) 299-3051.
House painting Interior and exterior; wall paper removal. Power washing, fences, decks. 30 years experience. References. Reasonable rates. Call Joe at (913) 620-5776.
Drivers needed - Medi Coach Transportation is looking for caring and reliable drivers for nonemergency transportation. CDL is not required. Contact Jeff at (913) 825-1921.
SERVICES Complete plumbing and bath Master plumber for your entire home. Painting, tile install, bath remodeling. Onyx Collection Distributor. Serving Johnson County for 20 years. Member Ascension Parish; call Mike at (913) 488-4930. Agua Fina Irrigation and Landscape The one-stop location for your project! Landscape and irrigation design, installation and maintenance. Cleanup and grading services It’s time to repair your lawn. 20% discount on lawn renovations with mention of this ad. Visit the website at: www.goaguafina.com Call (913) 530-7260 or (913) 530-5661 Interior home cleaning Time is precious. Let us help you “reclaim your weekend.” Professional, tailored home cleaning. Same team of two, in business for 8 years. We specialize in the “move in, move out, clean” and monthly cleanings. Call Patty at (913) 940-9231 or Susan at (816) 506-9026. Bankruptcy consultation - If debts are overwhelming you, seek hope and help from compassionate, experienced Catholic attorney, Teresa Kidd. For a free consultation, call (913) 422-0610; send an email to: tkidd@ kc.rr.com; or visit the website at: www.teresakiddlaw yer.com. We moved! Come check out our new office in Lenexa. Please do not wait until life seems hopeless before getting good quality legal advice that may solve your financial stress. Machine quilting - by Jenell Noeth, Basehor. Also, quilts made to order. Call (913) 724-1837. Brick mason - Brick, stone, tile and flat work. 19 years of residential/commercial experience. FREE QUOTES - KC metro area. Small and large jobs accepted. Call Jim at (913) 485-4307. www.facebook.com/faganmasonry. Mike Hammer local moving - A full-service mover. Packing, pianos, rental truck load/unload, storage container load/unload, and in-home moving. No job too small. Serving JoCo since 1987. St. Joseph, Shawnee, parishioner. Call Mike at (913) 927-4347 or send an email to: mike@mikehammermoving.com.
Tim the Handyman - Small jobs, faucets, garbage disposals, toilets, ceiling fans, light fixtures, painting, wall ceiling repair, wood rot, siding, decks, doors, windows, and gutter cleaning. Call (913) 526-1844. Home improvement - Ceilings painted over popcorn or knockdown. Walls repaired and painted with no mess. Insured. 25 years experience. Call Jerry at (913) 206-1144. Helping Hand Handy Man - Home maintenance chores available by the hour. Special rate for senior and singleparent households. Electrical, painting, wood refinishing, deck repair, yard work, shelving and organizing. Most home problems and needs solved. Member of Prince of Peace, Olathe. Call Mark Coleman at (913) 526-4490.
Local handyman and lawn care - Water heaters, garbage disposals, toilets, faucets, painting, power washing,doors, storm doors, gutter cleaning, wood rot, mowing, carpet, roofing, etc. Member of Holy Angels Parish. Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118. Lawn/Landscaping - Mowing, mulch, dirt work, sod, tree trimming, landscape rock, gutter cleaning, and power washing. Mention this ad for special pricing. Call (816) 509-0224. 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. NELSON CREATIONS L.L.C. Home remodeling, design/build, kitchens, baths, all interior and exterior work. Family owned and operated; over 25 years experience. Licensed and insured; commercial and residential. Kirk and Diane Nelson. (913) 927-5240; nelsport@everestkc.net 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. DRC Construction We’ll get the job done right the first time. Windows - Doors - Decks – Siding Repair or replace, we will work with you to solve your problems. Choose us for any window, door, siding or deck project and you’ll be glad you did. Everything is guaranteed 100% (913) 461-4052 www.windowservicesoverlandpark.com drcconswindows@gmail.com Adept Home Improvements Where quality still counts! Basement finishing, Kitchens and baths, Electrical and plumbing, Licensed and insured. (913) 599-7998 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) 5791835. Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa. HARCO Exteriors LLC Your Kansas City fencing specialists Family owned and operated (913) 815-4817 www.harcoexteriorsllc.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.
Swalms Organizing - Downsizing - Clean Out Service. Reduce clutter - Any space organized. Shelving built on site. Items hauled for recycling and donations. 20 years exp, insured. Call Tillar: (913) 375-9115. WWW.SWALMS ORGANIZING.COM.
Garage door and opener sales and service - 24-hour, 7-day-a-week service on all types of doors. Replace broken springs, cables, hinges, rollers, gate openers, entry and patio doors, and more. Over 32 years of experience. Call (913) 227-4902.
EL SOL Y LA TIERRA *Commercial & residential * Lawn renovation *Mowing * Clean-up and hauling * Dirt grading/installation * Landscape design * Free estimates Hablamos y escribimos Ingles!! Call Lupe at (816) 252-1391
HOME IMPROVEMENT Last year was a great year, thank you to all my customers! Spring is around the corner and we do decks, windows, doors, house painting (interior and exterior), wood rot, deck staining and siding. You name it, we can do it. No job too big or small, just give us a call. Insured. Call Josh at (913) 709-7230.
Concrete construction - Tear out and replace stamped, stained or colored patios and drives. Retaining walls, footings, poured-in-place safe rooms, excavation and hauling. Asphalt drives and lots. Fully insured; references. Call Dan at (913) 207-4371 or send an email to: dandeeconst@aol.com.
REAL ESTATE Wanted to buy - I NEED HOUSES! I buy them as is, with no repairs. You can even leave behind what you don’t want. We buy houses that need foundation or roof repair. All sales are cash with no strings attached. Please call Mark Edmondson at (913) 980-4905. Holy Trinity Parish member.
CAREGIVING Caregiver - CNA home health care specialist provides TLC in the comfort of the client’s residence. Available 24 hours or part-time, affordable, excellent references provided. Nonsmoker. Call (816) 806-8104. Caregiver - Certified CNA for home health care. 35 years experience. References. Please call Mary at (816) 3086259. Caregiver - Caregiver with over 20 years experience wants to care for your loved ones. Energetic, strong and fun, can provide care and transportation for male or female. Excellent references. Call Vivian at (913) 292-4829. Looking for high quality home care? - Whether you’re looking to introduce care for your family or simply looking to improve your current home care quality, we can help. Our unique approach to home care has earned us a 99% client satisfaction rating among the 1,000-plus families we have assisted. We are family-owned, with offices in Lenexa and Lawrence. Call Benefits of Home Senior Care, Lenexa: (913) 422-1591 or Lawrence: (785) 727-1816 or www.benefitsofhome.com. 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.
VACATION Grand Lake vacation - Lakefront home on Grand Lake in Oklahoma. 3 BR, 2 BA. Dock space. Great for fishing and water sports. Daily and weekly rates. Call (913) 268-5807. Great Colorado Getaway! - Completely furnished threestory condo, sleeps 10. 3 BR, Wi-Fi, all cooking facilities, satellite, deck with gorgeous views! Hunting, fishing, hiking, train rides through the mountains and much more! For rates and reservations, visit the website at: www.cucharavacation rentals.com, then Aspen Valley Lookout.
FOR SALE 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. For sale - At Resurrection Cemetery, two easements in mausoleum. Contact A. Kelly at (913) 649-9691.
WANTED TO BUY 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. Antiques wanted Coca-Cola items and old signs. Indian rugs, turquoise jewelry. Old wrist and pocket watches, postcards and photographs. Check your attic or basements for treasures. Call (913) 593-7507. Wanted to buy - Antique/vintage jewelry, lighters, fountain pens, post card collections, paintings/prints, pottery, sterling, china dinnerware. Renee Maderak, (913) 631-7179. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee
MISCELLANEOUS Our Lady of Hope. Catholics with an Anglican and Methodist heritage. Formal and friendly. Visitors welcome. Mass Saturdays at 4 p.m., St. Therese Little Flower, 5814 Euclid, Kansas City, Mo. Fulfills Sunday obligation. Father Ernie Davis. Dr. Bruce Prince-Joseph, organist. For more information, send an email to: frernie3@gmail.com or call (816) 729-6776.
Buying a classified: Cost to advertise is: $18.50 for five lines or less; $1.50 each additional line; Email: julie@theleaven.com; Phone: (913) 647-0327
6/8/15 2:52 PM
CALENDAR 13
APRIL 3, 2015 | THELEAVEN.COM
April A Taize prayer will be held April 9 at 7 p.m. in Annunciation Chapel in the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth. For more information, visit the website at: www.marillac center.org or call (913) 680-2342.
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A spring polka dance, featuring the Brian McCarty Polka Band, will be held at 6:30 p.m. on April 11 at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 5900 King St., Shawnee. Dance from 7:30 - 11 p.m. The cost to attend is $10, which also includes snacks and refreshments. For more information or to reserve a table, contact Dan Nicks at (913) 4068717.
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St. Pius X Church, 5500 Woodson, Mission, will host a taco and trivia night at 5:30 p.m. on April 11 in Kelly Hall. The cost to attend is: $7 for adults; $4 for children; and free for children age 6 and under. Trivia will begin after dinner. Teams for trivia can be as small as one person and as big as 8 people. The cost is $20 per team. For more information, call Marisa Bade at (913) 244-5732 or send an email to: marisabade@yahoo.com. The Curé of Ars Singles will host their annual spring fling dance on April 11 from 7:30 - 11:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. The cost to attend is $20 at the door, which includes meat hors d’oeuvres, desserts, wine, beer, soda and bottled water. There is lighted parking behind the school. For more information, call (913) 631-6873. A Secular Franciscan Order orientation is held each second Saturday of the month, except June and December. Learn more about formation, joy and service in the Secular Franciscan Order. The meetings begin at 9 a.m. at Prince of Peace Church, 16000 W. 143rd St., Olathe, in the Marian Room. For more information, call Sherry McAuliffe at (913) 681-6824 or Nick Novello at (913) 709-3469.
Annunciation Parish, 213 E. 5th St., Frankfort, will host a pork chop dinner with all the fixings on April 12 from 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. The cost to attend is $10 for adults; $5 for children ages 10 and under. Carryout meals will be available. Delivery will also be available in Frankfort by calling (785) 292-4351 the day of the dinner, or (785) 292-4462 during morning hours, Mon. - Fri. There will also be a country store, crafts and much more.
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The April holy rosary rally in honor of Our Lady of Fatima will be held April 12 from 3 - 4:15 p.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, 3333 Broadway, Kansas City, Missouri. For driving instructions or future dates for the Kansas City monthly holy rosary rallies, visit the website at: www.rosaryrallieskc.org. A Mass with prayers for healing, sponsored by archdiocesan charismatic prayer groups, will be held at 7:30 p.m. on April 16 in the Father Burak Room at Curé of Ars Parish, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. For more information, call (913) 649-2026.
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A retreat, entitled “Faustina: Mystic, Saint, Visionary Contemplative, Messenger of God’s Mercy,” will be held on April 16 from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at Sophia Spirituality Center, 751 S. 8th St., Atchison. The day will offer quiet, talks, a guided meditation, prayers and personal sharing. For more information or to register, call (913) 360-6151 or visit Sophia Spirituality Center’s website at: www.sophia spiritualitycenter.com. St. Patrick Church, 302 Boyle St., Scranton, will host a crafting day and scrapbooking crop on April 18 from 8:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. at Schuyler Community Center, 218 W. Fremont, Burlingame. The deadline for entry is April 15. Proceeds benefit the new building fund for St. Patrick Church. For more information, call Lori Mock at (785) 6407262 or send an email to tandlmock@ satelephone.com.
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Join the monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey for the Abbot’s Table on April 18 at the Sheraton Crown Center, 2345 McGee St., Kansas City, Missouri. Mass will be held at 5 p.m., cocktails at 6 p.m., and dinner at 7 p.m. For more information, call (913) 360-7908, send an email to info@kansasmonks.org, or visit the website at: www. kansasmonks.org/abbotstable. Prairie Star Ranch, 1124 California Rd., Williamsburg, will host its semi-annual family day on April 19 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Spend the day tackling the climbing tower, riding on horseback or casting in a line at one of two lakes while exploring woods, prairie land and waterfront. For details and registration information, visit the website at: www. archkck.org/ranch or call (785) 746-5693.
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A Hesburgh Lecture titled “The Road to Hell? Intentions, Uncertainty, and the Origins of World War II,” will be held April 19 at 2 p.m. at the National World War I Museum, 100 W. 26th St., Kansas City, Missouri. There is no cost to attend. The Daughters of Isabella, St. Faustina Circle, Gardner, will hold a meeting on April 20. Doors open 6:30 p.m., prayer begins at 6:45 p.m., and the meeting begins at 7 p.m. Come to the Divine Mercy Parish center, 120 E. Warren, Gardner, for prayer, fellowship and fun. Catholic women over the age of 16 are invited. For more information, call Judy Hadle at (913) 884-7321 or send an email to Gini Liveley at: ginil@kc.rr.com.
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A course in the sympto-thermal method of natural family planning begins in Topeka on Apr. 21 at 1 p.m. Online registration is required at: www.ccli.org. Call Dana or Eric Runnebaum at (785) 380-0062 or the Couple to Couple League of Kansas City at (913) 894-3558 for more information. Learn more about this class online at: www.nfptopeka.blogspot.com.
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St. Paul School, Olathe, will host its fourth annual “Chef’s Classic Knockout Bout” on April 25 from
6 - 10 p.m. at St. James Academy, 24505 Prairie Star Pkwy., Lenexa. The cost to attend is $50, which includes entrance to the event, tasting and voting in rounds one and two, and viewing in round three. For more information, visit the website at: www. knockoutbout.com. The OLU third annual car, truck and cycle show will be held April 25 at Our Lady of Unity Parish at Sacred Heart campus, 2646 S. 34th St., Kansas City, Kansas. There will be food and vendor booths and live music. The cost for early bird registration is $15 before April 17, and $20 after. For an entry form, send an email to olucar club@yahoo.com. St. Joseph Parish, Olpe, will host its annual spring festival on April 26 at the St. Joseph School building, 307 Iowa St., Olpe. A ham and roast beef dinner with all the trimmings and kids’ games will be held from 3 - 6:30 p.m. Bingo begins at 6:45 p.m. in the hall. There will also be a raffle featuring a handmade quilt, along with many other prizes. The cost to attend the dinner is $8 for adults; $3 for children age 10 and under. Carryout meals will be available. Proceeds benefit St. Joseph Parish religious education ministries.
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May Christ the King Parish, 5973 S.W. 25th St., Topeka, will host its spring fling 5K on May 2. The 5K run will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Christ the King Parish parking lot. For more information or to register, visit the website at: www. christtheking5k.weebly.com. Early registration ends April 13.
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The ninth annual Blisters for Sisters walk will be held May 2 at St. Thomas More Parish, 11822 Holmes Rd., Kansas City, Missouri. Registration is from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. at the church, and the walk begins at 9:30 a.m. Proceeds benefit the ministries of the Sisters. Registration forms are available online at: www.kansascityblistersforsisters.org.
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6/8/15 2:52 PM
14 COMMENTARY SCRIPTURE READINGS
THELEAVEN.COM | APRIL 3, 2015
MARK MY WORDS
OCTAVE OF EASTER April 5 EASTER SUNDAY OF THE RESURRECTION OF THE LORD Acts 10: 34a, 37-43 Ps 118: 1-2, 16-17, 22-23 Col 3: 1-4 Jn 20: 1-9 April 6 MONDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER Acts 2: 14, 22-33 Ps 16: 1-2a, 5, 7-11 Mt 28: 8-15 April 7 TUESDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER Acts 2: 36-41 Ps 33: 4-5, 18-20, 22 Jn 20: 11-18 April 8 WEDNESDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER Acts 3: 1-10 Ps 105: 1-4, 6-9 Lk 24: 13-35 April 9 THURSDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER Acts 3: 11-26 Ps 8: 2ab, 5-9 Lk 24: 35-48 April 10 FRIDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER Acts 4: 1-12 Ps 118: 1-2, 4, 22-27a Jn 21: 1-14 April 11 SATURDAY WITHIN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER Acts 4: 13-21 Ps 118: 1, 14-15ab, 16-21 Mk 16: 9-15 April 12 SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER (OR SUNDAY OF DIVINE MERCY) Acts 4: 32-35 Ps 118: 2-4, 13-15, 22-24 1 Jn 5: 1-6 Jn 20: 19-31 April 13 Martin I, pope, martyr Acts 4: 23-31 Ps 2: 1-9 Jn 3: 1-8 April 14 Tuesday Acts 4: 32-37 Ps 93: 1-2, 5 Jn 3: 7b-15 April 15 Wednesday Acts 5: 17-26 Ps 34: 2-9 Jn 3: 16-21 April 16 Thursday Acts 5: 27-33 Ps 34: 2, 9, 17-20 Jn 3: 31-36 April 17 Friday Acts 5: 34-42 Ps 27: 1, 4, 13-14 Jn 6: 1-15 April 18 Saturday Acts 6: 1-7 Ps 33: 1-2, 4-5, 18-19 Jn 6: 16-21
T
Become a basket case this Easter
his past week has been a time for telling the most important stories of our faith: the accounts of Christ’s passion and death, the events at the Last Supper, major milestones in salvation history (from creation to the Exodus) and the early experiences of the resurrection. While the following story from Len Sullivan of Tupelo, Mississippi, can’t hold a candle to those above, it can help direct our lives over these next seven weeks. Here’s what Sullivan says: In the mid-1980s, my family moved to northern Saskatchewan to start a church. As a church planter, part of my support was funded by the local mission. Most months were financially difficult. One week in April, when the ground was still frozen and snow covered, we were down to a few dollars in the bank. Our usual reaction was to look for our own solution. This time, however, in a stroke of faith, I went before God and told him that we needed eggs, break and milk. I would wait on him. That afternoon, a man came to my little fix-it shop with a leaky teakettle. He said, “I know I could
FATHER MARK GOLDASICH Father Mark Goldasich is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989. get another, but it’s my favorite kettle. Please fix it.” In minutes, the job was done, and I didn’t even charge him for it. But he pulled out a $10 bill and insisted that I take it. It was enough to buy a gallon of milk, a dozen eggs and a loaf of bread. As he left, with a bit of pride in my faith decision, I thanked God, to which he replied, “Don’t you wish you had asked instead for half a beef?” (Found in Craig Brian Larson and Phyllis Ten Elshof’s “1001 Illustrations That Connect.”) As we come to celebrate Easter each year, I feel that many people, like the man in the story above, cheat themselves out of something wonderful and abundant. For many, Easter seems to consist of one 24-hour day. Some might celebrate the octave —
time of year: Create a “basket” list. Just as an Easter basket is filled with treats, I’d recommend we treat ourselves each day of the Easter season to something that will bring a smile to our face, restore balance in our life, and bring us peace of heart. These items shouldn’t be chores or unfinished projects — only fun items are allowed! Try to incorporate a variety of items, ranging from those that take about 10 minutes or so to something that lasts a whole day or weekend. Some categories that I find helpful are: movies to see or rent; books to read; restaurants or menu items to try; local attractions to visit; meals out with friends; sporting events, like baseball games and soccer matches; and “condiment” letters to friends that I’d like to “ketchup” with. Also on the list are things that don’t fall neatly into any specific category: taking a stroll through a park, stargazing on a clear night, or going bowling or playing miniature golf. Don’t cheat yourself of the joy and new life the Lord brings by only celebrating Easter for one 24-hour day. Make a season of it this year. It’s the only way to truly become a “basket” case.
IN THE BEGINNING
Apostles required to have knowledge of risen Christ
H
ow many times have we heard the same readings at Mass? It seems hundreds of times. We could easily take them for granted and assume that we know everything that is going on in them, that there is nothing more for us to learn. In Sunday’s first reading — Acts 10:34a, 37-43 — Peter addresses that issue. He begins by saying, “You know what has happened all over Judea.” Peter builds on the knowledge about Jesus that his listeners already have. He goes on to add to that knowledge and to explain the meaning of these important events. The crowd may have heard about those events, but Peter and his companions have witnessed them. That is the important differ-
POPE FRANCIS
FATHER MIKE STUBBS Father Mike Stubbs is the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University. ence that Peter has to bring to the table. The word “witness” appears three times in our reading. The frequency of the word emphasizes the importance of the concept. Throughout the book of the Acts of the Apostles, the theme of witnessing figures prominently. The book of the Acts of the Apostles focuses on the
Don’t be “halfway Christians,” who accept Christ, but then start looking for excuses and stammering, “yes, but” when it is time to follow his way, Pope Francis said at a morning Mass. It’s a case of “spiritual caprice” when Christians get grumpy and complain about the path being pointed out to them after God offers salvation all the time and in so many ways, he said at the
Leaven 04-03-15.indd 14
eight days — of Easter, but very few will take the time to enjoy the Easter season, which is 50 days long, lasting through Pentecost on May 24 this year. It’s kind of strange that we keep the fasting season more readily than the feasting one. What’s up with that? Judging from the confessions that I heard during Lent, we could all use what Easter has to offer. So many folks (me, included) struggle with being impatient. At least part of the problem is that we’re trying to do too much in too little time . . . and our reservoir of patience quickly runs dry. Easter is a time for rejoicing, a time for new life, a time for hope. It’s an invitation from the Lord to restore our sense of rest and “re-creation.” We’re called to imitate the renewal that we see all around us in nature. But, practically speaking, how can we do that? A number of people have a bucket list — items that they’d like to accomplish before they “kick the bucket.” Many of those things are larger wishes along the lines of “visit Australia,” “run a marathon” or “write a novel.” What I propose is something much more modest and specific to this
witness of Peter and Paul. They are the two apostles mentioned in the title of the book. Jewish law required the testimony of two witnesses in order to prove a point in court. In a sense, Peter and Paul are acting in that capacity in the court of public opinion. In his speech, Peter refers specifically to his experience of the risen Christ: “This man God raised on the third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.” Years later, in his vision on the road to Damascus, Paul will also see the risen Christ. This experience of the risen Christ was necessary to qualify a person to be
Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae March 24. “Many times we say we are sick of the divine way. To not accept God’s gift with his way — this is sin, this is venom,” he said, according to Vatican Radio. The pope’s homily looked at the day’s reading from the Book of Numbers (21:4-9) in which the people of Israel complain against God and Moses about being weary from their escape from slavery and the lack of water and decent
an apostle. When choosing a replacement for Judas Iscariot, Peter brought attention to this requirement: “Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men who accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus came and went among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day on which he was taken up from us, become with us a witness to his resurrection” (Acts 1: 21-22). We may not claim to have seen the risen Christ with our physical eyes. Nonetheless, we have seen him with the eyes of faith. Through the Eucharist, we also have eaten and drunk with him. In that sense, we can continue the witness of Peter and Paul, and the other apostles.
food. After God sends venomous snakes, which kill many of the people as punishment, he tells Moses to make a bronze serpent mounted on a pole that will bring life to those who have been bitten. Pope Francis said the staff with the serpent is a symbol of the cross upon which Jesus will be raised and which will become a source of salvation from the venom of sin for all those who look upon it.
— CNS
6/8/15 2:52 PM
COMMENTARY 15
APRIL 3, 2015 | THELEAVEN.COM
BUILDING THE CULTURE OF LIFE
Where were you when the battle on abortion was waged?
M
y time on earth was brief.
I never took a breath of air. I never experienced a loving gaze. I never experienced a loving touch. Where were you? I did experience a cold touch. The cold touch of steel . . . even though I tried to resist. I urgently tried to retreat to another area of my very small home. But I was not successful in defending myself. I was not strong enough. I was captured. Then came the pain. The indescribable, tortuous pain. The pain inflicted on me as the cold steel overpowered
RON KELSEY Ron Kelsey is the archdiocesan consultant for the pro-life office. You can email him at: prolife@archkck. org or call (913) 647-0350. me and ripped me apart. Where were you? Why had I been at this killing center? Was I not wanted? Did I offend someone? Did I deserve this? Why did my life come to such a gruesome end? Was there no one to protect me? Was there no one to speak for me? Was there no one to at
least stand in witness to my life? Where were you? Why is this killing legal? Is it right? Is it loving? Is this the best that society can do? Then why does it continue? Where were you? I see the daily bustle around this killing center. Thousands and thousands go by every day. A few stop. But very few. A few pray. A few try to help. But very few . . . very few. The killings do not stop. Many are killed. Many, many are killed. Many are killed every week. The killings do not stop. Thousands are killed every year. Thousands . . . thousands.
The killings do not stop. Where were you? When will the killings stop? How will the killings stop? . . . Will the killings stop? Who will help the killings stop? Who will help the killings stop? Is it someone else? Is it someone else? Oh, it’s always someone else. Where were you? Where were you? Imagine that this aborted baby was speaking to you. How would you answer? What would you say? The questions of this child could be treated like an examination of conscience — not for sins of commission but rather for sins of omission. Did I
do anything to help bring about the end of the killing of unborn children? Did I specifically help in any way? How? There are many positive things that you can do to help. For example, you could volunteer or financially support various pregnancyrelated ministries. You could also get involved in the archdiocesan Brick by Brick campaign (www.ProLifeKC. com) through prayer and public witness to help bring about the closing of Planned Parenthood. There are also many other ways to participate. Make a plan — and follow through. When you are asked “Where were you?” be ready and able to answer, “I was there.”
SIMPLY STEWARDSHIP
T
Sacrifice helps Christian stewards grow in faith
he big 4-0 is coming to an end. Lent 2015 will soon be a memory.
How did you do? Did you make it through the desert? Did you keep your promises? Did you have the fortitude to be Christ-like — pray, give alms and fast? I confess that I barely kept all my Lenten intentions two weeks, let alone 40 days. If being a Christian steward means being perfect, then I am not one. I need forgiveness every single day of my life. And the crucifix is our
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LESLE KNOP Lesle Knop is the executive director of the archdiocesan office of stewardship and development. You can email her at: lknop@archkck.org. reminder of God’s love and forgiveness. It is our blessed assurance. Today, Good Friday, along with millions of other Catholics throughout the world, we reflect on the Lord’s passion and death on the cross. Simplicity and sacrifice
during Lent help us to recall the 40 days that Jesus Christ spent in prayer in the desert before beginning his ministry; the ancient Israelites’ escape from the Egyptians and their 40 years in the desert before reaching the Promised Land; Moses’ fast before receiving The Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai and his 40 days on the mountain when the Israelites worshiped a golden calf; and that Jonah gave the people of Nineveh 40 days to repent. The church connects us through Scripture, liturgy and church traditions. Some of these traditions of our faith are simple acts that we can do at home. Last Sun-
day, Palm Sunday, was the last Sunday of Lent. Did you weave or braid your palms? I braid and display our palms behind a cross near the front door to give to our pastor to burn to make ashes for next year’s Ash Wednesday. Another of the church’s traditions is to cover holy icons and statues in purple cloth during these last few days of Lent so that, when they are uncovered on Easter Sunday, they become an even more powerful symbol of joy. We can do this at home as well: Remove flowers and decorations, cover our holy objects, and bring them out on Easter Sunday in celebration that Christ is risen.
Every Lent, I try to observe traditions, to spend time in the desert, to be disciplined, but I fail again and again. Temptation is powerful. Pope Francis writes: “What does it mean that Jesus is risen? It means that the love of God is stronger than evil and death itself; it means that the love of God can transform our lives and let those desert places in our hearts bloom. The love of God can do this!” Becoming a Christian steward is realized when we attempt true sacrifice. Even if we fail, how comforting it is to be assured of God’s never-ending love and forgiveness.
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16 LOCAL NEWS
THELEAVEN.COM | APRIL 3, 2015
THE WORLD OF
WARDCRAFT KCK GRADUATE MAKES A NAME FOR HIMSELF IN THE VIDEO GAME BUSINESS
By Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com
K
ANSAS CITY, Kan. — They might not have known him by name (at least until recently), but many high school students certainly know some of Harley Huggins II’s work. Huggins, a 1983 graduate of Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, Kansas, has built an impressive resume that includes work on popular video games like “StarCraft” (1998), “Diablo II” (2000), and “World of Warcraft” (2004). His professional titles have included cinematic director, art director, creative manager and executive. Life has taken him to Orange County, California; Shanghai; and New England. But when he recently moved back to the Kansas City area, one of his first stops was his alma mater. On March 25, Huggins spoke at Bishop Ward about his time as a student there and the path to his current career. Huggins, who grew up in St. John the Evangelist Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, attended Our Lady of Unity School before graduating to Ward. “As a kid, I was into all kinds of geeky things,” recalls Huggins. “I was into monsters and monster movies and movies in general.” He also loved games, and was very artistic — drawing, and painting . . . what else? Monsters. “I used to draw pictures of monsters and then have my mom hang them up when I was like 5,” said Huggins, “and then have her take them down at night because I was scared.” But they didn’t stay down for long.
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“The next day, [I’d] have her put them back up again,” he said with a laugh. Huggins knew the monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein that grabbed his attention in movies weren’t real, but he was really curious as to how they were made. He pored over “Frankenstein” and “King Kong” movie books he found at the library and became interested in stop motion animation. But when in 1977, the first “Star Wars” movie came out, all his interests merged into one movie and its special effects. Soon, he was creating his own effects in short animated movies. His art teacher at Ward — Marty Brock, who died in 2009 — had a profound influence on Huggins and his future path. “One of the things for me, when I met him, was that he didn’t judge me about any of the weird stuff I was into,” said Huggins. “What he always did was [find] a way to relate it back to something out of our history, or something out of other movies, or something out of literature, which sort of expanded how I thought about things.” U n d e r Brock’s tutelage, Huggins broadened his artistic approach. “But the biggest thing about Mr. Brock was he loved to discuss and he loved to debate anything,” said Huggins. “And I probably spent half the time in class doing art and half the
time talking to him about just life in general.” “If you were going to take him on in anything,” continued Huggins, “you’d better have your facts straight or he was going to shut you down. I really learned [from that] to think critically, to apply logic to a thought process and to feel confident about backing that up.” Huggins and Brock stayed good friends after the former graduated. After Ward, Huggins attended Kansas City Kansas Community College, where he fed his passion for movies. He later transferred to the University of Kansas, where he earned his fine arts degree in design. After graduation, Huggins continued to explore film and learn as much as he could. While living in Chicago, he bought his first personal computer and started developing two-dimensional graphics. That’s when he got a call from Kansas City Kansas Community College, asking if he was interested in becoming its media services coordinator. Knowing he’d have access to all the college’s equipment, he accepted the position, made the move and tore into the opportunity to get his hands on the software that Hollywood had been using for modeling, animation, effects and texturing in the movies. Soon, he met others with similar interests and started the 3D Studio Users Group.
Harley Huggins II has worked on popular video games such as “StarCraft,” “World of Warcraft” (below) and “Diablo II.” The former Bishop Ward student spoke at his alma mater March 25 about his path from Kansas City, Kansas, to big-time gaming. That led to a share in an effects house in Kansas City, but when he got a call from an art director at Blizzard, the game company in Orange County, he found a crowd he fit in with and accepted the position. It was at Blizzard that he started working on “StarCraft” and became a founding member of the cinematics department there. He worked on cinematics for a number of well-known games, and later joined with others from Blizzard to start Red5 Studios. Now back in Kansas City, where his wife works as a physician at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Huggins tells young people he had to make his own path in life. A lot of people along the way helped, but others said things like, “Special effects? Nobody really does that.” He encouraged the Ward students to think beyond the diploma as they seek degrees. Game companies will want to know what you did in college beyond what you were supposed to do, he said. “So, if you want to get into the game industry, you can still do it, but you have to work really hard, you have to be committed, you have to have the drive to do it and not just do the assignments you’re given in class, but work on it in your free time.” It’s about working with your friends and making games and coming up with things — and so many of the tools now are free, he said. “The people who do that are the people who get the jobs,” said Huggins.
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