THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 40, NO. 10 | OCTOBER 12, 2018
PHOTO BY KIRBY COBB
The Catholic Charities Resource Bus takes goods and services to rural communities to make sure the organization has a footprint in all 21 counties in the archdiocese. Above, volunteers work with clients in Holton.
MOBILE RESCUE
Catholic Charities Resource Bus brings help and hope to rural communities By Jan Dixon Special to The Leaven
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O U N D CITY — Ne i g h b o r s helping n e i g h b o rs . That’s what was happening when the Catholic Charities Resource Bus parked in the lot of Sacred Heart Parish here recently. And it’s what happens every Tuesday and Thursday when the Resource Bus takes goods and services to the rural communities of the archdiocese. The Mobile Resource Bus program was launched about five years ago, in an effort to make sure Catholic Charities had a footprint in all 21 counties of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. “We have physical brick and mortar buildings — Emergency Assistance Centers — in six counties: Johnson, Wyandotte, Atchison,
PHOTO BY KIRBY COBB
Terry Punswick, right, helps a client pick out groceries in the parish hall at Sacred Heart in Mound City. Later, the bus traveled to nearby Osawatomie to provide assistance in that town. Leavenworth, Shawnee and Douglas,” said Camille Pickhinke, parish and community outreach coordinator for Catholic Charities.
NEW AT CYO
John McGoldrick has been named the new executive director of CYO. Page 5
That left 15 counties untouched. “These are our rural, outlying areas that are oftentimes food and resource deserts,” she said.
GREEN THUMB
Master gardener works to beautify Prince of Peace, Olathe, grounds. Page 16
To reach these communities, two buses were purchased with the aid of grant funding. Each serves as an office on wheels. In each county served by the Mobile Resource Bus, Catholic Charities partners with a church, library or social service agency to “set up shop.” At Sacred Heart, the parish hall was used for the morning. In the afternoon, the bus traveled to Osawatomie and served clients out of the public library. “Our objective is to offer stabilization services to individuals and families with the goal of helping them work toward strengthening themselves and their families,” said Pickhinke. During scheduled appointments, a case manager provides wraparound case management, budget coaching and appropriate referrals. In some cases, direct financial assistance funds may be used to >> See “AGENCY” on page 7
MISSION SUNDAY
World Mission Sunday is Oct. 21. Find out how you can help. Pages 8-9
OCTOBER 12, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
ARCHBISHOP
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Tempted to serve God on your terms? We all are sometimes
R
ecently, I decided to reread the book, “He Leadeth Me,” by Father Walter J. Ciszek, a Jesuit priest who spent almost 25 years in Russian prisons or Siberian slave labor camps. With all the negative press recently about misconduct by bishops and priests, I wanted to reacquaint myself with the story of this heroic priest who volunteered in the 1930s, while in formation for the Jesuits, to be trained to serve as a Catholic missionary to communist Russia. By the time Father Ciszek was ordained a priest, it was impossible for him to enter Russia legally. He was assigned to a parish in eastern Poland. When that part of Poland was captured by the Russians in 1939, Father Ciszek, disguised as a worker, immigrated to the Ukraine with other Polish war refugees. He was arrested by the Russian secret police in 1941 and brought to Moscow, where he was imprisoned for several years, most of the time in solitary confinement. He underwent relentless interrogations, until he was finally sentenced as a Vatican spy to 15 years of hard labor in Siberian concentration camps. While in Siberia, Father Ciszek exercised his priestly ministry at great personal risk, attending to the spiritual needs of his fellow prisoners. Father Ciszek celebrated clandestine Masses, administered the sacrament of penance and gave retreats based on the Ignatian Exercises. Surviving against all odds the hard labor and inhumane conditions of the Siberian labor camps, he served his sentence and was released. However, he was still not free to leave the Soviet Union and was restricted where he was permitted to reside. Father Ciszek was constantly under police surveillance and was harassed for any report of an attempt to exercise his priestly ministry. Father Ciszek worked as
LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN an auto mechanic, while still secretly providing sacramental ministry to spiritually starved Russians. His family and Jesuit community for many years presumed he had died, since no one had heard from Father Ciszek since 1945. Memorial Masses were offered for the repose of his soul. After the American government learned of his survival, they were able to negotiate his release in October 1963. Even before his capture and imprisonments while working as a laborer in the Ukraine, Father Ciszek had already experienced profound disillusionment. He had come to the sad realization that his dream of being a missionary in Russia was a foolish fantasy. Father Ciszek wrote: “The notion that we could ever effectively work in this country, under these conditions, seemed in retrospect nothing but a pipe dream. We had entered upon what we thought was a great missionary endeavor, full of zeal and enthusiasm, only to come smack up against reality. Things here were not at all as we had envisioned them, and we were not at all equipped to face things as we found them. So much for our hopes, our expectations, our dreams, our convictions, above all, our enthusiasm! . . . The whole Russian venture seemed now to have been a mistake, an ill-conceived missionary effort based on hopes and dreams rather than
on hard facts, a plan born of insufficient information and misinformation.” In retrospect, Father Ciszek recognized his temptation to despair in the Ukraine was not so different from the disillusionment many face as they attempt to persevere in living their vocation. Father Ciszek observed: “And though our situation may have been somewhat unique, the temptation itself was not. It is the same temptation faced by everyone who has followed a call and found the realities of life were nothing like the expectations he had in the first flush of his vision and his enthusiasm. It is the temptation that comes to anyone, for example, who has entered religious life with a burning desire to serve God and him alone, only to find the day-to-day life in religion is humdrum and pedestrian, equally as filled with moments of human misunderstandings, daily routines and distractions as the secular life he left behind in the world. “It is the same temptation faced by young couples in marriage, when the honeymoon is over, and they must face a seemingly endless future of living together and scratching out an existence in the same old place and the same old way. It is the same temptation to say: This life is not what I thought it would be. This is not what I bargained for. It is not at all what I wanted, either. If I had known it would be like this, I would have never made this choice, I would never have made this promise. You must forgive me, God, but I want to go
back. You cannot hold me to a promise made in ignorance; you cannot expect me to keep a covenant based on faith without any previous knowledge of the true facts of life. It is not fair. I never thought it would be like this. I simply cannot stand it, and I will not stay. I will not serve.” Father Ciszek is correct. Variations of this temptation come to everyone in the unique circumstances of our lives. Amid this current crisis within the church, it is easy for me to fantasize how nice it would have been to be a bishop at a more serene time in the history of the church, when there were not so many people upset with failures of Catholic leadership. It is the temptation of wanting to serve God in the circumstances that we prefer rather than in the reality of our lives. Father Ciszek remembered one of the foundational principles of Ignatian spirituality: to strive to become indifferent to the particular circumstances of one’s life, while recognizing the opportunity to reverence and praise God in the world as it is, not in the world as we would prefer it. Living this basic spiritual principle of embracing the opportunity to praise God in the actual reality of our lives is the key to discovering meaning and experiencing happiness. During his long time of imprisonment and hard labor, Father Ciszek learned and relearned the simple truth that the purpose of all of our lives is to do the will of God. Father Ciszek explained: “Not the will of God as we might wish it, or as we might have envisioned it, or as we thought in our poor human wisdom it ought to be. But rather the will of God as God envisioned it and revealed it to us each day in the created situations with which he presented us. His will for us was the twenty-four hours of each day; the people, the places, the circum-
Archbishop Naumann Oct. 12-13 Conception board meeting Oct. 13 Holy Angels chapel blessing — Basehor Oct. 14 Installation of Father Kent O’Connor — Good Shepherd, Shawnee Project Andrew — St. Joseph, Shawnee Oct. 15 Blue Mass — Mater DeiAssumption, Topeka
Oct. 19 Juvenile correctional complex visit — Topeka Oct. 20 Catholic Education Foundation Gaudeamus event — Overland Park Convention Center Oct. 21 Installation of Father Michael Hawken — Nativity, Leawood Respect Life Month Mass — Curé of Ars, Leawood Poor of Jesus Christ 17th anniversary Mass — St. Joseph, Shawnee
Pastoral Council meeting — Savior
Oct. 22 “Shepherd’s Voice” recording
Oct. 16 Adoration — St. Thomas Aquinas High School
Santa Marta annual meeting
Priests Personnel meeting Administrative Team meeting Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas regional juried Christian art competition and awards reception — Savior Oct. 17 Leavenworth regional priests meeting — St. Francis de Sales, Lansing National Committee for a Human Life Amendment video conference call Confirmation — St. Benedict, Bendena; St. Charles, Troy; and St. Joseph, Wathena Oct. 18 Kenrick-Glennon board meeting — St. Louis
stances he set before us in that time.” This is the wisdom of the saints — to seek the will of God in the reality of everyday life, not in some fantasy land! It is the key to discovering the path to authentic and enduring joy. With this attitude, we can find meaning,
Oct. 23 Fifth Grade Vocation Day — Christ the King, Topeka Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher Mass and dinner Oct. 24 Atchison regional priests meeting Confirmation — St. Dominic, Holton, and St. Francis Xavier, Mayetta Oct. 25 St. James Academy Catholic Formation Summit Mass, breakfast and keynote address Archbishop’s Call to Share clergy luncheon Annual clergy vespers and dinner — St. Benedict’s Abbey, Atchison Oct. 26 Red Mass — Nativity, Leawood
purpose and the opportunity to love in every situation and circumstance — no matter how difficult or ostensibly unattractive. Discovering God’s will in life, as it is, gives us the ability never to be without purpose, hope and cause for joy.
OCTOBER 12, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
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PHOTO BY DOUG HESSE
PHOTO BY DOUG HESSE
PHOTO BY DOUG HESSE
The Rev. Desmond Lamb, pastor of Forest Grove Baptist Church in Kansas City, Kansas, beams with pride as he is inducted into Donnelly College’s Hall of Fame.
Monsignor Stuart Swetland, Donnelly president, kicked off SHINE by touting the institution’s 69-year history and sharing his vision for a state-of-the art academic building at the heart of the campus.
Donnelly Hall of Fame inductee Bill Reardon, a 1961 graduate, was a longtime state representative and then teacher at Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park.
A night to SHINE for Donnelly College By Jill Ragar Esfeld jill.esfeld@theleaven.org
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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Bill Reardon got his bachelor’s degree from Rockhurst and a master’s from UMKC. But it was a day from his years at Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, that he treasures most. Sister Jerome Keeler, the college’s foundress, had invited a friend to the college to recite his poetry to the students. And that’s how the young Reardon got a front row seat to a poetry reading by Robert Frost. Donnelly College Reardon, charges just $7,000 a longtime in annual tuition but state repit costs $11,000 to resentative provide. Donations and then make up the differt e a c h er ence. For more inforat Bishop mation, go online to: Miege High www.donnelly.edu. School in Roeland Park, said that every Donnelly student has a unique story. “What unites them all,” said the Donnelly Hall of Fame inductee, is that “they are looking for someone to give them a chance — to actuate the potential God has blessed them with.” They all found that someone at Donnelly College. At the college’s 12th annual SHINE event on Sept. 28, college president Msgr. Stuart Swetland kicked off the annual fundraiser touting the institutions 69-year history of “giving special consideration to those on the margins.” He then shared with patrons his vision for the campus — at the heart of which is a state-of-the-art academic building. “The new building will be a symbol of our ongoing commitment to our community,” he said. Guests were then treated to the inspiring stories of siblings and alumnae, Alejandra and Mariana Valles. The sisters’ family migrated from Chihuahua, Mexico, in 2000 when Alejendra was 8 years old and Mariana was 4.
Help support Donnelly
PHOTO BY DOUG HESSE
Alejandra (at mic) and Mariana Valles, alumnae of Donnelly, shared their story of migrating from Chihuahua, Mexico, graduating from high school with honors and finding a welcoming staff and faculty committed to building community at Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas. Both young women described the challenges of adapting to a school environment in which they didn’t look like their peers and could not speak the language. But both persevered and graduated from high school — with honors. Though bright and talented, the sisters feared both the cost and their status made higher education impossible. But the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy gave them hope. And Donnelly College allowed them to shine. “I saw light at the end of my tunnel when I found Donnelly for a bachelor’s degree,” said Alejandra. At Donnelly, Alejandra found a welcoming staff and faculty committed to building community. “They challenge everyone who walks through the door to pursue excellence,” she said. When she graduated, Alejandra accepted a position with Donnelly as an admissions counselor. She’s also pursuing a Master’s of
President Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann
Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799)
Editor Rev. Mark Goldasich, stl frmark.goldasich@theleaven.org
Business Administration at Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri. “We all face challenges in our life,” she added. “But that’s what makes us stronger.” Alejandra’s younger sister Marianna pursued advanced math and science classes in high school, but had no hope of attending college — until she came to Donnelly. “There, I found a sense of belonging,” she said. “At Donnelly, I found a community. “Everyone believed in me even though I didn’t always believe in myself.” Marianna has gone on from Donnelly to Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri, where she is the only student to receive the Trustee Scholarship, which covers her tuition for two years. “I hope someday to come back as a [Donnelly College] Hall of Fame member,” she said. The sisters thanked all who helped them on their journey, especially their parents, who were present at the celebration. “Without your help,” Alejandra told
Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita.mcsorley@theleaven.org
Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org
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Production Manager Todd Habiger todd.habiger@theleaven.org
Advertising Coordinator Beth Blankenship beth.blankenship@theleaven.org
Social Media Editor Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
the crowd, “stories like ours would not be possible.” Alumnus and current board chair Dan Braum introduced this year’s Donnelly Hall of Fame inductees — Reardon from the class of 1961 and Rev. Desmond Lamb, from the class of 2000. Reverend Lamb, the pastor of Forest Grove Baptist Church in Kansas City, Kansas, teaches at Donnelly College and oversees its prison program. He said he was “humbled and honored” to be recognized as a proud alumnus of Donnelly. “I was a young African-American male spinning out of control,” he recalled. “And the Sisters treated me like their own son.” He went on from Donnelly to receive a bachelor’s degree from Park University in Parkville, Missouri. He now travels to Lansing prison on Mondays and Wednesdays to teach the prisoners there. “When you give to Donnelly you help people like me,” he said. “I will cherish this night for the rest of my life.”
Published weekly September through May, excepting the Friday the week after Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Christmas; biweekly June through August. Address communications to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Phone: (913) 721-1570; fax: (913) 721-5276; or e-mail at: sub@theleaven.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. For change of address, provide old and new address and parish. Subscriptions $21/year. Periodicals postage paid at Kansas City, KS 66109.
OCTOBER 12, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
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New pro-life head to celebrate Oct. 21 Respect Life Mass By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org
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VERLAND PARK — The incoming chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops won’t have to travel far to celebrate the annual archdiocesan Respect Life Month Mass. Our own Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, who will begin serving his threeyear term in November, will be the main celebrant and homilist at the Mass. The archbishop was elected chairTime: noon man by his Date: Oct. 21 fellow bishops Place: Curé of in November Ars Parish, 9401 2017 after more Mission Rd., than 30 years Leawood of pro-life advocacy. The Mass will be held at noon on Oct. 21 at Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood. There will be a light reception following the Mass. All Curé parishioners and archdiocesan Catholics active in the pro-life movement are encouraged to attend. Catholics across the nation observe Respect Life Month with Masses on Respect Life Sunday, Oct. 7, or on other weekends in October. This year’s theme for the month, and for the USCCB Respect Life Program for the coming year, is: “Every Life: Cherished, Chosen, Sent.”
Respect Life Mass
Although the observance of Respect Life Month was instituted by the USCCB 46 years ago, this is only the second time there has been one officially designated opening Mass for Respect Life Month in the archdiocese. The first was last year. Archbishop Naumann steps into the chairmanship at a critical time in the history of the pro-life movement, especially with the addition of a new U.S. Supreme Court justice. “I think it would be safe to say we are closer than ever, legally speaking, to seeing Roe v. Wade (the 1973 high court decision legalizing abortion) overturned,” said Allison Donohue, the former archdiocesan pro-life consultant. “Overturning Roe v. Wade wouldn’t mean that abortion would be immediately illegal in any state,” said Donohue. “[The issue] would go back to the states, and we’ll have pretty hefty battles to fight. “But it would be a step in the right direction.” The greatest pro-life task, however, is not to be found in changing the law, but in changing hearts and minds. And there are other pro-life issues to deal with as well, such as physician-assisted suicide. “It’s a matter of changing the culture’s mentality, even if the law changes,” said Donohue. “We’ll be fighting a different kind of battle if the law is overturned. There will still be a whole lot of other things that need to be accomplished.”
Mass of Innocents helps families honor, grieve By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org
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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — When Katie and Patrick Leis attended their first Mass of Innocents, they were suddenly called upon to do something they’d never considered doing before: naming the children they had lost. It could not have made a deeper impression. “Archbishop Naumann called us forward to name our children [in a book of remembrance]” said Katie. “It was so powerful and helpful to us Time: 12:30 p.m. in moving Date: Oct. 28 through the Place: Holy losses of our Spirit Parish, other chil11300 W. 103rd dren,” she said. St., Overland “And it’s so Park helpful to our other children to be able to think of their siblings by name, as a person, and not just as a ‘thing.’” The Leises, members of Holy Family Parish in Eudora, have a large family: six living children, and five lost to miscarriage and one after birth. This year, they will attend — as they have every year since 2005 — the annual archdiocesan Mass of Innocents. It will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 28 at Holy Spirit Parish, 11300 W. 103rd St., Overland Park. “Our children are our children from
Mass of Innocents
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
Holy Trinity, Lenexa, parishioners Craig and Jamie Bezdek, with their sons Charles (left) and Anthony, write the names of the loved ones they’ve lost to miscarriages in a book of remembrance during the 2017 Mass of Innocents. The family has lost five unborn children, Michael, Gabby, Gerard, Nicholas and Gianna. the moment they are conceived,” said Katie. “It doesn’t matter how long they are with us, they are still our children.” “The pain of that loss is able to be reconciled, and can be coped and dealt with,” she continued, “but it’s a pain that is deep within you always when you lose a child.” It’s not only the parents who feel the loss, but also grandparents and siblings. “We lost our baby at almost 20 weeks, and it’s heartbreaking,” said Betty Battson. She and her husband Brian are members of St. Patrick Parish
in Kansas City, Kansas. “You give birth to a baby and you go home, but you don’t take that baby with you.” “We have five kids, who range from age 5 to 18,” she continued. “They know they have a big sister in heaven. There are times they ask, ‘Why did Catherine have to go to heaven? Why couldn’t she stay with us?’ “It’s difficult for the little ones because they feel that loss, too.” Maureen and Shaw Leach, members of Holy Spirit Parish, lost a child to miscarriage last year. This will be their first Mass of Innocents.
“There are a large number of families who have suffered a loss like this, and [the Mass of Innocents] is a way to celebrate that life and memorialize it in light of our Catholic faith,” said Maureen, parish director of religious education. It can be difficult for people who haven’t had this kind of loss to understand what it can be like. “My husband and I are so blessed with six living children, but we still grieve the six we lost,” said Katie. “[The grief] is not lessened because we have living children.” So, she finds it tremendously comforting when relatives and friends accompany her family to the Mass of Innocents. They don’t have to say anything — just being there is enough. The Mass of Innocents brings families together in another way as well. “In the archbishop’s homily [one year], he said something really powerful to me,” said Katie. “He [said that] during the celebration of the Eucharist, we are united with all those who are in heaven. So, every time we go to Mass, we are united with the children we have lost,” she added. “It has transformed the way I attend Mass every time I go. I know at the moment of consecration I am there with my children.” All who have experienced this kind of loss are welcome to attend the Mass — whether the loss was recent or many years ago. Those who wish to support families are also welcome. For more information, contact archdiocesan marriage and family life consultant Brad DuPont at (913) 647-0301 or by email at: bdupont@archkck.org.
OCTOBER 12, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
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New CYO head hits the ground running By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org
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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Some might have chalked it up to coincidence — others, to luck. But John McGoldrick believes it was divine providence that brought him to the helm of the Catholic Youth Organization of Johnson and Wyandotte Counties. The CYO board appointed McGoldrick its executive director in mid-August, just weeks before the fall CYO season began. “I wasn’t looking for the job,” he said. “It kind of found me.” His brother, James McGoldrick, has been executive director of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles CYO for the past eight years. James was at a meeting this past summer when he coincidentally — or rather, providentially — ran into Peter Piscitello, the former executive director of CYO for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Piscitello mentioned as they visited that his former job had opened up again. For the past 15 years, John had been working in the Middle East and Central Asia as a U.S. military defense contractor and business partner. But John and his wife Aby were now looking for a nice stateside community in which to raise their 5-year-old daughter Stella and become involved in a vibrant Catholic community. So James told John about the opening, and John checked out the job listing on the archdiocesan website and applied. He was familiar with the Kansas City area because he’d been coming here to visit friends for about 20 years. John got the job — providentially for all concerned, because time was running out like the sand in the Wicked Witch of the West’s enchanted hourglass. For the summer was almost over, and there was a lot to do before the fall sports season began in September. The CYO board needed someone who could hit the ground running. “We were brought in really late,” said John. “It has been a very challenging situation.” Fortunately, in addition to his military, business and international experience, he also brings his experience in youth sports to the job.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY DOUG HESSE
John McGoldrick is the new executive director of the Catholic Youth Organization. He hopes to add more participants, improve communications and add more efficient scheduling to the organization. John was a varsity high school football coach in northern California for four years and participated in youth sports clubs while he worked overseas. “I think sports really develops leadership abilities in children,” he said, “and teaches them about teamwork and how to respect one another. “It teaches them that hard work pays off, and lessons in life that they will use in their lives as they grow older.” And he is proud to be part of that effort. “It’s a privilege to be a part of that formation of youth,” he added, “leading them in the right direction of life.” His said his goal is to “rebrand” CYO while seeking to build on an already great program. John wants more registration, more participation, improved communications and more efficient scheduling. In addition to John, who belongs to St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood, CYO has picked up two more
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JOE MCSORLEY
people for the new sports year. Rod Murrow, a member of Prince of Peace Parish in Olathe, is the new director of operations, and Maureen Goetz, a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Shawnee, is the new administrative assistant. Currently, CYO is present in 23 parishes and involves approximately 6,000 children. The backbone of the program is volunteers — the parish-based directors
of sports ministries. And of course, the program would be nothing if not for the families served. “We really want to energize CYO in the community,” John said. “We want it to be a great option for kids and families again. “We want to get the message out that this is Catholic-based sports.”
Prolife initiative receives archbishop’s support By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org
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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — An America free of abortion. That’s what Terry Beatley —founder of Hosea Initiative and author of “What If We’ve Been Wrong?” — hopes to see in her lifetime. It’s a vision shared by the late Dr. Bernard Nathanson. Once referred to as America’s Abortion King, Nathanson admitted responsibility for the deaths of 75,000 through abortion, including two of his own children, until a real-time ultrasound convinced him that abortion was wrong. Eventually, he walked away from the abortion industry.
Formerly an atheist, Nathanson was baptized into the Catholic faith in 1996, and deeply regretted the part he played in legalizing abortion in America. The Hosea Initiative is an organization dedicated to fulfilling the promise Beatley made to Nathanson — “to teach the deception underlying legalized abortion through educational workshops, conferences, curriculum and the sale of one book for every baby aborted since 1973.” The name for the initiative, said Beatley, comes from the Old Testament prophet. “My people have been silent,” said Hosea, “because they had no knowledge” (Hos 4:6). It’s precisely that lack of knowledge, Beatley said, that led to the legalization of abortion. She wants
to change that by sharing the deceptive tactics used by the abortion movement, specifically the tactics used by two men. On Dec. 1, 2009, Beatley interviewed Nathanson in his New York City home. He was 83. Ridden with cancer, Nathanson was nearing the end of his life. He was not granting many interviews at the time, but told Beatley her request for an interview “seemed so passionate that I was compelled to say ‘yes.’” During their only interview, Beatley said she listened as Nathanson described how he and his colleague, Lawrence Lader, followed an eight-point propaganda campaign to get abortion legalized first in their home state of New York, and then the nation. Both men were co-founders of an organization known then as NARAL, short for the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws (known today as NARAL ProChoice America). Beatley said Nathanson openly
discussed how he and Lader “normalized the radical idea of legalizing abortion” by deceiving judges, legislators, doctors and clergy,” with false polling statistics, marketing slogans and rationalizations. In her book, Beatley writes that near the end of her time with Nathanson, she found herself asking the former abortionist whether he had anything she could do for him. His response, she said, was simple and profound. “Yes. Yes, I do,” he said. “Continue teaching the strategy of how I deceived America, but also deliver this special message: Tell America that the co-founder of NARAL says to ‘love one another. Abortion is not love. Stop the killing. The world needs more love. “I’m all about love now.” For more information about the Hosea Initiative, go online to: ww.hosea4you.org.
OCTOBER 12, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
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Leavenworth housing agency honored
OPEKA — The Leavenworth Interfaith Community of Hope received the Ad Astra Award for Innovative Housing from Kansas Housing Resources Corporation on Sept. 12 at its annual conference here. The awards presented at the conference recognize outstanding housing advocates whose contributions make a positive impact on communities in the state. The presentation to the Leavenworth Interfaith Community of Hope acknowledged the organization’s core services: the night shelter, day shelter and its Welcome Central, the clearinghouse to connect persons who live in poverty with helping agencies. Presenters recognized the collaboration that has characterized the Community of Hope initiative, including volunteer work on the new building, funding from churches and donors, and ongoing volunteer support. “Receiving this award pays tremendous tribute to the many individuals, churches, agencies and businesses with whom we collaborate,” said Sister Vickie Perkins, executive director of the Leavenworth Interfaith Community of Hope.
Sisters continue tree-planting tradition
Sister Vickie Perkins (center), executive director of the Leavenworth Interfaith Community of Hope, accepts the Ad Astra Award for Innovative Housing from Kansas Housing Resources Corporation on Sept. 12 at its annual conference in Topeka from Topeka mayor Michelle De La Isla and Kansas Housing Resources Corporation executive director Dennis Mesa.
Marriage and money The bad news Money and how it is spent can be a source of conflict in marriage. Consider: • 70 percent of married couples argue about money — ahead of fights about household chores, togetherness, sex, snoring and what’s for dinner. • What couples fight about when they argue about money: spending (55 percent), saving (37 percent), deceit (21 percent), exclusion from decisions (11 percent) • 22 percent of husbands and wives have spent money they didn’t want a partner to know about; 35 percent dread getting a lecture; women’s top secret purchases were clothing, shoes, gifts for family and friends; men’s top secret purchases were for hobbies and electronics. SOURCE: MONEY MAGAZINE
Underlying source of the conflict Our attitudes about money were formed in our family of origin. Herbert Anderson and Robert Fite in “Becoming Married” wrote: “Maxims like ‘A penny saved is a penny earned’
or ‘It only costs a little more money to go first class’ suggest profoundly different attitudes toward money from our families of origin.” Greg and Lisa Popcak point out in “Just Married: The Catholic Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the First Five Years of Marriage” that “conflict about money in marriage has little to do with the ins and outs about financial management and everything to do with how you and your spouse feel about money and what money means to you. For some, money
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LEAVENWORTH — In observance of the 160th anniversary of the founding of the religious community and in keeping with their heritage and tradition, the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth planted a Kentucky coffeetree on the campus of their motherhouse here this summer. At the conclusion of the 160th anniversary Mass on Aug. 1, current and past community directors blessed the tree in Annunciation Chapel. The selection of the Kentucky coffeetree stemmed from the roots of the SCL community in Nazareth, Kentucky. The grounds staff planted the tall sapling between the chapel and Mead Hall, a building located on the adjacent University of Saint Mary campus. In her history of the SCL community, Sister Julia Gilmore wrote that Sisters cultivated trees on the property since they first owned the land and began landscaping. They planted trees in honor of special occasions and in recognition of their leaders. In the late 1930s, college students began a tradition of planting a tree each year on Founders’ Day, Nov. 11, the anniversary of the day the Sisters first arrived in Leavenworth in 1858.
TOOLS FOR FAMILIES
Growing as Disciples of Jesus means security. For others, money is for fun.” So, we each have our formation growing up and our attitudes and feelings about money.
The good news The solution to the conflicts is found in the Book of Genesis “the two shall become one” (2:24). This call to unity is a call to be predisposed to see things from a couple perspective. How to become “one” in money matters? Consider: • Read Chapter 8, Money Madness, in “Just Married: The Catholic Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the First Five Years of Marriage” by the Popcaks. (This book is great for the not-so-newly married as well!) • Go to an Everyday in Love enrichment (Four three-hour sessions; stream online; or purchase the videos through the archdiocese). • Attend a “Living in Love” weekend retreat (offered by the archdiocese). • Attend a Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend. All of these resources give the way to safely share on this touchy issue and make it a source of unity.
OCTOBER 12, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS Marceta (Fleming) and Larry Reilly, members of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Mayetta, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Oct. 19. The couple was married on Oct. 19, 1968, at Most Pure Heart of Mary Church, Topeka, by Father Gerald Sheeds. Their children are Jennifer Fischer and Meredith Sleichter. They have six grandchildren (one deceased) and three great-grandchildren. They will celebrate with family on Oct. 14. Cynthia
(Draskovich) and Gary Scholtz, members of Good Shepherd Parish, Shawnee, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Oct. 12. The couple was married on Oct. 12, 1968, at St. John the Baptist Church in Kansas City, Kansas. They have a son, Jason, and two grandchildren.
ANNIVERSARY submissions WHERE TO SUBMIT: Send notices to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109, attn: anniversaries; or email: todd. habiger@theleaven.org.
Agency seeks to grow volunteer base >> Continued from page 1 help with a rent or utility bill for those individuals who are identified as at-risk. “It’s about supporting and cheering people on,” said case manager Megan Ryan. “It’s about helping people to survive.” Others come because they are in need of food or clothing. There are no income requirements or appointments required for such assistance. Grocery bags are filled with shelf-stable proteins, fruits and vegetables. When in season, fresh fruit and vegetables are particularly popular because they are often more expensive and not as accessible in rural areas as in urban and suburban communities. “Sometimes, there isn’t a grocery store available in the community,” said Pickhinke. People can also get diapers, hygiene items and books — all free of charge. All the items distributed via the Resource Bus are donated from parish, school and community groups. Food and clothing collected during parish drives are taken to the Catholic Charities warehouse in Kansas City, Kansas, where they are sorted, then distributed to the local
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“IT’S ABOUT SUPPORTING AND CHEERING PEOPLE ON. IT’S ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE TO SURVIVE.”
sites or taken to the rural communities. It takes many hands to make this all happen. “Donations of goods and time are what truly make a difference,” said Terry Punswick, a member of the Olathe Ladies Auxiliary who was helping out in Mound City. “Need is year-round.” It is the mission of Catholic Charities to animate the Gospel of Jesus by putting love into action. “We not only strive to live this out as an agency,” said Pickhinke, “but we want to invite others to do so as well. We truly believe in neighbor serving neighbor.” That’s why Catholic Charities is working to grow a volunteer base in
each community served with the Resource Bus by providing volunteer opportunities. Catholic Charities currently has volunteers from parishes in Emporia, Osage City, Oskaloosa, Holton, Garnett and Marysville. And they are happy to train more. “By training and equipping local volunteers to setup, run and manage the food and clothing distribution in the outlying community, we are providing them an opportunity to fulfill their Gospel mandate (Mt 25: 35-40) and allows us to have a bigger impact in each community,” said Pickhinke. The continued success of the Resource Bus program is based on consistency: maintaining a regular presence in the outlying communities, having the necessary goods and services to deliver, and fielding enough volunteers to make it happen. “Getting the bag of food and other stuff helps me get through to the end of the month so I can feed my kids,” said one individual in Osawatomie. “But the best part of coming here is that these people are happy to see me.” “We can’t fulfill all of the needs,” said Pickhinke. “But we all certainly can try to help our neighbors.”
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VOICES for MISSION
Calling all mission voices!
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ext Sunday, World Mission Sunday, we are called to be part of the church’s missionary efforts, supporting mission priests, religious
Sisters and Brothers, and lay catechists who provide loving service to those most in need. As Catholics around the world — here at home and in the missions — gather at the Eucharist around the table of the Lord, let us . . . Pray for the church’s worldwide mis-
sionary work. Offer financial help through the Society for the Propagation of the Faith for vulnerable communities throughout Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Pacific Islands.
Archbishop encourages everyone to be a ‘voice for mission’
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ear brothers and sisters in Christ, Annually, the next-tolast Sunday of October marks the church’s eucharistic celebration for the missions, World Mission Sunday. In his message for this year’s celebration on Oct. 21, Pope Francis explains that “life is a mission.” “Each one of us is called to reflect on this fact: ‘I am a mission on this Earth; that is the reason why I am here in this world’ (“Evangelii Gaudium,” 273),” he writes. Focusing on young people, he notes: “In speaking to you, I also address all Christians who live out in the church the adventure of their life as children of God.” I invite all of us in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas to see World Mission Sunday as a special moment to live out the mission we share as God’s children, the mission to bring the Gospel to the whole world. I encourage you to be a “voice for mission” through your prayers and through the help that you are able to give in support of the priests, religious and lay pastoral leaders who work tirelessly, day in and day out, proclaiming the Gospel, building the church and serving the poor in more
than 1,100 mission dioceses in Asia and Africa, the Pacific Islands and parts of Latin America and Europe. The prayers and material aid generously given to the collection for the Society for the Propagation of the Faith on World Mission Sunday, the pope explains, continue to support the “preaching of the Gospel to every nation,” thus “contributing to the human and cultural growth of all those who thirst for knowledge of the truth.” “Mission revitalizes faith,” Pope Francis reminds us, quoting St. Pope John Paul II in “Redemptoris Missio” (2). May your commitment to the Lord’s continuing mission renew your faith and be a blessing in your life. And may you know of my personal gratitude for your generous response on this unique day for the entire church, and throughout the year, as you are able. Sincerely yours in Jesus, the Lord of Life,
+Joseph F. Naumann Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas
Be a voice for mission in EUROPE . . . . . . where new churches are being built to welcome faith communities, renewed after years of persecution.
Be a voice for mission in ASIA . . . . . . where six million children receive an education from religious Sisters in more than 15,000 church-run elementary schools.
Be a voice for mission in AFRICA . . . Be a voice for mission in LATIN AMERICA . . . . . . where catechists and youth travel to remote areas to bring the good news of God’s great love to families.
. . . where those who are sick are provided loving care at 6,500 Catholic hospitals and small clinics, and where 19,000 young men are preparing to be priests, to uplift the poor, celebrate the sacraments, reach out to children and families, and comfort the sick and dying.
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS FRANCIS FOR WORLD MISSION DAY 2018
Let us bring the Gospel to all
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ear young people, I would like to reflect with you on the mission that we have received from Christ. What leads me to speak to everyone through this conversation with you is the certainty that the Christian faith remains ever young when it is open to the mission that Christ entrusts to us. “Mission revitalizes faith” (“Redemptoris Missio,” 2), in the words of St. John Paul II, a pope who showed such great love and concern for young people.
This transmission of the faith, the heart of the church’s mission, comes about by the infectiousness of love, where joy and enthusiasm become the expression of a newfound meaning and fulfillment in life. The ends of the earth, dear young people, nowadays are quite relative and always easily “navigable.” The digital world — the social networks that are so pervasive and readily available — dissolves borders, eliminates distances and reduces differences. Everything appears within reach, so close and immediate.
Life is a mission
Bearing witness to love
Every man and woman is a mission; that is the reason for our life on this earth. More than anyone else, young people feel the power of life breaking in upon us and attracting us. To live out joyfully our responsibility for the world is a great challenge. I am well aware of lights and shadows of youth; when I think back to my youth and my family, I remember the strength of my hope for a better future.
The Pontifical Mission Societies were born of young hearts as a means of supporting the preaching of the Gospel to every nation and thus contributing to the human and cultural growth of all those who thirst for knowledge of the truth. The prayers and the material aid generously given and distributed through the Pontifical Mission Societies enable the Holy See to ensure that those who are helped in their personal needs can in turn bear witness to the Gospel in the circumstances of their daily lives. No one is so poor as to be unable to give what they have, but first and foremost what they are.
Transmitting the faith You, young friends, by your baptism have become living members of the church; together we have received the mission to bring the Gospel to everyone. You are at the threshold of life.
Excerpted from Pope Francis’ World Mission Sunday message.
Be a voice for mission in THE PACIFIC ISLANDS . . . . . . where 3,500 religious bring the Lord’s mercy and peace to those in need.
OCTOBER 12, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
WORLD
Church needs to meet young people where they are, U.S. observer says By Anne Condodina Catholic News Service
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ATICAN CITY (CNS) — To reach young people and teach them the faith, Catholics must first show them that they are loved, “not just judged, discarded, or abused,” said a 29-yearold observer at the Synod of Bishops. Yadira Vieyra, who works with migrant families in Chicago, told Vatican News Oct. 8 that the church needs to meet young people where they are. And while “a good portion” of the bishops at the synod are listening, she said, others are “still focused on preaching the truth to our youth.” “Yes, it’s important to communicate the truth,” she said, “but also you can’t just communicate the truth without treating someone with love and care and attentiveness.” According to Vieyra, the church’s message should be attentive to where youth are right now. It is important for the church to hear their needs and adapt its ministry so that they feel the church recognizes their humanity as well, she said. In her small working group at the synod, she said she reminded the bishops that young people are not the same everywhere in the world. “I have made it a point to bring them
Groups sound alarm over humanitarian crisis in Yemen By Dale Gavlak Catholic News Service
A CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING
Auxiliary Bishop Mark Stuart Edwards of Melbourne, Australia, shares a laugh with Indonesian youth delegate Anastasia Indrawan before a session of the Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and vocational discernment at the Vatican Oct. 9. back to the reality that not all of our youth are the same and their lives are not the same, not just in the U.S. but in other parts of the world.” For example, Vieyra said, “In the U.S. not everyone is raised by a mother and a father, or in a heterosexual couple. And so, that’s important for us to be mindful of, because that’s where our youth are. And it’s important to honor their experiences and, again, minister to what life is
like for them now and find a way to make them understand that they are so deeply loved by God and that he is just so excited to embrace them” Recognizing what life is like for young people will help the church “find ways to meet them, whether it’s through social media, or through more innovative, fun, happy catechesis,” Vieyra told Vatican News.
Church leaders must face truth of abuse By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
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OME (CNS) — The president of the U.S. bishops’ conference welcomed Pope Francis’ pledge to fight attempts to cover up cases of sexual abuse and to stop offering special treatment to bishops who have committed or covered up abuse. “On behalf of my brother bishops in the United States, I welcome the statement of Oct. 6 from the Holy See which outlines additional steps Pope Francis is taking to ensure the faithful are protected from the evil of sexual assault,” Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo said in a statement released Oct. 7 in Rome. The cardinal, president of the USCCB, is in Rome for the Synod of Bishops. Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, conference vice president, also is in Rome for the synod, and the two U.S. leaders were expected to meet privately with Pope Francis Oct. 8 as questions continue over the handling of years of allegations of sexual misconduct by former Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick of Washington. In a statement Oct. 6, the Vatican said Pope Francis had ordered a thorough review of the archives of Vatican offices to study how the allegations were handled. “The Holy See is conscious that, from the examination of the facts and of the circumstances, it may emerge that choices were taken that would not be consonant with a contemporary approach to such issues. However, as Pope Francis has said: ‘We will follow the path of truth wherever it may lead,’”
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CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING
Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, vice president of the conference, arrive for a session of the Synod of Bishops on young people, the faith and vocational discernment at the Vatican Oct 5. the Vatican statement said. Cardinal DiNardo, who earlier had requested a full investigation, said, “The truth will ensure the terrible sins of the past are not repeated. The courage of abuse survivors who first brought the horrific truth of sexual abuse to light must continue to be matched by our courage as pastors to respond in justice.” The U.S. cardinal’s statement was published the same day Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, responded to allegations by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, former nuncio to the United States, that Pope Francis knew about
and ignored the allegations against then-Cardinal McCarrick. Cardinal Ouellet called Archbishop Vigano’s accusations a “political” ploy that had wounded the unity of the church. “Out of respect for the victims and given the need for justice, the inquiry currently underway in the United States and in the Roman Curia should provide a comprehensive and critical study of the procedures and the circumstances of this painful case in order to prevent something like it from ever happening in the future,” Cardinal Ouellet said.
MMAN, Jordan (CNS) — Aid agencies and Catholic officials are sounding the alarm on Yemen’s spiraling humanitarian crisis, calling on the combatants to end the war and make badly needed assistance available. Yemen is facing the largest humanitarian crisis of this time, according to the United Nations. The impoverished nation at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula is now the most food-insecure population in the world due to the 4-year-old conflict. “A war is ongoing in Yemen, but the big world does not seem to be very interested,” said Bishop Paul Hinder, apostolic vicar of Southern Arabia, which includes Yemen. “There are innumerable people internally displaced because they fled from the war,” he told Catholic News Service. “A wonderful nation with a cultural tradition (spanning millennia) is about to be destroyed,” warned Bishop Hinder, decrying the lack of international resolve to end the conflict tearing Yemen apart. Observers say Yemen has been caught up in a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and its regional archrival, Iran. More than 10,000 people have been killed, millions have been displaced and it has pushed Yemen to the verge of starvation. Nearly 21 million people in Yemen need humanitarian aid; two-thirds of the population is on the brink of starvation, without access to adequate food and clean water to survive each day. Some 1.8 million Yemeni children are malnourished, making them more vulnerable to disease, the U.N. children’s agency, UNICEF, reported. These children include nearly 400,000 whose lives are at risk from severe acute malnutrition. Some 68 percent of the population lacks access to basic health care. Johan Mooij, CARE International’s Yemen country director, said there is currently only enough food to sustain the country’s population for two months. Meanwhile, Yemen’s cholera outbreak — the worst in the world — is accelerating again, with roughly 10,000 suspected cases now reported per week, according to the World Health Organization. Approximately 30 percent of all suspected cases are children under age 5, the agency added, saying that cholera can kill a child within hours, if left untreated.
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OCTOBER 12, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
CLASSIFIEDS
EMPLOYMENT Positions at Smoke ‘n’ Fire open - Cashiers, stockers and warehouse needed. Range of pay is $8 - 12 per hour. Weekday and weekend hours, no nights. Apply in person at Smoke ’n’ Fire, 8030 W. 151st St., Overland Park, KS 66223. Drivers - Ready for the summers off? Join our school transportation division and live like a kid again! Our drivers have the opportunity to serve our community and still get those precious summer breaks. Assisted Transportation seeks caring and reliable drivers to transport K - 12 students in Johnson and Wyandotte counties in our minivans. CDL not required. $12 per hour. Retirees encouraged to apply. Learn more or apply online at: assistedtransportation.com or call (913) 262-5190 for more information. EOE. Victim assistance coordinator - The office of child and youth protection (OCYP) for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking an individual to fill a part-time position, victim assistance coordinator. This position is responsible for providing support to and identifying resources for victims and their families in cases of abuse by clergy or other archdiocesan personnel. This individual will manage treatment referrals and resources for individuals and families affected and foster reconciliation between the church and these individuals. In their role as a staff member of the OCYP, this position works closely with the director of the OCYP, the vicar for clergy and the report investigator. Minimum qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in social work or a closely related field, and/or experience related to victim support; intermediate competency in MS Office Suite; and must be a practicing Catholic in good standing. A complete job description, application and benefits information are available on the archdiocese’s website at: www.archkck.org/jobs. Interested individuals should mail cover letter, resume and application to: Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, Office of Human Resources, Victim Assistance Coordinator, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109, or send via email to: jobs@archkck.org. Position open until filled. Extended day coordinator - This position provides supervision for elementary school students outside of their regular school hours. This would include planning activities and coordinating programs that currently exist. The position is full time with benefits. If interested, call Ms. Theresa at (913) 248-4589 to set up an interview. Sonographer - Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic is a faithbased nonprofit organization serving women and families facing unplanned pregnancies with Christ-like compassion. We have an immediate opening for a sonographer to perform limited (not diagnostic) sonograms. That person could also serve at our new Olathe location. RDMS and nurse-sonographers who have been trained on ultrasound should apply. Send resumes to Donna Kelsey at: dkelsey@ wpcnetwork.org or call (913) 904-4050. Extended care lead teacher - St. Patrick Early Education Center is now hiring a faith-filled lead teacher for our after-school program. The hours are 11:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. each school day. Experience is preferred, but not required. Will train. For more information, send an email to: stpatearlyed center@stpatrickkck.eduk12.net. Lay counselor - Olathe Pregnancy Clinic will open in October. We will serve women and families facing unplanned pregnancies with Christ-like compassion. We have an immediate opening for a full-time bilingual lay counselor. Qualified applicants need to be bilingual in Spanish and English; be a faithful practicing Christian; possess strong pro-life convictions; and have a compassionate heart. Training will be provided. Send resumes to Donna Kelsey at: dkelsey@wpc network.org or call (913) 904-4050. DRIVERS NEEDED Seeking caring and reliable drivers. Work up to 40 hours per week. Transport elderly and disabled individuals to and from medical appointments. CDL not required. Retirees encouraged to apply. Competitive wages and benefits. EOE. Learn more or apply online at: www.assistedtransportation.com (913) 262-5190 Infant and toddler teacher - This is a full-time position, at a school in Shawnee, with benefits. Curriculum is in place as a guide for activities. If interested, call Ms. Theresa at (913) 248-4589 to set up an interview. Director of social services - The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is seeking a director of social services, responsible for planning, directing and implementing a variety of social service programs that target the needs of the poor in our downtown community, particularly the homeless, materially poor, disabled and elderly. The position is full time, based upon 40 hours per week. The parish offers a comprehensive benefits program, including medical, dental and vision plans; STD/LTD fully paid by the employer; retirement plans, including a 403(b) plan and a defined benefit pension plan. Paid time off includes generous vacation and sick leaves, plus paid holidays. For more information and to apply, go online to: https://careers.hireology.com/thecatholicdio ceseofkansascitystjoseph/233623/description. Enjoy working with children? - Curé of Ars Catholic School would like you to join our after-school care program. The hours are 3 - 6 p.m. and can be flexible based on your schedule. Contact after-school care director Rhiannon Mendez at: Rhiannon.Mendez@cureofars.com for more information. Sales position – Do you have sales experience? Are you well networked in the local community? J.S. Paluch Company, national publisher of church bulletins, has full- and part-time positions available. Excellent earning potential; medical benefits; 401(k); life and AD&D insurance available; excellent commission; compensation program. Interested? Call Kay Leane at (800) 621-5197, ext. 2823, or email resume to: Recruiting@jspaluch.com.
Lead consultant for pro-life ministries - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking a lead consultant for pro-life ministry. The mission of the pro-life office is to teach respect for all human life from conception to natural death and organize for its protection. All offices for pro-life initiatives are aligned with the USCCB’s “Pastoral Plan for Pro-Life Activities,” and the consultant is charged with assisting the archbishop and his pastors in implementing these initiatives. The role of the consultant is to rally the Catholic faithful and people of good will to build up a “culture of life” through collaborative action with the parishes and pastoral regions of the archdiocese. The position requires strong leadership skills; excellent communication skills (both written and verbal); management skills including planning, executing, evaluating, prioritizing, meeting objectives and proficiency in Microsoft Office applications. Bachelor degree or equivalent required as well as involvement in pro-life activities/organizations. An application and benefits information are available on the archdiocese website at: www.archkck.org/jobs. Interested individuals should send a cover letter, resume and application via email to: jobs@archkck.org, title Consultant for Pro-Life. Position open until filled. Associate director of planned giving - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking an associate director of planned giving for the office of stewardship and development. This position is responsible for advancing the mission of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas through professional stewardship and relationship-building activities as well as developing, organizing and implementing a spiritually based archdiocesan planned giving program. Duties include: developing operational and program goals; communication for all planned giving initiatives; and managing planned giving programs within the office of stewardship and development. The ideal candidate will be a practicing Catholic in good standing and have a minimum of five years in planned giving, marketing or related field. Requires bachelor’s degree in finance, communications or marketing; master’s degree preferred in business, law or accounting. Position requires a strong knowledge of Catholic Church organization and procedures; principles and practices of planned giving; building and maintaining relationships with staff, parishes and potential donors; and strict confidentiality. A complete job description, application and benefits information are available on the archdiocese’s website at: www.archkck.org/ jobs. Interested individuals should send cover letter, resume, application and pastor’s letter of support. Send via email to: jobs@archkck.org, or mail to: Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, Office of Human Resources, Associate Director of Planned Giving Search, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Position is open until filled. Executive director - Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic is a faithbased nonprofit organization serving women and families facing unplanned pregnancies with Christ-like compassion. We are looking for an executive director at our Wyandotte location. The candidate should have strong leadership and supervisory skills; be flexible and able to work in a constantly evolving work environment; be comfortable collaborating with a wide range of agencies, churches and organizations; have excellent writing and communication skills; familiarity with QuickBooks, databases and MS Office products. Will be responsible for growing donor base and event planning. Being bilingual is a plus. Reports to governing board. Send resume to Donna Kelsey at: dkelsey@wpcnetwork.org. Our client website is: www.wyandottepregnancyclinic.org; our donor website is: www.BabiesAtRisk.org; our Mobile Pregnancy Clinic is: www.mobilepregnancyclinic.org. For more information, call Donna at (913) 904-4050. Safe environment compliance administrator – The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is accepting applications for a full-time safe environment compliance administrator position in the office of administrative services. Duties include coordinating all aspects of the VIRTUS program, including background screenings, implementation and compliance in parishes, and reporting. Ideal candidate will be a practicing Catholic in good standing and have a minimum of 3-5 years professional experience including proficiency in data management and organization. Application and benefits information are available on the archdiocese’s web site at: www.archkck.org/jobs. Qualified individuals should submit cover letter, resume, and application (available on website) to: jobs@archkck.org, title safe environment compliance administrator. Position open until filled.
Full-time or part-time chiropractic assistant - Busy chiropractic office in N.W. Olathe in need of a dynamic assistant. $12 per hour. Duties include: checking in patients; scheduling; answering phones; insurance billing; and assisting with patient therapies. Candidate must be professional, friendly, hardworking and should like to help others; must have great phone and computer skills. Will train on patient therapies. Email resume to Dr. Craig Koshlap at: drk@ridgeviewchiropractic.com.
HOME IMPROVEMENT Masonry work - Quality new or repair work. Brick, block and chimney/fireplace repair. Insured; second-generation bricklayer. Member of St. Paul Parish, Olathe. Call (913) 829-4336. Father-and-son home exteriors and remodeling - Celebrating my 15th year in The Leaven as a small business owner! We do decks, siding, windows, doors, tile work, floors, wood rot, and interior and exterior painting. We can remodel bathrooms, kitchens or basements. We also reface cabinets and redo pesky popcorn ceilings. Call Josh at (913) 709-7230. EL SOL Y LA TIERRA *Commercial & residential * Lawn renovation *Mowing * Clean-up and hauling * Dirt grading/installation * Landscape design * Free estimates Hablamos y escribimos Ingles!! www.elsolylatierra.com Call Lupe at (816) 935-0176
Swalms organizing - downsizing - cleanout service Reduce clutter – Any space organized. Shelving built onsite. Items hauled for recycling and donations. 20 years exp.; insured. Call Tillar at (913) 375-9115. WWW.SWALMS ORGANIZING.COM. STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 579-1835. Email: smokeycabin@ hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa. NELSON CREATION’S L.L.C. Home makeovers, kitchen, bath. All interior and exterior remodeling and repairs. Family owned, experienced, licensed and insured. Member St. Joseph, Shawnee. Kirk Nelson. (913) 927-5240; nelsport@everestkc.net Rusty Dandy Painting, Inc. – We have been coloring your world for 40 years. Your home will be treated as if it were our own. Old cabinets will be made to look like new. Dingy walls and ceilings will be made beautiful. Woodwork will glow. Lead-certified and insured. Call (913) 341-9125. DRC Construction We’ll get the job done right the first time. Windows - Doors - Decks - Siding Repair or replace, we will work with you to solve your problems. Choose us for any window, door, siding or deck project and be glad you did. Everything is guaranteed 100% (913) 461-4052 www.windowservicesoverlandpark.com drcconswindows@gmail.com. Concrete construction - Tear out and replace stamped, stained or colored patios and drives. Retaining walls, footings, poured-in-place safe rooms, excavation and hauling. Asphalt drives and lots. Fully insured; references. Call Dan at (913) 207-4371 or send an email to: dandeeconst@aol.com. Speedy Guzman Moving and delivery Licensed and insured Anytime (816) 935-0176 Local handyman - Painting int. and ext., staining, wood rot, power wash, decks, doors and windows, masonry, hardwood floors, gutter cleaning, water heaters, toilets, faucets, garbage disposals, ceiling fans, mowing and more!! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118. The Drywall Doctor, Inc. – A unique solution to your drywall problems! We fix all types of ceiling and wall damage — from water stains and stress cracks to texture repairs and skim coating. We provide professional, timely repairs and leave the job site clean! Lead-certified and insured! Serving the metro since 1997. Call (913) 768-6655.
SERVICES Gas log tuneups - We can do most brands. Email pictures of fireplace to: bbqinfo@smokenfire.com. Smoke ’n’ Fire, 8030 W. 151st St., Overland Park, KS 66223. Speedy Guzman Moving and delivery Licensed and insured Anytime (816) 935-0176 Win disability benefits - Disabled and no longer able to work? Get help winning Social Security disability benefits. Free consultation. Eight years’ experience. No fee unless you win. Call (785) 331-6452 or send an email to: montemace2000@yahoo.com or visit montemacedisability.com. Custom countertops - Laminates installed within five days. Cambria, granite and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee. 8 to Your IdealWeight Get Real, Get Healthy, Get Empowered. Release your weight and restore your power in 8 weeks! Certified coach: kathioppold.8toyouridealweight.com. Cleaning lady - Reasonable rates; references provided. Call (913) 940-2959. Mike Hammer local moving - A full-service mover. Packing, pianos, rental truck load/unload, storage container load/unload and in-home moving. No job too small. Serving JoCo since 1987. St. Joseph, Shawnee, parishioner. Call Mike at (913) 927-4347 or send an email to: mike@mikehammermoving.com. Rodman Lawn Care Lawn mowing, aeration, verticutting, mulching, Hedge trimming, leaf removal, gutter cleaning Fully insured and free estimates John Rodman (913) 548-3002 Quilted memories - Your Kansas City Longarm shop Nolting Longarm machines, quilting supplies and machine quilting services. We specialize in memorial quilts - custom designed memory quilts from your T-shirt collections, photos, baby clothes, college memorabilia, neckties, etc. For information or to schedule a free consultation, call (913) 649-2704. Visit the website at: www.quiltedmemoriesllc.com. Clutter getting you down? - Organize, fix, assemble, install! “Kevin of all trades” your professional organizer and “Honey-do” specialist. Call or email me today for a free consultation at (913) 271-5055 or KOATorganizing@gmail.com. Insured. References.
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Bankruptcy consultation - If debts are overwhelming you, seek hope and help from compassionate, experienced Catholic attorney, Teresa Kidd. For a free consultation, call (913) 422-0610; send an email to: tkidd@ kc.rr.com; or visit the website at: www.teresakiddlawyer. com. Please do not wait until life seems hopeless before getting good quality legal advice that may solve your financial stress. Tree Trimming Tree Trimming/Landscaping Insured/References Free Estimates/Local Parishioner Tony (913) 620-6063
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) Business for sale - Home-based ad agency for nonprofit charities. Established clients. Nets $67K. Part-time work from any location. Will train. Retiring. $27,900. Call Leida at (828) 633-6382. For sale - Two side-by-side crypts; tier B, 13 and 15, located in the St. Joseph Chapel at Mount Calvary Cemetery, the only two left in the chapel. Call (913) 269-6176 for pricing. For sale - Double glass-front niche at Resurrection Cemetery, Holy Family section, tier C, niche 3. Paid $8625, Make an offer. Call (913) 558-0723.
FOR RENT For rent - House in St. Joseph Parish for rent. Nice neighborhood. Close to St. Joseph in Shawnee. For more information, call Tom at (913) 238-2470.
CAREGIVING Just like family - Let us care for your loved ones in their homes. Two ladies with over 50 years’ combined experience. Looking for night shift coverage, some days. Great price, great references. Both experienced with hospice care. Call Ophelia at (913) 570-7276 or Kara at (913) 3431602. CNA - Professional caregiver provides quality private home care assistance for the elderly in the comfort of your home. Part-time or full-time assignments. Will consider live-in arrangements. 25 years seasoned experience. Dedicated to clients. Call (816) 806-8104. Looking for assisted living at home? - Before you move, call us and explore our in-home care options. We specialize in helping families live safely at home while saving thousands of dollars per year. Call today for more information or to request a FREE home care planning guide. Benefits of Home - Senior Care, www.benefits ofhome.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.
REAL ESTATE Whole Estates Need to sell a home and everything in it? We buy it all at once in as-is condition. Call (816) 444-1950 or send an email to: www.wholeestates.com. We buy houses and whole estates - We are local and family-owned, and will make you a fair cash offer. We buy houses in any condition. No fees or commissions and can close on the date of your choice. Selling your house as is never felt so good. Jon & Stacy Bichelmeyer (913) 599-5000. I NEED HOUSES! - We are members of Holy Trinity Parish and we pay cash for any real estate without any realtor commissions or fees. We buy houses in any condition, including bad foundations. If you would like an easy, no-hassle sale at a fair price, please call me. We have 15 years of experience. Mark Edmondson, (913) 980-4905.
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 - Antique/vintage jewelry, paintings, pottery, sterling, etc. Single pieces or estate. Renee Maderak, (913) 475-7393. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.
VACATION Beech-front condo - One bedroom, fully furnished condo in Freeport, Grand Bahamas Island. Sleeps four. Wi-Fi, fully furnished kitchen, great beaches, local owner. More information and photos online at: www. coralbeach1602.com.
OCTOBER 12, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
CALENDAR OPEN HOUSE Resurrection Cemetery W. 83rd St. and Quivira, Lenexa Oct. 14 - Oct. 28 from 1 - 4 p.m., (Sundays)
Learn more about the archdiocesan Catholic cemeteries. For more information, call (913) 344-7527.
ROSARY RALLY IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA St. Andrew the Apostle Parish 6415 N.E. Antioch, Gladstone, Missouri Oct. 14 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.
PROJECT ANDREW DINNER St. Joseph Parish 11311 Johnson Dr., Shawnee Oct. 14 from 2 - 5 p.m.
Young men, high school age and up, are invited to a dinner hosted by Archbishop Naumann and the vocation office. The event is informative, relaxed and spiritual. It includes a parent session. There will be a Q&A session with the archbishop and a talk by a newly ordained priest. Register online at: vocation@archkck. org or call (913) 647-0303.
ROME SWEET HOME ITALIAN FESTIVAL Christ the King Parish 5972 S.W. 25th St., Topeka Oct. 13 at 3 p.m. The afternoon will begin with adoration at 3 p.m. followed by Mass at 4:30 p.m. At 5:45 p.m., there will be an Italian dinner in the gym: LaRocca’s lasagna and sides. Wine and beer will be sold. There will be food trucks and activities outside plus much more.
OKTOBERFEST DANCE St. Mary-St. Anthony Parish (basement) 615 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas Oct. 13 from 6 - 10 p.m.
The cost for admission is $20 for adults and includes dinner, drinks and dancing to The Willie Kirst Band. There are discount prices for young adults and children (under 5 are free); families are welcome. There will also be raffle prizes. The dance is sponsored by the Kansas City Kansas Edelweiss Society. For more information, call Patty Orth at (913) 371-2468.
BREAKFAST Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish (hall) 106 Exchange St., Emporia Oct. 14 from 8 - 11 a.m.
The Knights of Columbus Leo Council 727 will host a breakfast. The cost is a freewill donation.
BAZAAR AND TURKEY DINNER Sacred Heart Parish 1100 West St., Tonganoxie Oct. 14 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
A turkey dinner will be served. The cost is: $10 for adults; $5 for kids 6 - 12; and free for kids 5 and under. Takeout is available. There will be a country store, raffles, theme baskets, bingo and kids games.
PANCAKE BREAKFAST Queen of the Holy Rosary (hall) 7023 W. 71st St., Overland Park Oct. 14 after the 7, 9 and 11 a.m. Masses
Boy Scout Troop 295 will host a pancake and biscuits and gravy breakfast after all the morning Masses. The cost for all-you-can-eat is $6 a plate; $20 for a family of four or more.
FALL BAZAAR St. Aloysius Parish 615 Wyandotte, Meriden Oct. 14 from 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
The cost for a turkey/ham dinner is: $10 for adults; $5 for kids 5 - 12; free for kids 4 and
under. Carryout meals will be available for $10. There will also be children’s games, bingo, a silent auction, a country store, money drawings, raffles, a beer garden and much more. For more information, call St. Aloysius Parish office at (785) 484-3312.
FALL FESTIVAL 2018 Sacred Heart Parish 408 S. Cedar, Ottawa Oct. 14 from 1- 4 p.m.
There will be Mexican food, barbecue and more! There will also be kids games, a cakewalk, bingo, pumpkin sales and other activities.
PANCAKE LUNCHEON St. Mary Parish 446 Hwy. 137, Purcell Oct. 14 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Pancakes, whole hog sausage, scrambled eggs, homemade pie, and tea or coffee will be served. The suggested donation is a freewill offering.
‘OCTOBERFEST - SUNDAY DINNER AT OUR HOUSE’ Church of the Ascension Parish (hall) 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park Oct. 14 from 6 - 8 p.m.
The Ascension Knights of Columbus will host an Octoberfest dinner complete with a polka band. German food will be served as well as German and American libations. The cost is: $9.50 for adults 12 and over; $5.50 for kids 5 - 11; and free for kids 4 and under. All net proceeds go to support various Ascension and community charities.
HEALING MASS Curé of Ars Parish (Father Burak Room) 9401 Mission Rd., Mission Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
A Mass with prayers for healing, sponsored by the archdiocesan charismatic prayer groups, will be held. Father Ed Wills will preside. For more information, call (913) 6492026.
MEMORIAL LITURGY Curé of Ars Parish 9405 Mission Rd., Leawood Oct. 20 at 8 a.m.
OKTOBERFEST St. Mary-St. Anthony (Bishop Forst Hall) 615 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas Oct. 20 from 4 - 6:30 p.m.
There will be a dinner of roast pork, sides, desserts and coffee. Tickets purchased in advance are $10; tickets purchased at the door are $12; kids tickets are $3. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the parish office at (913) 371-1408.
BREATHE RESPITE CARE PROGRAM Holy Cross School 8101 W. 95th St., Overland Park Oct. 20 from 4 - 8 p.m.
BREATHE respite care provides the gift of time away from caregiving for families who have a loved one age 5 or older with a disability. Volunteers are needed. Prayerfully consider offering your time. Contact Tom Racunas at (913) 647-3054 or send an email to: tracunas@archkck.org, or Audrey Amore at (816) 739-1197 or by email at: aamore@ sjakeepingfaith.org if you have any questions. To register a loved one for the program or to volunteer, go to the website at: www. archkck.org/specialneeds and complete the online form.
‘BREATH OF LIFE’: SANCTUARY OF HOPE BENEFIT Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish (hall) 7023 W. 71st St., Overland Park Oct. 20 from 5:30 - 10 p.m.
This annual benefit will include guest speaker, the Rev. Mari Larson, vice president of the Lutheran Ecumenical and Inter-faith Network of the ELCA. There will be cocktails, dinner and raffles. Reservations are $50 per person. Reservations can be made online at: Eventbrite. com. For more information or sponsorship opportunities, contact Julie at (913) 321-4673, or by email at: julie@sanctuaryofhope.org.
‘THE LITTLE WAY OF ST. THÉRÈSE: TO BE A SAINT IN THE 21ST CENTURY’ Marillac Center 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth Oct. 20 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
There will be a memorial liturgy for deceased loved ones followed by a grief support meeting in the Father Burak Room. The topic will be: “Managing the Holidays.” For more information, call (913) 649-2026.
Learn “The Little Way” of St. Thérèse as a personal path to sainthood through a day retreat given by Brother Joseph Schmidt, FSC. Brother Schmidt has written extensively on St. Thérèse. The donation for this retreat is $40 and includes lunch. Scholarships are available. Register online at: www.marillaccnter.org; send an email to: retreats@scls.org; or call (913) 7586552.
AUTUMN HARVEST DINNER/DANCE St. Paul Parish 900 S. Honeysuckle, Olathe Oct. 20 at 6 p.m.
BAZAAR Queen of the Holy Rosary 22779 Metcalf, Bucyrus Oct. 21 from noon - 4 p.m.
Tickets are $12 per person. Adults only (21 and over). Beer and wine will be served. Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the new Olathe Pregnancy Center. For more information, call Chris or Vicki Dieterman at (913) 780-6428.
SINGLES OF THE EUCHARIST Christ the King Parish (hall) 425 W. 85th St., Kansas City, Missouri Oct. 20 at 5 p.m.
If you are single between the ages of 40 64, join other singles for fellowship, socializing and faith sharing at the first Singles of the Eucharist meeting. Visit Facebook.com/ SinglesoftheEucharist or send an email to Terri Lynn at: SinglesoftheEucharist@gmail. com to RSVP.
CRAFT SALE - FALL AND HOLIDAY Villa St. Francis - Bloom Living 14001 W. 133rd St., Olathe Oct. 20 from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
There will be handmade items by local vendors, baked goods, a raffle for baskets by professional organizations and from each vendor. For more information, call Margie Reeder at (913) 707-5679 or send an email to: reedermk@yahoo.com.
A meal of Chicken Mary’s fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, other sides, as well as drinks and homemade desserts will be served. The cost is: $10 for adults; $5 for kids 3 - 12; free for kids 3 and under; $30 for families of two adults and three or more kids. There will also be bingo, booths, a quilt raffle and a raffle prize drawing.
RESPECT LIFE MONTH MASS Curé of Ars Parish 9405 Mission Rd., Leawood Oct. 21 at noon
Join Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann for a celebration of Mass for Respect Life Month. A light reception will follow. For more information, contact the pro-life office online at: prolife@archkck.org.
ST. PHILLIP NERI CHURCH BAZAAR Osawatomie City Auditorium 425 Main St., Osawatomie Oct. 21 from 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
There will be a dinner of homemade chicken and noodles with sides and desserts. The cost is: $10 for adults; $5 for kids from 6 - 12; and free for kids 6 and under. There will also be both live and silent auctions, a country store and children’s games.
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PANCAKE BREAKFAST TO BENEFIT SISTERS, SERVANTS OF MARY St. Patrick Parish Center 1066 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas Oct. 21 from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.
The Sisters, Servants of Mary are a religious community that provides in-home nursing care for persons who are dying or terminally ill. Tickets for the breakfast cost $6 for adults; $4 for kids under 10. Tickets can be purchased at the door or by calling (913) 371-3423. There will also be a bake sale and a variety booth sponsored by the Mary Health of the Sick Guild members.
‘PICKING UP THE PIECES: A PATH FOR SURVIVING SUICIDE’ Good Shepherd Parish (Romero Chapel) 12800 W. 75th St., Shawnee Oct. 22 from 6:30 - 8 p.m.
Grief counselor Mark Fenton will speak on “Lessons from Suicide,” followed by his mother-in-law Jeanie Nestell, who will talk about surviving the suicide of her son. All are welcome.
JESUIT FRIENDS AND ALUMNI NETWORK KICKOFF BREAKFAST Rockhurst University (Greenlease Library) 5211 Troost Ave., Kansas City, Missouri Oct. 24 at 7:30 a.m.
Did you attend a Jesuit high school or university, or make the Spiritual Exercises? If you would like to connect with like-minded alumni and friends of Jesuit/Ignatian spirituality, join us for a breakfast with Chris Lowney who will present: “Leadership Lessons From Pope Francis.” Learn more online at: www.Facebook.com/jfankc, or send an email to: jesuitfankc@gmail.com.
NATIVITY HOUSE KC FUNDRAISER DoubleTree Hotel 10100 College Blvd., Overland Park Oct. 25 from 6 - 10 p.m.
Join us for an evening of serving with purpose. There will be delicious food, drink and fellowship, as well as a silent auction. We will explore how you are blessing the lives of homeless mothers and babies in your community and how the Nativity House KC mission continues.
GIFT AND CRAFT BAZAAR St. Joseph Parish (McDevitt Hall) 11311 Johnson Dr., Shawnee Oct. 27 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
There will be more than 50 tables with creative goods and crafts available for early Christmas shopping. For information about table rental or other information, call Mary Spruk at (913) 825-0358 or send an email to: bakingrammy@yahoo.com.
DIVORCED: CALLED TO LOVE AGAIN Church of the Ascension (St. Luke Room) 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park 2nd and 4th Sundays at 7 p.m.
What’s next after divorce/annulment? Join us for a formation series on the gift of self, which helps us fulfill the call to love again. Visit our Facebook page at: www.facebook. com/giftofself143 or send an email to: calledtolove143@gmail.com.
BEGINNING EXPERIENCE HALLOWEEN DANCE FUNDRAISER St. Thomas More Parish (More Hall) 11822 Holmes Rd., Kansas City, Missouri Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.
The cost is $20 per person. There will be great music provided by The Zepster, delicious snacks, beer, wine and soda. This fundraiser provides monies for people who would like to attend a Beginning Experience weekend or the Coping with Life Alone sessions and need some financial assistance. Costumes are encouraged but not required. Have fun and win a prize!
OCTOBER 12, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
COMMENTARY TWENTY-EIGHTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME Oct. 14 TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Wis 7: 7-11 Ps 90: 12-17 Heb 4: 12-13 Mk 10: 17-30 Oct. 15 Teresa of Jesus, virgin, doctor of the church Gal 4: 22-24, 26-27; 31 – 5:1 Ps 113: 1-7 Lk 11: 29-32 Oct. 16 Hedwig, religious; Margaret Mary Alacoque, virgin Gal 5: 1-6 Ps 119: 41, 43-45, 47-48 Lk 11: 37-41 Oct. 17 Ignatius of Antioch, bishop, martyr Gal 5: 18-25 Ps 1: 1-4, 6 Lk 11: 42-46 Oct. 18 LUKE, EVANGELIST 2 Tm 4: 10-17b Ps 145: 10-13b, 17-18 Lk 10: 1-9 Oct. 19 John de Brébeuf and Issac Jogues, priests, and companions, martyrs Eph 1: 11-14 Ps 33: 1-2, 4-5, 12-13 Lk 12: 1-7 Oct. 20 Paul of the Cross, priest Eph 1: 15-23 Ps 8: 2-7 Lk 12: 8-12
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adly, it’s a common scene anymore. Head back to the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football a couple of weeks ago. Kareem Hunt had just scored what turned out to be the winning touchdown for the Chiefs. The camera showed him in the end zone celebrating with his teammates while facing some Broncos fans. Although you couldn’t hear any words (probably a good thing), you couldn’t miss the obscene gesture flashed at the Chiefs by some Denver fans in the front row. “We’re better than this” was my first thought. I wasn’t referring to who won or lost that game. I meant that we as human beings are better than the disrespectful behavior that we seem all too ready to display nowadays. It’s like a pandemic. Our political discourse has deteriorated into intractable positions and mutual distrust. Tweets and social media posts display disturbing prejudices and unfounded allegations. Violence and abuse have infiltrated workplaces and families. Someone has got to
Just asking for a little respect 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.
turn the tide. The writer Leo Tolstoy tells a wonderful story about a man who stops on the street to give some alms to a beggar. As he reaches into his pocket, however, he realizes that he left his money at home. Stammering his explanation, the man said to the beggar, “I am sorry, brother, but I have nothing.” “Nevermind, brother,” said the beggar. “That too was a gift.” (Adapted from “A Treasury of Quips, Quotes & Anecdotes for Preachers and Teachers” by Anthony Castle.)
What the beggar meant was that simply being acknowledged as a brother — rather than a bother — was a gift even better than money. In other words, the man showed respect to the beggar as a fellow human being. It’s October once again and that means Respect Life Month in the church. Naturally, we need to stay on top of the big life issues, but let’s not forget the “respect” part either. It’s in day-to-day situations that each of us has a choice to make: to be respectful or its opposite. This month is a prime time to take a refresher course on how to be respectful . . . and then to practice it. Here are some starting points: • Don’t be rude. Pepper your speech with an abundance of words like “please,” “thank you,”
“excuse me” and “I’m sorry.” • Pick up after yourself. When finished with a drinking glass, for example, don’t leave it in the family room for someone else to deal with. Instead, take it to the kitchen and put it in the sink or dishwasher. • Don’t bully others. This doesn’t just apply to kids. Watch not only the words that you use, but also the tone in which you say them. Don’t pressure others when they say “no” to a request. • Listen to your elders. Honor them by visiting frequently, especially if they live alone or in nursing facilities. • Treat the property of others with care. Pope Francis has often said that the Earth is our “common home.” Doing things like not littering or not wasting resources can be an act of respect and charity. • Take care with social media. Use it as a vehicle to truly be social (and build bridges) rather than antisocial (and sow division). • Enter into the messiness of life. Jesus didn’t avoid widows and orphans, the poor, the sick, or those considered sinners or outsiders. There’s no shortage of
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people, maybe even in our family or parish, who are struggling physically, mentally or emotionally. Reaching out to them — in person, by phone or in a letter or email — with encouragement, rather than judgment, could be a beacon of hope to a suffering soul. Vienna Cobb Anderson has written this little prayer, found on the belief.net site. How about saying it at the beginning or end of each day this Respect Life Month: “Most merciful God, there are many in this city who hate themselves, who consider their lives worthless, who have not known the healing of love. Touch them with the wonder and power of your transforming love that their lives may be made whole, that they may find fulfillment in life, that they may rejoice in your blessing.” Now back to that football game above. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had a unique response to those angry fans. He pretended to take their “offending fingers” and put them in his pocket. His unexpected, respectful and humorous response may be just what we need to turn the tide.
Did the rich man reconsider his decision? Should we?
“J
esus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so.” This song, widely used by children in vacation Bible school and originating from our evangelical brothers and sisters, reminds us of the love that God has for all of us. It repeats the point that this Bible verse makes: “Christ loved us and handed himself over for us” (Eph 5:2). Jesus loves all of us. So why does this Sunday’s Gospel reading, Mk 10:17-30, single out one man in particular as the object of Jesus’ love. It tells us: “Jesus, looking at him, loved him.” The man in question has approached Jesus
THE GOSPEL TRUTH
FATHER MIKE STUBBS Father Stubbs is the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University.
for spiritual guidance. He asks Jesus: “Good teacher, what must I do
to inherit eternal life?” The man is apparently speaking in all sincerity. Unlike the opponents of Jesus who would often pose difficult questions to Jesus in an effort to trip him up, the man is honestly seeking the truth. The statement that Jesus loved him may reflect the favor with which Jesus was
looking upon the man’s attitude of heart. It also might be explained through the words that Jesus immediately addresses to the man: “You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” These challenging words may not strike us as an expression of love. But, in fact, they embody the love that Jesus felt for the man. The invitation to join Jesus in his life of sacrificial love was spoken out of the love that Jesus bore for this man. The song tells us: “Jesus loves me! This I know.” We know that the love that Jesus has for us results in a similar
challenge to all of us. He invites us to follow him, take up our cross and continue his ministry. That is why we hear this Gospel reading, so that the words spoken by Jesus to the rich man may also be directed to us. In the Gospel reading, the rich man goes away sad, “for he had many possessions.” But he left with Jesus’ words ringing in his ears. Did he reconsider his decision? We do not know. The story is somewhat open-ended, like many in the Gospels. And the story of our own lives is also open-ended. There is still hope for us. It all depends upon the decision that we make in response to the Gospel.
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POPE FRANCIS
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Christians have guardian angels to encourage and guide them so they won’t become sluggish on their journey in life, Pope Francis said. Without the guidance of angels, men and women who become settled in their ways and put “their life on hold” are in danger of becoming like stagnant water, the pope said Oct. 2 in his homily during morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae.
“So many people don’t know how to walk or are afraid of taking a risk and they remain still,” the pope said. “But we know the rule is that a person who is stationary ends up stagnating like water. When water is still, the mosquitoes come, they lay eggs and ruin everything. The angel helps us, he pushes us to walk.” Commemorating the day’s memorial of the guardian angels, the pope quoted from the Book of Exodus in which God promises the people of Israel that he is “sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared.” Guardian angels, the pope said, are the help “the Lord promises his people and us who walk along the path of life.” — CNS
OCTOBER 12, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
COMMENTARY
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Dazed and confused: Catholics under attack
oday’s worldview of politics, policies and culture is enough to leave Catholics in the pew dazed and confused. God-gifted truths about the human person and what’s best for society are suddenly being questioned and replaced with absurd declarations. Consider the assault against Catholic teaching about the very nature and sanctity of marriage, uttered by a Kansas state senator: “It’s sick discrimination.” This bizarre attack came during debate of the Adoption Protection Act. As the top Catholic legislative priority for the 2018 legislative
CHURCH AND STATE
CHUCK WEBER Chuck Weber is the executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference.
session, the APA was subjected to a vicious onslaught. The APA sought to safeguard faith-based adoption agencies like
Catholic Charities, allowing them to practice their “deeply held religious beliefs.” These agencies sought the right to do what they’d always done: place orphans for adoption in homes with a married husband and wife. The legislation affirmed three core beliefs of the Catholic Church: the sanctity of
human life, the nature of marriage and the fundamental right of religious liberty. What should have been a foregone conclusion turned into a protracted, hostile battle. The APA eventually passed with the bare minimum of votes and was signed into law. The wider war on Catholic thought continues. The perfect storm is upon us. The clergy sex abuse scandal — a despicable disgrace — signals to some of our opponents that it’s “open season” on Catholicism itself. My heart echoes the shame expressed by Kansas’ bishops. I share their horror at the atrocities perpetrated against abuse victims, the vast majority of which
occurred prior to 2002. Concrete steps seeking forgiveness and providing reparation will continue. Practices ensuring a safer environment for our children are working, but our vigilance must be constantly renewed. What does all this mean for the Kansas Catholic in the pew? With the 2018 election cycle upon us, we should be ever mindful that faithful Catholic citizenship and political decisions, like each of our daily decisions, should be driven by a strong prayer life and Catholic teaching. Not all issues carry the same weight. The defense of life from conception to natural death is our first foundational social value from which all others flow.
Protecting marriage between one man and one woman and religious liberty are also Catholic priorities. If we prioritize these issues, hearts and minds will follow in advocacy for other areas, including educational opportunity for marginalized families, justice for the immigrant, quality health care for the disenfranchised and more. Resist the temptation of despair, or worse, indifference. Be respectful and persistent in asking questions when engaging in the political process. Most importantly, place yourself in quiet prayer before the Blessed Sacrament and seek his will, his mind. God is with us.
To ride out the maelstrom, hold onto the Lord
I
was recently at the Christ Our Life Conference in Des Moines, Iowa. While there were many speakers, even Bishop Robert Barron, one of my favorites was Cardinal Thomas Collins, the archbishop of Toronto. He talked about holding onto our faith amid the scandal that’s going on in the church. He used the analogy of a maelstrom. One definition of a maelstrom is “a powerful whirlpool in a sea, river or ocean.” But the second definition was the one that related to what was happening in our church today: “a situation or state of
DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU
RICK CHEEK Rick Cheek is the associate consultant for the office of evangelization and Catholic formation of youth.
confused movement or violent turmoil.” Cardinal Collins told
the story of a man in a boat who got caught in a maelstrom. Assessing the situation, he noticed the barrels that were on the boat were floating to the top while the boat was sinking. Thinking quickly he caught hold of one of the barrels and made it safely to the top
while the boat sank. From a few conversations I’ve had with parents, their children are really struggling with what’s going on in the church. It seems to give them all the more reason not to go to Mass or leave the church altogether. However, it is important that we sit down with our children who are questioning their faith and listen to them. Ask them to share what they are feeling and let them know that you will listen and help them through whatever issues or questions they may have. It’s easy to blame the church for what’s going on today, but it’s not the church.
I love what Pope Francis said in one of his general audiences: Jesus’ love for sinners shows that the church is not “a community of perfect people, but disciples on a path who follow the Lord because they recognize themselves as sinners and in need of his forgiveness.” It is so important to pray for our church and, even more so, for our leaders. In his talk Sunday morning, Cardinal Collins shared that it is so important to know our faith and know it well, and to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. There are many opportunities to help
young people cultivate a relationship with Jesus through Teens Encounter Christ, Camp Tekakwitha, National Catholic Youth Conference, March for Life and Junior High Youth Rally as well as other experiences through their schools and youth ministry programs. For parents, there are classes through the School of Faith that can help you go deeper in your faith as well. As we continue to move forward through this maelstrom, let us take time to pray from the heart so we can grab hold of the barrel that is Jesus Christ and rise to the top.
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OCTOBER 12, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
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THE MASTER
Volunteer puts the polish in parish grounds She volunteers about eight hours a week at the church, splitting it into two, four-hour shifts. Hot temperatures and LATHE — Carol Gast the potential for poison ivy can be a doesn’t mind getting her challenge, not to mention thorns. But it’s hands dirty — especially been worth it, she said. “I’m hearing positive comments alwhen it gives her the chance ready,” Gast said. “People say it looks to flex her green thumb. Gast, a Master Gardener, volunteers nice, even though I don’t feel like I’m her time to spruce up the grounds of her making a huge difference. But I do think it looks a little more polished.” church, Prince of Peace in Olathe. Gast converted to Catholicism 33 Gast is new to Prince of Peace, having years ago and recently enrolled in the joined only a month ago. She was lookRCIA program to “fill in the gaps” of her ing for an opportunity to combine her sense of service with her love of horti- Catholic education. She and her husband of 40 years, Reg, culture. One look at are longtime Overits expansive parish land Park residents. grounds, and Gast Their one son, Cal, was certain she his wife Leslie and could help. “I’M HEARING POSITIVE their four daughters “I’ve always had COMMENTS ALREADY. live close by. a big interest in Eventually, Gast landscaping, maybe PEOPLE SAY IT LOOKS NICE. hopes to pass on her because my dad of gardening to had an interest in . . . I DO THINK IT LOOKS A love her granddaughters. it, too. When I reCaring for the tired, I was able LITTLE MORE POLISHED.” grounds of a church to go through the can be overwhelmMaster Gardener ing, but Gast has certification training and do what I love,” she said. “I really help. John Kimmi, a member of the enjoy shrubs more than annuals, because parish facilities maintenance staff, lends shrubs are always there. I live on acre- a hand with the bags of weeds and debris. age, so I have plenty of opportunities to Gast uses her own garden tools. She understands how overwhelming gardening garden.” After a 23-year career at Sprint, Gast’s can be and encourages homeowners to retirement led her to the Johnson County use the resources of the K-State ExtenK-State Research and Extension Master sion office. “Homeowners need to know the Gardener (EMG) class. The organization accepts 30 participants at a time for names of the shrubs they have, the age of weeks of study in the disciplines of hor- the shrub and where it is planted (sun or shade),” Gast said. “If they are uncertain, ticulture. The selection process considers they can bring a fresh twig to the K-State garden experience, volunteer experience Extension office, about eight inches long, and overall enthusiasm for public service with leaves attached and we will help identify the shrub. and the mission of the EMG program. “K-State Extension has an abunParticipants then volunteer at the extension service. Gast volunteered her time at dance of information, such as how to the organization’s gardening hotline and prune, when to prune, watering needs and growth habits of the shrub. Be cernow helps with its public garden tours. When she started volunteering at tain you are reading about shrub care for our area (plant hardiness zone) and Prince of Peace, Gast worked hard to using a website that is educational or clean out its gardens — removing weeds research-based.” and Bermuda and crab grass from the beautifully landscaped grounds. By Susan Fotovich McCabe Special to The Leaven
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LEAVEN PHOTO BY MATT MCCABE
Master Gardener Carol Gast works to spruce up the grounds at Prince of Peace Parish in Olathe. Gast volunteers about eight hours a week to keep the parish’s plants and shrubs looking beautiful.
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