04-14-14 Vol. 35 No. 33

theleaven.com | vol. 35, no. 33 | april 4, 2014

Leaven photo by Joe McSorley

Roeland Park’s Bishop Miege head baseball coach Will Gorden (far left) leads a clinic for kids ages 7-14. The clinic was followed by games with St. James Academy, Lenexa, all to benefit a cancer foundation called Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Rivals team up against cancer Game benefits Alex’s Lemonade Stand

By Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Baseball players from two rival high schools went to bat for children facing cancer this past weekend, and it’s safe to say they hit it out of the ballpark with

this one.

Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park and St. James Academy in Lenexa faced off on March 29 at a “Strike Out Cancer” event at Community America Ballpark, home to the T-Bones, in Kansas City, Kan., to benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation.

The nationwide foundation has grown out of the lemonade stand that 4-year-old Alexandra “Alex” Scott, who had neuroblastoma, started back in 2000 to raise funds to find a cure for all children with cancer.

The Leaven 04-04-14.indd 1

Alex died in 2004, but lives on through the foundation, which has raised more than $75 million and helped fund more than 375 pediatric cancer research projects. It also helps families who have to travel for treatments by supplying things like gas cards to ease their burden.

Miege senior Macie Heller and St. James seniors Emma Blowey, Anne Marie Gartner and Mara Kubicki attended a leadership academy through the foundation last year, and now lead the Lemon Clubs at their respective schools to benefit the foundation.

Christy and Joe Heller — Macie’s parents — purchased the event opportunity at Community America Stadium at Miege’s annual auction.

First on the roster for the March 29 event was an hourlong mini-clinic for children ages 7-14. For only $10, kids could attend the >> See “event” on page 4

Leaven photo by Joe McSorley

This young man shows off his pitching form in front of one of the clinic coaches at the March 29 cancer research benefit at Community America Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.

4/1/14 4:04 PM

2 archbishop

theleaven.com | april 4, 2014

Life will be victorious

Finish out Lent strong with special Holy Week activities

M

arch Madness spills over into

Holy Week Mass schedule for the Community of the Lamb

April!

I hope you are doing better than me with your NCAA brackets. My cousins always run a family pool, which this year had 101 participants. Only three of the 101 could still actually win.

My 91-year-old mother is one and my niece Dee Dee is another. Meanwhile, I am in the middle of the pack of losers.

If my mother were to win, this would be her second victory in the pool’s 38-year history. I have never finished in the top 10! If you need help with your NCAA brackets next year, I am planning to set up a consulting service provided by my mother.

Last week, this column was devoted to my reflection upon some of the great blessings that have occurred in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas during the past 10 years. I acknowledged that my list of 15 could hardly be considered comprehensive. One of my glaring omissions was the vitality of our parish communities.

I am currently in my second round of pastoral visits to parishes. I receive a lot of hope from these visits as I catch a glimpse of the immense amount of good that is happening in our parishes on a weekly — really, a daily — basis.

Of course, the most important experiences that all of our parishes offer are the Sunday Eucharist and the sacramental life of the church. I am edified by the care and the beauty with which the Sunday Eucharist is celebrated. I am grateful to our priests, who are so generous in offering more opportunities for the sacrament of penance.

I am also impressed by all that our parishes are doing

Holy Week Schedule at the Cathedral of St. Peter Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will preside at all liturgies April 13: Palm Sunday, 11 a.m.

April 17: Holy Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

April 18: Good Friday, 3 p.m.

Archbishop Keleher will preach April 19: Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil), 8 p.m.

April 20: Easter, 11 a.m.

The Leaven 04-04-14.indd 2-3

archbishop Joseph F. Naumann in preparing individuals for the reception of the sacraments, e.g., programs for parents presenting children for baptism, for first communicants, for those to be confirmed, and for engaged couples. It is also beautiful to see the regular care that is provided to parishioners who are sick or elderly, especially the opportunity afforded them to receive holy Communion in their homes.

Each parish is unique and has its own special character. There is a true beauty in our small town and rural parishes. There is a special closeness in these communities where each and every member is involved and valued. In these smaller communities, no one carries any burden alone. It is wonderful to see how the entire community rallies to help and support any member who is experiencing some adversity.

In our larger urban and suburban parishes, there are so many opportunities that are available to aid parishioners in their spiritual growth, such as: 1) Bible studies; 2) men’s groups that offer programs like That Man is You; 3) School of Faith classes; 4) women’s groups like Women of Grace, Endow or programs specifically for young moms; 5) Living in Love retreats and other marriage enrichment programs; 6) support groups for widows and widowers, as well as for individuals who have experienced the heartache of divorce; and 7) parish missions providing opportunities for deepening one’s prayer life.

In my estimation, the most powerful parish tool that provides an opportunity for a profound, life-changing encounter with Jesus is parish-based retreats such as Christ Renews His Parish or Light of the World. As powerful as the retreat experience is, even more important are the follow-up opportunities helping participants make what was experienced on the retreat a catalyst for creating new patterns of prayer and service.

Of course, no parish is perfect and the potential for becoming even more vibrant communities should protect us from being complacent.

The liturgy of the Holy Week in the Community of the Lamb is conceived as a retreat in which we are invited to follow Jesus step by step in his passion, death and resurrection. Therefore the offices are more numerous and more developed than those celebrated in parishes. Most of the offices are followed by eucharistic adoration.

For a complete listing of the Little Sisters’ Holy Week schedule, call them at (913) 621-1727. If you wish to join the Little Sisters for the liturgies of Holy Week, call at least 24 hours ahead of time so that they may print enough booklets.

Palm Sunday, April 13 10:30 - 11:45 a.m.: Third Office of the Palms 6 - 8:50 p.m.: Mass of the Passion Holy Thursday, April 17 7:30 - 8:45 a.m.: Monastic Office 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m.: Feast of the Church 6 – 8:30 p.m.: The Lord’s Supper Approx. 1:20 – 2:50 a.m.: The Arrest of Jesus Good Friday, April 18 10 – 11 a.m.: The Trial of Jesus 11:15 a.m. - 3 p.m.: The Crucifixion - (Procession in the neighborhood, weather permitting) 3:45 - 5:30 p.m.: Celebration of the Cross 6:30 – 9 p.m.: The Burial of Jesus (in French) with Communion Holy Saturday, April 19 6 – 9 a.m.: The Descent of Jesus into Hades 11:30 p.m. – 4 a.m.: Easter Vigil Easter Sunday, April 20 4:30 – 7:30 a.m.: Office of the Resurrection 11:00 a.m.: Easter Mass 5:30 p.m.: Second Vespers

One area of growth for every parish is to become more evangelizing communities. Our three most recent popes have all been challenging us as individuals and communities to participate in the new evangelization.

It is natural for parish communities to become self-absorbed with just taking care of the needs of the present community. Yet, to be the disciples that Jesus calls us to be, we can never be content with the church as it is. We always have to be about the task of making new disciples.

Of course, Christian parents are about this work of making disciples in the formation of their children.

Our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) programs are doing some great things already in helping to form new disciples. However, there is so much more that we can do in offering the gift of our Catholic faith to others, in welcoming new members, and in drawing in parishioners on the periphery to become more actively engaged in living their faith.

I encourage you this week to reflect upon the gift your parish community is in your life. If you find difficulty identifying specific reasons to give thanks for your parish, this may be the way Our Lord is encouraging you to become more involved

and to take advantage of the opportunities that are already there. I also ask your prayers for the Holy Spirit to guide our efforts to discern what steps we need to take for our parishes to become more effective evangelizing communities.

Again this year, I invite you during Holy Week to participate in one of the liturgies at the Cathedral of St. Peter. Please consult the sidebar for the times for the cathedral liturgies.

If you are looking to do something extra for Holy Week, I also encourage you to participate in one of the Holy Week liturgies of the Little Sisters and the Little Brothers of the Lamb at their monastery. In addition to the usual Triduum liturgies, the Community of the Lamb celebrates many additional times of prayer that will draw you into a more profound experience of the events that have given us life in Christ. Please consult the sidebar for the times for the liturgies at their monastery.

If you have not yet gone to confession during Lent, I urge you to do so this week.

I also encourage you to read prayerfully St. Matthew’s account of the Passion (Mt 26:14 – 27:66). Let us finish Lent strong, making these final two weeks a special time of grace.

calendar archbishop

Naumann April 4 KEXS radiothon Confirmation — St. Michael the Archangel, Leawood April 5 Dedication of new building — Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Topeka April 6 Scout Mass — Cathedral of St. Peter, Kansas City, Kan. April 7 Confirmation — Most Pure Heart of Mary, Topeka

April 8 Priests Personnel meeting Confirmation — Sacred Heart, Shawnee April 9 Curia meeting — Savior Pastoral Center St. Lawrence Center advisory council meeting — University of Kansas April 10 Religious Alliance Against Pornography conference call Administrative Team meeting Confirmation for Christ the King, Our Lady & St. Rose, and Blessed Sacrament — Christ the King Church, Kansas City, Kan. April 11 Lenten Day of Reflection for chancery staff — Savior Pastoral Center April 12 Abbot’s Table reception and dinner April 13 Palm Sunday Mass — Cathedral, Kansas City, Kan.

archbishop

keleher April 4 Confirmation — St. Michael the Archangel, Leawood April 5 St. James auction dinner April 6 Federal prison and camp Masses April 7 Penance service — St. Michael the Archangel, Leawood April 12 Confirmation — St. Joseph, Wilmette, Ill.

Sharing priorities Archbishop makes pastoral visit to Leavenworth parishes

By Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com

Leaven photo by Joe Bollig

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann meets with leaders of Immaculate Conception-St. Joseph Parish in Leavenworth. He listened to their reports about the parish’s progress in meeting the five archdiocesan pastoral goals he set out when he first arrived in the archdiocese.

L

E AV E N W O R T H — When Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann began his first round of pastoral visits in 2004, the focus was on sharing with parishioners his five pastoral priorities for the archdiocese.

Now, he’s asking parishioners to share their priorities with him — whether they reflect their parish’s achievements or its challenges.

Archbishop Naumann continued his second round of pastoral visits begun in 2012 with a visit on March 23 to Immaculate Conception-St. Joseph Parish in Leavenworth. His first pastoral visit to the parish was in 2005.

During his visit, the archbishop was the main celebrant and homilist at the Sunday morning Mass. After Mass, he met with parish high school youth to give a talk and answer questions.

Later, he had lunch with parish ministry leaders and pastor Father David McEvoy, O.Carm., after which the parish leaders presented their reports on how the parish was implementing the five pastoral priorities and the regional pastoral plan of 2006.

The five pastoral priorities are conversion; evangelization; catechesis and Catholic education in all its forms; serving those in need; and fostering a spirituality of stewardship.

During the course of his visit, Archbishop Naumann also reviewed the sacramental records of the parish.

In his visit with the high school youth, the archbishop acknowledged that among the greatest challenges they face was figuring out what to do with their lives.

Many people focus on career, guided by what they might like the most, or what will make the most money, or gain them the most prestige or fame, he said. Others simply want to choose the easiest way to get through life. Christians, however, have a different approach.

“As Christians, we look at it not

April 13 Mass — St. Joseph, Wilmette, Ill. Penance service — Church of the Nativity, Leawood

second front page 3

april 4, 2014 | theleaven.com

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

Leaven photo by Joe Bollig

Archbishop Naumann was the main celebrant and homilist at the morning Mass on March 23 at Immaculate Conception Church, historic site of the second cathedral. It was his second pastoral visit to Immaculate Conception-St. Joseph Parish, which merged in 2007.

“

“We’re trying to expose parishes to a variety of things they might do on evangelization. I feel that this remains our most challenging goal for most of our parishes.”

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann so much in terms of careers, but vocations,” he said. “Vocation means ‘calling.’”

The archbishop said that whatever vocation they chose — priesthood, religious life, married life and

secular employment — that there was a need for strong Christians in all walks of life.

“I strongly believe that if you ask God through your prayers, persistently — ‘Lord, help me to know what it is that you want me to do with my life’ — I am confident that he will answer that prayer,” said Archbishop Naumann. “He will reveal it to you in some way. Once you know, ask the Lord to give you strength and courage to do whatever he asks.”

Archbishop Naumann was delighted to hear the young people ask about opportunities to more fully live sacramental lives, particularly in regard to the availability of daily Mass and the sacrament of reconciliation.

One of the challenges the parish faces is evangelization, said Deacon Tim McElvoy, in his report during the archbishop’s meeting with parish leaders.

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

“We’re trying to expose parishes to a variety of things they might do on evangelization,” said the archbishop. “I feel that this remains our most challenging goal for most of our parishes.”

“And, in some ways, that’s very understandable,” he continued. “Just to sustain a parish as it is, is challenging enough. That would be nice if that were an option that Jesus gave us. But it’s not, because the church has to have this missionary impulse on every level. And I think our parishes more and more have to try to become these evangelizing communities.”

The archbishop concluded the visit by thanking the leaders for their efforts, encouraging their efforts, and then fielding some questions. Father David then closed the proceedings with a prayer often attributed to Archbishop Oscar Romero.

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

Periodicals postage paid at Kansas City, KS 66109.

4/1/14 4:04 PM

4 LOCAL NEWS

theleaven.com | april 4, 2014

Leavenworth teams join forces to benefit two of their own Special to The Leaven

By Carolyn Kaberline

raised stayed in the communities was also significant.

“In the past, we have participated in other forms of nights to bring awareness to various forms of cancer,” noted Metsker. “At many of these events, money is collected through the sale of T-shirts or other such things and then it is given to some faceless organization, and we never see the money again. What Immaculata High School organized this past week was significant in that it went to members of the two school communities, and that money will remain in the area to support the needs of the two families.”

L

EAVENWORTH — No busted bracket, heartbreaking upset or any March Madness could hold a candle to the one shining moment that happened when two longstanding high school rivals teamed up on the court against cancer.

When Sean Sachen learned of a national Coaches vs. Cancer initiative, the Immaculata High School athletic director could just picture heated hoops, frenzied fans — and a chance to make a difference — in a high school rivalry showdown.

No, he wasn’t making plans for the Final Four.

But the real-life stakes were just as high in his vision for the highly anticipated game against Pleasant Ridge High School on Feb. 21 — the Winter Royalty game at Immaculata.

“In my head I had a vision of our coaches and Pleasant Ridge coaches wearing pink tennis shoes to support breast cancer,” said Sachen. “But then I thought: What about other cancers?”

He posed his idea, tipping off a huge show of support and fundraising effort between both schools.

“I thought it was a great idea,” said Chris Powers, athletic director at Pleasant Ridge. “We’ve done a lot of fundraisers for cancer in the past . . . but the money raised with this fundraiser would stay with the community.”

Both schools, while competitors in sports and academic challenges, always show one another respect and recognize that both belong to the same larger community, said Andy Metsker, Pleasant Ridge principal.

Healthy rivals, one community “Pleasant Ridge High School and Immaculata High School have a long, healthy rivalry,” said Metsker. “While the schools are separated by only about eight miles of highway and Leavenworth city streets, the two communities are much closer, as many Pleasant Ridge parents are actually Immaculata High School graduates, and many of our students and parents attend the

Ministry receives award topeka — Corita’s Corner Sandwich Ministry here was the recipient of a 2014 Peace Builder Award from the Topeka Center for Peace and Justice on April 3, at the second annual Peace Party and Award Dinner held at Ramada Inn Downtown.

Originating over 50 years ago with Father Ed Hays, former associate pastor of Assumption Parish, the effort to feed the hungry of Topeka began with sandwiches handed out the rectory window. Other Catholic parishes, the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, businesses and individuals joined their support under the leadership of Sister Mary Corita Conlan, SCL, former principal of Assumption School who died on New Year’s Day 2013.

The outreach, now located at Third and Kansas Ave., honors her memory with the name Corita’s Corner. With poverty rates in Topeka close to 20 percent, Sister Marjorie Cushing, SCL, who now leads Corita’s Corner, has seen an increase in the number of individuals and families who come for the simple sack lunches provided five days a week.

The Leaven 04-04-14.indd 4-5

‘Gesture of love and generosity’

Photo courtesy of Katie Kinerney

Pleasant Ridge principal Andy Metsker (left) greets the school’s basketball coach Sean Murphy after their teams joined Immaculata for a Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser. same churches. . . . It’s a good, healthy rivalry.”

Fliers and a Facebook post encouraged fans from both schools to wear a color supporting those with a particular form of cancer, resulting in stands awash that evening in a sea of colors.

“There was a wide range of colors seen in the bleachers, from orange for leukemia to pink for breast cancer to gray for brain cancer,” said Metsker.

“We have seen a number of ‘Pink Out’ activities at other games and venues, but this was the first time that we were involved in something that was this widespread in support of the eradication of all forms of cancer.”

The Pleasant Ridge girls defeated Immaculata by a score of 39-32, and the Immaculata boys won their game that night with a score of 48-36. But the real winners were those who received the evening’s proceeds.

“After the boys varsity game was over, Immaculata High School athletic

director Sean Sachen took the microphone and announced that the gate receipts from the game were going to be split two ways — with one half going to a family in each community who had been a victim of cancer,” explained Metsker.

“Immaculata chose Mr. John Schubert to receive their half,” said Aaron Hund, Leavenworth Regional Catholic Schools president, adding that supporters of the Schubert family wore gray T-shirts that evening. “Gray is the color representing brain cancer.”

Then Metsker announced the recipient of the Pleasant Ridge half.

“We gave our half to our boys basketball coach Sean Murphy, whose wife was diagnosed with breast cancer after basketball season last year,” he said.

Metsker noted that the fans of the two schools generated a significant sum of money: each family received $585 for their fight against cancer.

For many, knowing that the money

Event raises $5,100 for cancer >> Continued from page 1 clinic, enjoy a free sack lunch, and stay for the rest of the day’s games.

Next at bat: the C team game, followed by the junior varsity contest and then the varsity matchup.

“The game of baseball is always going to be naturally competitive.

Mix in St. James and Bishop Miege, and that can be seen on the field of play,” said Will Gorden, Miege head baseball coach. “However, the event that the games were centered around took on a much higher meaning. It was great seeing these two schools come together for such a great cause in Alex’s Lemonade Stand. The players were excited all week and looked forward to helping out the fight against childhood cancer as much

as playing.”

A silent auction featured an autographed jersey and baseball from Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals. Other items were also raffled.

The event was a hit, raising about $5,100 for the cause, said Susan Blowey, Emma’s mother and community outreach specialist for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation in the Kansas City area.

She loves seeing students get involved with lemonade stands and other events to help with this cause and was impressed with the number of students who pitched in to make this event a success.

“They were so on fire about what they could do,” she said. “They know that everything they’re doing is making a difference.”

“It was a very special evening where members of our local communities came together to provide encouragement and financial support for our school families fighting cancer,” said Hund.

“Both families expressed deep appreciation for this gesture of love and generosity,” added Helen Schwinn, Immaculata principal. “Athletic director Sean Sachen is to be credited for organizing this event.”

Sachen would like to see this become a yearly tradition.

In fact, feedback has been so positive that “I’d even like to propose that we do this league-wide on a rivalry night,” said Sachen. “The NCAA does something similar early in the year. It’s NCAA-wide with all teams playing on a certain night donating part of their proceeds to the American Cancer Society.”

“It’s very apparent in this day and age that cancer touches almost everyone’s family and loved ones,” added Schwinn. “We would like to see this outpouring of love and generosity continue in the years to come.”

“Immaculata High School and its administration, Helen Schwinn and Sean Sachen, should be commended for their outstanding work and the leadership and stewardship they showed,” said Metsker. “They are outstanding people and we need more of them in education.”

Lawrence parishioner earns Eagle rank LAWRENCE — George Depenbusch, a member of St. John the Evangelist Parish here and Boy Scout Troop 59 has attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

Depenbusch is a junior at Bishop Seabury Academy, Lawrence.

In Troop 59, Depenbusch has served as a patrol George Depenbusch leader, assistant patrol leader, quartermaster, and chaplain’s aide.

Depenbusch’s Eagle project consisted of planning, designing, and building two storage cabinets to house athletic equipment at Bishop Seabury Academy. He solicited donations for all the materials needed for the project.

This undertaking took 182 hours to complete.

Local News 5

april 4, 2014 | theleaven.com

Benedictine College wraps up successful symposium

By Steve Johnson Special to The Leaven

A

TCHISON — The third annual Symposium for Advancing the New Evangelization, hosted by Benedictine College’s Institute for Missionary Activity here, brought more than 200 people together to discuss ways to bring Christ’s message to the classroom, parish, workplace and the general public.

The event, held March 21 and 22 on Benedictine’s campus, attracted speakers from as far away as Geneva and Washington, D.C. It featured three keynote addresses and 52 breakout sessions.

While predominantly Catholic, the conference also included Eastern Orthodox and evangelical Protestant presenters.

“There was a real sense of interdisciplinary dialogue this year,” said David Trotter, Benedictine’s director for Mission & Ministry and director of the Institute for Missionary Activity.

“It helped everyone in attendance encounter the person of Jesus Christ in the sacraments, in conversation and in intellectual formation. It created a vision for them to be leaders in culture creation in their own communities back home.”

President Stephen D. Minnis said the symposium is the latest example of Benedictine College’s leadership role in the church.

“Benedictine College is truly the flagship college of the new evangelization and this great event shows that. This was a great opportunity for leading Catholic intellectuals, missionaries and church leaders from across the country to share ideas for the new evangelization.”

“I thought it was providential that the symposium fell on the feast of [the death of] St. Benedict,” Trotter added.

“It profiled the primary role that the Benedictine order plays in the new evangelization, tying the creation of culture from these abbeys more than a thousand years ago to the culture we are creating for the new evangelization today.”

The theme of the conference was “The Transcendentals as a Preamble to the Faith.” Trotter explained that human beings experience a desire for the fundamental attributes of being — especially truth, goodness and beauty — such that they are never satisfied.

Philosophers call these “the transcendentals,” and Trotter said our desire for unconditional truth, goodness and beauty reveal the existence of the soul and, ultimately, of God. The three keynote speakers were:

DeLeon Furniture

Furniture, upholstering and restoration 1142 Minnesota Ave. Kansas City, Kan. 66102 (913) 342-9446

Photo courtesy of Dennis Dunleavy

Dr. Regis Martin, professor of theology at the Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, spoke at the third annual Symposium for Advancing the New Evangelization, hosted by Benedictine College’s Institute for Missionary Activity on March 21.

“

It helped everyone in attendance encounter the person of Jesus Christ in the sacraments, in conversation and in intellectual formation.

David Trotter, Benedictine’s director for Mission & Ministry and director of the Institute for Missionary Activity

Dr. Denis McNamara, assistant director of the Liturgical Institute, University of St. Mary of the Lake, Chicago; Dr. David Bentley Hart, author, theologian, philosopher and cultural commentator; and Dr. Regis Martin, professor of theology at the Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.

Martin, who spoke on the evening of March 21, talked about how the experience of beauty renews and refreshes.

“The more something is beautiful, the more it refers one to something else,” he said. “It is the office of beauty to mediate the distance between the world and God.” Hart, the author of “Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies” (Yale University Press), started the main day of symposium sessions with his address on March 22.

McNamara, the final keynote speaker, closed the symposium that evening with a lively presentation on church architecture, accompanied by images of the world’s most beautiful — and least beautiful — churches. He spoke of entering Atchison and seeing the spires of St. Benedict’s Church and the abbey.

“Those buildings tell a story. You know right away who made them and what they are for,” he said. Not so with many churches.

“Joyful and festive. That’s what a church should be,” he concluded. “A church is God’s glory being manifested through the material of the world.”

In addition to the three keynote speakers, presenters at the colloquium sessions were from a variety of different institutions, organizations and ministries and came from many walks of life, including artists, architects, engineers, businesspeople, theologians,

Concrete Work

Photo courtesy of Dennis Dunleavy

Dr. David Bentley Hart, author, theologian, philosopher and cultural commentator, was one of the featured speakers at the symposium. philosophers, ministry practitioners and church leaders. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann from the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and Abbot James Albers, OSB, from St. Benedict’s Abbey, also participated.

TOUCH OF HEAVEN

Any type of repair and new work Driveways, Walks, Patios

Catholic Store 119 SE 18th Topeka, KS (785) 232-2543 Hrs. T-F - 10 a.m. 5:30; Sat. 9 a.m. to noon

Member of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish

Harvey M. Kascht (913) 262-1555

K E A T I N G Mud Jacking FOUNDATION REPAIR Cracked • Bowed • Settled Wall Repair v Wall Bracing v Waterproofing v Steel Underpinning Kansas City (913) 262-9352

MUD JACKING Raise & Level

v Patios v Drives v Garage Floors v Slab Houses Lawrence (785) 865-0006

Topeka (785) 246-0128

4/1/14 4:04 PM

6 local news

theleaven.com | april 4, 2014

Holy Week at the Cathedral of St. Peter 409 N. 15th, Kansas City, Kan. Archbishop Naumann will preside at all liturgies Palm Sunday April 13 at 11 a.m.

Holy Thursday April 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Holy Saturday (Easter vigil) April 19 at 8 p.m.

Good Friday service April 18 at 3 p.m.

Archbishop Keleher will preach

Easter April 20 at 11 a.m.

LOCAL NEWS 7

april 4, 2014 | theleaven.com Leo and Wilma (Larsen) Lutz, members of Corpus Christi Parish, Lawrence, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on April 11. The couple was married at St. Anthony Church, Long Beach, Calif., on April 11, 1964.

Their children and their spouses are: David and Angelica Lutz, Costa Mesa, Calif.; and Laura and Brad Elkins, Sacramento, Calif. The children will host a small family dinner on April 12 at the Eldridge Hotel in Lawrence.

Tom and Marsa (Adams) Behner, members of Corpus Christi Parish, Lawrence, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on April 11 with a dinner for family and friends, hosted by their children. The couple was married on April 11, 1964, at Most Pure Heart of Mary Church, Topeka.

Their children and their spouses are: Carrie and David Rezac, Leawood; Sherrie and Chris Mann, Overland Park; and Chett Behner, Lawrence. They also have five grandchildren.

Janice (Mulryan) and Paul Gudenkauf, members of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, Seneca, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on April 13. The couple was married on April 11, 1964, at Sacred Heart Church, Baileyville. Their children and their spouses are: James Gudenkauf; Ron and Holly Gudenkauf; Steve and Lorie Gudenkauf; Tom and Susan Gudenkauf; Patricia and Chris Rhodes; Tony and Kim Gudenkauf; and Vicky and James Marstall.

A daughter, Kathy, is deceased. They also have 14 grandchildren.

Milan

and

Mary (Sutulovic) Gasparovic, members of St. John the Baptist Church, Kansas City, Kan., will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on April 13 with a Mass and blessing at the church.

Their daughters will host a dinner and dance on April 12 at the Ritz Charles in Overland Park. The couple was married on April 11, 1964, at St. John. Their children are: Susan Desch, Anita Gasparovic, and Nancy Gasparovic.

Were you married in 1964?

Archdiocesan 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration Cathedral of St. Peter June 1, 2014, 2:30 pm Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann invites couples celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary in 2014 to a Golden Anniversary Mass in their honor with reception following To receive your invitation from Archbishop Naumann, please call the Marriage & Family Life Office at 913-647-0345

HESBURGH LECTURE SERIES “THE FORGOTTEN REALM ON THE EVE OF THE GREAT WAR: AUSTRIA-HUNGARY IN JULY 1914” Professor John Deak, University of Notre Dame, will present new findings and interpretations about Austria-Hungary on the eve of the Great War. New stories will be told and old myths debunked as we follow the last moments of the old Habsburg Empire that plunged the world into the Great War.

JOHN DEAK, PH.D., PROFESSOR

NATIONAL WORLD WAR I MUSEUM, LIBERTY MEMORIAL 100 W. 26th Street Kansas City, MO 64108 J.C. Nichols Auditorium SUNDAY APRIL 13, 2014 2:00 P.M. LECTURE IS FREE TO THE PUBLIC. Refreshments will be served.

(Museum Tours regular ticket prices apply)

Department of History, University of Notre Dame

Learn from the Experts how to Defend Your Faith

Catholic Apologetics Academy Savior Pastoral Center • 12601 Parallel Parkway • Kansas City, KS

May 1–4, 2014

Learn the art of apologetics from Patrick Madrid, Dr. Peter Kreeft, and Kenneth Hensley, apologetics veterans of the first-rank. Attendees have many opportunities to interact and learn from our enthusiastic and encouraging team of professors, making our Apologetics Academy a truly life-changing and intellectually and spiritually energizing experience.

www.CatholicApologeticsAcademy.com

The Leaven 04-04-14.indd 6-7

4/1/14 4:04 PM

Something fishy is going on Leaven photos by Joe McSorley

P

AOLA — At many parishes on Fridays during Lent, there are big cookers brimming with bubbling oil outside and buzzing crowds of people within, all well after that morning’s Mass and before the Stations of the Cross.

Yes, nothing pulls people in quite like a good ol’ Lenten fish fry.

As they have at parishes across the archdiocese, lots of folks have been gathering at Holy Trinity Parish in

Paola for Friday Lenten fish fries conducted by Knights of Columbus Council 1149.

It’s a time of fellowship and community, and not just for Catholics. Quite a few non-parishioners show up to eat and to volunteer. This year, it was the Paola High School Panther Robotics Team 1108.

People come for the fish, of course, but a close contender is Father Ric Halvorson’s special coleslaw, made by the man himself. It might be parish pride, but parishioners say it’s the best.

Dinner with Grandma

Lawrence resident Ajie Suso, 2, and her grandmother Barbara Hohenstein came for the fish and a chance to view the halls of Grandma’s alma mater.

LAY ’EM STRAIGHT

Jim Pritchard prepared a pan of fish for baking. He’s no relation to former KU hoopster Kevin Pritchard, though. And if you need proof, all you have to do is see him dribble, he said.

FRONT LINES

PROFESSIONALLY DONE

They don’t give the job of breading the fish to just anybody. Joe Lynn proved he had the “right stuff” by breading pan after pan of catfish in an even, professional manner.

Of course, he had motivation: It was this or wash dishes.

Ben Sexton and Katie Jones, both member of the Paola High School Panther Robotics Team 1108, staff the serving line at the fish fry. They and other robotics team members were working the fish fry to raise funds for their robotics club. In addition to the three kinds of fish, they served Father Halvorson’s famous slaw, golden crinkle-cut fries, cheese pizza and a choice of homemade desserts.

SECRET INGREDIENTS? THE FRY GUY

If the oil is too cold, the fish fry up soft, said Gerald Strausbaugh, part of a threeman fry crew. If the oil is too hot, the fish become too crispy and hard.

The Leaven 04-04-14.indd 8-9

The community consensus was that Father Ric Halvorson’s killer coleslaw was the best around. No one was willing to reveal his recipe.

CHEWS-ING THE ’ZA

No fish for John Noonan, 2. For him, the star of the kitchen is “tomato pizza.” To which he added, “I’d like to ride on a train.” We’re with you there, John. Meanwhile, his brother Patrick, 4, checks out the crowd.

KICK IT UP A NOTCH

The catfish was served in three varieties: fried, lemon-pepper and Cajun spice. Here, Kate Sample, a member of Robotics Team 1108, spices up things Cajun-style.

4/1/14 4:04 PM

10 nation

theleaven.com | april 4, 2014

Pope and Obama touch on many issues

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service

V

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — In their first encounter, Pope Francis received U.S. President Barack Obama at the Vatican March 27 for a discussion that touched on several areas of tension between the Catholic Church and the White House, including religious freedom and medical ethics.

During an unusually long 50-minute meeting, the two leaders discussed “questions of particular relevance for the church in (the U.S.), such as the exercise of the rights to religious freedom, life and conscientious objection as well as the issue of immigration reform,” the Vatican said in a statement.

The mentions of religious freedom and conscientious objection presumably referred to the contraception mandate in the new health care law, which has become a major source of conflict between the administration and the church.

According to the Vatican statement, Pope Francis and Obama also had an “exchange of views on some current international themes, and it was hoped that in areas of conflict, there would be respect for humanitarian and international law and a negotiated solution between the parties involved.”

In September, Pope Francis launched a high-profile campaign against Obama’s proposal for military strikes to punish the government of President Bashar Assad for its presumed use of chemical weapons. The pope wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin, host of a G-20 summit, decrying the “futile pursuit of a military solution,” and a few days later led a prayer vigil for peace in Syria that drew some 100,000 people to St. Peter’s Square.

The Vatican did highlight two points of harmony with Obama in the discussions: immigration reform, on which the administration’s position is closer to that of U.S. bishops than that of the Republican opposition; and a “common commitment to the eradication of trafficking in human persons in the world.”

CNS photo/Stefano Spaziani, pool

U.S. President Barack Obama accepts a gift from Pope Francis during a private audience at the Vatican March 27. The pope gave the president a copy of his apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”).

Later in the day, at a joint news conference with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, Obama said he had spent the “largest bulk of the time” with the pope discussing “issues of the poor, the marginalized, those without opportunity and growing inequality” and the “challenges of conflict and how elusive peace is around the world,” particularly in the Middle East.

Obama said Pope Francis “did not touch in detail” on the contraception mandate, but that in the president’s subsequent meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, “we discussed briefly the issue of making sure that conscience and religious freedom was (sic) observed in the context of applying the law.”

“I pledged to continue to dialogue with the U.S. conference of bishops to make sure we can strike the right balance” on the issue, Obama said.

At the end of their talk, Pope Francis gave Obama a bound edition of his apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), published last November. The gift

prompted the president to respond: “You know, I actually will probably read this in the Oval Office when I am deeply frustrated, and I am sure it will give me strength and will calm me.”

“I hope,” the pope replied with a laugh.

Pope Francis presented Obama with a pair of bronze medallions, one commemorating the 17th-century construction of the colonnades around St. Peter’s Square; another portraying an angel that brings together the world’s North and South in “solidarity and peace founded on justice.”

“This gift is from the pope,” Pope Francis said of the first medallion.

“But this other one is from Jorge Bergoglio. When I saw it, I said: “I’ll give to Obama, it’s the angel of peace.”

The president’s gift to the pope was a selection of fruit and vegetable seeds from the White House garden, in a box made from reclaimed wood used to build Baltimore’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the first Catholic cathedral in the United States.

Abuse allegations down, spending on training up WASHINGTON (CNS) — The number of allegations of sexual abuse by clergy declined in 2013 while diocesan spending on child protection programs increased under the U.S. Catholic Church’s “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” according to a church-sponsored audit. Dioceses and Eastern-rite eparchies reported 370 new allegations of abuse of a minor from 365 people against 290 priests or deacons, said the Georgetown University-based Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, which gathered data for the report. The report includes information collected by StoneBridge Business Partners of Rochester, N.Y., which conducts annual audits of compliance with the charter by dioceses and eparchies under an arrangement with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. About 69 percent of the allegations reported last year occurred or began between 1960 and 1984. Three-quarters of the alleged offenders are already deceased or removed from active ministry.

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

Serving Lawrence, Topeka and surrounding areas.

Topeka (785) 233-3447 Lawrence (785) 749-1696 In business since 1963 www.foundationrepairks.com

The Leaven 04-04-14.indd 10-11

Pope leads by example, goes to confession

Scam hits employees of Seattle Archdiocese WASHINGTON (CNS) — A nationwide telephone scam targeting taxpayers that is being investigated by federal agencies has involved more than 1,000 current and former employees and volunteers of the Archdiocese of Seattle. Greg Magnoni, archdiocesan communications director, told Catholic News Service March 28 that forensics experts hired by the archdiocese have joined investigators from the Internal Revenue Service and FBI in attempting to determine how personal information from the employees and volunteers was obtained. The IRS said the victims are among thousands nationwide who have lost more than $1 million in recent months in the scam. According to the agency, individuals claiming to be IRS agents place unsolicited calls to people and tell them they owe taxes. They are told they must pay immediately by pre-paid debit card or a wire transfer or they could face arrest or deportation or lose their business. “The IRS and FBI are continuing their investigations. We’re cooperating with them to get to the bottom of this. It’s a multipronged investigation at this point to get to the source of the problem,” Magnoni said.

The archdiocese established a call center for victims, Magnoni said. Information is available online at bit.ly/1fXOePM.

world 11

april 4, 2014 | theleaven.com

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

V

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Leading a penitential liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis surprised his liturgical adviser by going to confession during the service.

After an examination of conscience March 28, the pope and 61 priests moved into confessionals or to chairs set up against the walls to offer the sacrament to individual penitents.

However, as Msgr. Guido Marini, master of papal liturgical ceremonies, was showing which confessional the pope would be using to hear confessions, the pope pointed to another confessional nearby, indicating that he himself was going to first confess.

The pope, dressed in a simple white alb and purple stole, spent about three minutes kneeling before the priest’s open confessional and received absolution. The priest also clasped the pope’s hands and kissed his simple silver ring.

Pope Francis then went to another confessional and spent about 40 minutes hearing confessions.

In his homily, the pope said following God’s call to conversion is not supposed to happen only during Lent, but is a lifetime commitment. He also spoke about two key characteristics of Christian life: putting on a “new self, created in God’s way” and living in and sharing God’s love.

Renewal in Christ comes with baptism, which frees people from sin and welcomes them as children of God and members of Christ and his church, he said.

“This new life lets us see the world with different eyes without being distracted anymore by the things that don’t matter and that can’t last for long,” he said.

Shedding sinful behaviors and focusing on the essential become a daily commitment so that a life “deformed by sin” can become a life “illuminated by grace” from God. When hearts are renewed and “created in God’s way,” good behavior follows, he said, for example: “always speaking the truth and steering clear of all lies; no stealing, but rather, sharing what one has with others, especially with those

CNS photo/Paul Haring

CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters

A priest steps out of his confessional to observe an historic sight — a pope making a public confession during a penitential liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican March 28.

A clergyman hears the confession of Pope Francis during a penitential liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican March 28.

in need; not giving in to anger, rancor and revenge, but being meek, magnanimous and ready to forgive; not taking part in malicious gossip that ruins the good name of people, but looking mainly for the good side in everyone.”

The second aspect of Christian life is living in God’s eternal love, the pope said. God never tires of looking out for his children, both those who have lost their way and those who have remained faithful by his side.

Jesus, in fact, calls on everyone to imitate this same merciful love and become “credible disciples of Christ in the world,” he said.

God’s love cannot be held inside, “it’s open by its very nature, it spreads

and is fruitful, it always generates new love,” he said.

In that missionary spirit, the penitential liturgy opened an initiative called “24 Hours for the Lord,” sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization.

The council asked dioceses around the world to have at least one parish open all day and night March 28, so that anyone could go to confession and take part in eucharistic adoration. It’s part of the pope’s focus on celebrating God’s mercy and power of forgiveness.

Young people belonging to different parishes and different movements in Rome were to be out on the streets during the night, inviting their peers to

go into the churches to pray, to confess or just to talk to a priest.

In his homily, Pope Francis praised the initiative and those who would be hitting the streets to share the joy of God’s mercy and invite others to discover a deeper relationship with Christ.

“Tell them that our father is waiting for us, our father forgives us, and even more, he celebrates,” the pope said.

Even with all of one’s sins and mistakes, God, “instead of scolding us, he celebrates,” the pope said. “And you have to tell this, tell this to lots of people today” so they can experience God’s mercy and love.

Pope asks Curia to find ways to implement ‘Joy of Gospel’

Vatican police foil attempt to enter into Vatican bank

follow a path of deepening conversion and to recognize it “cannot leave things as they presently are. ‘Mere administration’ can no longer be enough,” the pope wrote, and “excessive centralization, rather than proving helpful, complicates the church’s life and her missionary outreach.”

In an effort to help the church and her ministers be more faithful to Jesus and his teachings, “I invite everyone to be bold and creative in this task of rethinking the goals, structures, style and methods of evangelization in their respective communities,” the pope wrote.

“A proposal of goals without an adequate communal search for the means of achieving them will inevitably prove illusory,” he wrote. “I encourage everyone to apply the guidelines found in this document generously and courageously, without inhibitions or fear. The important thing is to not walk alone, but to rely on each other as brothers and sisters, and especially under the leadership of the bishops, in a wise and realistic pastoral discernment.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Vatican security officers stopped two men — one American and one Dutch — trying to enter the Vatican bank with a briefcase full of fake bonds. Officers with the Vatican gendarme corps intercepted the two men March 29 when the men approached a guarded entrance and asked to be let into the Vatican bank, known formally as the Institute for the Works of Religion. According to Vatican Radio, the men did not have Vatican bank accounts and they did not have an appointment with anyone at the bank. The men were apprehended and, according to Vatican-Italy agreements, placed into the custody of the Italian financial police. They have been charged by both Vatican and Italian authorities, the radio reported. The briefcase contained fake bonds appearing to be worth billions of euros and U.S. dollars, according to Agence France-Presse. The Italian finance police found fake passports and other false documents in the men’s hotel rooms, the news agency reported.

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

V

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis called together the heads of all Vatican offices to discuss how they could integrate into their work the teaching of his apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”).

The Vatican said the meeting, held April 1 inside the Apostolic Palace, lasted two and a half hours.

The subject of the meeting was “a reflection on ‘Evangelii Gaudium,’” said Passionist Father Ciro Benedettini, vice director of the Vatican press office. He said the pope wanted the group to talk about how the papal document, which calls on Catholics to be living examples of joy, love and charity, “can influence the work of the Curia.”

Those attending the meeting discussed their “reflections on and reactions” to the pope’s apostolic exhortation and “the prospects that are open for its implementation,” the Vatican

said in a brief statement issued at the end of the discussion.

Pope Francis held a similar meeting last September when he called together top Vatican officials to hear their questions and suggestions about his ongoing reform of the Vatican bureaucracy.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, had said the September meeting lasted nearly three hours and, except for a brief greeting by the pope, was devoted to remarks by the other participants.

In “The Joy of the Gospel,” released in November 2013, Pope Francis laid out his hopes for a truly missionary church — driven by “a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation.”

The document was meant as a stimulus for Catholics, parishes, organizations and the church hierarchy itself to

4/1/14 4:05 PM

12 classifieds Employment Guidance counselor - St. James Academy, Lenexa, is looking for a full-time guidance counselor for the 2014 2015 school year. The ideal candidate desires to pass on the Catholic faith to the next generation, and possesses or is working toward a KSDE counseling license. Applicant should aspire to work in a faith-filled environment and have experience with: the college admissions process, working with a wide variety of academic, social, and emotional needs, the advanced placement curriculum, and should have in-depth knowledge of the ACT, SAT, AP, and other standardized testing regulations and logistics. The ideal guidance counseling applicant should be able to address social and emotional issues through a Catholic worldview. Interested parties should fill out an application with the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, and send their resume to St. James Academy, Lenexa, to the attention of the principal, Karla Leibham.

Assistant director of nursing - Registered nurse, minimum 3 years experience. LTC experience preferred.

Management experience preferred. Full time. Apply in person at: Little Sisters of the Poor, 8745 James A. Reed Rd., Kansas City, MO 64138.

Hairdresser - Full or part time. Rental. Lenexa area. Call (816) 223-5306.

Pastoral associate - Church of the Annunciation, Kearney, Mo., a growing community in the Northland, is seeking a pastoral associate with designated responsibilities to include adult faith formation, RCIA, pastoral care and social justice ministries. An opportunity to collaborate with pastoral staff and parishioners in promoting Gospel values and mutuality in mission and ministry. Desired qualifications: theological and religious studies, a master’s degree or equivalent being preferred; experience in pastoral ministry. Send cover letter and resume by email to: jcwolf@fairpoint.net or mail to Church of the Annunciation, 701 N. Jefferson St., Kearney, MO 64060, attention of Rev. John Wolf, CPPS. Financial representatives - Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding a financial representative in the Kansas City metro, Topeka, and Garnett - Greeley area. Ideal for a determined, high energy, high expectation, professional, self-disciplined, independent individual desiring to serve others, yet earn a better-than-average income. We provide top-rated financial products to our members and their families and will provide excellent benefits and training. Please contact John A. Mahon, general agent, for more information or an interview by sending an email to: john.mahon@ kofc.org, by phone at (785) 408-8806 or at 1275 Topeka Blvd., Topeka, KS 66612.

Fleet management/general maintenance worker - Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas is looking for a full-time or part-time fleet manager/general maintenance worker. This position is responsible for the upkeep and repair of all agency vehicles as well as performing maintenance service and repairs in Catholic Charities facilities across northeast Kansas. Some responsibilities include keeping accurate vehicle use records, maintaining a complete service file with expenditures for each vehicle, budgeting, ensuring all facilities’ equipment is in proper state of repair, and performing repairs in HVAC, plumbing, carpentry, painting, plastering, machine servicing, and electrical. This position may be filled as part time or full time; preferably full time, 40 hours per week.

EEO. Duties: Responsible for the upkeep and repair of all agency vehicles. Responsible for keeping an accurate calendar for each agency vehicle. Maintain a complete inventory system of all expenditures for each vehicle, including a detailed file for all service that occurs on each vehicle (oil changes, tire rotations, vehicle washes, planned maintenance, repairs). Provide quarterly reports of expenditures for each vehicle to assist with budgeting. Check that all repairs made in a shop were completed as expected prior to returning vehicle to program.

(This includes road test, physical inspections.) Ensure all assigned facilities and equipment are in proper state of repair, providing their full use to all staff, clients, visitors and volunteers at all times. Performs maintenance service and repairs in the areas of HVAC, plumbing, carpentry, painting, plastering, machine servicing, and electrical. Notify the facilities’ manager of all matters related to the maintenance and repair of the assigned facilities.

Collaborate with program managers and staff to identify and fulfill the facility’s needs. May be required to respond to emergency and public calls after hours, including evenings and weekends. Provide backup when needed to deliver and/or pick up donations, food or other items on behalf of any Catholic Charities program. Work with our volunteer coordinators to build a team of volunteers to assist with the fleet management. Qualifications: Must possess a valid driver’s license. Must be able to pass DMV and criminal background checks. Must have or be able to obtain KDOT certification. (This requires a physical and medical release card from a physician.) Demonstrate passion for the mission of Catholic Charities. Must be customer service-oriented and possess good verbal communication skills. Knowledgeable in the procedures and safety measures in area(s) of specialty. Demonstrate skills in troubleshooting and problem solving in the following areas but not limited to: electrical, plumbing, mechanical, HVAC/boiler repair and maintenance,

The Leaven 04-04-14.indd 12-13

theleaven.com | APRIL 4, 2014 computer usage. Ability to handle multiple priorities and demands. Possess dependable transportation, valid driver’s license, vehicle insurance and ability to make deliveries, run errands, and visit multiple locations. Must be a self-motivated and independent worker. Must be a team player with a service-orientated attitude. A certain degree of creativity and latitude is required. Education and/or experience: High school diploma or equivalent.

At least three years of building maintenance experience.

Preferably 1 year of fleet management experience. To apply, visit the website at: http://catholiccharitiesks. org/job.

Services Mike Hammer local moving - A full-service mover.

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

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.

Housecleaning - I love what I do and you can love it, too! 20-plus years experience. Excellent references.

Southern JoCo area. Call (913) 548-8702.

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

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

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.teresakiddlawyer.com.

We moved! Come check out our new office in Lenexa.

Time to get your landscaping in shape!

We are offering 10% off mulch in March.

Serving Johnson County. Contact us for an estimate.

John at (913) 825-4353 john@foleyslawncare.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.

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.

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

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.

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

Home Improvement 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.

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.drcwindowsks.com drcconswindows@gmail.com

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.

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.

Heating and cooling repair and replacement - Call Joe with JB Design and Service. Licensed and insured with 20 years experience. Member of Divine Mercy Parish. Call Joe at (913) 915-6887.

Swalms Organizing Service - Reducing Clutter - Enjoy an Organized Home! Basement, garage, attic, shop, storage rooms - any room organized! Belongings sorted, boxed and labeled, items hauled or taken for recycling, trash bagged. For before and after photos, visit: www. swalmsorganizing.com. Over 20 years of organizing experience; insured. Call Tillar at (913) 375-9115.

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.

Home improvements - Thank you to all my customers for being patient as I underwent a life-saving liver transplant. If there is new work or warranty work, please don’t hesitate to call. We do windows, siding, doors, decks, exterior painting and wood rot. There is no job too big or too small. Call Joshua Doherty at (913) 709-7230.

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

Call Lupe at (816) 252-3376 SPRING IS ACTUALLY COMING BEFORE WE KNOW IT! HOUSE PAINTING Call today to get a free estimate on your home. Inside or out, decks, kitchens and bathrooms. Basement refinishing and design also! Improve what you have today to enjoy it tomorrow. Insured/tons of references and a local parish member. Call (913) 209-9926.

House painting Interior and exterior; wall paper removal.

Power washing, fences, decks.

30 years experience. References. Reasonable rates.

Call Joe at (913) 620-5776.

ALL THINGS WOOD ROT Windows and fiber cement siding.

New windows, decks, basement remodel or kitchen update. Insured and only the best crews.

Serving Johnson and Wyandotte for over 2 decades.

Call to set up a free estimate today at (913) 209-9926.

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: dan deeconst@aol.com.

Caregiving 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.

Caregiving - CNA home health aide. Will provide care for your loved one, very reliable. Maintain clean and safe environment. 100% dignity for your loved ones. 18 years of integrity. Meal preparation, all personal care, companionship, light housekeeping, errands and vital signs.

Experience with transfers. Experience with Alzheimer’s, dementia and special-needs patients. Overnight. CPR and first-aid qualified. Great references. Call Sarah at (913) 449-8348.

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.

Certified home health care - We are two women, both certified CNAs, CPR and home health aides. Will care for your loved ones day or night. Hospice experience in Mo. and Kan. 100% good references. Treat your family with dignity and safe care. Call (816) 322-2396, (816) 3086259 or (913) 449-8348. Ask for Mary or Sarah.

REAL ESTATE Wanted to buy - Houses that need an upgrade or are very old that you’re having difficulty selling or are in need of selling quickly. I can pay cash within 20 days. Please call Mark Edmondson at (913) 980-4905. Holy Trinity Parish member.

Own Your Own Lodge - Approximately 5,860 square feet. Perfect for large families or a business getaway.

240 feet of lake frontage. Seasonal, summer or winter.

Three stone fireplaces, 3 master suites with 3 additional bedrooms, 6 baths, 2 wet bars, 3 living areas for family and friends. Fully furnished. 3-well oversized dock.

Sunrise Beach, Mo., in the Ozarks. $695,000. Call (913) 208-8074.

VACATION Colorado vacation - Winter Park; 2 BR, 1 BA, furnished.

Mountain biking, golf, hiking, and fishing. $125 per night or $700 per week. Call (816) 392-0686.

Colorado vacation - Granby, Winter Park. 2 BR, kitchen, sleeps 6. Pet OK. www.innatsilvercreek.com. June 28 - July 5; July 5 - July 12. $700 per week. Call (913) 649-7596.

Pilgrimage in France - Sept. 8 - 18, 2014. Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Bernadette, healing baths, St. John Vianney, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, St. Thérèse, beaches of Normandy (70th anniversary), Mont St. Michel, Our Lady of Pontmain, St. Catherine Laboure, St. Vincent de Paul, Paris. Chaplain: Fr. Ernie Davis, St. Therese Little Flower Kansas City. $4,559. Send an email to: frernie3@gmail. com or call (816) 444-5406.

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 - Lowrey Heritage organ with Leslie speaker.

Located in Topeka. Make an offer. Call (785) 357-4321.

For sale - 2 separate burial plots, Resurrection Cemetery, Queen of Heaven section. Asking $2,000; $2,800 value. Vault also available, asking $700; $1,000 value. Call (713) 569-9898 or send an email to: thomas_ conry@att.net.

For sale - Four gravesites located in section 8 of Mount Calvary Cemetery, Kansas City, Kan. Valued at $6,400; asking $5,600. Call (785) 986-6480.

For sale - 3 cemetery lots. Good location, St. Mary’s Cemetery, Louisburg. $600 each. Call (913) 904-4122.

calendar 13

April 4, 2014 | theleaven.com

April The women of Holy Cross Church, 8311 W. 93rd St., Overland Park, will sponsor a soup and salad buffet from 5 - 7 p.m. on April 4. The cost to attend is $6 for adults; $3 for children. At 7:30 p.m., Our Lady & St. Rose gospel choir and Heritage House Dance Ministry will perform.

For more information, call Margi Foley at (913) 381-8145.

4

A free estate planning informational workshop will be held on April 5 from 9:30 a.m. - noon at the Bishop Ward High School cafeteria, 708 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kan. All are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served. Reserve your spot by calling Mary at (913) 371-6901 or send an email to: mspangler@wardhigh.org.

For a complete list of presenters and topics, visit the website at: www.wardhigh. org/estateworkshop.

5

High school and 7th- and 8th-grade students are invited to a night of music, charismatic praise, eucharistic adoration, confession, and Mass by candlelight from 5:15 - 9 p.m. on April 5 at the student union building of Benedictine College, Atchison. There is no cost to attend. For more information, call the Benedictine College ministry office at (913) 360-7735 or visit the website at: www.facebook. com/BCministry.

St. Joseph Parish, Olpe, will host its annual spring festival on April 6 at 307 Iowa St. The dinner and kids’ games will be held from 3 - 6:30 p.m. Bingo begins at 6:45 p.m. in the Knights of Columbus Hall. A ham and roast beef dinner will be served. The cost to attend the meal is $8 for adults; $3 for children ages 10 and under. Carryout meals are also available. There will also be a raffle along with many more cash and merchandise prizes. Raffle tickets are available from St. Joseph CCD students or on the day of the festival. All proceeds benefit St. Joseph Parish religious education ministries.

6

Solemn vespers and Benediction will be held at 4 p.m. on April 6 at St. Michael the Archangel Church, 143rd and Nall, Leawood. Gregorian chant and sacred polyphony will be sung by resident archdiocesan choir Sursum Corda. Public adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will begin

at 1 p.m. All are welcome.

Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., hosts a monthly book club for women that meets 6 - 7:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month.

The book for April 8 is “Amity and Sorrow,” by Peggy Riley. To register, call (913) 906-8990.

8

“Genealogy is Fun and Fulfilling” will be offered at Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., on April 9 from 1:30 - 3 p.m. by Lora Hackman Fitzgerald, retired genealogy librarian for the Johnson County Library. To register, call (913) 906-8990.

9

Sophia Spirituality Center, Atchison, will host a retreat, entitled “A Lenten Journey With Jesus,” on April 10 from 9 a.m. 3:30 p.m. Follow Jesus closely during his passion, and learn what sustained him and how you can have this power in your own life. The retreat will be conducted by Sister Marie Ballmann, OSB, a spiritual director, member of the Sophia staff and a leader of both private and group retreats and workshops. For more information or to register, call (913) 360-6151 or visit Sophia Spirituality Center’s website at: www.sophiaspiritualitycenter.org.

10

Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., will offer “Holy Woman: Joy Harjo,” a Native American poet and musician, presented by Sister Thomasita Homan, OSB, on April 10 from 1 - 2:15 p.m. To register, call (913) 906-8990.

A course in the sympto-thermal method of natural family planning begins at 6 p.m. on April 11 at St. Michael the Archangel Parish, 14251 Nall Ave., Leawood, and on April 13 at 1 p.m. at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, 1515 S.W. 10th Ave., Topeka. The cost to attend is a reasonable course fee. For more information, call Dana or Eric Runnebaum at (785) 380-0062 or the Couple to Couple League of Kansas City at (913) 894-3558.

Online registration is required by visiting the website at: www.ccli.org.

11

Students at the University of Kansas will present “Genius of Women,” a variety show that aspires to express and celebrate the beauty and dignity of womanhood, on

April 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Kansas Room of the Kansas Union. The show includes a variety of music, dance, poetry, and other performances. There is no cost to attend.

The University of Saint Mary De Library will serve up a virtu11-13 Paul al treasure trove for book lovers April 11 - 13 at the library’s annual used book sale. The sale, on USM’s Leavenworth campus at 4100 S. 4th St., is open to the public. The books, culled from De Paul Library’s extensive collection, will be on sale for $1 each for hardcovers and 50 cents each for paperbacks. VHS tapes will go for 25 cents apiece. Proceeds from the sale go to purchasing new materials for the library. The hours for the sale 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on April 11; 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. on April 12; and 5:30 - 9:30 p.m. on April 13. For more information, call De Paul Library at (913) 758-6306.

Holy Angels Parish, Basehor, will host a parish mission, entitled “God, Faith and Being Tested,” from April 11 - 13. The mission will be presented by Father James Swetnam, SJ, a scholar of the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and now a resident of Jesuit Hall in St. Louis. There is no cost to attend. For more information, contact the parish office at (913) 724-1665 or visit the website at: holyangelsbasehor. org.

Christ’s Peace House of Prayer, Easton, will host a “Prepare for Holy Week” retreat from April 11 - 13. There will be five conferences, eucharistic adoration, celebration of the Palm Sunday liturgy at the local parish, and time for private prayer, meditation, walking and alone time.

Check-in is at 6 p.m. on April 11, with a soup meal included. If you are interested in attending, send an email to: info@ christspeace.com or call (913) 773-8255.

The cost to attend is $160 for an individual or $240 a couple.

A replica of the Shroud of Turin will be on display on April 13 from 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. or 7 - 8:30 p.m. at Ascension Parish Hall, 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park.

13

The Service of Tenebrae will be held at 7 p.m. on April 13 at the Cathedral of St. Peter, 409 N. 15th St., Kansas City, Kan. This candlelit meditation will begin Holy Week, featuring prayers, readings, and the poignant “Lamentations of Jeremiah,” sung by archdiocesan vocal ensemble Sursum Corda. The music also features

the famous setting of Psalm 51, Gregorio Allegri’s “Miserere.” There is no cost to attend. All are welcome.

The Daughters of Isabella, St. Faustina Circle, Gardner, will meet April 21 at the Divine Mercy Parish center, 120 E. Warren, Gardner. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., followed by a rosary and prayer at 6:45 p.m. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. Catholic women over the age of 16 are invited to join. For more information, call Judy Hadle at (913) 8847321 or send an email to Gini Liveley at: ginil@kc.rr.com

21

Christ’s Peace House of Prayer, Easton, will hold a Divine Mercy retreat from April 25 to Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27. There will be four conferences, eucharistic adoration, the recitation of the Divine Mercy chaplet, and Mass at the local parish.

There will be time for private prayer, meditation, walking and alone time. Check-in is at 6 p.m. on Friday with a soup meal included. If you are interested in attending, send an email to: info@christspeace.com or call (913) 773-8255.

25

Summer Do you live in the Kansas City area? Do you need some minor home repair or know someone in need of home repairs?

Catholic HEART (Helping Everyone Attain Repairs Today) will be in your area, July 14 - 17. Catholic HEART provides the labor and some material, such as paint, tools, and wood. Requests for assistance must be submitted before June 1. For more information, call Ernie Boehner, Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, at (913) 433-2085; Rick Cheek, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, at (913) 284-1725; or Scott See, Catholic HEART Workcamp manager at (913) 208-4610.

Calendar submissions

• Email submissions to: calendar @theleaven.com • Mail to: 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109, attn: calendar • Calendar notices are due 10 days before the desired publication date.

• Calendar notices may only run two weeks before the event depending on space available.

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

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

MISCELLANEOUS 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.

Monthly Holy Rosary Rallies of Greater Kansas City

Join Us for the Monthly Holy Rosary Rallies of Greater Kansas City in Honor of Our Lady of Fatima in reparation for sins to help restore God’s peace to the hearts of mankind March 16, 2014 Holy Family Parish 274 Orchard Kansas City, KS 66101

April 13, 2014 Our Lady of Perpetual Help 3333 Broadway, Kansas City, MO 64111

All Rallies Run from 3 to 4:15 pm and include praying the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries plus Benediction and Opportunity to Enroll in the Brown Scapular Visit our Website for All Future Dates: www.rosaryrallieskc.org

4/1/14 4:05 PM

14 commentary Scripture Readings fifth week of lent April 6 FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT Ez 37: 12-14 Ps 130: 1-8 Rom 8: 8-11 Jn 11: 1-45 April 7 John Baptist de la Salle, priest Dn 13: 1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 Ps 23: 1-6 Jn 8: 1-11 April 8 Tuesday Nm 21: 4-9 Ps 102: 2-3, 16-21 Jn 8: 21-30 April 9 Wednesday Dn 3: 14-20, 91-92, 95 (Ps) Dn 3: 52-56 Jn 8: 31-42 April 10 Thursday Gn 17: 3-9 Ps 105: 4-9 Jn 8: 51-59 April 11 Stanislaus, bishop Jer 20: 10-13 Ps 18: 2-7 Jn 10: 31-42 April 12 Saturday Ez 37: 21-28 (Ps) Jer 31: 10-13 Jn 11: 45-56

Find The Leaven in these places Online

www.theleaven.com

theleaven.com | april 4, 2014

Make room for church this Holy Week

“M

y gosh, Mark!

Look at all the stuff

Twitter @theleavenkc

YouTube

www.youtube.com/ user/theleavenkc

Who to contact about . . .

Story ideas anita@theleaven.com Calendar notices calendar@theleaven.com Anniversary notices todd@theleaven.com Eagle Scouts todd@theleaven.com Advertising julie@theleaven.com

Father Mark Goldasich Father Mark Goldasich is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989. was actually so bad until I emptied it out later. Hooboy! What I thought was merely a mobile storage unit actually looked more like a landfill.

Here’s what I uncovered: a light jacket and a heavy coat (darn unpredictable Kansas weather); a stocking hat; two pairs of gloves; five magazines; an impressive assortment of empty plastic bags; a brand-new gourmet knife set with two cutting boards and some kitchen shears; three baseball hats; a shoehorn; a unicorn; an illuminated magnifying glass; four programs from shows; two newspapers; a gym bag; a memorial card from a funeral; one parish bulletin; a St. Patrick’s Day card; an organ grinder’s monkey; a coupon for $5 off at Logan’s Roadhouse (that expired on

whelms the lion. It becomes tame, weak and disabled because its attention is fragmented. (Adapted from “1001 Illustrations That Connect,”

by Craig Brian Larson and Phyllis Ten Elshof.)

Based on recent conversations, I’d say that many of us are like that lion. Our lives — like my car’s back seat — are so full of stuff, that we not only lose focus, but our perspective as well. With all of that junk — both physical and mental — it’s impossible to devote ourselves to what is most important in life, particularly our faith.

With Holy Week on the horizon, especially the days of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil, are you planning to attend those special liturgies at your parish? Although it’s the high point of the church’s year, so many don’t choose to attend, due to other commitments.

Make this the year to put these church celebrations first on your calendar — now — and then shoehorn in your other activities, instead of the other way around.

There’s no better place to be in Holy Week than with your parish family. And anyone who tells you something different is just “lion.”

D

Ezekiel’s prophecy foreshadows resurrection

uring the month of October, a person can wander into any number of “haunted houses,” which aim to provide a scary atmosphere in preparation for Halloween. However, these artificially macabre venues cannot compete with the real thing.

For a truly gruesome experience, visit the crypt beneath the Capuchin church in Rome. There, the ceilings and walls are covered with bones from approximately 4,000 skeletons. Back in the Middle Ages, a load of earth from the Holy Land was donated to the church.

It was placed in the crypt, which consequently became a desirable spot for burial.

When eventually all the burial plots in this precious earth were occupied, the

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. skeletons of the now- decayed corpses were dug up to make room for new ones.

Their bones were used to decorate the crypt.

The prophet Ezekiel witnesses a similarly macabre scene. He views a vast plain, covered with human bones.

As he looks on, the spirit of God moves among the bones to join them together into skeletons. It continues

Pope francis Anyone who desires to hear the word of God must first be humble and then capable of prayer, Pope Francis said March 21 during his early morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he lives. Without humility and prayer, people take possession of God’s word and turn it to their own uses, said the pope.

The Leaven 04-04-14.indd 14-15

11/3/13); notes from a Sunday homily; a pack of gum; two CD cases (one broken); a statue of Mary; an HDMI cable two-pack; a packet of Splenda sweetener; some Milk-Duds from when I was in the sixth grade; a bag of Pup-peroni dog treats; and a broken plastic laundry basket.

OK, with the exception of the unicorn, the organ grinder’s monkey and the Milk Duds, everything else really was in that back seat.

A few more items probably rolled under the front seats, but you get the idea. How embarrassing. All that junk defeated the true purpose of the backseat: to provide passengers with a comfortable place to sit. (I’m not even sure that Father Mike was able to find or use his seatbelt.)

My mess reminded me of an image from the Rev. William H. Hinson. When animal trainers go into a cage of lions, they carry whips and pistols. But they also carry a stool, which apparently is their most important tool.

The trainer holds the stool by the back and thrusts the legs toward the face of the lion. The animal tries to focus on all four legs at once.

In the attempt to focus on all four, a kind of paralysis over-

In the beginning

Facebook

www.facebook.com/ theleavenkc

as the church prays

mark my words

back here!”

Father Mike Stubbs, my page 14 neighbor below, said this a couple of weeks ago with a laugh. The “back here” was the back seat of my car.

Here’s what happened: Father Mike, Father Phil Winkelbauer and I have season tickets to the Kansas City Rep Theatre. Since Father Phil lives close to me in Leavenworth, we usually drive in together to meet Father Mike for dinner before the show. On this particular night, I drove Father Phil to the Plaza.

All went well until after dinner, when Father Mike made a perfectly logical suggestion that we all head to the theater in one car. Mine was the closest. Uh-oh. I’d only planned on one passenger that night and my back seat was a tad disorganized.

As Father Mike opened the back door, he uttered the words that opened this column. Luckily, Father Mike is a runner and in good shape so he was able to shoehorn himself — somehow — into the seat with just a slight bit of rearranging.

I didn’t think the back seat

commentary 15

april 4, 2014 | theleaven.com

to add sinews and flesh and covers them with skin.

Finally, the Spirit breathes new life into them.

This vision sets the stage for the prophecy that we hear as Sunday’s first reading, Ez 37:12-14: “O my people, I will open your graves and have you rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel.”

It appears as though this prophecy does not refer to actual physical resurrection, but is a metaphor for spiritual resurrection.

The people of Israel have been languishing in exile in Babylon. They are totally demoralized. God wishes to lift their spirits, to give them hope, to have them return to the land of Israel, to reconstitute them as a nation.

Resurrection serves as a suitable metaphor for what

Pope Francis’ homily was based upon a parable Jesus recounts in the Gospel of Matthew, in which a landowner loses his vineyard to thieves who kill his servants and son. Jesus then interprets the parable for the chief priests and elders whom he is addressing: “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.” The same happens among ourselves when we are not open to and obedient to the

God has in store.

On the other hand, the people of Israel did eventually arrive at a belief in the resurrection of the individual. It would not involve a mere metaphor, but the physical body of the person.

This prophecy of Ezekiel paved the way for that later belief in the resurrection of the dead. Belief in the resurrection also will be a key point in our faith. It is specifically mentioned in both the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed. The resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday anticipates the resurrection of all those who believe in him.

Ultimately, our belief in the Resurrection responds to God’s promise to us. As God tells us in Sunday’s first reading: “I have promised, and I will do it.”

Has Christ revealed to you the cross you’re called to carry?

A

s an altar server in the early 1980s, one of my favorite times to serve was for Stations of the Cross.

In those days back home, there was only one server assigned to Stations, and he carried the processional cross.

There was nothing else the server did, save to carry that processional cross. It was a rather large wooden cross with a wood-carved image of our crucified Lord fastened to it. It didn’t rest on the floor

Michael Podrebarac Michael Podrebarac is the archdiocesan consultant for the liturgy office like the other processional cross we used during the rest of the year, and so the server had to hold it steady during the entire but brief service.

I loved serving at Stations, especially because of this cross. It wasn’t heavy,

so bearing it for 30 minutes wasn’t all that difficult.

But it was my opportunity to walk alongside Jesus and look upon his cross. The meditations we used were the then-popular “Everyone’s Way of the Cross.” Some folks think those simple meditations are perhaps lightweight in spiritual content. Maybe, but they were a crucial part of my formation in our daily vocation to bear our cross alongside Jesus, who bears his cross through us as we accept our often mundane sacrifices with patience and faith.

It is good to recognize that we are, in fact, Jesus’ “other self” as he calls us in those

meditations. This is actually quite profound, for it was St. Teresa of Avila who told us that, here on earth, Christ has no other body — no hands, no feet, no eyes — but ours.

Having learned to bear our own cross, we are equipped with the grace to help bear the cross of our neighbor, especially the poor, the sick, and the unloved.

On March 24, on the anniversary of his assassination, I watched the popular movie about Archbishop Oscar Romero, whose witness led to his being martyred on behalf of the poor. Afterwards, I found myself asking the Lord to give me a great cross to bear on behalf of others.

I was then reminded of what I learned at Stations when I was young. The Lord entrusts to each of us our particular cross. It may seem no more important than to “pick up an object off the floor” for someone else. It may be as much as being assassinated because of our witness to the Gospel. The importance of our cross lies in its source, not in its relative size.

May each of us take the opportunity to attend Stations at least once this Lent.

As we adore his cross in that beautiful devotion, let us each ask Jesus to reveal the cross he has chosen for us. Then let us bear it, with courage and gratitude.

ordinary joe

Let the sacrament of penance help you over that hump

H

ave you seen the commercial where a camel walks through an office full of cubicles asking what day it is?

Chattering and chortling, the obnoxious camel pesters one annoyed cubicle dweller after another, until finally a woman tonelessly replies: “It’s hump day.”

“Whoo Whooooo!” the camel hollers.

For some Catholics, the “hump day” in the liturgical year is Lent.

Lent — a time of fasting and abstinence. Self-denial.

Mortification. Repentance.

Yes, and time for the Easter Duty.

Canon law mandates that all Catholics must receive the Eucharist during the Easter season. And although Catholics are not required

joe bollig Joe Bollig is the senior reporter for The Leaven. He can be reached at: joe@theleaven.com.

to receive the sacrament of reconciliation at this time, most of us would probably benefit from the experience.

Still, a lot of Catholics are reluctant to go to confession — and we have a whole list of good reasons why.

Objection 1: Can’t I just tell God I’m sorry for my sins?

Reply: Of course you can tell God you’re sorry for your sins. Do so as soon as you can. However, the church teaches that Christ lives and acts in and with his church, and he established the sacra-

ments to bring his grace into our lives. God uses the priest as his instrument to dispense his healing and forgiveness.

This is what God wants of you.

Objection 2: I’m afraid to confess to my pastor. He might judge me or think poorly of me. I’m just too embarrassed and ashamed of my sins.

Reply: Being embarrassed and ashamed of your sins is actually a good sign, because it means your conscience is hard at work. Seeking the sacrament despite your shame is something priests respect, because it is a great exercise of humility. They won’t judge — after all, they have to go to confession, too. Priests hear many confessions and couldn’t keep track of an individual’s sins even if they wanted to — and they don’t want to. And there’s the “seal of confession” to consider.

Priests cannot reveal anything told during confession.

Remember that it is God to

whom you are confessing. If it helps, go to another parish.

You are not required to confess to your pastor.

Objection 3: The sacrament of reconciliation doesn’t work. I just confess the same sins over and over, and I get discouraged.

Reply: Christ never promised, and the church has never taught, that Christians would never be tempted to sin. The grace of the sacrament is not a guarantee against all future sin. But it does help us grow in love and give us the grace to avoid future sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that although we must still contend with the reality of our sinfulness, we are called to resist it and seek reconciliation when we fall. If a person is faithful, they will make progress over time.

Objection 4: It’s been a long time since I’ve been to confession, and I have a long list of sins. I’m not even sure where to start.

Reply: Don’t wait any longer. Do a little reading up on the sacrament ahead of time.

Make a good examination of conscience. If you’re comfortable with it, call a priest ahead of time and explain your situation. He’ll be glad to help you. He may suggest scheduling a time outside of regular confession times, so you can have all the time you need. This is the better approach if you have a lot of difficulties and removes the pressure of holding up a line of people outside the reconciliation room. If this doesn’t work for you, simply tell the priest about your situation after you enter the reconciliation room. Many parishes place instruction cards in the room to help people who’ve forgotten the prayers or how to confess.

So yes, Lent can be “hump time” for Catholics. But that isn’t a bad thing, because once you’re over “the hump,” you can fully celebrate Easter joy.

word of God, said the pope, according to a report by Vatican Radio. In this way, the pope continued, the word of God itself becomes as if dead. The Holy Spirit becomes a prisoner of the desires of those who would take the word of God as their own, according to their interests, their ideologies, their theologies.

— CNS

4/1/14 4:05 PM

16 LOCAL NEWS

theleaven.com | april 4, 2014

Students speak through art Young Catholics artwork on display at Savior

By Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com

Donnelly hosts arts showcase

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Students go to school to learn and grow, but they certainly have some of their own lessons to pass along as well.

“They’re teaching me something that I didn’t know before,” said Lesle Knop, executive director of the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas, archdiocesan director of stewardship and development, and a member of the Catholic Fine Arts Council.

She was moved by a display of artwork by students from all seven Catholic high schools within the archdiocese.

A reception on April 3 opened the first Archbishop’s Invitational Catholic High School Art Exhibit, which will remain on display at Savior Pastoral Center, 12601 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kan., during business hours through May 9.

With education being one of the areas the Catholic Fine Arts Council emphasizes in its mission, it made sense to work with the schools to find a way to encourage art from a Catholic perspective, said Knop.

And so the idea of this exhibit — which features some 50 pieces of student artwork — was created.

The exhibit includes works from students at Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, Kan., Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park, Hayden High School in Topeka, Immaculata High School in Leavenworth, St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, St. James Academy in Lenexa, and Maur HillMount Academy in Atchison.

The theme for the inaugural event was “The Friendship of Jesus,” and each piece of art and accompanying written reflection expressed that theme in some way.

Appreciating art The wonder of it truly hit home for Ann Connor, archdiocesan associate superintendent of schools, when the collection started coming together as a whole.

The paintings, ceramic pieces, linoleum cut prints, photographs, pencil drawings, toothpick structures and more demonstrated “that each student is in a different place in their faith life,” said Connor.

“How they represent that relationship with Jesus — and understanding that — puts you on a path to help them to further develop that relationship with Jesus,” she

The Leaven 04-04-14.indd 16

Donnelly College is home to the 2014 Kansas City, Kansas High School Arts Showcase, at which the work of Bishop Ward students and others will be on display. Students at all KCK high schools were invited to participate in the juried art contest.

The theme was “Modes of Reality and Representation: Expressing the Experimental.” It encouraged students to think and express themselves creatively and explore the relationship between words and images.

A reception will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on April 11 (the same date as the Multicultural Festival at Donnelly) in the Donnelly College Community Arts Space at 608 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kan. Achievement awards will be presented at 6 p.m.

The works will be on display until May 2.

Leaven photo by Jessica langdon

Annie Nickels, administrative assistant for the office of evangelization and Catholic formation of youth for the archdiocese, views the artwork displayed at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kan., from students at all seven archdiocesan Catholic high schools. continued.

Father Kent O’Connor, pastor of Our Lady of Unity Parish in Kansas City, Kan., and a member of the Catholic Fine Arts Council, incorporated the students’ artwork in his performance during the opening reception on April 3.

Inviting people to reflect on their relationship with and love for Jesus throughout the Easter season, Father O’Connor shared songs from his “Jesus” album, which includes a recording of a hymn called “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”

Ten monetary awards were presented to student artists at the reception. They included an archbishop’s award, a superintendent’s

award and a popular choice award.

Three jurors — John Derby, an assistant professor at the University of Kansas in Lawrence; Andrew Julo, who serves as the service learning and community arts space coordinator at Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kan.; and Eva Reynolds, owner of Eva Reynolds Fine Arts Gallery in Leawood — also selected several award winners.

Engaged and enriched The printed program for the reception included a quote from Father Bruce Ansems, who works in the arch-

diocesan tribunal office.

He walked through the hallway as the display was being set up and was impressed by what he saw.

“As we walk this hall, let us be prepared to be engaged and enriched by each and every painting and sculpture,” said Father Ansems. “The value of the transformation in our souls is made possible through the efforts of the Holy Spirit working in and through these young people.”

Each student has a unique story to tell, he noted, asking viewers to see the beauty in each piece.

Father Ansems also recorded audio reflections visitors may listen to as they view the exhibit. The reflec-

tions are available on devices at Savior Pastoral Center or for download through the Digital Media Center via the archdiocesan website at: www.archkck.org.

This is the first collaboration of its sort organizers are aware of in which all seven Catholic schools within the archdiocese have brought their student artwork together.

“We’d love to see it continue,” said Knop. “It would not have been possible without the dedication of the art teachers, and I really want to thank them. We would not have an exhibit if it wasn’t for the teachers and the students.”

She would love to see families take the time to view the exhibit. You never know — it could inspire a budding artist to envision his or her own work on display in a future exhibit, she said.

An exhibit such as this demonstrates that religious art doesn’t belong to centuries past or to the artists who lived in those times.

“We are religious today, and we have an opportunity today to use our gifts and talents to glorify God,” said Knop. “I think Pope Francis would certainly encourage us as Catholics to use every talent that we have in a way that helps others to experience the joy of the friendship of Jesus.”

4/1/14 4:05 PM