THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 41, NO. 7 | SEPTEMBER 20, 2019
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON
Ashley Bratcher, known for her performance as Abby Johnson in the movie “Unplanned,” was the keynote speaker for the “Evening for Life,” a fundraiser held Sept. 5 for the Wyandotte and Olathe Pregnancy clinics.
‘God had prepared me,’ believes actress By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org
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VERLAND PARK – A year of transitions. That’s what Diane Drouhard called the past year for both the Wyandotte and Olathe Pregnancy
clinics. In February, Drouhard accepted the role of executive director for the Olathe Pregnancy Clinic and Leah Conner became executive director of the Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic. Both women spoke during the “Evening for Life,” an annual fundraiser held Sept. 5 at the Overland Park Convention Center. The event included a reception, dinner, recognition of Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann (see sidebar) and a keynote speech by Ashley Bratcher, known for her performance as Abby Johnson in the movie “Unplanned.” In her remarks, Conner said she had big shoes to fill. “I quickly learned that this mission actually has very little to do with me,”
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
Leah Conner, executive director of the Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic, and Diane Drouhard, executive director of the Olathe Pregnancy Clinic, participated in their first “Evening for Life,” held Sept. 5 at the Overland Park Convention Center. she said. “It functions entirely by the grace of God, by the dedicated staff, the courage of our clients, the countless volunteers and the generosity of
our donors. “So, I personally want to say thank you to every one of you who are here tonight and to those not present also.
It’s your thoughts, prayers and support that make this whole thing possible.” Drouhard echoed Conner’s words. Calling it both “an honor and blessing to serve,” she said it had been a year of transition for both clinics — transitions that had led to growth. “Proverbs 16:9 tells us that a man plans his ways,” she said, “but God directs his steps. We’re here because of the One who directs us.” After dinner, Bratcher, 26, recounted her journey to committed Christian and playing Johnson. While in high school, Bratcher began dating her eventual husband. One night, during her senior year of college, the couple went to the state fair. A booth’s display changed her life forever. “I happened to look up,” she said, “and I see this one booth. It said, ‘Do you want to be an actor?’” She auditioned for a local commercial and landed the part. Afterward, her agent took her to New York City for a weekend’s worth of auditions which resulted in 21 different offers. >> See “TRANSFORMATIONAL” on page 5
SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
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If God and family are your priorities, invest in them
ne of the super priorities for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is to strengthen marriage and family life. The family is the foundation of our community, nation and church. If you want to help make our community and nation better, then make your marriage and your family a priority. The future of the church and culture pass through the family. It is in the family where future citizens and parishioners are being formed. The foundation of the family is marriage — the faithful love of a husband and a wife. The greatest gift a father can give his children is to love and cherish their mother, and the greatest gift a mother can give her children is to love and esteem their father. The faithful and unconditional love of husbands and wives for each other provides children with a nurturing and stable home. In a culture where there are so many forces working against marriage, no matter how committed one spouse is to the marriage, sadly many marriages do not survive, much less thrive. I have nothing but the highest admiration for the heroic love of single parents who labor
LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN unselfishly to provide a nurturing and happy home for their children. I urge couples to make the health and strength of your marriage a priority. Next to your relationship with God, your marriage and family should have the first claim on your time and energy. One way to measure the value we place on something is the amount and quality of time we devote to it. I meet so many parents who are wearing themselves out physically and emotionally by attempting to allow and support their children’s participation in many sports and other youth activities. These parents are striving for what they believe to be best for their children. However, if the end result is placing
significant stress on their marriage and family, it is time to re-evaluate. School of Love KC, founded by Mike and Kristi Dennihan, is an initiative to strengthen people’s spiritual lives,
Baptisms for children of larger families To show his personal support for those couples open to raising larger families, Archbishop Naumann has offered to celebrate the baptism of the third or greater child of any family interested. Please contact your parish office for more information. Additional information is also available from the archdiocesan office for liturgy and sacramental life at (913) 647-0330 or by email at: liturgy@ archkck.org.
while at the same time nourishing marital and family relationships. Aware that inviting couples to participate in another activity outside the home may contribute to the problem, Mike and Kristi developed Pier, a daily online prayer resource for families. Pier is easy, digital, beautiful and faithful to Catholic teaching. By committing just a few moments a day, your family can have meaningful prayer time, better conversations and grow closer to God and each other. School of Love also offers on the first Thursday of the month Date Night for married and engaged couples. Date Night starts with a happy hour and appetizers, followed by a brief talk on faith, marriage and family. Couples are given suggested questions based on the substance of the talk to help stimulate the conversation for however each couple chooses to spend the rest of their evening. School of Love also offers on the second Thursday of each month Face to Face, a time for family eucharistic adoration in the old stone church at Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa. This is followed by an optional family dinner. It brings the entire family together for prayer and inspiration,
followed by food, fun and good conversation. Visit the School of Love KC website to learn more about these and other resources to help strengthen marriages and families. Also, I encourage you to visit our own archdiocesan website and click on “For Your Marriage” to find many more opportunities to strengthen your marriage and family life. Review the activities of this past week. Have you had meaningful conversations with your spouse or your children? If an unbiased observer examined this past week’s activities, would it be obvious to them that God, marriage and family are the top priorities of your life? Christian marriage is a religious vocation. We believe that God calls a couple to marriage. Our Lord wants to use husbands and wives to make his love real and tangible for each other. Jesus calls Christian parents to be the first and most significant teachers and witnesses of the faith to their children. I exhort couples to invest in your marriage by prioritizing the time you devote to strengthening and nourishing your relationship. In doing so, you will be honoring God. You will be giving your children the most important gift you have to offer. You will be
ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN Sept. 20-23 Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher annual meeting Sept. 23-26 Priest convocation Sept. 27 Red Mass and reception — St. Peter Parish, Kansas City, Missouri Sept. 28 Apostles of the Interior Life women’s retreat confessions and Mass — Savior Pastoral Center 150th anniversary Mass and reception — Queen of the Holy Rosary, Wea
making our culture better and our nation stronger. You will be helping to build the kingdom of God by making your home a place where the “Joy of the Gospel” is alive and well.
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Want to help someone heal from an abortion? Call or text 913-621-2199
SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
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NATIONAL DAY OF REMEMBRANCE FOR ABORTED CHILDREN Photos by Jay Soldner
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he National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children was recognized on Sept. 14 at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Kansas City, Kansas. A prayer service was held in the cemetery’s chapel to honor the memory of the more than 60 million unborn victims of abortion. Speakers included Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann (top) and Jim Marcum (left) of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Missouri. Following the service, the attendees processed to the memorial site at the cemetery marked with pink and blue crosses (above) that served as reminders of those aborted. The event was sponsored locally by the archdiocese, KC Coalition for Life, LIFE Runners and Planned Parenthood Exposed.
President Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann
Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799)
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Published weekly September through May, excepting the Friday the week after Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Christmas; biweekly June through August. Address communications to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Phone: (913) 721-1570; fax: (913) 721-5276; or e-mail at: sub@theleaven.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. For change of address, provide old and new address and parish. Subscriptions $21/year. Periodicals postage paid at Kansas City, KS 66109.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG
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Ever wonder what seminary’s like? Here’s your chance to ask. By Katie Peterson Special to The Leaven
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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Matthew, James and John are names more familiar to the average Catholic. But it was Andrew who was the first to follow the Lord. That’s why dioceses across the country utilize an early vocations outreach program named after him, Project Andrew, to invite young men who want to learn more about the priesthood to come ask their questions. The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas vocation office will host two such sessions of Project Andrew, for young men high school age or older, from 1:30-5 p.m. on Oct. 6 at Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park, and on Oct. 13 at Most Pure Heart of Mary Church in Topeka “Project Andrew is a ‘ground-level’ vocation event meant to give young men a better understanding of what following Jesus should look like at this stage of their life,” said Father Dan Morris, vocation office director. “With a focus on learning more about a potential calling to the seminary and the priesthood,” he continued, “it is our hope that a young man will come away from this event with the necessary tools of discernment to go forth and gradually come to know and respond to God’s will for his life. “Project Andrew has its genesis in the fact that Andrew was the first of the disciples called by Jesus to follow him,” he concluded. “Thus, dioceses across the country have used the calling of Andrew as [a] model for learning how to properly discern any calling, but especially a calling to the priesthood.” The event will include a witness testimony from a newly ordained priest of the archdiocese, small group discussions, Holy Hour with Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and dinner with several archdiocesan priests.
LEAVEN FILE PHOTO
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann leads eucharistic adoration at a Project Andrew event. Project Andrew is designed for men at least 16 years old to help them learn how to discern God’s vocation for their lives. But it will open differently from similar events in the past thanks to feedback from past participants. “Although the young men expressed appreciating hearing a witness from a priest, as well as getting to hear from the archbishop,” Father Morris said, “they also noted that such information is at least two steps removed from where they are at. “For any young man who feels called to the priesthood, his first step will be to follow that calling into the seminary.” Therefore, three current seminarians will talk to the young men, too. “Our seminarians will not only share a little bit about their own discernment, but also about what seminary formation is actually like and how they are growing in their relationship with Christ,” he said. The seminarians will focus on three
topics — prayer, brotherhood and detachment. Seminarian Sudeep Kodigandla, who is currently in his pastoral year at Most Pure Heart of Mary, said he will speak about brotherhood — a component of seminary life that makes a seminarian’s journey both easier and richer. “It is about not being alone in this,” Kodigandla said. “It is about those deeper friendships.” “Day-to-day life, we have friends, but we also have one, two or three close friends that we can open up with and talk about life and talk about God [with],” he added. “You can’t do that with just anyone.” Father Morris said he hopes attendees, whether they are called to the priesthood or not, fall in love with Jesus Christ. “By taking advantage of this time to hear directly from our seminarians,
How to register To register for the free event, visit the website at: kckvocations. com and click the “Events” tab; send an email to: vocation@archkck.org; or call (913) 647-0303. Parents are also welcome to attend the event.
priests and even the archbishop — as well as ask any questions they may have — every man will find himself having grown in the kind of knowledge that leads to him falling in love with Jesus Christ and following him wherever that may lead,” he said. “Even if a young man discovers through this that he is not called to the priesthood, such knowledge will only empower him to one day be an even better husband, father and man.”
‘Deacon’s Bench’ blogger guides busy folks to prayer By Ellie Melero @eleanor_melero
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ew people might recognize the name “Greg Kandra.” But if you’ve seen shows like “Survivor” or the CBS documentary “9/11” or even the “CBS Evening News with Katie Couric,” then you are familiar with his work. Kandra is an Emmy- and Peabody award-winner twice over and has won four awards from the Writers Guild of America. But he is also a deacon at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Parish in Forest Hills, New York, and the multimedia editor for the Catholic Near East Welfare Association. Despite his 26 years at CBS News, today he is better known for his blog: The Deacon’s Bench. After being ordained to the diaconate in 2007, he started his blog because he saw a lack of publications and resources geared specifically toward deacons. The blog has since earned him more than 20 million readers around the world, mostly Catholic, and it receives about 200,000 page views a month. Deacon Kandra lends a Catholic per-
spective to just about everything: While one post considers how deacons can help address the clerical sexual abuse crisis in the church, another discusses Andrew Luck’s retirement from football. And the blog is not all he’s writing these days. He is the author of two books, the most recent of which is called “The Busy Person’s Guide to Prayer,” which was published in March. In a short, easy-to-read book, Deacon Kandra gives tips for how to incorporate meaningful prayer into a person’s everyday life. It also offers short prayers and reflections to help get folks started. The Leaven had an opportunity to talk recently with Deacon Kandra about his new book and the importance of prayer in one’s life. Q. What is the importance of prayer in an everyday Christian’s life? A. It defines who we are and our relationship with God. Serious, thoughtful, heartfelt prayer is so important in strengthening our relationship with God and in making us connected with him — which is a big part of what prayer is all about.
[Then], it’s maintaining that relationship and strengthening it and, through all that, discerning God’s will in our lives and trying to live the life that he wants for us. Q. What do you think are the top three tips you have about praying? A. 1) Start slow. The first thing, really, is having the desire to do it, and it’s finding 30 seconds out of your day that you can find someplace quiet to give yourself over to God. Do that, and begin with that, and eventually your prayer life can grow from that. Don’t overwhelm yourself with it. Start small and modest and humble and trust that God will accept anything that you offer with love. 2) Try to make everything an offering to God. Look at your life and try to make everything you do in your life a kind of prayer, an offering to God. Any conversation that you have, any work that you do. Eventually, if we do it enough — and we do it with the right attitude and the will and the love that we should — our whole lives can become a prayer. 3) Find a phrase or prayer you can say all the time. Find a phrase or a prayer, something
Readers can find Deacon Kandra’s blog at: www.patheos.com/ blogs/deaconsbench/. His book, “The Busy Person’s Guide to Prayer,” is available in print and for Kindle on Amazon and at various religious booksellers.
short and simple, that you can say often. Keep that in the back of your mind and in your heart. Say that in times of stress or trouble or whenever you want to pray and you don’t know what to say. I encourage people to find that phrase or prayer that they can turn to whenever they need it. Q: What do you hope people take away from reading the book? A. I hope they realize that prayer shouldn’t be intimidating. It is accessible. It is something tangible and real and immediate and it can be a part of your life. It doesn’t have to be big and overwhelming and with a lot of difficult prayers. You can make prayer a part of your life if you simply have the desire to do it and the will.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
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Transformational role led actress to personal discovery >> Continued from page 1 Yet, she was not ready to move away from home. After her college graduation, Bratcher decided to give New York a try, but this time was different. “I got there, and all I got was rejection,” she said. Returning home, she learned she was pregnant. But because she “knew the value of life,” she said she never considered abortion. Instead, she and her boyfriend worked to provide for their son. “The truth is, I was on government assistance. I had to have WIC. I was on Medicaid,” she continued. “We could barely pay our bills, but we fought tooth and nail to get back on our feet so we could provide for our child.” Eventually, the couple married and she took a job as a middle school art teacher. It was there she realized she missed her passion — acting. So, she decided to try again. This time, she prayed first. “I completely said, ‘All right, this is my heart. This is my desire. But with open hands, I sacrifice it to you. And if you want to take it and bless it, then bless it. If you want to take it away, then take it away,” she said. “And I have worked ever since that day. God is good.” Fast forward to 2015. Instead of a New Year’s resolution, she chose to select a word to contemplate throughout the year. That year, she chose the word “prepare.” “I chose that word because God had put it on my heart that he wanted to take me somewhere that I was not yet ready to go,” she said. Having built up a small following on social media, Bratcher did not expect what happened next. A woman named Emily contacted her and said she was to play Abby Johnson. A few weeks later, Emily had convinced the producers to send Bratcher a few pages of the script. After reading it, she looked up Johnson’s testimony. “I’ll never forget it because it completely rocked my world,” she said. She
Benedictine College is top 10 in the Midwest
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TCHISON — Benedictine College here has jumped up three spots in the annual U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of “America’s Best Colleges” and is now in the top 10. The rankings, published by U.S. News Media Group, list 91 colleges in the Midwest Division of the Best Regional Colleges and Benedictine is listed at No. 10 in the region, the highest ranked Catholic college in the division. U.S. News & World Report also lists Benedictine College as a Best Value school and a top school for Pell Grant recipients (under $50,000 family income) to succeed. In addition, U.S. News ranks Benedictine as the Best College in Kansas. The complete rankings are available online at: www.usnews.com/colleges. The annual rankings — in which U.S. News groups schools based on categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching — provide a resource for parents and students considering higher education opportunities. Using a proprietary methodology, the annual U.S. News rankings represent the most comprehensive look at how schools stack up based on a set of 15 widely accepted indicators of excellence.
told her husband then that she felt as if she was “meant to tell this story.” After the audition, Bratcher and her husband prayed unceasingly. Several weeks later, Bratcher received a phone call from the movie’s producers. She was one of the top contenders, but they wanted her to know the role might get her blacklisted. “And without hesitation, because God had prepared me, I said, ‘I don’t care,’” she recalled. The next day, while she was pouring her heart out to God in prayer, her phone rang. The producers offered her the part, but only if she could be on a plane within four hours. “Again, God had prepared me,” she continued. “So, I said, ‘I guess nothing’s impossible.’” She called her husband, told him and then packed her bags. Four days later, Bratcher’s mother called her. Bratcher said she hesitated before sharing her whereabouts. Her mother had had an abortion while in high school, and Bratcher did not want her mother thinking she was in any way judging her. “I knew that Abby’s story was transformational, and it was all about the love and grace of Jesus and his redeeming love, and I wanted to share that story with my mom,” Bratcher said. “And as I did, she completely broke down.” That’s when Bratcher learned she had almost been aborted. “It was really a profound moment. You see, I had accepted this role to play one of the greatest pro-life activists of our time, never knowing I was intended to be aborted, never knowing I was moments away from not having the experiences I’ve had in my life,” she said. Later, Bratcher said, “I am just a girl from North Carolina who God gave a story to, who gave my mother enough courage to get up off that table and walk out. “And here I am all these years later, telling the story of ‘Unplanned.’ “You can’t tell me that God isn’t real. You can’t tell me that my life doesn’t have a purpose because it does.”
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LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann received the Charles A. Sullivan Award for his support of the Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic.
Archbishop honored for pro-life support
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s part of the “Evening for Life,” Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann received the Charles A. Sullivan Award, named after one of the earliest supporters of the Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic. In bestowing the honor, Leah Conner, executive director of the clinic, said the archbishop was an appropriate recipient. “It was at Archbishop Naumann’s initiative that Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic opened its doors,” she said. “His ongoing support and encouragement give both our clinics the courage and fortitude to continue our mission in saving the lives of the unborn.” In his short acceptance speech, Archbishop Naumann said he would “treasure this award.” Upon becoming archbishop in 2005, Archbishop Naumann said he had asked the pro-life office how the archdiocese was helping those facing unplanned pregnancies, especially in underserved areas. Wyandotte
Sister Mary Denise Sternitzke, SCL
EAVENWORTH — Sister Mary Denise Sternitzke, 97, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth, died on Sept. 5 at the motherhouse here. Known for her keen mind, passion for mathematics and eclectic interests, Sister Mary Denise is first remembered as a true Sister of Charity. Mary Jean was born in Sedalia, Missouri, the first of two children of W. Leo and Maurene (Knapp) Sternitzke. Her mother cultivated Mary Jean’s respect for the arts; her father, her love of mathematics. Mary Jean attended grade school and high school in Parsons. A trip to Saint Mary College and the motherhouse in Leavenworth, confirmed her interest in a religious vocation. Mary Jean joined the Sisters of Charity on Sept. 1, 1940; she professed vows on March 2, 1942. “I’ve always thought this is where God wants me to be,” she said. Sister Mary Denise was an educator for 56 years. She taught mathematics and science courses in several high
schools and at Saint Mary College. She enjoyed working with teenagers and had a special talent for teaching mathematics to those who were afraid of the discipline. She also had a mission to interest more women in this field. She received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Saint Mary College and specialized in geometry for her master’s degree earned at Notre Dame University. With the goal of more directly serving persons who were poor, Sister Mary Denise made a ministry transition to Marillac Clinic in Grand Junction, Colorado, where she served from 1998 to late 2014, as a bookkeeper and then a volunteer. Sister Mary Denise always strove to keep her mind busy. She had taken German in college and was learning Russian in her recent years. She played bridge, enjoyed puzzles and games, and followed tennis tournaments avidly. Sister Mary Denise had a fondness for cats and kittens. She had a good sense of humor and was witty.
County, he said, was one area leaders felt strongly about. “I’m really grateful to those that really took up that challenge,” he added. “It’s been a privilege as archbishop and in our archdiocese to support [the Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic].” Elsewhere, the archbishop discussed the recent Kansas Supreme Court ruling and urged everyone to get behind the effort to amend the Kansas Constitution. Ultimately though, he said love was the key to ridding American society of abortion. “Whether Roe v. Wade is overturned or diminished or whether we’re successful or not with our Kansas Supreme Court overturning that decision by a constitutional amendment, our crisis pregnancy centers remain essential,” he said. “What we can’t do with law, we can do with love. “That’s what this event is about tonight — surrounding those that might be tempted to think that abortion is the solution to some of the challenges of life.”
40 Days for Life campaign to begin on Sept. 25
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VERLAND PARK — This fall, more than 100,000 people around the world will share in the mission to pray to end abortion as they join in the fall 40 Days for Life campaign. 40 Days for Life began in 2004 and is designed to promote an end to abortion. The campaign is peaceful and focuses on 40 days of prayer and fasting, 40 days of peaceful vigil at abortion facilities and 40 days of grassroots educational outreach. All prayer vigil participants are asked to sign a statement of peace, pledging to conduct themselves in a Christ-like manner at all times. The Kansas City metro is one of 505 cities participating worldwide during this fall campaign. From Sept. 25 to Nov. 3, more than a thousand people will rally in peaceful prayer outside the Center for Women’s Health at 4840 College Blvd. in Overland Park from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Speakers at the 40 Days for Life kickoff event on Sept. 25 in Overland Park include: Ron Kelsey, pro-life advocate; Stephanie Jacobson, post-abortive survivor; Terri Baxter, founding director of H3 Helpline, a 24/7 helpline for abortion recovery; and Dr. Pat Castle, president and founder of LIFE Runners.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG
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Happiness, in the lives of couples, is a work in progress
ecently, I came across an article published a few years ago in Psychology Today magazine. The title caught my attention because it is counter intuitive: “Happiness is not a feeling.” The author, Dr. Ben Fletcher, writes that, although we perceive happiness as an emotion, what drives our happiness is what we do, the habits we develop. The feelings we call happiness come about because of the way we behave. If we are unhappy and want to be happy, we cannot just imagine ourselves to be happy. We need to do something that will cause us to experience positive feelings. In other words, we need to change what we do and act in a way that will generate the emotions we want. What I learned in working with couples is that many who are in pain know that they need to make some changes to feel better.
JOHN BOSIO John Bosio is a former marriage and family therapist, director of religious education and diocesan family life coordinator. He is a member of the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers.
What they lack is often the motivation, the strength to challenge the situation they find themselves in. Often it is easier to stay stuck than to find the courage to shake things up to bring about much needed changes. What I also learned in my life is that one of the driving forces that
can help people make changes in their life is the power of meaning. There actually is a school of psychotherapy, founded by Victor Frankl, that is dedicated to exploring the power of meaning in our life. It is called “logotherapy.” The meaning we give to our existence, the way we understand who we are and the purpose we give to our life can be the source of the strength we need to make change happen. Religious faith is a clear source of meaning and purpose in life. If you are a person of faith, a spouse who feels stuck in a relationship that is causing you more negative feelings than positive ones, resolve to do something small to start the process of getting you and your spouse unstuck. I am not talking about something drastic. What I am suggesting as a first step is even simpler than going to counseling, and yet very powerful. It is prayer. Pray to discern what you need to change,
and to find the courage to get started. An article by Mark Butler and Hannah Herring published by the Institute for Family Studies makes a strong case for the power of prayer in marriage. According to the authors, prayer establishes a therapeutic triangle between husband, wife and God. Prayer and the graces that it brings help you open your heart for change inspired by God’s benevolence toward you and your spouse. Prayer connects you with the source of meaning in your life and leads you to forgive yourself and your spouse, appreciate what you have and be willing to make sacrifices for the common good. Let God’s graces be the source of energy to guide you and give you the courage to act in a way that will help you experience joy in your life more and more often. A lot of research has been done on this phenomenon. An article
published last March in Christianity Today magazine finds that religious practice helps couples find happiness in marriage. Drawing from a report called “Ties that Bind,” the researchers found that couples who attend religious services two to three times per month or more are much happier than couples who never attend religious services. For example, 67% of wives in the first group rate the quality of their marriage relationship above average, while only 47% of wives who are less religious do so. A similar correlation seems to exist when it comes to sexual satisfaction. However, that report shows that religious faith alone may not help heal couples that suffer from intimate partner violence. Here, prayer can be a start, but the guidance of a therapist is also needed. The study found that about 20% of couples suffer from some form
Question for reflection: Is prayer part of your life? What do you pray for? Do you pray for your spouse?
of intimate partner violence: hitting, threats, controlling behaviors and others. If you find yourself in this situation, seek professional help. I am not suggesting that prayer is the cure for all problems. Prayer can be the starting point. It gives us the graces and the wisdom we need to make the first move toward improving our life. There are times in life when the help of a priest or a counselor is necessary. Happiness in our personal life and as a couple is a work in progress — one that depends on the choices I make, and not on the choices that my spouse makes.
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Mary, mother of Jesus, focus of retreat
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EAVENWORTH — Learn lessons in compassion and contemplation by focusing on the life journey of Mary, the mother of Jesus, during a silent, guided retreat at the Marillac Center here on Oct. 4 and 5. Sister Judith Jackson, SCL, will serve as the retreat facilitator for “Letting Mary Matter: Lessons in Compassion, Contemplation.” Participants will reflect on the mysteries of Mary’s life journey — from the Annunciation to Pentecost — with renewed energy and refreshed perspectives. Retreat goals include enriched spirituality and appreciation of Mary as a woman for all times. The retreat will begin with evening prayer and the opening session on Oct. 4 at 6:30 p.m. Saturday’s schedule will run from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. An option is to attend the retreat only on Saturday. Donation for this retreat is $50 and includes meals; Saturday only is $35 including lunch. Overnight accommodations are $55 per night. A $25 deposit is requested in advance. To register, visit the website at: www.marillaccenter.org; send an email to: schase@scls.org; or call (913) 680-2342.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JOE BOLLIG
Msgr. John Canary, former rector of Mundelein Seminary and current vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago, led a workshop on life transitions for archdiocesan priests ordained within the last five years on Sept. 4.
Priests get advice on managing transitions By Olivia Martin olivia.martin@theleaven.org
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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Change is hard. And especially for new priests — who might experience several changes in assignments in their first decade in ministry — it pays to be ready for it. On Sept. 4, archdiocesan priests ordained within the last five years gathered at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kansas, for a workshop on life transitions. Monsignor John Canary, former rector of Mundelein Seminary and current vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago, led the workshop. Among various life transitions and changes discussed, Msgr. Canary focused on instructing the priests on how to manage moving to a new parish. “Next to death experience, for most people the most stressful thing that can come upon an individual is to change residence,” said Msgr. Canary. He pointed out three phases of transition: the end of something, the in-between and the new beginning. During the ending phase, there winds up being a lot of internal reflection as a person comes to a conclusion about what his work, relationships and self-understand-
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“NEXT TO DEATH EXPERIENCE, FOR MOST PEOPLE THE MOST STRESSFUL THING THAT CAN COME UPON AN INDIVIDUAL IS TO CHANGE RESIDENCE.” ing meant during the time that is coming to a close. In the in-between phase, enthusiasm and commitment are recovered in the new place as possibilities in the new stage of life unfold. And in the new beginning phase, motivation and comfort settle in. “The transition is not necessarily a neat chronological or geographical experience,” said Msgr. Canary. “It’s related to tasks. And in each of the moments of transition, there are different tasks. Until the task is completed [for each phase], the transition is not complete.” For example, in order to move from the “end” phase to the “in-between,” the person in transition must be grateful — say all his thank-
yous — and depart — say goodbye to his work, home or loved ones. “During the in-between time, things are slowly clarifying for you; you’re getting a sense for things,” said Msgr. Canary. “In the in-between times what is very important is motivation, that you revisit why you’re doing what you’re doing. . . . The task is reinvestment.” Once a person has reinvested in the new place, work or relationship, the “new beginning” has begun. Learning about the transition process is something Father Michael Guastello — newly appointed pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Wathena, St. Benedict Parish in Bendena and St. Charles Parish in Troy — was thankful for. “[It was a helpful reminder to] be patient with myself, and know that it could take two to three years for the transition to be complete,” he said. Father Mark Ostrowski agreed. Newly ordained and appointed to Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa and chaplain of St. James Academy, Father Ostrowski is focused on managing the changes in his life well. “I’m still trying to get into a good rhythm of life, which is really important to stay grounded,” he said. “Consistency is key to the spiritual life. “And everything I do is an empty gesture if the Lord isn’t involved!”
Catholic Business Network receives award LEAWOOD — The Catholic Business Network has been selected for the 2019 Best of Leawood award in the Business Development Service category by the Leawood Award Program. Each year, the program identifies companies that have achieved success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Leawood Award Program and data provided by third parties.
Statement on Father Scott Kallal trial The trial of Father Scott Kallal, AVI, who was charged with two felony counts of indecent liberties with a child, ended in a mistrial at the Wyandotte County Courthouse in Kansas City, Kansas, on Sept. 16. Father Kallal continues to be on a leave of absence, which means he is restricted from publicly exercising priestly ministry. Only after the legal process has concluded will the archdiocese then be able to resume its own process of evaluation, including consultation with the Independent Review Board. The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas takes all allegations of misconduct by church personnel seriously. It encourages anyone with knowledge of inappropriate conduct by any church employee, volunteer, clergy or religious to contact law enforcement first, and then make a report to its confidential report line at (913) 6473051 or online at: archkck.org/reportabuse.
BOYS to “ MEN Benedictine football coach Larry Wilcox notches 40 years of success on the field . . . and off
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HE JUST DOES THINGS HIS WAY AND IT WORKS. PEOPLE GRAVITATE TOWARDS HIM AND YOU CAN FEEL THE POWER THAT HE HAS OVER PEOPLE.” Logan Harris, senior wide receiver and captain of the Ravens
STORY BY TODD HABIGER | PHOTOS BY LORI WOOD HABIGER
TCHISON — On a sun-drenched Saturday afternoon Sept. 7, students and fans pour into Larry Wilcox Stadium on the campus of Benedictine College here for the school’s home opener against William Penn. An enthusiastic crowd, backed by the college band, gives a loud ovation as the Ravens, the No. 2-ranked team in the NAIA, are introduced with their head coach — Larry Wilcox himself. As the football program at BC celebrates 50 years since its revival after having been shut down in 1962, Wilcox has been the one constant on the Benedictine sidelines — first as a player, then as an assistant and finally as head coach, a position he’s held since 1979. Along the way, Wilcox has carved out a legacy for himself that can only be described as legendary. Not bad for a guy who figured football was in his past the moment he stepped onto the college’s campus as a student in 1968.
The revival In 1962, St. Benedict’s — as the college was called before the 1971 merger with Mount St. Scholastica — dropped football. “A lot of private colleges discontinued football during that era of the ’60s,” said Wilcox, a member of St. Benedict Parish in Atchison. “For example, I think all the Jesuit schools, except for one, dropped football. Rockhurst dropped football in this area.” Wilcox was a pretty good football player in the East St. Louis, Illinois, area. He considered going to St. John College in Minnesota to play football, but ultimately decided to stay closer to home and attend St. Benedict’s. A pre-dentistry major, Wilcox focused on his academics and played rugby to fill the athletic void in his life. But just before his sophomore year, St. Benedict’s president Father Gerard Senecal, OSB, decided to restart the football program, much to the surprise of Wilcox and the returning students. “It was sort of a spur of the moment thing,” Wilcox said. “Students were coming back to campus that fall. They announced football was beginning and we would be playing a game in three weeks.” Figuring “why not,” Wilcox tried out for the team and made it as a defensive lineman. “If you tried out for the team, you were probably going to make it,” he said with a smile. The new Ravens football team’s first game was in California against the University of Loyola of Los Angeles. Having
never been on a plane before or traveled too far from home, Wilcox had a blast on the trip. Maybe too much of a blast. “We went to Disney World, we went to the beach and we played a football game,” he said. “The only negative thing was on Monday, at 8 a.m., I had a biology test. I came back and didn’t do well on the exam.” When his test was returned to him, Father Eugene Dehner, OSB, the biology teacher, wrote on his test: “Do you want to play football or be a dentist?” “That’s when I decided to make the switch,” Wilcox said. “I had so much fun with football, I could see myself doing this.”
A football life Wilcox spent three seasons playing football for Benedictine as football made its way from a club sport to a full varsity sport. Wilcox describes himself as a “slow” defensive lineman. But Raven’s defensive coordinator and athletic director Charles Gartenmayer, who played with him, said Wilcox had a dogged determination and a willingness to work hard that made him a good player for the Ravens. After graduation, Wilcox became an assistant football coach at Benedictine. Over the years, he’s also been its head baseball coach, head softball coach, head golf coach and athletic director. But it has been as the head football coach that Wilcox has found his greatest success. Wilcox is not a fiery guy. His sideline demeanor rarely changes — staying the same during the highs and lows of the game. “He’s intense without getting too emotional,” said Stephen Minnis, president of Benedictine. “You don’t have a lot of highs and lows with Larry. No matter what happens, he is able to control his emotions.” Gartenmayer echoes Minnis’ assessment. “He doesn’t panic over things,” Gartenmayer said. “He never lets things overly worry him.” As was the case against William Penn in the home opener. After dominating the game for most of three quarters, the Ravens allowed William Penn to creep within a touchdown. There were no sideline outbursts from Wilcox, just calm and simple coaching. In the end, the Ravens dominated the rest of the way, cruising to a 47-11 victory. “He just does things his way and it works,” said Logan Harris, a senior wide receiver and captain of the Ravens. “People gravitate towards him and you can feel the power that he has over people.” The Wilcox way has worked well. He’s racked up 291 wins — second most victories in NAIA history and good for 14th alltime in college football.
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I ENJOY THE PLAYERS — THAT’S THE BIGGEST THING. GAME DAYS ARE FUN, BUT IT’S THE THINGS YOU DO THAT LEAD UP TO THE GAME THAT ARE EVEN MORE FUN.” Larry Wilcox, Benedictine Ravens head football coach
He’s in the Benedictine College Athletic Hall of Fame and the NAIA Hall of Fame. Despite all his accomplishments and honors, Wilcox downplays the whole thing in the most typical Larry Wilcox way. “That just means you’re getting old, I guess,” he said. “What we do with the guy now?”
Benedictine first For all his wins and accomplishments, Wilcox has consistently put the needs of the college before the needs of the football program. As Benedictine has grown, so has its need for new or upgraded facilities. Minnis said that Wilcox has, on several
occasions, redirected donors who want to contribute money to the football program to instead donate to other school projects. “It’s never been about him; it’s always been about the college,” said Minnis. Gartenmayer said that Wilcox sees athletics as a way to further the mission of the school. “We are always talking about how we can make the program better, but also how we can make the athletic department better and how we can make the college better,” he said. When Wilcox pushed for a new football stadium, his reasons weren’t solely for the benefit of the football program. The old football stadium was located off campus. Wilcox felt strongly that the college needed a stadium on campus. “People would come to our games, but
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WHAT WE’RE DOING HERE, WHAT HE FEELS VERY STRONGLY ABOUT, IS THAT HE’S CREATING THAT FOUNDATION FOR THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL.” Charles Gartenmayer, Ravens defensive coordinator and athletic director
successful after we leave here.” Harris said that Wilcox stresses academics above football. In his years as a player, Harris said he’s seen teammates struggle with academics only to be rescued by Wilcox. “He finds people that can help them,” Harris said. “I have seen a lot of good players become successful after school because of that.” Gartenmayer has seen the same thing. “He wants players to be thinking about how they can use the skill sets that they have to take advantage of the environment that they’re in here at Benedictine College and to take that forward to be successful for the next 30, 40, 50 years of their life,” he said. “What we’re doing here, what he feels very strongly about, is that he’s creating that foundation for them to be successful.” “Larry’s told me numerous times that he never has a goal of winning the national championship,” Minnis said. “His goal is to make young boys into men and to form them into great adults who will be great employees, great fathers, great husbands, great people. “That’s what he cares about.”
The future
the games were not on our campus,” he said. “They would come and leave without ever seeing the campus. “I said, ‘We need a stadium on campus. It will help football, but it will be great for the college.’” To make his point, Wilcox and his wife Janet looked at their finances — and donated a year’s salary to the stadium project. “I tell people that it really wasn’t that much money,” Wilcox jokes. But, then, more seriously, he explains. “I felt that we needed this stadium,” he said, “and I felt strongly that I needed to do something dramatic to make it happen.” Wilcox planned to make the donation anonymously. But word got out and it fueled others in the community to give to the project. “Now we have a game day experience
here very few small colleges have,” he said. “Our tailgating experience is second only to the Kansas City Chiefs. They have fun; we get a good crowd. “They come on campus and they spend the day. The college has bought into that and they promote the home game environment that we have here to our alumni and our fans. It does a lot for the institution.”
Larry legend Beyond the wins, beyond the honors, it’s what Wilcox has done though football that truly makes him legendary. “He actually cares about us as people, not only as players,” said Harris. “He wants us to get an education. He wants us to be
Who knows what the future holds for Wilcox? One thing he does know is that, even after more than 40 years, he still loves what he’s doing. “I look forward to coming to work. I like my work,” he said simply. Time has mellowed him a little, but the same passion he had when he took over Raven football is still in him today. And it all comes back to his players. “I enjoy the players — that’s the biggest thing,” said Wilcox. “Game days are fun, but it’s the things you do that lead up to the game that are even more fun. “A lot goes on behind the scenes, helping young people become successful. Helping young people to hang in there during tough times. Giving them a pat on the back when things are going well, when they have some success.” “We all need some motivation,” he added. “We all need some encouragement, we all need a little kick in the rump every once in a while. “Where I get the most enjoyment is seeing a young man come in at this level and end up at a much higher level.” Minnis sums up Wilcox’s tenure at Benedictine College perfectly: “I think when you’re doing something you love, at a place that you love, with people that you love, well, you can do that for a long time.”
Mary’s team
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or more than a decade, Benedictine College president Stephen Minnis has lead a 7:30 a.m. rosary on campus on Wednesday mornings. “Seven-thirty is pretty early for college students,” said Minnis, “But we’ve had a steady stream of students show up over the years.” But two years ago, he noticed quite a few football players showing up for the rosary — many of who aren’t even Catholic. And the team was suddenly on a roll, winning back-to-back Heart of America Conference championships. “I started calling them Mary’s team,” said Minnis. “I said, ‘Mary is going to support you because you are showing your love for her and asking for her help and she’s going to help you.’” Minnis likes to pull out a quote attributed to legendary Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz: “God doesn’t care who wins football games — but his mother does.” Minnis said as Benedictine made its way to the NAIA championship game last year, he started noticing little “Mary miracles.” In Benedictine’s first playoff game, in double overtime against Concordia University from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Concordia had the ball looking to tie the score and send the game into a third overtime. At exactly 3 p.m., Concordia ran a sweep play and the Benedictine defensive end crashed into the ball carrier, causing him to fumble. “At 3 o’clock, we’ve asked the community to pray a Memorare every day for the college,” said Minnis. “People in the audience told me: ‘I started praying my Memorare and, in the middle of it, our guy makes a tackle, recovers the fumble and we win the game.” Then in the semifinals against Kansas Westleyan University in Salina, Benedictine was down late in the game. “Then, we score a touchdown to go up and I look up as our guy is running into the end zone and I see St. Mary’s Church right across the street from the end zone,” Minnis said. Some may chalk it up to coincidences, but Minnis would humbly disagree. He quotes St. John Paul II who once said, “There are no mere coincidences.”
SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG
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Religious shareholders press case on gun manufacturers, retailers By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service
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ASHINGTON (CNS) — The desire for action on preventing more gun violence may face hurdles in Congress, but those pressing for change are having an effect in the corporate boardroom. While now may be the moment to effect changes in federal firearms policy, that moment did not come without a lot of groundwork, according to Dominican Sister Judy Byron, director of the Seattle-based Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment. “ICCR members did some initial work on guns in the early 2000s, and it’s been over the past couple of years that we picked up the issue again,” said Sister Byron, referring to the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, to which the Northwest Coalition belongs. The current tactic is to urge firearms makers and sellers to adopt human rights policies. “Do models exist? Yes, yes, yes. Hundreds of companies have adopted human rights policies,” Sister Byron told Catholic News Service in a Sept. 12 telephone interview from Seattle. She cited the Hershey Co., North America’s largest candy company. “They use a lot of sugar. How are those workers treated?” she asked rhetorically, adding that acknowledgment of the treatment of sugar harvesters is part of its policy. Her work has focused as of late on two gunmakers: American Outdoor Brands, maker of Smith & Wesson guns, and Sturm, Ruger & Co. At the latter’s shareholders meeting last year, Sister Byron said, close to 69 percent of shares were voted in favor of a nonbinding resolution to have the company adopt a human rights policy. Sturm, Ruger “did do what the resolution asked of them,” she added. Consider Walmart. “ICCR members have worked with Walmart since the ’90s on multiple issues,” Sister Byron said. “We know that after Parkland (the 2018
CNS PHOTO/CALLAGHAN O’HARE, REUTERS
A woman releases balloons Aug. 6 at a memorial following the Aug. 3 mass shooting at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas. The desire for action on preventing more gun violence may face hurdles in Congress, but those pressing for change are having an effect in the corporate boardroom. high school shooting that left 17 dead), Walmart raised the [purchase] age to 21, and they don’t sell assault weapons. But after the latest incident at El Paso at one of their stores, there was a lot of pressure on them about selling guns and ammunition.” She added, “We had a face-to-face dialogue with executives at Walmart” — and not with some corporate functionary but with company president and CEO Doug McMillon. “Walmart said, ‘Let’s have a conversation,’” Sister Byron said. “They talked to many stakeholders, not just ICCR. They really have to consider the risks to their customers as well as to society for whatever they did. We know what they did.”
The company announced it would stop selling all handgun ammunition and certain short-barreled rifle ammunition. Walmart also asked customers to not openly carry weapons into stores anymore. The open-carry request also has been made by the Walgreens and CVS drugstore chains and the Albertsons and Kroger supermarket chains. Sister Byron remembers working with Dick’s Sporting Goods on the issue. “In December 2017 we filed a resolution asking what they were doing with the Sandy Hook Principles,” a response to the December 2012 shooting spree that left 26 dead — most of them young grade-school children — before the killer took his own life.
“Unlike the gun manufacturers, they called us right away,” she said. “The CEO was on the conversation and told us about the things the company was struggling with, because they were selling the firearms and ammunition. It was after Parkland that they made their decision to raise the age [for gun sales],” Sister Byron said. “They’ve really been a leader. They’ve even hired a lobbyist in D.C. to work on sensible gun reform.” She added that for CEOs, “when you’re looking around for ‘who has my back,’ knowing that ICCR has my back makes a difference, because we have a long history of working with companies. We really are promoting the common good, as well as society.”
Abortion survivor bill is ‘pro-child, human rights’ measure
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ASHINGTON (CNS) — At a Sept. 10 hearing on the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, said the U.S. House “needs to vote now and approve this humane, pro-child, human rights legislation.” The bill, which would protect babies born alive in failed abortions, “makes clear that no mother of a child born alive can ever be prosecuted,” noted Smith, who is chair of the Pro-Life Caucus. “And it empowers the woman upon whom the abortion is performed to obtain appropriate relief in a civil action.” The afternoon hearing, held at the House Capitol Visitor Center, was sponsored by House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana; Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Missouri, who reintroduced the measure Feb. 5; and the Pro-life Caucus. In his remarks, Smith described the case of Sycloria Williams, who went to an abortion clinic in Florida. During the abortion, her baby girl was delivered live at 23 weeks, he said. “The clinic owner took the baby who was gasping for air, cut her umbilical cord,
threw her into a biohazard bag and put the bag in the trash.” “Heartbroken, Sycloria later had a funeral for her baby girl,” whom she named Shanice, he said, adding that in Florida in just one year — 2017 — 11 babies were born alive during abortions.” “Shockingly only six states — Florida, Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Texas — currently require the reporting of children born alive who survive abortion,” Smith said in his remarks at the hearing. “Why the cover-up?” He quoted Dr. Willard Cates, former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Abortion Surveillance Unit, as saying that such live births “are little known because organized medicine, from fear of public clamor and legal action, treats them more as an embarrassment to be hushed up than a problem to be solved.” “The tendency is not to report because there are only negative incentives,” said Cates. Smith also pointed to “an outrageous paper” published in 2012 in the Journal of Medical Ethics by bioethicists Dr. Alberto Giubilini and Francesca Minerva in which they said: “When
circumstances occur after birth that would have justified abortion, what we call after-birth abortion should be permissible.” The congressman said advocates of abortion “are now aggressively legislating to extend the violence after birth” and pointed to New York state and Illinois as examples. Early this year, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law a bill to allow abortion until birth. The law also removes penalties “for infanticide of any child who survives,” said Smith. Illinois also repealed its born-alive protections, he added, and 14 other states have no protections for abortion survivors in place. The Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act “seeks to end or at least mitigate this egregious child abuse,” Smith said, “by requiring that a health care provider must ‘exercise the same degree of professional skill, care and diligence to preserve the life and health of the child as a reasonably diligent and conscientious health care practitioner would render to any other child born alive at the same gestational age or be fined and/or face up to five years in prison.’”
CNS PHOTO/TYLER ORSBURN
The U.S. Capitol is seen in Washington July 24. At a Sept. 10 hearing on the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, pro-life members of Congress called on the House “to vote now and approve this humane, pro-child, human rights legislation.”
SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG
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U.S. delegation brings V Encuentro results to pope, Vatican By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service
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ATICAN CITY (CNS) — A delegation of U.S. bishops and laypeople came to Rome to share with Pope Francis and Vatican officials the joyful experiences and valuable recommendations that came out of last year’s Fifth National Encuentro. Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, told Catholic News Service that he was looking forward to announcing “the good news” about what they’ve learned and how the process has been unfolding. “When we talked to the Holy Father” as they were still preparing for the September 2018 event, the archbishop said forming and inspiring missionary disciples across the nation “was our dream, and now we can share with him that it is happening.” Archbishop Gomez along with Bishop Nelson J. Perez of Cleveland, chairman of the USCCB committee on cultural diversity in the church, and Auxiliary Bishop Arturo Cepeda of Detroit, chairman of the subcommittee on Hispanic affairs, led a delegation to the Vatican Sept. 13-18. They were presenting the “Proceedings and Conclusions of the Fifth National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry,” and they spoke with CNS Sept. 16. The materials they have been sharing offer a summary of the challenges, opportunities, recommendations and successful practices when it comes to pastoral care and accompaniment of Hispanic and Latino communities in the United States and their call to be missionary disciples. The national gathering of V Encuentro in Grapevine, Texas, was a historic gathering of Hispanic/Latino leaders in ministry, delegates from dioceses, church movements, schools and Catholic organizations from across the United States. The bishops estimated more than 1 million Catholics had participated in parish, diocesan and regional
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German Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van-Elst, delegate for catechesis at the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, looks at a cross presented by Bishop Nelson J. Perez of Cleveland during a meeting with U.S. Encuentro representatives at the Vatican Sept. 16, 2019. Encuentro representatives were in Rome to present findings from the Fifth National Encuentro to Pope Francis and Vatican officials. encuentros in the two years prior to the Grapevine meeting. One of the things they are telling the Vatican, Archbishop Gomez said, is that “Latinos in the United States are excited about their faith.” “The church in the United States is alive, it’s a young church” with an estimated 50 percent of Catholics who are 18 or younger being of Hispanic or Latino origin, Bishop Cepeda told CNS. “It is wonderful,” he said. “They are bringing in the future of the church, but at the same time, they are the ‘now’ of the church,” which brings “a lot of joy and hope.” Bishop Perez told CNS he’s telling
Vatican officials how excited people are to “actually be missionary disciples” going to places Pope Francis has called “the peripheries.” People have been going “to places where the church isn’t always present,” he said, like prisons and street corners, and to those who may feel disenfranchised, like young people and undocumented workers. “The political climate in the United States with immigration and our undocumented brothers and sisters has been very challenging, in fact, very painful,” Bishop Perez said. But the encuentro process, which began at the grassroots level in 1972, “providentially created the space, the
Religion has ‘valuable role’ in forming culture of peace
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NITED NATIONS (CNS) — Religion can make an important contribution “to forming a culture of peace,” both to “empower and transform individuals” and “humanity as a whole,” the Vatican’s nuncio to the United Nations said Sept. 13. “It seems vital to underline the valuable role of religion — not the distorted forms of religious fanaticism or sectarianism which all too often make the headlines, but rather authentic religious belief and teaching — in promoting a culture of peace,” said Archbishop Bernardito Auza, who heads the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations. This is particularly important “among the younger generations who are looking for guidance as they seek meaning and direction in their lives,” he added in his comments at a high-level U.N. forum on “The Culture of Peace.” He referenced the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, which rejects violence and terrorism and promotes identity, dialogue and harmony. It was signed in the United Arab Emirates
CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ
Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Vatican’s permanent observer to the United Nations, addressed the “valuable role of religion” in forming a culture of peace at a Sept. 13 U.N. forum. Feb. 4 by Pope Francis and Egyptian Sheikh Ahmad el-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar, a leading authority for many Sunni Muslims. Archbishop Auza said this document
is based on “the firm conviction that authentic teachings of religions invite us to remain rooted in the values of peace; to defend the values of mutual understanding, human fraternity and harmonious coexistence; to reestablish wisdom, justice and love.” It also understands the need “to reawaken religious awareness among young people so that future generations may be protected from the realm of materialistic thinking and from dangerous policies of unbridled greed and indifference that are based on the law of force and not on the force of law,” he added. Archbishop Auza noted that every day at U.N. headquarters, visitors “stop and admire the Rockwell Mosaic that brings together, through color and symbolism, the diversity of the human family, expressed there through distinctive signs of different religious traditions.” “Above all,” he continued, “that work of art seeks to highlight that fundamental ethical truth that continues to resonate in the hearts of all men and women of goodwill, which is often referred to as the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”
forum, for people to come together and share their uncertainty, their fear and feel the support, the warmth of a Christian community,” he said. Bishop Cepeda said this moment has prompted the church to be “the voice of the voiceless. It’s a moment for us to bring them out of the shadows, to be able to work for a reform, an immigration reform that is integral and that does not separate families.” “We want to be the voice of a nation that welcomes immigrants and we will be the ones transforming our church and our nation if we do so,” he said.
Cardinal Pell appeals abuse convictions
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YDNEY (CNS) — Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Catholic cleric to be convicted of child sexual abuse offenses, has lodged an application with Australia’s High Court to appeal his guilty verdict. The application to the country’s highest court is Cardinal Pell’s last avenue of appeal and comes 27 days after the Supreme Court of the Australian state of Victoria decided, in a 2-1 decision, not to overturn his conviction on one count of child rape and four counts of indecently assaulting minors. The crimes involved two 13-year-old boys, in 1986 and 1987. Unlike his first appeal, which had a high chance of being heard, this last appeal has less certainty. The Australian High Court will decide to hear a case only if it is of national importance on a point of law or is in the interests of “the administration of justice” or concerns a dispute between courts.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG
CLASSIFIEDS
EMPLOYMENT Drivers - Assisted Transportation is now hiring caring and reliable drivers to transport K-12 students to and from school and other activities in company minivans. Positions are now available in Olathe, Overland Park and Kansas City, Kansas. Competitive wages and flexible schedules. CDL not required. Retirees encouraged to apply. Call (913) 262-3100 or apply online at: AssistedTransportation.com. EEO. Community assistants - L’Arche Heartland of Overland Park serves adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities in day program support services and in residential services. We are seeking assistants who are looking for a unique opportunity in a faith-based organization. We are in immediate need of day service assistants to work in our day program serving 30 adults. We have a recycling program and community activities. Our core members participate in distributing for Meals on Wheels and Rise Against Hunger. They also attend community events such as the library, movies, bowling and going to parks. We also have a need for live-in and live-out assistants in our five residential homes. If interested, contact Jamie Henderson, community leader, by email at: jamie@larcheks.org. Youth minister - St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood is seeking to hire a youth minister. As a member of the Christian formation and evangelization (CF&E) department, our youth ministers are responsible for the planning, organization and implementation of all evangelization and formation for the middle school and high school youth of the parish. The successful candidate for this position must be prepared to manage the financial resources and volunteers available to them to create new, and maintain existing, programs to further the goal of forming, in each youth, a missionary disciple. The ideal candidate should have an active spiritual life that they are willing to share with others and be able to adapt their spirituality to meet the youth where they are in their faith journey. This is a permanent, full-time position and includes the archdiocesan benefits package. Salary will be commensurate with experience. For additional details and a complete job description, go online to: www.stmichaelcp.org and click on “Our Parish/Employment Opportunities.” Open positions - Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph (CCKCSJ) serves those in need by taking direct action to relieve their anxieties and remove their burdens while simultaneously lifting them to the dignity of self-reliance. CCKCSJ is a fun and faith-based environment. Associates of CCKCSJ enjoy a compressed workweek by working Monday-Thursday weekly (dependent upon each position), with almost every weekend as a three-day weekend. We currently have the following positions open: Family Development Specialist; part-time Receptionist; and Accounting Supervisor. To apply and to view all available opportunities at CCKCSJ, go online to: careers.hireology.com/catholic charities-kansascityandstjoseph. We love our teachers - Come see why your want to work here! The Goddard School Olathe Northwest is looking for dynamic, energetic, professional teachers to add to our faculty. The Goddard School is a premiere preschool for children from 6 weeks to 6 years who are encouraged to develop at their own pace in a nurturing environment, lovingly guided by our highly skilled, professional teachers. We are hiring for the following positions: full-time preschool teacher; full-time young toddler or infant teacher; assistant teacher to multiple classrooms; and part-time assistant teacher from 2:45 - 6 p.m. or 1 - 6 p.m. Career opportunity – Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding a financial representative in the Kansas City, Kansas, and Missouri metro areas, St. Joseph, Mo., and Maryville, Mo. This is ideal for a determined, high energy, high expectation, professional, self-disciplined, independent individual, who desires to serve others yet earn a better than average income. We provide top-rated financial products to our members and their families, and will provide excellent benefits and training. This is a full-time position. For more information or an interview, please contact John A. Mahon, General Agent, 1275 S.W. Topeka Blvd., Topeka, KS 66612; call (855) 3564849; or email: mahonagencymail2@kofc.org. Assistant director - Holy Trinity Early Education Center in Lenexa is accepting applications for an assistant director. The successful candidate will have a minimum of three years of experience in a licensed early education program and possess a minimum of an AA in early childhood education. Applicants with good communication skills, an ability to lead and excellent organizational skills are encouraged to apply by contacting Mary Kay Scanlon at (913) 492-7380 or by email at: mscanlon@htlenexa.org. Administrative assistant – St. Ann Parish in Prairie Village is seeking an administrative assistant for the ministry office. It is a part-time position, 15 - 20 hours per week. This is a FUN job that offers lots of variety and allows a flexible work schedule. You’ll be working with parish youth in our religious education program and providing support for some of our ministry groups. The ideal candidate will be proficient with Microsoft Office Suite and Google Drive; have database/data entry experience; have the ability to multitask; and have good communication and organizational skills. Send resume and letter of interest via email to: smeeker@stannpv.org.
Executive director of Catholic Cemeteries – Catholic Cemeteries is seeking an executive director that will be responsible for the operation and administration of Catholic cemeteries within the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Duties include the management of all aspects of Catholic Cemeteries, including: employee management; financial management; planning and development; sales; and other aspects of day-to-day operations. The ideal candidate will be a practicing Catholic in good standing; have a minimum of five years of experience in cemeteries operation and management; and a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in business administration, marketing, public relations, accounting or related field. Application and benefits information are available on the archdiocese’s website at: www.archkck.org/jobs. Interested individuals should email cover letter, resume and application by Sept. 30 to: jobs@archkck.org. Counselor - Full-time LCPC counselor needed at Keeler Women’s Center, located at 759 Vermont Ave., Suite 100B, KCK, 66101. Contact Sister Bridget Dickason, OSB, at (913) 689-9375 or by email at: kwc@mountosb.org. Administrative assistant - Looking for something new? Use your administrative skills to help a developmental optometrist change people’s lives. The hours are: T/W/TH from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; summer hours vary. No health benefits. Need to know basic bookkeeping skills. Background needed in Work, Excel and QuickBooks. Customer service and medical office experience helpful. Send resume to: Dr. Beth Bazin, 13600 Washington, Kansas City, MO 64145 or send via email to: bbazin@visiondevelop.com. Health and wellness advocate for clergy – The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking an experienced nurse, case manager or social worker to fill the part-time (approximately 10-20 hours per week) position of health and wellness advocate for clergy. Duties include: visiting priests on a regular basis; managing priests’ conditions and care; serving as an advocate during appointments and hospitalizations; assisting priests with health insurance and Medicare. The ideal candidate will be a practicing Catholic in good standing; have a minimum of five years’ experience in adult health care, case management or social work; one year of health care management preferred. College degree in related field required, registered nurse preferred. An application can be found on the archdiocese’s website at: www.archkck.org/jobs. Interested individuals should mail cover letter, resume, and application by Oct. 4 to: Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, Office of Human Resources, Health and Wellness Advocate Search, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109, or send via email to: jobs@archkck.org. Director of human resources - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking qualified candidates to fill the position of director of human resources. The archdiocese provides shared services for 120 associated organizations. Services include: benefits administration; Workers’ Compensation; retirement plans; and a standardized payroll process. Applicants must be a practicing Catholic in good standing and an active and faithful steward in their parish. Applicants must have expertise in creating and implementing HR policies and processes; client employee services and support; legal compliance; HRIS and data management; and employee benefit management and administration; Workers’ Compensation, leave management and related processes; employee relations and performance management; and employer/employee communications. This position manages a staff of three HR professionals; is the chief human resources consultant to parishes, schools and other archdiocesan organizations; and manages all human resource functions at the chancery. The successful candidate will have expertise in multiple HR disciplines, demonstrated skill with innovation and process improvement, and have excellent people skills. For a complete job description and to download the job application, go online to: archkck. org/jobs. Send cover letter of recommendation from your pastor and resume to: Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, attn.: Carla Mills, Chief Financial Officer, 12615 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, KS 66109; or email to: cmills@archkck.org with subject line HR Director. Application deadline is Oct. 25.
HOME IMPROVEMENT The Drywall Doctor, Inc. – A unique solution to your drywall problems! We fix all types of ceiling and wall damage — from water stains and stress cracks to texture repairs and skim coating. We provide professional, timely repairs and leave the job site clean! Lead-certified and insured! Serving the metro since 1997. Call (913) 768-6655. EL SOL Y LA TIERRA *Commercial & residential * Lawn renovation *Mowing * Clean-up and hauling * Dirt grading/installation * Landscape design * Free estimates Hablamos y escribimos Ingles!! www.elsolylatierra.com Call Lupe at (816) 935-0176 Masonry work - Quality new or repair work. Brick, block and chimney/fireplace repair. Insured; second-generation bricklayer. Member of St. Paul Parish, Olathe. Call (913) 829-4336.
Painting - Diamond Painting, (913) 648-4933, Residential/ Commercial, Exterior/interior, Free Estimates, Affordable, Decks, DiamondPaintKc.com, Kcmo/Overland Park Metropolitan area. Concrete construction - Tear out and replace amped, stained or colored patios and drives. Retaining walls, footings, poured-in-place safe rooms, excavation and hauling. Asphalt drives and lots. Fully insured; references. Call Dan at (913) 207-4371 or send an email to: dandeeconst@aol.com. Interior painting Update your ceilings and walls with a fresh coat of paint. Cracks repaired with no mess! Serving the Leaven readers for over 25 years. Call Jerry anytime at (913) 206-1144. Rusty Dandy Painting, Inc. – We have been coloring your world for 40 years. Your home will be treated as if it were our own. Old cabinets will be made to look like new. Dingy walls and ceilings will be made beautiful. Woodwork will glow. Lead-certified and insured. Call (913) 341-9125. Local handyman - Painting int. and ext., wood rot, power washing, staining, masonry (chimney repair, patio’s) gutter cleaning, water heaters, junk removal, lawn mowing, window cleaning, honey - do list and more!! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913)927-4118. DRC Construction We’ll get the job done right the first time. Windows - Doors - Decks - Siding Repair or replace, we will work with you to solve your problems. Choose us for any window, door, siding or deck project and be glad you did. Everything is guaranteed 100% (913) 461-4052 www.windowservicesoverlandpark.com drcconswindows@gmail.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) 579-1835. Email: smokeycabin@hotmail. com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa. NELSON CREATION’S L.L.C. Affordable home remodeling: Kitchens, baths, basements and room additions. All interior and exterior work. Honest, dependable, experienced and family owned. Licensed and insured. Member St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee. (913) 927-5240 or nelsport@everestkc.net
SERVICES 8 to Your IdealWeight Get Real, Get Healthy, Get Empowered. Release your weight and restore your power in 8 weeks! http://8toyouridealweight.com/coach/kathi/ Tree Trimming Tree Trimming/Landscaping Insured/References Free Estimates/Local Parishioner Tony (913) 620-6063 Custom countertops - Laminates installed within five days. Cambria, granite and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee. HARCO Exteriors LLC Your Kansas City fencing specialists Family owned and operated (913) 815-4817 www.harcoexteriorsllc.com Bankruptcy consultation - If debts are overwhelming you, seek hope and help from compassionate, experienced Catholic attorney, Teresa Kidd. For a free consultation, call (913) 422-0610; send an email to: tkidd@kc.rr.com; or visit the website at: www.teresakiddlawyer.com. Please do not wait until life seems hopeless before getting good quality legal advice that may solve your financial stress. Faith-based counseling to cope with life concerns - Kansas City area. Call Mary Vorsten, licensed clinical professional counselor, at (913) 909-2002.
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Tutor - Available for K - 12 in various subjects and test preps. Tutor has 17 years of experience teaching and tutoring. Call Kathleen at (913) 206-2151 or email: Klmamuric@yahoo.com.
CAREGIVING Looking for assisted living at home? - Before you move, call us and explore our in-home care options. We specialize in helping families live safely at home while saving thousands of dollars per year. Call today for more information or to request a FREE home care planning guide. Benefits of Home - Senior Care, www.benefitsofhome.com or call (913) 422-1591. Caregiver - Reasonable rates, years of experience with all kinds of medical issues, conditions and challenge. Can help with shopping, food preparation and basic personal care. Call (913) 602-1289. Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management, and transportation for seniors in their home, assisted living or nursing facilities. We also provide respite care for main caregivers needing some personal time. Call Daughters & Company at (913) 341-2500 and speak with Laurie, Pat or Gary.
FOR SALE 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 - Delta 6” jointer with mobile base; 10” compound miter with stand; 10” radial arm saw. Call Tom at (913) 9270985. For sale - Two individual plots at Mount Calvary in Kansas City, Kan., located in section 11, lot 37, spaces 7-A and 8-A. Current value is $2185 per space; selling for $1750 per space. Flat markers only; buyer pays transfer fee. Call (913) 908-7252 or send an email to: paulgilsr@msn.com. For sale - One plot located at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Kansas City, Kan. Located in section 1E, lot 29, space 3. Current value is $2400.; selling price is $1950. Flat marker only; buyer pays transfer fee. Call (913) 908-7752 or send an email to: paulgilsr@msn.com.
REAL ESTATE CASH FOR YOUR HOME (913) 980-4905 Any condition in the metro area Mark Edmondson - local parishioner http://www.buykcproperty.com WE SELL HOMES - Looking to sell? This is a seller’s market. Call for a free consultation detailing the steps to selling your home. Ask about our 39-day sales guarantee. Mention this ad for a special offer. Call Jim Blaufuss, Re/Max Realty Suburban, at (913) 226-7442. Jimblaufuss@remax.net. Whole Estates Need to sell a home and everything in it? We buy it all at once in as-is condition. Call (816) 444-1950 or send an email to: www.wholeestates.com. 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 as is never felt so good. Jon & Stacy Bichelmeyer (913) 599-5000.
WANTED TO BUY Wanted to buy - Antique/vintage jewelry, paintings, pottery, sterling, etc. Single pieces or estate. Renee Maderak, (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.
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.
Wanted to buy - Old cars or hot rods. Uncompleted project cars in any condition, with or without titles. Cash buyer. Call (913) 980-3559.
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.
The Leaven reaches approximately 50,000 subscribers. Cost is $20 for the first five lines, $1.50 per line thereafter.
Rodman Lawn Care Lawn mowing, aeration, verticutting, mulching, Hedge trimming, leaf removal, gutter cleaning Fully insured and free estimates John Rodman (913) 548-3002
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING
To purchase a Leaven classified ad, email The Leaven at: beth.blankenship@theleaven.org. The appearance of advertising in The Leaven is not an endorsement by either the newspaper or the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. The Leaven attempts to screen advertisers and copy, but is not responsible for claims and representations made in advertisements.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG
CALENDAR MEMORIAL LITURGY Curé of Ars Parish 9405 Mission Rd., Leawood Sept. 21 at 8 a.m.
There will be a memorial liturgy for deceased loved ones followed by a grief support meeting in the Father Burak Room. The topic will be: “Dealing with Stress while Grieving.” For more information, call (913) 649-2016.
ICE CREAM SOCIAL St. Patrick Parish 1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas Sept. 21 at 5 p.m.
There will be a variety of foods available: a Mexican dinner, a Burmese Chin dinner, burgers and hot dogs. There will also be games for children, bingo, a raffle and music. Mass will begin at 4 p.m.
HOMECOMING FESTIVAL St. Agnes Parish 5250 Mission Rd., Roeland Park Sept. 21 at 5:30 p.m.
Come and enjoy Cupini’s pasta, tacos, Gus’s Chicken, hamburgers, and hot dogs for the cost of $10 per person/$40 for families of four or more persons. There will also be children’s games, live music and a lot of fun.
PARISH BAZAAR St. John Parish 427 S. Prairie, Greeley Sept. 22 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
A dinner of turkey and dressing, chicken and homemade noodles, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes with sides and desserts will be served. The cost is: $10 for adults; $6 for kids over 3; kids under 3 eat for free. There will also be a country store, a bake sale, bingo and a quilt raffle.
FAMILY DAY Prairie Star Ranch 1124 California Rd., Williamsburg Sept. 22 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Step away and experience a day of prayer, adventure, outdoor activities and time to reconnect. Families, friends and communities are invited to come together and join in activities and prayer. The day will culminate with Mass in the St. Kateri Chapel. Register online at: archkck.org/ranch. The price goes up after Sept. 16.
SLOVENEFEST 2019 Holy Family Parish 274 Orchard St., Kansas City, Kansas Sept. 28 from 4 - 10 p.m.
This celebration of Slovenian culture will begin with Mass at 4 p.m. Following Mass, there will be a traditional dinner. There will also be Slovenian music and many traditional Slovenian foods, games, Laski Pivo and a cultural booth. For more information, contact Sandy at: csandysangels@aol.com or find us on Facebook @holyfamilychurch.kck.
DAUGHTERS OF ISABELLA LITTLE FLOWER CIRCLE Christ the King Parish (Yadrich Hall) 5972 S.W. 25th St., Topeka Sept. 22 at 12:30 p.m.
The afternoon will begin with a rosary. At 1 p.m., there will be a business meeting. A social will follow. If anyone knows of a member or family in need of the circle’s prayers, call Theresa Smith-Lawton at (785) 640-1403. If you are interested in or would like more information about Daughters of Isabella, call Cindy Keen at (785) 228-9863.
PARISH MISSION Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish 2014 N.W. 46th St., Topeka Sept. 22 - 26 at 7 p.m.
A series of presentations on the topic of parish evangelization and discipleship will be presented by Deacon Ralph Poyo from the Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio. Everyone is welcome.
PANCAKE BREAKFAST Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish (hall) 7023 W. 71st St., Overland Park Sept. 22 from 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Boy Scout Troop 295 will host a breakfast of pancakes and sausages, and biscuits and gravy.
POTLUCK DINNER Most Pure Heart of Mary (Formation Room) 3601 S.W. 17th St., Topeka Sept. 26 from 5 - 7 p.m.
The Christian widow and widowers organization will host a potluck dinner. There is no cost to attend. For more information, call (785) 233-7350.
THE 177 PROJECT Holy Trinity Parish 9150 Pflumm Rd., Lenexa Sept. 27 at 7 p.m.
Join us as we celebrate 30 years of eucharistic adoration with the nationally renowned 177 Project. The evening will begin with a rosary followed by a Holy Hour and a concert by musicians affiliated with Adoration Artists, featuring Aly Aleigha.
AMATEUR BBQ COMPETITION Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish 5501 Monticello Rd., Shawnee Sept. 28 at 5:30 p.m.
The Knights of Columbus are sponsoring an adults-only amateur barbecue competition with a band, beer and bean bag tournament to support our seminarians and other parish ministries. Tickets include a pulled pork barbecue dinner prepared by our competitors with a chance to vote for the favorite. Compete in the bean bag tournament or just enjoy the music in the parish courtyard (bring lawn chairs). The cost of $15 per person includes dinner and two drink tickets. For more information on how to compete and where to purchase tickets, send an email to: kevin.friedrichs@gmail.com.
FALL FESTIVAL Good Shepherd Parish 12800 W. 75th St., Shawnee Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.
On Friday, there will be a Family Fun Run at 6 p.m. followed by music, food and drinks. On Saturday, start your day with an espresso bar and breakfast sweets. There will be bingo, a book sale, a silent auction, carnival rides, an inflatable obstacle course and other games. There will be many varieties of Mexican food and local entertainment. There will also be a dance contest at 8 p.m. For more information, go to the website at: www.goodshepherdfallfestival.com.
46TH ANNUAL MEXICAN SUPPER Sacred Heart Parish (hall) 106 Exchange St., Emporia Sept. 27 from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $8 in advance and $9 at the door and include two fried tacos, rice, chips and fresh salsa, homemade dessert and a drink. Profits benefit Sacred Heart School’s PTO.
NACHO YOUR ORDINARY TACO DINNER Holy Name of Jesus Parish 1007 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, Kansas Sept. 28 from 5 - 9 p.m.
The Divas of Holy Name are sponsoring tacos, tostadas and tunes. The cost is $7 per person. There will be live music from Stranded in the City from 6 - 8:30 p.m. Profits go to support scholarships and other projects.
BISHOP WARD AUCTION Memorial Hall 600 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas Sept. 28 at 6 p.m.
Enjoy an evening of fun and friendship at the HomeWARDbound auction/Cyclone Night.
There will be food, music, and a live and silent auction. Tickets are $40 per person. Sponsorships are available online at: ward high.org/homeWARDbound.
150TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Queen of the Holy Rosary - Wea Parish 22779 Metcalf, Bucyrus Sept. 28 at 4 p.m.
The celebration will begin with Mass, celebrated by Archbishop Naumann, followed by an adult-only social hour and dinner. All friends of Queen of the Holy Rosary-Wea are welcome and a limited number of complimentary tickets are available on a first come basis. Call Katrina at the parish office at (913) 533-2464 or send an email to: kdegraeve@qhrwea.org.
FALL FEST Sacred Heart-St. Casimir Parish 1405 2nd Ave., Leavenworth Sept. 29 from 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
A turkey and ham dinner will be served. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for kids. There will also be a silent auction, a country store, games for kids, two different cash raffles, a raffle for a heating and air conditioner unit and a DJ.
FIESTA LATINA St. Mary-St. Anthony Parish 615 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas Sept. 29 from 1 - 6 p.m.
There will be a Spanish Mass at 11:30 a.m. Festivities include homemade traditional Mexican food: tacos, tamales, menudo and pastries. There will also be folk dancers, traditional Mexican music, and children and adult games. Fiesta Latina is about living out our faith in our culture, and preserving and sharing the Latino culture.
PROJECT CHRYSALIS Church of the Ascension (St. Luke’s Room) 9500 W. 127th St., Overland Park Sept. 30 from 7 - 8:30 p.m.
Project Chrysalis is a Catholic ministry designed to help parents who have lost a child find hope through sacred Scripture and community in a time of transformation. The guest speaker will be Bill Graveman from Servants of Mercy speaking on purgatory. The group is open to parents who have lost a child or grandparents who have lost a grandchild. Immediate family members are also invited to attend. More information can be found on the website at: www.hopeinscripture.com.
HOLY SPIRIT KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS GOLF OUTING Heritage Landing Park 16455 S. Lackman Rd., Olathe Sept. 30 (shotgun start at 8:30 a.m.)
Bring a foursome or sign up individually. For $33 you get green fees, a cart, two drink tickets and a great time. Prizes and lunch will follow at Tequila Harry’s. RSVP to Al Gracick at (913) 888-1466.
WOMEN’S SELF-DEFENSE Keeler Women’s Center 759 Vermont Ave., Kansas City, Kansas Oct. 2 from 10 - 11 a.m.
Kansas City Shizoku Karate-Do will help you learn ways to defend yourself and others. The session will be facilitated by Sidney Thompson.
WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER WEEKEND Kansas City area Oct. 4 - 6; Nov. 15 - 17
A Marriage Encounter weekend is an opportunity to reignite the flame in your marriage. The weekend will provide the tools and the time necessary to go deeper into the sacrament of marriage so you can live more intimately and responsibly as a couple of God. For more information or to apply for a weekend, go online to: www.wwme4yourandme. org; call Tony and Barb Zimmerman at (816) 741-4066; or send an email to: tonybarbz@ prodigy.net.
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FALL BAZAAR St. Theresa Parish 209 3rd St., Perry Oct. 6 at 11 a.m.
A dinner of turkey and ham plus homemade pie will be served for the cost of $10 for adults and $5 for kids ages 10 and under. Takeout meals will be available as well. There will also be games for kids, a silent auction, bingo, an old-fashioned cakewalk, baked goods and a country store. New this year is a beer garden.
RETREAT FOR ADOPTIVE MOMS: A RETREAT FOR MOMS BY MOMS Sophia Spirituality Center 751 S. 8th St., Atchison Oct. 5 - 6
The retreat begins on Saturday at 9 a.m. and ends on Sunday at noon. Are you looking for a way to connect with other moms who have similar stories of becoming a mom as you? The $80 fee includes overnight lodging and meals. Scholarships are available. Register by Oct. 1. For more information or to register, call (913) 360-6173 or visit the Sophia Spirituality Center website at: www.sophiaspiritualitycenter.org.
CELEBRATION Holy Cross School 8101 W. 95th St., Overland Park Oct. 12 at 6 p.m.
All Holy Cross School alumni, family and friends are invited to Celebration 2019. This fund raiser will feature a live auction, cocktails, dinner and dancing. Tickets can be purchased online at: www.HolyCrossCatholicSchool. com/Celebration.
FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR YOUR LOVED ONE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS St. Agnes Parish 5250 Mission Rd., Roeland Park Oct. 17 from 6:45 - 8:15 p.m.
The topics to be presented are: establishing a special-needs trust; guardianship; and The Achieving Better Life Experiences Act of 2013. RSVP by Oct. 15 to: tracunas@arch kck.org or call (913) 647-3054.
HOLY ANGELS BAZAAR St. Rose School 530 E. 4th St., Garnett Oct. 20 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
A dinner of chicken and noodles, turkey, roast beef and sides will be served along with homemade bread and pies. The cost is: $9 for adults; $5 for kids 10 and under; and $12 for takeout. There will be crafts, a drawing and raffles.
CENTERING PRAYER Cathedral of St. Peter (chapel) 409 N. 15th St., Kansas City, Kansas Oct. 20, 27, Nov. 3, 10 from 2:30 - 3:45 p.m.
Join Susan Carroll and Sisters Elena Mack and Barbara Wieseler, Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, as they facilitate a four-session workshop on centering prayer. Register by Oct. 1 by sending an email to: bw2wies@gmail.com or call/text (913) 680-9251.
MOTHER OF PERPETUAL HELP DEVOTIONS Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish 7023 W. 71st. St., Overland Park Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m.
Come join this group who prays this devotion weekly. Prayer includes the Mother of Perpetual Help novena and Benediction. For more information, call Martin at (913) 213-8810.
CALENDAR submissions CALENDAR submissions DEADLINE: Noon, Thursday, 10 days before the desired publication date. INCLUDE: time and date of event; street address; description of event. SEND SUBMISSIONS TO: beth. blankenship@theleaven.org.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG
COMMENTARY TWENTY-FIFTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME Sept. 22 TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Am 8: 4-7 Ps 113: 1-2, 4-8 1 Tm 2: 1-8 Lk 16: 1-13 Sept. 23 Pius of Pietrelcina, priest Ezr 1: 1-6 Ps 126: 1b-6 Lk 8: 16-18 Sept. 24 Tuesday Ezr 6: 7-8, 12b, 14-20 Ps 122: 1-5 Lk 8: 19-21 Sept. 25 Wednesday Ezr 9: 5-9 (Ps) Tb 13: 2-4, 7-8 Lk 9: 1-6 Sept. 26 Cosmas and Damian, martyrs Hg 1: 1-8 Ps 149: 1b-6a, 9b Lk 9: 7-9 Sept. 27 Vincent de Paul, priest Hg 2: 1-9 Ps 43: 1-4 Lk 9: 18-22 Sept. 28 Wenceslaus, martyr; Lawrence Ruiz and companions, martyrs Zec 2: 5-9, 14-15a (Ps) Jer 31: 10-13 Lk 9: 43b-45
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W
hen was the last time you did some-
thing new? As autumn begins on Monday, it’s triggering a desire in me to try something new. Just as quickly, though, another voice tells me that I’m too old to learn, don’t have the time to fit anything more into my schedule and probably wouldn’t be good at it anyway. When tempted to stay in my rut, I remember this little story: As a group of frogs was traveling through the woods, two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs crowded around and saw how deep the pit was, they told the two unfortunate frogs there was no hope for them. At first, the two decided to try and jump out of the pit anyway. Despite their efforts, the group of frogs at the top shouted that they should just give up, that they would never make
Ready to turn over a new leaf? MARK MY WORDS
FATHER MARK GOLDASICH Father Mark is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989.
it out. Eventually, one of the frogs took heed to what the others were saying and gave up, falling down to his death. The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could. Again, the crowd yelled at him to stop the pain and just succumb to his fate. At this, the frog jumped even harder and finally made it out. As he emerged from the
pit, the other frogs said, “Didn’t you hear us?” Thoroughly puzzled, the frog explained to them that he was deaf. He thought that the crowd had been shouting encouragement to him the whole time! (Adapted from “Top 100 Motivational Stories,” by Meir Liraz.) If we want to jump from the pit of our routines, we need to silence those inner (and sometimes outer) voices that discourage us. There’s a lavish world out there that God wants us to discover. The second step is to pray for the patience and humility to be a
beginner. Sometimes, even after taking a first step toward something new, we give up because we’re not experts at it immediately or we feel out of our league or out of control. Let’s face it, there’s an art to beginning something. Hannah Braime, a personal development coach, helps people to “be a beginner.” She recommends focusing on doing a little at a time, often. Anything new can be overwhelming if we try to embrace it all at once. Taking one small step, often, will pay dividends over the long haul. Braime also advises keeping a journal. That way, when it appears you’re making no progress on your new project, you can go back to your journal and see how far you’ve come from when you first started. Finally, she suggests celebrating small wins. For example, if you’re learning how to meditate and just made it 30 seconds without your
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mind wandering, rejoice! Doing something new can also include experiences. The calendar page of The Leaven lists a wide variety of happenings throughout the archdiocese. If you’d like to experience a parish mission or retreat or do centering prayer, we’ve got you covered. If you’re looking to find a tasty meal outside of your usual haunts, we’ve got plenty of parishes to help with that. I believe that the Lord doesn’t want us to rust out, but to wear out. The poet William Wordsworth understood that when he pointed to an apple tree in bloom and said, “That tree is very old, but I never saw prettier blossoms on it than it now bears. That tree grows new wood each year. Like that apple tree, I try to grow a little new wood each year as well.” (Found in Brian Cavanaugh’s “The Sower’s Seeds.”) So, ready to try something new? This fall, I’ll “leaf” it up to you.
Prophet addresses subject of the wealthy preying on the poor
D
o you anticipate that someday you will be replaced by a
robot? More and more frequently, businesses are employing robots to carry out tasks once performed by human beings. It means a huge change for the economy. Something similar happened with the Industrial Revolution, when machines took over work previously done by hand. It meant a massive disruption for society. Thousands of years ago, Israel experienced a similar disruption when it adopted the monarchy. The tribal system was largely replaced by a feudal system. Instead of family farmers working the fields that they owned, they became serfs working for large landowners. The gap widened between the
IN THE BEGINNING
FATHER MIKE STUBBS Father Stubbs is the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University.
haves and the have nots. The wealthy and powerful took advantage of the poor. The prophet Amos addresses these injustices in Sunday’s first reading, Am 8:4-7. He focuses upon the
merchants who have preyed upon the poor: “Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land!” By placing their desire to sell their goods above their religious obligation to keep the Sabbath and the new moon, the merchants have sinned against God. Those days were observed by abstaining from manual labor: ‘“When will the new moon be over,” you ask, “that we may sell our
POPE FRANCIS Pope Francis told reporters he hoped and prayed the Catholic Church would not experience a new schism, but human freedom means people always have had and will have the “schism option. I pray that there not be schism, but I am not afraid,” Pope Francis told reporters flying from Africa back to Rome with him Sept. 10. Schisms have occurred throughout church history, he said, and one thing they all have in common is having such a focus on an ideology that they begin reading church doctrine through the lens of that fixation. A schism is triggered when “an ideology, perhaps a
grain, and the Sabbath, that we may display the wheat?”’ The merchants have also sinned against their customers by cheating them. They plot among themselves and say: “We will diminish the ephah, add to the shekel, and fix our scales for cheating!” The misdeeds of the merchants hit the poor the hardest. Those who could not pay their debts were sold into slavery. The cruel merchants eagerly looked forward to that prospect: “We will buy the lowly for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals.” The words of Samuel, who had warned the Israelites what would happen if they established a monarchy, came true: “The rights of the king who will rule you will be as follows: He will take your sons and assign them to his
chariots and horses, and they will run before his chariot. He will also appoint from among them his commanders of groups of a thousand and of a hundred soldiers. He will set them to do his plowing and his harvesting, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will use your daughters as ointment-makers, as cooks, and as bakers. He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves, and give them to his officials. He will tithe your crops and your vineyards, and give the revenue to his eunuchs and his slaves. He will take your male and female servants, as well as your best oxen and your asses, and use them to do his work. He will tithe your flocks and you yourselves will become his slaves.“ (1 Sm 8:10-17).
correct one, infiltrates doctrine and it becomes ‘doctrine’ in quotation marks, at least for a time,” he said. As an example of ideology, the pope cited those who say, “The pope is too communist” because of his criticism of unbridled capitalism and its negative impact on the poor. “The social things I say are the same things John Paul II said. The very same. I copy him.” When ideology takes the place of doctrine, he said, there is the danger of a split in the Christian community. Pope Francis said small groups of Catholics in the United States are not the only people who criticize him — there are even people in the Roman Curia who do — but he tries to learn from the criticism and to find a way to dialogue with critics who are open.
— CNS
SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG
COMMENTARY
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Show care and support for those suffering from mental illness
t’s not October yet but this can’t wait — mainly because I don’t get to write another article until November! I want to tell you now that October is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental Illness is a disability that causes mild to severe disturbances in thought and/ or behavior, resulting in an inability to cope with life’s ordinary demands and routines. In 2016, an estimated of 44.7 million adults aged 18 or older in the U.S. had a mental illness. Young adults aged 18-25 had the highest prevalence of any mental illness (22.1%) compared to adults aged 26-49 (21.1%) and aged 50 and older (14.5%) (National
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REACHING OUT
TOM RACUNAS Tom Racunas is the lead consultant for the archdiocesan special-needs ministry. He can be reached by email at: tracunas@archkck.org.
Institute of Mental Health, 2018). Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder,
behavior problems, anxiety and depression are the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in children. Of all children between the ages of 2 and 17, 6.1 million have received an ADHD diagnosis. Some 4.5 million children have a diagnosed behavior problem. Another 4.4 million
children have diagnosed anxiety and 1.9 million children have diagnosed depression (Ghandour, et.al., The Journal of Pediatrics, 2018). In a recent editorial that appeared in the Kansas City Star, the author stated: “Though friendship, belonging and shared purpose are intangible, they are as essential to humans as air and bread. Yet nearly half of Americans say they are often lonely. Twenty percent of millennials report that they have no friends at all.” Mental health involves both a public debate (for policy changes) and “personal responsibility to friends and acquaintances — a duty of active, empathetic, invasive
concern” (Gerson, 2019). One in four families is dealing with mental illness and its effects on a loved one and the family unit. So, statistically, 25% of families in every parish in our archdiocese are impacted by a member who has a chronic or episodic mental health condition. There is still a dark stigma surrounding mental illness. The stigma forces many to hide the severity of their symptoms. Families hide symptoms of a loved one. Many stop coming to Mass and participating in parish activities due to the stigma. These are our brothers and sisters who are marginalized! They are members of the body of
Christ who are suffering! Our Lord calls us to reach out — to show our loving care and offer support. We are our brother’s keeper. Collectively as a courageous parish or brave parishioner, we must open our eyes so we know who is not with us. Our voices must rise to say, “You are cared for. Allow us (me) to help.” A short awareness workshop offered by the special-needs ministry can show your parish how to fight the stigma by learning the signs of mental illness and how to reach out to those living with the illness. For more information, send an email to: tracunas@archkck. org.
Despite challenges, the pro-life movement is making a difference
ome may wonder, in light of the seemingly endless attacks on life — abortion-on-demand until the moment of birth in states like New York, a push for legalized assisted suicide in many states, all too frequent mass shootings and, locally, the Kansas Supreme Court recently “discovering” a right to an abortion in our 1859 state constitution — do our pro-life efforts make a difference? Are there reasons for hope? I say yes. An emphatic yes. October, Respect Life Month, is just around the corner. The USCCB and our own Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, as chairman of its Committee
LIFE MATTERS
DEBRA NIESEN Debra Niesen is the archdiocesan consultant for the pro-life office.
on Pro-Life Activities, have chosen a fitting theme for this year — “Christ Our Hope: In Every Season of Life.” We know Christ is the answer to these attacks
on life. The battle has already been won. Christ has conquered sin and death, and our hope is in the resurrection. Fueled by this truth, we are energized to defend the lives of the most vulnerable and our effort is making a difference in our culture in very tangible ways: • Eight out of 10
Americans want limited abortions. . . . The prolife message is resonating, changing hearts and minds! • The national abortion rate is at a historic low, and it continues to trend downward. • The pro-life movement is growing younger and stronger — simply watch the March for Life in Washington, D.C., and see the joy and energy! • There are more than 3,000 pregnancy care centers helping women to choose life, compared to around 700 abortion clinics offering only the death of a child. • There is the success of the “Unplanned” film (now out on DVD), and more than 500 abortion employees who have quit their jobs with the
help of Abby Johnson’s “And Then There Were None” ministry. • There is an increase in women seeking and receiving help after an abortion, and more of these women are speaking out to prevent others from making a choice they’ll regret. • There is also progress on the reversal of chemical abortions (Abortion Pill Reversal Hotline: (877) 558-0333). • There is an influx of pro-life medical students who want to practice medicine following the teachings of the church. • The offering of real palliative care for those nearing the end of their lives is increasing — focusing on not ending the sufferer, but managing
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the suffering. • And here in Kansas, a strong, motivated effort is under way to reverse the state Supreme Court’s ruling with a constitution amendment. Go online to: kansascatholic.org/ take-action to sign the petition to your state representatives. As Catholics, we believe that life is sacred from the moment of conception to natural death. The church also teaches us that those who have hope, live differently. While we certainly have much work to do to conquer the culture of death, we should not be tempted to despair. Christ is our hope, in every season of life!
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Sam Garcia
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SEPTEMBER 20, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
ALL ARE WELCOME
Shawnee parish draws on both communities for fall festival fun By Olivia Martin olivia.martin@theleaven.org
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HAWNEE — If you’ve been looking for a single familyfriendly event with an espresso bar, carnival games, a book sale, traditional Mexican food, a two-mile race, a dance contest and more — the search is over. Good Shepherd Parish in Shawnee is pulling out all of the stops for its Fall Festival. The two-day event begins on Friday, Sept. 27, from 6 to 10 p.m. and continues Saturday, Sept. 28, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Though the festival will be all fun and games, the preparation certainly has been a labor of love.
A welcoming community Kristina Frank, a Good Shepherd parishioner and festival co-chair, had never planned a parish festival before. But she and the nine others on the core planning team knew one thing: They wanted the Fall Festival to communicate who their parish is. “We chose [the festival’s] theme ‘All Are Welcome’ because Good Shepherd has a long tradition of being a really welcoming and hospitable community,” said Frank. “[Our parish] is a great example of how there’s room for everyone.” Good Shepherd is one of three centers for Hispanic ministry in the archdiocese and boasts a significant Hispanic population. And the parish is always looking for ways to help people enter deeper into its community. “As two communities, we can definitely function in the same church, but we also have to look at opportunities to meet each other and get to know each other,” said Anabella Wasserman, director of Hispanic ministry at Good Shepherd. “We are all members of the same body of Christ.”
A true communal effort And while often the language barrier between English- and Spanish-speakers is just that — a barrier — at Good Shepherd, differences are an opportunity. And no one can speak to that like Guille Aguilera, a Good Shepherd parishioner and festival co-chair. Aguilera, who is primarily Spanishspeaking, is responsible for organizing a significant portion of the festival and has participated in months’ worth of planning and meetings — even though they’ve been in English. “It has been a little difficult for me to understand because of the English, but it has been beautiful,” she said. “I’ve met lovely people who love to help.” For Frank, the difference in language hasn’t been a problem, either. “It’s sort of a non-issue,” she said. “Often there’s more than one person who’s bilingual at meetings who can translate. . . . I think [communication] has been kind of natural.” Father Kent O’Connor, pastor of Good Shepherd, hopes this realization will become even broader during the festival. “I think this [festival] is a major step
Good Shepherd Parish in Shawnee has chosen “All Are Welcome” for its Fall Festival theme and, for the first time, planned the event with a bilingual team. Good Shepherd is one of three centers for Hispanic ministry in the archdiocese. The two-day event will run Sept. 27-28 and feature traditional Hispanic bands and carnival rides among other offerings. for us as a parish because working with two cultures and two languages can sometimes be a challenge,” said Father O’Connor. “My hope is that it can really be . . . a really great bridge.” And that bridge won’t stop at the front doors of Good Shepherd. “My idea, my motto, is that one day we will be able to be united together as parishes,” said Aguilera. And because of that motto, she has been able to involve parishioners from Blessed Sacrament Parish and All Saints’ Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, in the Fall Festival preparations. “The most beautiful thing has been being able to serve God in a true way,” said Aguilera, “giving my service and meeting other people who have the same desire to serve. “I hope [people] come and see how we work together as parishioners to make a community, to have a healthy and beautiful atmosphere.” Father O’Connor agreed. “Pretty much nothing makes me happier than people getting along and working together,” he said. “We have an opportunity to do something beautiful together, and that touches my heart.” The ultimate goal of all the fun, community and fellowship, of course, is to invite in and demonstrate Christ’s love to each person who comes, regardless of language or heritage. “I hope people will really feel a sense of welcome, no matter who they are,” said Frank. All you need to do is come and see.
Schedule of events Sept. 27
6 p.m. to 10 p.m. • Two-mile run/walk starting at Good Shepherd • Tacos, hot dogs, popcorn, candy, soda, beer, wine
Sept. 28
10 a.m. to 10 p.m. • Morning espresso bar and bakery • Carnival games, rides and inflatables • Live English and Spanish bands and dancing • Silent auction, book sale, bingo, beer garden, raffle • Health screenings • Pumpkins and mums for sale • Traditional Mexican food and drink For a full schedule of performers, food, drink and events, visit the website at: goodshepherdfallfestival.com.
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