04-18-14 Vol. 35 No. 35

theleaven.com | vol. 35, no. 35 | april 18, 2014

Christ bursts forth from the tomb, conquering death and restoring life.

The world shrinks before the sight, while heaven rejoices. May Our Lord’s promise of eternal life give you great cause for hope as you rejoice this holy season. + Joseph F. Naumann Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas

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

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theleaven.com | april 18, 2014

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april 18, 2014 | theleaven.com

Life will be victorious

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Blessed John Paul: the model of a fearless disciple

never thought that I would have the opportunity to meet a pope. It just never was on my radar screen of possibilities.

Previous to 1997, I had a couple of “close encounters” with Pope John Paul II. In 1987, I was about a football field away from the Holy Father when he gave a talk to Catholic health care leaders and diocesan pro-life directors in Phoenix. In 1988, I got even closer to the pope when I concelebrated and distributed Communion at the canonization Mass for St. Rose Philippine Duchesne at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

I had gotten closer to a pope than I had ever dreamed possible.

In October of 1997, just having been consecrated an auxiliary bishop for St. Louis, I was privileged to serve as the spiritual director for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land sponsored by the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulcher. Our pilgrimage concluded with a few days in Rome. Archbishop Justin Rigali, the archbishop of St. Louis at the time, had arranged for me to concelebrate — and for my mother to attend — a Mass with Pope John Paul II in his private chapel. There were a couple of other priests and about 25 lay people in attendance. After the Mass, the Holy Father greeted and gave each one of us a rosary.

I saw Pope John Paul II

Archbishop’s offer to celebrate baptisms for children of larger families To show his personal support for those couples open to raising larger families, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann has offered to celebrate the baptism of the third or greater child of any family (by birth, adoption, or blending through valid marriage) interested. The first of these baptismal celebrations will take place on May 18 at 2:30 p.m. at Church of the Ascension, 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park.

Additional celebrations are scheduled for July 27, Sept.

7, and Nov. 16. For 2015, celebrations are scheduled for Jan. 18, March 15, and May 17. Please contact your parish office for more information. Additional information is also available from the archdiocesan office for liturgy and sacramental life at (913) 647-0330 or online at: liturgy@archkck.org.

Because The Leaven does not publish an issue after

archbishop Joseph F. Naumann again in June of 1998. The bishops of Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska made our “ad limina” visit, during which I had the opportunity again to concelebrate Mass with the Holy Father, receive a talk from the pope, attend his weekly audience, at which each bishop was presented to the Holy Father.

With the other auxiliary bishops of St. Louis, I was presented to the Holy Father

by Archbishop Rigali, who then had a private meeting with the pope. The highlight of the visit for me was having lunch with the Holy Father with 11 other bishops.

Pope John Paul made us feel very welcome and relaxed us with his humor. He asked questions about the church in our part of the United States and listened intently to our observations.

Our “ad limina” visit coincided with the solemnity of Corpus Christi. I had the opportunity to attend the Corpus Christi Mass celebrated in the piazza outside of St. John Lateran Church and to participate in the candlelight eucharistic procession to the Basilica of St. Mary Major, where there was a brief period of adoration that concluded with Benediction. By this time, the pope’s mobility was greatly impaired. It was incredibly moving to see the Holy Father, despite great pain, drop to his knees in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

In January of 1999, the Holy Father made a pastoral visit to St. Louis. I was able to be present at the Light of the World youth rally, to concelebrate Mass with the Holy Father with more than 100,000 people, and to be in the sanctuary with the pope for an ecumenical prayer service in the cathedral basilica.

I once again had lunch with the Holy Father and a small group of bishops. The biggest thrill of the visit was to be able to present my mother, my Aunt Dolores and my brother and sister-inlaw to the Holy Father.

In January 2000, I was back in Rome at the Pontifical North American College, participating in a seminar for recently ordained American bishops. Again, I had the opportunity to attend the weekly audience that was held in the Paul VI Audience Hall.

Easter, your guide to the canonizations of Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II starts here, with Archbishop Naumann’s reflection, and continues on pages 6-10.

calendar archbishop

Naumann April 18 Good Friday service — Cathedral April 19 Easter Vigil Mass — Cathedral April 20 Easter Sunday Mass — Cathedral April 22 Confirmation — Prince of Peace, Olathe April 23 Confirmation — Prince of Peace, Olathe

With other visiting bishops, I sat on stage near the Holy Father and was given the opportunity to greet him.

I did not see the pope again until October 2003 when I was in Rome for the beatification of Mother Teresa of Kolkata and for Archbishop Rigali’s induction into the College of Cardinals.

Again, I had the opportunity to be presented to the pope and chat briefly with him.

My final visit with Pope John Paul occurred when I accompanied Archbishop Keleher in November 2004 for another “ad limina” visit.

By this time, the Holy Father had become even more limited physically, though his mind was as sharp as ever. Archbishop Keleher and I had a brief private meeting with the pope. We communicated to the Holy Father the greetings of the priests, religious and laity of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. We also gave him a brief update on the life of the church in northeast Kansas. As always, he was most gracious and listened carefully to our observations and comments.

I never thought as a young priest I would have the occasion to meet a pope, much less a saint. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to have these multiple encounters with soon-to-be St. John Paul. My meetings with him were brief, but powerful for me. He communicated a warmth and tremendous interest in me as a bishop, but even more in the people I was called to lead and serve.

Pope John Paul II was a gifted leader. Our late Holy Father had the ability, even in brief encounters, to inspire confidence and hope.

More than anything else, John Paul modeled for me the guiding principles for my own ministry.

Prayer was at the center of his life. During his pastoral visit to St. Louis, he began his only morning there with

more than one-and-a-half hours of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. This was his practice no matter where he was in the world and no matter the intensity of his schedule. This was clearly the source of his energy and wisdom.

His resolute strength in confronting the powerful Polish communist heads of state was awe-inspiring. He never shied from speaking the truth, but always with love — no matter if it was standing in opposition to unjust political leaders or in articulating the moral teaching of the church. One of the great gifts that John Paul gave the church was articulating a new language to express the beauty of its understanding of human sexuality and the dignity of the human person.

His abiding confidence in the innate goodness of the human person created in the divine image was particularly apparent in his communication with young people.

In the face of many critics and skeptics, John Paul was confident that if you invited young people to open their hearts to Jesus and you challenged them to heroism, they would respond.

Many of our younger priests acknowledge Pope John Paul II as a major influence in their vocational discernment. However, he did not only inspire young priests, but an entire generation of Catholics to throw open the doors of their hearts to Jesus and to fall in love with his bride, the church. John Paul not only called the church to be not afraid to open our hearts to Christ, but he modeled for us what it means to follow Our Lord fearlessly.

I frequently invoke the intercession of saints for particular pastoral and personal needs. It will be a thrill to seek the intercession of a saint, whose hand I shook, with whom I concelebrated Mass, and with whom I con-

April 24 Vespers and dinner with newly ordained priests April 25 McAllen Pregnancy Center banquet — McAllen, Texas April 27 RCIA Mass — Benedictine College, Atchison Divine Mercy devotion and eucharistic Holy Hour — Christ the King, Topeka April 29 Archbishop’s Invitational Art Exhibit — Savior Pastoral Center, Kansas City, Kan. April 30 Confirmation — Our Lady of Unity, Kansas City, Kan. May 1 Episcopal ordination of Carl Kemme — Wichita Cathedral May 2 Apologetics Academy Mass — Savior Pastoral Center

archbishop

keleher April 18 Good Friday Service — Cathedral April 19 RCIA — Curé of Ars, Leawood April 20 Mass — Sisters, Servants of Mary April 26 Mass — St. Sebastian, Fla. April 27 Confirmation — St. Sebastian, Fla.

versed. St. John Paul II, pray for me and the people of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas! Amen.

Editor’s note: For Archbishop Emeritus James P. Keleher’s reflection on Blessed John XXIII, see page 10.

Grow West, young parish!

Growth spurs new Gardner hall construction

By Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com

G

ARDNER — If you want to know why Divine Mercy Parish here needs a new parish hall, just take a look to the southwest.

Beyond the parish’s community garden, past fields and trees, are the looming orange cranes and hulking warehouses of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation Intermodal facility.

New jobs mean new families in the community. As the community grows, so must its churches.

Divine Mercy Parish took a big step forward on April 11 to accommodate that growth, with a site blessing and groundbreaking for a new $3.8 million parish center to be built on the west side of the existing church.

“I’d like to congratulate you on reaching this milestone of the beginning of this building under construction,” said Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann to a small group of parishioners. “I know it’s been a dream of this parish for quite some time.”

Archbishop Naumann was joined at the shovel line by pastor Father Joseph Cramer, Deacon Daniel Peterson, Deacon Art O’Connor, architect Jim Sullivan, construction supervisor Kyle Harris, parish council president Tony Muehe, and president of the parish finance council Mark Grannell.

“I grew up in Gardner, at a house between the old church and the new church,” said Father Cramer, pastor for eight years. “When I was growing up, we had fewer than 50 or 60 families in the entire parish, and the community was extremely small.”

In the past five years the parish has grown from 250 families to more than 1,000, with no sign of stopping. Some gain came from unification with

Assumption Church in nearby Edgerton in 2011, but by far the engine of growth has been the Intermodal complex.

“When I came here as pastor eight years ago, you could still see the new high school,” said Father Cramer, gesturing south across Highway 56. “Now you can’t see it because of the new houses. The new building is going on constantly.”

The new hall will have a 15,107-square-foot upper level (161 feet by 84 feet above grade) and a 13,265-square-foot lower level (156 feet by 82 feet), for a total of 28,372 square feet.

The lower level will remain unfinished for the time being and have a “walkout” entrance/ exit on the southeast corner.

The upper level, connected to the church by a corridor, will have restrooms, storage, three offices, two conference rooms, a kitchen and a multipurpose room that can be split with an accordion-like movable divider. The multipurpose room can accommodate 482 persons for dining and 775 for assemblies.

Another feature is an outside “cloister” area between the hall and the church. The exterior will be stucco and brick to match the existing structure. New parking will accommodate approximately 176 vehicles.

Although the new church was built in 2006, the parish retains ownership of the 1912 church (now used for religious education), the rectory built in 1961, and the current parish hall built in 1988 — which has less than one-fourth of the space they need, said Father Cramer.

Construction of the new hall will start within a week or two and will reach completion in approximately 11 months.

The project architect is Sullivan Palmer Architects of Merriam and the general contractor is Global Construction Strategies of Olathe.

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

Leaven photo by Joe Bollig

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, with pastor Father Joseph Cramer looking on, congratulates the parish for its vision and leadership in building the new parish center.

Leaven photo by Joe Bollig

Proving that even archbishops like to occasionally play in the dirt, Archbishop Naumann gives the photographer a face full as, from left, Deacon Art O’Connor, Mark Grannell, Deacon Daniel Peterson and Jim Sullivan look on.

Editor Reverend Mark Goldasich, stl frmark@theleaven.com

Production Manager Todd Habiger todd@theleaven.com

Reporter Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com

Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita@theleaven.com

Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com

Advertising Coordinator Julie Holthaus julie@theleaven.com

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

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Wagner’s Mud-Jacking Co.

Local News 5

april 18, 2014 | theleaven.com

John and Rose (Malnar) Lacy, members of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish, Overland Park, will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on April 26 at the 4 p.m.

Mass. The couple was married on April 30, 1949, at St. John the Baptist Church in Kansas City, Kan. Their children and their spouses are: Vernon Lacy; Robert Lacy; Margaret and Steve Sitler; Patricia and Tim Katzer; Jerry and Sharon Lacy; and Regina and Jeff Stone. They also have 10 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

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Serving Lawrence, Topeka and surrounding areas.

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Leaven photo by Jessica Langdon

Genevieve Frank, a parishioner of Good Shepherd Parish in Shawnee, prepares to share a reflection on a Scripture quote read by Conor Mueller during “The Seven Last Words of Christ” presentation March 28 at Church of the Nativity in Leawood.

Lenten devotion a family affair

By Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com

L

EAWOOD — “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

“It is finished.”

The very words that congregations hear during Holy Week services are the focus of a devotion that has become a significant part of the Lenten journey for some local Catholics.

“The Seven Last Words of Christ,” presented in several area parishes this Lent, focuses on seven brief phrases Jesus spoke on the cross.

In most of the presentations, reflections and/or a musical piece follow each scriptural quote.

“One of the reasons I love the program so much is because it just has such gritty themes that I think so many people can identify with, like forgiveness and abandonment,” said 17-yearold Genevieve Frank, a member of Good Shepherd Parish in Shawnee.

“And it just shows the humanity of Jesus so much.”

Genevieve produced and directed the two performances Good Shepherd’s youth group presented of “The Seven Last Words” this Lent — one on March 28 at Church of the Nativity in Leawood, and the second on April 13 at Good Shepherd.

Several different faith groups were invited to attend the performance at

Memorial Masses • May 3

Holy Redeemer Chapel - 9 a.m.

Gate of Heaven Cemetery 126th and Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kan.

Mt. Calvary

Margaret H. Aguilar Betty R. Allen Edward G. Andrisevic Mary M. Bianco Josephine Brockman Joseph W. Budy Carol Cervantes Leo M. Chop Joseph C. Cindrich Carlos Dehesa Mary G. Diosdado Maynard A. Dominguez Mary L. Ellifrits Richard Enriquez, Sr. Joseph L. Estrada M.D. Teresa J. Fernandez Phillip G. Foster Mary A. Fotovich Rose M. Hurst Gerard P. Huska Emma Kaszko Theodore L. Kokoruda Joseph G. Korosac Harold R. Lacy, Sr Walter Nagorney

Agnes M. Neff Louis M. Mufich Fernando Murillo Emma J. Panjada Mary A. Pozek Geraldine A. Roberts Theresa B. Rocha Alice M. Shows Austin W. Smith Dorothy A. Stack Charles E. Steele Peter E. Stiglich Esther J. Thomas Leonora Valdivia

Resurrection Norma R. Aldeguer Joseph L. Amor Brett J. Ashby Brady Lee Barkley Eva E. Bauer Rosemary Bauer Betty J. Behne Richard H. Behne Constance W. Biggins Anna J. Brulez

Holy Family Chapel - 9 a.m.

Resurrection Cemetery 83rd and Quivera Rd., Lenexa

For persons buried or entombed from Jan. 14, 2014 through April 13, 2014 at one of our Catholic Cemeteries in Wyandotte and Johnson Counties.

Marie J. Cardinal Marjorie Castaneda Corrine L. Childs Kenneth P. Christian Leland H. Corley Mable M. Creten Kay Clancy Dolson Helen F. Domann Martha L. Donnelly William R. Elliott Cleim R. Folsom Rozanne C. Gardner Dr. William A. Geiger, Jr Ilizana S. Graff Stephen O. Groce Mary L. Growney Eleanor K. Hanneman Greyson Haun Craig S. Herter Jean C. Hiersche Winifred R. Hofman Donald R. Hollingsworth Douglas V. Horbelt, M.D Helen F. Hull Donald J. Israel Velma M. Jackson-Mathis

Homer C. Jamison Evelyne L. Karson Charles E. Kennedy Robert E. Kennedy Ann L. Kern Vanita M. Kern Gladys M. Klusman Robert “Jim” Klusman Sally J. Krizman Robert L. Lane Thomas S. Larkin Jr. Catherine D. Lawrence Mary O. Lodde Melissa G. Lohrmeyer Gary P. March Carol A. Marrone James E. Mayer Josephine M. McCauley Elizabeth Hoehn McCray Donna M. Moore Anna Ruth Nelson Andrea Njeri Njunge Stephen E. Norkus Cecelia A. O’Connor Charles M. Patton Mary L. Pelton

Regina T. Poettgen Yvonne H. Purcell Roger F. Quinlan Pamela J. Rode Edward Lee Rodriguez A. Bernard Ruckh Joseph E. Ryckert Dennis M. Savage Bernard F. Schroepfer Mary E. Schuyler Thomas E. Seals, Jr. Bernice B. Seifert James W. Serrano Kathleen R. Sevedge MG Robert L. Shirkey Gerald D. Shoemake John Louis Shoulta Mary H. Soetaert Alfred F. Staab Clarence M. Stegeman Sarah L. Stewart Melvin H. Stutheit Jerome T. Sutera Mary M. Thelen Jude Joseph Tiernan Jacqueline C. Tigges

Linda A. Timm Baby Van Zandt Rafaela Virella-Iglesias Bernice Viscek Kristina M. White Alvin E. Witwer

St. Joseph

Frank E. Lichtenauer Randolph J. Mills Richard C. Van Lerberg, Sr Lorene M. Verstraete Catherine D. Zarda

St. John, Lenexa Lucille M. Bauer Eleanor H. Glickley

Gate of Heaven Robert W. Ellis Dennis G. Foster Cheryl K. Malott Baby Moran Michael J. Peterson Raymond D. Smith Ben A. Wano Robert L. Wirthman

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Good Shepherd.

Genevieve, who also played the violin, cherishes using music in this way.

“The music just expresses so much of what is unsaid in the program,” she said.

The children of the Frank family, six of whom were trained in classical music from childhood, were instrumental in creating this event a few years ago, building an hour-long performance on the structure of the lengthier one composer Joseph Haydn was commissioned to write in 1785 for the Diocese of Cadiz, Spain.

Molly Frank, the oldest and now studying at Loyola University in Chicago, arranged the musical pieces and wrote one of the works herself. She also compiled the spoken reflections, writing several of the pieces.

The reflections include a piece from Blessed Mother Teresa of Kolkota, describing her work with the poor and sick, as well as a reflection on suffering, which the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin wrote as he battled cancer.

Mary Plumb, a parishioner of Church of the Nativity, found the performance touched all the emotions — from sorrow to anticipation of the Resurrection — that are part of the season.

“It really allows you to feel everything that Easter and this Lenten time period are,” she said.

Father Francis Hund, pastor of Church of the Nativity and previously

‘The Seven Last Words’

Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood has built a 27-year Lenten tradition out of “The Seven Last Words of Christ” prayer service.

A professional recording of the Curé of Ars Lenten program’s music — recorded by the Curé’s Seven Last Words choir, the Ketter Trio and Cristian Fatu on violin — is available for $15 at the parish office and at Trinity House.

pastor of Good Shepherd, was excited about the opportunity to offer this gift of time and talent to parishioners.

“What an inspiration it is to have young folks lead us in prayer and reflections and beautiful music — even music that they composed themselves,” he said.

The devotion has become a tradition at a number of parishes during Lent, and each makes its presentation its own.

Genevieve believes the service offers something to every person who attends.

“It’s a great thing to come to because you can just sit and listen,” she said. “You don’t have to talk; you don’t have to do anything except take in what speaks to you.”

“It’s a great pause on the Lenten journey,” agreed Father Hund. “I think sometimes people don’t make enough time for quiet, and tonight — between the music and the reflections — it was a great pause on the journey.”

Eugene and Mary (Weishaar) Bertels, members of Immaculate Conception Parish, St. Marys, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on April 20. The couple was married on April 20, 1954, at St. Joseph Church, Nortonville,

by Father Leo Herken. Their children and their spouses are: Catherine and Mike Rafferty, Eskridge; Debra and Rocky Burrous, Gastonia, N.C.; Martha Creevan, Topeka; Mike and Carol Bertels, Oklahoma City; Alan and Carolyn Bertels, St. Marys; Phil Bertels, Belvue; Jerry and Alice Bertels, St. Marys; and Dan and Susan Bertels, Bartlesville, Okla. They also have 20 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. They will celebrate with a family gathering.

Have your prayer petitions taken to the Wailing Wall Leaven staff member Julie Holthaus will soon be making a trip to the Holy Land with other Catholic journalists, and one of the sites on their itinerary is the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. (Pope Francis is scheduled to be there only days later.) If you would like your prayer petition to be among those she leaves in the ancient wall, please either send them by email to: julie@theleaven.com, or mail them to Julie Holthaus, The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66112,

by May 14. Then watch subsequent issues of The Leaven for Julie’s account of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Second-class relics on display at museum KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Strawberry Hill Museum here, located at 720 N. 4th St., will have many items used by Pope John Paul II while on board the TWA plane that flew him during his visits to the United States.

On April 27, after a paid tour of the museum that includes the Pope John Paul II exhibit, complimentary refreshments will be served in his honor.

The cost is: $7 for adults; $3 for children ages 6 - 12; and free for children ages 5 and under. Hours are Saturday and Sunday from noon - 4 p.m. Groups of 20 or more may schedule a tour during the week.

6 Canonization

theleaven.com | april 18, 2014

making saints Vatican, Rome gear up for canonizations of John XXIII, John Paul II

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

V

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Just over a week before the canonizations of Blesseds John XXIII and John Paul II, Rome hotels are reporting they are almost fully booked and the Vatican has confirmed the Mass will take place in St. Peter’s Square, despite knowing that hundreds of thousands of people will have to watch the ceremony on large video screens.

Pope Francis had announced in late September 2013 that he would proclaim the two popes saints in a single ceremony April 27, Divine Mercy Sunday.

Less than two weeks after the date was announced, the Prefecture of the Papal Household issued an advisory that access to St. Peter’s Square would be first-come, first-served and warned pilgrims that unscrupulous tour operators already were trying to sell fake tickets to the Mass.

With perhaps more than one million people expected to try to attend the liturgy, rumors abounded that the Vatican would move the ceremony to a wide-open space on the outskirts of town. But the Vatican confirmed Feb. 27 that the Mass would be held in St. Peter’s Square, just outside the basilica where the mortal remains of the two rest.

Blessed John XXIII, known particularly for convoking the Second Vatican Council, was pope from 1958 to 1963; Pope John Paul beatified him in 2000. Blessed John Paul, known as a globetrotter who made 104 trips outside Italy, served as pope from 1978 to 2005 and was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on Divine Mercy Sunday, May 1, 2011.

In July 2013, Pope Francis signed a decree recognizing the healing of a Costa Rican woman with a life-threatening brain aneurysm as the miracle needed for Blessed John Paul’s canonization.

The same day, the Vatican announced that the pope had agreed with members of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes that the canonization

CNS

Blessed John XXIII, valet often skirted protocol

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

V

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Blessed John XXIII struggled to shake off many formalities that came with the papacy and often conspired with his valet to sneak out of the Vatican.

One covert road trip in the Alban Hills outside of Rome got Guido Gusso, the pope’s valet, in trouble with the Italian police responsible for the pope’s safety.

But the security breach just made the pope chuckle — happy with their unauthorized escapade, Gusso told journalists during a news conference at Vatican Radio April 1.

While the conference was designed to unveil the radio’s latest project of digitalizing its complete audio archives from Popes Pius XI to Francis, Gusso was among a number of panelists invited to speak about their memories of Blesseds John XXIII and John Paul II, who will be canonized April 27.

Gusso, the son of a fisherman and a native of Venice, worked for five years for thenCardinal Angelo Roncalli when he was patriarch of Venice. He followed the cardinal to Rome for the conclave in 1958 and remained in the pope’s service for another five years until the pope’s death, after which he was promoted to running the papal household.

Gusso said that a week after his election, Pope John was already bored with taking the same daily walk in the Vatican Gardens, confined within the

The date for the canonization of Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II will be on April 27. The two pontiffs will become saints on Divine Mercy Sunday. At left, John XXIII is depicted in a painting from a museum in his Italian birthplace. At right, John Paul II is shown in a composite featuring an image of him by Polish photographer Grzegorz Galazka. of Blessed John should go forward even without a second miracle attributed to his intercession.

A first miracle is needed for beatification. In Pope John Paul’s cause, the miracle involved a French nun suffering from Parkinson’s disease, the same disease the pope had. In the cause of Pope John, the Vatican recognized as a miracle the healing of an Italian nun who was dying from complications after stomach surgery.

In February, Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, said Pope Francis did not skip an essential step in approving Blessed John’s canonization, but “only shortened the time to give the entire church the great opportunity of celebrating 2014 with John XXIII, the initiator of the Second Vatican Council, and John Paul II, who brought to life the pastoral, spiritual and doctrinal inspiration of its documents.”

The cardinal said Pope Francis did not dismiss the need for a miracle attributed to the late pope’s intercession, but recognized that the “positio,” or official position paper prepared for Blessed John’s cause, is “full of accounts of miracles” and favors granted by God through his intercession. One case, often mentioned, involves a woman from Naples who accidentally swallowed cyanide; she believes her poison-induced liver damage was miraculously reversed after prayers to Blessed John.

Asked by reporters in July 2013 to describe the two late popes, Pope Francis said Blessed John was “a bit of the ‘country priest,’ a priest who loves each of the faithful and knows how to care for them; he did this as a bishop and as a nuncio” in Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece and France before becoming a cardinal and patriarch of Venice.

He was holy, patient, had a good sense of humor and, especially by calling the Second Vatican Council, was a

man of courage, Pope Francis said. “He was a man who let himself be guided by the Lord,” he added.

As for Blessed John Paul, Pope Francis told reporters, “I think of him as ‘the great missionary of the church,” because he was “a man who proclaimed the Gospel everywhere.”

A spokeswoman for the office of Rome’s mayor said the city had hoped by March 24 to have a working estimate of the number of pilgrims, as well as preliminary plans for transporting them to the Vatican and providing them with water, toilet facilities and first aid stations.

Marco Piscitello, a spokesman for the Rome hotel owners’ association, Federalberghi, said that already by early March, owners were reporting that more than 82 percent of hotel rooms in the city had been booked for the canonization weekend.

“There will be a strong presence in Rome for this double canonization,” he said.

TUNE IN Live coverage of the canonization Mass of Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II will begin around 2 a.m. on April 27. In the archdiocese, coverage can be accessed via: • EWTN • SiriusXM (The Catholic Channel) • Vatican TV http://www.vatican.va/ news_services/television

Blessed John XXIII 7

april 18, 2014 | theleaven.com

I

CNS

Blessed John XXIII prays after his election in 1958 at the Vatican. At the age of 76, he was the oldest pope to be elected in more than 200 years.

Vatican City walls.

“The route is always the same one!” he said the pope complained. “Take me to the Janiculum Hill. Take me to Villa Borghese!” a park the pope knew from his days as a student in Rome.

When Gusso said it wouldn’t be allowed, the new pope said, “How come it’s not possible?

It’s easy. You’ve got the car. Let’s go!” But Gusso said the pope made only two secret outings in Rome: once to visit the British ambassador to the Vatican who

was at the hospital, and once to see a journalist.

“It was also dangerous because we’d have to stop at the red lights,” he laughed, which gave passers-by the chance to identify his passenger since “he didn’t wear a black overcoat” to cover up his white papal cassock.

However, when they went to the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, he said Pope John was much bolder about getting out. One day, he hatched a plot to escape out the back

gate of the pontifical villa.

He said the pope told him, “Let’s do this. . . . Get the keys to the gate. Unlock it and let’s leave it open for about 10 days so nobody will get what’s going on.”

Several days later, when they were in the car riding around the villa’s gardens, the pope told his valet to take one extra spin around the property “so we’ll make the gendarmes dizzy” and confused. They got to the unlocked gate, opened it and left for an excursion, he said.

Toward the end of their road trip in the Alban Hills, they passed through the town of Marino. The narrow streets were full of people taking their afternoon stroll and “we couldn’t get through,” Gusso said.

The crowds realized the pope was in the car and started shouting, “‘Long live the pope!’

And there’d be someone else saying, ‘Yo, Jo! Yo, Johnny, our boy!’”

When they finally made it back to the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, Gusso said he’ll never forget the look on the Swiss Guard’s face when he saw the pope driving up. “The gendarmes were freaked out, the Italian police — I can’t tell you. It was amazing.”

The head of the Italian police, however, sent a formal letter of complaint against Gusso to the Vatican Secretariat of State.

The pope read aloud the letter from the police in front of Gusso and Cardinal Angelo Dell’Acqua, a top official at the Vatican Secretariat of State.

“The pope started to laugh, happy, because we had suc-

ceeded in getting away with it, in defiance of everyone.”

Gusso said they’d either take the huge Chrysler that had been given to Pope Pius XII or the valet’s own two-tone — ivory and blue — Opel Record, which, the pope said, reminded him of the car he had in Venice.

The transition to the Vatican from his independent life in Venice was hard for Pope John, Gusso said.

The first night in the papal apartments, they looked out onto St. Peter’s Square “and it was all dark, so dark,” and completely empty of people.

“It was a disappointment for him” because he had been used to music, lights and nightlife going on past midnight in Venice’s St. Mark’s Square.

When the pope’s personal belongings arrived from Venice, the pope was unable to put up with the dozen Vatican workmen deciding where all the pictures and paintings should be hung, Gusso said.

“The pope told me, ‘Tomorrow, don’t call anyone [to help].

Have them leave the nails, hammer and ladder. And we’ll do it.’ A few days later, I got up the ladder, and he held the foot of the ladder so it wouldn’t slip, and he’d say, ‘Higher, lower!’” indicating where to hang the pictures.

Pope John told his valet it was OK for him to call him, “His Holiness,” but to otherwise pretend they were still in Venice and stop the hand kissing and the kneeling, adding that if the valet felt he needed to kneel, it was better in prayer before the Lord.

Archbishop Emeritus Keleher shares memories of Blessed John XXIII

will never forget this marvelous man elected pope in 1958 — the year Pius XII died.

It happened to be the year I was ordained a priest and began further studies at the University of St. Mary of the Lake.

This smiling new pope caught the attention of the world much as our present pope has done.

There was no way you couldn’t like this jolly new pontiff.

He had been an important Vatican ambassador assigned to tough posts by Pope Pius.

Among some of the places that Archbishop Roncalli would assume a post as the pope’s chief legate were many trouble spots behind the Iron Curtain. One of these included an assignment to Albania. Indeed, it was there in Mother Teresa’s birthplace where she first came to know him and love him.

It is there where he even won the hearts of Communist hardliners. I recall a picture of him taken at that occasion. I will never forget. He is smiling widely, looking quite robust, and holding a wine glass for a toast. I have often thought that it may have been about this picture that he would say later

Archbishop Emeritus James P. Keleher in his life: “God knew from all eternity that I would be pope.

He had 80 years to work on me.

Don’t you think he could have made me a little more photogenic?” After finishing his duties as nuncio, Pope Pius appointed him the patriarch of Venice.

The new pope, John XXIII, wasn’t in office but a short time when he made an astounding announcement. He made it clear that he intended to call all the bishops of the world to an ecumenical council. It was 100 years since the church had had a council. The truth is that no one really thought that there would ever be another one. The logistics seemed overwhelming.

In the 1960s, due to missionary activity, there was an increasing number of new churches and bishops; a significant number of theological advisers would be required for such an event; invitations would have to also include the many leaders of different faiths; and the all-important linguistic and audio capacities would be very challenging. Where could the Holy See accommodate such a large body of dignitaries? One further challenge would be how to include the bishops behind the vast Iron Curtain that at that time separated the East and West of Catholic Europe.

Undaunted by the challenges, John XXIII went ahead with the project. He saw the new challenges facing the church.

He wanted to equip the faithful to face them head-on. He wanted to clarify for us the very nature of the church; he knew it was time to reach out to other faiths to come home to the church; he sought to point out the challenges that the new age presented to the faithful as we entered into a new era of mass communications and the ever-present need to work for

peace, especially in light of the weapons of mass destruction that were becoming available.

He sought to bring us ever closer to the gift of the Eucharist in the treasure of the Mass. And he wanted to see religious freedom for all people respected throughout the world.

He lived to see it all happen in grand style in St. Peter’s Basilica; he would preside over the first year of his council before the Lord called him home.

Later, some people would say that the council brought changes to traditional Catholicism. But the truth was that the world was already in a state of dramatic change. The fact is that the council equipped us to embrace our faith in the face of those changes.

Fifty years later, we are rediscovering

the wisdom that the Holy Spirit shed upon our church and the world.

John’s statement 50 years ago turned out to be most accurate: “The Council now beginning rises in the Church like the daybreak, a forerunner of most splendid light.”

Blessed John Paul brought flair to world stage

Blessed John XXIII’s lasting legacy is ‘great council’

V

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Although he served as pope for less than five years, Blessed John XXIII left one of the most lasting legacies in the Catholic Church’s history by convening the Second Vatican Council.

A plump, elderly, smiling Italian of peasant origins, the future pope had an illustrious career as a papal diplomat in Bulgaria, Turkey and postwar France.

He became pope amid the dismantling of colonialism, the rise of the Cold War and on the cusp of a technological transformation unlike anything the world had seen since the Industrial Revolution.

Citing the Holy Spirit as his source of inspiration, he called the Second Vatican Council to help the church confront the rapid changes and mounting challenges unfolding in the world — and, by inviting non-Catholics to the council, to work toward Christian unity.

As pope from 1958 to 1963, Blessed John launched an extensive renewal of the church when he convoked the council, which set in motion major reforms with regard to the church and its structure, the liturgy, ecumenism, social communication and Eastern churches.

After the initial session’s close in 1962, he set up a committee to direct council activities during the nine-month recess. Subsequent sessions — the final one ended in December 1965 — produced documents on the role of bishops, priestly formation, religious life, Christian education, the laity and interreligious dialogue.

He produced a number of historic encyclicals, including “Mater et Magistra” on Christian social doctrine and “Pacem in Terris,” issued in 1963 at the height of the Cold War, on the need for global peace and justice.

He established the Pontifical Commission for the Revision of the Code of Canon Law, which oversaw the updating of the general law of the church after the Second Vatican Council, culminating in publication of the new code in 1983.

Before he was elected pope, he served as a Vatican diplomat. His work in Bulgaria and Turkey put the future pope in close contact with many Christians who were not in full communion with the Catholic Church and inspired him to dedicate so much effort as pope to try to recover the unity lost over the centuries. It was Blessed John who, as pope in 1960, created the Vatican’s office for promoting Christian unity.

With his humility, gentleness and active courage, he reached out like the Good Shepherd to the marginalized and the world, visiting the imprisoned and the sick, and welcoming people from every nation and faith.

He visited many parishes in Rome, especially in the city’s growing suburbs. His contact with the people and his open display of personal warmth, sensitivity and fatherly kindness earned him the nickname, “the Good Pope.”

Blessed John brought a humble yet charismatic personal style to papacy. He placed great importance on his modest upbringing in a village about 25 miles northeast of Milan, saying: “I come from the country, from poverty” that he said was “happy and blessed poverty — not cursed, not endured.”

Born in Sotto il Monte, Italy, in 1881, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli was one of 13 children in a family of sharecroppers. He entered the minor seminary at the age of 11 and was sent to Rome to study at the age of 19.

He was ordained to the priesthood in 1904 and, after several years as secretary to the bishop of Bergamo, was called to the Vatican.

In 1925, he began serving as a Vatican diplomat, first posted to Bulgaria, then to Greece and Turkey and, finally, to France. He was named a cardinal and patriarch of Venice in 1953.

After more than five years as patriarch of Venice, then-Cardinal Roncalli was elected pope on Oct. 28, 1958.

He died of cancer on June 3, 1963.

Blessed John was beatified in 2000, by Blessed John Paul II, with whom he will be canonized April 27.

V CNS photo/Giancarlo Giuliani, Catholic Press Photo

Pope John XXIII leads the opening session of the Second Vatican Council in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Oct. 11, 1962. A total of 2,540 cardinals, patriarchs, archbishops and bishops from around the world attended the opening session.

CNS photo/Joe Rimkus Jr.

Pope John Paul II reaches out to young women during World Youth Day in Denver in 1993. He inaugurated World Youth Day 30 years ago. Its international gatherings have drawn hundreds of thousands of people.

CNS photo/Catholic Press Photo

CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano

Pope John Paul II is pictured during a general audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican in 1980. He will be canonized April 27 with Blessed John XXIII.

Pope John Paul II walks down a gravel path in an undated photo by Vatican photographer Arturo Mari.

CNS photo/Catholic Press Photo

Blessed John XXIII is pictured in the Vatican Gardens with the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in the background in this undated photo.

Blessed John, who convened the Second Vatican Council, will be canonized along with Blessed John Paul II April 27 at the Vatican.

CNS photo

Pope John XXIII signs his encyclical “Peace on Earth” (“Pacem in Terris”) at the Vatican in 1963. Considered a highlight in Catholic social teaching, the encyclical addresses universal rights and relations between states.

CNS photo/courtesy of Archbishop Loris Capovilla

Archbishop Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, the future Pope John XXIII, is pictured in 1926, the year after he was ordained to the episcopacy.

Pope John Paul II kisses a rain-soaked tarmac as he arrives to Jakarta, Indonesia, on a pastoral trip in 1989. His 104 trips outside Italy made him by far the most widely traveled pope in history.

CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Blessed John Paul II, who will be canonized April 27, was one of the most forceful moral leaders of the modern age.

He brought a philosopher’s intellect, a pilgrim’s spiritual intensity and an actor’s flair for the dramatic to his role as head of the universal church for more than 26 years.

The Polish pope was a tireless evangelizer and forceful communicator, speaking to millions in their own languages. But toward the end of his life, his powers of speech faltered with his worsening illness, which left him often unable to even murmur a blessing.

The first non-Italian pope in 455 years, Blessed John Paul became a spiritual protagonist in two global transitions: the fall of European communism, which began in his native Poland in 1989, and the passage to the third millennium of Christianity.

As pastor of the universal church, he jetted around the world, taking his message to 129 countries in 104 trips outside Italy — including seven to the United States.

Within the church, the pope was just as vigorous and no less controversial. He disciplined dissenting theologians, excommunicated self-styled “traditionalists,” and upheld often unpopular church positions like its opposition to artificial birth control. At the same time, he pushed Catholic social teaching into relatively new areas such as bioethics, international economics, racism and ecology.

In his later years, the pope moved with difficulty, tired easily and was less expressive, all symptoms of the nervous system disorder of Parkinson’s disease. Yet he pushed himself to the limits of his physical capabilities, convinced that such suffering was itself a form of spiritual leadership.

He led the church through a heavy program of soul-searching events during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, fulfilling a dream of his pontificate. His long-awaited pilgrimage to the Holy Land that year took him to the roots of the faith and dramatically illustrated the church’s improved relations with Jews. He also presided over an unprecedented public apology for the sins of Christians during darker chapters of church history, such as the Inquisition and the Crusades.

His social justice encyclicals, including his landmark document, the apostolic letter “Novo Millennio Ineunte” (“At the Beginning of the New Millennium”), made a huge impact, addressing the moral dimensions of human labor, the widening gap between rich and poor and the shortcomings of the free-market system. He called for a “new sense of mission’’ to bring Gospel values into every area of social and economic life. At the pope’s request, the Vatican published an exhaustive compendium of social teachings in 2004.

The pope approved a universal catechism as one remedy for doctrinal ambiguity. He also pushed church positions further into the public forum. In the 1990s, he urged the world’s bishops to step up their fight against abortion and euthanasia, saying the practices amounted to a modern-day “slaughter of the innocents.” His sharpened critique of these and other “anti-family” policies helped make him Time magazine’s choice for “Man of the Year” in 1994.

The pope was a cautious ecumenist, insisting that real differences between religions and churches not be covered up. Yet he made several dramatic gestures, including: launching a Catholic-Orthodox theological dialogue in 1979; visiting a Rome synagogue in 1986; hosting world religious leaders at a “prayer summit” for peace in 1986; and traveling to Damascus, Syria, in 2001, where he became the first pontiff to visit a mosque.

To his own flock, he brought continual reminders that prayer and the sacraments were crucial to being a good Christian. He held up Mary as a model of holiness for the whole church, updated the rosary with five new “Mysteries of Light” and named more than 450 new saints — more than all his predecessors combined.

10 Blessed John Paul II

theleaven.com | april 18, 2014

Important dates in the life of Blessed John Paul II

K E A T I N G Mud Jacking

1920: Karol Wojtyla is born May 18, baptized June 20 in Wadowice, Poland.

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1938: Moves to Krakow with father; enters Jagellonian University, joins experimental theater group.

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1940: University studies interrupted; he works as manual laborer during World War II. 1941: His father dies.

1942: Enters secret seminary in Krakow.

1945: World War II ends; he resumes studies at Jagellonian University.

1946: Nov. 1, is ordained priest.

CNS photo/Arturo Mari, L’Osservatore Romano

Pope John Paul II, in a black ski jacket and hat, prays with a group of skiers before heading down a slope in Italy in 1984. The pontiff, who had enjoyed skiing in his native Poland, was able to slip away to ski only a few times while serving as pope.

Many of today’s papal ‘traditions’ were Blessed John Paul’s innovations

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

V

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — The first anniversary of Pope Francis’ election brought stories highlighting the unique style he has brought to the papacy. Maybe people have forgotten how much of what passes today for papal “tradition” was actually an innovation of Pope John Paul II. Frequent parish visits?

Check. Joking with and leading a big crowd in a chant? Check.

Sneaking out of the Vatican?

Wait, that was Blessed John Paul who’d head out to go skiing or hiking. Pope Francis categorically denied in February that he had ever sneaked out of the Vatican.

As John Thavis, the former Rome bureau chief of Catholic News Service once wrote: “If there’s anything Pope John Paul II loved more than following traditions, it was inventing new ones.”

The calendar of Pope Francis and of the universal church is filled with annual appointments established by Pope John Paul, who is scheduled to become St. John Paul April 27.

The day of the canonization is Divine Mercy Sunday — an observance Pope John Paul decided in 2000 to put on the church’s universal calendar the Sunday after Easter. The Polish pope was a longtime devotee of the Divine Mercy devotions of St. Faustina Kowalksa,

whom he beatified in 1993 and canonized in 2000.

Presiding over the first universal observance of Divine Mercy Sunday in 2001, Pope John Paul quoted from his 1980 encyclical “Dives in Misericordia” (“Rich in Mercy”): The cross and resurrection of Christ speak and never cease “to speak of God the Father, who is absolutely faithful to his eternal love for man. . . . Believing in this love means believing in mercy.”

Meeting in March with priests from the Diocese of Rome, Pope Francis said one of the greatest inspirations of

Families every three years.

But welcoming hundreds of thousands of young people to the Vatican for a special Palm Sunday celebration in 1984, Pope John Paul launched what has become the biggest international gathering on the church’s calendar: World Youth Day. Explaining to the Roman Curia the importance of World Youth Day and youth ministry in general, Pope John Paul said: “All young people must sense that the church is accompanying them, therefore the whole church in union with the successor of Peter increas-

“If there’s anything Pope John Paul II loved more than following traditions, it was inventing new ones.”

Pope John Paul was his intuition that “this was a time for mercy.”

“It is a gift he gave us, but one that came from above,” Pope Francis said. “It is up to us as ministers of the church to keep this message alive, especially in our preaching and gestures, in signs and pastoral choices — for example, in deciding to give priority to the sacrament of reconciliation and, at the same time, to works of mercy.”

Pope John Paul also instituted the annual Feb. 2 World Day of Consecrated Life, the Feb. 11 World Day of the Sick and a World Meeting of

ingly must be committed, on a worldwide level, to the good of youth, their worries and concerns and their openness and hopes.” At the end of the U.N.-declared International Year of Youth in 1985, he said young people were hoping for change in society and in the world; the church, which looks to youths with “hope and love,” must help young people realize that change by communicating the Gospel truths to them, supporting them as they seek God’s plan for their lives and educating them in living their faith.

Of course, Pope John Paul left a mark on more than the

church’s calendar. Surprisingly for many people, St. Peter’s Square didn’t have a Christmas tree or Nativity scene until 1982. Even after the College of Cardinals asked him to leave Krakow, Poland, and lead the universal church, he continued to keep Polish Christmas traditions; for years, he would invite fellow Poles to the Vatican on Christmas Eve to break “oplatek” (a Christmas wafer) with him and to sing Polish carols. He had been pope for four years when he asked the Vatican governor’s office to put some Christmas decorations in the square under his window, thus a new tradition was born.

Some of Pope John Paul’s innovations had a lot to do with the fact that he was a very outdoorsy, fit 58-year-old when elected to the See of Peter in 1978. He liked to ski and walk in the mountains and, apparently, didn’t think that should change. As he grew older and weaker from Parkinson’s, the physical activity diminished, but he and a few aides never stopped slipping out of the Vatican on the occasional Tuesday for a drive to the mountains and a sack lunch al fresco.

But he didn’t just head for the hills. Pope John Paul made the nine international trips taken by Pope Paul VI seem like a trifle; Pope John Paul took his message on the road, visiting 129 countries — several repeatedly — on 104 trips and logging more than 700,000 miles in a papacy that lasted more than 27 years.

1958: Sept. 28, ordained auxiliary bishop of Krakow.

1962: Goes to Rome for first session of Second Vatican Council.

1963: Is named archbishop of Krakow Dec. 30.

1964: Is installed as archbishop of Krakow.

1967: June 28, is made cardinal.

1978: Oct. 16, is elected 264th pope.

1979: Makes the first of 104 trips abroad as pope.

1981: May 13, is shot, severely wounded.

1989: Is widely seen as key figure in collapse of communism in Eastern Europe.

1990: Establishes diplomatic relations with Soviet Union.

1992: Issues official Catechism of the Catholic Church.

1993: Writes first papal encyclical on nature of moral theology.

1994: Named Time magazine’s “Man of the Year.”

1998: Historic Cuba visit is 81st trip abroad.

2000: Makes historic visit to Holy Land.

2003: Beatifies Mother Teresa of Kolkata.

2004: Opens Year of the Eucharist.

2005: Dies April 2.

2011: May 1, beatified by Pope Benedict XVI.

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Asphalt drives and lots. Fully insured; references. Call Dan at (913) 207-4371 or send an email to: dandeeconst@aol.com.

NELSON CREATIONS L.L.C. Home remodeling, design/build, kitchens, baths, all interior and exterior work. Family owned and operated; over 25 years experience. Licensed and insured; commercial and residential. Kirk and Diane Nelson.

(913) 927-5240; nelsport@everestkc.net 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.

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.

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.

House painting Interior and exterior; wall paper removal.

Power washing, fences, decks.

30 years experience. References. Reasonable rates.

Call Joe at (913) 620-5776.

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.

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.

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

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

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

Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.

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.

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.

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.bene fitsofhome.com.

Do you worry about your aging parents? - Call to learn how a nurse ambassador can consistently manage your health and wellness, allowing you to live at home safely. A simple and affordable choice. Call Home Connect Health at (913) 627-9222.

Have a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease? Inquire about our fresh, unique approach to care. ComfortCare Homes, a local, family-owned care option, opened its first home in 2005. We have now grown to four homes located in Overland Park and Leawood. All of our homes are located minutes from highways I-35 or I-435, allowing easy access from anywhere in the Kansas City metropolitan area including Lee’s Summit, Shawnee, Liberty and Olathe. To learn more or take a tour, call Courtney Minter at (913) 609-1891 or visit the website at: www.ComfortCareKC.com.

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.

Wonderful home for St. Michael the Archangel family 4+ BR, 4.5 BA. Walls of windows across the entire back side of first floor. Hearth room, huge kitchen, deck, patio with fire pit. Large yard for playset and/or trampoline. Beautifully finished basement. $558,000. Call Rachel McGonagle. Reece and Nichols. (816) 392-1705.

GREAT HOME FOR ST. JAMES ACADEMY students - This reverse ranch, 4 BR home is perfect for students attending St. James Academy as it is about 1.5 miles down the road. 7824 Shady Bend Court, Shawnee, KS 66227. Call Debbie Allison at (913) 707-6466 or call The Adam Butler Team at (913) 6852326 with Keller Williams Realty Partners, Inc. 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) 4445406.

for sale For sale - Lowrey Heritage organ with Leslie speaker. Located in Topeka. Make an offer. Call (785) 357-4321.

For sale - First Communion dresses and matching veils for 18” dolls such as American Girl. Handmade. Also available: sleeping bags/PJs, skater skirts, skinny jeans, shoes, accessories, and many more items. Call (913) 642-1836.

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 - 14K, S/S and beaded jewelry from my own jewelry boxes. Includes collectibles, Native American Indian, Anne Klein watches, museum replicas, earrings, necklaces, pins and pendants. Awesome and lovely pieces. All in mint condition. Female Vietnam-era veteran. Prices extremely fair.

Cash only. Must sell. Member of Holy Cross Parish. Call (913) 579-0279.

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

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April 18, 2014 | theleaven.com

April

smoothies, and teas while helping neighbors in need.

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) 884-7321 or send an email to Gini Liveley at: ginil@kc.rr. com

Christ’s Peace House of Prayer, Easton, will hold a Divine Mercy 25-27 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.

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The Catholic Business Network welcomes Dr. Paul Camarata for a breakfast event on April 22 from 6:45 - 8:30 a.m. at Church of the Nativity Parish hall, 119th and Mission, Leawood. He will share his reversion story, as well as how his deep Catholic faith has influenced his successful career as a neurosurgeon. The cost to attend is $10 for adults; $5 for the unemployed. RSVP

by April 17 by sending an email to: rsvp@ catholicbusinessnetwork.net.

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A home solar panels presentation will be given on April 22 from 7 - 8:30 p.m. at St. Pius X Church, 5500 Woodson, Mission.

Learn about a solar leasing program for Kansas residents that requires no upfront costs and saves money on electric bills. For more information, contact Carol Meyer at (913) 677-8672 or visit the website at: wisdom ways@planetkc.com.

Our Lady of Fatima Circle, Daughters of Isabella, will host its annual spring luncheon at 1 p.m. on April 23 at Pegah’s Restaurant, 11005 Johnson Dr., Shawnee. To RSVP, call Pat at (913) 334-1399 by April 21.

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A Mass with prayers for healing, sponsored by archdiocesan charismatic prayer groups, will be held at 7:30 p.m. on April 24 in the Father Burak Room at Curé of Ars Parish, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. Father Anthony Kiplagat will preside. For more information, call (913) 649-2026.

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The Auxiliary of St. Joseph Medical Center is sponsoring a fund24-25 raising event, masquerade jewelry and bake sale on April 24 from 7 a.m. - 6 p.m., and on April 25 from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. in the lower level atrium of the medical center, 1100 Carondelet Dr., Kansas City, Mo. Proceeds help support SJMC projects.

Scooter’s will donate 25 percent of all purchases to Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas on April 25 at the following locations: 9455 W. 87th St., Overland Park, 6 a.m. - 6 p.m.; 10610 Shawnee Mission Pkwy., Shawnee, 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.; and 2027 E. Santa Fe St., Olathe, 6 a.m. - 7 p.m. Treat yourself to whole beans, pastries, espresso, coffee drinks, fruit

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A memorial liturgy for deceased loved ones will be held at 8 a.m. on April 26 at Curé of Ars Parish, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. Following the Mass, the bereavement ministry will hold its monthly support meeting in the Father Burak Room. Grief counselor Shelly Mikuls will speak on secondary losses. For more information, call (913) 649-2026.

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The Curé of Ars Singles will host their annual spring fling dance with classic rock music on April 26 from 7:30 - 11:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. The cost to attend is $15 at the door. For information, call (913) 631-6873.

The German American Edelweiss Society will host a spring dance on April 26 from 6 - 10:30 p.m. at St. Anthony Church hall, 615 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan. The cost to attend is $18, which covers dinner, drinks, and a dance with German music provided by the Willie Kirst Band. Tickets can be purchased at the door, and raffle prizes will also be available. For more information, call Tom Roberts at (913) 721-3299.

Holy Trinity Parish, Paola, will host “Be Transported to Paolasburg” on April 26 at the Miami County Fairgrounds. There will be a German dinner, games, events, and an auction. The cost to attend is $250 per table. For tickets, contact Rexanne at the parish office at (913) 557-2067.

St. Paul School, Olathe, will host its third annual Chef’s Classic Knockout Bout on April 26 from 6 - 10 p.m. at St. James Academy, 24505 Prairie Star Pkwy., Lenexa. The cost to attend is $25. The cost for VIP tickets is $50. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the website at: www.knockoutbout.com.

Our Lady of Unity Church, Kansas City, Kan., will host a Unity Gala benefit on April 27 at 6 p.m. at the Overland Park Convention Center, 6000 College Blvd., Overland Park.

The cost to attend is $65, which includes dinner, dessert and entertainment. A silent auction will also be held. For more information or tickets, call Connie Cervantes at (816) 651-8085 or Milagros Figueroa at (913) 961-6451.

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The annual Hope to Shalom Peace Walk will be held at 1 p.m. on April 27 at Sanctuary of Hope Prayer and Retreat Center, 2601 Ridge Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Participants will walk to Shalom House, 13th and Parallel, Kansas City, Kan., and stop and pray for peace in Kansas City, Kan., along the way.

The walk will end at 3 p.m. and a ride will be provided back to Sanctuary of Hope. For more information, call (913) 321-4673.

All are welcome to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday on April 27 at 3 p.m. at Church of the Nativity, 3800 W. 119th St., Leawood.

This is also the day the canonizations of Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II will take place in Rome.

Divine Mercy Sunday will be celebrated at Christ the King Parish, 3024 N. 53rd St., Kansas City, Kan., on April 27. The day will include confessions from 2 - 3 p.m., the Divine Mercy chaplet from 3 - 3:15 p.m., and the Eucharist at 3:15 p.m.

St. Joseph of the Valley Altar Society will host the Leavenworth Region of ACCW quarterly luncheon and meeting on April 27 at 12:30 p.m. in Bertels Hall at St. Joseph of the Valley Parish, 31151 207th St., (rural) Leavenworth. Sister Vickie Perkins, SCL, director of Welcome Central in Leavenworth will be the guest speaker. Her presentation will be on property. Please bring used cards, used stamps, items for the ditty bags, pennies for the seminarians in our archdiocese and nonperishable food items for Catholic Charities. For additional information, contact Judy Brose at: brosej2002@yahoo.com, or (913) 773-8334.

The Topeka regional Divine Mercy Sunday celebration will include a Holy Hour and enthronement with Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and Father Mitchel Zimmerman on April 27 at 5 p.m. at Christ the King Parish, 25th and Wanamaker, Topeka. A reception will follow at 6 p.m.

A Divine Mercy Holy Hour of prayer, including the chaplet of Divine Mercy in song, will be celebrated at St. Pius X Church, 5500 Woodson, Mission, at 3 p.m. on April 27.

Strawberry Hill Museum, 720 N. 4th St., Kansas City, Kan., will have many items used

by Pope John Paul II while on board the TWA plane that flew him during his visits to the United States. On April 27, after a paid tour of the museum that includes the Pope John Paul II exhibit, complimentary refreshments will be served in his honor. The cost of tour admission is: $7 for adults; $3 for children ages 6 - 12; and free for children ages 5 and under. Hours are Saturday and Sunday from noon - 4 p.m. Groups of 20 or more may schedule a tour during the week.

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St. Michael the Archangel Church, Leawood, will host a “33 Days to Morning Glory” DVD series by Father Michael Gaitley in the

lower level of the church from 7 - 8:30 p.m. each Monday, beginning April 28, to the consecration date on May 31. Bring your own book or order a personal retreat packet. For more information, contact Christi White at (913) 322-6282 or visit the website at: www. heavenlyart.com.

Holy Cross Church, Overland Park, will present an evening of praise and worship, featuring Lee Roessler, on April 28 from 7 - 9 p.m. After the concert and presentation, there will be a mixer with snacks and autographs. Tickets are available at Holy Cross Church. The cost to attend is $5 in advance, or $6 at the door. Proceeds will benefit the Holy Cross youth mission trip.

TurnStyles, 9750 W. 87th St., Overland Park, will host a jewelry sale on April 28 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Hundreds of sterling silver and vintage pieces will be available. Please consider donating jewelry you no longer wear to be included in this sale event. All TurnStyles proceeds support those in need through Catholic Charities’ programs.

Does your marriage need fine tuning? Marriage for Keeps, an outreach of Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, is returning to St. Patrick Parish, 1086 N. 94th St. Kansas City, Kan. Marriage for Keeps offers education, support and resources for couples seeking to improve their marriage and strengthen their family. Workshops teach couples to communicate more effectively, reduce conflict, connect emotionally and learn to better meet each other’s needs. Classes begin April 28 and run seven consecutive Mondays from 6 - 8:30 p.m. Registration is required.

To register, call (913) 621-5775, ext. 1105.

May The Ladies of Queen of the Holy Rosary, 7023 W. 71st St., Overland Park, will host a women’s prayer brunch and fashion show on May 3 from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. The cost to attend is $10. For more information and tickets, call Connie Crutchfield at (913) 492-5697.

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There will be a Kentucky Derby party, dinner and auction on May 3 at Bishop Miege High School, 5041 Reinhardt Dr., Roeland Park, in the commons area. Visit with the Ursuline Sisters from Kansas and Kentucky, share great food, fun and hospitality. For more information, visit the website at: www.ursulinesmsj.org, and click on “Help the Sisters,” then “Kentucky Derby Dinner in Kansas.” The cost to attend dinner is $50 per person or $385 for a table of 8. All proceeds support the ministries of the Ursuline Sisters. To register, contact Sister Amelia Stenger at (270) 229-2008 or send an email to: amelia. stenger@maplemount.org; or April Ray at (270) 229-2009 or send an email to: april. ray@maplemount.org.

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

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.

Cost to advertise is: $17.50 for five lines or less; $1.50 each additional line; Email: julie@ theleaven.com; Phone: (913) 647-0327

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

14 commentary Scripture Readings

theleaven.com | april 18, 2014

April 20 Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the lord Acts 10: 34a, 37-43 Ps 118: 1-2, 16-17, 22-23 Col 3: 1-4 Jn 20: 1-9 April 21 Monday within the octave of Easter Acts 2: 14, 22-23 Ps 16: 1-2a, 5, 7-11 Mt 28: 8-15 April 22 TUESDAY within the octave of Easter Acts 2: 36-41 Ps 33: 4-5, 18-20, 22 Jn 20: 11-18 April 23 WEDNESDAY within the octave of Easter Acts 3: 1-10 Ps 105: 1-4, 6-9 Lk 24: 13-35 April 24 THURSDAY within the octave of Easter Acts 3: 11-26 Ps 8: 2ab, 5-9 Lk 24: 35-48 April 25 Acts 4: 1-12 Ps 118: 1-2, 4, 22-27a Jn 21: 1-14 April 26 saturday within the octave of Easter acts 4: 13-21 Ps 118: 1, 14-15b, 16-21 Mk 16: 9-15 April 27 SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER (OR SUNDAY OF DIVINE MERCY) Acts 2: 42-47 Ps 118: 2-4, 13-15, 22-24 1 Pt 1: 3-9 Jn 20: 19-31 April 28 Peter Chanel, priest, martyr; Louis Grignion de Montfort, priest Acts 4: 23-31 Ps 2: 1-9 Jn 3: 1-8 April 29 Catherine of Siena, virgin, doctor of the church Acts 4: 32-37 Ps 93: 1-2, 5 Jn 3: 7b-15 April 30 Pius V, pope Acts 5: 17-26 Ps 34: 2-9 Jn 3: 16-21 May 1 Joseph the Worker Acts 5: 27-33 Ps 34: 2, 9, 17-20 Jn 3: 31-36 May 2 Athanasius, bishop, doctor of the church Acts 5: 34-42 Ps 27: 1, 4, 13-14 Jn 6: 1-15 May 3 philip and james, apostles 1 Cor 15: 1-8 Ps 19: 2-5 Jn 14: 6-14

simply stewardship

mark my words

THE OCTAVE OF EASTER

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Keep in touch this Easter season

ant to hear a touching story?

During a recent conflict in the Middle East, a missionary watched a shepherd caring for his flock near an area where guns are fired. Every time the shots rang out, the sheep scattered in fright. The shepherd would then touch each of them with his staff and speak calmly to them, and the sheep would settle down because they trusted the shepherd. When another shot sounded, the same routine happened. Each time, the sheep needed the shepherd to orient them again and to reassure them that they were safe.

The missionary observed, “We are like those sheep.

When we are frightened, our Shepherd reaches out and touches us with his staff, speaking words of calm and comfort.” (Adapted from “1001 Illustrations That Connect,” by Craig Brian Larson and Phyllis Ten Elshof, eds.)

Never underestimate the power of touch. The Gospels are filled with stories of Jesus touching a leper, smearing clay on a blind man’s eyes, grasping the hand of a dead little girl and

Father Mark Goldasich Father Mark Goldasich is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989. raising her to life, sticking his fingers in the ears of a deaf man to open them, and gathering little children around him. What a comfort that touch of Jesus had to have been. The attention that Jesus paid to those who were often on the edges of society had to have touched their hearts as well.

Perhaps one of the most moving touches of Jesus is one that we just celebrated on Holy Thursday evening: the washing of the disciples’ feet. Unlike the feet that priests today wash at the celebration — feet that have been carefully prewashed by the individuals themselves at home before Mass — the feet that Jesus touched were no doubt sweaty, “fragrant,” calloused, dusty and probably scarred or scabbed. But

Jesus did not shrink from this menial task. Afterwards, he instructed his disciples to do as he had just done. Jesus knew how healing touch could be — not just to the body, but also to the soul.

What an example we have in Pope Francis. Not a week goes by without pictures of him kissing a baby, posing with pilgrims for “selfies,” or caressing the faces of those suffering from various physical illnesses.

Pope Francis takes seriously the command of Jesus to go out and touch the lives of others with compassion, no matter who they are.

And that is Jesus’ call to us, especially through the seven weeks of this Easter season. The good news of the Resurrection, the new life that Jesus has won for us, is something that we are called to share with others. Each day of the Easter season, make a point to touch the life of someone — a family member, a neighbor, someone who is poor, a fellow parishioner, a stranger, an elderly person, a hospital patient, or one who is mourning. It can be as simple as an encouraging word or a prayer, a greeting card, some flowers, a visit or phone call, a monetary or

material donation, or even a laugh. The important thing is not so much what we do, but that we take the time to be in touch with the people around us.

I’ll close with this story. A parish was operating in the red. The concerned pastor asked folks to please be more generous. As an incentive, he said that the person who donated the most money could choose three songs for the following Sunday.

When the collection was brought forward, the pastor was astounded to see a $500 bill in the basket. He was so excited that he asked, right at Mass, who made the donation.

A very quiet, saintly, elderly lady in the back of church slowly raised her hand. She was invited down to the altar. The pastor commended her generosity and asked her to please pick out three hymns for the next Sunday.

The lady’s eyes brightened as she looked over out the congregation. Pointing to three of the most handsome men in church, she said, “Father, I’ll take him, him, and him!”

In this Easter season, may the Lord touch your funny bone as well!

In the beginning

When exactly did Jesus rise from the dead?

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hen we promise to do something in a couple of days, we do not always mean an exact period of 48 hours. Instead, we often mean “soon, in a short period of time.”

In the Bible, the expression “on the third day” carried a similar weight. It meant, “after a short period of time, soon.” That could end up being 72 hours. But it didn’t always work out that way.

The Scriptures speak of Jesus rising from the dead “on the third day.” We find that expression in Easter Sunday’s first reading, Acts 10:34a, 37-43. That echoes the charge leveled against Jesus by the passers-by as he hung upon the cross, which we heard in the Passion

commentary 15

april 18, 2014 | theleaven.com

Father Mike Stubbs Father Mike Stubbs is the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University. reading on Palm Sunday: “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days” (Mt 27:49). Earlier, when Jesus predicted his death and resurrection, he had also used that same phrase: “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes,

Pope francis Christianity isn’t a philosophy or guide to survival, good behavior and peace. It’s a relationship with a real person who died on the cross for our sins, Pope Francis said. “Christianity can’t be understood without understanding this deep humiliation of the Son of God, who abased himself, becoming a servant to the point of his

and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Mt 16:21). Jesus repeats that prediction twice in Matthew’s Gospel, and it also occurs in the Gospels of Mark and Luke.

But when exactly did Jesus rise? Was it on the third day?

None of the four Gospels describe the resurrection of Jesus. Instead, they have the women visit the tomb of Jesus, which is empty. That visit takes place early in the morning, while it was still dark, according to Chapter 20, Verse 1, of the Gospel of John. That means that Jesus presumably rose from the dead sometime during the night. But does that place the Resurrection on the third day?

We should remember that the traditional Jewish way of

death and death on the cross” in order to serve humanity, the pope said. In his homily April 8 during an early morning Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, Pope Francis focused on the day’s reading from the Gospel of John (8:21-30), in which Jesus tells the Pharisees and the Jews that those who belong to this world and do not believe in him “will die in your sins.” Jesus tells them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize

calculating time was different than how we do it now.

A day began at sundown and ran to the next sundown. So, from Holy Thursday evening till Good Friday evening constituted one day.

From Good Friday evening to Holy Saturday evening constituted a second day.

And from Holy Saturday evening until Easter Sunday evening constituted a third day. That means that if Jesus rose from the dead during the night between Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, it happened on the third day.

Incidentally, the practice of a Saturday evening Mass counting as a Sunday Mass reflects this traditional Jewish way of calculating time.

According to this approach, Sunday has already begun with Saturday evening.

that I AM,” the Son of God, obeying God’s will. “Christianity doesn’t exist without the cross and a cross doesn’t exist without Jesus Christ,” the pope said, according to a report by Vatican Radio. The cross, however, “isn’t an ornament” that is just placed in churches and on altars, and “it’s not a symbol” of identification, he said.

— CNS

Thank the Lord for his gifts by giving gifts on your own

M

y daughters gave up a day on a beautiful spring weekend during Lent to help clean out a closet that had accumulated the treasures of their high school and college years. This poor closet was so packed with prom dresses, sweaters, coats, school uniforms, team T-shirts, graduation gowns and wedding dresses that the rods were drooping.

Piled on the shelves were boxes of trinkets, stuffed toys, and photo albums filled with memories of good friends and happy times.

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

The girls filled seven huge bags with good clothing and items to share with others as I happily rocked a grandbaby and watched, listened, laughed, and remembered. As I rocked, my faith grew. The Lord’s goodness was everywhere.

“God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything

you need and plenty left over to share with others” (2 Cor 9:8).

Stewards of God’s many gifts know in their hearts that God’s generosity can never be equaled. The Lord provides for all of our needs so that we can spend time growing in godliness. The world values things. Heaven values our character.

God gives generously to us so that we will, in turn, give to others. I think he’s calling us to give more than cast-off clothing, though.

How about compassion?

Let’s give mercy and tenderness, visit the sick, feed the hungry and perform the corporal works of mercy. How about forgiveness? Let’s give a listening ear, a kind word and perform the spiritual

works of mercy.

The Corporal Works of Mercy: • Feed the hungry • Give drink to the thirsty • Clothe the naked • Shelter the homeless • Visit the sick • Visit the imprisoned • Bury the dead The Spiritual Works of Mercy: • Admonish the sinner • Instruct the ignorant (This and the next work are extremely pertinent categories today, when so many people are confused by what the church teaches on contraception, abortion, homosexuality, etc.)

• Counsel the doubtful • Comfort the sorrowful

• Bear wrongs patiently • Forgive all injuries • Pray for the living and the dead Throughout Lent, we focused our attention on our prayer life, our fasting and our almsgiving. Now it’s Easter and time to refresh. Renew.

Recycle! We have been blessed with our Catholic faith.

Let’s share it with others.

God provides everything we need, including the ability to perform the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.

These works of mercy illustrate the intangible ways that we show charity to others.

Are they hidden away in a closet of our own making?

Easter is a good time to dust them off and put them to better use.

vocations corner

B

The sign you’ve chosen well is internal peace

efore I entered the seminary, I worked for an engineering firm as a structural engineer.

The highlights of my four years in the practice were projects at Worlds of Fun, the amusement park in Kansas City, Mo. I had the joy of designing the foundations for a few rides, including the Spinning Dragon. This roller coaster consists of a steel track with two rails that guide a car on a short, but eventful ride that includes climbs, drops,

father Scott Wallisch Father Scott Wallisch is the archdiocesan vocations director.

You can email him at: frscott@ archkck.org and horizontal loops. The car, which carries up to four passengers, is mounted on an axle and is free to rotate, based on the distribution of weight and the forces generated by movement along the

track. As my favorite ride at the park, it has just enough thrills without sidelining my stomach for three hours.

While on the ride, you get turned in one direction and then the other. Sometimes you are slowly rising.

Sometimes you are falling quickly. Whether you enjoy all the twists and turns or not, though, you are always confident that you will make it back to the queue house.

You know you can trust the ride and its path, especially now that you know the ride’s foundation designer (ignoring the fact that he left the profession).

When I give presentations on vocations to young men and women, I often talk

about coasters like the Spinning Dragon. I think experiences on these rides give us insight into the discernment process. When we are discerning our vocations, or when we are doing any sort of discernment, we may ask how we are to know that we have discerned well. What is God’s will for us? What sign should we be seeking?

Well, the sign is usually not external. Instead, it is an internal peace. God speaks to us with peace, a peace that brings confidence that we are on the right path. It is a peace that is so deep and foundational that, no matter how much our emotions may feel like they are on a roller coaster

ride, we are confident that we are on the right path. A priest, religious, or married person who has discerned well, both his or her vocation and with whom to live it, can survive the highs and the lows, twists and turns of life, because they have the underlying, fulfilling peace from God that assures them they are on the right path.

So I encourage you to be not afraid of the amusement park of life, but I also encourage you to do good discernment before you choose your ride. If God has designed the foundations and the path, you will always find peace, even if you sometimes lose your lunch.

Church and State

I

We are living in the age of the smear

t is a common parlor game for political junkies to debate whether there ever really was a golden age of American political discourse, when orations of great eloquence and persuasive power would issue forth from the mouths of illustrious statesmen and wash over a rapt citizenry.

What is not commonly argued is that we live in such an age. For good reason: We do not.

We live in an age satisfied that it is easier to delegitimize opponents than to engage their ideas. We live in the age of the smear.

In January of this year, New York Gov. Mario

Michael schuttloffel Michael Schuttloffel is the executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference.

Cuomo was heard on local radio talking about “extreme conservatives” who “have no place in the state of New York.” Cuomo, who calls himself a Catholic, counted “right to life” and “anti-gay” people among the ranks of undesirables (presumably anti-gay is his way of de-

scribing anyone who believes that children deserve a mother and a father).

In the summer of 2012, after the president of Chick-fil-A made comments in support of traditional marriage, high profile politicians in Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and elsewhere suggested that they might take steps to keep Chickfil-A out of their cities.

This is a doubly ominous development for religious Americans who see in the mother-father-child family unit the very building block of society. Not only are they losing battles in the legislatures and courts over the definition of marriage, but culturally their position is rapidly becoming illegitimate.

Recently, it was brought to light that Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich had made a contribution of $1000 to the 2008 campaign to pass a state constitutional amendment in California defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

Uproar ensued, and within mere days he was no longer CEO. That this happened so rapidly is evocative of how quickly the ground has shifted on this issue. As a candidate in 2008, then Sen. Obama opposed same-sex marriage, a view now held to be so repugnant that one who espouses it is not even fit to run a Web browser.

It is a metaphysical certainty that in two years, the Democratic nominee for

president will fully embrace same-sex marriage. Irony of ironies, Barack Obama circa 2008 would be far too conservative on social issues to win his party’s nomination in 2016. The fate of religious freedom legislation recently considered by the Kansas Legislature suggests that the GOP may well be on the road to capitulation as well.

With each passing minute, the debate becomes less about whether we will have same-sex marriage in this country, and more about what will be done with those who do not approve.

Opposition to same-sex marriage is not in danger of becoming a minority view.

It is in danger of becoming intolerable.

16 LOCAL NEWS

theleaven.com | april 18, 2014

These quilters are sew talented Gardner group combines talent and fellowship

By Jill Ragar Esfeld jill@theleaven.com

G

ARDNER — Divine Mercy parishioner Virginia Mackey was in a quandary; the last thing she wanted to do was ruin a priest’s

vestment.

But that was the possibility she faced as she helped her daughter, Karen Holland, sew a vestment for her pastor, Father Larry Albertson of Queen of the Holy Ro sa r y The Quilt Group Parish in meets every WednesWea. day at 10 a.m. New “We got members are always to the point welcome. You don’t where it have to be a member was kind of Divine Mercy to of comjoin. A desire to learn plicated,” is the only requiresaid Mackment. ey.

“And The group also I didn’t welcomes donations know how of fabric and quilting to help supplies. her.”

For more informaIt was tion, contact Shirley a critical Kissell (913) 856issue. Af8675. ter all, this particular sewing project would be on display in front of a great many people.

“What should I do?” Holland asked her mother.

Mackey thought for a moment, and then came up with the perfect solution.

“I know these ladies over in Gardner,” she said.

Saint Anne’s Quilt Group

Skills to share The “ladies” Mackey referred to are members of Saint Anne’s Quilt Group — but don’t let the name fool you.

They do much more than quilting.

As a matter of fact, if you walk into the Divine Mercy Parish center on any Wednesday, you will be overwhelmed by the whirlwind of activity there.

The sound of laughter and female chatter makes the constant drone of sewing machines barely audible as these talented women work on a variety of projects — from quilts to baptismal clothes to pillows to pillow-case dresses.

If you have any sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidery or crafting problem, there’s a good chance someone in the group can solve it.

And if you have a personal problem, they can probably solve that, too.

“I’m not a member of the group,” said Holland. “My mom just brought me over and they all accepted me — and the challenge, too.”

Holland has been visiting the quilting group for help with Father Albertson’s vestments ever since.

Her mother, who has belonged to the group for several years, gets emotional when she talks about how much she values the fellowship she finds there.

“I don’t know what I’d do without it,” she said. “It gives me family. And

Leaven photo by Jill Ragar Esfeld

A talented seamstress and knitter, Helen Graettinger is also known for her antique Singer sewing machine that’s light and easy to carry to the quilting group’s weekly meetings. they have so much talent that they share with everyone.”

“I think it keeps her young,” her daughter agreed.

The reasons members belong to the group are as varied at the projects they do.

A seasoned quilter, Barbara Lawrence joined to make quilts for her kids and grandkids.

Ascension parishioner Mary Greve joined for the social interaction . . . and has learned how to quilt along the way.

Everyone welcome Shirley Kissell started the group seven years ago.

“There were several of us that started,” she said. “We still have some core members and several new members.”

The group is always open to new members.

“You don’t have to know how to quilt,” said Greve. “You just have to have the desire to do it.”

“It’s very, very friendly,” added Betty Scherer. “Congeniality and fellowship — we come and visit and talk and share and help each other.”

And nobody expects perfection.

As a testament to that, member Jocita Palmer, who doesn’t always finish projects, wrote her personal slogan on the group’s ironing board.

“To quilt is human,” it says. “To finish is divine!”

Father Joseph Cramer has been the pastor of Divine Mercy since the group began and is one of its biggest supporters.

“Father Joe is very kind,” said Kissell. “He loved the idea of women

getting together and socializing.”

The group always meets during the day on Wednesday but tries to vary the agenda from week to week. For instance, the first Wednesday is usually a demonstration or learning project often led by professional quilting teacher and member Marge Meyer.

Another Wednesday is reserved for a monthly meeting.

“We set goals for the year — what we want to accomplish,” said Kissell.

Sometimes, the group goes on the road to find inspiration.

“We go on road trips and we have a blast,” said Joyce Schranz. “These ladies are great.”

No matter what the plan, each meeting begins and ends with prayer.

“It’s in the giving that you get the joy,” said Kissell. “I think God has blessed us because I think the group has increased everybody’s faith here.

“This group is called to share.”

Called to give Members not only share knowledge with one another and the process of crafting the items together — they share almost everything they make.

Divine Mercy baptismal clothes are embroidered by one member, serged by another and edged with lace by a third; then they’re blessed and given to families.

A favorite project among all the members is their prayer quilts given to people who are suffering a hardship.

Each quilt has a pocket that contains a prayer card personally signed by all the members.

Barbara Keiter works on the prayer

quilts, knowing well how much they will mean to recipients. She received one a year ago after suffering a heart attack.

“I know what it did for me when I realized all the people who signed that card were praying for me,” she said.

“It’s very comforting.

“Every time I put it on, I feel like the Holy Spirit is there hugging me.”

In conjunction with Church of the Ascension Parish in Overland Park, the group makes pillow-case dresses to be sent to children in Haiti.

And, of course, the group’s contributions to Divine Mercy’s annual Octoberfest are certain to help with fundraising.

With fabric left over from projects or not usable for quilts, the group makes pillows for local intensive-care-unit patients.

Kissell has a nurse friend who requested the pillows.

“If she can give someone a pillow to prop up their leg or put behind their neck, it helps them not need so much pain medication,” she explained.

Members are constantly working on personal projects, too — and any challenge encountered is bound to be resolved by someone.

And then, of course, there are Father Albertson’s vestments.

“I love to see Father celebrating Mass,” said Holland. “I feel like I’m part of it.

“So when he comes to me wanting a vestment redone, I don’t say no — even if it’s difficult or I think I can’t do it.

“I say I will.

“And then I come to the quilt group at Divine Mercy.”