09 22 17 Vol. 39 No. 7

THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 39, NO. 7 | SEPTEMBER 22, 2017

TALES FROM THE STORMS

CNS PHOTO/JAMES RAMOS, TEXAS CATHOLIC HERALD

The family of Sgt. Steve Perez is seen outside the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston ahead of his Sept. 13 funeral Mass. Perez, a Houston police officer, died during Hurricane Harvey after driving into floodwaters while trying to get to work.

Fallen Houston police sergeant ‘lived’ beatitudes, Texas cardinal says

By James Ramos Catholic News Service

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CNS PHOTO/BOB ROLLER

Franciscan Father John Tran Nguyen, pastor of St. Peter Church in Rockport, Texas, looks at his cellphone inside his destroyed church Sept. 8 in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

Priest in constant recovery mode for parishioners who ‘lost everything’

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service

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OUSTON (CNS) — The Co-Cathedral ASHINGTON (CNS) — Three of the Sacred Heart was filled with thouweeks after Hurricane Harvey sands gathered Sept. 13 to honor the life ripped through the Texas Gulf, and pray for the soul of Sgt. Steve A. where it first made landfall and flatPerez, a veteran Houston police officer. tened or tore apart homes and busiPerez, an active parishioner of St. Mary Magdanesses in its path, residents were still picking up the lene Catholic Church in northpieces, literally, while dealing with west Houston, died after driving no running water or electricity into high water during Hurricane and limited cellphone service.

Harvey. The 35-year veteran offiFranciscan Father John Tran Parishes in the Archdiocese of cer was trying to find his way to Nguyen, pastor of St. Peter’s Kansas City in Kansas will be taking up work as Harvey’s record rainfall Church in Rockport, Texas, for a second collection for victims of Hurricane Irma during Masses the weekflooded hundreds of streets in the just over a year, has been right end of Sept. 23-24. The funds will be fourth largest city in the nation. there with them. forwarded to the appropriate relief Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo His small church that serves agencies. Please mark contributions for of Galveston-Houston said Perez the local Vietnamese communi“Hurricane Relief.” lived with an open, human heart ty was ripped by Harvey’s fierce receptive to the Lord, a heart that winds, as was the adjacent mobile he gave to the whole church. home that was the pastor’s rectory. But what concerns “In the recent weeks, the city of Houston and Texas the priest most is that his parishioners lost everything >> See “HARVEY” on page 9 >> See “PARISH” on page 9

How to help

CNS PHOTO/CARLOS BARRIA, REUTERS

A woman reacts as she sees her destroyed home Sept. 12 in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Islamorada Key in the Florida Keys.

Logistical problems slow outreach, facilities assessment in Florida Keys

By Tom Tracy Catholic News Service

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IAMI (CNS) — Hurricane Irma’s destructive winds blew wreckage and disruption throughout Florida.

But Miami’s Catholic Charities chief was particularly anxious to access the devastation in Monroe County and the Florida Keys.

Speaking with the Florida Catholic newspaper Sept. 13, Deacon Richard Turcotte, the agency’s CEO, said the Overseas Highway through the Florida Keys was not yet fully open, making it impossible to get a firsthand look at the devastation to Middle and Lower Keys.

The area reportedly sustained severe damage from Irma. Those high priority places include Marathon Key, Cudjoe Key, Big Pine Key and Key West, among others.

“It looks like (news reports show) there is absolutely nothing left in Marathon,” Deacon Turcotte said, noting that poor cellphone communication >> See “IT LOOKS” on page 9

SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 | THELEAVEN.ORG

ARCHBISHOP

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100 years after sun ‘danced,’ archdiocese to be reconsecrated

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here was a lot of excitement about the Aug. 21 total eclipse of the sun.

It is a rare natural phenomenon that inspired some people to travel many miles to experience it.

Friday, Oct. 13, is the 100th anniversary of a much more remarkable event dubbed “The Miracle of the Sun.” A century ago, tens of thousands of people in Fatima, Portugal, witnessed what was described as the “dancing of the sun.”

This inexplicable phenomenon occurred on the occasion of the sixth and final apparition of Mary to three poor shepherd children: Lucia, Jacinta and Francisco.

There were more than a few skeptics about the claims of these child visionaries. Mary promised the children that she would perform a great sign on Oct. 13, proving to a disbelieving world the authenticity of the message of Fatima.

Mary’s first appearance to the children was on May 13, 1917.

Our Lady promised the visionaries she would return on the 13th of each month, up to and including October.

The political climate in Portugal in 1917 was very hostile to religion.

The mayor of the region prevented the three visionaries from keeping their Aug. 13 appointment with Our Lady by kidnapping them.

He subjected them to a harsh interrogation, bullying them with threats of torture if they refused to admit that they had fabricated the apparitions.

Church authorities also were cautious

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN about giving credence to the claims of the children. The church is naturally careful before providing any kind of endorsement of miraculous occurrences.

On Oct. 13, 1917, 70,000 people came to Fatima. Among them was Lucia’s mother, herself a skeptic of her daughter’s remarkable claims.

She feared what the mob might do to Lucia if nothing spectacular occurred. Her anxiety proved to be unfounded.

The only ones disappointed on Oct. 13, 1917, were the skeptics.

Even Lisbon’s most prominent secular newspapers were compelled to report the amazing events witnessed not only by the thousands at the apparition site but in the neighboring towns and villages. The Oct. 17, 1917, edition of O Dia gave the following account of what transpired in Fatima: “At one o’clock in the afternoon, midday by the sun, the rain stopped. The sky, pearly gray in color, illuminated the vast arid landscape with a strange light. The sun had a transparent

gauzy veil so that the eyes could easily be fixed upon it. The gray mother-of-pearl tone turned into a sheet of silver which broke up as the clouds were torn apart and the silver sun, enveloped in the same gauzy gray light, was seen to whirl and turn in the circle of the broken clouds. A cry went up from every mouth and people fell on their knees on the muddy ground.

“The light turned a beautiful blue as if it had come through the stained-glass windows of a cathedral and spread itself over the people who knelt with outstretched hands. The blue faded slowly and then the light seemed to pass through yellow glass. Yellow stains fell against white handkerchiefs, against the dark skirts of the women.

They were repeated on the trees, on the stones and the serra. People wept and prayed with uncovered heads in the presence of the miracle they had awaited. The seconds seemed like hours, so vivid were they.”

What was Mary’s message to the visionaries? On the evening of the final apparition, when interviewed by a priest regarding Mary’s message, Lucia said: “She (Mary) said we were to say the rosary

and amend our lives and ask pardon of Our Lord.”

Mary told the children that the current war (World War I) would end soon, but an even worse war would follow if people did not amend their lives. Our Lady through the visionaries encouraged families to pray the rosary together for peace in the family and in the world.

This message is as timely today as it was in 1917.

On May 13, 1982, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass in Fatima.

Only one year prior, an assassin had attempted to kill the Holy Father in St. Peter’s Square.

During his recovery from wounds inflicted by the bullet that barely missed his vital organs, Pope John Paul observed that one hand aimed the gun, but another hand, that of Our Lady of Fatima, guided the bullet.

St. John Paul in his 1982 homily at Fatima confessed trepidation in his heart because Mary’s ardent appeal 65 years before had largely been ignored. The Holy Father felt this anxiety because of the many Christian individuals and societies that had chosen to go in the opposite direction from the one articulated

by Mary at Fatima.

Pope John Paul observed that sin had made a comfortable home for itself in the modern world and the denial of God was widespread in popular ideologies.

For this reason, the evangelical call for repentance and conversion communicated by Mary to the visionaries remained relevant. St. John Paul’s counsel is

ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN Sept. 22 Mass — St. Francis Hospital, Topeka Blue Mass — Assumption, Topeka Sept. 23 Beatification Mass of Father Stanley Francis Rother — Oklahoma City Sept. 24 Pastoral visit — St. Francis Xavier, Burlington; St. Patrick, Emerald; St. Joseph, Waverly; and St. Teresa, Westphalia Baptism of third or more child — Cathedral of St. Peter, Kansas City, Kansas Sept. 25-28 Priest convocation Sept. 28 Donnelly Shine — Sheraton Crown Center

even more applicable 35 years later.

Therefore, I invite you to join me at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13, at Queen of the Holy Rosary Church in Overland Park for the praying of the rosary and the celebration of Mass during which I will reconsecrate the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Moreover, I encourage individuals — and especially families — to begin or renew the practice of praying the daily rosary.

The key to the renewal of Catholic family life is regular and frequent

Sept. 29 Joint commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation — Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Kansas City, Missouri Sept. 30 Mass for Apostles of the Interior Life retreat — Savior Pastoral Center St. Lawrence Campus Center Boots & BBQ event

ARCHBISHOP KELEHER Sept. 23 St. James Academy auction dinner Sept. 24 Mass — Federal prison camp Sept. 30 Mass — St. Sebastian, Florida

family prayer. The family rosary is a powerful spiritual tool for cultivating peace and joy in the home.

With the many ominous threats to peace in the world, now is the time to intensify our prayers for peace.

Contemplating the conception, birth, life, ministry, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus by pondering the mysteries of the rosary is an effective way to deepen our love for Our Lord.

The light of her Son can dance in our hearts if we contemplate the face of Jesus with Mary by praying the rosary.

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann celebrates Mass outdoors at St. Charles Church in Troy in the annual joint celebration of St. Charles Parish, St. Benedict Parish in Bendena and St. Joseph Parish in Wathena. The archbishop officially installed Father Francis Bakyor (at altar) as pastor of those parishes.

Local celebration symbolizes global church

By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org

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ROY — Father Francis Bakyor knows when he’s got a good thing going.

That’s why he has made the joint celebration of his three parishes — St. Charles Parish in Troy, St. Benedict Parish in Bendena and St. Joseph Parish in Wathena — begun three years ago, an annual event.

But this year’s celebration of Koinonia Sunday (“koinonia” is Greek for “fellowship” or “community”) also boasted an international flair as Father Bakyor, a native of Ghana, again invited the St. Francis Africans Catholic Community of the Kansas City metro area to participate in the celebration.

Members sang hymns of thanksgiving in Swahili, played traditional African instruments and danced in procession before the outdoor Mass celebrated Sept. 10, which was followed by a potluck luncheon along with games for the children.

But this year was different in another respect as well.

Although he has been invited to previous celebrations, this year marked the first time Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann was able to pre-

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

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“IT’S GREAT TO BE CATHOLIC. . . . THE CHURCH IS MEANT TO BE THIS UNIVERSAL FAMILY.” side — which meant processing in behind the African community.

“It’s great to be Catholic,” exclaimed the archbishop at the opening of the Mass. And later, “The church is meant to be this universal family.”

In his homily, Archbishop Naumann expanded on the idea of universality, saying parish communities are important in helping and encouraging people in their daily lives on their respective paths to holiness.

But he also reminded the faithful that not only do they belong to a particular parish, but also a particular archdiocesan family as well — and an even larger family of believers around the world.

He was especially grateful, he continued, for priests such as Father Bakyor.

These men, he said, serve as physical reminders of the global church.

After the homily, the archbishop officially installed Father Bakyor as pastor of the three parishes. As part of the installation rite, members of the parishes’ pastoral and finance councils were invited to stand near the altar and offer their support.

In turn, Father Bakyor promised to always be attentive to the needs of his parishioners and to seek their counsel. At the end of the rite, the archbishop reminded the 200 to 300 in attendance that one of the primary duties of a parish priest is to serve as a teacher of the Catholic faith, after which the newly installed pastor led the community in the recitation of the Nicene Creed, known down through the ages as an authoritative expression of the Catholic Church’s faith.

After Communion, Father Paul Bekye, a classmate of Father Bakyor ordained the same day 35 years ago in Ghana, was invited to speak to the people.

In his comments, he said Father Bakyor’s home diocese of Wa is extremely grateful for the love Father Bakyor has been shown in Kansas.

“Thank you to all for accepting him,” said Father Bekye, as he offered congratulations to the newly

Editor Rev. Mark Goldasich, stl frmark.goldasich@theleaven.org

Production Manager Todd Habiger todd.habiger@theleaven.org

Reporter, Social Media Editor Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org

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Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

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installed pastor.

Near the end of Mass, David Masters, a member of St. Charles Parish, offered congratulations on behalf of the three parishes and also thanked the archbishop for his presence.

“We are proud to have a new pastor,” Masters said.

During the luncheon, several parishioners expressed how much they enjoy the annual event.

Owen Root, a member of St. Joseph Parish, said he looks forward to the celebration as “all three parishes come together for one celebration of the church.”

Richard Ernzen, a member of St. Charles Parish, said the parishes’ newly installed pastor is also a good example of the church’s universality.

John Wood, a member of St. Benedict Parish, has attended all three celebrations.

“It’s a neat feeling that all three of the parishes can come together,” he said, adding he also enjoyed the African community’s singing and dancing.

“Visually, it was universal,” he said.

Wood’s son, 17-year-old Linus, echoed his father’s thoughts.

“The fact that we all share the Eucharist no matter where you are in the world is amazing,” he said.

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.

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

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Father Ben Shazad and the seminary that Curé built

By Jan Dixon Special to The Leaven

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EAWOOD — Father Ben Shazad is a Catholic priest in a country that is 98 percent Muslim.

He comes to Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood each summer to offer relief to the pastor and associate pastor, build relationships with the faith community and raise funds for the seminary in Pakistan.

And he comes to share his story.

Father Shazad grew up in a large family in a Pakistani village made up of 26 Muslim families and just one Catholic family.

At 10 years old, he was taken by visiting missionary priests on camels to the nearest boarding school.

After years of schooling and seminary, Father Shazad was eventually ordained a priest in 1991.

Father Shazad spent the next 10 years as a parish priest in Pakistan but later on undertook work in missiology — the study of religious missions — in Rome.

One day, while waiting in line to enter the Vatican, he met the Truesdell family who were visiting from Minnesota.

Little did he know their chance encounter would eventually blossom into a lifelong friendship, and the family would become great benefactors of his ministry.

Near the end of Father Shazad’s academic year, Archbishop James P. Keleher invited him to visit the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas to help out during the summer.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JOE MCSORLEY

Father Ben Shazad is the rector of Christ the King Seminary — the only major seminary in Pakistan.

He has been helping out at Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood for roughly 15 years now. In turn, the Leawood parish has been generous in its support of the seminary in Pakistan.

So in 2004, he came to Curé of Ars vision for others. This is what I learned Parish for the first time to work alongside from Msgr. Charles.”

The new facility has room for 45 semthen-pastor Msgr. Charles McGlinn.

Father Shazad spent two summers in inarians and includes a library, chapel, computer room and exercise space.

Kansas before returning to Pakistan as Another big reason for the success the newly appointed rector of the minor of the new seminary was the help of the seminary there — a crowded house Truesdell family — who coincidentally unable to meet the needs of its residents.

But thanks to the relationships that now reside in Kansas and attend Curé of Ars. stemmed from Father Shazad’s time at Barb, the family’s mother, is grateCuré, he was able to turn the parishioners’ generous support into a new sem- ful for the graces that have come from Father Shazad’s time at her parish. inary that opened in May 2011.

“The people of the parish love Father “This is what the universal church is,” said Father Shazad. “We need to have Ben,” said Barb.

Charismatic renewal gains new leader

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — As the Catholic charismatic renewal celebrates its golden jubilee this year, it does so with a new leader from the archdiocese, Father Anthony Ouellette.

Father Ouellette, pastor of Holy Name Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, was elected chairperson of the steering committee for the Association of Diocesan Liaisons to the Charismatic Renewal. He will serve a one-year renewable term.

The election was held during the 50th jubilee celebration and the association’s annual convention held July 20-23 in Pittsburgh.

For the past two years, Father Ouellette has been a member of the six-person steering committee. He has also served the archdiocese as ecclesial assistant to the charismatic renewal.

Last year, Father Ouellette served on the steering committee as vice chairperson.

“This association of diocesan liaisons is made up of priests, deacons and the lay faithful,” said Father Ouellette. “So, there is a very nice balance in the association.”

Father Ouellette became a member of the Catholic charismatic renewal during a Life in the Spirit seminar in January 2001, while he was a seminarian. He became diocesan liaison and a member of the association in 2010.

A diocesan liaison to the association is a person appointed by a bishop to be the connection between his office and the Catholic charismatic renewal. The role and activities of the liaisons have changed over the past 50 years as the renewal has matured.

“The role of the liaison was really to

Father Anthony Ouellette, pastor of Holy Name Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, was elected chairperson of the steering committee for the Association of Diocesan Liaisons to the Charismatic Renewal. He will serve a one-year renewable term. try to create a position of responsibility and accountability to the bishop, to help him to know what the renewal was, to encourage it and, in many ways, act as a translator for the terms and experience of the renewal,” said Father Ouellette.

“It seems that, as many different dioceses you have, you have as many different understandings of what the role of liaison is,” he continued. “So, the creation of an association for liaisons was done so those liaisons with different understandings and job descriptions . . . would be able to come together for networking, collaboration and mutual support.”

The role of the association’s steering committee is to organize meetings and events, represent the association and provide leadership to a movement that has grown in many different directions.

What are the greatest challenges?

“The greatest challenge for any chairperson for the association is communication,” said Father Ouellette. “The greatest challenge for our association is looking, again, at what is needed from liaisons, [and] what the bishops need us to be for them.”

As it celebrates its 50th anniversary, the renewal needs to take a self-assessment.

“The association can ask the question, ‘Do we need to exist anymore?’” said Father Ouellette. “The challenge for the

greater community is to understand, now that the renewal is 50 years old, what our role of liaisons can be in the promotion of the renewal.”

For 50 years, the Catholic charismatic renewal has been seen as a separate entity or movement in the Catholic Church, but Pope Francis has encouraged the renewal to see itself rather as a “current of grace” available for every member of the Catholic Church, said Father Ouellette. “[In Rome earlier this year,] Pope Francis reiterated that he desires that the graces of the renewal be a part of every parish and church,” said Father Ouellette.

In other words, the movement will become less something “over there,” but rather something all Catholics can have as part of their life of faith. After all, the gifts were given by the Holy Spirit to build up the whole church.

“If the renewal does what it’s supposed to do,” he continued, “if we’re really obedient to the Holy Spirit and the sharing of the gifts we experience, we will cease to exist.

“It means that people will come to a recognition of an adult faith that opens up the graces and charisms that they received in baptism.”

The next big thing for the Catholic charismatic renewal is Kairos 2017, an interdenominational Christian unity and revival conference to be held Oct. 24-26 at the convention center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Kairos 2017 marks a number of anniversaries, including the 40th anniversary of the Ecumenical Charismatic Conference of Kansas City, the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Catholic charismatic renewal and The Messianic Movement, and the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.

“It gives us great joy to support the world church,” she continued. “His seminarians are our adopted seminarians.”

As of 2012, Father Shazad is now the rector of Christ the King Seminary — the only major seminary in Pakistan. It serves seven dioceses.

But unlike at seminaries in this country, Father Shazad’s is far from an administrative post. He does everything from shopping and gardening to fundraising and maintaining the student and staff records.

The students who attend the seminary come from poor families and the seminary does not receive any government funds.

Students share in the care and maintenance of the seminary with daily responsibilities that include feeding the goats, tending the gardens, painting and cleaning in order to keep the cost of staff at a minimum.

“We are slowly building our own resources so we do not always have to depend on outside help,” said Father Shazad.

“Our Catholic educational institutions are known as some of the best in the country,” he explained. “Even some Muslims want to send their children for this good education.”

Monsignor McGlinn once told Father Shazad that the doors of Curé are always open to him — and they have been.

Father Richard Storey, Curé’s current pastor, continues to encourage the parish’s efforts to support the seminary in Pakistan.

Keeler offers basic Spanish for professionals

By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org

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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Have you learned Spanish but want to brush up on your skills?

Or perhaps you’ve never learned the language at all and have always wanted to.

The Keeler Women’s Center in Kansas City, Kansas, can help!

The center will host a Basic Spanish for Professional Volunteers course this fall to help students learn the language essentials.

Mary Ellen Rodriguez will teach the course Oct. 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 1 2:30 p.m.

The Keeler Women’s Center hosts a plethora of free programs to assist people in useful and spiritual ways.

And Sister Bridget Dickason, OSB, the center’s director, is hopeful this one will provide practical help for those interested in learning Spanish fundamentals — either for personal or professional reasons.

“The purpose of the program is to assist our volunteers in communicating better with some of our clients,” said Sister Bridget.

“They would like to be more hospitable to our Hispanic women,” she added.

Although the program is designed to help Keeler Women’s Center volunteers, it’s also open to anyone who would like to learn some Spanish, said Sister Bridget.

“Our hope is that our volunteers and others will feel more comfortable speaking with Hispanic people who do not speak English well,” she said.

For more information, visit the website at: www.keelerwomenscenter.org.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

KCK gives Burmese community warm welcome

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Forced to become refugees and scattered across the globe, some people of the ZoTung ethnic group from Myanmar (Burma) have found a home in northeast Kansas.

Recently, the Catholic ZoTung had a sort of “extended family reunion” at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kansas.

On Aug. 5, approximately 125 Catholic ZoTung gathered at the cathedral for the daylong “ZoTung Catholic Conference of America,” which included Mass, dinner and a program of catechetical lectures.

The attendees came from Kansas, Georgia, Iowa, North Carolina and Texas.

“Catholic parishes in Wyandotte County have been most welcoming to immigrants who have come from Myanmar,” said Msgr. Michael Mullen, pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Kansas City, Kansas. “Catholic Charities helped settle our Burmese brothers and sisters in Kansas City, Kansas.

Myanmar has several ethnic and language groups, the ZoTung and Chin being just two. In 2013, a group of Chin Catholics approached Msgr.

Mullen and asked for a place to worship.

Since then, a lively Chin Catholic community has become established at St. Patrick. Not only has a bishop from Myanmar come to visit the local Burmese, but a Burmese priest, Father Michael Van Lin from the Diocese of Hakha in Myanmar, arrived to offer the sacraments to Burmese Catholics. There are 44 St. Patrick’s Chin students attending St. Patrick School, Bishop Ward High School and Donnelly College.

The main celebrant of the ZoTung Conference Mass was Father James Kai Khaw, who is studying theology in Paris. Father Emanuel Hoang Za

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LEAVEN PHOTO BY JOE BOLLIG

On Aug. 5, approximately 125 Catholic ZoTung — an ethnic group from Myanmar (Burma) — gathered at the cathedral for the daylong “ZoTung Catholic Conference of America.”

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“CATHOLIC PARISHES IN WYANDOTTE COUNTY HAVE BEEN MOST WELCOMING TO IMMIGRANTS WHO HAVE COME FROM MYANMAR.” Uk, from the Diocese of Hakha in Chin State, Myanmar (Burma), and Father Michael Van Lian, associate pastor at St. Patrick Church, concelebrated.

This was the second national ZoTung Catholic Conference. The first was also held last year at the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

The 15 or so Catholic ZoTung families of Kansas City, Kansas, comprise the largest community of its type in the United States, said Father Lian. The first ZoTung arrived in Kansas City, Kansas, in 2008

or 2009.

Father Lian is of the Chin ethnic group, a community of which has become established at St. Patrick Parish. The ZoTung, like the Chin, come from the mountainous Chin State located in the western edge of Burma (or Myanmar), bordering India. The majority of people in Chin State are Christian — either Catholic or Protestant.

Although most of the attendees were Catholic ZoTung, there were also lay representatives of the Kansas City area Protestant ZoTung community and some Chin from St. Patrick Parish.

“The ZoTung Conference at the cathedral is one more step in the growth and outreach of our Kansas City, Kansas, Burmese community,” said Msgr. Mullen. “[Cathedral rector] Father Harry Schneider and the cathedral community have welcomed the Burmese families.”

“This year, 33 Burmese students are enrolled at Resurrection School [in Kansas City, Kansas],” he continued. “The ZoTung are Burmese Catholics with a deep faith.”

ANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Ladies of Charity of the United States held its 400th anniversary celebration Sept. 7-9 at the Marriott Downtown here.

Two hundred women were welcomed with hospitality and inspirational programs centered on the Vincentian charism of serving those who live in poverty.

The Ladies of Charity is the oldest organized continuously functioning volunteer lay organization in the world. Founded in France in 1617 by St. Vincent de Paul, women in the community were encouraged to organize associations to assist with the needs of the impoverished and disadvantaged on a regular basis.

This exceptional charity work spread from France to Poland and to Italy until the “good work” of the women had reached over 200,000 volunteers who serve in 52 countries today.

The Ladies of Charity of Metropolitan Kansas City was founded in 1952 at the request of Sister Mathilde Comstock, D.C. Today there are over 400 women who belong to Ladies of Charity who serve in the area.

Bob and Patricia (Hernandez) Garcia, m e m bers of St. Agnes Parish, Roeland Park, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Sept. 30. The couple was married on Sept. 30, 1967, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Kansas City, Missouri. Their children are: BJ Garcia, Melissa Melgoza, Mary Ann Hueschen and Melinda Garcia.

They also have 10 grandchildren. The couple celebrated with family in Destin, Florida, in August.

Juanita (Quiroga) and Bob Stiles, members of St. Pius X Parish, Mission, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Sept. 21.

The couple was married on Sept. 21, 1957, at St. John the Divine Church, Kansas City, Kansas. They will have a small celebration with their family, along with a special intention Mass. Their children are: Dorothy Tharp, Bob Stiles, Andy Stiles, Diane Beardslee, Jim Stiles and Carolyn Kidder. They also have 11 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

Ed and Marlene Gellings, members of St. Benedict Parish, Atchison, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Sept. 28. The couple was married on Sept. 28, 1957, by Father Valerian Berger.

Their children are: Kathy Gellings, Diann Sandridge, Mike Gellings, Lisa Gellings, Rick Gellings and Mark Gellings. They also have 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

ANNIVERSARY submissions submissions ANNIVERSARY POLICY: The Leaven prints 50, 60, 65 and 70th anniversary notices. They are for parishioners in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas

Ladies of Charity celebrates 400 years

DEADLINE: eight days before the desired publication date.

INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: • The couple’s names • their parish • the date they were married • church and city where they were married • what they are doing to celebrate • date of the celebration • names of children (no spouses) • number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren; SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: • Announcements must be typed.

• Emailed photos need to be 200 dpi.

• Mailed photos can be any size.

• If you would like your photo returned, include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

PHOTO BY JOHN CAULFIELD

Suzanne Johnson, center, president of the Ladies of Charity USA, is flanked by local Ladies of Charity members Joan Ward, left, and Karen Leimer, right, president of the Kansas City Metropolitan Ladies of Charity.

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WHERE TO SUBMIT: Send notices to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109, attn: anniversaries; or email: todd. habiger@theleaven.org.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS TOOLS FOR FAMILIES Growing as Disciples of Jesus

Your children, your treasure!

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hat most struck me about the Colombians in the four cities were the people in the streets, greeting me . . . father, mother, raised up their children to help them see the pope and so the pope could bless them, as ARTWORK BY NEILSON CARLIN, 2015 if saying, ‘This is my treasure; this is my hope.

This is my future.’”

— Pope Francis • Daily, find new ways in word or deed to tell your children that they are your treasure.

• Take your “treasures” to Sunday Mass, thanking God and asking his blessing.

— Deacon Tony Zimmerman, lead consultant for the archdiocesan office of marriage and family life

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CHURCH OF THE WEEK

St. Ann, Effingham Address: 301 Williams St., 66023 Pastor: Father Benjamin Tremmel, OSB Mass Times: Saturday, 5 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m.

Phone: (913) 833-5660 MORE PHOTOS AND A VIDEO TOUR of this church can be seen online at: www.theleaven.org.

WEBSITE EXCLUSIVE

GAME OF THE WEEK VOLLEYBALL

Hayden vs. Olathe East The defending Kansas 4A Division II state volleyball champion Hayden Wildcats took on Olathe East in a Sept. 16 matchup at Hayden. Leaven photographer Jay Soldner caught the action.

To see his photos, go online to: www.theleaven.org.

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Mercy is anything but vague or abstract ever it is we desire, our rivalry can turn murderous.

In the case of an entire society desiring what is too limited lessed are the for all of us to possess, chaos can clean of heart, ensue. The chaos can threaten for they will see the very stability of society. And in order to restore order, a leader God” (Mt 5:8). will name a scapegoat, someone Cleanness, or purity, of heart that can be blamed for the chaos. speaks of our motivation, our Think of the rise of Hitler and desires that move us to act and the scapegoating of the Jews. It’s seek a place and purpose in the a story as old as original sin.

One of the key, world. The 19th-cenfoundational stories tury Danish philosoThis is the illustrating Girard’s pher Soren Kierkegs e v e n t h assertion is found aard famously stated column in a in the Genesis acthat purity of heart 10-part series. count of the Fall, is to desire one thing. where the serpent This disturbs me awakens Eve’s desire deeply, for I desire for the forbidden fruit of the many things.

For Jesus, there truly was only tree of knowledge of good and one thing to desire: the kingdom evil. And Eve, in turn, awakens of heaven. If we follow Jesus’ Adam’s desire for the same. Just teachings closely, we realize that a few passages later we read of seeking the kingdom of heaven the first murder, resulting from Cain’s envy of his brother Abel is not the desire to go to heaven.

It is, rather, the desire to see for winning the blessing from that the will of the One who God that Cain also desired.

Girard, who began exploring reigns in heaven would also his theory as an atheist, became hold sway on earth: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on desperate to find a solution to earth as it is in heaven.” For that the human propensity to create desire to be realized, as seekers scapegoats and came to the we must start with ourselves. awareness that, in Christ, God But what can we do to instill that became the ultimate victim, the ultimate scapegoat. This led to desire within ourselves?

It might help to examine the Girard’s realization that Christianity, and the Catholic faith in roots of human desire.

One of the great Catho- particular, offered a way to free lic minds of our time, the late ourselves from being chained Rene Girard, devoted himself to to the desires that lead to social studying the cultural and anthro- chaos and murder.

We can find freedom by empological contexts for human desire. He came to the startling bracing Jesus Christ as the ulticonclusion that we borrow all mate victim and, in embracing but our most instinctual desires from other people.

We want what we want because we have witnessed imWhat most influenced the portant people in our lives wantformation of your deepest deing those things. Many of us have sires? witnessed toddlers, surrounded Why do our desires somewith toys, fighting over just one times put us into conflict with of them because one toddler has others? made it look more desirable than all the other toys.

How might a selfless desire to make known the kingdom of Once we realize the imporheaven bring about resistance tance of what others desire and where you live? join them in pursuit of what is desired, we can swiftly move from What relationship do you see being close allies to archrivals. between compassion and being clean of heart?

We compete with them to obtain what they modeled for us as deThis article was originally sirable. When it becomes impospublished in Arkansas Catholic sible for both of us to have whatAug. 19, 2017. Copyright Diocese

By Clifford Yeary Associate Director Little Rock Scripture Study

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STUDY QUESTIONS

him, embracing all others who suffer as victims. Jesus was put to death by the religious and political leaders of his time because of his relentless pursuit of his one desire: to do the will of his Father.

And it was his Father’s will that the poor, the meek, the suffering and the persecuted encounter God’s blessing through Jesus, a blessing Jesus proclaimed in the beatitudes.

In pronouncing these blessings, Jesus was also calling all who receive his teaching to be agents of those blessings. And to do so, we must learn to be clean of heart.

How do we learn to desire the one, true thing? We learn it by truly embracing Jesus Christ and his mission to offer a real foretaste of the kingdom of heaven to those most in need of its blessings.

The antidote to desires that take our attention away from the kingdom of heaven is compassion — the desire to make the love of God tangible to those who can only look to God for their needs.

of Little Rock.

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Women’s retreat set for Oct. 7 in Topeka

OPEKA — Women are invited to encounter God’s unique love for them through “His Own,” an upcoming retreat designed to celebrate femininity.

Kara Klein, Christine Simpson and Maria Spears — three friends who wanted to use their passion for faith and music and to proclaim the joy of the feminine heart — will lead the retreat.

The women will utilize their musical talents and personal testimonies to discuss how to live as

women of Christ in the world today.

They hope to inspire others to encounter God’s love for them and to help them understand their feminine dignity.

The retreat’s inspiration is largely based on what Pope John Paul II called the “feminine genius” — the idea that women have certain skills and gifts that benefit the Catholic Church in a unique way.

“His Own” ultimately seeks to develop that concept by building women up and bringing them closer to Christ.

“His Own” will take place on Oct. 7 at Mother Teresa Church in Topeka. The event will begin with coffee and check-in at 7:30 a.m., followed by a rosary, music and testimonies.

Lunch is provided, and there will be an opportunity for eucharistic adoration with music, a final talk at 2:30 p.m. and an all-parish Mass at 4 p.m.

There is no cost to attend, but a freewill offering will be accepted.

To register, go online to: www. mtcctopeka.org. Registration ends Sept. 29.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

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Grieving parents can mourn, heal at special Mass

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

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VERLAND PARK — Odds are you know someone who has experienced the death of a child during pregnancy or soon after birth, but you don’t know it.

It’s more common than you think.

In the instance of miscarriage, a couple may have kept their pain private.

“Everyone knows someone who has lost a child,” said Libby DuPont, consultant with the archdiocesan marriage and family life office. “The person may not have shared this. People talk more openly today than they used to.”

“But especially in the case of a miscarriage,” she continued, “this is part of the grief that goes along with it. Here is a couple who has lost a child, and nobody knows.”

People, when they know, want to be sympathetic and supportive. Unfortunately, they sometimes don’t know what to say and, although well-meaning, can say unhelpful or hurtful things.

“Sometimes [parents] have this feeling that they should ‘just snap out of it,’ or ‘just move on,’ or people tell them, ‘Well, you’ll have another baby,’” said DuPont. “They can almost feel crazy for feeling so hurt. They feel alone in their suffering, or wonder: ‘Why is this affecting me so much?’

“Well, they’re sad because their baby died.”

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While some families can find consolation in a funeral and burial and visits to a grave, other parents who have lost a baby early in pregnancy may not even have that.

For grieving parents, siblings, relatives and friends, the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas offers an opportunity to remember and heal.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will be the main celebrant at the annual Mass of Innocents at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 1 at Holy Spirit Parish, 11300 W. 103rd St., Overland Park. “[The Mass] recognizes and commemorates these losses, and the church grieves with these families,” said Brad DuPont, consultant with the archdiocesan marriage and family life office.

“It’s so people know they are not alone in their suffering,” he said. “When people join in our sufferings, it gives

those who are suffering courage to persevere, and to grieve with hope for their children, and hope for the future of their families.”

One of the three key initiatives in Archbishop Naumann’s 10-year mutually shared vision is this: to strengthen the vocation of marriage and family life.

“One of the greatest stresses a marriage and family can experience is the loss of a child,” said Brad DuPont. “Husbands and wives can feel alone in their suffering, and it can be difficult to turn to one another and share that experience of vulnerability.”

“One of the greatest ways for couples to bridge that gap caused by grief is through prayer,” he explained. “Prayer can be the healing salve that couples need to restore a sense of hope and approach the experienced of joy once again.

“In this light, the Mass of Innocents is a way for couples to strengthen their own marriage by tapping more deeply into God’s healing power.”

Some people who have experienced the loss of a child come to the Mass every year, said the DuPonts. Some who come never had the chance to grieve.

“Some couples and individuals come to the Mass whose loss was 30 years ago, and finally they have a chance to recognize [their child],” said Libby DuPont.

During the Mass, parents will have an opportunity to commemorate their child by signing a book, which will be prayed over by Archbishop Naumann.

Anyone may come to worship at the Mass, and registration is not required.

RESOURCES

• Mary Helen Dennihan, a licensed marriage and family therapist, has developed a four-week grief and loss support program for persons encountering the loss of an infant due to miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth or early infant death. The next series of classes will be on consecutive Thursdays — Oct. 12, 19, 26 and Nov. 2 — at Holy Trinity Parish, 13600 W. 92nd St., Lenexa. To register, call Mary Kay Scanlon at (913) 492-7380. A $10 fee for the class workbook will be collected at the first class.

• The pro-life office has compiled a booklet containing helpful information for couples in the midst of a miscarriage. To download a copy, go online to: archkck.org/family-life/ mci-miscarriage-and-infant-loss.

Light refreshments will be offered at a reception after the Mass.

For information, contact Brad DuPont by email at: bdupont@arch kck.org; call the archdiocesan marriage and family life office at (913) 647-0301; or go to the website at: www.archkck. org/family.

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Chainsaw weil

By Rhina Guidos Catholic News Service

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CNS PHOTO/CHRISTINE BORDELON, THE CLARION HERALD

Volunteers from St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Parish in Metairie, La., unload relief goods for Hurricane Harvey victims Sept. 9 at a warehouse run by Catholic Charities of Southeast Texas. After unloading the goods, the volunteers helped sort them for distribution.

Caravan brings hope to Harvey victims

By Christine Bordelon Catholic News Service

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EAUMONT, Texas (CNS) — Hope. That’s what 50-plus volunteers from a Louisiana Catholic parish offered to those devastated by Hurricane Harvey as part of a pre-dawn caravan of six 18-wheelers with donated supplies to Texas Sept. 9.

“We are so glad to see you,” a Beaumont resident told the group from St. Catherine of Siena Parish as they arrived at the first Texas stop. “God bless you.”

The stop was a warehouse run by Catholic Charities of Greater Beaumont that served as a storage and distribution site for food, water, hygiene and cleaning supplies, baby food, diapers and more for parishes and people in need.

The caravan left St. Catherine of Siena in Metairie, Louisiana, at 4:30 a.m., and the bus of volunteers arrived back home at midnight. In Beaumont, the first stop, volunteers first unloaded 18-wheelers already on site before unloading three of their own that had been part of the six-hour convoy from Metairie.

Catholic Charities staff and volunteers greeted the Metairie travelers with thanks and a prayer offered by Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, head of the Beaumont Diocese since 2000. A native of Mallet, Louisiana, he served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans from 1974 to 1988.

He said the greatest signs after a di-

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saster are the individuals rushing to aid others, no matter their race or belief.

“With you people here, it is a sign of hope,” Bishop Guillory said. “It gives us encouragement. We realize we are not in this alone.”

The Diocese of Beaumont’s devastation was comparable to Hurricane Rita’s damage in 2005 and Ike’s in 2008, Bishop Guillory said. This time, relentless rain badly damaged 12 of 50 churches in the diocese, three schools and sent 8 feet of water into Holy Family Retreat Center.

“It’s been very bad,” Bishop Guillory said.

Recovery continues in southern Texas after Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc on the region Aug. 25-30. In a four-day period, many areas received more than 40 inches of rain. Flooding inundated hundreds of thousands of homes, displaced more than 30,000 people, and prompted more than 17,000 rescues. At least 70 people died.

At St. Ann School in Orange, Texas, all staff members except the principal had water in their homes, and there was no running water for three days, with a boil advisory remaining two weeks later due to pumps flooding.

“That’s what we are facing here,” Bishop Guillory said. “But through it all, you see the goodness of people. God speaks through storms, and through the people.”

Carol Fernandez, executive director and president of Catholic Charities Southeast Texas, concurred with Bishop Guillory. Fernandez was living in New Orleans in

2005 and lost her home in Katrina.

“I can’t say thank you enough,” Fernandez said. “It is so awesome bringing love from my hometown and all over the nation. Volunteers are providing help and creating hope. This is what it is we do [as Catholics] — helping people but at the same time reminding people that they are loved and not forgotten.”

She estimated that her agency would be distributing needed items for four to six weeks.

From Beaumont, three of the 18-wheelers continued west to a Knights of Columbus council and St. Vincent de Paul distribution center and thrift store on the east side of Houston.

Knights from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston opened Council 3077 headquarters to be used as a drive-through for individuals needing supplies and food donated by the Houston Food Bank and other generous individuals.

The last of the 18-wheelers arrived at the St. Vincent de Paul Vincentian Center in east Houston, serving as the central warehouse and thrift store frequented by the area’s surrounding Hispanic population, said Christina Deajon, who is vice chancellor of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and a liaison to St. Vincent de Paul and other social agencies.

“We are their family and have relationships with them,” she told a reporter from the Clarion Herald, newspaper of the New Orleans Archdiocese. “We are a regular source of food for many people.”

Where to give to assist with recovery

ASHINGTON (CNS) — Several Catholic organizations have established emergency relief operations for the thousands of people affected by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean and southeastern United States and for those still recovering from Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana.

Contributions can be made to: • Catholic Charities USA: online at https://catholiccharitiesusa.org/donate-todisaster-relief; telephone at (800) 919-9338; mail to P.O. Box 17066, Baltimore, MD 212971066 and write “Hurricane Relief” in the memo line of the check.

• The Texas Catholic Conference is coordinating emergency services. A listing by diocese of where to give has been posted online at https://txcatholic.org/harvey.

• The Florida Catholic Conference’s website also has links to Catholic Charities agencies in the Miami Archdiocese and Florida’s other six dioceses: https://www. flacathconf.org/hurricane-irma-response.

• Catholic Relief Services is taking donations for emergency shelter, water and critical supplies for families in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Caribbean Islands: https://www.crs.org.

ASHINGTON (CNS) — She inspired many when she rolled up the sleeves of her habit to clean up after Hurricane Irma with a chainsaw.

After the local police department posted a video Sept. 12 on Twitter of Carmelite Sister Margaret Ann Laechelin trimming branches off a fallen tree with a chainsaw, she became an instant hit and a symbol of sorts for the hurricane-ravaged Miami area.

“People are making a big deal about the chainsaw, but I’ve already given my life to God and that’s what brings true joy,” not the fame that came after the airing of the video, said Sister Laechelin in a Sept. 14 phone interview with Catholic News Service.

But the community at Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll High School, where she is the principal, has been enjoying the fame and the attention it has brought to the suburban Miami Catholic school of 300 students in West Kendall, she said.

“They say ‘Sister, you’re famous. Can I have your autograph?’” she said.

The community needs every bit of levity it can find as it recovers from the damage wrought by Hurricane Irma, which led to the school’s closing because a cooling tower needs to be fixed before students are allowed to return.

Inspired by the Carmelite’s example of contributing to the cleanup, families

Parishioners ch

By Tom Tracy Catholic News Service

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EMBROKE PINES, Fla. (CNS) — The nation watched in sadness and outrage at the deaths of eight elderly people in Hollywood without air conditioning and electricity following the historic passing of Hurricane Irma.

Members of nearby St. Edward Parish in Pembroke Pines and the local Knights of Columbus council, hearing the call to be good neighbors, prepared hot meals and set out to knock on doors and check in on senior citizen residents four days after the storm.

The group was given permission to go door to door with their hot meals and water supplies at the expansive Century Village Pembroke Pines housing development in western Broward County Sept. 14.

Residents there reportedly had been without electricity and air conditioning for days, although power was being restored even as the parish volunteers were making their rounds.

According to news reports, police confirmed earlier in the week that about 60 percent of the 15,000-person community of mostly retirees still didn’t have electricity and was under a “boil water” notice. Century Village is a community comprised of people 55 and over.

Compounding the hardships, many elderly citizens at Century Village were unable to get around the four-story buildings because the elevators were not working and some residents couldn’t climb three and four flights of stairs.

The volunteers visited several of the buildings with hot meals consisting of Cuban food and pasta along with bottled water.

Scott O’Connor, the Knights’ state secretary for Florida and a resident of Pembroke Pines, noted that his own mother had lived in Century Village at

lding nun finds joy in helping

North Miami parish serves post-hurricane meals

N CNS PHOTO/COURTESY SISTER MARGARET ANN

Carmelite Sister Margaret Ann Laechelin, principal of Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll High School in Miami, holds the chainsaw she used to help clean up debris following Hurricane Irma. from the school have shown up to help clean around the perimeter, she said.

Though it’s not open for classes, the school has been helping the surrounding community, giving out ice (from its icemaker) and providing a place for others to charge their phones and regroup, Sister Laechelin said.

“There’s such joy in giving,” she said.

And that’s what she was doing when she decided to clear the tree from the road when a police officer, armed with a

phone, happened to drive by and filmed her. Though you wouldn’t know it from the video, she had never really used a chainsaw before, but when she was faced with finding a way to clear the tree, she remembered some important advice from her students.

“I had to go on YouTube” to figure it out, she said, “but growing up in Texas, I did a lot of yardwork and my dad taught me to figure things out.”

heck on senior citizens after Irma

ORTH MIAMI, Fla. (CNS) — Thanks to Father Fritz Bellonce, pastor of Holy Family Church in North Miami, many people in the area around the church had hot meals after Hurricane Irma knocked out power to the community.

“The stores and restaurants are closed,” he said. “People are eating potato chips, peanut butter, crackers, canned food, snacks, whatever nonperishables that you don’t have to cook.

A hot meal, right now, is a welcome luxury.”

Father Bellonce learned from a previous hurricane-related experience. As a seminarian in 2005 at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary near Boynton Beach, he saw long lines of hungry, tired people waiting outside the few open restaurants in Palm Beach County after Hurricane Wilma struck.

Before Hurricane Irma arrived, he got ready: He bought 200 pounds of rice, lots of beans, pork, chicken, turkey and cooking ingredients — dishes that are popular in Holy Family’s predominantly Haitian-American community.

“I knew the first place people in need come to is the church,” he told the Florida Catholic newspaper. “We share what we have. We practice what we preach.”

He prepared to serve even as Holy Family’s circular church building suffered severe roof damage.

“There’s a hole in the ceiling, and a puddle of water was inside the gift shop,” Father Bellonce said. “One of the seven air-conditioning units on the church roof blew completely apart.”

Father Bellonce, with the help of seminarian Alix Sylien from St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami, rounded up volunteers to cook meals in the parish hall kitchen.

Harvey claims life of Houston officer >> Continued from page 1 have given an object lesson in the beatitudes to the whole world,” Cardinal DiNardo said. “Part of the reason for that has to do with people like Sgt. Steve who always lived those beatitudes.

“We are surrounded by beauty,” he said.

Outside the co-cathedral, a large American flag waved high from two fully extended firefighter truck ladders as choral chant filled cordoned-off city streets.

The funeral Mass was broadcasted to allow as many people as possible to observe and participate in the liturgy.

Dozens of emotional mourners listened nearby, many bearing flags, pins and ribbons, sharing hugs and wiping tears.

Groups of uniformed officers from Dallas to Detroit stood watch on horse, bike and foot. Even nearby construction workers paused to pray during parts of the Mass.

Father Anthony Udoh, parochial vicar at Perez’s St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church and homilist for the funeral Mass, said that Perez had seriously discerned Sgt. Steve A. Perez the priesthood, but “decided to serve God and his people in a different uniform.”

Parish carries on after Harvey >> Continued from page 1

CNS PHOTO/TOM TRACY

Volunteers from St. Edward Parish in Pembroke Pines, Fla., prepare hot meals before setting out to knock on doors and check in on senior citizen residents of the expansive Century Village Pembroke Pines housing development Sept. 14. one time.

“It is a large community built for citizens over 55 years old and in the early days it was primarily Jewish-oriented, but now it is quite an eclectic mix of people and a kind of self-contained city,” O’Connor said. “We are out here helping and that is what we do; it doesn’t matter what religion you are, we are helping everybody.”

One of the issues the housing complex has, he said, is that the residents are susceptible to loss of power and there is only one elevator in each of these buildings.

“Sometimes you have elderly people who may have mobility issues and can’t get down the stairs, and so bringing meals and supplies in for them is really a necessity and something we can do to help,” O’Connor said.

“Normally when we get affected by storms it is localized. But in this partic-

ular case, Hurricane Irma affected really all of our Florida jurisdiction. And we still don’t have access to the Florida Keys here on the fourth day.”

Daniel Diaz, grand knight of Council 14698 in Pompano Beach, helped coordinate the food delivery program along with five other Knights.

“Because they lost power here for about a week, all the food in their refrigerator went bad,” said Diaz, who said he rode out the hurricane with his mother at her residence nearby. “This was widespread and went straight up the entire state.”

Diaz, who also is the Knights’ state young adult and college council coordinator, said he will keep looking for ways the Knights can help in the local hurricane recovery. “We are going to keep our ears open and see how else we can serve our community.”

— their homes and their livelihoods.

“They are so disappointed,” he said.

Rockport, with a population of less than 10,000, was once a fishing village, but the shrimp industry has declined there in recent years. The town made headlines for being in the eye of the hurricane, but it was quickly buried in the news cycle after Houston’s flooding and the East Coast destruction caused by Hurricane Irma.

The effects of Harvey will be felt in Rockport for some time.

In a Sept. 12 interview with Catholic News Service, Father Nguyen said he was tired, which could also be heard in his voice. As a priest, he said, he could accept the storm’s destruction because as he put it: “I still have the diocese.”

“I am concerned more for them,” he said of his parishioners, noting that they need everything from food, shelter and

jobs.

The priest, who was born in Vietnam and came to the United States in 1989 as one of the boat people fleeing his country, is “trying the best I can,” as he said, to help the 150 members of his parish, many of them older, with basic needs. One day, for example, volunteers distributed rice, a major staple, in the church parking lot.

The parking lot also has been the site for Sunday and weekday Masses since the church is not usable. Wind gusts of up to 130 mph blew out part of the roof and an exterior wall. It smashed stainedglass windows and left chunks of drywall, metal framing and insulation scattered across the floor and pews.

Only the church’s altar and the crucifix behind it, a few Stations of the Cross and an outdoor statue remain intact but those remnants have been viewed as miraculous by parishioners eager for the church to rebuild so they will have a place to worship.

‘It looks like there is . . . nothing left’ >> Continued from page 1 and transportation logistics were slowing the flow of information several days after the hurricane.

“I am trying to establish some communications: I plan to talk with some of the pastors there and do some distributions of water and food from parishes, and once we get the highway opened up, we can talk about those distributions to the Keys.”

In terms of Hurricane Irma’s impact on Miami-Dade and Broward counties, it appears that “there wasn’t the devastation that we saw in the Keys, so the greatest challenge will be getting services up and running there,” he said.

Irma will be remembered as one of the Atlantic’s strongest hurricanes on record, with peak winds of 185 mph, and Category 4 strength when it landed in the Florida Keys.

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WORLD

New tool used to measure, rank nations’ development

Pope moves toward decentralization

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

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ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis talks about the need for a “healthy decentralization” in the Catholic Church, but how that should look and work has been a topic of debate since the Second Vatican Council.

The discussion often centers on how people describe the way the church experiences and ensures its unity around the globe: For example, by focusing on a strong, decisionmaking central authority, that helps unites the parts to the whole or by describing the church as a communion where unity is found in sharing, cooperative relationships among the diversity of local churches.

“The key thing” in striving for a healthy balance and reform, one Vatican official said, is to avoid a businessmanagement idea of decentralization and “embed theology back into the term.” In other words, it’s not about a cold transfer of power, but an emphasis on collegiality and collaboration.

Bishop Paul Tighe, adjunct secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture, told Catholic News Service, “the model is the hub,” with the pope and his assistants in the Curia at the center, always connected to the local churches, which are the first to encounter new situations and the first to respond.

“The Vatican is in contact with those different churches,” not as the problem-solver, but to “put them in contact with other churches” that have been dealing with the same or similar issues, so they can share ideas and best practices, and avoid reinventing the wheel, he said.

“Rome has that ability to have that overview” because it is “a point of contact. It’s not centralizing, but building a bond of communion” between churches and church leaders at local, regional and national levels, he said.

“What should be done locally, should be done locally,” Bishop Tighe said, but when some issues “transcend one locality,” that is, they end up being “universal questions that need a harmonious response,” then the help of a central authority is essential.

“People see the church as a hierarchical, monolithic structure. But it is much richer than that,” he said.

Australian Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane told CNS that people are used to hearing “the claim that the unity of the church doesn’t mean uniformity, and much of what Pope Francis has done and is doing is

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By George Rodriguez Catholic News Service

S CNS PHOTO/NANCY PHELAN WIECHEC

An altar server holds a copy of a Roman Missal during Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Alexandria, Va., in this 2011 file photo. simply moving beyond the rhetoric to give some reality to that claim,” for example, in his naming of new cardinals from very diverse parts of the world.

“There may be some danger of fragmentation in passing more authority to local churches and to bishops’ conferences, but the Holy See and especially the Petrine ministry is the guarantor that a healthy decentralization doesn’t become an unhealthy fragmentation,” he said in an email response to questions.

The archbishop, who chairs the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference’s commission for evangelization and was a member of the Synod of Bishops on the family in Rome in 2015, said healthy cooperation between the Holy See and bishops requires coresponsibility.

For example, Pope Francis’ new motu proprio, “Magnum Principium,” on guiding future liturgical translations “is an attempt by the pope to restore the balance between the bishops and the Holy See in line with the provisions of Vatican II and in the light of experience since the council. It’s a document driven not by ideology but by theology, and its intent is clearly pastoral.”

A “good liturgical translation” holds the balance between the doctrinal and pastoral, he said, and that requires responsible cooperation among bishops and between bishops’ conferences and the Holy See. “It does mean that the bishops will have to work hard at shaping a new language, drawing on the work of experts, of course, but maintaining control of the process and working trustfully with the Holy See to ensure that

the communion of the church and her fidelity to doctrine are not compromised,” he said. “This will produce variety, certainly, but that doesn’t necessarily mean disunity.”

Retired Pope Benedict XVI said he, too, “always wished that the local churches be the most autonomous and lively possible, without needing assistance from Rome,” he said in the booklength interview, “Last Testament,” published in 2016.

During the Synod of Bishops on the role of the bishop in 2001, he endorsed greater responsibility for bishops as envisioned by the Second Vatican Council and spoke, to great applause, on the bishops’ duty to govern and to judge and correct doctrinal error in their own dioceses.

When that happens, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger — at that time head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith — told the synod of bishops, “the so-desired decentralization happens automatically.’’

At the end of that synod, he had stressed that unity was brought about by a harmonious unity of purpose, with a greater focus on Christ and the need to move “forward together to announce Christ to a world that needs a new proclamation of Christ and the Gospel.”

Neglecting those essential tasks because of too much attention to secondary things like internal church structures and organization has been “a way to strangle the life of the church,” he had said.

“The world’s first need is to know Christ. If it doesn’t, all the rest will not function,” he said.

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vila University is seeking comments from the public about the University in preparation for its periodic evaluation by its regional accrediting agency.

The University will host a visit February 19-20, 2018 with a team representing the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Avila University has been accredited

by HLC since 1946. The team will review the institution’s ongoing ability to meet HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation.

The public is invited to submit comments regarding the University to the following address: Public Comment on Avila University, Higher Learning Commission, 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500 Chicago, IL 60604-1411 The public may also submit comments on HLC’s website at www.hlcommission.org/ comment.

Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs. Comments must be in writing.

All comments must be received by January 19, 2018.

AN JOSE, Costa Rica (CNS) — A Catholic university, the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation and a Latin American foundation working on sustainable development have developed a tool to measure and rank countries’ efforts in human and environmental development.

The idea is to have an effective tool that measures using Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si’” as the basis for the initiative.

The “Laudato Si’” Observatory will be launched at the closing of the Ratzinger Foundation’s international symposium, scheduled Nov. 29-Dec. 1 in San Jose, said Fernando Sanchez, head of the Catholic University of Costa Rica.

Sanchez, a former Costa Rican ambassador to the Vatican, said the observatory hopes to prompt research and “to provide nations’ governments an absolutely academic tool . . . to promote positive change, which is what the pope is asking us to do, and it would be our major contribution with this symposium.”

The observatory “stems from taking the encyclical, dividing it into measurable topics — measurable indicators — and drawing up a human and environmental index,” all of which concern “human development and environmental development,” he added.

In the 2015 encyclical, Pope Francis urged a conversation that includes everyone and the need for a conversion to bring about lasting change on how people view the environment.

Sanchez said the papal encyclical is the framework for the observatory and its output and, compared to other measurements already implemented, “the great difference is that this index will have the church’s social doctrine as its anchor.”

“The possibilities to prompt change with this index are enormous,” he said.

The symposium, “On Care for Our Common Home, a Necessary Conversion to Human Ecology,” aims to make it “utterly clear that the struggle for human, social, environmental development is not an ideological issue,” Sanchez said.

“It’s an issue of survival, it’s an issue of responsibility, it’s an issue of conscience. That’s essential, and it’s what the Holy Father tells us. Besides, it’s not for some, it’s for all,” said Sanchez.

Helen Skradski

Steve Pierce

913-371-1404

Carrie Kaifes-Lally

www.skradskifh-kc.com Proudly Serving our Community Since 1929

SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 | THELEAVEN.ORG

CLASSIFIEDS EMPLOYMENT Drivers - Ready for the summers off? Join our school transportation division and live like a kid again! Our drivers have the opportunity to serve our community and still get those precious summer breaks. Assisted Transportation seeks caring and reliable drivers to transport K - 12 students in Johnson and Wyandotte counties in our minivans. CDL not required. $12 per hour. Retirees encouraged to apply. Learn more or apply online at: assistedtransportation.com or call (913) 2625190 for more information. EOE. Administrative assistant - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking a part-time, 20 hours per week, administrative assistant for the office of justice, life and advocacy.

This position provides administrative support for three consultants. The position requires a high school diploma; prior administrative experience preferred. The ideal candidate will possess exceptional communications skills, both written and verbal; and proficiency with Microsoft Office programs; graphic design and social media experience preferred. A complete job description and application are available on the archdiocese’s website at: www.archkck.org/jobs. Qualified individuals should send an email to: jobs@archkck.org, including cover letter, resume and application by Sept. 25.

They may also be mailed to: Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, Office of Human Resources, JFL – Admin. Assistant, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109.

Pastoral minister - Santa Marta is a senior living community located in Olathe. It is a Catholic-sponsored community enabling senior adults to live full and active lives within a secure, hospitable and faith-filled environment in accordance with Catholic traditions and values. Santa Marta is seeking a caring and engaged person for the position of pastoral minister to assist in caring for the spiritual life of the residents in conformity with the teachings of the Catholic Church by interacting with the residents and their families. As part of a team, the pastoral minister will work with the chaplain, nursing and administrative staff to enhance the care and spiritual like of residents. The pastoral minister will assist the residents with end-of-life issues, their approach to death and their appreciation of life. The pastoral minister will be a full-time hourly associate. Medical, dental, vision and life insurance packages are available to full-time associates in addition to earning paid time off. Job offer is dependent upon a drug test and background checks. Santa Marta is an EOE employer.

Qualification: spiritual training in Catholic traditions, values and principles of life and end-of-life concerns. Additional training and/or experience in a health care and/or senior living environment is preferred. Applications are available online at: santamartaretirement.org or in person from the concierge at Santa Marta. Include a work history and telephone contact number.

Customer service - Watts Up, a lighting distributor serving the Midwest region for over 30 years, is looking for a full-time customer service professional to join our fun and highly motivated team of employees. Job duties involve assisting with lighting/electrical consultation for customers visiting our retail shop and helping maintain the warehouse. Applicants must be self-motivated problem solvers.

Requires ability to be physically active all day including lifting up to 50 lbs. Must have basic math, strong verbal and people skills. Previous lighting/electrical experience required. Duties: provide consultative lighting advice to customers, primarily at front counter; assist in managing warehouse; and pulling orders for delivery. Medical benefits. 401k with match. Immense pride in brightening homes and offices across the city. Retirees welcome to apply. To apply, send resume to: jen.smith@wattsuplighting.com.

Board members - Villa St. Francis, a skilled nursing community sponsored by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, is actively seeking board members. We are looking for candidates with strong financial and/or health care backgrounds. If you are interested in giving your time and talent to Villa’s mission, submit a letter of interest and resume to: rwhittington@villasf.org.

Cafeteria worker - Nativity Parish School, located in Leawood, has an immediate opening for a part-time cafeteria worker, approximately 15-20 hours. Prior experience working in a school cafeteria is preferred, but not required. Compensation is based on experience. Applicants must have dependable transportation, be Virtus trained and pass a background check. Interested applicants should contact Patti Post, cafeteria director, at patti.post@kcnativity.org with resume and work history.

Parish secretary – Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park is seeking a part-time secretary in the parish office. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, coordinating the homebound ministry; maintaining the parishioner database; updating sacramental records; providing clerical support to the pastor and other staff; answering phones; and greeting visitors. Applicants must have excellent organizational, communication and Microsoft Office Suite skills. Experience with databases is a plus. The position is 25 hours per week. A full job description is available at: www.hscatholic.org/documents/2017/6/ SEC.pdf. Interested applicants should email a cover letter and resume to: lweber@hscatholic.org.

Career opportunities - Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph is offering rewarding career opportunities to individuals interested in full-time positions as a disaster resilience AmeriCorps VISTA member or AmeriCorps Veteran Peer Navigator member in our Kansas City office. In our St. Joseph office, we are offering a part-time employment specialist position. To learn more about these opportunities and to apply, please visit our website at: www.catholiccharities-kcsj.org.

Do you enjoy driving? - The Kansas City Transportation Group is looking for chauffeurs to drive our guests to events, airport, dinner, etc. Business is growing and we are in need of workers with flexible hours, those who are retired, etc. Great pay and benefits. Send resume to: jkalbert@kctg.com or in person at Carey, 1300 Lydia Ave., Kansas City, MO 64106.

Executive director – The Johnson and Wyandotte Counties Catholic Youth Organization of Kansas is seeking a faith-filled proven leader and administrator to become executive director for the Johnson and Wyandotte counties pastoral region of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Responsibilities include providing strategic and energetic leadership for all grade school and high school athletic program offerings.

In addition, the new director must be skilled in financial management, strategic planning and development. The executive director will also be expected to be a registered and active member of his or her Catholic parish. Complete job description, application and benefits information are available at: www.archkck.org/jobs. Interested individuals should send cover letter, resume and application by Oct. 2 to: JWACYO Executive Board, c/o Human Resources Department, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Email documents may be sent to: jobs@archkck.org.

Customer sales - Watts Up, a lighting distributor serving the Midwest region for over 30 years, is looking for a full-time customer sales professional to join our fun and highly motivated team of employees. Job duties involve assisting with lighting/electrical consultation for customers across the KC metro area. Applicants must be self-motivated problem solvers. Must have basic math, strong verbal and people skills.

Previous lighting/electrical experience required. Duties: provide consultative sales advice to customers primarily over the phone. Additional responsibilities include making on-site lighting consultation for commercial accounts. Medical benefits. 401k with match. Immense pride in brightening homes and offices across the city. Retirees welcome to apply. To apply, send resume to: jen.smith@wattsuplighting.com.

Director of liturgy and music – St. Ann Parish in Prairie Village is seeking a director of liturgy and music. The director will serve the parish as principal musician, organist, choir director and assist in liturgy planning. The candidate for this position must be active in the Roman Catholic faith. The director will be asked to prepare seasonal music; rehearse with the choir; train cantors; rehearse with students in the parish school; and accompany at school Masses. The director will work collaboratively with the pastor to ensure a cohesive music and liturgy program. This is a full-time position and salary is based on level of education and work experience. Regular weekend and evening work hours required. Along with the regular parish liturgical schedule, musicians may be required to provide music for additional services during Holy Week, sacramental celebrations, weddings and funerals. For more information and to send a resume, contact Bill Schafer, business manager, at (913) 660-1128 or send an email to: bschafer@stannpv.org.

Teacher assistant - Special Beginnings, Lenexa, is seeking full- or part-time after school teacher assistants at all locations. We are looking for a teacher assistant candidate who has an excellent work ethic, heart for children and a willingness to learn more about early childhood education. Experience and/or education is a plus, but we will train the right candidate. Teacher assistants will work with the lead teacher to care for and educate the children. Primary responsibilities include assisting the lead teacher with: care and supervision of children, lesson plan implementation, parent communication, and cleanliness and organization of classroom. Starting hourly pay ranges based on experience and education. Pay increases are based on job performance. Opportunities for advancement are available, as the company prefers to promote from within. Apply by sending an email to: chris@ specialbeginningsonline.com or in person at 10216 Pflumm Rd., Lenexa, KS 66215.

Full-time openings - Padre Pio Academy in Shawnee, which offers a classical curriculum, has an opening for an administrative assistant for the 2017-18 school year. For information and details, contact Courtney at (913) 530-6553.

Sales professional - We respect your many years of experience; we value and need your wisdom. We only ask if you are “coachable”? If so, Catholic Cemeteries of Northeast Kansas has openings for sales trainees in our Johnson, Shawnee and Wyandotte counties area cemeteries.

An excellent earning of $40K to $50K+ in commissions is legitimate income potential for the first year. Training allowance your first 30 days, then draw commission with bonus opportunities. Medical, life, dental, optical, prescription, 401(k) plans, etc., are some of the many perks our employees receive. Excellent opportunities for women and men interested in a sales career and in helping people.

Advancement opportunities are available for hard-working and focused individuals. Must be willing to work some evenings and weekends when our client families are available to see us in their homes. Once you learn our formula for success, your schedule is determined by you. Please email your resume and contact information to: dvanthullenar@ cathcemks.org or fax to (913) 353-1413.

Drivers - Special Beginnings Early Learning Center is seeking part-time drivers for its school-age program located in Lenexa. Candidates must be able to drive a 13-passenger minibus, similar to a 15-passenger van. CDL not required, but must have an excellent driving record. Candidates would pick up children from area schools and then work directly with them when arriving back at the center. Experience preferred. Must have strong work ethic and the ability to work with children. Insurance provided. Background check will be conducted. Great opportunity for retired persons or those seeking a second job. Job responsibilities include: ensuring safety and well-being of children who are being transported at all times, including loading and unloading. Driving short, round-trip routes to elementary schools in Lenexa/Olathe area. Summer only: Driving short, round- trip routes to two Lenexa city pools. Maintaining mileage log. Keeping interior of vehicle clean. Apply by sending an email to: chris@specialbeginningsonline.com or in person at 10216 Pflumm Rd., Lenexa, KS 66215.

Early childhood positions - Wonderful opportunity for adults interested in working with young children. Catholic preschool seeks caring individuals who wish to care for children from infants to 5-year-olds. Great working conditions and immediate benefits. Call Ms. Theresa, director, at (913) 248-4589.

Caregivers - Daughters & Company is looking for several compassionate caregivers to provide assistance to ambulatory seniors in their home, assisted living or in a skilled nursing facility. We provide light housekeeping/light meal preparation, organizational assistance, care management and occasional transportation services for our clients. We need caregivers with reliable transportation and a cell phone for communication. A CNA background is helpful, though not mandatory. We typically employ on a part-time basis, but will strive to match hours desired. Contact Pat or Murray at (913) 341-2500 to become part of an excellent caregiving team.

SERVICES Tree Trimming Tree Trimming/Landscaping Insured/References Free Estimates/Local Parishioner Tony Collins (913) 620-6063 Faith-based counseling to cope with life concerns Kansas City area. Call Mary Vorsten, licensed clinical professional counselor, at (913) 909-2002.

Agua Fina Irrigation and Landscape The one-stop location for your project!

Landscape and irrigation design, Installation and maintenance.

Cleanup and grading services It’s time to repair your lawn. 20% discount on lawn renovations with mention of this ad.

Visit the website at: www.goaguafina.com Call (913) 530-7260 or (913) 530-5661 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.

Senior hairstyling - Haircuts, perms, roller sets.

Savvy Salon, 5910 W. 59th Terrace Mission, KS, one block south of Johnson Dr. $5 off any service on 1st visit. Bonnie (816) 769-8511 Custom countertops - Laminates installed within 5 days.

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

Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.

Rodman Lawn Care Lawn mowing, aeration, verticutting, mulching, Hedge trimming, leaf removal, gutter cleaning Fully insured and free estimates John Rodman (913) 548-3002 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@mikehammer moving.com.

Speedy Guzman Moving and delivery Licensed and insured Anytime (816) 935-0176 Professional window cleaner - Residential only, fully insured. Over 40 years experience. Free estimates. Contact Gene Jackson at (913) 593-1495.

HOME IMPROVEMENT Masonry work - Quality new or repair work. Brick and chimney/fireplace repair. Insured; second-generation bricklayer.

St. Paul Parish, Olathe. Call (913) 829-4336.

Handyman/Remodeler - Quality service with references.

Kitchens, baths, tile, painting, garage doors and openers, decks and wood rot repair. Call Jeff at (913) 915-4738.

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 STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 491-5837 or (913) 579-1835. Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com.

Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.

DRC Construction We’ll get the job done right the first time.

Windows - Doors - Decks - Siding Repair or replace, we will work with you to solve your problems. Choose us for any window, door, siding or deck project and be glad you did.

Everything is guaranteed 100% (913) 461-4052 www.windowservicesoverlandpark.com drcconswindows@gmail.com

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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.

NELSON CREATION’S L.L.C. Home makeovers, kitchen, bath. All interior and exterior remodeling and repairs.

Family owned, experienced, licensed and insured. Member St. Joseph, Shawnee. Kirk Nelson.

(913) 927-5240; nelsport@everest.net Local handyman - Painting int. and ext., staining, wood rot, power wash, decks, doors and windows, masonry, hardwood floors, gutter cleaning, water heaters, toilets, faucets, garbage disposals, ceiling fans, mowing and more!! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118.

Concrete construction - Tear out and replace stamped, stained or colored patios and drives. Retaining walls, footings, poured-in-place safe rooms, excavation and hauling. Asphalt drives and lots. Fully insured; references. Call Dan at (913) 207-4371 or send an email to: dandeeconst@aol.com.

Kansas City’s Premier Deck, Fence & Concrete - We repair, power wash and stain wood decks and fences. We power wash and seal concrete drives, walkway, pool decks and more. Call Brian at (913) 952-5965. Member of Holy Trinity Parish.

Swalms organizing - downsizing - cleanout service - Reduce clutter – Any space organized. Shelving built on-site. Items hauled for recycling and donations. 20 years exp.; insured.

Call Tillar at (913) 375-9115. WWW.SWALMSORGANIZING. COM. HARCO Exteriors LLC Your Kansas City fencing specialists Family owned and operated (913) 815-4817 www.harcoexteriorsllc.com Thank you for another great year - Through your support, my family has been blessed and my business has grown. We do windows, trim, siding, doors, decks, interior and exterior painting, wood rot, bathroom renovations, tile and sheetrock.

If you need work done around your home, we can do it. Josh (913) 709-7230.

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 - Tandem vault located at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Kansas City. Patio II, tier C, crypt 105. Eye level with peaceful view and surroundings. Includes perpetual care. Current market value over $10,000. Selling price is $8,000. Call (913) 208-2703.

For sale - Single vault at Shawnee Mission Memory Gardens mausoleum, located 23215 W. 75th, Shawnee. Current value is $7500; selling price is $5500. Call (816) 977-3634.

For sale - Three individuals plots located at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Kansas City. Located in section 3, old lot 195, spaces 10, 11 and 12. Current value is $2070 per space. Selling price is $1280 per space or $3500 for all three. Call (913) 208-2703.

REAL ESTATE 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: For sale - Reduced price, maintenance-provided home. New price $359,900. Monthly HOA $132. Two BR, 2.5 BA, backs up to Ascension Church, open floor plan, one-level living. Call for appointment at (913) 669-8178.

WANTED TO BUY Will buy firearms and related accessories - One or a whole collection. Honest evaluation and top prices paid. Contact Tom at (913) 238-2473. Member of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee.

CAREGIVING 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.

Medication support - Need help filling weekly pill boxes?

Need daily medication reminders? We can provide these services in your home with daily or weekly visits. Call to learn about our exciting new medication solutions that allow you to continue living safely at home. Call Home Connect Health at (913) 627- 9222.

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.

Caregiving/housecleaning - Reasonable rates; references provided. Can sit with and provide care for elderly lady.

Lenexa area. Call (913) 599-2215.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 | THELEAVEN.ORG

CALENDAR PRAIRIE STAR UNDER THE STARS Prairie Star Ranch 1124 California Rd., Williamsburg Sept. 23 at 10 a.m.

High school youth groups and all families are invited to Prairie Star Ranch for a spiritual campout experience. Encounter Christ through a variety of activities, including gaga ball, canoeing, archery and the climbing tower. Finish the day by stargazing and camping overnight in the outdoors. For more information, visit the website at: www.arch kck.org/ranch or call (785) 746-5693.

2017 MONK RUN 5K AND 1-MILE WALK St. Benedict’s Abbey 1020 N. Second St., Atchison Sept. 23 - Check-in at 9 a.m.; run begins at 10 a.m.

There is an entry fee of $25. A gathering will be held with the monks immediately following the run for awards and fellowship. For more information and to register, go to the website at: kansasmonk.org/ monkrun. For group registration, call (913) 360-7908.

‘PRAYER AND STUDY WITH LAUDATO SI’’ Sophia Spirituality Center 751 S. 8th St., Atchison Sept. 24 at 1 p.m.

Join the Mount sisters in a labor of love as they care for the monastery grounds in environmentally friendly ways. There will also be time for reflection and study of “Laudato Si,” the encyclical by Pope Francis that calls all of us to care for our common home. For more information or to register, call (913) 360-6173 or go to the website at: www. sophiaspiritualitycenter.org.

ANNUNCIATION CHURCH PICNIC Cigna Center 402 N. Maple, Frankfort Sept. 24 from 4 -7 p.m.

There will be a roast beef dinner with all the trimmings. The cost is $10 for adults; $5 for ages 10 and under. Takeout meals will also be available. Call the parish office (M - F, morning hours) at (785) 292-4462 to order delivery meals. There will also be a cakewalk, bingo, church poker, a quilt raffle, a silent auction, an inflatable slide and train rides.

PRAIRIE STAR FAMILY DAY Prairie Star Ranch 1124 California Rd., Williamsburg Sept. 24 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Prairie Star is offering everyone the chance to step away and enter into a day of prayer, adventure, outdoor activities and time to reconnect. Explore our lakes and 300 acres of woods and prairie lands. Register online at: www.archkck.org/ranch or call (785) 7465693.

GOSPEL CHOIR CONCERT Our Lady & St. Rose Parish 2300 N. 8th St., Kansas City, Kansas Sept. 24 at 3 p.m.

The theme of this year’s concert is: “Saved

by Grace through Faith.” Join in this celebration of many churches filled with spirited and grace-filled music. For more information, call Barbara at (913) 321-1958.

DAUGHTERS OF ISABELLA, LITTLE FLOWER CIRCLE 503 Christ the King Parish (Yadrich Hall) 5973 S.W. 25th St., Topeka Sept. 24 at 12:30 p.m.

There will be a rosary followed by a business meeting at which there will be nominations and election of officers. A social will take place afterward. If you know of a member or one of their family members 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 the Daughters of Isabella, call Marilyn Unrein at (785) 230-8448 or Cindy Keen at (785) 228-9863.

SACRED WHEELS CAR SHOW AND MEXICAN DINNER St. Joseph Parish 8th and Spring Garden, Atchison Sept. 24 - 10:30 registration; 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. dinner

There will be a car show, dinner, awards, music, raffles, a country store, a kid zone and much more. For more information and to preregister, go to the website at: stbenedict atchison.org.

SYMPTO-THERMAL POSTPARTUM NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING CLASS St. John the Evangelist School (Rm. 208) 1208 Kentucky St., Lawrence Sept. 27 at 6:30 p.m.

This class is specific to the postpartum period. For more information about this class, call Shannon or John Rasmussen at (785) 749-1015. Preregistration is required online at: www.ccli.org.

POTLUCK DINNER Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish (Formation Room) 3601 S.W. 17th St., Topeka Sept. 28 from 5 - 7 p.m.

The Christian widows and widowers organization will host a potluck dinner. A speaker from Atria will discuss “Senior Living Education.” There is no cost to attend. For more information, all (785) 233-7350.

STONE’S FOLLY ART FESTIVAL 1800 S.W. Stone Ave., Topeka Sept. 29 from 6 - 10 p.m.

Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

This event is a fundraiser for Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish in Topeka. There will be displays of many types of art, a beer garden, gift shops, children’s activities, a cash raffle and live entertainment.

‘CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST’ St. Luke Byzantine Catholic Church 11413 Chicago St., Sugar Creek, Missouri Sept. 29 at 7 p.m.

An award-winning 50-minute documentary with a Q&A session following will be held. Bill Scholl, with the archdiocesan office for social justice will moderate. There is no charge for this event. For more information, call Kathryn at (816) 520-4966 or email her at: Mideast film@yahoo.com. Donations of school supplies for refugees are welcome.

SPECIAL-NEEDS MINISTRY RESPITE CARE PROGRAM Holy Cross School 8101 W. 95th St., Overland Park Sept. 30 from 4 - 8 p.m.

Respite care provides the gift of time away from caregiving for families who have a child with a disability. The program is designed for children between the ages of 6 and 18. For exceptions to the age range, call Tom Racunas at (913) 647-3054 or send an email to: trancunas@archkck.org. Volunteers are needed to be a respite buddy to a child with a disability. To register a child for the program or to volunteer, go to the website at: www.archkck.org/specialneeds and complete the online form.

OCTOBERFEST St. John the Evangelist Parish 1234 Kentucky St., Lawrence Sept. 30 from 4 - 10 p.m.

This event includes live music by Festhaus-Musikanten Band, authentic German food and beer, and activities for kids. On this year’s menu is wienerschnitzel, bierock, bratwurst, cabbage roll, sauerkraut and German potato salad.

SPAGHETTI DINNER Church of the Holy Cross 8311 W. 93rd St., Overland Park Sept. 30 from 5 - 7:30 p.m.

A meal of homemade pasta and meat sauce, bread, salad and desserts will cost: $10 for adults; $3 for kids ages 12 and under; $25 for families of four or more. Takeout meals will be available.

‘TASTE OF NATIVITY’ Church of the Nativity 3800 W. 119th St., Leawood Sept. 30 from 6 - 11 p.m.

Nativity’s annual auction this year will present a “Taste of Nativity” featuring parishioners who are restaurateurs. In addition, two students from the University of Kansas, who are Nativity School alumni, will give a witness talk about their experience and the value of Catholic education. For more information, go to the website at: september2remember.com.

FALL BAZAAR Holy Family Parish 600 Main St., Summerfield Oct. 1 at 4:30 p.m.

A meal of turkey, dressing and trimmings will be served. The cost is $10 for adults; $5 for kids under the age of 12. Proceeds go to church restoration. There will also be a country store and a chance book drawing.

ANNUAL FALL FEST Sacred Heart-St. Casimir Parish 1405 2nd Ave., Leavenworth Oct. 1 from 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

A turkey and ham dinner will be served. The cost will be $10 for adults; $5 for kids ages 12 and under. There will also be a silent auction, a country store, games for kids, a DJ and three different raffles.

FALL BAZAAR St. Boniface Parish 32320 N.E. Nevada Rd., Scipio Oct. 1 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

A meal of roast beef, chicken and noodles, and sides will be served. The cost is: $10 for adults; $5 for kids ages 5 - 10; and no charge for kids under the age of 5. Takeout dinners will be available for $11.

400TH ANNIVERSARY OF VINCENTIAN CHARISM Sacred Heart Parish 312 N.E. Freeman Ave., Topeka Oct. 1 at 10:30 a.m.

Mass will be hosted by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth and associates to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Vincentian charism. The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth trace their roots to St. Vincent de Paul.

TAIZE PRAYER Annunciation Chapel 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth Oct. 5 at 7 p.m.

People of all Christian traditions are invited to participate in this Taize prayer service. Taize prayer is a candlelit service that includes simple chants sung repeatedly, silence, and prayers of praise and intercession. For more information, visit the website at: www.marillac center.org or call (913) 680-2342.

‘HIS OWN’ RETREAT Mother Teresa Parish 2014 N.W. 46th St., Topeka Oct. 7 from 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

This retreat combines a love for Jesus, passion for music and the desire to proclaim the joy of the feminine heart. There will be music, testimonies and talks. Lunch is provided. After lunch, there will be eucharistic adoration with music and a final talk. An all-parish Mass will be at 4 p.m.

100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE MILITIA IMMACULATA Redemptorist Church 3333 Broadway, Kansas City, Missouri Oct. 7 at 9 a.m. for Mass The Militia of the Immaculata in the Midwest invites all to the centennial celebration of its

13

founding by St. Maximilian Kolbe with a rosary and Mass. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will be the celebrant. A presentation by Mike Scherschlight from the School of Faith will follow. The day concludes at 4 p.m. Send an email to: immaulata8@att.net, or go online to: consecration-midwest.org if you are planning to attend. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. (The cost is $10 at the door.)

BISHOP MIEGE CLASS OF 1967 - 50TH REUNION Bishop Miege High School 5041 Reinhardt Dr., Roeland Park Oct. 7 from 7 - 11 p.m.

Help celebrate the class of 1967’s 50th reunion. There will also be events on Oct. 6 and 8. For more information, contact: bishop mieges67@gmail.com; Betty Brooks Gacom at: bettygacom@gmail.com; Gary Rittenhouse at: garyrittenhouse@gmail.com; Linda Sine Porter at: lporter@stasaints.net; or Cheryl Mehan James at: cherijam@gmail.com.

IRISH ROAD BOWLING Wyandotte County Park 126th & State Ave., Bonner Springs Oct. 7 at 10 a.m.

The Father Donnelly Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians is hosting its fall 2017 fundraising event. Teams of four complete a 1.5-mile course through Wyandotte County Park. Proceeds benefit S.A.F.E., an organization supporting families of fallen police and firefighters; the Duchesne Clinic, which provides for the medical needs of the poor in Kansas City, Kansas; and many other charities. Suggested donation-entry fees are $120 per team. Visitors are welcome. For more information and to register, go online to: www. ksroadbowling.com.

OKTOBERFEST St. Pius X Parish 5500 Woodson Rd., Mission Oct. 7 from 5:30 - 9 p.m.

Dinner includes German food. German wines and beers will be available for purchase. The cost to attend is: $15 for adults, purchased in advance; $20 at the door; $5 for kids ages 6 12; free for kids ages 5 and under. For more information, call Marisa Snook at (913) 244-5732; send an email to: marisa.r.snook@gmail.com; or call the parish office at (913) 432-4808.

PANCAKE LUNCHEON St. Mary Parish 446 Hwy. 137, Purcell Oct. 8 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Pancakes, whole hog sausage, scrambled eggs, homemade pies and tea or coffee will be served.

The suggested donation is a freewill offering.

TURKEY DINNER AND BAZAAR Sacred Heart Parish 1100 West St., Tonganoxie Oct. 8 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

The cost for dinner is: $10 for adults; $5 for kids ages 6 - 12; and free for kids ages 5 and under.

There will be a country store, bingo, theme baskets, children’s games and a raffle with many cash prizes.

BULL CREEK/HOLY TRINITY FAMILY 5K RUN/WALK Wallace Park E. Osage St. and Wallace Park Dr., Paola Oct. 8 — registration at 11 a.m., race at noon

Preregister online at: enter2run.com and then click on the “Bull Creek Family 5K Run/Walk,” or register on the morning of the run/walk. The cost for preregistration is $30 for those ages 12 and up; $12 for those ages 11 and younger.

There is a cap of $100 for a family of five or more. A lunch and prizes will follow the race at Holy Trinity School cafeteria in Paola. All ages are welcome.

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS

DEADLINE: Noon, Thursday, 10 days before the desired publication date.

INCLUDE: time and date of event; street address; description of event.

SEND TO: beth.blankenship@theleaven.org.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 | THELEAVEN.ORG

COMMENTARY TWENTY-FIFTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME Sept. 24 TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Is 55: 6-9 Ps 145: 2-3, 8-9, 17-18 Phil 1: 20c-24, 27a Mt 20: 1-16a Sept. 25 Monday Ezr 1: 1-6 Ps 126: 1-6 Lk 8: 16-18 Sept. 26 Cosmas and Damian, martyrs Ezr 6: 7-8, 12b, 14-20 Ps 122: 1-5 Lk 8: 19-21 Sept. 27 Vincent de Paul, priest Ezr 9: 5-9 (Ps) Tb 13: 2, 3-4, 7-8 Lk 9: 1-6 Sept. 28 Wenceslaus, martyr; Lawrence Ruiz and companions, martyrs Hg 1: 1-8 Ps 149: 1-6, 9 Lk 9: 7-9 Sept. 29 MICHAEL, GABRIEL AND RAPHAEL, ARCHANGELS Dn 7: 9-10, 13-14 Ps 138: 1-5 Jn 1: 47-51 Sept. 30 Jerome, priest, doctor of the church Zec 2: 5-9, 14-15a (Ps) Jer 31: 10-13 Lk 9: 43b-45

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W

Time to show your true colors this fall

hen this paper arrives in your mailbox, it will be the season of fall.

Are you kidding me?

What happened to the rest of 2017? I really can’t complain, though, because I do enjoy this time of year. I like the crispness in the air and the stark silhouettes of trees and buildings as the sun sets.

I’m no stranger, either, to crunching into a crisp caramel apple and savoring some apple cider.

What I most look forward to, however, is the leaves changing colors. There’s something so comforting about that last burst of colorful beauty before the howling winds and snows of winter. Those leaves truly brighten my outlook.

Lately, I’ve heard a good number of people talk about how “dark” the world feels. The news seems so distressing with threats of war, natural disasters, horrific accidents, violence against persons . . . and the list could go on.

As Christians, we’re certainly called to feel the sorrows of the world, yet we can’t give in to hopelessness. We’re called, like autumn leaves, to bright-

E

14

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.

en every corner of the world with the good news that we’re privileged to have in Jesus.

This story makes this point well: A man built a prosperous business through hard work and honest dealings. As he got older, he felt concerned about the future of his enterprise because he had no children or close relatives, except for three nephews.

One day, he summoned the young men and declared, “I have a problem, and whoever comes up with the best solution will inherit all that I possess.”

Giving each of them an

equal amount of money, he told them to buy something that would fill his large office. “Spend no more than I’ve given you,” he directed, “and be sure you are back by sunset.”

All day long, each nephew attempted separately to fulfill his uncle’s instructions. Finally, when the shadows began to lengthen, they returned to make their report. Their uncle was eager to see their purchases.

The first dragged in a few huge sacks of packing peanuts that nearly filled the office when the sacks were emptied. After the room was cleared, the second nephew brought in bundles and bundles of helium-filled balloons that floated throughout the office, filling it better than the peanuts.

The third nephew stood silent and forlorn.

His uncle asked him, “So

what have you to offer?”

“Uncle,” replied the nephew, “I spent half of my money to help a family whose house burned down last night.

Then I ran into some kids in trouble and gave most of the rest to an inner-city youth center.

With the little bit I had left, I bought this candle and matches.” Then he lit the candle and its glowing light filled every corner of the room.

The kindly old uncle realized that here was the noblest of his family. He blessed the nephew for making the best use of his gift and welcomed him into his business. (Found in “Sower’s Seeds That Nurture Family Values (Sixth Planting),” by Brian Cavanaugh, TOR.) How would you go about filling the world with Christ’s light? An organization that I’ve supported since my ordination is The Christophers, founded by Maryknoll Father James Keller. Its motto is: “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”

Its mission statement clarifies how this is done: “Love and truth come to us through God, but these gifts are not ours to keep. By sharing them with others, each of us becomes a Christ-bearer,

a “Christopher,” in the most fundamental sense of that word.

“It is through literature, broadcasts, awards and leadership courses that we at The Christophers work toward our mission: bringing positive and constructive values into the mainstream of life.”

As we enter into the final quarter of 2017, maybe we could all become a Christopher toward those in our social, work, school and church communities. Father James offered these 10 reminders for how exactly to do that effectively: 1. Depend more on God, less on self.

2. Share the truth, don’t hoard it.

3. Be world-minded, not just local-minded.

4. Go among people, don’t avoid them.

5. Push on, don’t stand still.

6. Aim to serve, not to be served.

7. Be gentle, don’t hurt.

8. Submit ideas, don’t impose them.

9. Better to be optimistic than pessimistic.

10. Cheer, don’t depress.

If we put into practice even a few of these simple reminders, we’ll show our true colors. And what a wonderful world it will be.

Late to the vineyard? God’s got you covered

ven though I do not own a vineyard like the man in Sunday’s Gospel reading, Mt 20:1-16a, I do have some experience with employees and volunteers.

They often will compare themselves to co-workers. That’s only natural. Sometimes that means that they will exaggerate the amount of work that they do and downplay that of those around them.

Similarly, parishioners will at times underestimate the work that church employees and volunteers perform.

There is an awful lot that goes on in a parish that people don’t see.

In the Gospel reading, the workers who have only put in a few hours of work receive the same pay as those who worked

THE GOSPEL TRUTH

FATHER MIKE STUBBS Father Stubbs is the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University.

all day long. The latter complain fiercely about it.

At the end of the parable that Jesus has told, the writer of the Gospel

POPE FRANCIS

Politicians and religious leaders cannot remain indifferent to the suffering caused by violence and hatred in the world, Pope Francis said.

Instead, those in places of authority and influence must “feel the pain of others, to make it our own, neither overlooking it or becoming inured to it,” the pope said in a

attaches a punchline that does not exactly fit: “The last will be first and the first will be last.”

That is not what has happened in the parable. A more appropriate punchline would read: “The last and the first will be the same.”

Nonetheless, the basic point of the parable remains the same. God does not operate according to our expectations.

God has other plans,

which do not correspond to our own.

We probably have heard the interpretation of this parable, which points to a deathbed conversion as one leading to salvation.

For those of us who are Catholics from birth, that can be a little hard to swallow. It does not seem fair. And that is exactly the point of the parable.

But there have been other interpretations of this parable besides those focusing on the last moment of an individual’s life.

In the early church, some identified the workers who had spent all day long in the vineyard as the Jewish people who had figured in the scheme of salvation from the very start, while the Johnny-come-latelies corresponded to the Gentiles, who had only

Sept. 10 message to participants of the International Meeting of Prayer for Peace in the German cities of Munster and Osnabruck.

“We must never grow accustomed or indifferent to evil,” he said.

Among those addressing the Sept. 9-12 meeting, which was sponsored by the Sant’Egidio community, a Rome-based Catholic lay organization, were German

recently received the possibility of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Despite the differences in arriving at faith in God, both groups would be equal in God’s eyes.

When Jesus told the parable, he may have intended to identify the tax collectors and sinners — whom he frequently defended — with the workers who started in the vineyard late in the day.

The workers who spent the whole day in the vineyard would have corresponded to the Pharisees.

Once again, the parable would be making the same point — that everyone receives the same treatment from God. It does not depend upon our own efforts, but upon God’s overwhelming mercy.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and Sheik Ahmad el-Tayeb, the grand imam of al-Azhar University in Cairo.

In his message, Pope Francis noted that the conference’s theme, “Paths for Peace,” highlighted the need to bring reconciliation to areas of conflict that have left “entire peoples plunged into a dark night of violence, without hope for a dawn of peace.”

— CNS

SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 | THELEAVEN.ORG

COMMENTARY

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Working to help those with disabilities become ‘equal partners’

I

n the fall of 2016, the special-needs ministry was established in the archdiocese.

The mission of the ministry is to serve and support parishes in facilitating opportunities for a relationship with Christ by ensuring the fullest participation possible in the Catholic faith for all parishioners, regardless of ability.

Sounds good, doesn’t it? But what does it really mean, how is this to get done, and what should this really look like in the end?

I will have four opportunities in these pages over the next nine months to “unpack” the phrases in this statement and, in doing so, help create a vision for

R

emember your wedding day when you looked into one another’s eyes as you spoke the words of your vows?

Surely, you couldn’t imagine anything more joyful than a life together. That was your journey’s first step as husband and wife.

How much joy do you experience today?

If your answer is, “Well, it’s OK . . . we get along,” you deserve much more than “OK” and getting along. God wants you to have a joy-filled marriage.

Dr. Greg and Lisa Popcak, national speakers, writers and radio hosts on marriage,

TOM RACUNAS Tom Racunas is the lead consultant for the archdiocesan special-needs ministry. He can be reached by email at: tracunas@archkck.org.

meaningful and lasting outcomes.

Let’s begin at the

end and work backwards: “all parishioners, regardless of ability.” All means all!

“Human persons are willed by God; they are imprinted with God’s image. Their dignity does not come from the work they do, but from the persons they are.”

(John Paul II, “The Hun-

dredth Year,” 11).

The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society.

Over the years, the U.S. bishops have said: “We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person.”

How we live does not always reflect what we believe. Consequently, all does not always mean all.

Children and adults with disabilities, especially those with

significant cognitive and developmental disabilities, have often been excluded from our faith formation programs, from sacramental preparation and celebration, and from participation in the liturgy.

Parents of children with disabilities often feel ignored, judged and alone. The mother of a child with autism told me that after a particularly challenging time at Mass one Sunday, a parishioner approached her and reprimanded her for not being a better disciplinarian.

He said, “Your child shouldn’t be in church if you are not going to teach him how to behave.” He did not know that that was

Don’t you want a joyful marriage?

FAMILY MATTERS

DEACON TONY ZIMMERMAN Deacon Tony Zimmerman is the lead archdiocesan consultant for the office of marriage and family life.

wrote in their book “Just Married”: “The biggest

contributor to marital problems and, eventually, marital breakdown is that husbands and wives tend to love their own comfort zones more than they love each other. This leads to no end of opportunities to feel rejected, resentful and angry.”

That “comfort zone” is what we fall into in daily life: meeting job demands, busy schedules, money and caring for the great gift of our children. So, we just “get by” day after day, often wondering: “Is this all there is?”

Our vocation as married couples is to convince our spouse that he or she is loved and lovable every day.

When is the last time you left a love note in your spouse’s briefcase or lunch? How often do you stop and look in the other’s eyes and tell her how beautiful she is or what a handsome guy you married!

Speak these words and hearts melt. You

will find that you can’t wait to be together (like courtship days).

When was the last time you put music on and danced? Your kids will be shocked. (And if they are little, they will want to join in.) Do you pray for one another each day?

Recently, a group of engaged couples was asked to share their future spouse’s most endearing quality. One man replied: “I love her and I know that she will help me get to heaven!” What a great compliment!

You see, when we live in and grow in love, God’s love for each of us is so real. It helps us become the joyful people God calls us to

exactly what she was trying to accomplish.

Yet, she felt defeated and unwelcome and she quit trying — she and her child stopped attending.

The 1978 U.S. bishops’ pastoral statement on people with disabilities states in part: “[The Church] must reach out to welcome gratefully those who seek to participate in the ecclesial community (12).

“If people with disabilities are to become equal partners in the Christian community, injustices must be eliminated and ignorance and apathy replaced by increased sensitivity and warm acceptance” (13).

All must mean all!

be for each other, our families and the world.

How do we shake off the “getting by” and “OK” attitudes? We begin by regularly (at least yearly) engaging in some form of marriage enrichment. It is here that we will find fuel to launch our love heavenward. It is here we will discover new tools (and rediscover ones we forgot) to help us along the way.

Go online to: www. joyfulmarriageproject. com for resources and the dates of various enrichments. Check it out on Facebook. Doesn’t he or she deserve more joy — the joy you dreamed of and long for each day?

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2017 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

16

DUAL CELEBRATION

Mound City marks 75th, bestows Duchesne award

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

M

OUND CITY — When it came time for Michael Martin to speak after receiving the annual St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Award, the best he could do was to gesture to his wife Linda.

Fortunately, Linda had come prepared.

She stepped up to the ambo of Sacred Heart Church and — as her husband and son Chris looked on, and standing in front of the congregation with Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann — read her husband’s statement of thanks.

What made the award even more special was that Sept. 10 was also the 75th anniversary of the dedication of Sacred Heart Church and Shrine of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne.

When asked later why he received the award, Martin gave a modest answer.

“I don’t have a good idea,” said Martin, a parishioner. “It’s a labor of love on my part. And why they chose me, I don’t know, other than they appreciated something I did.”

The award program stated that Martin has spent considerable time and energy sharing the story of St. Rose and caring for the St. Philippine Duchesne Memorial Park and former site of the Sugar Creek Potawatomi Mission, located about three miles south of Centerville.

Martin shared a lot of the credit with his fellow members of the Knights of Columbus of the surrounding area, who have also given many hours of work and funds to maintain the park.

Last year’s jubilee Year of Mercy was particularly busy. Sacred Heart Parish was the site of one of the archdiocesan Holy Doors and many went from there to the Duchesne park.

“Last year alone, we had 26 [tour bus] groups come in to visit the church, shrine and park,” said Martin.

“There were a lot of vehicle caravans, too. That was the best year we’ve had.”

Archbishop Naumann was the main celebrant and homilist of the Mass.

Administrator Father Frank Burger concelebrated and Deacon Don Poole assisted. Monsignor Gary Applegate was master of ceremonies.

The Catholic faith came to Linn County when Catholic Potawatomi were forced from their native lands in Indiana in 1838. They and their Jesuit pastors built the mission.

The Sisters of the Sacred Heart — including 71-year-old Sister Rose Philippine Duchesne — traveled to Kansas

LEAVEN PHOTO BY DOUG HESSE

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann presents Michael Martin with the St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Award. Martin has spent considerable time and energy sharing the story of St. Rose and caring for the St. Philippine Duchesne Memorial Park. from St. Louis in 1841 to establish a school.

Although the saint stayed there only a year, she made a big impression on the Potawatomi, who called her “Quahkahkanumad,” which means “Woman who prays always.”

After the Jesuits and Potawatomi were moved to St. Marys in 1848, the mission fell into ruin.

“I do not expect to see the result of my labors and prayers,” St. Rose Philippine once said. “Perhaps 100 years will pass before they bear fruit.”

For many years, the few Catholics in Linn County were cared for by pastors from nearby parishes.

In 1937, the newly elevated Bishop Paul C. Schulte, ordinary of the Diocese of Leavenworth, discovered that Linn was the only county in the diocese that did not have a parish or mission, according to the parish 75th anniversary booklet. Bishop Schulte initiated some street preaching in various Linn County towns from 1939 to 1940.

It was determined that there were enough Catholics to build a parish and a site in Mound City was chosen.

Bishop Schulte appealed for funds throughout the diocese and on June 27, 1941, appointed Father William Gerald O’Shea to be the founding pastor.

Father O’Shea immediately began

organizing religious education classes and celebrating Mass in a house and later the rectory basement. Construction began of a church of limestone, some of which was quarried from the old mission site.

Finally, the new church was dedicated on Sept. 7, 1942, by Bishop Schulte — slightly more than 100 years from the arrival of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne at the old mission.

One of the altar boys at the dedication Mass was Mound City native James Higgins, now 87 years old.

“This parish didn’t exist when I was born,” said Higgins. “I was 10 years old before the church started here. Everybody here went to [Mass in] Fulton. It’s 15 or 20 miles from here, south.”

(St. Patrick Church in Fulton, in the Diocese of Wichita, was closed in 1994.)

Some people went to Fulton by horse and buggy, but, in later years, they went in Model T Fords. Higgins first went by Model A Ford.

There was some talk about building a church at the old mission site, but an agreement couldn’t be reached, and “it wouldn’t have been a good idea anyway,” said Higgins. It was hard to get the church going and keep going because there were so few Catholics in Linn County.

His wife Connie, now deceased, was an organist for about 20 years.

Nothing too exciting has happened in 75 years, he said — except for an increase in converts to the Catholic faith.

The parish began in 1941 with 30 families and now has 80.

“One of the most important things that’s happened in the last 15 years is a tremendous increase in parishioners due to RCIA and some very good people who were able to teach it,” said Higgins.

Higgins was honored by a mention at the Mass by Archbishop Naumann, along with Helen Clark, 85.

Clark was born in Arma, but later moved to Mound City with her parents as the church was being built.

“Father O’Shea spent a lot of time at our house,” said Clark. “He was close to us and became part of our family.”

They, like other parishioners, helped in the building project when they could. Her father, a carpenter, did maintenance at the church in later years. She and her husband Jim, a Methodist, married in 1953. He became a Catholic in 1977.

Her words to future parishioners are the same spirit that has always guided the parish.

“Keep the faith,” said Clark.