10 21 16 Vol 38 No 11

THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 38, NO. 11 | OCTOBER 21, 2016

The best form of chaos surrounds Benedictine College graduate Sarah Krapes as she plays with children at Mount Carmel Elementary School in Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize, during recess.

MISSION TRIP

Bet you can’t make just one Story and photos by

B

MOIRA CULLINGS

ENQUE VIEJO DEL CARMEN, Belize — Millions of Americans will go on a shortterm mission trip this year and experience the inevitable sorrow of leaving behind the lives they’ve touched.

But alumni of Benedictine College in Atchison are pushing the boundaries on the impact these types of visits can make — on both sides of the equation.

“I knew [when I started college that] I wanted to go on at least one [mission trip],” said Erin Hunninghake, one of several Benedictine alumni who spent time volunteering in Belize during her college years.

“But I never thought it would grab

The Benedictine graduates, who have come back to Belize every year since their first trip, hike to the outskirts of town to bring donations to a young mother of a new baby. hold of me the way it did and keep me coming back year after year,” she added.

Hunninghake’s experience was nothing new. The Belize mission trip has been known to open doors for the students who experience it.

“I had never been out of the country before, let alone seen the poverty of a Third World country,” said Pam Heiman about her first trip to the Central American country. “I had no idea it would be as life-changing as it

was to me.”

Sarah Krapes believes the leap of faith she took in participating in the Belize trip during her junior year was one of the best decisions of her life.

“Being able to volunteer in a developing country, but a very poor town, was an eye-opening experience,” she said.

Heiman agreed. >> Story continues on page 8

OCTOBER 21, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

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2

Pilgrimages lead us to historic sites — then into prayer

his past Sunday, Oct. 16, I left with more than 50 pilgrims for the Holy Land. The pilgrimage is sponsored by the Northern Lieutenancy of the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. The mission of the order is to preserve the Christian shrines and to assist the Christians of the Holy Land.

We arrived in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Mon., Oct. 17, and traveled by bus to Tiberius in Galilee. On Tuesday, we were able to visit and celebrate Mass at the chapel on the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount.

Later in the day, we visited Tabgha, where Jesus performed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fish.

We also visited the Chapel of the Primacy, the site where Jesus declared Peter to be the rock upon which he would build the church.

Later, we enjoyed a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, where Peter and some of the other apostles fished and where Jesus walked on water and calmed the stormy sea.

We visited Capernaum where Jesus spent a significant amount of time. It is sometimes referred to as the “second city” of Jesus. In Caper-

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN naum, we visited Peter’s house where Jesus healed Peter’s motherin-law.

On Wed., Oct. 19, we began the day by visiting Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle at a wedding feast. The married couples on our pilgrimage had the opportunity to renew their marriage vows. I also prayed at Cana for our initiative to strengthen marriage and family life in the archdiocese.

From Cana, we went to Nazareth where Jesus grew up. There, we visited the Church of the Annunciation, built over the place revered as where the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary.

It is there that Mary gave her “fiat” — her “yes,” to God’s amazing plan for her role in salvation history.

From there, we went to Mount Tabor, the site of the transfiguration, where Jesus appeared in his glory to Peter, James, and John — the same three that he would ask to pray with him in the Garden of Gethsemane.

It was in the Basilica of the Transfiguration that we celebrated Mass.

On Thurs., Oct. 20, we crossed into Jordan to visit a parish and school that receives financial support from the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulcher.

We celebrated Mass in the parish church.

Today, Oct. 21, we will celebrate Mass and renew our baptismal promises at the place on the Jordan River where it is believed that Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.

Later in the day, we will return to Israel and visit Qumran, the site of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as visit the ancient ruins of an Essene community. It is believed that

John the Baptist was affiliated with the Essenes — a very devout sect of Judaism during the time of Jesus. There is some evidence that many of Our Lord’s disciples were affiliated with, or at least influenced by, the Essenes.

In the evening, we will arrive in Jerusalem, where we will stay the next six nights at the Notre Dame Center which is located just across the street from the Old City.

I apologize if this week’s column sounds like a travelogue. However, it is important for us to realize that the locations we read about in the Gospels are actual places. Jesus is a historical person, not a mythical figure.

Over the course of our pilgrimage, we will visit the actual places associated with 19 of the 20 mysteries of the rosary. As you can imagine, it is not possible, this side of death, to visit the place where Jesus crowned Mary, Queen of Heaven. The Holy Land is sometimes referred to as the “fifth Gospel,” because it brings to life so vividly the four Gospels.

Please know that I carry you and your intentions with me in prayer. It has been wonderful to see fellow Christian pilgrims from all over the world. While Jesus is a historical

person who lived and died, Jesus — unlike anyone else — rose from the dead. Jesus still lives and is animating the life of his disciples today.

People ask me sometimes: What is the difference between a vacation and a pilgrimage?

While there are similarities between a vacation and a pilgrimage, the key difference is prayer.

On a pilgrimage, we are not just visiting interesting historical sites, but each place we visit leads us into prayer. Through prayer, we actually enter into conversation with Jesus as we visit the sites that were important to his life and ministry.

If you are interested in making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, I encourage you to visit the School of Faith’s website. Mike Scherschligt leads phenomenal pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Please pray for me and all my fellow pilgrims that we take advantage of all the graces Our Lord desires to give us during these special days.

Finally, I hope many of you are joining me in making Father Michael Gaitley’s self-administered retreat, “33 Days to Merciful Love.” Our retreat began on Tues., Oct. 18. If you missed the first few days, you can still catch up and join us in this spiritual adventure. The retreat

ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN Oct. 28 Red Mass Oct. 29 Catholic Education Foundation Gaudeamus event — Overland Park Convention Center Oct. 30 Pastoral visit — Curé of Ars, Leawood Project Andrew — Most Pure Heart of Mary, Topeka Oct. 31 Immaculata High School eucharistic adoration — St. Joseph Church, Leavenworth

ARCHBISHOP KELEHER Oct. 25-26 Bishops retreat — Chicago Oct. 29 Catholic Education Foundation Gaudeamus event — Overland Park Convention Center Oct. 30 Federal camp Mass

concludes on the eve of the solemnity of Christ the King, when all the retreatants will be invited to make a consecration to Divine Mercy.

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OCTOBER 21, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

3

THEY REMAIN

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

Stephen Ministers talk among themselves at a peer supervision meeting. They are, from left, Ana Maria Sauer, Dan Carrigan, Maurice Sadowsky, Melanie Irwin, Michael Steimley and Sharon Costello.

Ministry walks alongside those who are struggling

By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org

L

EAWOOD — They call themselves the “after people.”

They are the people who, when everyone else leaves, remain.

They are the Stephen Ministers.

For Chris Callegari, the “after” meant the weeks and months following the funeral of his son Nick. “[My wife and I] only had ourselves to talk to,” said Callegari.

Callegari said he was used to solving problems for his family. Yet, he couldn’t fix the pain he and his wife Lori felt.

When Father Brian Schieber, pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood, suggested Stephen Ministry, they agreed to try it.

Founded in St. Louis by the Rev. Kenneth C. Haugk, Stephen Ministry is a lay-based approach to caring and supporting members of a congregation.

Using his seminary and clinical psychological training, Rev. Haugk trained lay members of the congregation to listen to and walk alongside fellow members who were struggling.

The first nine caregivers were commissioned in March 1975. Since then, more than 600,000 members of more than 12,000 Protestant and Catholic congregations have been trained as Stephen Ministers.

At least two archdiocesan parishes, Holy Spirit in Overland Park and St. Mi-

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

chael the Archangel, have established ministries. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Topeka is preparing to launch its ministry in January, and other parishes are considering it.

In 2010, then-pastor of St. Michael Father Bill Porter was looking for a way to extend his reach. With a parish of 2,000 families, according to Deacon Mark Stukel, Father Porter “didn’t have arms to reach out to his parishioners the way he wanted to.”

Father Porter and the staff learned of Stephen Ministry in 2010. By the next year, Deacon Mark Stukel his wife Kim had been asked to lead the ministry.

The couple spent a week in training in January 2012. That April, they started training parishioners. Since then, more than 65 parishioners have trained in three classes.

The ministry consists of Stephen Leaders, Stephen Ministers and care receivers. Leaders coordinate the overall ministry; ministers provide care and support to fellow parishioners known as care receivers.

The ministry does not provide counseling, nor is it designed to encourage people to return to the sacraments, although that sometimes happens. According to Lisa Sizemore, the parish’s referral coordinator along with her husband Herb, the ministry is simply about presence.

When a parishioner calls the parish office or the confidential Stephen

Ministry number, Lisa returns the call within a few hours. She then establishes a time to visit the person in the home to explain the process and gather more information.

During the home visit, Lisa said she promises the care receiver a Stephen Minister will call within 24 to 48 hours.

Upon her return home, the Sizemores pray for guidance, then Lisa calls a Stephen Minister she thinks might be a good fit.

“What I promise every care receiver is safe, quiet, faith-filled and confidential care,” said Lisa.

In four years, nearly 100 care receivers have been matched successfully.

(The Stephen Minister can decline the assignment if he or she doesn’t feel it’s a good fit.) There’s not been one match, Lisa said, that has not worked well.

In Callegari’s case, his Stephen Minister had also lost a child. As a result, he could relate with many of the emotions Callegari has experienced in the past year.

“It’s very helpful to be able to discuss your feelings with someone else,” said Callegari.

“Oftentimes, there are feelings you cannot share with your family and friends,” he added.

And while Stephen Ministers provide care, they grow, too, in the process.

Although a cradle Catholic, parishioner Melanie Irwin said she’d never previously gotten involved with any parish ministry.

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

Production Manager Todd Habiger todd.habiger@theleaven.org

Reporter Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org

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“I liked the idea of helping one-onone,” she said. “I’m getting way more out of this than I ever expected to.

“It’s changed me,” Irwin continued.

“I’m more content with myself. I’m a happier person. I’m less anxious.

“I’ve just been able to put more trust in God.” “When you’re going to ‘be Christ’ to someone, you have to know him,” said Irwin. “That’s really what Stephen Ministry does. You’re being Christ to someone else.”

Sometimes listening can be challenging. So, every two weeks all Stephen Ministers come together under the guidance of Deacon Stukel for prayer and sharing.

“They listen to me. They will give me support,” said Irwin, adding that a care receiver’s deep crisis can affect the minister personally.

“People go through all kinds of things,” she said. “We’re there to listen.

We’re not there to fix the problem.

We’re there to walk with them, to listen to them.”

In listening, Deacon Stukel said the parish, too, has experienced growth.

“Evangelization is opening up your heart to someone — not preaching, but just being present. This is the ministry of presence, but it’s so important that people do that.

“It’s how the church becomes the church and not just a building.”

Published weekly September through May, excepting the Friday the week after Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Christmas; biweekly June through August. Address communications to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Phone: (913) 721-1570; fax: (913) 721-5276; or e-mail at: sub@theleaven.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109.

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OCTOBER 21, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

4

Seven considerations while navigating infertility

W

e often assume parenthood happens easily after “I do,” but for many married couples, it does not. For some, the joy of conception never happens. Others suffer repeated miscarriages. Still others experience secondary infertility: After giving birth to one or more children, they are unable to have another.

The pain can become overwhelming. Social media posts of pregnancies, baby announcements or pictures of newborns may intensify feelings of being alone in the ache for a child. Attending baby showers and being around children or pregnant women can be excruciating.

If you experience difficulty bringing a child into your family, know that you are not alone. God is with you, and his church desires to walk with you. The following suggestions may be helpful to you on this journey.

1.

Start with prayer: God has a beautiful plan for your life as a married couple. Seek his guidance, and let the healing power of prayer, a conversation in which “heart speaks unto heart,” strengthen you. Pope Francis encourages us to pray not only with commonly known prayers, “but also to pray in our own words.”

5.

Be aware of “treatments” that destroy life: Some procedures are problematic for multiple reasons.

For example, beyond its unethical nature (as per the previous section), in vitro fertilization often involves the tragic loss of human life. Children in the embryonic stage are frequently discarded — or frozen — without ever being implanted into their mother’s womb. And if multiple babies are implanted, doctors may suggest performing a “fetal reduction” by killing one or more to increase the survival chances of the strongest child in utero. While a baby might eventually be born, his or her tiny siblings may be destroyed in the process.

2.

Connect with others: A mentorship, a faith-based support group or spiritual direction can offer comfort and provide new perspectives. Sharing your struggles with family, friends or a therapist can also help ease the pain. Ask the saints for their intercession and reflect upon the biblical stories of Sarah and Abraham, Hannah and Elkanah, and Elizabeth and Zechariah.

3.

Seek to understand the church’s teaching: The sexual act expresses the marital covenant, repeating over and over again, “I give myself to you entirely, unreservedly, holding nothing back.” In this mutual gift of self, so all-encompassing that it includes the potential for procreation, a husband and wife are united as one, giving full expression to their love. These two aspects of sexuality, the unitive and the procreative, are intertwined and are not meant to be separated.

Suppressing the possibility of conception (i.e., contraceptive use) and creating life outside the marital sexual act (i.e., use of some reproductive technologies) both work against God’s plan for married love and the gift of life. Pope Francis explains that “a child deserves to be born of that love” expressed between a husband

and wife in intercourse “and not by any other means, for ‘he or she is not something owed . . . but is a gift.’”

4.

Learn the difference between ethical and unethical interventions: Applying the church’s teaching means that, in short, procedures that introduce a third party into the process (such as surrogates or sperm/egg donors) are not morally acceptable. Additionally, substituting a laboratory action or anything else for intercourse, such as artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization, is also morally unacceptable. However, treatments that help facilitate conception through marital intercourse are morally ethical.

6.

Make a plan: Do you know there are medical options consistent with Church teaching that have statistically significantly higher rates of achieving pregnancy than IVF? Learn about these, fertility awareness practices and other treatments that also respect your marriage and any children who may be conceived. If you have sought to bring a child into your family through ways not in keeping with God’s plan for life and married love, have hope.

The Lord welcomes us in the sacrament of reconciliation, where we can receive the loving mercy and forgiveness we each need. With prayer and an informed conscience, work together as a couple to create a plan that takes into consideration the desire for children along with moral principles, finances, medical realities and your

overall well-being (both individually and as a couple). Locate a trained specialist or doctor who honors your plan and has training in methods of assistance that are in keeping with church teaching.

7.

Keep your marriage healthy: Handling the uncertainties of infertility is a challenge for even the strongest marriages. Once engaged in treatment, it can become easy to focus more on the process than on each other. However, communication and mutual decision-making are vital. Staying intimately connected can help make it easier to manage lifestyle changes, reordering of priorities, physical discomfort, career disruption and difficulties with insensitive people.

Hold fast to the constant truth of God’s love for you. “To couples who cannot have children of their own,” St. John Paul II affirmed, “you are no less loved by God; your love for each other is complete and fruitful when it is open to others” and their needs. In times of suffering, Pope Francis notes, “we sense a powerful need for someone to be close and feel compassion for us.” You are not alone: “Jesus ‘does not abandon those whom he loves.’”

Even if we ourselves do not experience difficulty bearing children, we can be channels of God’s mercy for those who do. Learn how to show compassion sensitively from a short list of suggested dos and don’ts online at: www.usccb.org/respectlife.

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OCTOBER 21, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

Local nun explores Catholic-Lutheran unity

By Therese Horvat Special to The Leaven

L

EAVENWORTH — Symbolic of the spirit behind contemporary ecumenical dialogue, the cover of the new book co-authored by Sister Susan K. Wood, SCL, theologian, features a photo of Pope Francis shaking hands with a Lutheran woman bishop.

“The handshake is perfect,” said Sister Susan. “It represents the unity toward which we are striving. The pope’s eyes are kind and engaging.”

Sister Susan, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth and professor of theology at Marquette University, Milwaukee, has been active in Lutheran-Catholic dialogue since the early 1990s. The internationally recognized theologian describes Pope Francis as a promoter of unity and a very relational leader.

She points to his apostolic exhortation “Gaudium Evangelii” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), in which the pope emphasizes the necessity of this dialogue. In addition, Pope Francis has reached out to form relationships with leaders of other denominations and world religions.

The pope will be in Lund, Sweden, on Oct. 31 to help launch the 500th anniversary observance of the Lutheran Reformation. Welcoming him at the Lund Cathedral will be Archbishop Antje Jackelén of the Church of Sweden (pictured with Pope Francis on the cover of Sister Susan’s new book).

As a member of the Lutheran-Catholic Commission on Unity, Sister Susan plans to attend the inaugural event.

The Lutheran World Federation and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity are hosting this gathering.

Leading up to commemoration of the anniversary, there was a three-day Catholic-Lutheran international seminar in Rome this past May at which Sister Susan gave the concluding lecture. In an interview with Vatican Radio following the seminar, Sister Susan stressed the importance of theological work for ecumenism, combined with grassroots efforts to promote dialogue through friendships and shared mission. She said that divisions need to be healed at their roots, which were doctrinal at the time of the Reformation in 1517.

Also, in advance of the anniversary, Paulist Press recently published “A Shared Spiritual Journey: Lutherans and Catholics Traveling toward Unity.”

Sister Susan co-authored the book with the Rev. Timothy J. Wengert, Lutheran historian of the Reformation.

Local roots, global experience Sister Susan’s path to becoming a

Sister Susan Wood, SCL, has co-authored the book, “A Shared Spiritual Journey: Lutherans and Catholics Traveling toward Unity.” theologian began in northeast Kansas.

She attended Catholic elementary schools in Johnson County and graduated from Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park. After her freshman year at the University of Saint Mary, Leavenworth, she joined the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. She double majored in English and French, taught at Hayden High School in Topeka and was a French instructor at USM. During a retreat in 1973, Sister Susan began thinking that she wanted to study theology. Her retreat master called this a distraction.

But her mind and heart told Sister Susan otherwise. She sought opportunities to teach religion at Hayden and took theology classes at USM. In 1981, Sister Susan received permission from the Sisters of Charity community to pursue doctoral studies at Marquette.

She earned her doctorate in record time and returned to Leavenworth where she taught college-level theology for six years.

Still, the call to be a theologian — a scholar engaged in theological conversations, a “producer” and not only a “consumer” of theology — persisted for Sister Susan. Again, with the green light from Sisters of Charity leadership, she began her job quest. Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, became Sister Susan’s home for the next 13 years. It was her first exposure to Benedictine spirituality and hospitality. She recalls it as a wonderful, nurturing place.

During her tenure at Saint John’s, Sister Susan was an active committee member in the process that produced the only handwritten and illuminated Bible commissioned by a Benedictine monastery in more than 500 years.

It was also during this time that she received an invitation that proved foundational to her extensive ecumenical work. Sister Susan joined a group of young theologians from various faith traditions who met twice a

year, studied and developed papers.

“I didn’t know about Protestant beliefs, and I started out unfamiliar with what we were discussing,” she says. “But if a door opens, I walk through it, and this was my introduction to theological conversation in a different faith world.”

Next came her 1994 appointment by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to the committee to review the “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.” This document was a giant step forward for Lutheran-Catholic relations. Since that time, Sister Susan has been at the table for ongoing discussions and what is called “Lutheran-Catholic dialogue.” She’s also received appointments to the dialogue between the U.S. Catholics and the Baptist World Alliance, and the U.S. Orthodox-Catholic Theological Consultation.

Recruited by Marquette, Sister Susan returned to teach at the Milwaukee campus in 2005. She served as chair of the theology department for six years and remains a professor at the university. She has written four books, two edited volumes, numerous articles and book chapters. Her theological writing generally focuses on issues of ministry, sacramental theology, ecclesiology and ecumenism. From 2014-15, Sister Susan was president of the Catholic Theological Society of America.

Ecumenical wish list She believes ecumenical dialogue should be rooted in the expression of Christ’s will that “we all be one.” Sister Susan sees the practical value of this dialogue in the reality that the majority of marriages occur between people of different faiths who face issues regarding the religious upbringing of their children and reception of Communion by both spouses at Mass.

On another level, the theologian says that Christians are called to witness to their faith in the secular and religious worlds. Bitter interactions between Christians on matters of faith and religion obstruct this potential witness. On Sister Susan’s ecumenical wish list is the hope that Pope Francis would make a grand gesture to remove some of the obstacles that prevent church unity.

Marking her golden anniversary this year as a Sister of Charity, Sister Susan is committed to her vocation as a theologian.

“I remain convinced of my vocation to be a theologian, discerned at that retreat in 1973 and tested ever since,” she said. “I find theology to be enormously creative — taking doctrines of faith seriously and making them come alive in a lived experience, finding connecting points that transcend differences.”

5

OBITUARIES

Sister Ellen Dore, SCL

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EAVENWORTH — Sister Ellen Dore, 85, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth for 66 years, died Oct. 1 at the motherhouse here.

Marie Helen Dore was born on Aug. 7, 1931 in Denver, one of three children of John and Helen (Weiss) Dore.

She graduated from Annunciation grade and high schools in Denver, and Saint Mary College, Leavenworth, where she received both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education.

She entered the religious community of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth on Aug. 18, 1950, and, as Sister Ellen, made her profession of vows on Aug. 15, 1952.

Sister Ellen served as teacher and principal in parochial schools across the West and Midwest for 35 years before serving as a volunteer in various ministries. She retired to the motherhouse in 2004.

Sister Kathryn O’Neill, SCL

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EAVENWORTH — Sister Kathryn O’Neill, 94, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth for 75 years, died Oct. 6 at the motherhouse here.

Kathryn Mary O’Neill was born on June 21, 1922, in Livingston, Montana, the fourth of six children of John and Clara (Tuma) O’Neill. She graduated from St. Mary Grade School and Park County High School in Livingston.

After one year of studying nursing at Saint Mary College in Leavenworth, she entered the religious community of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth on June 15, 1941, and, as Sister John Baptist, made her profession of vows on Dec. 19, 1942.

She later returned to the use of her baptismal name.

After making vows, Sister Kathryn went to St. John Hospital School of Nursing in Helena, Montana, where she became a registered nurse in 1945. She later received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Saint Mary College in 1951.

She worked in Sisters of Charity hospitals for 25 years in varied positions, including bedside nursing and administrative assignments. In 1970, she assumed responsibility as administrator of the City-County Home Health Agency in Butte, Montana. Sister Kathryn later established a hospital-based home health/ hospice agency at DePaul Hospital in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and revamped an existing home health agency in her native Livingston.

Sister Kathryn retired to the motherhouse in 2007.

OCTOBER 21, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

WORKERS thein VINEYARD

TOOLS FOR FAMILIES Growing as Disciples of Jesus

Striking lives are simply focused lives

I

t strikes us married couples how ordered the lives of the religious are. Their vocations and vows determine their entire lives — all they do and don’t do daily!

But perhaps what should really strike us married couples is that our vocations and vows aren’t determinARTWORK BY NEILSON CARLIN, 2015 ing our entire lives — all we do and don’t do daily.

• Reread your (three) vows.

• Choose one concrete way to put each vow into practice daily this week.

— By Mike Dennihan, School of Love

WEBSITE EXCLUSIVE

CHURCH OF THE WEEK

St. Joseph, Leavenworth Address: 306 N. Broadway Phone: (913) 682-3953 Mass Times: Saturday, 4 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m.

Pastor: Father David McEvoy, O.Carm.

Email: icsj@sbcglobal.net

Website: http://www.icsj.org MORE PHOTOS AND A VIDEO TOUR of this church can be seen online at: www.theleaven.org.

WEBSITE EXCLUSIVE

TEAM OF THE WEEK Bishop Ward boys soccer

Head coach: Art Conejo Record: 3-10 Next game: Bishop Ward’s regular season ended on Oct. 20.

Regional playoffs are scheduled to be played Oct. 24 or 25.

ONLINE

• VIDEO REPORT: Learn more about the Bishop Ward soccer team with Todd Habiger’s Team of the Week report.

• PHOTOS: Check out Doug Hesse’s photo gallery from the Oct. 10 varsity game against Schlagle High School.

All this and more can be found online at: www.theleaven.org.

The sacristan: My work is my prayer

In the famous parable, some came early and some came late. But the wages for all were everlasting life. Are you toiling in the Lord’s vineyard yet?

Join us here every week to meet one of the folks The Leaven has discovered hard at work building the kingdom — sometimes in the most unusual ways.

S

ENECA — When Cleta Renyer moved here nearly 13 years ago, she was asked if she’d like to be the volunteer sacristan at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish by then-pastor Father Roderick Giller, OSB. Renyer had been the sacristan at her previous parish — but she didn’t want the job.

“I said, ‘Father, you have a big parish. You don’t need me.

You’ve got people here,’” said Renyer.

“For three Sundays in a row, the bulletin said: ‘We need a sacristan,’” recalled Renyer.

“I told myself: If it’s in the bulletin next week, I’ll be the sacristan,” she said.

“It was.”

And sacristan she became.

One of the most important virtues of a good sacristan is consistency. Since the Mass is celebrated every day, the sacristan has to fulfill his or her responsibilities come rain or shine.

The ministry of the sacristan is simply this: to make sure the sacred space is ready for Mass and that the priest has everything he needs.

In most aspects, the ministry is rather mundane.

Renyer orders the hosts and the wine. She orders oil and wicks for the candles and makes sure they’re ready. She makes sure the altar cloths and purificators are available, and she washes the servers’ albs. She makes sure the area around the altar is clean.

Renyer’s responsibilities include daily Mass, Saturday evening Mass and the early 7 a.m. Sunday Mass. She also serves as sacristan for weddings and funerals.

Of all the things she’s responsible for, there’s one thing she’s not: the thermostat.

“The people in the parish think I should turn the air conditioning up or down, but I can’t order Father to do that,” said Renyer with a chuckle.

And don’t get her started on the Communion wine used.

The sacristan has no say and

T

Cleta Renyer has been a sacristan at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Seneca for nearly 13 years. She has a laundry list of things that need to be done — just don’t tell her the church is too warm or too cold. just orders the priest’s preference.

By no means, however, is being a sacristan a “Lone Ranger” ministry.

Two other women, Marian Rottinghaus and Sue Haug, are sacristans for the 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday Masses. They’re also her “backups” if Renyer is unable to carry out the duties for her assigned Masses.

Additionally, Rottinghaus is the parish secretary. She’s the expert at getting wine stains out of altar cloths and purificators. Haug takes care of the eucharistic adoration chapel, among other things.

What’s the secret to being a successful sacristan? Follow your pastor’s lead, said Renyer.

“I’ve worked under four or five different priests, and every one has a different thing that they really want done. And you do what they want you to do and the way they want it done,” said Renyer.

There have been changes since she first started.

For one thing, there are the

Topeka Scout earns rank of Eagle

OPEKA — Tristan Ross Myers, a member of Boy Scout Troop 11 at Christ the King Parish here, has earned the rank of Eagle Scout.

For his Eagle project, Myers and his team removed, sanded and restained many of the benches and picnic tables surrounding Westlake Pond. He also painted trash cans and refurbished the grill.

altar cloths. They used to be linen, and ironing them to keep them wrinkle free was a hard task. The same was true for the servers’ albs.

Now, these items are made of more user-friendly, wrinkleresistant synthetic fibers.

Another change is the candles. They used to be the traditional wax candles, but now they are actually hollow and filled with lamp oil. The old wax candles would drip, and cleaning up the wax was a chore.

Here’s a tip: How do you get accumulated wax off of metal candlesticks? Heat them in the oven on the lowest setting possible. Leave a paper towel under them to catch the melted wax.

As is so often the case with parish volunteers, Renyer considers herself a “Martha,” not a “Mary.”

“This is my prayer, working at the church,” she said.

Story and photo

by Joe Bollig

EAGLE SCOUTS

The Leaven prints short Eagle Scout notices. Please include Scout’s name, troop number, parish and Eagle Scout project details. Send notices to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109, attn: Scouts; or send an email to: todd.habiger@theleaven.org.

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OCTOBER 21, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS Donald and Rose Marie (Martin) Ronnebaum, members of Immaculate Conception Parish, St. Marys, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Oct. 29 with a family dinner and an open house at the Centennial Building, 202 W. Bertrand St., St. Marys, from 2 – 3 p.m. The couple was married on Oct. 27, 1956, at St. John Church, Hanover.

Their children are: Terry Ronnebaum, Topeka; Mike Ronnebaum, Axtell; David Ronnebaum, Rossville; Jeanne Disidore, Lenexa; Linda Luthi, Wamego; and Diane Todd, Lenexa. They also have 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Liz and Jerry Bessette, members of Christ the King Parish, Topeka, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Oct. 29 with a Mass and family dinner. The couple was married at St. Mary Church, Clifton, on Oct. 29, 1966. They celebrated their anniversary with their children and grandchildren on a trip to Cancun in July. Their children are: Jeff Bessette, Overland Park; and Angela Muller, Greensboro, North Carolina. They also have six grandsons.

Tom and Norma (Tourbier) Clark, members of Immaculate Conception Parish, Louisburg, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Oct. 30 with family and friends. The couple was married on Oct. 27, 1956, at Sacred Heart Church, Salina. Their children are: Jeannie Karber, Cypress, Texas; Susan Cummings, Atchison; Tom Clark Jr., Shawnee; and Donna Bingham, Kansas City, Missouri.

Richard and Marian (Stuke) Kaberline, members of Sacred Heart-St. Joseph Parish, Topeka, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Oct. 1 with a Mass of thanksgiving followed by a family dinner.

The couple was married on Oct. 20, 1956, at Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Seneca, by Father Edward Schmitz, OSB. Their children are: Gerard Kaberline (deceased); Gina Kaelin-Westcott; Craig Kaberline; and Scott Kaberline. They also have six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Mass at 9 a.m. on Nov. 5

MT. CALVARY, KCK Lupe Alvarez Carole M. Bartolac Christine Blount-Mcguire Mary Bobski Mary Ann Boyle Virginia M. Buford-Gorman Dorothy B. Bustamante Patricia Calderon Eulalia Castellano Lauro R. Chavarria-Gonzales Patricia J. Cornejo Ryan E. Dame Donald T. Delich Vincent P. Del Percio Dorothy L. Dusek Harriet G. Eriks Stella Ferlas Rose Fortune John D. Grosko John Hallouer Loretta L. Hamilton Joyce A. Hedge Joachim Hernandez Donna F. Hickson George Jackman Gary F. Jackman John E. Justice Joseph L. Kovich Helen Krstolic Dolores P. Kula Mary Ann Laytham Josephine Loun Rose M. Martinac Mariana Martinez Vazquez Cruz Medina Anthony Mihelic Leon M. Nealey Rose Marie Penny Jim S. Reyes Sr. Josephine H. Rozich Herbert D. Shanks Jr. Genevieve Silady Eldon J. Spicer John Troxell Mildred Wells Dolores Weselmann Josephine L. Wewers MT. CALVARY, LANSING Ben A. Dawes

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

Prince of Peace Chapel Resurrection Cemetery 83rd and Quivira Rd. Lenexa, Kan.

Rita Denton Mary K. Finneran Roland L. Hattock Doris F. Kempin Frances M. Lake Jean E. Young Neil W. Young RESURRECTION, LENEXA Kendall Adkins Donald L. Armstrong Thomas J. Bartkoski Ann Marie Batliner William J. Batliner Bonnie J. Beachey William B. Beeson Gerald H. Bettels Harriet G. Blakemore Yuri Bondar Helen I. Brooks Peter Caffrey Patricia A. Carl Robert E. Carney William R. Carter Rolley J. Conner William Conway Bernard E. Cox Elaine Curry James M. Curry Joan I. Delphia Florence Devine Carol Elam Kathleen Fisher Alexander J. Fleming Charles W. Ford Nicholas E. Fromholtz Bonnie J. Geary Agnes M. Gorman George W. Grover Michael Jacob Guthrie Dennis K. Hatch Gary Henshaw William A. Hill Hedy Hilt Cerise Huckstep Smith Alicea W. Richard Hughes Donald E. Huxtable John R. Jacks Bryce Jones Logan G. Karnes Debra Kimberly

Holy Redeemer Chapel Gate of Heaven Cemetery 126th and Parallel Kansas City, Kan.

Virginia Klenk Luke Caden Knowles Dorothy L. Krusenkelaus Charles F. Lambert Diana E. Langford Dr. Danuta Larson Donna Mahr Joyce P. Martin William J. Martin Marjorie S. Mattione Francis Montgomery Frances M. Mulligan Richard E. Nelson Hop Nguyen Mary G. O’Shea Florence M. Ostrosky Frank Pelot Virginia Peters Francis P. Purdome Patrice Ransom M. Wayne Regan John W. Renk Kathleen Reyes Elizabeth Rice Helen J. Rieke Mark J. Scaletty Nancy Schleicher Dr. Wm. Gerard Schmeltz Fred W. Schmitz Anthony J. Schneider Robert M. Segura Rojelio G. Segura James A. I. Sharkey-Ott John E. Shaw Mary Teresa Shoulta Eleanor F. Silady Kenneth P. Sittenauer Cyril J. Slatinsky Barney R. Smith Jr. Florence H. Sontheimer Arlene Y. Stecher Araceli P. Suarez Richard Sullivan Diana Tate Joseph Vagner Leopold E. Van Garsse Dr. Gerardo Vergara Rachel G. Verhaeghe Barbara Vogan Robert I. Wald Halleck B. Warren

Miriam R. Warren Beatrice C. Welling Angel Teri Wheeler ST. JOSEPH, SHAWNEE Leslie A. Bradley Paul Rickard Zella Rickard William L. Charlton

Statement concerning Father George Seuferling

R

ecently, Father George Seuferling, 85, a retired priest suspended from ministry in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas due to substantiated allegations of misconduct with adults, was listed as part of a St. Louis seminary’s annual alumni day commemoration. Father Seuferling, who was listed as a “diamond jubilarian” from the Class of 1956 of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, was not in attendance at the event.

After being informed of Father Seuferling’s suspension by two individuals who have made substantiated allegations against him, the seminary removed his name from the alumni day program.

Father Seuferling’s suspension was announced by the archdiocese in 2014 in The Leaven, the official newspaper of the archdiocese. The suspension was also reported in the The Kansas City Star and multiple times in the bulletin of Good Shepherd Parish, Shawnee. Nevertheless, the archdiocese regrets any harm that individuals suffered as a result of Father Seuferling’s listing as a jubilarian by Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis.

“I regret that we did not contact the seminary directly,” said Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann. “We take allegations of priestly misconduct very seriously and, in 2015, began the church’s legal process for removing Father Seuferling from his clerical status.”

The archdiocese respects the sincere concerns of all individuals who bring forth allegations of misconduct and is thus fully committed to conducting thorough investigations of all such allegations and cooperating fully with law enforcement officials.

The archdiocese asks anyone who has knowledge of any inappropriate conduct by a priest, deacon, church or school employee or volunteer to call the confidential report line at (913) 647-3051 to make a report to Jan Saylor, report investigator, or visit the website at: www.archkck/reportabuse, and contact local law enforcement.

Medicine exhibit ‘Against the Odds’ on display at USM

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EAVENWORTH — The University of Saint Mary here will showcase an acclaimed National Library of Medicine exhibit, “Against the Odds: Making a Difference in Global Health,” in DePaul Library on USM’s campus, located at 4100 S. 4th St. The exhibit will be on display Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,

and Sundays from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. through Dec. 2.

“Against the Odds” captures the revolution in global health taking place in villages and towns across the world. In collaboration with scientists, advocates, governments and international organizations, communities are working to prevent disease and improve quality of life by taking action.

The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas & Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann Invite anyone impacted by any abuse or harm by representatives of the church or others to attend

HEALING SERVICE

ST. JOHN, KCK Edward J. Breitenstein

MONDAY NOVEMBER 7 7 p.m.

Christ the King 5973 SW 25th Topeka, Kansas

St. John, Lenexa Mary I. Van Becelaere MT. CALVARY, OLATHE Carmen C. Garrison GATE OF HEAVEN, KCK Virginia Ballew Lawrence J. Borusheski Florence N. Cunningham H. Bernadette Finley Alice E. Hoffman Helen M. Jenicke Juanita Muro Mary Jane Olesky Alexandria M. Saiki Josip Sestric Bonnie Jean Trapp

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“Come to me, all who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

—Mt. 11:28 We invite all of God’s children to come join us in prayer for healing of those who have been abused.

For additional information or questions, contact Maura Dodson at (913) 647-0367 or mdodson@archkck.org

Pam Heiman can’t help but smile as she meets baby Adeline, who the Benedictine grads visited and brought gifts to during their trip. On this particular trip, the women were able to spend more time with local families and were welcomed into their lives with open arms.

“

>> Continued from page 1 “Even in just a short time doing mission work, your life is still going to be different,” said Heiman. “You will see the world differently, be more grateful for what you have and enjoy the people around you.”

“I HAD NEVER BEEN OUT OF THE COUNTRY BEFORE, LET ALONE SEEN THE POVERTY OF A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY. I HAD NO IDEA IT WOULD BE AS LIFE-CHANGING AS IT WAS TO ME.”

On their own And then something very unhelpful happened to the young missionaries.

They graduated.

And the young women’s new “grown-up” jobs did nothing to feed the need they had developed through several previous trips to connect to the many in Belize whom they had come to think of as almost extended family.

So Hunninghake and her former classmates decided to plan their own “mini” mission trip. Self-funded and organized, the BC alumnae arranged to take days off from their full-time jobs to travel south this past June.

BC in Benque Viejo del Carmen The work that visiting Benedictine students do in the remote town of Benque Viejo del Carmen includes volunteering at the local elementary school, working on construction projects for the parish and families, and running a soccer camp for kids.

Most students have very different

Pam Heiman

Sarah Krapes helps a student with math homework at Mount Carmel. This part of the day is a highlight for all the women, as they are able to bond with the kids and offer encouragement. expectations going into their first trip to Benque than the reality plays out.

“I went into that first trip with the mindset that we were going to help out those kids,” said Hunninghake. “I had no clue they would be the ones helping me.”

It only takes one trip, however, to change that mindset.

“Anyone who has been on one of these mission trips to Belize,” she said,

“knows how attached you get to the kids and the people there.

“Going back didn’t even seem like an option. I had to see those kids again.”

Deep impact The community’s hospitality is one of the things that makes such an

impression on the college students — and drew the four alumnae back even after they’d graduated from BC. “These people had close to nothing, but were willing to give a stranger the shirt off their back without thinking twice,” said Krapes.

In preparation for this last trip, the women had gathered medical and other supplies with the help of friends and families. While there, they attended Mass with the local high school kids and volunteered at the elementary school.

But arranging their own trip made it possible for them to spend less time in organized activities and more time with the locals.

This time, they were there less as missionaries — and more as family.

“We were invited to family din-

“

“GOING BACK DIDN’T EVEN SEEM LIKE AN OPTION. I HAD TO SEE THOSE KIDS AGAIN.” Erin Hunninghake ners, graduation celebrations and even meeting newborn infants,” said Krapes.

“We were invited in and loved by the people,” she continued. “I love being in Central America because of the culture found there.”

It is the small moments, the women agree, that make the greatest impressions.

At the end of Hunninghake’s first trip, for example, she gave a photo of herself to a girl with whom she had bonded.

Hunninghake returned the next year and, during her time volunteering at the school, ran into her friend, who quickly pulled out the photo.

The young girl had carried it with her all that time.

“The impact you make on those kids just by listening to them read a book or by playing tag with them at recess is bigger than you realize,” she said. “They remember the time you gave them and the love you showed them.”

The power of those little experiences makes it even harder to go home.

“I remember thinking how sad it was that we left a place of such poverty to [return to] a place of wealth and comfort,” said Hunninghake. “And yet, the joy and love was much harder to find [in the States].”

Small world

Erin Hunninghake holds Adeline after she and her friends give the baby’s mom gifts for her daughter. Thanks to social media, the women are able to keep in touch with families like Adeline’s.

“I wasn’t ready to take a job in the States and settle down. I wanted to do something different and give back to people that made such a strong impact on my life,” she continued.

It was the little things that made the biggest impact on Seiwert’s decision to go back — one in particular.

“I noticed one little girl I worked with in the classroom had been obsessed with this little gold ring all week,” said Seiwert, “and she had said it was her favorite.

“At the end of the week, she gave it to me.”

It’s hard to describe how that made Seiwert feel.

“I think at that moment I learned what charity really was,” she said.

“I had thought that giving away things I didn’t want anymore was

“

“I HAD A LOT OF STUDENTS BREAK MY HEART WITH THEIR CHOICES. AND SOMETIMES, IT FELT LIKE I CARED MORE ABOUT THEIR FUTURE THAN THEY CARED THEMSELVES.”

Katie Seiwert

charity,” she continued, “and here this girl was giving me a treasure out of her poverty.”

The transition from spending a short amount of time in Benque to living there was a challenge for both women, and they soon discovered that teaching in a Third World country was hardly a simple task.

“It’s hard to watch teenagers who want to change give in to the cycle of poverty and give up on school,” said Seiwert. “I had a lot of students break my heart with their choices.

“And sometimes, it felt like I cared more about their future than they cared themselves.”

Sometimes, she said, all she could offer was a prayer and a smile.

After her first year, Seiwert decided to stay for one more.

“Things just hadn’t come to an organic close, and I knew I needed to come back another year to finish what I had started with my students,” she said.

Although both Kennedy and Seiwert are back home now, they continue to influence their former students from afar.

Both women sponsor students financially so that former students can continue their education through high school and even on to college.

The impact the experience had on both of the women’s lives has been tremendous. Kennedy now teaches math at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park and Seiwert teaches English at Bishop Carroll Catholic High School in Wichita.

Their experiences also continue to influence their outlook on life. “‘The world’ isn’t just some blurry faces anymore,” said Seiwert. “‘The world’ has a face with a name and a smile.

“It’s really not so big and scary as some people think.”

For more information on the Benque Viejo del Carmen mission, visit the website at: solt.net/benqueviejo-belize or contact Katherine Kennedy by email at: kkennedy@sta saints.net.

Social media is one of the ways the BC alums have been able to stay in touch with the people they’d met in Belize.

That was the way, said Krapes, that, between her visits, “I was able to build and maintain relationships with the kids we were able to volunteer with.”

Websites like Facebook and Instagram allow the children to update their friends from Benedictine on their lives through photos, messages and more.

Heartbreak and hope For some, even these “mini” missions after college have proven not enough.

Mount Carmel High School in Benque actively recruits volunteers interested in teaching there for a year or more, and several students from Benedictine have gone on to do just that, including Katherine Kennedy and Katie Seiwert.

The two made their first trip to Belize during their junior year of college but were unable to return their senior year to Benque due to student teaching obligations.

But that did nothing to address the strong pull they felt to go back.

“Benque left a special place in my heart, and every time I thought about living in Belize, I was just so peaceful,” said Kennedy.

Sarah Krapes says a quick prayer at the local church before a busy day of service. The women make a point to stop by this place that offers them peace each morning to reflect on why they are there and to pray for the people they will encounter.

OCTOBER 21, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

NATION

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Relief shipment heads to Haiti from Miami

By Ana Rodriguez-Soto Catholic News Service

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IAMI (CNS) — Exactly one week after citing an “urgent need” for donations, the Archdiocese of Miami loaded 22 pallets of rice, canned goods, hygienic supplies and diapers onto a ship for transport to Haiti’s southwestern peninsula, hardest-hit by Hurricane Matthew in early October.

“And more to come,” said an elated Father Reginald Jean-Mary, administrator of Notre Dame d’Haiti Mission in Miami’s Little Haiti, as he watched an army of volunteers packing, wrapping and loading the donated goods onto pallets.

A total of 47 pallets were being taken to Haiti on the Betty K VII, a cargo ship called a “pallet carrier” provided

by Seacoast Shipping that set sail Oct. 16 and was to arrive in Miragoane, on the peninsula’s northern coast, around Oct. 19.

From there, the Haitian Catholic Church’s relief agency would transport the supplies overland to its local affiliates in the areas that bore the brunt of Matthew’s fury: Jeremie in the peninsula’s northwest and Les Cayes in the south, as well as Mole-Saint-Nicolas in the remote northwestern tip of the country.

“It’s a beautiful day,” said Father Jean-Mary as he stood in his church’s parish hall, which until an hour earlier had been brimming with relief supplies.

“In one hour, everything has been packed. That’s the beauty this

CNS PHOTO/ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO, FLORIDA CATHOLIC

Workers move a pallet of donated items to the Betty K VI, a cargo ship moored on the Miami River Oct. 14, as the first load of emergency relief supplies organized by volunteers in the Miami Archdiocese was prepared for shipping to Miragoane, Haiti. The Haitian people are living amid the destruction caused by Hurricane Matthew in early October. morning, the solidarity of the people,” he said.

His volunteer army consisted of adults studying Creole and English literacy in the Pierre Toussaint Center on the parish grounds — a program offered by Miami-Dade County Public Schools. All of the students are Haitian, and they learn to read and write in their native Creole before being taught English.

“The resurrection of Haiti is not about the millions [of dollars],” Father Jean-Mary said, looking around at the volunteers. “It’s about the people.”

He noted that Seacoast Shipping,

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which offered to transport up to 60 pallets for free, is owned by Haitian immigrants who have succeeded in Miami. So is Diakonos International, one of two companies that donated a 40-foot shipping container each for future trips.

Father Jean-Mary also was alluding to the billions of dollars that poured into Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, which resulted in little noticeable improvement in the lives of the people.

The experience created a lot of frustration — among Haitians as well as donors and the relief agencies themselves. With everyone determined not

to repeat the experience, Father JeanMary offered a solution: the Catholic Church.

“Where NGOs don’t go, who’s there?

The church,” he said, using the abbreviation for nongovernmental organizations. “There are some areas [in Haiti] you don’t see the government. Who do you see? The Catholics, the Protestants.

“If you want to reach those people, you have to use those channels,” he told the Florida Catholic, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Miami.

Besides the total of 60 pallets making their way to Haiti courtesy of Seacoast Shipping, a container’s worth of food, generators and medical supplies donated by a synagogue in Boca Raton was bound for Haiti in a week’s time, along with whatever has been collected by Miami-Dade County Public Schools, which, along with city of Miami fire stations, have set up drop-off sites for donations.

But Notre Dame d’Haiti planned to stop accepting material donations Oct. 22, Father Jean-Mary said. That’s when the Miami archdiocesan relief effort will move to its second phase: collecting building supplies and money. Especially money.

A special collection was taken in every archdiocesan parish the weekend of Oct. 8 and 9. Individual donations also are being funneled through Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami, which can coordinate the bulk shipment of supplies and work directly with church partners such as Caritas in Cuba and Catholic Relief Services in Haiti.

OCTOBER 21, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

WORLD

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Catholics welcome release of 21 kidnapped Chibok girls Red Cross, along with Swiss and Nigerian goverments, broker release of girls

By Peter Ajayi Dada Catholic News Service

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AGOS, Nigeria (CNS) — Three Catholic leaders welcomed the release of some of the girls kidnapped in 2014 from a school in Chibok and urged the Nigerian government to prioritize the release of the remaining girls.

Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie, retired archbishop of Lagos, said he had mixed feelings when he heard the news of the release of 21 of the girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, because he felt like they should have been released before now. Two-hundred-seventy-six girls were kidnapped from the Government Secondary School in Chibok April 14, 2014; 57 escaped the same day and one two years later.

Their Oct. 13 release of the 21 girls was part of a deal brokered by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Swiss and Nigerian governments.

“Yes, it is cheering news to the parents that they would be reunited with their abducted daughters after a long while,” he told Catholic News Service. “But to me, the girls must have been brainwashed and abused by their abductors during the period and

some forcefully married against their wishes.”

Cardinal Okogie blamed the past administration for not sanctioning the governor of the state under whose watch the incident happened then. He also said the nation’s school system was becoming a laughingstock following kidnappings that occurred recently in two different schools in Lagos state.

Bishop Matthew Ishaya Audu of Lafia told CNS that he was happy the girls were still alive.

“We pray that the remaining ones will be released very soon,” he said.

The bishop urged the government to arrange for counselors and psychologists so the young women could be fully integrated into society. He noted that they must have been abused by their kidnappers and thus would feel a stigma.

“Also, the government must keep their identities very secret from the larger society so that they will get good husbands to marry them later in life,” he said.

Bishop Felix Femi Ajakaye of Ekiti said Nigerians should thank God for the girls’ release and echoed calls for the government to help rehabilitate them.

“Nigerians must come together to fight evil and savagery in our country,” he added.

Leaders of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign said they would continue to work until all the girls were released or rescued.

First Lesotho cardinal is beloved, still works in retirement a cardinal, Sister Mafike said.

Lesotho, with its population of 2 million people, is a mountainous country surrounded by South Africa.

APE TOWN, South Africa Booi Mohapi, who heads the Leso(CNS) — Lesotho’s Cartho bishops’ justice and peace commisdinal-designate Sebastian sion, told CNS that Cardinal-designate Koto Khoarai is a muchKhoarai “served the most impoverloved pastoral man known ished region of the country” as bishop for working very hard, say those who of Mohale’s Hoek. know the 87-year-old retired bishop of He is a “very caring man,” Mohapi Mohale’s Hoek. said in early October, noting that “Everyone in the country will tell “only a week ago, I heard that you what a hard worker he is,” he was giving money from Sister Julia Mafike, a member his own pocket to help poor of Handmaids of Christ the families in the diocese.”

Priest, told Catholic News Also, “as bishop right Service in a telephone inup until he turned 80, terview. he took good care of the Cardinal-designate priests and other clergy Khoarai, who will be the and religious in his diocese,” first cardinal from this Mohapi said. southern African nation, Archbishop Gerard Tlali “looks after children with disCardinal-designate Lerotholi of Maseru told CNS abilities, visits and helps people Sebastian Koto the “whole country is excited, who are sick, and travels wherKhoarai and we’re all wondering what ever he is needed to celebrate having a Mosotho cardinal will Mass,” she said. mean to us in Lesotho.”

He is humble and a person of prayer Despite being retired, Cardinal“the likes of which has never been seen designate Khoarai helps with the runbefore,” said Sister Mafike, who manning of a children’s home for about 20 ages the diocesan center in Mohale’s orphans, among the many projects he Hoek, where Cardinal-designate Khois involved in, Archbishop Lerotholi arai lives in retirement. said.

A member of the Missionary ObHe still has a lot of energy and lates of Mary Immaculate, he was the “never does anything in small meafirst bishop of the Diocese of Mohale’s sures,” the archbishop said.

Hoek after it was created in 1977. He “He is a pastoral leader; always with served as president of Lesotho’s bishpeople,” Archbishop Lerotholi said, ops’ conference from 1982 to 1987. noting that he is “exemplary in pro“No one in the country expected” moting Caritas’ work.” that one of their own would be named

By Bronwen Dachs Catholic News Service

C

CNS PHOTO/EPA

Oludolapo Osinbajo, wife of Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, consoles one of the 21 released Chibok girls Oct. 13 in Abuja. Three Catholic leaders welcomed the release of some of the girls kidnapped in 2014 from a school in Chibok and urged the Nigerian government to prioritize the release of the remaining girls.

OCTOBER 21, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

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Co-director of youth and young adult ministry Prince of Peace Church in Olathe is seeking a full-time co-director of youth and young adult ministry, beginning Dec. 1, 2016, or June 1, 2017, depending on the applicant’s availability. The successful candidate will coordinate, supervise and execute parish pastoral ministry programs designed to engage and form junior high and high school students and young adults. The position includes preparation for the sacrament of confirmation. The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree in pastoral theology, catechetics or a related field, along with proven ministry experience. More experienced non-degreed candidates will be considered. The successful candidate will demonstrate leadership skills, the ability to work collaboratively and experience in areas of responsibility — including administration, budgeting, program development and team building. This position is full time and eligible for a comprehensive benefits plan, with a regular but flexible schedule to accommodate weekend and evening work and reports to the pastoral associate for faith formation. To apply, please send a cover letter and resume by Nov. 1, to: Martha Tonn, Pastoral Associate for Faith Formation, Prince of Peace Catholic Church, 16000 W. 143rd St., Olathe, KS. 66062, or send by email to: mtonn@popolathe.org.

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Please contact John A. Mahon, general agent, for more information or an interview at 1275 Topeka Blvd., Topeka, KS 66612 or call (785) 408-8806. You can also send an email to: john.mahon@kofc.org.

Build a business - For yourself, not by yourself, with: unlimited income potential; extensive benefits package; and solid backing from a financial services provider over a century old.

We are looking for self-motivated individuals in the area. Call (785) 448-7914 or send a resume to Margaret Highberger at 21248 S.W. California Rd., Westphalia, KS 66093 or send by email to: margaret.highberger@mwarep.org.

Teachers and assistant teacher - The Goddard School in Olathe is seeking a preschool teacher, a pre-kindergarten teacher and a toddler teacher — all full-time positions — as well as an assistant teacher for multiple classrooms. Lead and assistant teachers work together.

Daily responsibilities are: developing lesson plans; meeting the individual needs of the children; communicating with parents; participation in staff and training meetings; designing appropriate room arrangement to support the goals and development level of the children in the classroom; interacting with the children to support play, exploration and learning; presenting expectations that are appropriate to the child’s age and developmental level; plan and implement activities that develop self-esteem and social skills; communicate appropriately and professionally with parents and fellow staff; building teamwork; use assessment tools; and commit to continuing education. To apply, email a resume and cover letter to: olathe2ks@goddardschools.com.

Tax credit process manager - The Catholic Education Foundation (an educational ministry of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas) is seeking a part-time team member to assist with the new Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program. This position will work directly with participating Catholic schools and will oversee application and scholarship processes as well as compliance with program policies. This position reports to the director of tax credits. The ideal candidate must be self-motivated, detail-oriented and extremely organized.

Applicants must demonstrate advanced skills in Excel and database management. Applicants must also have effective written and verbal communication skills. This position includes the ability to speak compassionately about Catholic education, CEF and this program with a variety of constituencies. Applicants must be practicing Catholics in good standing, have a bachelor’s degree, be able to speak authentically about Catholic education and have a minimum of three successful years of applicable experience. Interested individuals should email cover letter and resume to: tcl@archkck.org no later than noon Oct. 28.

Learning resource paraprofessional - Bishop Miege High School is seeking an adult with previous education experience to assist the Learning Specialist. Duties include read-aloud of material; proctoring quizzes/tests; writing; and other tutoring support daily. Send letter of interest and resume to: mjaksa@bishopmiege.com.

Teachers, coaches and administrative support - St. Michael the Archangel Catholic High School will open in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, with all four grade levels in August of 2017. Applications for employment in all departmental areas including administration, teaching, coaching and administrative support are now being accepted. Applicants should be practicing Catholics passionately committed to evangelization of the Catholic Church with a desire to help form disciples of Christ. Preferred candidates for administration and teaching positions have at least five years experience and a master’s degree in curriculum, leadership or a specific content area. Interested candidates should apply online at: smacatholic.org/jobs. Cover letters should be addressed to principal Mrs. Jodie Maddox or president Rev. Richard Rocha.

HOME IMPROVEMENT 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) 252-1391 NELSON CREATIONS L.L.C. Home remodeling, design/build, kitchens, baths, all interior and exterior work. Family owned and operated; over 25 years experience. Licensed and insured; commercial and residential. Kirk and Diane Nelson.

(913) 927-5240; nelsport@everestkc.net

Drivers - Assisted Transportation is now hiring caring and reliable drivers to transport K-12 students to and from school and other activities in company minivans.

Positions are now available in Olathe, Overland Park and Kansas City, Kansas. Competitive wages and flexible schedules. CDL not required. Retirees encouraged to apply. Call (913) 262-3100 or apply online at: Assisted Transportation.com. EEO.

Masonry work - Quality new or repair work. Brick, block and chimney/fireplace repair. Insured; second-generation bricklayer. St. Paul Parish, Olathe. Call (913) 8294336.

Administrative assistant - Industrial sales company in Overland Park is looking for an experienced administrative assistant tot fill a full-time position, Monday - Friday, 8:30a.m. - 5 p.m. or part time, Monday - Friday, 9 a.m.

- 3 p.m. Duties include: invoicing, filing, data entry, and reception. Computer experience required: Microsoft Windows, QuickBooks, Excel, Word and Outlook. Third generation family business in small office setting. Longterm employee desired. To apply, email your resume to Matt Foster at: sales@de-mar.com.

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 you’ll be glad you did.

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

Teacher assistant - Special Beginnings, Lenexa, is seeking full- or part-time after school teacher assistants at all locations. We are looking for a teacher assistant candidate who has an excellent work ethic, heart for children and a willingness to learn more about early childhood education. Experience and/or education is a plus, but we will train the right candidate. Teacher assistants will work with the lead teacher to care for and educate the children. Primary responsibilities include assisting the lead teacher with: care and supervision of children, lesson plan implementation, parent communication, and cleanliness and organization of classroom. Starting hourly pay ranges based on experience and education.

Pay increases are based on job performance. Opportunities for advancement are available, as the company prefers to promote from within. Apply by sending an email to: chris@specialbeginningsonline.com or in person at 10216 Pflumm Rd., Lenexa, KS 66215.

Local handyman and lawn care – Water heaters, garbage disposals, toilets, faucets, painting, power washing, doors, storm doors, gutter cleaning, wood rot, mowing, carpet, roofing, etc. Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118.

Drivers needed - Medi Coach Transportation is looking for caring and reliable drivers for nonemergency transportation. CDL is not required. Contact Jeff at (913) 8251921.

Three teaching positions - Prince of Peace Early Education Center in Olathe is looking for three afternoon teachers. One position is from 3:30 - 6 p.m. M - F in a two-year-olds room and is perfect for high school students who are 16 years or older. The other positions are from 2 – 6 p.m. with 3-year-olds and school age. You must love children to apply. We have a friendly work environment. Previous child care experience preferred, but not necessary. This is a perfect opportunity for early childhood/elementary education majors. Contact Amanda at (913) 829-2728.

SERVICES Fall tutoring - Available for K - 12 and home-schooler in music and academics. For more information, call/text Kathleen at (913) 206-1837 or email: klmamuric@yahoo. com.

Faith-based counseling to cope with life concerns - Kansas City area. Call Mary Vorsten, licensed clinical professional counselor, at (913) 909-2002.

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.

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.

Machine quilting - by Jenell Noeth, Basehor. Also, quilts made to order. Call (913) 724-1837.

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

Landscape and irrigation design, Installation and maintenance.

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

Visit the website at: www.goaguafina.com Call (913) 530-7260 or (913) 530-5661 Rodman Lawn Care Lawn mowing, aeration, verticutting.

Hedge trimming, mulch, leaf removal.

Fully insured and free estimates.

John Rodman (913) 548-3002

Prayer Gardens Tree Trimming/Landscaping Insured/References Free Estimates/Local Parishioner Call Tony 913 620 6063 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 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.

Repairs Minor repairs: electric, plumbing and roofs.

Call (816) 877-5328.

Swalms organizing - downsizing - cleanout service – Reduce clutter – Any space organized. Shelving built on-site. Items hauled for recycling and donations. 20 years exp.; insured. Call Tillar at (913) 375-9115. WWW. SWALMSORGANIZING.COM. KIRK AND YEYO PAINTING Whole house painting Wood rot repair, affordable Only premium paint used Licensed and insured (913) 927-5240, nelsport@everestkc.net Kansas City’s Premier Deck, Fence & Concrete - We repair, power wash and stain wood decks and fences. We power wash and seal concrete drives, walkways, pool decks and more. Call Brian at (913) 952-5965. Member of Holy Trinity Parish.

Handyman/Remodeler - Quality service with references. Kitchens, baths, tile, painting, garage doors and openers, decks and wood rot repair. Call Jeff at (913) 915-4738.

House Painting Interior and exterior; wallpaper removal.

Power washing, fences, decks.

30 years’ experience. References. Reasonable rates.

Call Joe at (913) 620-5776.

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: dan deeconst@aol.com.

We do it all - Home repairs: quality work, reasonable work. Painting, carpentry, wood rot, kitchens and bathrooms. Call (913) 283-9330.

Thank you for another great year - Through your support my family has been blessed and my business has grown. We do windows, trim, siding, doors, decks, interior and exterior painting, wood rot, bathroom renovations, tile and sheetrock. If you need work done around your home, we can do it. Josh (913) 709-7230.

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

Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.

CAREGIVING Looking for high quality home care? - Whether you’re looking to introduce care for your family or simply looking to improve your current home care quality, we can help. Our unique approach to home care has earned us a 99% client satisfaction rating among the 1,000-plus families we have assisted. We are family-owned, with offices in Lenexa and Lawrence. Call Benefits of Home Senior Care, Lenexa: (913) 422-1591 or Lawrence: (785) 727-1816 or www.benefitsofhome.com.

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.

“Lynn at Heart” - 24 years’ experience in all types of private care. Excellent references. 24/7, shift or respite care. In-home, assisted living, nursing home, companionship, light housekeeping, meal prep, transportation, ADLs, care management, hospice. Greater KC area. Call (913) 707-0024. Ask for Mark.

Personalized care - Experienced, specializing in dementia, medication setup and activities of daily living.

Excellent references. Contact Andrea at (913) 548-1930.

Caregiving - For your loved one. Cheerful, experienced, empathetic. Excellent local references. Call Vivian at (913) 292-4829.

CNA, Home Health Care Professional - Provides TLC in the comfort of the client’s residence. Budget friendly.

Available 24 hours, or part time. Excellent references. 25 years of Seasoned Experience. Nonsmoker. Call (816) 806-8104.

FOR SALE Residential lifts - Buy/sell/trade. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. Recycled and new equipment.

Member of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Leawood.

Call Silver Cross KC at (913) 327-5557.

For sale - At Mount Calvary Cemetery, Kansas City, Kansas. Tandem crypt in mausoleum. Today’s selling price is $7,035; offering this space for $5,000. Call Marcie at (913) 712-8124.

For sale - Resurrection Cemetery: Garden of Hope section; double lawn crypt, lot 14, D1. Headstone/conveyance fee not included. $8,000. Call Walt at (913) 2699639.

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 - I’m Mark Edmondson, a local parishioner at Holy Trinity, and I buy and sell houses in any condition. If you have a house “situation,” call me. I might have a solution for you. (913) 980-4905.

Wanted to buy - Antique/vintage jewelry, lighters, fountain pens, post card collections, paintings/prints, pottery, sterling, china dinnerware.

Renee Maderak, (913) 631-7179.

St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee

Call Toll Free 888-246-1504

HARCO Exteriors LLC Your Kansas City fencing specialists Family owned and operated (913) 815-4817 www.harcoexteriorsllc.com Custom countertops - Laminates installed within 5 days. Cambria, granite, and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.

Detail construction and remodeling - We offer a full line of home remodeling services. Don’t move — remodel! Johnson County area. Call for a free quote at (913) 709-8401.

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1615 North Street, Seneca, KS 66538 Just a few miles away from St. Mary Church in St. Benedict, Kansas Pilgrimage Rate of $85.99 for 2 adults (785) 336-3663 www.altenhofeninn.com Please mention this add to receive special rate

0CTOBER 21, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

CALENDAR 29TH ANNIVERSARY TWINNING CELEBRATION Good Shepherd Parish 12800 W. 75th St., Shawnee Oct. 22 at 5 p.m.

The event begins with a bilingual Mass and is followed by a celebration in the social hall that includes Salvadoran food, a mariachi band and piñatas. Food tickets will be sold at the event.

For more information, call (913) 481-1120.

SPAGHETTI DINNER Sacred Heart Parish 2646 S. 34th St., Kansas City, Kansas Oct. 22 from 5 - 7 p.m.

‘THE KANSAS DEATH PENALTY: WHAT A WASTE!’ St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church 14301 S. Black Bob Rd., Olathe Oct. 22 from 1 - 3:30 p.m.

The annual death penalty abolition conference theme will be “The Kansas Death Penalty: What a Waste!” This conference is open to any Kansan who is interested in learning more about how the death penalty impacts our state. There is no admission charge. To RSVP, send an email to: info@ksabolition.org or call (785) 235-2237.

The Sacred Heart Knights of Columbus are hosting this all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner.

The cost is: $7 for adults; $4 for kids ages 6 - 12; and kids ages 6 and under eat for free.

OKTOBERFEST DINNER AND DANCE St. Anthony Parish (basement) 615 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas Oct. 22 from 6 - 10:30 p.m.

The cost for admission is: $20 for adults; $10 for kids ages 12 - 20; $5 for kids ages 6 - 11; and free for kids under the age of 5.

Admission includes dinner, drinks and dancing to The Willie Kirst Band. Raffle tickets will be sold. Tickets can be purchased at the door. For more information, call Patty Orth at (913) 371-2468.

STEAK DINNER AND BINGO St. Patrick Parish (center) 1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas Oct. 22 at 6 p.m.

The cost for dinner is $15 per person. Reservations are needed. This event is sponsored by the Men’s Club. For more information, to purchase tickets or make reservations, call Fritz Vertz at (913) 515-0621.

DIVINE MERCY MOVIE Divine Mercy Parish (Formation Center) 555 W. Main St., Gardner Oct. 27 at 7 p.m.

Oct. 28 after 8 a.m. Mass Oct. 29 after 5 p.m. Mass

PROJECT ANDREW Most Pure Heart of Mary 1800 S.W. Stone, Topeka Oct. 30 from 4 - 7 p.m.

MARIAN MASS Sacred Heart Parish 333 Freeman St., Topeka Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.

LEAVENWORTH REGION OF ACCW QUARTERLY POTLUCK LUNCHEON AND MEETING Sacred Heart Parish 1405 2nd Ave., Leavenworth Oct. 30 at noon

Bring lawn chairs and pillows to be comfortable. There will be concessions on Thursday evening; you can bring snacks to share. On Friday morning, there will be coffee and doughnuts. On Saturday, there will be a picnic-style dinner. Bring a dish to share.

For more information, call the Divine Mercy Parish office at (913) 856-7781.

A Marian Mass will be said for the sanctity of life and for our nation.

58TH ANNUAL FALL FESTIVAL St. Matthew Parish 913 S.E. 29th St., Topeka Oct. 22 at 8:30 a.m. and Oct. 23 at 11 a.m.

The Oct. 22 events include a 5K run/walk at 8:30 a.m. and an international dinner at 6 p.m. The Oct. 23 events start with a turkey dinner with all the trimmings served at 11 a.m. The cost for dinner is: $9 for ages 11 and up; $4 for ages 10 and under; or free for ages 10 and under with the donation of two nonperishable food items. There will also be inflatables, games for all ages, a sweet shop, face painting and a hayrack ride.

CRAFT AND BAKE SALE Sacred Heart-St. Joseph Parish 312 N.E. Freeman Ave., Topeka Oct. 23 from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

The St. Anthony’s Guild will have its annual craft and bake sale in the Sacred Heart basement hall. There will be quilts, crafts, baked goods, bierocks, cinnamon rolls, noodles and much more. Breakfast will be served.

‘DARKNESS AND DAWN: NAVAGATING GRIEF AND LOSS’ Marillac Center 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth Oct. 29 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Explore ways to cherish memories, understand grief responses and embrace life.

Times of reflection will incorporate music, poetry and discussion on the journey of healing and hope. Donation for the retreat is $35 and includes lunch. Scholarships are available. Registration requested by Oct. 24. Send an email to: retreats@scls.org; call (913) 758-6552; or visit the website at: www. marillaccenter.org for more information.

DAUGHTERS OF ISABELLA LITTLE FLOWER CIRCLE 503 Christ the King Parish (Yadrich Hall) 5973 S.W. 25th St., Topeka Oct. 29 at noon

The long form conferral of degrees will take place at this meeting. All members are encouraged to attend.

FALL DINNER AND BAZAAR St. Philip Neri Church Osawatomie City Auditorium 425 Main St., Osawatomie Oct. 23 from 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

WYATT EARP POKER TOURNAMENT Holy Spirit Parish 11300 W. 103rd St., Overland Park Oct. 22 at 6 p.m.

Registration is at 6 p.m., first hand is at 6:30 p.m. Five or seven card stud only. The cost to register is $35 at the door. For more information, call Tom Swartwood at (800) 218-7097 or send an email to: JosephCummings@kofc.org.

AUTUMN HARVEST DINNER/DANCE St. Paul Parish (gym) 900 S. Honeysuckle Dr., Olathe Oct. 22 at 6 p.m.

Doors open at 6 p.m., dinner is served at 7:30 p.m. and dancing lasts until 10 p.m.

Advance tickets cost $10 each or $18 per couple; all tickets are $10 at the door. This event is adults only (21 and over). Beer and wine will be available; BYOB welcome. For more information, call Chris or Vicki Dieterman at (913) 780-6428.

CATHOLIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION FALL BIOETHICS DINNER Jack Stack Barbecue - Freight House 101 W. 22nd St., #300, Kansas City, Missouri Oct. 22 from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.

All Catholic physicians and health care personnel are invited to the Kansas City Guild of the Catholic Medical Association’s fall bioethics dinner. National authority Dr. John Brehany from the National Catholic Bioethics Center will present an informal evening of conversation and collegiality. Proceeds go to benefit Gianna Family Care. For more information and to register, visit the website at: www. catholicmedkc.org and click on “Events.”

Dinner will be homemade chicken and noodles with sides and desserts. The cost is: $10 for adults; $5 for kids ages 6 - 12; and free for kids under the age of 6. There will be both live and silent auctions, a country store and children’s games.

POTLUCK DINNER Most Pure Heart of Mary (Formation Room) 3601 S.W. 17th St., Topeka Oct. 27 from 5 - 7 p.m.

The Christian Widow and Widowers Organization will host a potluck dinner. There is no cost to attend. For more information, call (785) 233-7350.

Lunch will begin at noon and be followed by the meeting at 1 p.m. Joe Hrenchir and Angela Mroszczak will be the speakers. They will speak about their experiences at World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow, Poland. Please bring used cards, used stamps, items for the ditty bags, pennies for seminarians and a friend.

ALL SAINTS EVE VESPERS AND HOLY HOUR Redemptorist Parish 3333 Broadway, Kansas City, Missouri Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m.

Pray and sing with the saints on All Hallows Eve. This will be an hour of evening prayer with eucharistic exposition and adoration, a special Litany of the Saints and Benediction for the eve of the solemnity of All Saints.

ALL SAINTS MASS Bishop Ward High School (auditorium) 708 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kansas Nov. 1 at 10 a.m.

Bishop Ward High School will celebrate the solemnity of All Saints with an all-school Mass. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will celebrate this Mass to also honor the earthly lives of all Bishop Ward alumni who have passed away this year. There will be a small reception following Mass. Call Greg Duggins at (913) 371-6901 or send an email to: gduggins@wardhigh.org if you are able to attend.

St. Rose School will be holding its annual craft show and bierock sale. Vendor booths are still available.

MOTHER TERESA CIRCLE FRIENDSHIP TEA Holy Cross Parish 8311 W. 93rd St., Overland Park Nov. 5 at 10:30 a.m.

Nativity House KC provides care for homeless, adult pregnant mothers. For information on this fundraiser, go to: www.nativityhousekc.org.

Could God be calling you to the joy of religious life as a priest, Brother or Sister? Join us for the Ultimate Vocation Fair; nearly 100 religious orders will be represented. This event is sponsored by the archdiocese, Serra clubs and religious Sisters. For more information, contact Sister Vicki Lichtenauer, SCL, at (816) 718-2660 or send an email to: vickiL@scls.org, or Father Scott Wallisch at (913) 647-0303, or send an email to: frscott@archkck.org.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann invites single men ages 16 and over to Project Andrew, an evening of prayer, inspiring priest learning about discernment and a delicious dinner. Parents may attend and will have a special session with parents of seminarians. There is no cost, but please register by going to the website at: www.kck vocations.com or send an email to: vocation @archkck.org.

CRAFT SHOW AND BIEROCK SALE St. Rose School 530 E. 4th St., Garnett Nov. 5 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

‘MISSION FROM GOD’ NATIVITY HOUSE FUNDRAISER Boulevard Brewery 2015 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, Missouri Oct. 24 from 6 - 10 p.m.

ULTIMATE VOCATION FAIR Church of the Ascension 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park Oct. 26 from 5 - 8 p.m.

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CHILI AND “CHAIR-ITY” FUNDRAISER St. Patrick Parish (St. Brigid Hall) 309 S. 6th St., Osage City Oct. 29 from 6 - 10 p.m.

The cost for chili, homemade cinnamon rolls and drink is $5 for ages 10 and over; $3 for ages 9 and under. There will also be live entertainment and a silent auction. The silent auction will end at 8:30 p.m.

SAUSAGE SUPPER Sacred Heart Parish (hall) 22257 Newbury Rd., Paxico Oct. 30 from noon to 3:30 p.m.

The supper will be held at the parish hall, a mile and a half north of Paxico (address above). The cost is: $12 for adults; $4 for kids ages 4 - 12; and kids ages 4 and under eat for free. There will also be bingo, games, raffles and a silent auction.

Join the women of the Mother Teresa Circle for brunch. The guest speaker will be Donna Bacic. For more information and to make reservations, call Donna Heit at (913) 402-6843 or send an email to her at: donnamheit@ gmail.com. Tickets cost $10.

CRAFT FAIR Holy Angels Parish (Father Quinlan Hall) 15440 Leavenworth Rd., Basehor Nov. 5 from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Booths will feature items ranging from dried flower arrangements to woodworking, wreaths to jewelry and Christmas crafts.

Refreshments will be available. Visitors can register to win a quilt. This craft fair coincides with the annual craft fair at Basehor High School. There is no admission fee. For more information, call Annie Clark at (913) 724-2212.

THIRTIETH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME Oct. 23 THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Sir 35: 12-14, 16-18 Ps 34: 2-3, 17-19, 23 2 Tm 4: 6-8, 16-18 Lk 18: 9-14 Oct. 24 Anthony Mary Claret, bishop Eph 4:32 – 5:8 Ps 1: 1-4, 6 Lk 13: 10-17 Oct. 25 Tuesday Eph 5: 21-33 Ps 128: 1-5 Lk 13: 18-21 Oct. 26 Wednesday Eph 6: 1-9 Ps 145: 10-14 Lk 13: 22-30 Oct. 27 Thursday Eph 6: 10-20 Ps 144: 1b, 2, 9-10 Lk 13: 31-35 Oct. 28 SIMON AND JUDE, APOSTLES Eph 2: 19-22 Ps 19: 2-5 Lk 6: 12-16 Oct. 29 Saturday Phil 1: 18b-26 Ps 42: 2-3, 5cdef Lk 14: 1, 7-11

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OCTOBER 21, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

COMMENTARY

Your mission, should you choose to accept it

T

he music pulses: bum bum . . . bum bum bum bum . . . and then a voice speaks from the reel-to-reel tape (which will self-destruct in five seconds): “Good morning, Mr. Phelps. . . . . Your mission, should you choose to accept it . . .”

As you might recall, this is how “Mission: Impossible,” one of my favorite TV shows growing up, began its episodes.

I was intrigued by the variety of the missions, the elaborate preparations and disguises, the ever-present sense of danger and the pinpoint timing necessary to pull everything off successfully. I was also fascinated by the exotic locales that the team traveled to. The show transported me far from my familiar and immediate surroundings of Kansas City, Kansas, into the great big world out there.

Oddly enough, even though we now have plenty of opportunities to easily travel and explore the globe, many people today seem to have chosen instead to turn more inward.

Consequently, there is a tendency to think that “our” reality as Americans is “the” reality. That

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.

attitude can spawn a tremendous fear of “the other,” those who are not like us.

Let’s face it: The actual reality of the world often clashes with our perceived reality.

Years ago, I found this helpful way to get my mind around the immensity and diversity of our world, courtesy of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF): Picture the entire world as composed of only 100 people. Of those 100, 14 come from North America. Thirty are fairskinned, while 70 are

dark-skinned. Only one of those 100 has a university education. Six of the 100 own 64 percent of the world’s wealth, and all are Americans. Of the 100, 80 live in substandard housing, without electricity, clean water or sewage. Seventy of the 100 can’t read, and 50 suffer from malnutrition.

Boy, does that put things into perspective!

The best way, though, that this big world came alive to me was through an experience I had that was similar to that of the Benedictine alumnae, who are featured on the front page and center spread of this week’s issue: making a mission trip. Pam Heiman, of the Benedictine group, summarized the mission experience well: “Even in just a short time doing mission work, your life is still going to be

different. You will see the world differently, be more grateful for what you have and enjoy the people around you.”

My mission experience happened in 1980 as a deacon when I was privileged to work among the Kikuyu people for several months in the Diocese of Nyeri in Kenya, East Africa. I will never forget their extraordinary hospitality, incredible generosity, spirited singing and general zest for life.

The people were poor by our material standards, many still living in thatched huts in isolated villages, reached by cratered, muddy roads.

But they were rich by any other standard: energized by and committed to their Catholic faith, intensely devoted to their extended family and diligently working to ensure the common good of their communities. What little they did have, they shared freely.

To get a taste of a mission trip — especially if you’ve never been on one — be sure and read about these impressive Benedictine alumnae and their faith, compassion and witness. They’d advise you (as would I) to leap at any opportunity to do a mission trip.

Not only will you help others less fortunate, but your experience will be a treasure you’ll benefit from the rest of your life.

But you don’t have to head off to a foreign country to get a mission experience, as this small story reminds us.

On Friday nights in Portland, Oregon, volunteers from Bridgetown Ministries head out to help homeless people, providing them with hot meals, shaves and haircuts. A few volunteers even wash the feet of the homeless.

The leader of Bridgetown Ministries conveys this simple message before the volunteers hit the streets: “When you go out there tonight, I want you to look for Jesus. You might see him in the eyes of a drunk person, a homeless person. . . . We’re just out there to love on people.”

(Adapted from a story in “1001 Illustrations That Connect,” edited by Craig Brian Larson and Phyllis Ten Elshof.)

In a nutshell, this is precisely what our faith is all about: to go into the wide world, look for Jesus and “love on people.” It’s a mission that’s entirely possible to accomplish . . . if we only choose to accept it.

‘The one who humbles himself will be exalted by God’

W

hen I pray, I frequently find it useful to look at the tabernacle, a crucifix or a statue. It helps to focus my thoughts and keep my mind from wandering. It is too easy for distractions to enter in and take me away from my prayer.

In Sunday’s Gospel reading, Lk 18:9-14, we overhear a Pharisee praying in the temple area. As he prays, he notices a tax collector who is standing off at a distance: “O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity — greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector.”

The Pharisee is not focusing. He is paying too much attention to others

POPE FRANCIS

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.

and criticizing them, like this poor tax collector. In contrast to the Pharisee, the tax collector is not paying attention to

Imitating Mary’s life of humility and gratitude, men and women in the church must place complete trust in God’s will and not in material possessions or intellectual prowess, Pope Francis said. In choosing Mary to bear his son, God chose “a simple young woman of Nazareth, who did not dwell in the palaces of power and wealth, who did

anyone except himself and his needs before God. He prays to God for forgiveness: “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”

The tax collector and the Pharisee agree on one thing: that the tax collector is a sinner.

Otherwise, the two are totally opposite. They illustrate the saying which immediately follows the parable: “For whoever exalts himself

will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

This saying of Jesus has already appeared previously in Lk 14:11. It also occurs in Mt 23:12, once again in connection with criticism of the Pharisees. The saying of Jesus echoes 1 Sm 2:7: “The Lord makes poor and makes rich, he humbles, he also exalts.”

These words come from a hymn attributed to Hannah, who praises God for a reversal of fortunes: “The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength.

The well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry batten on spoil” (1 Sm 2: 4-5a).

In her praise of God, Hannah anticipates the Magnificat, Our Lady’s hymn of praise in Lk 1:46-55. In fact, through-

not do extraordinary things” yet placed complete trust in him, the pope said Oct. 9 during a Holy Year Mass with pilgrims who have a special devotion to Mary. “Let us ask ourselves — it will do us good — if we are prepared to accept God’s gifts, or prefer instead to shut ourselves up within our forms of material security, intellectual security, the security of our plans,” the pope said during his homily. The Mass capped off a weekend

out Luke’s Gospel, we see an emphasis upon God’s turning the world upside down. With that in mind, we can complete the thought expressed in Jesus’ saying and supply the agent: “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled

by God, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted by God.” While the tax collector presents us with a notable example of humility, it pales in comparison to the example of humility which comes from Jesus Christ: “He humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross! Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed upon him the name that is above every other name” (Phil 2: 8-9).

Now, that’s humility.

of events dedicated to Mary, including a concert and a prayer vigil presided over by the pope Oct. 8. The vigil began with testimonies on the importance of the mother of Christ and a procession of delegations from Marian shrines around the world bearing local representations of Mary, including Italy’s Our Lady of Pompeii and Mexico’s Our Lady of Guadalupe.

— CNS

OCTOBER 21, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

COMMNETARY

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Friendly Visitors program offers hope for the lonely

rances was happily married for 40 years and raised two children, both of whom graduated from college and enjoyed many evenings with friends from her local church.

Then, all of a sudden, she finds herself alone.

Her husband fought cancer as long as he could, but eventually succumbed. Both of her children followed successful careers out of state, so their visits are limited to holiday weekends. But even holiday visits have been getting more difficult as they raise families of their own.

Even though Frances raised her family just blocks away, was an

O

INSIDE CATHOLIC CHARITIES

KEN WILLIAMS Ken Williams is the executive director of Catholic Charities.

active member of her church and taught in the neighborhood school, she felt alone in the world.

Pope Paul VI once said, “In youth, the days are short and the years are long. In old age, the years are short and the days are long.”

Frances agrees. She thought some days would never end. Then one day she received a call from Molly, who

explained that she was a volunteer for Catholic Charities’ Friendly Visitors program. Molly explained that Frances’ pastor was worried about her and contacted Friendly Visitors on her behalf.

Over the next month, Molly called several times a week to check up on Frances. Frances found herself looking forward to the calls. They chatted about all sorts of things and Molly never seemed in a hurry to end the conversation.

Fast forward a few years and the phone calls turned into twice-a-week visits. They play cards, talk about the news and talk about their children and grandchildren. Molly

even gives Frances a ride to the grocery every so often. They have become friends. Good friends.

This is not a unique story for Catholic Charities’ Friendly Visitors program. Friendly Visitors matches volunteers of all ages with seniors in the community that just need to hear from a friendly voice.

Sometimes, the volunteer simply calls each morning to ensure their friend is OK, and to let them know they are just a phone call away.

Sometimes, the volunteer makes visits in the home. Sometimes, they provide rides to church or to the grocery store. And sometimes, like Frances and Molly, they just visit.

Each situation is a little different, but the volunteers all have one thing in common: They recognize that these seniors built our communities, founded our churches, taught in our schools and fought for our country. They are true treasures of our community. They view their volunteer role with Friendly Visitors as a privilege. And it’s fun, too.

C.S. Lewis wrote, “How incessant and great are the ills with which a prolonged old age is replete.”

Maybe so, but seniors in northeast Kansas have hope through Catholic Charities’ Friendly Visitors program.

Holy Doors may close but the experience will endure

n Sunday, Nov. 13, the Holy Doors of Mercy will close — in our six jubilee churches, that is.

Sounds pretty harsh, doesn’t it? The truth is, only the physical doors of these pilgrimage sites will be returned to their normal state. This is perhaps as it ought to be, since our churches are merely signs of something far greater than even the genius of engineering or artistic creation.

Jesus even suggests the same thing in the Gospel reading for that Sunday, when he tells his disciples: “All that you see here — the days will come when there

AS THE CHURCH PRAYS

MICHAEL PODREBARAC Michael Podrebarac is the archdiocesan consultant for the office of liturgy and sacramental life.

will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown

down” (Lk 21:6).

Here, of course, he is speaking of the Temple, but what he says applies to our time as well.

Stones and structures pass away, but the heart remains.

Likewise, the extraordinary jubilee Year of Mercy will conclude, but what was experi-

enced, and learned, will endure.

Or will it?

It will if we have used this past year to learn more about the mercy of God, to learn how to apply that loving mercy to ourselves, and then to better learn how to offer it to others.

It will if there are at least a few less hungry people because of us, a few less homeless people, a few less people ignorant of the God of love and mercy, a few less people left behind in the unhappiness of their sin and their struggle for true freedom.

When the prodigal son returned home, his father embraced him and immediately

restored to him all the signs of the sonship which he never really lost, but simply misplaced. He was clothed, shoed, honored with the mark of the family and given a tremendous feast.

But what happened after that? What happened after the party — that jubilee, if you will — was over?

Jesus doesn’t tell us in his famous parable.

But I have a hunch that, if the newly restored son truly got what was happening, he then did the following, even if ever-so-gradually (for sometimes rehabilitation takes a little while, even under the expert tutelage of a loving father): He believed

that he was truly loved, simply for who he was.

He understood why he should have always loved such a loving father. He experienced “perfect” contrition for having offended such a father deserving of all his love. He grew closer to his older brother (and his older brother grew closer to him). He knew, perhaps for the first time, genuine freedom, perfect joy and true peace.

And he became a witness for mercy.

How about us? Will the doors simply close on Nov. 13, the experience to be forgotten, business as usual?

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Sponsored by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, local Serra Clubs, and local Religious Sisters Questions? Contact: Sister Vicki Lichtenauer, SCL, 816-718-2660 Father Scott Wallisch, 913-647-0303

OCTOBER 21, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

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ROOKIE MAGIC Deacon candidates go easy on guest retreat master

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Although he’s a seasoned cleric, Archbishop Emeritus James P. Keleher admits he was a little nervous about being the retreat master for 20 deacon candidates recently.

Believe it or not, when it comes to giving retreats, he’s a rookie.

“I was really concerned about doing it,” said Archbishop Keleher. “I can give good talks, but retreats go on and on. I did it once. Forty years ago, I gave a retreat at Cardinal Stritch Retreat House in Chicago to some young priests, and it was so-so.

“I resolved it was my last retreat.”

However, when co-director of the archdiocesan office for the permanent diaconate Leon Suprenant prevailed upon him, the archbishop emeritus just couldn’t say “no.”

After all, he’s the one who brought the permanent diaconate to the archdiocese. In a sense, it’s “his baby.”

Call it rookie magic, but Archbishop Keleher hit it out of the park at the deacon candidates’ last formation weekend, Aug. 17-21, at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kansas.

It was also on that weekend that the 20 men transitioned from being “deacon aspirants” to “deacon candidates.”

“I don’t know that words will ever say just how amazing an experience it is to have him lead you,” said Bob Ortiz, a member of Mater Dei Parish in Topeka. “He is so open-minded, so kindhearted, and such a great spiritual leader for us.”

The hard part wasn’t only saying “yes” to lead the retreat. Then came picking a topic. He first thought about drawing from a course he taught for years — the documents of Vatican II. And then an inspiration hit him: the prologue in the Gospel of John — “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (1:1). And further along it says: “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (1:14).

“I wanted to somehow fit that into deacons and their ministry, and show them in a special way that deacons have a very important role in proclaiming the Gospel,” said the archbishop.

He was further inspired by the joyful mysteries of the rosary, which are a meditation on the incarnation of the Word — Jesus Christ.

“I was able to find the power of the Word in each mystery,” he said.

Deacon candidate Ken Billinger was

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

Deacon Dana Nearmyer assists Archbishop Emeritus James P. Keleher at a Mass at Prairie Star Ranch this summer. Deacon Nearmyer was part of the first class of permanent deacons that Archbishop Keleher was responsible for getting started in the archdiocese. impressed by Archbishop Keleher’s warmth, genuineness and faith.

“One of the [apparent] things is his love of the faith really shines through, and his passion for loving people, too,” said Billinger, a member of Ascension Parish in Overland Park. “He uses the word ‘beautiful’ a lot, and you can tell that’s just in his nature. I was impressed by the memory he has at 85 years old.”

Billinger also liked the fact that the archbishop emeritus would set aside large blocks of time so the candidates could ask questions in a relaxed way and not feel time constraints.

“He allowed us to pick his brain, which was really cool, too,” he said.

Kristopher C. Kuckelman, also from Ascension Parish, also appreciated the archbishop’s Socratic interludes.

“He talked about his experiences as an archbishop and as a priest,” said Kuckelman. “[These were] just beautiful, flowing talks — each one he gave us. And he very much encouraged questions. I got the impression that he wasn’t afraid to answer any question we posed. He would have talked about anything we wanted to talk about. It was a joy to participate in that retreat with him.”

The relaxed way the archbishop emeritus conducted each talk was a real benefit to the men.

“He came with a wealth of knowledge and experience,” said John Williams, from Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park. “The way he delivered his talks, and spoke, and treated people was so personable that it felt like we were sitting at someone’s house having a conversation.”

“It was just a relaxed conversation,” Williams continued. “Those days can be long, especially Saturday when you get up early and go all day long.

“But the feeling of myself and most of us was that we couldn’t get enough of his wisdom and stories. It was edifying and a great time.”

As with all deacon candidate formation weekends, many of the deacons’ wives were present, too. They appreciated interacting with the archbishop emeritus during meals and informal times between classes.

“My wife fell in love with him,” said Kuckelman. He also said Archbishop Keleher was “genuinely interested in us, our children and everything about us.”

For his part, although he wasn’t sure “how I’d come across,” the archbishop

found the warm reception he received from the deacons and their wives to be very helpful.

“Overall, I had a lot of casual time with them and their wives,” he said. “I got to know them, and they got a feel for me that was very helpful.

“I don’t know if I showed it,” he continued, “but I was actually very nervous. I never gave a three-day retreat with a Mass and four talks. And yet, for some reason, they seemed impressed, and I became more confident as the days went on. I think they liked me as a person.”

And he was impressed.

“Honestly, I was very impressed,” said Archbishop Keleher. “These gentlemen have been in studies for one year. I got the impression that they are very hardworking. It’s a very demanding course.”

It wasn’t only his many years of teaching in the seminary that helped him assess the class.

“I was very, very impressed with the quality of their questions,” he said.

“And that was because of the education they’re receiving — it’s for five years.

“They’ll come well-prepared when they are ordained.”

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