SOWING THE SEEDS OF LOVE
Stewardship project sprouts big dreams for school garden
By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
BUCYRUS — Last spring, sixth graders at Queen of the Holy Rosary School here sowed the seeds for a stewardship project to benefit their school.
With a little TLC, their idea bloomed into a flourishing garden that’s now making a difference in the community.
“It was really cool to see our ideas go from paper to being right in front of us and helping other people,” said Leah Carlson, who’s now in seventh grade.
It started when the class of 13 was tasked with coming up with a stewardship project.
“They wanted to help water plants around the school and pull weeds,” said Bryan Wallraff. “They took it and ran with it.”
Wallraff, who taught sixth grade last year and is now teaching third, said his students’ dreams outgrew their initial plans.
On Sept. 5, the now-seventh graders worked with the third graders to harvest and donate
60 pounds of produce from their garden to the Caring Ministry of First Baptist Church in Stilwell.
The vegetables were distributed to families in need around the community.
Principal Nick Antista was thrilled about the garden.
“I thought it was an incredibly creative and meaningful addition to our school,” he said.
“Not only does it offer a way for students to learn in a hands-on, engaging manner,” he continued, “but it also aligns beautifully with our values of stewardship, care for creation and fostering a sense of responsibility.”
Donna Rains, Caring Ministry director, called the donation “a wonderful gift.”
The Caring Ministry serves all sorts of people, she said.
“Single mothers, grandparents raising children, families with an ill loved one, families suffering from job loss, families that are homeless, families that are just in need — what we now call the working poor,” said Rains.
“It felt pretty good,” said seventh grader Will Bosley about the donation. “Your community’s
COURTESY PHOTO
Bryan Wallraff, third grade teacher at Queen of the Holy Rosary School, Wea, and students Lauren Dudzik and Grant Lemke harvest vegetables from the school’s garden, which was created after last year’s sixth grade class, taught by Wallraff, took a stewardship project and ran with it. Now, the school is feeding the hungry in their community with the produce they’ve grown.
COURTESY PHOTO
Will Bosley and Sydney Shaddox put a lesson in action after a visit from a Miami County conservation agent, who taught them about soil science through growing potato slips.
Heroic bishop in ‘Les Miserables’ an example for all bishops
My favorite musical of the last several decades is “Les Miserables.” The music is beautiful and inspiring.
The plot is one of heroic love and redemption. However, one of the reasons that I love “Les Miserables” is because, among all of the popular contemporary theater productions, it is the only one that features a heroic bishop.
The musical is, of course, based on a historical novel written by Victor Hugo. It is considered Hugo’s masterpiece and one of the great works of French literature.
Jean Valjean, the hero, was imprisoned as a young man for stealing a loaf of bread to help the poor. His sentence is extended several times because of his attempts to escape. When he finally has served his time and is freed, because of the stigma of being an ex-convict, there is little opportunity for him to make a decent living.
Homeless, angry and embittered, Jean Valjean is welcomed into the home of the local bishop, who invites him to share a meal and to sleep the night in the house. In the middle of the night, Valjean steals the bishop’s silverware and flees. Appearing suspicious, Valjean is apprehended by the
ARCHBISHOP
JOSEPH F. NAUMANN
police, who discover in his possession the bishop’s silverware.
The police arrest Valjean. Before imprisoning him, they force him to return the stolen silverware to the bishop. To the surprise of Valjean and the police, the bishop is overjoyed by Valjean’s return. Instead of wishing to prosecute Valjean, the bishop is happy to give him two valuable silver candlesticks. The bishop confides to the police that their prisoner had neglected to take these valuable gifts with him. Once the police release Valjean, the bishop encourages him to be grateful to God for his good fortune. The bishop challenges Valjean to take advantage of this financial windfall to make something of his life and to help others. The experience of the bishop’s mercy transforms Jean Valjean’s life. He used the money
LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS
from selling the bishop’s silver to establish a successful business and is actually elected mayor. Heeding the bishop’s admonition, Jean Valjean became a heroic figure, showing great compassion and generosity to the less fortunate.
Victor Hugo based his fictional episcopal character on Bishop Charles de Miollis, who was well known for his kindness and compassion for the poor. He was ordained a priest in 1777. At the time of the French Revolution, Father de Miollis refused to take the oath of obedience to the government. By 1792, Father de Miollis was forced to flee to Italy. After spending almost a decade in exile, Father de Miollis was able to return to France.
In 1805, Father de Miollis was ordained a bishop. He continued to live very simply. The new bishop dressed in the same material that was customarily worn by the poor. Annually, Bishop de Miollis gave three-quarters of his salary to assist
the poor. The humble bishop had a complete detachment from earthly possessions.
Bishop de Miollis was conscientious about making regular pastoral visits to the parishes in his diocese. In addition to encouraging parish missions, the bishop himself preached several such retreats. Bishop de Miollis’ concern for eliminating spiritual poverty among his parishioners motivated him to be tireless in preaching the Gospel and assisting his people to develop a rich prayer life.
His biographer said that Bishop de Miollis considered anything not given to the poor to be theft. He practiced a life of renunciation and simplicity. The depiction of the bishop of “Les Miserables” was entirely consistent with the virtuous life of Bishop Charles de Miollis.
If you have never seen the stage production of “Les Miserables,” I encourage adults to view the movie version. Unfortunately, because of scenes depicting immorality caused in part by the desperation fostered from material poverty, I do not recommend it for youth.
Please pray for me that I may strive to imitate the heroic virtue of this saintly bishop. His cause for beatification has been introduced. In the official
ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN’S CALENDAR
Oct. 4
Eucharistic Revival bishops’ advisory group — Zoom
Oct. 5
Consecrated Life Day Mass and brunch — Savior
Oct. 6
Respect Life Sunday Mass — Holy Trinity, Lenexa
Project Andrew — Sts. Peter and Paul, Seneca
Oct. 7
Eucharistic adoration and lunch — St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Overland Park
Confirmation — St. Joseph, Olpe
Oct. 8
Eucharistic adoration — Maur Hill-Mount Academy, Atchison
Confirmation — Corpus Christi, Lawrence
Oct. 9
Meeting and resident reception — Santa Marta, Olathe
Confirmation — Holy Trinity, Paola
Oct. 10
Communio update with Tory Baucum
Advice and Aid gala — Overland Park Convention Center
Conception board meeting — Conception, Missouri
Oct. 11
St. James Academy Mass, lunch and dedication of St. Joseph Fieldhouse, Lenexa
Oct. 12
Gaudeamus — Overland Park Convention Center
Oct. 13
Mass and blessing of renovations — St. Mary, St. Benedict
prayer for his beatification we find: “Like a good shepherd, he courageously traveled his diocese, reaching out to everyone, especially to the poorest and most vulnerable.”
Pray for me that I may become more and more a shepherd after the example of the Good Shepherd.
Summit considers ways to improve church’s outreach
By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — “If we truly believe that God loves each one of us,” said Denise Ogilvie, “then our call and our response is to love one another.
“We are called to be a witness to the love of God to all of the people that we encounter.”
Ogilvie, chief mission integration officer at Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, said Catholic Charities fulfills that call every day by serving the 1.4 million people living in the 21 counties of northeast Kansas.
Her message was part of a daylong Mercy & Justice Summit held at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kansas, on Sept. 28.
“We wanted to promote awareness of all the ways that the church is doing works of mercy and justice already,” said Deacon Bill Scholl, consultant for the archdiocesan office of social justice.
Organizers also wanted to equip the delegates who participated with new ways to minister to their communities.
The archdiocesan justice, life and advocacy team, which planned the event, hopes to replicate it at deaneries around the archdiocese and in Spanish.
“We didn’t want this event to be a one and done,” said Deacon Scholl, “but rather to be the beginning of a movement.”
Agents of mercy
Franchiel Nyakatura, emcee, summed up the summit’s purpose, which was to invite the delegates to bring God’s love to the world.
“If we are going to be people who accept Jesus’ invitation to be agents of his mercy and his justice,” she said, “we have to go outside.”
Deacon Dana Nearmyer, director of the archdiocesan office of evangelization, said the need is great.
“Across both sides of State Line and all around our archdiocese, our neighbors have pain points,” he said. “They have wounds.
“And what are we doing to create a net of caring around them?”
Debra Niesen, lead consultant for the archdiocesan pro-life office, added that some people’s wounds prevent them from coming back to church.
“People falsely believe because of something like a divorce, perhaps a past abortion, perhaps a terrible addiction, that they are no longer welcome in the church,” she said.
She encouraged delegates to reach out to the wider community within their parish boundaries.
“Are we an aging community? Maybe if that’s the case, the pain point might be loneliness,” she said. “Maybe we have a lot of young families, [and] we have pregnancy support needs out there.”
Ready to serve
To create an open dialogue, delegates discussed church ministries that
already exist and gaps that need to be filled during small group “campfire” sessions.
They also participated in a ministry fair immersion activity.
Hands of Hope explained how a group of parishioners at Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Topeka delivers hot meals to those in need.
ReHope shared how it’s serving survivors of human trafficking.
The work of deaf, foster care, prolife and special-needs ministries was also on display, among many others.
Throughout the day, delegates heard from speakers on how they can accompany those struggling with various issues.
Father Luke Doyle, chaplain and director of the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas, said loving others is about playing offense.
“The nature of love is that it pours itself out for the good of another,” he said. “Love seeks to see and care for and to serve those who are outside of you.”
He also explained the summit’s connection to the National Eucharistic Revival, which, during this Year of Mission, is calling on Catholics to “Walk with One.”
His talk resonated with Jim Merwald, a parishioner at St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee, who was excited to “learn how I can better equip myself to serve my fellow man.”
“It reinforced some things that I think about how we have to really be open and ready to receive the grace that God wants to give us,” said Merwald.
Dr. John Rziha, moral theologian at Benedictine College in Atchison, told delegates that Mother Teresa is a prime example of God’s mercy in action.
“She put herself in a position to become friends with those who really
needed the Gospel, over and over and over every single day,” he said.
Psychologists Dr. Jacqueline PfeiferMoffitt and Deacon Mike Moffitt rounded out the day by informing delegates of Fully Alive, an integrated wellness program that focuses on mental, physical and spiritual health.
The couple expressed the importance of seeking help during times of distress.
“In the Bible, we know that Jesus offered his wound to Thomas,” said Jacqueline. “He let him feel his wound. And we know that that’s how we are healed.”
Hope ahead
The summit culminated with eucharistic adoration led by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and witness talks.
Josh Ruoff, lead consultant of the archdiocesan special-needs ministry, left feeling encouraged.
“I am hopeful that the summit empowers more individuals to get involved in the many wonderful ministries that exist all across the archdiocese,” said Ruoff, “and that everyone realizes the importance of serving Christ in the least of these.
“And that by increasing involvement, the church will become more equipped to help all of our communities — Catholics and non-Catholics — so that the church becomes the first place someone thinks to turn to when they are in need.”
For more information on the Mercy & Justice Summit, visit the website at: arch kck.org/mercy-justice-summit.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MOIRA CULLINGS
Denise Ogilvie, chief mission integration officer at Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, shares how Catholic Charities serves the 1.4 million people in northeast Kansas every day.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MOIRA CULLINGS
Delegates who attended the Mercy & Justice Summit at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kansas, on Sept. 28 participate in small group “campfire” discussions. They learned about the ways the church in northeast Kansas is serving the community and gaps that can be filled.
Seniors shape young lives through mentorship, support
By Analisa Herndon Special to The Leaven
Think about when you were a child. When you had a question, who did you turn to for help? Was it a parent, teacher or sports coach? Whoever your mentor was, they likely took the time to listen and offer guidance.
Unfortunately, many young children lack this kind of positive role model in their lives. Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas is working to change that for children living in Wyandotte County.
The agency’s Foster Grandparent Program is an AmeriCorps Seniors federally funded program. It is part of a unique initiative that connects seniors in northeast Kansas with children in the Kansas City, Kansas, school district who have special or exceptional needs.
Foster Grandparents assist in pre-K to high school, day care centers and local Head Start programs. The matching process for Foster Grandparents is designed to ensure a good fit. Grandparents can choose the school and grade level they would like to work with. School supervisors, typically a principal or vice principal, then coordinate with teachers regarding which students would benefit most from a Foster Grandparent’s mentorship.
The “grandparents” act as classroom aides and mentors, providing one-onone attention to students who require additional support. They help with a variety of tasks, including reading to or with the children, providing homework help and offering extra guidance on class assignments.
They also participate in field trips, craft projects and other classroom activities, modeling appropriate behaviors and reinforcing the lessons taught by teachers.
“While the ‘grandparents’ are assigned to specific students, they often end up being ‘Grandma and Grandpa’ to the entire classroom,” said Rachel Schuckman, Foster Grandparent Program director.
Beyond academic support, Foster Grandparents also play an important role in the social and emotional development of the students they mentor.
“They listen to students and offer
Lawrence Scout earns the rank of Eagle
LAWRENCE — Sarah Whittaker, a member of Boy Scout Troop 6059 and St. John the Evangelist Parish/St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center here, has earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Whittaker planned and led a diaper collection drive to benefit Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas Lawrence Family Support Center. The initiative gathered over 4,000 diapers and wipes to be shared with the community. She is the first Scout to earn the rank of Eagle in Troop 6059, which was chartered in 2019.
praise and encouragement to help build their confidence,” said Schuckman.
One example Schuckman shared was that of a “grandparent” working with a student struggling to learn the alphabet. Despite weeks of frustration, they worked together, and eventually the student mastered it.
“Teachers have also told us that ‘grandparents’ are an integral part of the classroom. Pre-K classroom teachers have reported to us an increase in school readiness. K-12 teachers have noted improved academic engagement, higher grades and a noticeable difference in social and emotional skills,” said Schuckman.
To become a Foster Grandparent, individuals must be at least 55 years old, pass a background check and meet income guidelines to qualify for the program’s small, tax-free stipend. The stipend allows seniors to volunteer with-
The
out impacting their other government benefits. They also receive reimbursement for travel to the schools they work in. In addition to these financial incentives, “grandparents” gain emotional and physical benefits as well.
“Many of our ‘grandparents’ tell us they’ve seen increased self-improvement, both physically and mentally, since entering the program,” said Schuckman. “Many ‘grandparents’ feel disconnected from their community since retirement. Being part of this program, they now feel like they’re a part of something bigger. They feel a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.”
Training is an essential component of the Foster Grandparent Program. Before starting their volunteer work, Foster Grandparents participate in 24 hours of orientation training, where they learn about the program, their role in the classroom and have the opportunity to connect with experi-
enced volunteers. Ongoing in-service training sessions are also provided, featuring community speakers that provide new ideas for classroom activities.
Last fiscal year, 71 Foster Grandparents served 492 students.
“There are plans to increase our volunteer numbers and expand training opportunities by collaborating with community partners in Wyandotte County,” said Schuckman.
For those interested in becoming a Foster Grandparent or learning more about the program, visit the website at: catholiccharitiesks.org/foster-grand parent-program.
It might have been the late Marceline Henderson, a dedicated Foster Grandparent for decades, who said it best: “The most rewarding part about being a [Foster] Grandparent is that I get to take the place of a mentor or grandmother the kids don’t already have.”
programs
University of Saint Mary adds men’s and women’s golf
LEAVENWORTH — The University of Saint Mary here is adding men’s and women’s golf as varsity athletic programs. Competition for both teams is set to begin during the following 2025-26 academic year, and Andy Kelley has been named as the first head coach to lead both teams.
“I am very excited to be starting the golf programs here at Saint Mary,” Kelley said. “Golf has always been a passion of mine, and being able to build on that passion while adding to the athletics department here at USM is a blessing. This is a great opportunity to establish something new and unique.”
Kelley brings a wealth of experience from his collegiate golfing career at Baker University in Baldwin City, as well as his prior coaching experience in both golf and basketball. “I’ve been heavily involved in both basketball
and golf at the collegiate level, and I look forward to building relationships and impacting student-athletes here at USM,” Kelley said. “When you start a program, that first recruiting class is crucial for establishing the culture. We’re looking for student-athletes who embrace the challenge of starting something from scratch and take pride in making it their own.”
The Spires’ golf teams will compete in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, and the addition of these programs increases the university’s total varsity offerings to 28. Kelley looks forward to building something special.
“This is an excellent opportunity to create something from the ground up. We’re excited for what the future holds,” Kelley said.
For more information and to fill out a recruiting form, visit the website at: stmary.edu/golf.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES
Foster Grandparent JoAnn Daniels displays a sign with the handprints of a number of children she’s been a foster grandparent for over the years.
Sarah Whittaker
‘Cathedral of the Flint Hills’ celebrates its sesquicentennial
By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org
PAXICO — It’s rare for a parish to celebrate its sesquicentennial, or 150th anniversary.
But it’s rarer still for a pastor to celebrate two only weeks apart.
Father Ratna Swamy Nanaam, MSFS, currently pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Paxico and Holy Family in Alma, has done exactly that.
On Sept. 15, Father Swamy assisted Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann in the celebration of a Mass of thanksgiving for the Paxico parish’s 150th anniversary. On Aug. 25, the two celebrated a similar Mass for Alma’s 150th anniversary.
In addition to Father Swamy, two of Sacred Heart Parish’s former pastors — Fathers Michael Peterson and Anthony Williams — served as concelebrants, along with Father Francis Hund — the only native son of the parish to be ordained in the church in 1982.
Not only did the parish of some 100 families celebrate together, it also witnessed the dedication rite of its new altar.
After Mass, parishioners posed for a portrait, then filed over to the parish hall for a luncheon filled with fellowship and reminiscing as they viewed displays related to the parish’s history.
Prior to lunch, everyone read the meal blessing written by Father Hund, a prayer that invoked the phrase “Here in our holy land” at the beginning of all five paragraphs.
“Here in our holy land,” the second paragraph begins, “our community of prayer gathered this morning around the eucharistic altar to be nourished. The Sacred Heart of Jesus invites believers: Come to Me . . . I will give you rest. The gift of faith treasured today comes to us from holy Mary and the apostles, from the Pottawatomi Native American ‘Keepers of the Fire,’ from the Jesuit missionaries and pastors of this parish, from our ancestors to the families here today! May prayer and praise resound during this anniversary and with future generations.”
When asked why he considered the church to be his own “holy land,” Father Hund said it’s because his entire faith life, like that of many other parishioners, has revolved around Sacred Heart Church. He was baptized at the church, made his first confession and first Communion there and was confirmed there. Plus, he’s also presided over many weddings and funerals there for family and friends.
Like Father Hund, the Rush family also has deep roots within the parish. Justin and Hanna, along with their two children, Declan and Jocelyn, drive 30 minutes each week from Eskridge, mostly because Hanna, nearly 41, was raised as a sixth-generation parishioner. Her roots date back to the time of her great-great-great-grandparents.
“There’s so much I love about Paxico and the church,” said Hanna. “Everyone’s friendly and welcoming. I love our church. It’s beautiful.”
Of the anniversary itself, Hanna said, “I’m proud about it and everyone’s coming in to show their support.”
One parishioner showing her support was Lila Glotzbach.
At 92, she is the oldest woman in the parish.
Married in 1954 to her late husband Don she said until she turned 85, she was involved in the sodality and just
about every parish activity one can think of, including teaching religious education and helping with the parish’s famous sausage suppers and fried chicken dinners.
“I was busy everyplace,” she said, adding she and her husband raised six kids in the parish. Now, her kids, grandchildren and great-grandchildren belong and volunteer their time.
THERE’S SO MUCH I LOVE ABOUT PAXICO AND THE CHURCH. EVERYONE’S FRIENDLY AND WELCOMING. I LOVE OUR CHURCH. IT’S BEAUTIFUL.
HANNA RUSH
A MEMBER OF SACRED HEART PARISH, PAXICO
One aspect of the church she likes best is its ability to be seen.
“[People] are going to see the church from a distance, and I think that probably draws people in a little bit,” she said. “They see it from a distance, and I love that. I love that you can see the church from many miles.”
It’s a sight Merrill Glotzbach has enjoyed for 88 years.
As a boy, his parents dropped him at his grandmother’s house every day.
“My folks used to bring me up to her place, and I served Mass,” he said. “When Mass was over, I’d go to my grandma’s place and eat breakfast, then go to school. I went there for nine years.”
In 1956, he married his first wife, raising their family of seven kids.
After her death, Merrill remarried. Nowadays, the couple enjoys watching the generations behind them continue the legacy started 150 years ago.
In his homily, the archbishop said that he’s always amazed, particularly in rural areas, “to see these beautiful churches oftentimes were erected at times of economic struggle. They are physical expressions of the value of the faith of those who’ve gone before us.
“They sacrificed heroically to build these beautiful churches.”
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON
From left, Fathers Michael Peterson, Ratna Swamy Nanaam, MSFS, Francis Hund and Anthony Williams concelebrate a Mass marking Sacred Heart Parish in Paxico’s 150th anniversary. Father Swamy is the current pastor, while Fathers Peterson and Williams are former pastors. Father Francis Hund, a native son of the parish, was ordained at the church on July 17, 1982. Father Anthony Saiki was the master of ceremonies.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON
Dan Zeller, a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Paxico, and Barb Brockamp, a member of Immaculate Conception Parish in St. Marys, look over the many historical exhibits on display in the parish hall during the luncheon.
Sowing seeds for true appreciation of St. Francis
By Mary DeTurris Poust OSV News
Out in my perennial garden, nestled among the bleeding hearts and hyacinths, stands a well-worn clay statue of St. Francis of Assisi made by an artisan in Mexico. The unusual characteristics of the statue make it a conversation piece as well as a spiritual touchstone that helps keep me centered as I dig and weed and plant each spring.
Of course, I’m not alone. Drive down any street and you’re likely to find St. Francis peeking out from both wellmanicured lawns and wildflower gardens run amok. He is just as likely to share a garden with a statue of Buddha as he is to share one with a statue of the Blessed Mother.
He is a saint of the people — all people, Catholics and non-Catholics alike. His broad appeal is fascinating, but at the same time it begs the question: Do those who plant St. Francis in their gardens really know what the medieval saint was all about?
Today Francis’ concerns are often compartmentalized, separated from true Franciscan spirituality by well-meaning folks who want to claim him for their own. And who can blame them? He is certainly a challenging yet endearing saint for the ages.
Environmentalists jump on Francis’ love for creation, his “Canticle of the Sun,” his diligence in protecting trees
and even “Brother Fire,” and find in him a kindred spirit.
Animal lovers hear stories of him preaching to birds and taming a wolf and see in Francis the kind of saint who has rightly earned his status as patron of animals. His popularity comes into full view every Oct. 4, when adults and children alike line up outside churches with everything from goldfish swimming in glass bowls to German shepherds straining at leather leashes just for a chance to get their pets a blessing
on Francis’ feast day.
Peace activists, interreligious leaders, social-justice organizers — the St. Francis fan club goes on and on. It seems everyone can find a piece of Francis to suit their cause. But, if you put all of those individual causes into the Gospel context that was at the heart of Francis’ rule and spirituality, you come away with a very different picture of our lovable saint, one that is not so easily shaped and molded by the latest trends in activism.
Would we see quite so many St. Francis lawn statues if people stopped to reflect on the fact that Francis’ life was one centered on his love of Christ, his commitment to a radical living out of the Gospel and his “marriage” to the bride he dubbed “Lady Poverty”? The path that St. Francis chose was not an easy one. He was ridiculed and mocked as a madman during his own lifetime for what appeared to be an extreme response to his conversion experience. He renounced his family’s fortune, fasted for days on end, heard the Lord speak to him from a cross in San Damiano, bore the stigmata. He lived and died for Christ. It would be a disservice to him and all he stood for to try to slip a politically correct mask over the spiritually devout saint who did not do anything halfway.
Sometimes I wonder how I can possibly weave Francis’ difficult and often uncomfortable lessons into my exceedingly comfortable existence. How do those of us with warm homes and busy jobs and nice clothes make St. Francis into something more than a decoration or a mascot?
It’s not easy, but maybe, just maybe, seeing St. Francis from the kitchen window as we wash dishes, or when we rake leaves from around his feet as we clean the yard, will call us back to our spiritual center and remind us that what we do here on this earth cannot be separated from what we long for in heaven.
OSV NEWS PHOTO/BOB ROLLER
A statue of St. Francis of Assisi is seen in a garden at Community First! Village in Austin, Texas, Sept. 9, 2021.
Students harvest their crop of kindness
>> Continued from page 1
given a lot to you, so it feels like you need to give something back.”
Classmates Lauren Dudzik and Leah Carlson were also excited to make a difference in their community.
“Some people are struggling,” said Carlson, “and they just need a little bit of help to get back on their feet.”
The students enjoyed serving others as much as they relished their time in nature.
“We went outside with our woodworking teacher, and we built garden beds,” said Bosley. “Then we’d fill them with dirt.
“We’d go out every other day and water and weed.”
Many Holy Rosary families work in agriculture, said Wallraff, but for other students, the experience was completely new.
“Everybody was able to interact with it in different ways,” he said.
The project incorporated practical lessons in math and science.
“We brought in a conservation agent from Miami County,” said Wallraff, “and they taught them how to grow potatoes.
“We did that in class as part of our soil science.”
Carlson drew blueprints for raised beds, which the students
THEY’RE UNDERSTANDING THE INFORMATION AND THEN THEY’RE PUTTING IT INTO ACTION. I THINK IT’S COOL TO SEE FROM A SMALL SCIENCE CLASS THEY’RE ABLE TO FEED FAMILIES IN THE AREA.
BRYAN WALLRAFF
THIRD GRADE TEACHER AT QUEEN OF THE HOLY ROSARY SCHOOL, WEA
helped make using power drills.
For seventh grader Breckin Ford, seeing the end result has been satisfying.
“It was fun picking up the [vegetables] because we saw our accomplishment actually grow,” he said.
Wallraff believes projects like the garden are a valuable teaching tool for the young learners.
“It’s another step they’re taking where they’re understanding the information and then they’re putting it into action,” he said.
“I think it’s cool to see from a small science class they’re able to feed families in the area,” he added.
As for the future of the garden, the school has big plans.
“We want to make a bigger garden so we can provide more food [to those in need],” said Wallraff.
The school received a grant from the Kansas Native Plant Society for a 10-by-10-foot prairie. It’s also received composting grants from Food Too Good to Waste.
“We’re also going to add some animals so that hopefully in the next few years we have a complete farm,” said Wallraff.
This is Wallraff’s third year teaching after a career as a firefighter and EMT.
The hands-on training he experienced made him want to work with students and “help them change how they interact with education.”
Antista is grateful for the passion he brings to the classroom.
“Having teachers like Bryan who think outside the box is a tremendous gift,” he said. “It shows a dedication to not just teaching curriculum but also inspiring a love for learning.
“It’s educators like Bryan who help create memorable experiences that leave a lasting impact on students.”
Patti (Wilson) and Matt Porubsky, members of Sacred Heart/St. Joseph Parish, Topeka, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Oct. 13 at St. Joseph Church with Mass at 8 a.m. by taking up the offertory gifts and receive a blessing from pastor Father Tim Haberkorn. The couple also celebrated in June in Branson, Missouri, with family. They were married on Oct. 12, 1974. Their children are: Amy, Matthew and Patrick. They also have nine grandchildren.
Sharon (Mullen) and Galen Greenwood, members of St. Matthew Parish, Topeka, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a blessing on Oct. 5 at the 5 p.m. Mass at St. Matthew followed by a reception hosted by their children. The couple was married on Oct. 5, 1974, at Most Pure Heart of Mary Church, Topeka. Their children are: Stacy and Carrie Greenwood. The couple enjoyed a trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, in August to celebrate their anniversary.
CYO SPORTS IS OFF TO THE RACES
Photos by Jay Soldner
The Catholic Youth Organization has kicked off its busiest time of the year with volleyball, tackle and flag football, and cross-country. CYO provides Christ-centered youth sports opportunities for children within the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Its goal is to provide the best possible environment in which children can grow spiritually, mentally and physically through a Catholic approach to youth sports. Leaven photographer Jay Soldner was at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park on Sept. 14 for the CYO cross-country invitational which drew more than 500 competitors.
Evelyn Menghini, a fourth grader at Ascension School in Overland Park, gets off to a quick start in her 1000-meter race. Evelyn would finish in 18th place with a time of 4:08.52.
Curé of Ars, Leawood, runners, from left, Violet Haeusser, Eliza Cole, Claire Kuhl and Lucy Brugard pray before their race. The girls helped lead Curé’s 3rd & 4th grade team to first place in the team standings.
Shawnee Sacred Heart’s Luke Shada battles it out with Curé of Ars’ August Tassi. August would end up in second place with a time of 3:37.56 while Luke would finish third with a time of 3:37.81.
Fourth grader Mateo Solorio of St. Paul in Olathe works his way uphill on his way to an eighth place finish for grades 3 & 4 boys.
Family runners
St. Ann, Prairie Village, runner Annie Koester finds herself alone on the homestretch. Annie would wind
up in fifth place with a time of
Family and friends cheer on runners as they approach the finish line in the 2024 Catholic Youth Organization Invitational. The event drew more than 500 runners from 18 schools.
3:46.48, helping St. Ann’s 3rd & 4th grade team to a third place finish.
Theodore Powers of Nativity/St. Michael, Leawood, gives it his all as he finishes strong in the 3rd & 4th grade boys race. Theodore wound up with a time of 4:58.19 over 1000 meters.
From left, Overland Park Holy Cross’ Sofia Argueta, Curé of Ars’ Allison Burgard, Lawrence St. John the Evangelist’s Adelyn Zysk, Overland Park John Paul II’s Katherine Massoth and Curé of Ars’ Genevieve Arico, look to break out of the pack at the start of the 7th & 8th grade race.
Holy Trinity, Lenexa, coach Patrick Riordan talks with members of his 5th & 6th grade team as they prepare for their upcoming race. From left are: Clara Bosco, Ayla Wait, Abigail Mika, Catherine Clark and Elsie Urbauer. Holy Trinity would end up placing sixth overall as a team.
Relief efforts underway in western North Carolina
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (OSV News) — Relief efforts are underway to help communities across western North Carolina reeling from the impacts of Tropical Storm Helene.
Unprecedented flooding from the storm swamped municipal water systems, washed away roads and downed utility lines — leaving many mountain communities cut off Sept. 27 and in critical need of emergency aid. At one point, authorities closed 400 roads deeming them unsafe for travel. The Associated Press reported Sept. 30 that supplies were being airlifted to the region around the isolated city of Asheville.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said it was “one of the worst storms in modern history for parts of North Carolina.”
As of Sept. 29, at least 36 deaths were reported in North Carolina due to the storm, according to media reports, and search and rescue operations continued through the weekend to locate hundreds who remain stranded or unaccounted for.
“Power is out everywhere and cellphone towers are down — and water is out in some places, too,” said Margaret Beale, principal of Immaculata School in Hendersonville, which was flooded and remains closed. “This really is a disaster. People can’t get out of their homes and may not have food or water.”
Parishioners, clergy and staff across the Diocese of Charlotte are rallying to provide help — uniting in prayer, raising money, and collecting and delivering relief supplies.
“We pray for everyone who has been affected, especially for those who have been injured or lost loved ones, and for the communities in western North Carolina that are seeing total devastation,” said Msgr. Patrick Winslow, vicar general and chancellor of the Diocese of Charlotte.
Msgr. Winslow and other diocesan leaders have been contacting pastors in the affected areas to survey parishes’ immediate needs and evaluate how best to help as the sheer scale of destruction becomes clearer.
The diocese has also organized a drive to take emergency supplies from Charlotte to affected areas. An initial truckload of supplies was delivered Sept. 29 to Immaculate Conception Church in Hendersonville, where the community was in need of water, according to staff reports.
In Huntersville, some 400 St. Mark parishioners and surrounding community members quickly marshaled a drive for supplies of diapers, nonperishable goods and water that were airlifted and carted in trucks and trailers over the weekend to parishes in Waynesville, Hendersonville and elsewhere.
In Concord, St. James the Greater Parish is organizing a supply through the Concord airport for delivery to western North Carolina as part of Operation Airdrop, a national organization that’s arranging aid relief for the region.
Other relief aid collections are being coordinated by local police and fire departments.
Catholic Charities of the Charlotte Diocese has launched an online appeal at: ccdoc.org (Helene Relief Aid) to support communities for what is expected to be a long recovery from this historic storm.
The aid agency is coordinating with local first responders and emergency relief agencies such as FEMA and the
American Red Cross, and it has also requested disaster grant funding and other help from Catholic Charities USA and its Disaster Response Team out of Alexandria, Virginia.
“Our hearts are with all those suffering in the wake of Hurricane Helene,” said Gerry Carter, executive director and CEO of Catholic Charities. “While we’ll be there handing out water and providing food as soon as it is safe to do so, our real impact is on the longer-term restoration of lives. It’s important to remember that when you’ve lost everything, it can frequently take months, if not years, to be restored.”
“In addition to immediate financial assistance and the distribution of food, diapers and other essentials,” Carter added, “we’ll also be there offering case management services to help rebuild and restore lives.”
As of Sept. 29, power remained out, trees were down and water damage was reported at several churches and schools. In a statement, Duke Energy said a majority of customers are expected to have power returned no later than
the evening of Oct. 4. However, repair efforts are so widespread that very few areas have been assigned estimated times of restoration, the company said.
“Thousands of lineworkers are working tirelessly to assess damage and make repairs in response to the historic destruction from Helene,” the statement said. “Due to the severity of damage and ongoing flooding in the western Carolinas, we anticipate a multiday restoration effort.”
In Swannanoa, a large oak tree fell onto the 88-year-old St. Margaret Mary Church, which announced on Facebook its “campus is closed indefinitely; no Mass or sacraments can be offered at this time, and we have no idea when our ability to have Mass may be restored.”
“It’s terrible. It looks like a war zone,” Roger Patton, a landscaper for the church, said after checking on his clients’ properties in Black Mountain and Swannanoa.
“There’s no power and no water and none of the stores are open. Almost everybody has some kind of damage. And everybody up here needs water — and
we’re getting to the point where we’re going to need food, too,” he told the Catholic News Herald, Charlotte’s diocesan newspaper.
On Sept. 27, Patton said, he saw six people rescued from swift currents of the Swannanoa River, which had swelled beyond its banks to five times its size. “People were clinging to trees and debris piles, anything they could. The river washed away whole houses and trailers just came apart. We’ve had floods before but we’ve never seen anything like this.”
In Hendersonville, flooding and leaks from the roof and windows at Immaculata School inundated multiple classrooms, the gym and its new STEM lab. The adjacent Immaculate Conception Church also experienced water damage in the sacristy.
Immaculata School will remain closed this week Sept. 30-Oct. 4, and officials will reassess the situation as soon as utilities are working again, the school announced.
Water leaks were reported at churches as far east as Winston-Salem, and trees were down at churches in Elkin, Shelby, Gastonia and Mooresville. Water damage from flooding was also reported in classrooms at St. Michael School in Gastonia.
Charlotte Bishop Michael T. Martin lifted the Sunday Mass obligation in places impacted by the storm, but some churches held Sunday services as usual — even without power.
“Stay strong,” St. Aloysius Parish posted on Facebook Saturday, calling on its patron saint to “pray for us!”
“Friday was a tough day,” Immaculata’s principal Beale said, “and it’s really frustrating for a school that has gained so much momentum. But then you get on the other side of the storm and you see how horrific the damage is, you realize you are blessed. There isn’t anything that’s happened at our parish or school that can’t be repaired. We are such a strong community that we’ll come back from this.”
OSV NEWS PHOTO/MARCO BELLO, REUTERS
A drone view Sept. 29 shows rescue personnel working in a flooded area in Asheville, North Carolina, following the passing of Tropical Storm Helene. The storm made landfall at 11:10 p.m. (EDT) Sept. 27 in Florida’s Big Bend as a Category 4 hurricane and was downgraded to a tropical storm the next morning.
OSV NEWS PHOTO/MARCO BELLO, REUTERS
A drone view Sept. 29 shows a damaged area in Asheville, North Carolina, following Tropical Storm Helene.
Evaluating medical marijuana use during pregnancy
In 2020, Amanda Aguilar was arrested after using marijuana while pregnant, and, after her son tested positive for marijuana at birth, was charged with child neglect.
She fought the charge, arguing that she had turned to medical marijuana to treat severe morning sickness during her pregnancy and had received a doctor- approved state license for its use in Oklahoma where she lived.
Such “doctor- approved” licenses, it should be noted, are often generalized permits for unregulated personal use, rather than a medical professional’s prescribing, tracking and monitoring a patient at a tailored dose for a particular medical situation.
During the court proceedings, one of the judges stated that although Aguilar had a medical permit to use marijuana, her baby did not, so a mother exposing her baby to marijuana, he concluded, should be considered an illegal act.
and Prevention (CDC) notes, “The baby’s brain is developing throughout pregnancy and can be affected by exposure to alcohol at any time.” Similarly, the CDC emphasizes, “Alcohol use during pregnancy can cause a range of lifelong behavioral, intellectual and physical disabilities known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.”
bis use by pregnant women has been rising notably, even as alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy have been declining over the same period. The difference may reflect the success of cannabis legalization campaigns, which have increased the availability of marijuana and decreased perceived risks of use.
use during pregnancy and lactation raises the prospect of adversely affecting not only neurodevelopment, but also subsequent neuropsychiatric, behavioral and executive functioning of the child.
In 2024, however, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that current Oklahoma law, as written, would not allow women with state medical cards who use marijuana during pregnancy to be prosecuted for child neglect. The court, in commenting on the case, nevertheless urged the Legislature to consider changing and updating the law so that women in these situations could, in fact, be criminally charged for child neglect. Aguilar’s case shares some parallels with the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy, a practice strongly discouraged by medical professionals. The Centers for Disease Control
By similar reasoning, then, if it were known that exposure to marijuana in utero would likely result in developmental delays, behavioral problems or other health issues for the child, women should avoid marijuana during pregnancy, and medical permits to use marijuana should be limited or restricted under such circumstances.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC all recommend against marijuana use during pregnancy. The main psychoactive component of marijuana, known as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, has been shown to cross the placenta and can be detected in breast milk.
In recent years in the United States, canna-
The body of research literature on cannabis use during pregnancy is not as extensive as it is for alcohol, and additional studies will be required to verify some of the negative effects reported for children born following in utero exposure to marijuana.
Nevertheless, a growing accumulation of research data is raising significant concerns and pointing toward a number of potential adverse outcomes from prenatal cannabis exposure. These include stillbirth, fetal growth restriction, preterm delivery, increased neonatal intensive care unit admissions, small-forgestational-age infants, and socio-behavioral and cognitive impairment.
Especially during periods of critical neural growth and expansion in the fetal and infant brain, cannabis
Given these significant concerns surrounding in utero cannabis exposure and its effects on children, following the advice of various professional medical associations to avoid cannabis during pregnancy makes good sense.
If we carefully weigh the potentially addictive nature of medical marijuana for the mother, the risks to the baby from in utero cannabis exposure, the recommendations of professional medical societies and the availability of alternative approaches to dealing with morning sickness, the arguments for encouraging pregnant women to obtain licenses for medical marijuana to treat morning sickness do not seem compelling.
Moreover, some individuals who use marijuana to treat nausea and vomiting, especially over a longer period, may experience a phenomenon called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, in
which the cannabis, rather than helping with morning sickness, actually exacerbates the situation by itself inducing bouts of vomiting and nausea.
Even in severe cases of morning sickness where fluid loss through vomiting occurs to the point that a mother may end up losing 5% or more of her prepregnancy body weight, various effective treatments exist that do not rely on cannabis, and these are likely to be recommended by health care professionals. Several pharmaceuticals with good safety profiles can be used during pregnancy, as well as direct rehydration interventions to help with acute dehydration symptoms.
Every pregnancy involves at least two people, each of whom deserves care and respect. While it may sometimes be necessary to subject a mother to a needed medical treatment while tolerating a second and unintended effect that results in harm to her growing baby, turning to medical marijuana in an attempt to address morning sickness appears to be neither a necessary nor a prudent course of action.
FATHER TADEUSZ PACHOLCZYK
Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, MA, and serves as Senior Ethicist at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia.
EMPLOYMENT
Make a meaningful impact today - Join L’Arche Heartland as a direct support professional in our day service and/or residential homes. Contribute to the empowerment and enrichment of adults with developmental disabilities as they engage in meaningful lifestyles. There are immediate full-time positions available. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% coverage for medical, dental and vision expenses. Conveniently situated in downtown Overland Park. Training provided. Apply now by emailing: james@larcheks.org.
Victim care advocate - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking to hire one full-time and one parttime victim care advocate, which would be responsible for providing support and resources to victims and their families. Please visit “Employment Opportunities” on the archdiocesan website at: archkck.org for more information or to apply.
Executive assistant to the archbishop - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking to hire an executive assistant to the archbishop, which is responsible for supporting the mission of the office of the archbishop. Please visit “Employment Opportunities” on the archdiocesan website at: archkck.org for more information or to apply.
Administrative assistant - Come join our team! A small family-owned company located in Lenexa is looking for an assistant to answer phones; invoicing; product ordering; some shipping/receiving and to assist the owner. We need a team member who is organized; detail oriented; self-motivated; trustworthy; has a positive attitude and above all else, gives excellent customer service. Schedule flexibility. Send your resume to: YourCareer101@gmail.com
Business manager - St. Ann Parish in Prairie Village is seeking a full-time business manager to oversee all financial, operational and human resources for the parish. The position will have responsibilities for budgeting, financial reporting and cash flow management, as well as managing the facility administration, HR and IT functions. The individual will work closely with the pastor, school principal and young child care director on financial, human resource and other administrative matters, and positively interact with volunteers and parishioners to support the parish mission. The successful candidate will have a business-related or human resource degree with a working knowledge of accounting principles and practices. The ideal candidate will also be a proactive, team-oriented leader and possess strong communication and interpersonal skills. The individual should have at least five years of demonstrated supervisory experience and be a practicing Catholic. A complete job description can be found at: www. stannpv.org/jobs. Interested candidates should email a cover letter and resume to Father Mitchel Zimmerman at: frmitchel@stannpv.org.
Music director - St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee invites applications for the position of full-time director of music. St. Joseph is a large suburban parish which boasts a renovated church featuring an Allen 3-manual organ and Steinway piano. The director of music will oversee all musical aspects of parish liturgical events, including five weekend Masses, solemnities, feasts and special occasions. Responsibilities encompass directing four choirs, supervising four paid organists and scheduling all music ministers. Candidates should demonstrate a strong Roman Catholic faith, deep knowledge of liturgy, and exceptional proficiency in keyboard playing, conducting and voice development. This role requires proactive leadership, effective communication and a passion for nurturing spiritual growth through music. Interested applicants are encouraged to send their resume to: mthomas@stjoeshawnee.org or call (913) 248-4562.
Staff job openings - Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, a Catholic college offering higher education for those who may not otherwise be served, has the following staff job openings available - director of nursing, human resources generalist, director of development. Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/careers.
Bilingual financial empowerment specialist - Catholic Charities of N.E. Kansas is seeking a bilingual financial empowerment specialist. This position will pilot a financial program for bilingual individuals and families. This position is based in Wyandotte County and will provide culturally relevant financial education and empowerment to Latino communities within Wyandotte and Johnson counties, as well as serving the general population in Wyandotte County. The caseworker will provide wraparound strength-based case management, which includes completing assessments, developing a spending plan with families, and assisting clients in identifying and monitoring measurable and achievable goals with appropriate action steps. For more information about this position, please visit: catholiccharitiesks.org.
Full-time custodian - Nativity Parish School has an immediate opening for a full-time custodian. Applicants should have prior custodial experience, specifically in a school environment. Maintenance experience would be a plus. The position is scheduled to work Monday - Friday from 4 - 9 p.m.; some holiday work is expected. Applicants must have a compatible work history, references, dependable transportation and be willing to participate in a background check. The Church of the Nativity pays a competitive compensation commensurate with experience and qualifications. Nativity has a history of retaining its employees, who work in an environment that is vibrant, collaborative and Catholic faith-based place of worship and education. Nativity Parish School is located at 3700 W. 119th St., Leawood, Kansas. Nativity offers a comprehensive benefit program including medical, dental, vision, vacation and 401(k). Interested applicants should send resumes and work history to: mhyde@ kcnativity.org. No phones calls, please.
Technician Needed ASAP - Do you like to tinker? Are you detail-oriented? Then this is the job for you! A locally owned family business is currently seeking candidates to provide preventive maintenance (cleaning) and repair service on microscopes. No previous experience necessary, on-the-job training provided. Good communication, time management and customer service skills necessary. Expenses paid, out in the field majority of time and each day is different! Some travel is required. Please contact us at: techneeded23@gmail.com.
Workforce training and development specialist - Are you seeking an opportunity to advance your career while assisting others to advance theirs? Then consider your next career move with our great team as a Workforce training and development specialist. This position will work between our Leavenworth and Atchison locations. Please go online to: catholiccharitiesks.org/ careers for more information.
Faculty and adjunct faculty job openings - Donnelly College, Kansas City, Kansas, is a Catholic college offering higher education for those who may not other wise be served Faculty job openings - none. Adjunct faculty job openings - adjunct instructor for nursing and clinical nursing adjunct. Adjunct faculty Lansing Correctional Campus - English adjunct and math adjunct and psychology adjunct. Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/careers.
Caregivers needed - Daughter & Company is looking for compassionate caregivers to provide assistance to seniors in their home, assisted living or in a skilled nursing facility. We provide sitter services, light housekeeping and light meal preparation, organizational assistance, care management and occasional transportation for our clients. We need caregivers with reliable transportation and a cellphone for communication. We typically employ on a part-time basis, but will strive to match up hours desired. Contact Gary or Laurie at (913) 341-2500 if you want to become part of an excellent caregiving team.
Safe drivers needed - To transport young adults with special needs to and from their job locations. Company- owned vehicles. The Mission Project, a not-for-profit organization, is based in Mission. See our website at: www.themissionproject.org. 20-25 hrs/week, $14.50 per hour. Retirees encouraged to apply. All clients are able to enter and leave the vehicle without assistance. Excellent driving record, background checks and references are required. Call Alvan at (913) 269-2642.
Now hiring - drivers and aides - Assisted Transportation is hiring safe drivers and aides to transport students in Johnson and Wyandotte counties, in company vans. Drivers earn $16 - $20 per hour. Aides earn $15.50 per hour. Part-time and full-time schedules available. CDL not required. Retirees are encouraged to apply. Make a difference in your community by helping those in need! Call (913) 521-4955 or visit: www.assisted transportation.com for more information. EEO.
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).
SERVICES
Garage door repair expert
New Garage Doors Garage Floor Coatings A Total Door Inc., Since ’83. Leaven discount joe@atotaldoor.com; (913) 236-6440.
MIKE HAMMER MOVING - A full-service mover. Local and long-distance moving. Packing, pianos, rental truck load/unload, storage container load/unload. In-home moving and office moves. No job too small. Serving the KC metro since 1987. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee, parishioner. Call the office at (913) 927-4347 or email: mike@mikehammermoving.com.
AKC Pros roofing, siding, gutters, insulation - Did you get tired of the door-knocking and constant calls from different roofing companies after the storms this year? Now that the dust has settled, let’s talk. If it’s new damage or old damage, just give me a call. I’ll walk your roof and we will decide together whether to file a claim. Locally owned and operated, licensed and insured. Call Josh at (913) 709-7230.
Double A’s Lawn Service
Lawn mowing, Mulching, Gutters, Leaf Removal Brush Removal & Hedge Trimming Free Estimates & Insured Alex Spoerre (913) 488-5195
Free estimates - We are offering free estimates to all those thinking about painting this year. At Stone Painting, we put the customer first. We provide interior, exterior house painting along with deck staining, fence painting, etc. Stone Painting ensures a professional, clean and fair-priced job. Call today for your free estimate. (913) 963-6465.
Masonry work - Quality new or repair work. Brick, block and chimney/fireplace repair. Insured; secondgeneration bricklayer. Member of St. Paul Parish, Olathe. Call (913) 271-0362.
Concrete construction - Tear out and replace stamped, stained or colored patios and drives. Retaining walls, footing, poured-in-place safe rooms, excavation and hauling. Asphalt drives and lots. Fully insured; references. Call Dan at (913) 207-4371, or email: dandeeconst@aol.com.
Custom countertops - Laminates installed within 5 days. Cambria, granite and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.
Memory quilts - Preserve your memories in a keepsake quality quilt, pillows, etc. Custom designed from your T-shirt collection, baby clothes, sports memorabilia, neckties . . . Quilted Memories. (913) 649-2704.
HOME IMPROVEMENT
Haus To Home Remodeling - Let’s give that room a nice face-lift! Specializing in affordable room remodeling. From small projects to bathrooms and basements. Tile, paint, carpentry, wood rot, decks, drywall, etc. Free estimates. Call Cole at (913) 544-7352.
STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 579-1835. Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.
Popcorn ceiling texture removal Call Jerry at (913) 206-1144. 30 years experience Serving Johnson County,. Member St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee
Father and Son Home Remodeling - We specialize in kitchen/bathroom and basement remodeling, from start to finish. We also do decks, covered decks, porches, sun-rooms and room additions! If you’re not sure we do it, just call. From my family to yours, thank you for supporting my small business. To contact me, call (913) 709-7230 and ask for Josh.
Local handyman - Painting, int. and ext., wood rot, mason repair, gutter cleaning (gutter covers), dryer vent cleaning, sump pump (replace, add new), windows, doors (interior and exterior), honey-do list, window cleaning and more! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118.
REAL ESTATE
We are local people who can buy your house - Big companies from all over the nation come here buying houses, but that’s not us. We are parishioners of Holy Trinity Parish and we enjoy giving you personalized service. We can offer you a fair price and are flexible to your needs. If I can help, call me, Mark Edmondson, at (913) 980-4905.
We buy houses and whole estates - We are local and family-owned, and will make you a fair cash offer. We buy houses in any condition. No fees or commissions and can close on the date of your choice. Selling your house has never felt so good. Jon & Stacy Bichelmeyer, (913) 599-5000.
CAREGIVING
Family member with dementia or need help at home? - We specialize in helping seniors live SAFELY at home, where they want to live! We also offer free dementia training and resources for families and caregivers. Benefits of Home - Senior Care, www. Benefitsofhome.com or call (913) 422-1591.
Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, 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.
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.
Wanted to buy
Do you have a car or truck that you need to get rid of? If you do, CALL ME! I’m a cash buyer. We’re Holy Trinity parishioners. My name is Mark. (913) 980-4905.
Wanted to buy - Antiques & Collectibles: jewelry, military items, railroad, sterling, OLD holiday/toys and more. Renee Maderak (913) 475-7393. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.
Wanted: Vintage baseball & sport cards Cash for cards Holy Trinity parishioner Call Matt at (913) 522-4938
51ST ANNUAL MEXICAN SUPPER
Sacred Heart School
306 N. Broadway, Leavenworth
Oct. 4 from 4:30 - 7 p.m.
Bring the family. Enjoy two tacos, rice, chips, salsa and dessert. Advanced donation is $12; donations at the door are $14. Dine-in, carryout, drive-through are all available. For tickets, call Sacred Heart School at (620) 343-7394.
GERMANFEST
St. Joseph-Immaculate Conception Parish
711 N. Broadway, Leavenworth
Oct. 5, Mass at 4 p.m.
Dinner from 5 - 7:30 p.m. (gym)
Germanfest begins with a German Mass at 4 p.m. Dinner will consist of sauerbraten, German potato salad, red cabbage, sauerkraut, brats and a dessert. Drinks are included. The cost for dinner tickets is: $14 for adults and $5 for kids (hot dog, chips and dessert). Music will be provided by the Festhaus-Musikanten German Band. There will also be a raffle. Tickets can be purchased after Masses or that night in the gym. First prize is a quilt (in German colors). There will also be cash prizes and a basket of German food. The youth group is making cotton candy, doing face painting and balloon creations. Questions? Call Sharon Winkelbauer at (913) 772-9465.
does your faith inform your vote?
Precious Blood Renewal Center
2120 St. Gaspar Way, Liberty, Missouri
Oct. 5 from 9 - 11 a.m.
Father Mark Miller, CPPS, examines the most pressing issues of the upcoming election through the lens of Catholic social teaching. The workshop focuses on issues, not political parties or candidates. Register online at: www.pbrenewalcenter. org/events.
DIVINE MERCY FALL FESTIVAL
Divine Mercy Parish
555 W. Main St., Gardner
Oct. 6 from 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Join us for food, crafts, inflatables, games, balloon artists, pumpkin decorating, cakewalk, face painting, silent auction, raffles, bingo, free popcorn, brats and hot dogs. There’s fun for the entire family. Fried chicken dinner is: $15 (presale) or $18 at the door for adults; $10 (presale) or $12 at the door for kids ages 10 and under; meals for families with two parents and three or more children are $60 (presale) or $70 at the door. A wristband ($10) includes bounce house, kids games and pumpkin decorating. Also available for preorder are tamales, bierocks, mums and cinnamon rolls. There will be a raffle for a side of beef, two quarter sides of beef and a 36inch Blackstone grill. For more information and to purchase tickets, see our website at: divinemercyks.org.
FALL BAZAAR
St. Theresa Parish (hall) 209 Third St., Perry
Oct. 6 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
There will be a turkey and ham dinner plus homemade pie available from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Carryout meals will be available. The cost of the meal is: $15 for adults and $5 for kids age 10 and under. Outdoor activities are open until 3 p.m. and include games for kids, silent auction, bingo, cakewalk, country store, baked goods and more. Fun for all ages.
STRAWBERRY HILL GOLF TOURNEY
Sunflower Hills Golf Course
12200 Riverview Ave., Bonner Springs
Oct. 7 at 1 p.m.
Strawberry Hill Altar Societies Golf Tourney will be a four-person scramble with 1 p.m. shotgun start. The cost is $100 and includes golf, cart, dinner, snacks and beverages. Contact Carol Shomin by phone
at (913) 897-4833 or send an email to: shomin@everestkc.net.
Teaching tuesdays with Father bill bruning - ‘The history of our lady of the most holy rosary’
Queen of the Holy Rosary (Fiat Center)
7023 W. 71st St., Overland Park
Oct. 8 at 6:30 p.m.
(Also available on Zoom)
On Oct. 7, 1571, the little Venetian navy went out to engage the mighty fleet of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman goal was to conquer Christianity by taking over Rome. Hear how this amazing battle was won with the intercession of Our Lady. What are the implications today? How was the call to pray the rosary critical in the miracle of this victory? For more information and to register, go online to: www.queenofthe holyrosary.org/teaching-tuesdays.
speaker on autism
St. Pius X Parish (Glowacki Room)
5500 Woodson Rd., Mission
Oct. 10 at 6 p.m.
Mary Anne Hammond, whose daughter has autism, will speak about autism spectrum disorder and what you might experience when you encounter someone with autism. Bring your questions! Mary Anne and her husband Dan were one of the founding couples of the FIRE Foundation, a nonprofit foundation. Since FIRE Foundation’s inception, the program has raised $7 million for inclusive Catholic education.
forgiveness 101 Church of the Ascension
(St. Mark Room)
9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park
Oct. 11 from 1 - 5 p.m.
Are your struggling with forgiving someone who has hurt you? Your are not alone. “Forgiveness 101” offers a safe and supportive experience of healing for anyone suffering from unresolved conflict and past trauma. In this class, you will review the important difference between forgiveness and justice and learn that forgiveness is not about forgetting or excusing the offense. People who learn to forgive are happier, healthier, more at peace, more purposeful and actually look liberated. The path towards healing is a journey of hope! Go online to: www.yeabut.org for more information on this ministry.
When grandparents act Intentionally, their spiritual influence grows!
Corpus Christi Parish 6001 Bob Billing Pkwy., Lawrence Oct. 12 from 9 a.m. - noon
Grandparents passionately want to pass their faith on to their grandchildren. But they feel ill-equipped to influence them to remain faithful to Christ in the current secular, post-Christian world. Yet grandparents are called to be an important part of the solution. To do so requires them to become intentional and have a spiritual plan of action. For more information and to register, go online to: legacyoffaith.org.
WOMEN’S RETREAT
Sacred Heart Parish (hall) 104 Exchange St., Emporia Oct. 12 from 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
A freewill donation brunch will be provided. Kelsey Skoch from the archdiocese will direct the retreat. RSVP by email to: brydavidspaf@att.net or call the parish office at (620) 342-1061 by Oct. 5.
FRIED CHICKEN DINNER AND BINGO
St. Patrick Parish (center) 1066 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas Oct. 12 at 6 p.m.
There will be fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, roll, salad, drinks and dessert. The cost is: $12 for adults; $7 for children; and $35 for a family meal.
Ten games of bingo cost $12. Cash, check, credit/debit card with chip are accepted. For more information, call Fritz Vertz at (913) 515-0621. Everyone is welcome.
Breakfast with the Knights Divine Mercy Parish 555 W. Main St., Gardner Oct. 13 from 8:30 -10 a.m.
Breakfast will include eggs, sausage and gravy, pancakes and drinks. The cost is $6 for those over the age of 13; free for ages 12 and under. Proceeds are used for charitable works such as scholarships and other giving throughout the year.
fall Bazaar and dinner
St. Aloysius Parish 615 E. Wyandotte, Meriden Oct. 13 from 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
There will be a ham and turkey dinner with all the fixings and dessert. The cost is $14 for adults and $8 for kids ages 512. To-go meals will be available. There will also be children’s games, prize drawings, a country store, silent auction, beer garden, silent auction baskets and a money drawing.
St. Bede’s annual soup supper and auction
St. Bede Parish (hall)
7344 Drought St., Kelly Oct. 13 from 4 - 8 p.m.
There will be homemade chili, chicken noodle soup, vegetable beef soup, ham sandwiches, hot dogs, pie and desserts from 4 - 7 p.m. The cost is a freewill donation. There will also be games for all ages from 5 - 8 p.m. in the parish hall followed by an auction of handmade quilts and many other items at 8 p.m.
October rosary rally
St. Andrew the Apostle Parish 6415 N.E. Antioch, Gladstone, Missouri Oct. 13 from 3 - 4:15 p.m.
We will pray the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries of the rosary. Benediction will follow, as well as an opportunity for attendees to enroll in the brown scapular. For more information, visit the website at: www.rosaryrallieskc.org.
Soup supper & auction
St. Bede Parish
7344 Drought St., Kelly Oct. 13 at 4 p.m.
Food will be served from 4 - 7 p.m. and will include chili, chicken noodle soup, vegetable beef soup, ham sandwiches, hot dogs, pie and cake. The cost is a freewill donation. There will also be an auction of handmade quilts and many other items, games for all ages, a country store and refreshments. The supper and auction will be held in the parish hall.
sacred heart fall festival
Sacred Heart Parish
408 S. Cedar St., Ottawa, Oct. 13 from noon - 4 p.m.
The Knights will be grilling hamburgers, hot dogs and brats. There will also be authentic Mexican food, pumpkin sales and decorations, popcorn, homemade desserts, kids games, a balloon artist, a magic show, a musical cakewalk, a selfie station, bingo with prizes and a petting zoo. New this year is a 50/50 raffle.
WORKSHOP: TAX REDUCING STRATEGIES FOR PRE- AND POST-RETIREES
Sacred Heart Parish 102 Exchange St., Emporia Oct. 17 - 12 p.m. free luncheon 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. presentation
The speaker will be Bill Eckert, AEP, CAP, senior financial adviser at Renaissance Financial. There will be a lunch and a presentation. Register online at: cfnek.
org/events or contact Mitch Nolan at (913) 647-3070 or by email at: mnolan@archkck. org.
RETROUVAILLE OF KANSAS CITY
Location given after registration Oct. 25 -27
“A Retrouvaille Weekend Retreat was exactly what we needed to get our marriage back on track. We learned to communicate in ways that were deeper that we ever had shared before. We knew we had a lot of work to do. But we knew our marriage was worth it.” Register now online at: helpourmarriage.org.
DIVORCE SUPPORT GROUP
‘HEALING THE DIVORCED HEART’ St. Michael the Archangel (Gabriel Room)
14251 Nall Ave., Leawood 1st & 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m.
We who have experienced divorce understand, as perhaps few others can. We too were sad, lonely, scared and angry, but we have found that with God, time and the support of others, healing is possible. For more information, visit the website at: www.stmichaelcp.org/divorce-support.
‘behold, an angel of the lord’ Christ’s Peace House of Prayer 22131 Meagher Rd., Easton Oct. 18 - 20
The retreat will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 18 and end at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 20. When God through the incarnation became man in Jesus Christ, the relationship between humans and angels changed. Angels still have the superior nature, but we have been given the grace of a more intimate friendship with God, a sharing in God’s divinity, through grace, that the angels don’t enjoy. There will be conferences, spiritual direction, Eucharistic adoration, Mass, confession, and time for private prayer, reflection and walking. Cabins/courtyard rooms: $180 single/$270 couple, or single guest rooms: $110 (meals included). To attend, fill out the individual retreat form online at: ChristsPeace.com or call (913) 773-8255.
WORKSHOP: TAX REDUCING STRATEGIES FOR PRE- AND POST-RETIREES
Bishop Miege High School 5041 Reinhardt Dr., Roeland Park Oct. 23 at 5:30 p.m.
The evening will begin with a wine tasting social followed by a presentation on selling highly appreciated assets and minimizing capital gains taxes. You may be able to receive significant tax deductions today and possibly for another five years; you can protect you IRA from double taxation; you may be able to increase your income significantly. Register online at: https:// rb.gy/11fczp or call Molly at (913) 222-5994.
WORKSHOP: TAX-REDUCING STRATEGIES FOR PRE- AND POST-RETIREES
Sacred Heart-St. Casimir Parish (Sacred Heart Church hall) 1405 2nd Ave., Leavenworth Oct. 30 at 5:30 p.m.
There will be a social and wine tasting followed by a presentation at 6 p.m. Register online at: cfnek.org/events or by contacting Jane Schmitt at (913) 647-3060 or send an email to: jschmitt@archkck.org.
CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS
DEADLINE: Noon, Thursday, eight days before the desired publication date.
SEND SUBMISSIONS TO: beth. blankenship@theleaven.org.
DAILY READINGS
TWENTY-SEVENTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
Oct. 6
TWENTY-SEVENTH
SUNDAY IN ORDINARY
TIME
Gn 2: 18-24
Ps 128: 1-6
Heb 2: 9-11
Mk 10: 2-16
Oct. 7
Our Lady of the Rosary Gal 1: 6-12
Ps 111: 1-2, 7-10
Lk 10: 25-37
Oct. 8
Tuesday
Gal 1: 13-24
Ps 139: 1-3, 13-15
Lk 10: 38-42
Oct. 9
Denis, bishop, and companions, martyrs; John Leonardi, priest
Gal 2: 1-2, 7-14
Ps 117: 1-2
Lk 11: 1-4
Oct. 10
Thursday
Gal 3: 1-5
(Ps) Lk 1: 69-75
Lk 11: 5-13
Oct. 11
John XXIII, pope
Gal 3: 7-14
Ps 111: 1-6
Lk 11: 15-26
Oct. 12
Saturday
Gal 3: 22-29
Ps 105: 2-7
Lk 11: 27-28
The statement on its website was terse: The Basilica of St. Lawrence will be CLOSED September 30-October 4 due to the hurricane conditions (here) in Ashville. There was no parish bulletin for Sept. 29 online. The few pictures on the website showed a beautiful church with large stained-glass windows. It’s listed as a national historic site.
I was left wondering if it was damaged in the hurricane and how extensive the damage might be. And I’m sure that this is only one of many, many posts repeated throughout the southeastern United States in the aftermath of Helene.
Seeing the massive destruction in Asheville and so many other places embarrassed me. I confess to being mesmerized by the coverage on the Weather Channel as the storm progressed and intensified. Rather than thinking about all the people who would be impacted by this
BLESSED ADOLF KOLPING
1813-1865
As a shepherd and shoe-factory worker, Kolping experienced poverty and social upheaval in 19th-century Germany. He worked 12-hour days, studied at night and graduated from high school at 24. After priestly ordination in Cologne in 1845, he began his industrial mission preaching the dignity of both the worker and the work. This soon led to “Kolping Families,” which stressed the Christian response to work and family for workers living in hostels. The movement spread beyond the Rhine Valley to the United States, Argentina, Australia and India, and today has 420,000 members. When Pope John Paul II beatified Kolping in 1991, he called him “the precursor of the great social encyclicals.”
Heaven help us to help them
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.
natural disaster, I was treating it as a form of “weathertainment,” sort of like watching a disaster movie. It was only later that the reality of the situation struck me. This wasn’t something that ended as soon as I shut off the TV. Pictures of the devastation hurt my heart. As of this writing, there are 133 confirmed deaths and some 600 people unaccounted for. I can’t imagine what the
Apeople who have lost loved ones, homes and businesses are going through.
Every time I take a drink of water, I think of all the people there who lack even that. I’ve read accounts of rescue organizations having to use mules to get supplies in as roads are impassible or destroyed. Some people may not have power until the end of this week . . . maybe. For many people, there’s no cell service so they can’t call to reassure loved ones that they’re OK. It’s uplifting to know, though, how quickly aid organizations across the nation have responded. According to Fox4 in Kansas City,
Heart to Heart International has prepared thousands of hygiene kits for Florida, Georgia and North Carolina, and it’s sent a mobile medical unit to assist with essential medical care. Kansas sent a Type 1 swift water search and rescue team, Kansas Task Force 1, to Florida. Operation BBQ has prepared 14,000 meals for Floridians and expects to expand to other areas.
And, obviously, Catholic Charities from the Diocese of Charlotte is assisting in the area as is Catholic Charities USA.
When I say my heart goes out to all these suffering people, I call to mind this story told by Edmund Banyard:
“I once knew a village joiner in England who was also the undertaker when the need arose. His language and manners were crude and, as far as I know, he only entered a church when his professional duties required him to do so.
“Yet there was an occasion after a funeral
when he heard a group of bystanders saying how sorry they were for the widow who had been left with a young family. Roughly, he pushed his way in and demanded, “How much sorry are you? I’m sorry five pounds!”
“And he took the money from his pocket and then proceeded to start a collection.”
(Story found in Anthony Castle’s “More Quips, Quotes & Anecdotes for Preachers and Teachers.”)
Read more on the situation in Asheville on page 10 of this issue. Afterwards, ask yourself, “How much sorry am I?” and consider sending a monetary gift to help. It’s easy. Google “Catholic Charities USA” to send a secure donation for Hurricane Helene relief (look for the large “Disaster Relief” button); text “Hurricane” to 20406; or send a secure donation to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Charlotte at: ccdoc.org.
As I relax in my secure home, I’m sorry $100.
Jesus evades trap laid for him by the Pharisees
s Eve to Adam in the purity of Eden, as bride to groom in the joy of a wedding: It is a primeval holiness, the holiness of a woman in love with a man in God’s providential ordering of things. It belongs to the mists of the beginning of everything. It is a love repeated pristine in each new pure love. It is love jealous for its holiness, rightly so. It is unashamedly an ideal, a perfection, a grace given in original grace.
Which is why Jesus doesn’t give in. It’s why in this passage from Mark’s Gospel Jesus appears to be so unyielding, so uncompromising. The Pharisees
Father Joshua J.
is
St. Rita Catholic Community in Dallas and author of “The Crisis of Bad Preaching” and other books.
were “testing him” (Mk 10:2). Really, they were initiating Jesus into an age-old argument about marriage and divorce.
They wanted to know Jesus’ opinion on Deuteronomy 24, the passage where Moses allows a husband to divorce his wife if “he finds in her something indecent” (v. 1). What does Jesus think about that? The Pharisees want to know. An old debate, some interpreted this passage broadly; “indecent” could mean anything — bad cooking even.
Where does Jesus stand? If he dismisses the passage out of hand, he could be accused of dismissing the word of God. If he sides with one or the other prevalent schools of thought on the matter, he’ll be consumed in an interminable and divisive moral squabble. That’s the trap as the
Pharisees imagined it, the corner they think they’ve painted him in.
But Jesus isn’t cornered. Rather, he transcends the argument by reminding them of the larger context, the original plan of God’s creation. God didn’t create marriage to be something renegotiable and impermanent.
He was pointing to the ideal, to the perfection, to the grace given in original grace, that “what God has joined together, no human being must separate” (Mk 10:6-9).
Thus, the question Mark’s Gospel poses is: What do we make of ideals? Here we’re talking about the Edenic ideal of marriage. Is that something you believe in? Is it something
the church should hold up? Is the idea of man and woman married and one flesh forever something we should cherish and strive to live out faithfully? At least as we encounter him in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus would say clearly yes. Now none of this ignores the brutal realities of human brokenness and sin and horrible things like abuse and doing what sometimes you have to do. Yet it does remind us that the ideal, the perfection, the grace given in grace, nonetheless remains part of reality, part of our moral thinking no matter the magnitude or frequency of our sins and imperfections.
Stop wars ‘while there is still time,’ pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Wars are destroying the world, and religious leaders must join together to urge their governments to “stop while there is still time,” Pope Francis said. “If others continue to make war, together we can work for peace,” the pope said in a message Sept. 24 to religious leaders gathered
in Paris for the closing ceremony of the international “Imagining Peace” meeting organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio.
With the leaders gathered in front of Notre Dame Cathedral, the pope noted how the church “after the tragic fire, is about to reopen its doors for prayer. How much we need to pray for peace! The risk that the many conflicts in our world, rather than
ceasing, will dangerously spread, is all too real.”
The Sant’Egidio Community has sponsored an interreligious meeting for peace each year since St. John Paul II held the first in Assisi, Italy, in 1986. Pope Francis quoted his predecessor’s final talk that day, which highlighted “the intrinsic link between an authentic religious attitude and the great good of peace.”
FATHER JOSHUA J. WHITFIELD,
Whitfield
pastor of
Partnership enables expansion of abortion alternative outreach
Iam very excited to announce a new collaboration between Kansas Pregnancy Care Network and Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas!
KPCN is the contractor of the Kansas Alternatives to Abortion Program created in response to “Value Them Both.” KPCN is partnering with Kansas nonprofits to deliver pregnancy and parenting supportive services that promote childbirth rather than abortion.
This past fiscal year, 110 families received pregnancy counseling, education, baby items and community referrals from CCNEK, including 61 expectant mothers and 13 families who connected with us through our adoption program.
TINSIDE CATHOLIC CHARITIES
As a recipient of this new financial support, we can expand our adoption and pregnancy services geographically further outside of the immediate Kansas City metro, to communities like Lawrence, Leavenworth
and Atchison. It will also allow more women and children in need to be served through increased monetary support of our services, as well as an additional team member for more manpower.
Our pregnancy program, known as the Pregnancy Maintenance Initiative (PMI), will now be called Pregnancy Support Services to better reflect the
all-encompassing work that we do. We will continue to utilize PMI, however, a program dedicated to providing services to pregnant women to enable them to carry their pregnancies to term.
The primary goal of the program is to provide case management services for pregnant women that increase ready access to appropriate prenatal care, thus improving positive pregnancy outcomes for women and their babies.
Those in need of our pregnancy support services can expect the following no-cost services in a loving, safe and nonjudgmental environment:
• free and confidential individual pregnancy counseling
• no age or income eligibility requirements
• a minimum of a once a month check-in
• honest information and referrals regarding parenting, community resources and adoption options
• post-delivery follow-up lasting up to six months after the child is born
• education about safe sleep, car seat training and a variety of other new parent topics
• essential parenting supplies such as diapers and clothing
• help with applying to Medicaid, WIC, food stamps, Happy Bottoms or other community resources
• services that can be offered in-person, by phone or by Zoom, depending on the client’s personal preference
and interpretation is available as needed.
Using the partnerships above, we hope to raise a greater awareness of the resources available during an unplanned or crisis pregnancy. We believe that by providing physical help and hospitality, we can inspire hope for the future of parents and their babies. When faced with an unplanned pregnancy, individuals and families do have a choice — you can choose life with the step-by-step support of Catholic Charities and our partners like Kansas Pregnancy Care Network.
For more information about our pregnancy support services and other Catholic Charities programs, please visit the website at: catholic charitiesks.org.
Deacons are the medics in Pope Francis’ ‘field hospital’
he church teaches that all Christians not only participate in Christ’s priestly office, but also in his prophetic and kingly (or royal) offices. As Scripture teaches, we are a “royal priesthood” (1 Pt 2:9).
So how do we understand our participation in the kingly office of Christ?
The mother of James and John wondered about that herself, as she pointedly said to Jesus, “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom” (Mt 20:21).
DEACON LEON SUPRENANT
Deacon Leon Suprenant is the co-director of the office of the permanent diaconate. He may be reached at: leons@archkck.org.
However, Jesus patiently explained that in his kingdom, royal authority is not about secular power, but
The Catholic Education Foundation will be presenting Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann with a Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual Gaudeamus gala on Oct. 12.
“Archbishop Naumann has been a champion of education during his whole career, especially while serving our archdiocese. He deserves this honor,” remarked CEF’s board chair RJ Gildea. The archbishop has been a longtime member of CEF’s board of directors, as well as some local Catholic schools’ boards.
ORDAINED TO SERVE
about service (“diakonia”). Jesus concludes by saying, “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28).
This clearly is not what most people usually think of when they envision “kingship”!
He was raised by a single mother who was a teacher. That had a profound impact on
his love of learning and respect for Catholic education. He also worked for a parish that had a school in urban St. Louis where most of the students were from low-income households like those that CEF supports today.
This call to serve rather than be served, to find Jesus in the poor and to wash the feet of others are things that pertain to all the baptized, but are lived out in a special way by deacons.
What makes a deacon different? Sometimes, the distinctiveness of deacons as compared to what we might call the “diaconate of the laity” seems unclear. There are no readily identifiable “superpowers” attached to being ordained as a deacon.
Yes, there are many images that point to aspects of the deacon’s mysterious configuration to Christ the
The archbishop has officially submitted his letter of resignation to Pope Francis, which is required of bishops and archbishops when turning the age of 75. The resignation has been received but no retirement date has been set. We are hoping he gets to continue serving our archdiocese at least through the end of this school year. This gives CEF all the more reason to honor him.
To thank the archbishop for all of his great leadership of our archdiocese and support of Catholic education, a new scholarship fund will be established by CEF in his name. The Archbishop
Servant. “Servant on the move,” “waiter,” “herald,” “envoy of the bishop” and many other images point to important aspects of this reality.
One image that really strikes me builds on Pope Francis’ image of the church as a field hospital. As I consider that image, I imagine the laity as soldiers out on the battlefield, and the priests and bishops back in the field hospitals, acting in the person of Christ the divine physician, in treating the wounds of sin with the sacraments.
Where does that leave the deacon? In this image, I see him as the medic. He’s on the
Joseph F. Naumann Legacy Scholarship Fund will provide scholarships for children from “working poor” families in our archdiocese so they can attend Catholic schools.
“It is important to ensure that Catholic schools are not exclusively just for wealthy families,” commented Archbishop Naumann at a recent CEF board meeting.
CEF’s goal for Gaudeamus this year is to raise $3 million.
This will enable CEF to establish this new scholarship fund and support hundreds of CEF traditional scholarships. Over 80% of CEF’s traditional scholarships are funded by Gaudea-
battlefield shoulder to shoulder with the soldiers, and the bullets are flying over his head. He’s trained to do some triage, but his mission is to get the wounded to the hospital and then quickly get back to the battlefield for the others. Of course, other soldiers assist their fallen comrades, but only the medic has this specific office to move back and forth between the world of the soldier and the world of the physician.
At the service of communion, and with a preferential love for the poor — or in the above image, the wounded — the deacon is a tangible sign of Christ’s “diakonia” in the world.
mus each year. The plan is for this new fund to begin awarding scholarships next school year.
CEF has a significant challenge this year due to a high need for scholarships. Over 1,800 returning students need scholarships to continue attending Catholic schools. 232 children are currently on a waiting list in need of scholarships to attend Catholic schools for the first time.
To purchase Gaudeamus tickets or make a donation to the Archbishop Naumann Legacy Scholarship Fund, visit the website at: www.cefgala.org.
VINCENT ANCH
Vince Anch is the executive director of the Catholic Education Foundation.
LAUREN SOLIDUM
Lauren Solidum is the executive director of Catholic Charities.
Kids’ Kids’ CHRONICLE
CHRONICLE
By Jennifer Ficcaglia Catholic Courier
Jesus scolds the Pharisees and the scholars of the law Bible accent
One day, Jesus was speaking to a crowd of people.
He talked about many things, such as how to pray and the meaning of true blessedness.
He also said that it is important to make sure the light within people does not turn to darkness.
He even drove out a demon who had possessed a person, making the person unable to speak. Once Jesus drove out the demon, the person started talking.
After Jesus was finished teaching and healing, he was invited to dine at the home of a Pharisee.
Jesus entered the Pharisee’s home and immediately reclined at the table to eat. The Pharisee was amazed when he noticed that Jesus did not intend to observe the prescribed washing before a meal.
“Oh, you Pharisees!” Jesus exclaimed. “Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, inside you are filled with plunder and evil. You fools! Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside? But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.”
Jesus continued to scold the Pharisees.
“Woe to you Pharisees! You love the seat of honor in synagogues and greetings in marketplaces,” he said. “Woe to you! You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.”
Some scholars of the law also were dining at the Pharisee’s house along with Jesus. Some of them were offended by what he had said.
“Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us, too,” one of the scholars of the law pointed out.
“Woe also to you scholars of the law!” Jesus exclaimed. “You impose on people burdens hard to carry, but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them. Woe to you! You build the memorials of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. . . . You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter.”
After Jesus left the Pharisee’s home, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him. When they saw him teaching, they would ask him questions, hoping they could catch Jesus saying something that was wrong.
1. Who invited Jesus to dine at his home?
2. What two groups of people did Jesus scold?
I
n Matthew 22, we can find one example of how the Pharisees plotted against Jesus and tried to get him to say something that was wrong.
In verse 15, we read that the Pharisees sent their followers to ask Jesus a tricky question.
“Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion, for you do not regard a person’s status,” they said to Jesus.
“Tell us, then,” they continued, “what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?”
Jesus knew exactly what the Pharisees’ followers were up to.
“Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?” he asked. He then asked them to show him what coin they used to pay the census tax.
They handed Jesus a Roman coin, because the tax was paid to the Roman Empire.
“Whose image is this and whose inscription?” Jesus asked.
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
“Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God,” Jesus answered.
When they heard Jesus’ response, they were amazed, and they simply walked away.
St. Alphonsus Rodriguez
St. Alphonsus Rodriguez was born in 1533 to a wealthy wool merchant in Spain.
He left school and took over the family business at age 23 after his father died. He married and had children, but within a few short years, his wife, daughter, son and mother all had died.
His sisters introduced him to daily meditation, and he attempted to enter the Jesuits. At first, he was rejected for being too old and uneducated, but in 1571, he was accepted as a lay brother.
Alphonsus, who mentored St. Peter Claver and others, served as doorkeeper at the Jesuit college in Mallorca for 45 years. He died in 1617, and we remember him on Oct. 30.
