KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A challenging question was asked by Canadian evangelist Andre Regnier: What percentage of Catholics would you say are missionary disciples?
The answer was shocking. Out of the 20% of Catholics who attend Sunday Mass weekly, he said, only 1% fit the bill. Regnier and Tesi Carmona Wagner, both with Catholic Christian Outreach ministry, were keynote presenters at the archdiocesan convocation held
on Sept. 8 in the Keleher Conference Center at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kansas.
The last archdiocesan convocation, held in October 2019, launched the three-year evangelization initiative “Enflame Our Hearts, Our Homes and Communities.”
After a four-year gap due to the pandemic, this year’s convocation, held by the archdiocesan office of evangelization, came back with an expanded format.
It now provides for an English-language session in the morning, and a Spanishlanguage session in the evening.
“We had a gathering in Spanish because the office of evangelization wants to serve the Hispanic community more effectively — that is, by taking the same initiatives developed in English and providing them in Spanish,” said Karla Melgar, consultant for evangelization and convocation co-organizer.
“Using this strategy, we will have more consistency with the mission we are called to share,” she added.
The convocation was attended by more than 200 priests, deacons, religious, parish leaders, educators, organization representatives and parishioners.
The event’s theme was “Building Catholic Communities in Relationship with Christ and Others.”
Preparation for the coming Year of Parish Revival for the National Eucharistic Revival and empowering Catholics for evangelization figured prominently in the convocation. Attendees were urged to become missionary disciples and, in turn, mentor others to become the same.
“The objective for today is, one, I want to speak about conversion,” said Regnier. “Conversion has everything
Recently, while deplaning, one of my fellow passengers commented on the good behavior of another passenger’s dog.
It was true the dog had not made so much as a whimper, much less barked, during the entire trip. The proud dog owner replied that had she known the satisfaction of having a pet dog, she never would have had children.
While obviously this woman was being humorous, she reflected an attitude that is prevalent in our culture. Caring for a newborn, a baby, a toddler, a child, an adolescent, a young adult is much more challenging and difficult than taking care of Fido.
Dogs or other pets can be great companions, but they are not capable of composing beautiful music, writing inspiring literature, painting masterpieces, making scientific discoveries,
etc. While pets can show appreciation for their masters — for the hands that feed them — they cannot enter into meaningful conversations with human beings or develop mutual relationships with their owners.
It is quite astonishing the amount of money Americans spend on dog food, animal toys, pet wardrobes, veterinarian visits and even weekends at pet spas. While I am not denying the enjoyment pets can
bring to individuals and families, it cannot compare with the rewards of human friendships or familial relationships.
This past spring, the Kansas City Chiefs place kicker Harrison Butker delivered the commencement address at his alma mater, Georgia Tech University. Butker was considered a distinguished alum not because of his talent as a motivational speaker, but for his ability to kick an odd-shaped ball over a crossbar and through a set of goal posts.
However, in my opinion, Butker gave
both a provocative and inspired message to the 2023 graduates. He also generated quite a media stir because of his countercultural advice to his audience.
What did Butker say? He spoke about the importance of faith in his life. He acknowledged the positive impact that he had experienced from his active participation at the Georgia Tech Catholic Campus Center.
Yet, what caught the most media attention was his encouragement to the graduates to get married and start a family.
Though he had personally attained a certain level of both fame and fortune, Harrison discouraged the graduates from making these their highest priorities.
For Butker, striving to be a loving husband and a good father was what he personally found to be most challenging as well as most rewarding.
Marriage and parenthood were more fulfilling than his performance on the gridiron. In fact, Butker shared that when his relationships with God, his wife and his children are healthy, it has a positive impact on his professional life. He told the graduates that his wedding ring was much more important to him than either of his Super Bowl rings!
I enjoy watching a Sunday football game as much as anyone. However, Sunday is first and foremost a day to worship and honor God. It is a day to enjoy and strengthen the bonds of family. What happens every Sunday at Mass, where Jesus Christ — the King of kings and Lord of lords, makes himself present to us — is much more important than a football score.
Not everyone is called to Christian marriage. Ultimately, seeking to do God’s will with our lives should be our goal. We can honor and glorify God in many ways — as a priest, a religious Sister or Brother or a single person. However, living the adventure of Christian marriage and parenthood is the pathway for holiness for many, if not most, Catholics. Making
Sept. 15
EOHSJ annual meeting — St. Louis
Sept. 18
CORE priests appreciation dinner — St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Leawood
Sept. 19
Administrative Team meeting — chancery
Sept. 20
Presbyteral Council meeting — chancery
Jesus Covenant Prayer Partner call
Confirmation — Holy Family, Eudora
Sept. 21
Communio update with Tory Baucum — chancery
Confirmation — Immaculate Conception, Louisburg
Sept. 22
Southern Regional priest meeting — St. Joseph, Waverly
Sept. 23
10th anniversary Mass of the Community of the Lamb Catholic Community Health Fall Ball — Fiorella’s Event Center, Overland Park
Sept. 24
World Day of Migrants and Refugees — Prince of Peace, Olathe
Sept. 30
Institute on Religious Life Mass — Franciscan Prayer Center, Independence, Missouri
EMBRACE the Brew II — Prairiefire Museum, Overland Park
Oct. 1
Respect Life Sunday Mass — St. Joseph, Shawnee
Project Andrew — Sacred Heart, Emporia
Oct. 2
Engaging Catholic college students discussion — chancery
God’s love real and tangible for one’s spouse and children is much more life-giving and impactful than playing football, much less watching it. The family is the foundation for culture, society, the nation and the church.
Marriage is the foundation of the family.
Sadly, many young women have difficulty finding marriageable men, in part because so many young males are addicted to video games and pornography. We were not created simply to entertain ourselves, to seek personal pleasure and to be self-absorbed.
Similarly, many young men find it difficult to find a woman who is willing to make the commitment of marriage, to be open to the challenges of pregnancy, the pain of childbirth and the demands of motherhood.
Marriage welllived is an antidote to selfishness. Marriage demands being other-
centered, seeking the good of one’s spouse and children over personal desires and preferences. Marriage requires tremendous generosity, not just for a season, but for a lifetime.
I have encouraged all of our pastors to make ministry for married couples a high priority for parishes. The church needs to be a place where people can come to learn how to develop good friendships. Our parishes need to equip our young people to know how to form healthy relationships, thus preparing them to be good future husbands and wives as well as wise Christian parents. Be good to your cat and dog. But make your family relationships, as well as healthy and holy friendships, a much higher priority! Let us reclaim Sunday as the Lord’s day, as well as a day for family, friendship and service!
BUCYRUS — The Month of the Rosary came early at Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish here when parishioners gathered Aug. 22 to dedicate a new rosary path on the parish grounds.
The dedication ceremony included a Scripture passage, prayer and remarks by the women who started the rosary path project: Kathryn Sarnecki and Deb Heine. Both are parishioners of Holy Rosary and spearheaded the effort after noticing an area that was overgrown with weeds.
“Two years ago this past June, I started getting involved in taking care of some pots around the church, which led to a very bad area where a gazebo had been taken down,” said Sarnecki. “I wanted to clean it up.”
Heine offered to help pull weeds from the area. As the two worked, they quickly felt a call to do more.
“We started with the garden area, and as we were working, we both felt a tap on the shoulder or a whisper in our ear,” said Sarnecki. “We realized Mary was asking us to make her a rosary path. We were getting that message loud and clear.”
As the project progressed, Sarnecki and Heine put extra care into making the path safe for all who would want to enjoy it.
“We wanted to see if we could do it in this handicapped-accessible way,” said Heine.
Despite widespread support from other parishioners, the project was not without challenges.
“We had some setbacks because of grating and water issues,” said Heine. “Some of the parishioners felt like that should be addressed first. We got a landscape architect to help us draw up a plan, who was very eager to help out.”
For Sarnecki, another challenge came in the form of answering Mary’s call.
“I had a friend ask me what was the most difficult challenge,” said Sarnecki. “I think it’s that I wasn’t as good as Mary at saying ‘yes.’ I’m a worker bee; I’m not a planner and an organizer.”
Despite her concerns, Sarnecki gathered plenty of support from fellow parishioners.
“So many stepped up to help,” she said. “This was all donated time by parishioners. There were a lot of Mary’s helping hands out there. We got an offer to use Giving Tuesday donations, a very generous donation from the Bell family, and we got so much support and helping hands from our faithful parishioners.”
According to Heine, the garden portion of the project has more additions on the way.
“Mary’s Garden isn’t totally finished,” said Heine. “We have benches on order and additional plants. Those will probably get done in September or October.”
Heine and Sarnecki hope that the rosary path will be a place of peace and prayer for parishioners.
“It’s a place where you can go meditate with Mary, meditate on the joys in your life, or get consolation for the sorrows,” said Heine. “It’s quiet and peaceful. The plants that were chosen
seem to represent what Mary means to us. There’s a lot of meaning in plants chosen for the garden.”
“For each leg of the journey, Mother Mary kept us moving forward,” said Sarnecki in her speech at the dedication. “We are now extremely pleased to give to her, our church’s patron, this garden and rosary path that she asked for. We hope it brings peace and serenity to those who visit. As you sit in her presence, may you feel the loving peace of her Son.”
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — With the end of his five-year term as rector/president of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, approaching, Father Steven P. Beseau fully expected he’d be returning home to the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
God, however, had other plans.
Instead, he’s staying for three more years at the helm of the seminary.
“The board of trustees and many of the priests, faculty, professors and trustees strongly encouraged me to extend my time [here],” said Father Beseau.
“And then I went on a retreat. It was during that retreat I had a very strong sense I was called to stay here another three years, which I wasn’t expecting,” he continued. “I [had been] pretty confident I’d return to the archdiocese at the end of my five-year term.”
He also consulted his spiritual director and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann.
“No priest can discern these things without his ordinary,” said Father Beseau.
On Aug. 10, it was announced that by a decree from the Prefect of the Dicastery of the Clergy in Rome, Father Beseau was assigned for three more years to helm the Josephinum.
The request for the extension was made by the seminary’s vice chancellor, Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of the Diocese of Columbus, in consultation with the apostolic nuncio to the United States and Josephinum chancellor Cardinal-elect Christophe Pierre, the board of trustees and Archbishop Naumann.
Why did Father Beseau agree?
“There was a sense from the Lord of a really strong call to stay here,” said Father Beseau. “I think it was because we are in the process of doing some really great things, not just because of me. We have a great team. There is a benefit for stability as we move forward with the vision and mission of the Josephinum, and we’re working to
build on what we’ve already done.”
And why three years?
“In my discernment with Archbishop Naumann, he didn’t want to extend it beyond three because we’ll have a transition in the archdiocese with a new archbishop,” said Father Beseau, “and he didn’t want to tie the new archbishop’s hands if I were to stay much longer. Eight years of service is a sufficient amount of time for a rector.”
Now in the fourth of his original five-year term, Father Beseau will continue to lead the Josephinum through June 2027. He was appointed rector/ president in 2019.
So far during his tenure, the Josephinum has incorporated the new Program of Priestly Formation, 6th Edition, from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; created a new mission statement and
strategic/operational plan; revised the curriculum of the school of theology; and revised the curriculum in the college of liberal arts.
“I think we’ve created a very solid, healthy formation program for future priests,” said Father Beseau. “And we’ve had a significant increase of seminarians over the last few years. . . . It has created great energy in the house.”
During his second year, the Josephinum had 40 seminarians. This fall, they’ve accepted 28 new men, bringing enrollment to 72. He thinks 85 to 90 would be a good number, and the maximum the seminary would allow is 120.
“I think the trends are moving in the right direction,” said Father Beseau.
The challenge is finding the resources to continue what they’re doing — financial resources and the right priests
LEAVENWORTH — The Sisters of Charity, associates and employees, and Lansing’s St. Francis de Sales Parish “Laudato Si’” Team will present two public events as part of the monthlong 2023 Season of Creation themed “Let Justice and Peace Flow.”
“Season of Creation Prayer by the River” will be held Sept. 28 at 4 p.m. at the Leavenworth Landing Park, located in the back of the Riverfront Community Center, 123 S. Esplanade St.
This interactive prayer service will encourage the unity of all creation, the protection of water, and offer simple ways of being better stewards of God’s creation. In case of rain, the event will be held inside the community center.
On Oct. 1, St. Francis de Sales Parish, located at 900 Ida St., will host a blessing of the animals outside the
church at the Assisi Grove. Participants are invited to bring their pets for a blessing as a witness to God’s and the church’s love, care and concern for creation.
“The Season of Creation joins people of faith from all over the world to celebrate and work locally to raise awareness of the interconnection between human inequities and the broken relationship with creation,” said Sister Réjane Cytacki, SCL.
The Season of Creation is an ecumenical celebration held each year from Sept. 1, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. During this celebration, the world’s 2.2 billion Christians come together to care for our common home, the Earth.
For further information, contact Stephanie Nash by email at: snash@ scls.org.
to be on the formation team.
Although he will remain in Ohio, his heart will always be in Kansas, and he looks forward to returning.
“I’m a priest of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas,” said Father Beseau. “I never imagined or intended that I’d be given an assignment outside of its boundaries.
“I’m looking forward to coming back, being closer to family and home, and closer to my brother priests of the presbyterate.”
“And, of course,” he admitted, “being closer to KC Joe’s Bar-B-Que.”
Carolyn A. Dinovo, director of communications at the Pontifical College Josephinum, contributed to this story.
Margaret (Atilano) and Gilbert Madrigal, members of Prince of Peace Parish, Olathe, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Sept. 17 with an open house with family and friends. The couple was married on Sept. 22, 1973, at St. Andrew Church in Rock Falls, Illinois. Their children are: Sarah Melgoza, Julie Puckett and Edward Madrigal. They also have five grandchildren.
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LANSING — After two years of planning and construction, a sanctuary renovation is now complete at St. Francis de Sales Parish here. The project concluded with the installation of a large stained-glass window in June.
Bob Maggio, a parishioner since 1991, is a member of the parish finance council and headed the construction committee. He said they embarked on a master plan for the church two years ago, and arrived at clear goals and priorities for the immediate future. The committee decided to tackle renovations inside the sanctuary of the church first, and identified the stained-glass window as an objective. The project began in the spring with renovations to the altar and wrapped in June with the installation of the 20-foot-tall and 20-foot-wide window.
“Everyone worked really well together, from the architects, to the construction, to the parish,” Maggio said. “It was really well-designed, well-managed, and we managed to finish on time — actually a week early. There’s no other stainedglass window like it in the world.”
The project was led by Sandy Cochran and Hollis + Miller Architects (Kansas City, Missouri), Joe Riedel and Straub Construction (Shawnee) and Rich Buswell of Lynchburg Stained Glass Co. (Lynchburg, Virginia).
Lynchburg Stained Glass helped design the window with input from parishioners and was also a part of the installation team. Buswell had already worked on a similar stained-glass renovation project for Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Shawnee.
So when Buswell was contacted by Maggio and explained what the committee wanted Buswell to accomplish, there was only one big question remaining.
“They wanted a window that would beautify the sanctuary,” Buswell said. “[But] they weren’t sure [if] they were going to remove the wall or not, so I told them I would design the window in a way that the eucharistic angels in the lower part would still be there regardless of what direction they went.”
Eventually, Buswell said, the decision was made to remove the wall and now the entire work can be seen. As for the design itself, the committee worked to
find and select saints for the stained glass that reflected the parish and community. The finished product brings together a wide variety of saints. Some were canonized long ago, while others are still on the path to official canonization. There are saints who have military ties, and others known for their charity and care of the poor. They searched for saints from both the Old and New World.
In the most predominant spot is St.
KANSAS CITY, Kan.
— The Sisters of the Fraternity the Poor of Jesus Christ will be at various parishes in September and October to sell items to support projects at the order’s poorest missions in developing countries.
Some items for sale are grown or made at the order’s new property, Sts. Isidore & Maria Ranch, 7201 Irwin Rd., Kansas City, Missouri.
The items for sale after Sunday Masses include fresh-cut flowers grown on the ranch, handmade bracelets, home-baked banana bread and bags of locally roasted coffee beans produced by a master roaster. Sales will be done by cash or check. Make checks out to: PJC Special Funds.
The parish schedule is as follows:
• Sept. 17, St. Joseph in Shawnee
• Sept. 24, Holy Spirit in Overland Park
• Oct. 1, Church of the Nativity in Leawood
• Oct. 8, Holy Trinity in Lenexa
• Oct. 15, St. John Paul II in Olathe
• Oct. 22, St. Michael the Archangel in Leawood
To support the Sisters’ mission projects, receive their e-newsletter or learn more about the Sisters of the Fraternity the Poor of Jesus Christ, call Sister Magdalena at (816) 859-3654 or send an email to: magdalenapjc@gmail.com. Donations can be made via the website at: www.pjcspecialfunds.com.
Francis de Sales and his good friend St. Jane Frances de Chantal.
Father Balachandra Miriyala, administrator, arrived at the parish two years ago, the successor to Father Bill McEvoy. He says he’s very pleased with how the work has turned out, and the “prayerful” atmosphere it has contributed to.
“I’m so happy to see the stained-glass window,” Father Miriyala said. “Now
BOB MAGGIO CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE HEAD, ST. FRANCIS DE SALES, LANSINGeveryone is able to see all the saints, including their favorite patron saint. People have stories about many of these new saints and people who [will] become saints one day.”
Jeannine Edmonds, finance council president, said the renovations have worked to open up the space and allow more natural light and beauty to come through.
The project was funded by donations of parishioners and money rebated to the parish from the archdiocesan One Faith, One Family, One Future in Christ campaign.
“The stained-glass window was paid for by the Robert Martz Estate*, a longtime parishioner,” added Edmonds. “He is who the parish hall is named for (and the stained-glass window is dedicated to).”
Buswell’s team worked through many difficult challenges in recent years just to get their hands on the correct glass needed for the project. Eventually, they had to look outside the country before securing a supply of glass adequate for a stained-glass window of this scale. He said he will be back in town within the next year for other projects in the area and looks forward to returning to see the finished project.
“Stained glass is really a message people today are leaving to future generations,” Buswell said. “It’s a gift to people who haven’t been born yet who will someday worship there.“
*Don and Mary Theresa Medill of Leavenworth are executors of the Martz estate.
IT WAS REALLY WELL-DESIGNED, WELL-MANAGED, AND WE MANAGED TO FINISH ON TIME. . . . THERE’S NO OTHER STAINED-GLASS WINDOW LIKE IT IN THE WORLD.LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE The renovations to the interior of St. Francis de Sales Church in Lansing began with the altar and wrapped in June with the installation of the 20-foot-tall and 20-foot-wide window.
EMPORIA – “To be close to Jesus.”
That was 8-year-old Zachary Tomsche’s simple answer when asked why he likes serving at Mass.
And while it’s not too often a father and son appear together at the altar of a Catholic church, it’s becoming somewhat normal for Zachary to serve Mass with his father, Andrew Tomsche.
Andrew had been a Fellowship of Catholic University Students missionary while in college. Today, he works as the director of missionaries at the Didde Catholic Campus Center near Emporia State University.
Although the Tomsche family belongs to Sacred Heart Parish in Emporia, it’s only natural the family attends the daily Mass celebrated at the center during the lunch hour, and it’s also there that Zachary has developed a love for Jesus in the Eucharist, a love which two archdiocesan priests, Father Matt Nagle and Father Carter Zielinski, have taken note of.
Father Nagle, the campus center’s chaplain from 2019 through June of this year, said it’s easy to see the Tomsches’ love for Jesus. Prior to discerning a vocation to marriage and family life, Andrew spent time in a seminary for the Diocese of Winona- Rochester, Minnesota.
“Andrew had mentioned to me once or twice that he missed serving Mass. He and his wife Christi are daily Massgoers, along with their children, so I had seen the authentic love of the Mass and the Eucharist there. But I also understood where he was coming from. As a seminarian, I remember how much it fed my spiritual life to serve Mass,” Father Nagle said.
Then there were the bells.
A couple of summers ago, the father and son attended a Saturday morning Mass at the campus center. Because it was summertime, Father Nagle said there weren’t many people, let alone a server.
“I approached Andrew and asked if
Zachary would like to ring the consecration bells. Andrew looked at Zachary, and he seemed very enthusiastic about ringing the bells, so I moved them to the
foot of the altar right by the pew they were seated in. When the consecration came, he rang the bells perfectly. I was impressed that at a such young age he
was so ‘locked in’ to the Mass.”
Fast forward to 2023.
Zachary made his first Communion during Holy Week. Following that, the Tomsches approached Father Nagle and Father Zielinski about Zachary becoming an altar server.
Due to Andrew’s time in the seminary and his desire to serve Mass again, Father Nagle recommended father and son serve Mass together.
“The Tomsches liked the idea and so one day, I walked through serving Mass at the Didde Center with Andrew and Zachary. Father Zielinski did the same at Sacred Heart,” Father Nagle said.
“I stepped in to help him gain confidence,” Andrew said.
Since then, the father-son duo has served Mass together many times, both at Sacred Heart Church and the Didde Center.
Zachary said his favorite part is holding the paten while people receive the Eucharist because he gets to be close to Jesus. Also, he can help ensure Jesus gets proper respect.
Father Zielinski, the family’s parish priest at Sacred Heart, said he was happy in helping train Zachary to serve Mass and to see father and son serve together.
“Not only is it great for vocations, but it helps to develop a deeper love for the Eucharist,” he said. “I pray that all Catholic parents follow Andrew and Christi’s example.”
For Father Nagle, watching that example has inspired him.
“The father and son serving together is really cool to see. Zachary is learning how to serve Mass from his father, and it just seems very fitting,” he said.
“Encourage your sons to serve Mass,” Father Nagle urged all parents. “Many a priest has discovered his vocation serving at the altar.
“And I really like the idea of fathers and sons serving Mass together. The Eucharist is the source and summit of the faith, and I can’t think of any activity more fitting for a father and son to do together than serve at the altar.”
to do with your parish. We want our parishioners to be disciples. Not cultural Catholics — disciples — followers of Jesus. And it is conversion, profound metanoia, that will bring about making disciples.
“But the second point is [that] intentional accompaniment, walking with our people, will raise up missionary disciples. If we want to multiply what we have, we need to intentionally accompany the people around us, and that will raise up leaders in our parishes.”
Regnier, who with his wife Angele founded Catholic Christian Outreach in 1988, is working with the archdiocese to mentor missionary disciples in our parishes.
“We’ve recently entered into an archdiocesan partnership with him that brings consistent experience, materials and resources for accompaniment and discipleship in English and Spanish into our community,” said Emily Lopez, lead consultant for the archdiocesan office of adult evangelization and convocation co-organizer.
“He has a long history of understanding discipleship,” she continued. “But even more, beyond what he’s done on college campuses, he understands relationship and what it looks like in a parish community.”
Lopez is being mentored by Regnier and Melgar is being mentored by Carmona Wagner.
In his presentation, Regnier talked about his upbringing as a “cultural Catholic” in the Canadian milieu, which is strongly secular and inhibits expressions of the Christian faith.
During his college years he had a powerful experience of reconversion to the Catholic faith, became involved in the Catholic charismatic movement, and briefly associated with Protestant evangelicals. It was the evangelistic fervor of the former that demonstrated to him what missionary discipleship could be. It led to the founding of the Catholic Christian Outreach.
“A disciple is someone who has had a conversion,” said Regnier, “somebody who has responded in a very intentional way, and someone who is living their faith in a way we can describe as a relationship with Jesus.”
Missionary disciples, said Regnier, experience conversion, have a testimony to offer, have a relationship with Jesus and possess a desire to make Jesus known to others he described as “the lost.”
The purpose of the church is to evangelize, he said.
“We’re going to search out the wanderers and present the message of the Gospel in a clear and simple way so they can understand it and respond to it the way I responded to it. God will change their life and we’ll introduce them to the church and become missionaries themselves — be a disciple and make disciples. Not with the platitudes of evangelization but the action of evangelization,” said Regnier.
Regnier’s message found a receptive audience.
“It was great, a good reminder to extend the invite, not just give the information or tell kids to have a relationship but invite them into a relationship [with Jesus],” said Austin Krause, director of campus ministry at St. James Academy in Lenexa.
The sobering statistic of only 1% of Catholics being missionary disciples didn’t surprise him.
“It wasn’t too shocking, unfortunately, when you think about the one percent,” he said. “You see the statistics that only 20 percent [of Catholics] go to
Mass once a month. When you see one percent of that . . . it makes sense. There are a lot of things we’re doing as a school, an archdiocese and as a church to move the needle.”
Shawna Davidson, minister of sacramental accompaniment at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood, found the day useful.
“I was very happy to hear Andre talk about usable skills,” she said. “I’ll take them back to the parish for my work in sacramental accompaniment and utilize them tomorrow morning in baptismal preparation.”
Melgar hopes that all the attendees will take what they learned at the convocation back to their parishes.
“I want everyone . . . to continue the conversations about evangelization because it is our primary mission as a church,” she said. “That is why we exist, and it is urgent — today more than ever — that we can grow and carry out this mission together.”
ROELAND PARK — Ashley Stanfield has witnessed firsthand the benefits of a strong fine arts program.
When she’s not playing the viola professionally with the Opus 76 Quartet, she teaches violin at St. Agnes School in Roeland Park.
“I think that as a society, we have this sort of semi-delusion during times of relative prosperity that the fine arts are somehow less essential than, say, science, math, reading or even sports,” said Stanfield.
“But when we look back at history,” she continued, “every time there’s been a crisis or a period of great suffering for humanity . . . there has always been a fervor to make and receive art.”
To raise funds for St. Agnes’ fine arts department, Opus 76 is treating the community to an elegant evening of classical music’s greatest hits on Sept. 21 from 6-7 p.m. at St. Agnes Church. The evening will culminate with light refreshments in the parish center from 7-8 p.m.
To purchase tickets for the concert, go online to: bit.ly/opus-76.
Single tickets are $30, and family tickets are $100. All proceeds will benefit the fine arts department.
Stanfield hopes to replicate the event at other area Catholic schools so they can bolster their own fine arts programs, which she believes offer unparalleled benefits to young musicians.
“I hope that my students at St. Agnes have benefited by being able to use the skills they have learned on the violin as tools to express themselves,” she said, “and process the world around them.
“Through determination, grit and sometimes even joy, they have proven that they can achieve the goals they set for themselves.”
CONVERSION HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH YOUR PARISH. WE WANT OUR PARISHIONERS TO BE DISCIPLES. NOT CULTURAL CATHOLICS — DISCIPLES — FOLLOWERS OF JESUS.
ANDRE REGNIER CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN OUTREACH MINISTRY
KANSAS CITY, Kan.
— It was a routine request, but something about it wasn’t quite right. A few years ago, a request was sent by email to the person who does payroll for St. Michael the Archangel School in Leawood. The sender, claiming to be the principal, asked that their direct deposit account be changed.
But the principal didn’t make the request. A criminal sent the email.
“If it weren’t for our staff member being very familiar with our principal and seeing something was not right about the way the question was asked, that change would have been made,” said Rob Lisch, parish manager for St. Michael the Archangel Parish.
It’s called cybercrime — attempts to defraud, steal information, extort money, invade privacy, cause chaos and commit damage by using information technology.
Cybercrime is skyrocketing as Americans become ever more dependent on technology, according to the U.S. government’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency.
Here are the sobering statistics:
• One in three homes with computers are infected with malicious software.
• Sixty-five percent of Americans who went online received at least one online scam offer.
• Forty-seven percent of American adults had their personal information exposed by cybercriminals.
• Approximately 600,000 Facebook accounts are hacked daily.
• The number one cybercrime is the impostor scam, with one in five people reporting a financial loss.
One of the most common avenues
for cybercrime is email “phishing,” a general and widely sent message seeking to scam whoever answers or thoughtlessly clicks on a dubious link, or “spear phishing,” which targets specific individuals, said Joel Ekis, an internet technology volunteer at St. Michael the Archangel Parish.
But any form of social media and means of electronic information can be used for cybercrime.
One such is a text message scam targeting several archdiocesan parishes over the past few years. Warnings about the scam regularly appear
in parish bulletins.
One texting scam went something like this:
“Hi, [Name], I need a favor from you. Text me back as soon as you get my message. – Pastor [Name]. I need to get some gift/cards today for some women battling cancer in the hospital but I can’t do that at the moment because of my busy schedule. Can you possibly get it from any store around you now? Would have called you but currently having an important meeting.”
“This happened many times at St.
Michael the Archangel and continues to do so,” said Lisch. “We had someone fall for that, and others almost did. Our priests would never email someone asking for help. If we need help, we’ll call you.”
It’s not unusual for a parish, school and lots of other entities to utilize in-house technology support, often from volunteers.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE Rob Lisch, left, parish manager for St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood, and Joel Ekis, an internet technology volunteer at St. Michael, examine the parish’s servers.Joel Ekis, a consulting systems engineer for a national information technology provider, has been volunteering to do this for St. Michael the Archangel Parish since 1999.
“I do a lot of the architectural support [for the parish’s overall computing system],” he said. “I do all the design, implement the firewalls and the firewalls.”
Volunteers like Ekis can be helpful, but they aren’t enough.
“You absolutely cannot do it on your own,” said Ekis.
That’s why in June this year, St. Michael signed a contract with Erickson Solutions Group, a managed service provider in Overland Park, for internet technology support and cybersecurity.
“At Erickson Solutions Group, we act as the outsourced internet technology department for St. Michael’s and other Catholic parishes,” said Jeff Erickson, CEO of Erickson Solutions Group.
“That includes being their help desk for frontline support; being their on-site help for system deploys and rapid response; being their network management for monitoring of alerts, tripwires, backups and the cloud; and being their virtual CIO for planning on all things cyber.”
The key to good cybersecurity can be summed up in one word: layers.
No singular brand of product or family of products can guarantee cybersecurity.
“It’s all about layers, because any particular solution can be breached, and particular tool or software can have a vulnerability,” said Erickson.
“You want to have layer, upon layer, upon layer to make it much more difficult for the hackers to trick you or traverse your network or get your data. These layers can be software, hardware or best practices.”
“Smart” layers include technology, good policies and people who have been trained to follow them, he said. And because threats are constantly evolving, regular reviews are a must.
Sometimes, parishes don’t see
The U.S. government’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is the place to start for more information.
Go online to: https://www.cisa. gov and type “starter kit” into the search box for the basics of building a culture of cyber readiness.
For information tailored to the faith-based environment, type “houses of worship” into the search box for a list of related articles and other free resources.
making a phone call, and not with the phone number in the email.
“Smart security involves staying alert, watching for suspect links and files, using strong passwords, using up-to-date antivirus software, backups and patches, and raising the alert when you suspect trouble,” said Erickson.
Smaller parishes face greater challenges when it comes to cybersecurity.
CRIMINALS ARE WILLING TO SETTLE FOR SMALLER PAYDAYS. JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE A SMALLER ORGANIZATION DOESN’T MEAN YOUR BANK ACCOUNTS ARE SAFE.
NATHAN MAXWELL SOLUTION ARCHITECT FOR COMMUNICATION CONCEPTSthemselves as having anything of value that a hacker might want, and consequently don’t invest the money to protect their data, said Erickson. This is a serious — and expensive — error.
“From financial information and parish membership to student and parent contacts, to simply being able to encrypt all the data and hold it for ransom, hackers see parishes as a business to target,” said Erickson.
“Also, hackers love to get access to a 365 or Google environment which appears trusted to many so they can launch attacks on others. The consequence of lackluster security and IT strategy can be a huge loss of trust, financial loss, disruption of classes and even larger costs to catch back up on security once they fall behind.”
Where’s the weakest link in a parish’s cybersecurity?
“The vulnerabilities usually lie with the human,” said Lisch. “If humans are aware and have proper training, it eliminates opportunities for computer systems to be vulnerable.”
One example is carelessness with passwords.
“You have classic, no-brainer type of issues as in: ‘Let’s not have passwords on Post-it notes stuck to the pegboard or front of the monitor,” said Nathan Maxwell, a solution architect for Communication Concepts based in Leavenworth. “That’s not rocket science but it’s still a thing.”
Email compromise is a big thing right now. Parishes, schools and
businesses of all kinds interact with all kinds of vendors, which present rich and many opportunities for cybercriminals to fool people into paying fake bills or redirecting payments.
“Criminals are willing to settle for smaller paydays,” said Maxwell, who provides IT consulting to the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. “Just because you’re a smaller organization doesn’t mean your bank accounts are safe.”
Maxwell offered these suggestions.
First, stop reusing passwords and be careful about password and predictable email patterns.
Second, use multifactor authentication for logins. This is an authentication method that requires two or more verification factors to gain access. In addition to a password, the user might be required to enter a code sent to their email, answer a question or scan a fingerprint.
Third, use the policy of “least privilege.” This means limiting access to specific people. Don’t give administrative access to everyone. Have named accounts.
Fourth, have clean “offboarding” to departing or terminated staff. Make sure they don’t have access after they leave.
Fifth, keep your systems updated.
Lisch and Erickson said emails should be read carefully. Is the phrasing strange? Are the titles wrong? Is the request unusual? Is the sender unfamiliar? Is there something off about the sender’s email address? Are you certain the links are safe?
If there are any doubts, don’t just hit “return,” but use an “out of band communication method.” That means an alternate way of follow-up, like
They often lack full-time professional staff and depend on part-time staff that may not have cybersecurity training. They have small to nonexistent budgets for cybersecurity and pastors who are too busy running the parish to devote much time to security.
“The smaller parishes must, for financial reasons, prioritize,” said Erickson. “That prioritization can lead to gaps, often due to a lack of knowledge on the risks of leaving a particular area unprotected.”
Father Michael Guastello has taken basic precautions at his three parishes. Additionally, his parishes have limited technology use.
“Each of the computers in our office and my laptop all have antivirus and antimalware software,” said Father Guastello, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Wathena, St. Charles Parish in Troy and St. Benedict Parish in Bendena.
“We also have a firewall in our internet. We have Wi-Fi at St. Joseph’s, but you need a password to use it. We don’t allow guests to use the password, only staff. We don’t have enough traffic to use [Wi-Fi] like a larger parish.”
Two of his parishes do not have internet connectivity. His parish assistants work from their homes.
He scrutinizes emails and calls companies to check invoices about which he has questions.
“We recently brought a woman on staff who’s pretty internet savvy,” he said. “She’s done internet and tech support for the local library branch. She’s looking over our technology and recommended updating our phone system. She’s a parishioner, and we’re really lucky to have her.”
Small parishes can begin by asking the experts.
“Having discussions with managed service providers like us is a great way to obtain some free advice,” said Erickson. “Also, [I’d recommend] approaching this as a journey where you add a couple of layers, then a couple more, and so on. It’s a good way to get started.”
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER Nathan Maxwell, solution architect for Communication Concepts based in Leavenworth, provides IT consulting to the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
By Laura Dodson OSV News
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (OSV News) — A beautiful, 22-yearold woman approached the podium on stage at the Miracle Theater in Coral Gables Aug. 24 as she was being introduced as “Carol Gloria — the very first A Safe Haven for Newborns baby.”
Her appearance was the culminating surprise of an evening dedicated to honoring Nicholas “Nick” Silverio, founder of A Safe Haven for Newborns.
Standing arm-in-arm with Silverio before hundreds of civic leaders, firefighters, hospital administrators, media moguls, volunteers and major benefactors — Carol’s appearance was a living tribute to Silverio’s mission, and the gathered community erupted in a prolonged standing ovation.
Silverio had founded the Gloria M. Silverio Foundation and the nonprofit’s program, A Safe Haven for Newborns, in memory of his wife of 32 years who was killed in a car accident Dec. 7, 1999. Silverio was a successful businessman, the owner of a data processing and internet firm. According to Silverio, he and his wife were soulmates who longed for children, but had experienced two devastating miscarriages.
Losing Gloria, however, plunged him into darkness. As Silverio tells it, one sleepless night while flipping through a magazine, he saw a story about infant abandonment and realized God was calling him to this new purpose.
In 2000, Florida enacted its first Safe Haven law. Silverio contacted René Garcia, a state lawmaker in the state Legislature at the time who is now a District 13 Miami-Dade County commissioner. Garcia, who is committed to “helping those most in need,” also worked to improve the law that allows parents to surrender their unharmed newborn not more than a week old into the custody of personnel at any safe haven facility recognized by the state laws without fear of prosecution. Garcia also assisted Silverio in his campaign to get “A Safe Haven for Newborns” signage on every 24/7 staffed fire station and medical facility in Florida’s 67 counties.
To date, Safe Haven for Newborns says through its assistance, 381 babies have been saved from the tragedy of
infant abandonment and more than 6,000 women have been helped through a staffed 24/7 multi-language hotline, and in person with medical services, counseling, referral services and resources to assist the mother and baby in need.
Garcia was instrumental in organizing this event to honor Silverio and stood in the vestibule of the theater greeting guests as they arrived for the world premiere of the documentary “Uncle Nick” produced by Accord Productions, whose founders and producers had also been with Silverio from the beginning of his mission.
“It is amazing that we are here for the documentary of our work that started in 2001 and the 381 little souls we have saved,” Garcia told OSV News. “It is a testament to the work from our hearts. When we put God first, this is what we can accomplish.”
Max Wyler started Accord Productions with his brother 35 years ago and met Silverio through a mutual friend in 2001.
“I remember, Nick was so excited,” Wyler told OSV News. “He was going to save babies by bringing women to the fire stations. I didn’t understand. I didn’t think it would work and if it wasn’t for Nick’s spirit, I wouldn’t have
joined in.”
Wyler indicated that working with Silverio they learned early on their preconceived ideas about the target audience for getting out information about Florida’s Safe Haven law did not grasp the full picture. It wasn’t just a young unmarried woman — it could be any woman, different ages, education, socioeconomic backgrounds. It could be a mother with three or four children who felt she just couldn’t raise another child.
“We started doing different videos to get the message to those who might need help,” Wyler said. “Then as the Safe Haven children got old enough, we did videos of them in their loving households so troubled mothers could see they didn’t have to be concerned.”
Eventually Wyler realized that producing a documentary about Nick would better explain A Safe Haven for Newborns.
“Nick didn’t want to do it — didn’t want the focus on him,” Wyler said. “But I explained it would help Safe Haven and he agreed. We’ve called it ‘Uncle Nick’ — it’s the name so many of the Safe Haven children like to use — they very much recognize him as part of their family.”
The documentary touches briefly on
Silverio’s early life — his love of family and sports, the values he learned and discipline he gained.
“My first memory of prayer was after hearing my parents discussing divorce when I was 8 years old,” Silverio told OSV News. “I prayed every night, down on my knees at the bedside. My parents tried for six months to work it out. After the divorce, they both continued in their care of my brother and me. God is always speaking to us — unless we connect with him, we’re not going to have a relationship with him and it’s just you, but not with God.”
Silverio considers it a huge blessing that he attended Catholic elementary and high school where they continued to teach the values his parents and family already modeled — to be kind and caring with humility and compassion and help people.
Carol Gloria was born Sept. 14, 2001, brought to a Carol City fire station and placed by her mother into the arms of firefighters Janice Matos and Felicia McNair.
“I was so nervous for the mom; scared for her,” Matos told OSV News. “We just kept saying she was making the right decision.”
McNair added, “We named the baby Carol Gloria, because we were in Carol City and Gloria [as in] ‘to God be the glory.’”
Carol Gloria was then adopted by parents — her mother is a University of South Florida sociology professor and her father is a cytogeneticist — who gave her the name “Leah.” Today, she is a college senior completing two bachelor’s degrees in public health and health science and a master’s in public health through the University of Miami’s 4+1 program, and hopes to enter medical school following graduation.
“It was particularly important to me to meet Felicia and Janice,” she told OSV News, “and especially to learn that the woman who gave birth to me brought me to the fire station and placed me in the loving arms of Janice and Felicia because she loved me and cared about my well-being and future.”
As Silverio reflects on his life’s work, a quote from Mark Twain comes to mind.
“’The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why,’” he said. “I found out why.”
MARRAKECH, Morocco — Rescuers continue to search through the rubble in the hopes of finding survivors after a powerful earthquake struck Morocco the night of Sept. 8, killing more than 2,800 people and causing widespread destruction.
Search and rescue teams continue their attempt to reach those in isolated villages closer to the earthquake’s epicenter. Previous attempts to help had been delayed by fallen rocks covering the roads leading to the hardhit rural communities.
The deadly quake’s epicenter was reported to be in the High Atlas mountains, about 44.7 miles (72 kilometers) southwest of historic Marrakech, a city of about 840,000 people. The villages in these areas were reported to have suffered the worst destruction, with buildings falling and killing many of the villagers while they were asleep.
Even as some aid was starting to reach the villages Sept. 9 and 10, media reports shared that survivors were struggling to find food, water and shelter.
The Sept. 8 earthquake struck shortly after 11 p.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which said its preliminary magnitude was 6.8 and it lasted several seconds, with a 4.9 aftershock hitting the area minutes later. The quake was the strongest to hit that part of the North African nation in 120 years, according to USGS.
On Sept. 11, Morocco’s interior ministry confirmed the earthquake’s death toll had risen to 2,862, as of 3:40 p.m. ET. Authorities warned that these numbers are expected to rise. The ministry said there are over 2,500 people injured, with at least 1,404 in critical condition. According to CNN, state media reported that most of the dead — nearly 1,500 — were in the Al Haouz district in the High Atlas Mountains.
“The next 2-3 days will be critical for finding people trapped under the rubble,” Caroline Holt, global
VATICAN CITY (CNS) —
Workers are human beings, not machines or “spare parts” to be used to drive production and profit at all costs, Pope Francis told members of an organization that advocates for and protects the rights of those seriously injured or disabled on the job.
“Safety at work is like the air we breathe: We realize its importance only when it is tragically lacking, and it is always too late,” he said.
director of operations for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, told Reuters.
Soon after news of the devastation spread, the Archdiocese of Rabat — which has churches in Marrakech and Ouarzazate that suffered minor material damage — urged prayers for those affected through a message posted on social media. “Let us pray with Our Lady of Morocco for the victims and their families,” the archdiocese said.
In a Sept. 9 telegram, Pope Francis expressed his sorrow and “deep solidarity” with the people of the North African nation, praying for those who perished, healing for the wounded and consolation for those mourning the loss of their loved ones and homes, Vatican News reported.
With roads damaged or blocked, rescue teams had difficulty reaching the hardest-hit areas. The Associated Press reported that authorities were working to clear roads in Al Haouz province to allow passage for ambulances and aid to those affected. But large distances between mountain villages meant it will take time to learn the extent of the damage, said Abderrahim Ait Daoud, head of the town of Talat N’Yaaqoub. CNN reported that the
Moroccan army cleared a key road from Marrakech to the mountains early Sept. 10.
Ayoub Toudite, from the mountainside village of Moulay Brahim, told AP that his village was inhabitable after the earthquake. “We felt a huge shake like it was doomsday,” he said. In 10 seconds, he said, everything was gone. “We are all terrified that this happens again,” Toudite said.
Social media videos from Sept. 8 showed buildings collapsing and there were reports of people trapped amid the rubble in the city. “People were all in shock and panic. The children were crying and the parents were distraught,” when the deadly earthquake hit, Abdelhak El Amrani told the Agence France-Presse news agency.
The BBC reported that many Moroccans “spent the night out in the open as the Moroccan government had warned them not to go back into their homes” in case of severe aftershocks. Those whose homes were destroyed by the earthquake slept outside again Sept. 9, CNN reported.
On Sept. 10, AP reported that, according to Rescuers Without Borders, teams totaling 3,500 rescuers registered with a U.N. platform were ready to deploy in Morocco when asked.
“We cannot get used to accidents at work nor resign ourselves to indifference toward injuries. We cannot accept throwing away human life,” he said during an audience at the Vatican Sept. 11 with members of ANMIL, an Italian association of workers who have been seriously injured or disabled at work.
Pope Francis also harshly criticized the “ugly” and widespread branding strategy of “carewashing,” in which “entrepreneurs or legislators, instead of investing in safety, prefer to wash their consciences with some charitable work.”
“Thus, they put their public image before everything else, acting as benefactors in culture or sports, in good works, restoring works of art or buildings of worship,” he said, and yet, they neglect the fact that God’s glory is the living person they employ.
“This is the first job: taking care of brothers and sisters, the body of brothers and sisters. The duty toward workers is paramount: life is not disposed of for any reason, especially if it is poor, precarious and fragile,” he said.
Despite the technologies and means available to create safer workplaces, “the tragedies and ordeals unfortunately do not cease,” he said. Sometimes the news reports of casualties sound like a dispatch from a war zone, he added.
“This happens when work is dehumanized,” he said, and instead of being a way people find fulfillment by serving the community, work “becomes an exasperated race for profit. And that is terrible.”
Communications specialist - The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph in Kansas City, Missouri, is seeking a communications specialist to create targeted and strategic content for a variety of digital platforms to reach a diverse Catholic audience. The communications specialist role involves the development and implementation of social media strategy and engagement; coverage of events and diocesan news; and editorial content for print and digital channels. The position is full time, based upon 40 hours per week. Duties and responsibilities include: initiate, manage and monitor content for diocesan social media channels; recommend new social media strategies, including platforms for reaching different target audiences; manage engagement with social media audiences using strategic and creative approaches to increase awareness of diocesan offices, ministries, parish and school communities, national and global church news and devotion to the Catholic faith and church teaching. Serve as writer and photographer for bimonthly Catholic Key magazine; collaborate in planning content and assist in editing each issue; update catholickey.org website with content from each issue of the print magazine, including uploading digital edition; initiate and post opportunistic stories and news based on events and developments in the diocese (e.g., news, obituaries); post classified ads as needed; curate, build and distribute weekly Monday Minute email communication with relevant content for diocesan parishes to use in parish communications; assist in implementation of select seasonal projects, such as the diocesan directory; ensure quality of digital communication, maintaining professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; benchmarking state-of-the-art practices; representing the diocese in professional societies; serve as a knowledge resource for other offices, parishes and schools as needed. Must be able to use print and digital media to make the beauty, truth and goodness of the Catholic Church in and beyond our diocese more accessible and relevant; strong attention to detail; efficient use of available time and resources to achieve goals; build constructive working relationships characterized by cooperation and mutual respect; adapt to changing business needs, conditions and work responsibilities. Qualifications include: demonstrated proficiency in social media strategy, best practices and execution; digital content development and implementation; intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Office Suite; social media scheduling and analytics tools (e.g., Meta Business Suite); Google Drive, Constant Contact and Wordpress. Basic skills in Adobe Suite products, photography and videography. Familiarity with Issuu platform a plus. At least one year experience in communication, journalism or marketing related field required; two- or four-year degree in communication, public relations, marketing or journalism required; familiarity with the Catholic understanding of ministry is an asset. Some evening and weekend availability required to document and cover diocesan and parish events. The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph offers a comprehensive benefits program, including: medical, dental and vision plans, STD/LTD fully paid by the employer, retirement plans including a 403(b) plan and a defined benefit pension plan. Paid time off includes generous vacation and sick leaves plus paid holidays. All employees are required to consent to a background check, commit to the Code of Conduct policy, and online and in-person trainings prior to hire. To apply, go online to: kcsjcatholic.org/ start/job-openings, then click on “Click here to view and apply for current openings.”
Group leader/after-school care program - Holy Spirit School, Overland Park, seeks a group leader for the after-school care program. This well-established program runs from 3 - 5:45 p.m. each school day. We want a faith-filled, responsible, organized and creative person. Applicants should know about child development and be able to implement age-appropriate activities. The ability to communicate clearly with children, colleagues and parents is most important to foster positive relationships. Contact Tessa Piscitello at (913) 492-2582 or email: tpiscitello@ hscatholic.org.
Staff member - Our vibrant parish, Curé of Ars, Leawood, is looking to add a detail-oriented staff member to support and enhance the children’s school of religion program and sacrament prep. Ideal candidates will be proficient at using Google Suite and/or Microsoft Office products to organize and format data from various systems. Additionally, this team member will work closely with the school of religion director to conduct occasional weeknight and weekend events. This position requires a minimum of 30 hours per week and includes benefits while offering some schedule flexibility. Must have good communication skills and be a practicing Catholic. If interested, please email resume to Bernadette at: bernadettemyers@cureofars.com.
Youth ministers and confirmation coordinatorHoly Spirit Parish, Overland Park, is seeking a fulltime youth minister and confirmation coordinator. This individual would be responsible for all aspects of high school and junior high ministries as well as the confirmation and summer programs. Applicants must have a heart for teens, love of the church and its teachings, and should have a bachelor’s degree in the field of theology, ministry or a related field. Previous experience in youth formation preferred. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to the parish manager, Shaw Leach, at: sleach@hscatholic. org.
In-home caregiver - We are looking for an engaging in-home caregiver for our son with special needs in western Shawnee. He loves music, interacting with others, reading books, and is learning new life skills. Help needed weekdays (anytime between 3-10 p.m.) and some shifts on weekends @ $17/hr. Please call (785) 393-1589.
Accounting and finance manager - Good Shepherd Parish and School in Shawnee is looking to hire a fulltime accounting and finance manager. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: overall financial management; general ledger record-keeping; reconciliation of accounts; annual budgeting; and monthly reporting to the parish manager. The successful candidate will have: familiarity and competence with accounting systems and current technology; a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in accounting and five-plus years of relative experience. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are required, with the ability to manage a small staff; Spanish language skills are an asset. A demonstrated commitment to the Catholic faith and mission is essential, along with a desire to work in a positive, faith-oriented environment. This full-time position is eligible for parish and archdiocesan benefits. Please submit a cover letter and resume to: pthacker@gsshawnee.org. Resumes will be accepted until the position is filled.
Youth minister - Church of the Nativity, Leawood, is seeking a full-time, dynamic, high energy, consistently visible and creative Youth Minister to join the Campus Youth Director and Christian Formation team. This position will be responsible for working directly with the Youth Director to aid in the coordination of pastoral youth ministry for the entire campus including high school youth, junior high youth from both the parish school and religious education program, and parish young adults. Ideal candidate will be a practicing Catholic who can work well in a team dynamic closely collaborating with the Campus Youth Director and the Director of Religious Education, displaying strong communication skills through a variety of points of contact, exhibiting interpersonal skills to foster mutual support from families of youth, and a passionate love for sharing Jesus Christ with all youth, knowing any contact with them is a touch point of evangelization. Qualified applicants should have at least two years’ experience in youth ministry or qualifying degree, have or be willing to receive Virtus training, and pass a background check. Please send resume to: jobapplication@kcnativity.org.
Assistant direct support professional - L’Arche Heartland is seeking an assistant direct support professional. This person would report to the community home supervisor. Key responsibilities include: utilize person-centered support plan to provide guidance, support, growth and development opportunities to each core member through attentiveness and caring; be a strong role model of appropriate behavior; foster positive and supportive relationships among core members as well as families and professionals; follow all policies, procedures and protocols to ensure core member safety; participate and contribute to house team meetings to ensure household is maintained to include regular upkeep, meal planning and preparation as well as event planning and community interaction; monitor and assist core members with the following as needed: personal hygiene, appearance, laundry, meal preparation, cleaning, personal finances and leisure activities while promoting core member independence; perform all documentation activities (financial, medication, behavior, etc.) as required by policy/programming while maintaining confidentiality; transport core members as assigned; administer medication, properly document and assist with securing refills; participate in and adequately complete training and recertification as required, both ongoing and upon hire; participate in community events and activities as appropriate. Required skills/ abilities: exhibit respect and caring for core members and all those involved in the support of group home residents; demonstrate excellent communication and organizational skills; have the ability to problem solve and manage conflicts objectively. Experience and education requirements: experience with persons with developmental disabilities (highly preferred). Have a valid driver’s license; have a high school education or equivalent. Pass all required background checks; maintain CPR/first-aid certification. Physical requirements: must be able to lift up to 25 pounds at times; must be able to perform activities of daily living such as cooking and cleaning; able and willing to assist in house maintenance/yard work. Include signature and printed name with application. Email: Assistant@ larcheks.org or call (913) 341-2265.
Full-time custodian - The Church of the Nativity Parish School has immediate openings for full-time and part-time custodians. Qualified applicants should have prior custodial experience, specifically in a school environment. Maintenance experience would be a plus. The full-time position is scheduled to work M-F from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the part-time from 4 to 8 p.m. M-F. Some holiday work is expected. Applicants must have a compatible work history, references, dependable transportation and be willing to participate in a background check. The Church of the Nativity expects to pay market compensation commensurate with experience and qualifications. Nativity has a history of retaining its employees, who enjoy the advantages of working at a vibrant, collaborative, faith-based place of worship and education. Nativity Parish School is located at 3700 W. 119th, Leawood. Nativity offers a comprehensive benefit program including medical, dental, vision, vacation and 401(k). Interested applicants should send resumes and work history to: mhyde@kcnativity.org. No phone calls please.
Caregivers needed - Daughter & Company is looking for compassionate caregivers to provide assistance to seniors in their home, assisted living or in a skilled nursing facility. We provide sitter services, light housekeeping and light meal preparation, organizational assistance, care management and occasional transportation for our clients. We need caregivers with reliable transportation and a cellphone for communication. We typically employ on a part-time basis, but will strive to match up hours desired. Contact Gary or Laurie at (913) 341-2500 if you want to become part of an excellent caregiving team. Make a meaningful impact today - Join L’Arche Heartland as an assistant in our Day Service Program. Contribute to the empowerment and enrichment of adults with developmental disabilities as they engage in meaningful daytime activities. Enjoy daytime hours, Monday - Friday from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. We have immediate full-time positions available. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% coverage for medical, dental and vision expenses. Conveniently situated in downtown Overland Park. Training provided. Apply now by visiting our website at: www.larcheks.org/join-our-team.
Now Hiring - Drivers and Aides - Assisted Transportation is hiring safe drivers and aides to transport general education students and students with special needs in mini and full-sized vans, to and from school, job sites, and other locations in the community throughout the day, for the Blue Valley, Olathe, and Shawnee Mission school districts. Drivers earn $14 - $16 per hour plus bonuses. A CDL is not required. Aides earn $12 - $14 per hour plus bonuses. Part-time and full-time hours available. Retirees encouraged to apply. Call (913 521-4955 for more information or visit: www.assistedtransportation.com to apply. EOE.
Faculty and adjunct faculty job openings - Donnelly College, Kansas City, Kansas, is a Catholic college offering higher education for those who may not otherwise be served. Faculty job openings include nursing school faculty. Adjunct faculty job openings: clinical nursing and psychology pool, math and English both at Lansing Correctional Campus. Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/careers.
Caregiver needed - Caregiver needed one day a week to take care of elderly woman who is wheelchair-bound in the Overland Park area. Please call (913) 961-3213.
Instructional assistant (aide) - Holy Trinity School in Lenexa is seeking an instructional assistant (aide). This position supports both students and teachers. Interested candidates: Please contact Holy Trinity principal Scott Merfen at: smerfen@htslenexa.org.
Staff job openings - Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, has the following staff job openings available: admissions counselor, director of development and facilities maintenance manager. Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/careers.
Early childhood educators - With multiple locations in Johnson County, Special Beginnings Early Learning Center provides high quality child-care in a safe, loving Christian environment. Our classrooms are full and we are looking to add to our amazing team. We are looking for both full-time and part-time teachers for all ages of children. If you have an excellent work ethic, a heart for children and a willingness to learn more about early childhood education, we would love to meet you. For more information or to apply, call Carolyn Andruss at (913) 894-0131, ext. 102
Double A’s lawn service Lawn mowing, mulching, gutters, leaf removal, brush removal and hedge trimming Free estimates, insured and insured. Alex Spoerre (913) 488-5195
Memory quilts - Preserve your memories in a keepsake quality quilt, pillows, etc. Custom designed from your T-shirt collection, baby clothes, sports memorabilia, neckties . . . Quilted Memories. (913) 649-2704.
ACT Prep - Founded by a Bishop Miege graduate, pathway Prep has helped over 250 students during the last four years improve their scores. In-person or virtual sessions available. For more information, visit: pathwayprepkc.com and contact Alex Pint at (913) 991-8217 or: alex@pathwayprepkc.com.
Stone painting - We are offering FREE ESTIMATES to any and all that are interested in painting this summer! We do interior, exterior house painting along with decks, fences, and much more. At Stone Painting we ensure professional quality and cheap services tailored to your needs. Call now at (913) 963-6465, or go online to: stonepaintingkc.com.
Masonry work - Quality new or repair work. Brick, block and chimney/fireplace repair. Insured; secondgeneration bricklayer. Member of St. Paul Parish, Olathe. Call (913) 271-0362.
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.
Mike Hammer local moving - A full-service mover. Packing, pianos, rental truck load/unload, storage container load/unload, and in-home moving. No job too small. Serving JoCo since 1987. St. Joseph, Shawnee, parishioner. Call Mike at (913) 927-4347 or send an email to: mike@mikehammermoving.com.
STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 5791835. Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.
Local Handyman - Painting int. and ext., wood rot, mason repair), gutter cleaning (gutter covers), dryer vent cleaning, sump pump (replace, add new), windows, doors (interior and exterior) honey-do list, window cleaning and more! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118.
Handyman - I do bathrooms, kitchens, basements, tile and all kinds of flooring, as well as painting, staining, sheetrock, knockdown ceilings, decks and fences. My family and I always appreciate the support. Please call Joshua at (913) 709-7230.
Haus to home remodeling - Let’s give that room a nice face-lift! Specializing in affordable room remodeling. From small projects to bathrooms and basements. We have lots of other services, too: tile, paint, carpentry, wood rot, decks, drywall, etc. Free estimates. For photos of our projects and to find out more about our company, visit us at: Haustohomekc. com or call Cole at (913) 544-7352.
Popcorn ceiling texture removal Call Jerry at (913) 206-1144. 30 years’ experience. Interior painting specialist. Member St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.
Home for sale - Sarasota, Florida; 55 community. Three bedroom, two bath. Remodeled, hurricane updated. Near Siesta Beach, Costco, CVS and grocery. Call agent at (941) 914-2460.
For sale - Two adjacent cemetery plots at Resurrection Cemetery in Lenexa. Located in the sold-out section Ascension Garden, lot 59, section D, spaces 3 and 4. Retail cost $2595 each; asking $2400 each. Call (816) 550-1719.
For sale - Vintage Wurlitzer 2780 piano, (42” console) French Provincial Hallmark Cherry. Cambriole legs on piano and storage bench. Smoke-free home; excellent condition. Asking $500. Contact Maria at (913) 940-7296.
For sale - Two plots at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Olathe. Lot 25, plots 3 and 4. One burial vault and one interment fee. Current value is $6200, asking $3500. Seller to pay conveyance fee. Call Bob at (913) 768-0668.
For sale - Two cemetery plots at Resurrection in Lenexa. Plots located in the Assumption section near the front of the cemetery. They are valued at $5190 for both and selling for $4000. Please call (816) 388-3573 and leave a message or email: cindzers@bellsouth. net.
For sale - One plot at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Kansas City, Kansas. Located in Lot 36, Section E, Space 4. Flat marker only. Price is $1300 plus $200 conveyance fee. Call Michele at (913) 269-4813.
For sale - Two cemetery plots at Resurrection Cemetery in Lenexa. Located in Assumption Garden across from the veterans memorial and under a tree. Valued at $5190, asking $4500. Call (913) 649-8072.
Residential lifts - New and recycled. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. St. Michael’s parishioners. KC Lift & Elevator at (913) 327-5557. (Formerly Silver Cross - KC).
For sale - Single plot suitable for regular burial or cremation. Mt. Calvary Cemetery, KCK. Section 11, lot 80, space 3-A. Valued at $2200. Sell for $2100 and I pay conveyance fee. Contact David at (913) 980-0042.
We buy houses and whole estates - We are local and family-owned, and will make you a fair cash offer. We buy houses in any condition. No fees or commissions and can close on the date of your choice. Selling your house has never felt so good. Jon & Stacy Bichelmeyer (913) 599-5000.
We are local people who can buy your house - Big companies from all over the nation come here buying houses, but that’s not us. We are parishioners of Holy Trinity Parish and we enjoy giving you personalized service. We can offer you a fair price and are flexible to your needs. If I can help, call me, Mark Edmondson, at (913) 980-4905.
Saint Rita Home Care - Compassionate care in the comfort of home. We serve people in Johnson; Douglas; Miami; Franklin and Leavenworth counties. Kansas state licensed, non-medical home care agency. Contact us today for supportive care at: www. saintritahc.com; rmargush@saintritahc.com; or (913) 229-4267.
>> Classifieds continue on page 13
‘THROUGH THE TRIUMPH OF THE CROSS’
Christ’s Peace House of Prayer
22131 Meager Rd., Easton
Sept. 15 - 17
The retreat begins at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 15 and ends at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 17. Father John Riccardo’s newest book, “Rescued,” will help guide our retreat. There will be conferences, Eucharistic adoration, confession, and time for private prayer, reflection and walking. Cabins/courtyard rooms are: $170 single/$250 couple, or single guest rooms $100 (meals included). To attend, fill out the individual retreat form online at: ChristsPeace.com or call (913) 773-8255.
BREATHE RESPITE NIGHT
Church of the Ascension
9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park
Sept. 16 from 4 - 9 p.m.
BREATHE is a respite care service for parents/guardians of a child with special needs to give them a break from caregiving. We provide activities such as arts and crafts, music and games and also have a meal together. We pray together as well.
PROJECT RACHEL RETREAT
Location in Lenexa given after registration
Sept. 16 from 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
We are offering a one-day retreat that can help you on the road to healing in a judgment- free, confidential environment. There is no cost to attend. Continental breakfast, lunch and materials are provided. To register, send an email to: project rachelkc@archkck.org or text/call (913) 6212199. Registration deadline is Sept. 11.
150TH ANNIVERSARY
St. Patrick Parish
1066 N. 94th, Kansas City, Kansas
Sept. 16 at 4 p.m.
St. Patrick Parish celebration kickoff will begin with Mass at 4 p.m., followed by a social celebration from 5 - 9 p.m.
ANNUNCIATION PARISH PICNIC
Annunciation Parish (Cigna Center)
402 Maple St., Frankfort
Sept. 16 from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
A roast beef dinner will be served. The cost is $14 for adults and $6 for children ages 5 - 10. There will be games for all ages, a raffle drawing for a quilt, prizes and a country store. Come enjoy some great family fun and food with us!
BEREAVEMENT MEETING
Curé of Ars Parish
9405 Mission Rd., Leawood
Sept. 16 at 8:30 a.m.
The bereavement ministry will have a grief support meeting after the 8 a.m. Mass. For more information, call (913) 649-2026.
St. Joseph Parish
11311 Johnson Dr., Shawnee
Sept. 17 after 7:30, 9 and 10:30 a.m. Masses
Holy Spirit Parish
11300 W. 103rd St., Overland Park
Sept. 24 after 7:30, 9, 10:30 a.m. Masses
The Sisters of the Fraternity the Poor of Jesus Christ will sell items to support projects at their missions in developing countries. Items for sale include: fresh-cut flowers, handmade bracelets, homemade banana bread and bags of locally roasted coffee beans. Payment is by cash or check only. If you would like to support their mission projects or receive their e-newsletter, call Sister Magdalena at (816) 859-3654 or send an email to: magdalenapjc@gmail. com. Donations can be made online at: www.pjcspecialfunds.com.
St. Agnes Parish
Join Opus 76 for an elegant evening of classical music’s greatest hits followed by refreshments in the parish center. Single tickets are $30; family tickets are $100. Proceeds will benefit the St. Agnes fine arts department. To purchase tickets, go online to: bit.ly/opus-76.
NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING
St. John the Evangelist Parish (extra building)
200 W. 13th St., Lawrence
Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m.
This class, sponsored by the Couple to Couple League, teaches how to use the sympto-thermal method of natural family planning during the postpartum period. For more information about this class or other self-paced online classes, call Shannon or John Rasmussen at (785) 749-1015. Preregistration is required online at: www.ccli.org.
FALL AND HOLIDAY CRAFT
AND BAKE SALE
501 S. Willow Dr., Olathe
Sept. 22, 23 and 24 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Oct. 13, 14 and 15 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
All proceeds will be donated to the Olathe Pregnancy Clinic. Cash or checks only will be accepted.
WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER
Savior Pastoral Center
12601 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kansas
Sept. 22 - 24
Rekindle the love and joy, the hopes and dreams that you and your spouse cherished on your wedding day by attending the next Worldwide Marriage Encounter. This is an enrichment for married couples who value their relationship and desire a richer, fuller life together. It is also for priests and religious who want to strengthen their relationships with their church communities. Register online at: www.helpourmarriage. org. Questions? Contact Maggie Harris at (405) 206-1600.
SLOVENEFEST 2023
Holy Family Parish
274 Orchard, Kansas City, Kansas
Sept. 23 from 4 - 10 p.m.
We are celebrating 115 years of Slovenian culture. There will be a Mass at 4 p.m. at the church. The celebration will be on the Holy Family School grounds, 513 Ohio, in Kansas City, Kansas. There will be a traditional Slovenian dinner and entertainment. For more information, call Kathy Hanis at (913) 271-5101.
‘LECTIO DIVINA IN NATURE’
Sophia Spirituality Center
751 S. 8th St., Atchison
Sept. 23 from 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
This day-long retreat introduces you to the practice of “lectio divina” with nature. Rooted in the early Christian understanding of the two books of God’s self-revelation — the book of nature and the book of Scriptures — “lectio natura” recognizes all creation as a living scripture, a sacred text. The fee of $70 includes a noon meal.
CALLED TO LOVE AGAIN DIVORCE SUPPORT
Sacred Heart Parish
21801 Johnson Dr., Shawnee
Sept. 23 at 6 p.m.
Find healing, community and joy. For more information, send an email to: info@ thecall2love.com.
DAUGHTERS OF ISABELLA
Prairie Star Ranch
1124 California Rd., Williamsburg
Sept. 24 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Prairie Star Ranch is offering the chance to step away and enter into a day of prayer, adventure, outdoor activities and time to reconnect. Families, friends and communities are invited to join us for fun activities including horseback riding, kayaking, high ropes activities and prayer. The experience will culminate with Mass. Register online at: www.archkck.org/ranch. Registration price goes up after Sept. 15.
NOT WOKE’
Prince of Peace Parish
16000 W. 143rd St., Olathe
Sept. 27 from 7 - 9 p.m.
This one-night event will feature Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, emcee; author Kevin Bailey; Catholic teacher, apologist and evangelist Dr. Robert Haddad; and Charbel Raish, author of “How Islam Led Me Back to Christ.” There will be a Q&A panel with all four speakers.
GOLF OUTING
Heritage Park Golf Course
16445 S. Lackman Rd., Olathe
Sept. 29 at 9 a.m.
Holy Spirit Knights of Columbus invite you to our golf outing where we will have a foursome person scramble, shotgun start. Knights, non-Knights, male and female are welcome and encouraged to bring your own foursome. Green fees, cart, two beverage tickets and barbecue lunch catered by Mr. P’s at the golf course are included in the price of $75 per golfer. Raffle and skill prizes will be awarded during lunch immediately following the round. Call Greg Davis at (913) 800-0581 to discuss hole sponsorship opportunities for your business. Proceeds benefit seminarians at Holy Spirit Parish. For further questions, call Davis at the number above.
CRAFT SHOW AND BAKE SALE
Holy Family Parish (hall)
820 Birch St., Eudora
Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Oct. 1 from 9 am. - 2 p.m.
Looking for unique, one-of-a-kind craft items? Come shop at the Holy Family craft show in the parish hall. Find that special item as well as delicious treats at the bake sale. Proceeds from the sale will go to support the parish peace, justice and human development programs. Crafters interested in renting a booth space should contact Linda at (913) 645-5386 or Melanie by email at: 19dobbins83@gmail.com for more information.
STRAWBERRY HILL ALTAR SOCIETIES
ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
Sunflower Hills Golf Course
12200 Riverview Ave., Bonner Springs
Oct. 2 at 1 p.m.
There will be a 1 p.m. shotgun start. The fee is $125 and includes green fees, golf cart, prizes, dinner, snacks and all beverages. For more information, contact Carol Shomin at (913) 897-4833, Kelly Moutray at (816) 8634414 or Sandy Cannon at (913) 396-1564.
UNCORKED!
Avila University
(Goppert Performing Arts Center)
11901 Wornall Rd., Kansas City, Missouri
Oct. 5 from 6 - 8 p.m.
LITTLE FLOWER CIRCLE
Christ the King Parish
5972 S.W. 25th St., Topeka
Sept. 24 at 12:40 p.m.
CONCERT
5250 Mission Rd., Roeland Park
Sept. 21 from 6 - 8 p.m.
There will be a rosary followed by the business meeting and social time. If anyone knows of a member or family member of Daughters of Isabella in need of the circle’s prayers, call Diana Ortiz at (785) 554-4256 or chancellor Gen Orozco at (785) 213-0374.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet invite you invite you to savor specialty wines, whiskeys and fabulous hors d’oeuvres with sommelier Jeff Cambiano of Veritas Wine selections. Details and registration are online at: www.csjsl.org/events/uncorked-2023.
GERMANFEST
St. Joseph Parish
747 Osage St., Leavenworth Oct. 7 at 4 p.m.
The event will begin with a German Mass. After Mass, come to the gymnasium for a meal of sauerbraten, German potato salad, red cabbage, sauerkraut, brats and desserts. Dinner will be served from 5 - 8 p.m. Adult tickets are $12 and kids tickets are $5 (for a meal of hot dog and chips). There will also be music from the FesthausMusikanten German band. There will be raffles for a quilt, money and a German food basket. The pumpkins that decorate the tables can be purchased for $5.
SOUP SUPPER AND AUCTION
St. Bede Parish (hall)
7344 Drought St., Kelly
Oct. 8 at 4 p.m.
There will be chili, chicken noodle soup, vegetable beef soup, ham sandwiches, hot dogs, pie and cake. There will also be an auction of handmade quilts and many other items. There will be games for all ages, a country store and refreshments.
Chancery
12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kansas Oct. 10 from 4 - 5 p.m.
Come learn about the principal’s role in the mission of Catholic education. Please RSVP online at: archkckcs.org/register.
FRIED CHICKEN DINNER AND BINGO
St. Patrick Parish
1066 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas
Oct. 14 at 6 p.m.
There will be a dinner of two pieces of chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, roll and drink for $10. Play 10 games of bingo for $10. Call Fritz at (913) 515-0621 if you have any questions.
NUPTIAL CHARITY RETREAT
Benedictine College
1020 N. 2nd St., Atchison
Oct. 14 at 8:30 a.m.
Join Benedictine College’s Center for Family Life on a one-day retreat led by marriage and family expert Father José Noriega, DCJM. Father José will explore the Holy Spirit’s role in the marriage covenant through four lectures. There will also be a talk from an experienced couple about how they have seen the Holy Spirit working throughout their marriage. Find out more and register online at: benedictine.edu/NuptialCharity.
>> Continued from page 12
Family member with dementia or need help at home? - We specialize in helping seniors live SAFELY at home, where they want to live! We also offer free dementia training and resources for families and caregivers. Benefits of Home - Senior Care, www. Benefitsofhome.com or call (913) 422-1591.
Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, care management, transportation and much more. We specialize in dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. We will provide a loving family environment for your loved one, while giving them the proper care/ companionship that they need and deserve. Please call Mike or Krystyl at (913) 219-5880.
Wanted to buy - Do you have a car or truck that you need to get rid of? If you do, CALL ME!
I’m a cash buyer. We’re Holy Trinity parishioners. My name is Mark. (913) 980-4905.
Wanted to buy - Antique/vintage jewelry, paintings, pottery, sterling, etc. Single pieces or estate. Renee, (913) 475-7393. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.
Will buy firearms and related accessories - One or a whole collection. Honest evaluation and top prices paid. Contact Tom at (913) 238-2473. Member of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee.
Pilgrimage to Medjugorje - Dec. 27, 2023 - Jan. 4, 2024. Come ring in the New Year with us! Hosted by visionary Mirjana Soldo. For details, call Grace Legaspi at (913) 449-1806.
TWENTY-FOURTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
Sept. 17
TWENTY-FOURTH
SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sir 27:30 – 28:7
Ps 103: 1-4, 9-12
Rom 14: 7-9
Mt 18: 21-35
Sept. 18
Monday
1 Tm 2: 1-8
Ps 28: 2, 7-9
Lk 7: 1-10
Sept. 19
Januarius, bishop, martyr
1 Tm 3: 1-13
Ps 101: 1-3, 5-6
Lk 7: 11-17
Sept. 20
Andrew Kim Tae-gon, priest, and Paul Chong
Ha-sang, and companions, martyrs
1 Tm 3: 14-16
Ps 111: 1-6
Lk 7: 31-35
Sept. 21
MATTHEW, APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST
Eph 4: 1-7, 11-13
Ps 19: 2-5
Mt 9: 9-13
Sept. 22
Friday
1 Tm 6: 2c-12
Ps 49: 6-10, 17-20
Lk 8: 1-3
Sept. 23
Pius of Pietrelcina, priest
1 Tm 6: 13-16
Ps 100: 1-5
Lk 8: 4-15
Iblame my mom’s brother, my Uncle Joe Modrcin, for getting me addicted. It’s something that’s only gotten worse as the years have gone by. And I couldn’t be happier or more grateful.
Before you rush off to do an intervention on me, let me explain. When I was in early grade school, the Kansas City Times had what I remember as a weekly feature on the comics page. It was called the Kids’ Jumble®: That Scrambled Word Game.
For those not familiar with a Jumble, its instructions are simple. To solve it, you unscramble the given letters, one letter to each square, to form four ordinary words. Some squares have a circle in them. You then arrange the circled letters to form a surprise answer, suggested by the cartoon for that puzzle. (Google “Jumble” to see one.)
I’d watched my uncle do the daily one for adults and was intrigued. With his help,
I started doing the kid version. I loved it. I used to pretend that I was a secret agent and had to solve the puzzle to, I don’t know, save the world.
Doing Jumbles led to me trying out crossword puzzles, then cryptograms, crostics, codewords and so many other word games. With my morning coffee now, I do a crossword puzzle and then three Jumbles. (I love Jumbles so
much, I have several books of them on hand, but must limit myself to solving just a few at a time!)
Naturally, that love of word puzzles led to a love of reading. My addiction was enabled by Catholic grade school. Every two weeks back then, we received a comic book called “Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact.” My heart leapt when those came! I still have several copies.
One from Nov. 16, 1967, had stories of “Father Gabriel Richard: Man of Action — Man of God” and “All Men Are Brothers: The Story of Henri Dunant — Founder of the International Red Cross.”
Even the parish fostered my addiction. There was a publication called the “Catholic Twin Circle” and for a time, it included a comic book series “Classics Illustrated,” which featured “Stories by the World’s Greatest Authors.”
(These would be called graphic novels today.)
I have a whole slew of these still, among them “The Count of Monte Cristo” and “Les Miserables.” I never had the whole collection of 166, but I tried my best.
The whole point of these reminiscents is to highlight the power of planting seeds for good habits at a young age. With that in mind, we’re starting a new biweekly feature in The Leaven called Kids’ Chronicle. Our first one appears on the colorful page 16 of this issue. Its purpose is to plant seeds for a deeper appreciation both of Scripture and of our Catholic traditions, like the lives of the saints. And it’s not just for kids.
In fact, many adults could benefit from its
content. When I was in Catholic grade school, we had what was called Bible History, but we never actually opened the Bible. These were the days when the English translations of the Scriptures were cumbersome and there was a fear of “individual interpretation.”
Because we might misunderstand what we were reading, it was best to leave the Bible closed and let the Sunday sermon be our sure guide. So, it remained a book of mystery for the most part for many of my generation. It was certainly not something to be used for prayer or study.
The Scripture references in the Kids’ Chronicle can make up for that lack of knowledge of the Old and the New Testaments. So, explore the page with Bible in hand. Have fun with it. Read it with your kids or grandkids. Do the Word Search. And plant those good seeds early. Who knows? It might just be the start of an entire redwood forest!
It happened in late December of 1983, just days after Christmas.
Pope John Paul II went to the Rebibbia Prison to meet face to face with Mehmet Ali Agca, the man who just two years earlier had attempted to kill him. Entering Agca’s cell, the pontiff sat in a simple chair in a barren room and spent most of the next 20 minutes listening intently to the young man who had shot him in St. Peter’s Square.
MATTHEW
first century
One of the Twelve Apostles, this tax collector is called Matthew in one Gospel (Mt 9:9) and Levi in two others (Mk 2:14 and Lk 5:27). Scripture scholars believe they are the same man because the call and shared meal with Jesus are similar in all three accounts. He sometimes is credited with writing the Gospel of Matthew, but most scholars think this unlikely. And there is no evidence for early church traditions that Matthew evangelized in Judea, Parthia or Ethiopia, or that he was martyred in Persia.
At the end, John Paul stood up to leave. A Vatican spokesman later said Agca knelt to kiss the pontiff’s ring.
Afterward, the pope spoke briefly to reporters. “What we said to
each other is a secret between him and me,’’ he said. ‘’I spoke to him as I would speak to a
brother whom I have forgiven and who enjoys my confidence.’’
To this day, that meeting in Rebibbia remains one of the most moving and memorable illustrations of the command that lies at the heart of this Sunday’s Gospel: Forgive, and forgive again, and forgive again, 77 times. “Forgive your brother from your heart,” Jesus says.
The first reading, from Sirach, also makes it plain:
“Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven. . . . Think of the commandments, hate not your neighbor.”
Or, as the most famous prayer in the world puts it, “Forgive
us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
We pray those words so easily and so often. But do we really practice what we pray? Forgiveness goes against our nature. As he did so often, Jesus offered another way, a better way, a way of moving beyond the pain of the past and charting a new path forward: “Love one another, as I have loved you.”
A key component, we realize, is mercy — the desire to forgive what seems unforgivable, to love one who we may think is unlovable. That holds true whether that person is an enemy, a family member, a neighbor, a co-worker — or even a troubled
young man who tried to kill you.
It’s telling, I think, that just moments before Jesus speaks these words about forgiveness, Matthew’s Gospel offers the story of the shepherd who leaves 99 sheep to go in search of the one who is lost. All of us, in some way, are called to look out for those who may not be able to look out for themselves. This Sunday’s Gospel takes that a step further and commands us to never give up on mercy, never tire of forgiveness, never grow weary of offering a second chance to another.
Forty years ago, a pope did that in a prison cell. How can we follow his example?
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis said he knows people wonder why he traveled close to 6,000 miles to Mongolia to visit a Catholic community of only 1,450 people.
“Because it is precisely there, far from the spotlight, that we often find the signs of the presence of God, who does not look at appearances, but at the heart,” he
told thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his weekly general audience Sept. 6.
The pope said that during his Sept. 1-4 stay in the country’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, he encountered “a humble and joyful church, which is in the heart of God,” but one that was excited to find itself at the center of the universal church’s attention for a few days.
“I have been to the heart of Asia,
and it has done me good,” the pope said. The missionaries who arrived in Mongolia in 1992 “did not go there to proselytize,” the pope said.
“They went to live like the Mongolian people," he added, "to speak their language, the language of the people, to learn the values of that people and to preach the Gospel in a Mongolian style, with Mongolian words.”
Deacon Greg Kandra is an award-winning author and journalist, and creator of the blog “The Deacon’s Bench.” He serves in the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York.
More than 34 million people, including 10 million children, experience food insecurity in the United States.
The USDA defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life. This can be a temporary situation for a family or can last a long time. Food insecurity is one way we measure how many people can’t afford food.
September is Hunger Awareness Month, and Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas is committed to addressing hunger and food insecurity through many
solutions. We strive to provide healthy food to families in need as a way to supplement their household food budget.
We operate eight
pantries in our 21-county service area. Following the pandemic and the rising cost of groceries, we have seen a 69% increase in people accessing our food pantries. When families come to us, we connect them to federal nutrition programs such as WIC and SNAP. Both of these programs
allow low-income families benefits so they can purchase nutritious food. In select locations, we also distribute nutritious food boxes to seniors.
Food assistance is also available on a firstcome, first-served basis through our monthly mobile food distributions in Olathe, Lawrence and Kansas City, Kansas. This past fiscal year, 440,240 pounds of healthy food was given out, including fruits, vegetables and refrigerated items.
Throughout the summer, we offer our Kids Summer Food Program, providing a healthy sack lunch to children who often qualify for a reduced or free lunch
during the school year. This summer, we distributed over 38,000 lunches, with 85% given out to children in our rural communities where resources are not as abundant. Our rural neighbors are also served through our Resource Bus, which is staffed by a case manager and equipped with food, diapers, hygiene items and more.
While we have seen the demand for food increase, food donations have decreased over the summer months. Our shelves are close to empty. We are not able to replace our inventory at a rate that keeps adequate food on the shelves. We continue to purchase food, but
there is limited bulk available, and just like everyone, our dollar is not going as far. We depend on the generosity of our parish and school food drives to keep us stocked with shelf stable food.
How can you help?
We can all fight the root causes of poverty by helping those who live in its grip. An immediate way to help is to participate in a food drive for Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas or donating nonperishable items to one of our pantries. For a listing of upcoming food drives and most needed items, go online to: https:// catholiccharitiesks.org/ food-drives.
“God is on the move!” a group of us agreed, reflecting on some wonderful pro-life ministry work taking place around the archdiocese this summer.
Even though recent data confirmed what we feared after failing to pass the Value Them Both amendment just over a year ago, it is inspiring to see many respond in such a positive way.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment June 2023 report showed abortions increased 57% from 2021 to 2022. As expected, without Value Them Both, Kansas became the
Midwest abortion destination, with over 69% taking place on women coming from out of state. Abortions performed on minor girls increased 49% and
live-dismemberment abortions increased 29%.
Archbishop Naumann says that while we may no longer be able to protect women and preborn children from the harms of abortion through law, we can rescue them with love. We are blessed so many throughout the archdiocese are
answering this call.
Because of your generous donations to the Respect Life Fund, we increased grants to local pregnancy centers that lovingly serve women and save preborn children. Donations will also fund new Embrace Grace support groups for single pregnant women as part of our Walking With Moms parish initiative. Incredible people are stepping forward to lead these groups to show women they are loved, supported and capable of heroism.
This summer, 30 high-schoolers joined us for our first Defenders of Life Youth Leadership camp. These amazing
kids showed what it truly means to be pro-life by serving at a maternity home, hosting a picnic for friends with special needs and visiting residents at Villa St. Francis in Olathe. Education and experiences like this help build a culture that cherishes life and offers life-affirming solutions to scary, but often temporary, pregnancy challenges. You’ll be hearing more about other new initiatives coming soon.
Many others in our community are also doing incredible things for life:
• The new Selah Maternity Home just opened in Lawrence.
• Fifteen men from around the diocese
completed an expedition to Colorado to summit Uncompahgre Peak to raise funds and awareness for foster children.
• Archbishop Naumann blessed the new hospice wing of Villa St. Francis that provides a loving environment for end of life care.
On Oct. 1, the archbishop will kick off Respect Life Month at the 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. Joseph Church, Shawnee. All are welcome. This year’s theme, “Radical Solidarity,” calls Catholics to put our love for others into firm and determined action. Thank you to all doing this in big and small ways!
This school year has brought a lot of excitement and new faces to our schools.
Enrollment is up again especially for the CEF schools. This school year has also brought a record amount of requests for financial assistance scholarships from families in need. The good news is that there is growing interest from parents wanting to send their children to Catholic schools. The bad news is that there are not enough donations to meet the need.
Interest in Catholic education has increased for many reasons. Once again, Catholic schools
scored higher than public schools this past year on standardized math and reading assessment tests. Parents want
their children to get the best possible education and feel that Catholic schools are the best option. Parents also want their children to grow in their faith and want to put their children in safe and nurturing environments. Catholic schools meet
these needs while also helping to build strong families and strong communities.
There are over 330 children currently in need of financial assistance scholarships. This is the most ever. Economic factors like inflation and high interest rates are making it very difficult for families to make ends meet. CEF is working extremely hard to help families in need but is facing some challenges.
According to a recent Giving USA report, this past year charitable giving decreased by 10.5% across the country. This was only the fourth decline in over 40 years. More concerning is that
the number of people who gave to charities last year decreased by 14%. The Catholic Education Foundation was not immune to these trends, which are expected to continue this year.
With the need for scholarships increasing and donations not keeping pace, there is a gap.
CEF has a great opportunity to bridge this gap. Some generous families have offered a special challenge opportunity to increase giving for scholarships. Every dollar donated to the CEF’s upcoming “Gaudeamus” (“Let Us Rejoice”) dinner will be matched. One hundred percent of donations
will go directly to CEF’s scholarships and no administrative costs. Donors do not need to attend the dinner to have their donations matched. Donations can be made online at: cef gala.org, or by calling (913) 647-0344.
Last year, CEF awarded over $4.1 million in scholarships to 1,769 students. This year’s need for scholarships totals approximately $4.7 million for over 2,000 students in need.
CEF hopes to end this school year knowing that over 300 new students were able to attend a Catholic school and meet their academic and spiritual goals.
‘Our shelves are close to empty’LAUREN SOLIDUM Lauren Solidum is the executive director of Catholic Charities. DEBRA NIESEN Debra Niesen is the archdiocesan consultant for the pro-life office. VINCENT ANCH Vince Anch is the executive director of the Catholic Education Foundation.
During their travels, Jesus told the apostles about the kingdom of heaven.
After he had preached to a crowd, some parents brought their children to Jesus for a blessing. The apostles scolded them and tried to keep the children away.
Jesus stopped the apostles and let the children come to him.
“The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these,” he said.
Soon after, a rich young man came to Jesus and asked how to gain eternal life.
Jesus told the young man to sell all of his things and give to the poor.
“Then come, follow me,” he said.
The young man became sad and went away because he had many possessions that he did not want to give up.
“It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God,” Jesus said.
Peter wanted to know what the apostles would receive, because they had given up everything to follow Jesus.
All who give up their possessions and families to follow him would inherit eternal life in heaven, Jesus replied.
But, he added, “Many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
To help his friends understand, he told a parable.
“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard,” Jesus said.
A group of men agreed to do the work for the usual daily wage paid to laborers.
The landowner hired more men at 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., saying he would pay them what was just.
At the end of the day, the landowner told his foreman to pay the workers beginning with the last and ending with the first.
Even though they had not worked a full day, the men hired at 5 p.m. were paid the same daily wage as the men who had been hired first and worked more hours.
The men who were hired first expected to make more money than the other workers.
“You have made them equal to us,” they complained.
“What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? . . . Are you envious because I am generous?” the landowner asked.
“Thus,” Jesus said, “the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
In 1 Kings 21, we can read another story about a vineyard. A man named Naboth owned a vineyard next to the home of King Ahab, who ruled the northern kingdom of Israel.
Ahab wanted the vineyard and offered to buy it.
“The Lord forbid that I should give you my ancestral heritage,” Naboth told the king.
Ahab went home angry. He went to bed and wouldn’t eat.
Queen Jezebel, his pagan wife, asked what was wrong. He told her about Naboth’s refusal to sell the vineyard.
“What a king of Israel you are!” she scoffed. “Get up! Eat and be cheerful. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
In the king’s name, Jezebel sent letters to the elders and nobles, instructing them to proclaim a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people.
They were to arrange for two scoundrels to accuse Naboth of cursing God and the king. After that, Naboth was to be stoned to death.
The elders and nobles did as they were told, and Naboth was killed.
“Go, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite which he refused to sell you, because Naboth is not alive, but dead,” Jezebel told Ahab.
Where did Jesus say the apostles would be seated in the new age? (Hint: Matthew 20:28)
Answer: On 12 thrones.
St. Francis of Assisi was born in Italy in 1182 as the son of a wealthy merchant. He had a profound conversion experience after going to war for Assisi, being imprisoned and suffering from a very bad illness. Afterward, he gave up his family and riches to live a life of poverty and service because he believed Christ had asked him to do so.
He founded the Order of Friars Minor, or Franciscans, and helped found the Poor Clares and Franciscan Third Order.
In 2013, Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio took St. Francis’ name when he was elected pope.
St. Francis died in 1226, and we remember him on Oct. 4.