11-23-12 Vol. 34 No. 16

theleaven.com | vol. 34, no. 16 | november 23, 2012

Advent

Seven-year-old Devin Wassman — son of Todd and Andi Wassman, members of Holy Angels Parish in Basehor — lights the first candle on the traditional Advent wreath. The Advent season starts this year on Dec. 2.

Leaven photo by Joe Bollig

5 No leaven next week

Because of Thanksgiving, The Leaven will next publish on Dec. 7.

Day of recollection

Donnelly College chaplain leads a day for local priests centered on Vatican II.

8 MinistRy

Church of the Nativity’s ministry to the elderly fills a growing need in Leawood.

16 Into the fire

Father Pat Sullivan joins other volunteers in answering the call of the local fire department.

2 archbishop

theleaven.com | november 23, 2012

second front page 3

november 23, 2012 | theleaven.com

Life will be victorious

Give thanks for your many blessings, but especially your faith

R

ecently, when I was in Baltimore for the meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I arrived at the hotel several hours before the official check-in time.

The hotel employee (whose actual name I do not recall, but for the sake of this article I will refer to him as Robert) was very courteous and apologetic that the hotel was unable to accommodate my early arrival.

About an hour later, after eating lunch, I checked back with Robert at the registration desk, who communicated sadly that there was still “no room at the inn.”

I thanked Robert for his efforts to help me. Then, he said: “Father, can I tell you what happened to me a couple of months ago?” I had no place to go, so I was happy to pass the time by listening to Robert’s story.

Several months ago, Robert was unable to find a reservation for a family that had arrived eager to check into their rooms. The hotel did not have any rooms available that were comparable to what the family was convinced that they had reserved.

The father of the family was furious. He was becoming more and more agitated by what he was convinced to

archbishop Joseph F. Naumann be the hotel’s mistake. The man became increasingly belligerent, making quite a scene. Robert was aggravated by the man’s attitude and felt like responding to the man’s hostility by calling security. However, something (I am certain it was the Holy Spirit) prompted Robert instead to ask why the man and his family were in Baltimore.

The man’s demeanor immediately changed. There was sadness in his eyes. He told Robert that his five-yearold daughter, who was blind from birth, had recently been diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer.

They had come to Baltimore for his daughter to be evaluated and, hopefully, to begin a regimen of treatment.

Robert was moved by the man’s situation. He conferred with his manager and arranged for the family to receive an upgrade at no additional cost. Robert was able to get them immediately into some of the hotel’s best rooms.

The family stayed at the hotel for several days. Robert had become a hero and a friend to the family because of his extra effort on their behalf. By the end of their visit, all of the children were

calling him: “Uncle Robert!”

A few months later, the man called Robert at the hotel. Robert inquired about the health of his sick daughter. The man told Robert that his daughter had died.

Robert’s heart sunk. He was saddened and shocked.

Robert knew her condition was serious, but he did not appreciate that she was so close to death. Despite her illness, the young girl seemed to be so filled with the joy of life.

Robert expressed his sympathy to the man. The man thanked him but consoled Robert, saying: “Don’t be sad. She is in a much better place.” He went on to tell Robert the most amazing and inspirational story about the circumstances of his daughter’s death.

The man said that, because of her blindness, his daughter could not read and she had never seen colors. Shortly before her death, the young girl began to quote passages from the Gospel about the resurrection that she said Jesus was whispering into her ear. She told her father that Jesus was showing her heaven as she proceeded to describe the brilliant colors she was now seeing for the first time.

The girl, with great excitement, said that Jesus was going to take her soon to the Father. Then with remarkable sensitivity to her earthly father, she said, “Don’t worry you will always be my Daddy. But I am going now to my other Father.”

Robert’s story sent chills down my spine. In the com-

calendars archbishop

Naumann Nov. 27 Administrative Team meeting Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas annual meeting Dec. 1 Mass for All Saints’ nocturnal adoration group — All Saints, Kansas City, Kan. Dec. 2 Installation of Father John Cordes — St. Joseph, Olpe, and St. Catherine, Emporia Dec. 6 Religious Alliance Against Pornography conference call Open House for chancery staff

ing weeks, I will share with you some of the content of the bishops’ meeting. Yet, from an inspirational point of view, the highlight for my time in Baltimore took place at the front desk of the hotel.

You might want to recall this story if you encounter this week someone who is angry or belligerent. You may want to follow Robert’s example and choose not to respond to anger with anger, but rather to try to figure out the reason for the person’s hostility.

During this liturgical season, when we pray for the dead and ponder readings about the end times, let us give thanks for the hope

Dec. 8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception (holy day of obligation) Deacon aspirants conference

archbishop

Sister Paula assists Father Jerry Arano-Ponce at the anniversary Mass of the Fraternity of Missionaries, the Poor of Jesus Christ.

keleher

Living the beatitudes

Nov. 25 Mass — federal prison Dec. 3 Mass and lunch — St. James Academy, Lenexa Dec. 5 Confessions — St. Michael the Archangel, Leawood Dec. 8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception (holy day of obligation)

given to us by the victory of Jesus over death and the share in his eternal life we received through the waters of baptism.

As we give thanks for our many blessings during this season of Thanksgiving, may our greatest gratitude be reserved for the precious gift of our Catholic faith!

During this Year of Faith, may our friendship and love for Jesus grow; may we come to understand more completely the truth and beauty of our Catholic faith; and may we live in such a way that when the hour of our death approaches, we may hear Jesus whispering in our ear!

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The members wear simple flip-flops in conformance with their vow of poverty. “We live off charity,” said Brother Casio. “Everything in this house is a donation.”

Fraternity of Missionaries, the Poor of Jesus Christ bring their ministry to KCK

By Sheila Myers Special to The Leaven

To learn more

O

n the second floor of an unmarked building in a broken neighborhood of Kansas City, Kan., a tender ministry is quietly unfolding.

You won’t see ostentatious deliveries of food and clothing, flashy marketing brochures or slick videos with heart-wrenching testimonials.

For the Fraternity of Missionaries, the Poor of Jesus Christ, a Brazilianbased mendicant religious order, the mission is simple: “To seek Jesus completely and to belong completely to Jesus.”

“We live with the poor, as the poor and for the poor,” said Sister Magdalena of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the chapter’s custodian. “The poor in their multiple faces are receivers of the mission of our community.”

Since their arrival here last January, Sister Magdalena, Sister Agatha, Sister Paula and Brother Casio have started ministries to the homeless, to wayward youth and to struggling Hispanic and African-American families.

Father Mark Mertes, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Kansas City, Kan., calls it a “ministry of presence.”

“It’s a fairly simple ministry,” said Father Mertes. “They represent the presence of a supportive church, listening to people and helping people get a foothold, especially if life is otherwise somewhat chaotic.”

Returning home from Brazil Sister Magdalena considers her life journey part of God’s divine plan. She finds herself back in Kansas after a period of time in Brazil.

“I feel like [God] had a plan to bring me back so this religious community could be established here,” she said.

Sister Magdalena’s heart for the poor predates her entry into religious life — it was as Sally Savery that she undertook her first mission work.

Originally from Wamego, Savery and two other friends from central

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

To donate to the Fraternity of Missionaries, the Poor of Jesus Christ, or to get involved, call (913) 387-4696.

The order has lay missionaries in New York and Boston, and religious houses in Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay.

Sister Magdalena thinks they have 53 houses, but she’s not sure.

“It’s always changing because the order is growing so quickly,” she said.

Soon, Brother Casio will travel to Brazil to begin studying for the priesthood. Three new Sisters will join the Kansas City, Kan., chapter in 2013, after their visas are approved.

Leaven photos by Sheila Myers

Sister Anatha holds a crucifix the Fraternity of Missionaries, the Poor of Jesus Christ make and sell to support the ministry.

“

“People say it is a poor area — that there is a lot of violence here. But we see people thirsting for God.” Brother Casio Kansas founded Project Rescue for Amazon Youth in 1999. PRAY is an ecumenical Christian mission that serves abused and abandoned children from the Amazon jungle.

Living and working with neglected and orphaned children in Brazil inspired Savery to join the Poor of Jesus Christ in 2003 at age 47.

“God had a reason for calling me at such a late age. After I had lived so long in the world far from God, and then to call me to religious life was really amazing,” said Sister Magdalena.

Her strong devotion to the Sacred

Heart of Jesus and her late-life conversion led her to choose the name, “Sister Magdalena of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”

The first U.S. chapter Sister Magdalena credits Father Gary Pennings and Father Tom Hesse for bringing the chapter to Kansas City.

Both priests got to know the order’s founder, Father Gilson Sobriero, when he traveled to the area as part of the archdiocesan mission cooperative program.

A former pastor of St. Bernard in Wamego and a board member of PRAY, Father Hesse visited Father Gilson’s community in Sao Paolo during trips to the PRAY mission and admired the order’s simplicity.

“They live out Matthew 5 (the Beatitudes),” Father Hesse said. “They really take it seriously.”

After multiple visits and much discussion to confirm the need, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann invited Father Gilson to start a chapter in Kansas City, Kan.

Editor Reverend Mark Goldasich, stl frmark@theleaven.com

Production Manager Todd Habiger todd@theleaven.com

Reporter Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com

Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita@theleaven.com

Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com

Advertising Coordinator Julie Holthaus julie@theleaven.com

Companionship and compassion The Poor of Jesus Christ take their vow of poverty literally, wearing flipflops and simple brown tunics cinched with rope at the waist. They wear boots only when it snows.

“We live off charity,” said Brother Casio. “Everything in this house is a donation. Our community proves that you can live by faith. “ The Sisters make rosaries, crucifixes and bracelets that they sell to raise money for their ministries.

Their humble lifestyle and quiet dedication have endeared them to the community.

“They have so much protection,” said Martha Smith, a member of Our Lady & St. Rose Parish in Kansas City, Kan. “People driving by watch them. . . . They get more respect than the police. They do lots of walking and when we ask to give them a ride, they say, ‘Oh no, we’re fine.’”

The members walk to church at Blessed Sacrament or the Cathedral of St. Peter, both in Kansas City, Kan. On Thursdays, they sometimes walk to the Wyandotte County Juvenile Detention Center, where they reach out to the incarcerated with music and hope. >> See “traveling” on page 10

Published weekly September through May, excepting the Friday the week after Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Christmas; biweekly June through August. Address communications to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Phone: (913) 721-1570; fax: (913) 721-5276; or e-mail at: sub@theleaven.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. For change of address, provide old and new address and parish. Subscriptions $18/year.

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4 local news

theleaven.com | november 23, 2012

local news 5

november 23, 2012 | theleaven.com

Capital punishment traumatizes everyone involved

Suspected modernist became ‘transformative’ pope

n Speaker Shares Experience as a Death-row Warden

n DAY GIVES PRIESTS A CHANCE TO “LEARN IT,” TOO, DuRING YEAR OF FAITH

By Jill Ragar Esfeld jill@theleaven.com

O

LATHE — “Life doesn’t always go as you plan,” explained former death-row warden Allen Ault in his keynote address at the 2012 Abolition Conference, sponsored by the Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty.

During his time as a warden in Georgia, Ault said, he had the responsibility of overseeing executions.

The trauma he witnessed — and experienced — has left him an advocate for life in prison without parole as a humane alternative to capital punishment.

“There are a lot of reasons I’ve been given by a lot of people to justify the death penalty,” he said, and then proceeded to present facts and research to disavow each reason.

Ault began by stating that “there is no credible evidence anywhere that

Some Facts About the Death Penalty • 33 states have the death penalty; 17 do not.

• Recent Supreme Court decisions have limited the use of the death penalty by declaring it unconstitutional to execute persons with mental retardation and juveniles under the age of 18, or to impose the death penalty when no murder occurred or was intended. The court has also ruled that defendants are entitled to have a jury decide whether to impose the death penalty.

• Approximately 3,261 inmates are on death row in 37 state, military, and federal prisons.

• Since 1973, there have been 138 exonerations of death row inmates.

• Since 1976, there have been a total of 1,246 executions in the United States, including 12 in the first few months of 2011.

• The California death penalty system costs taxpayers $114 million per year beyond the costs of keeping convicts locked up for life. *Source: Death Penalty Information Center

Leaven photo by Jill Ragar Esfeld

Allen Ault, a former warden in Georgia, gives the keynote address at the 2012 Abolition Conference, sponsored by the Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty. [the death penalty] is a deterrent.”

He explained that punishment is effective only when it’s very certain it will happen every time, and it happens right after the behavior you want to modify.

“The death penalty doesn’t meet either of these criteria,” he said.

Ault then demonstrated how cost ineffective the death penalty is when compared to the alternative of life without parole.

In Kansas, data from a 2003 legislative audit found capital cases were 70 percent more expensive than comparable non-death penalty cases.

“But,” said Ault, “legislators have not been renowned for using research to make their decisions — the name of the game is reelection.”

And unfortunately, many people in the United States favor the death penalty even though our only companions in the practice are Iran, Iraq and China.

All other civilized countries have abolished it.

Ault went on to discuss the erroneous assumption that the death penalty is reserved for the most egregious and horrific crimes. But it’s not so.

“The most beneficial thing happened last year in Connecticut,” he said.

A Connecticut study analyzing 34 years of murder cases found that the cases of inmates on death row are indistinguishable from equally violent offenders who were not sentenced to death.

“Of the 32 cases judged the most horrific, only one resulted in the death penalty,” added Ault.

The evidence was conclusive.

“Connecticut took that research and abolished the death penalty,” Ault said.

The study in Connecticut also found corporal punishment to be discriminatory — a circumstance that exists across the nation.

More than 80 percent of those executed in the United States were convicted of killing a white person, even though African-Americans are the victims in at least half of all homicides.

Ault also addressed the risk of executing the innocent.

“When I executed people,” he said, “they always told me they were innocent.”

And some of them might have been.

Ault explained the mission of the Innocence Project — an organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals through DNA testing.

“Since the project began, 135 on death row have been found innocent,” he said.

He then explained the very personal reasons for his own opposition to capital punishment.

“The last words many said before execution were ‘I’m innocent,’” Ault recalled as he began to describe in detail the experience of putting prisoners to death.

“I would turn to the electrician,” he said, “and he would throw the switch.

“What we observed was a tremendous amount of electricity surging through their bodies.

“Let me tell you that the first one shook me to the core.”

Eventually, Ault said, he couldn’t take part in the executions anymore. He couldn’t rationalize the brutality of the process.

Ault recounted seeing the faces of the men he’d executed when he tried to sleep at night, he said.

He also discussed the traumatic effects of capital punishment on all the corrections officials responsible for carrying it out. He said the punishment extended far beyond the criminal, and rarely brought solace to the victim’s family.

Ault ended his talk by encouraging his listeners to consider what we really mean by promoting the sanctity of life.

“If you care about human life,” he said, “it is not just the fetus you care about.”

What You Can Do As part of the Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty you can: Pray for victims of crime and their families, those who have been wrongly convicted, and those awaiting execution.

Learn about Catholic social teaching, U.S. criminal justice policies, and the policies in your state.

Go to the website listed below for more information about the death penalty.

Educate people in your parish or community about Catholic social teaching and the criminal justice system. Visit the websites listed below for Vatican and U.S. bishops’ statements on the death penalty as well as statements from individual bishops and various state Catholic conferences.

Advocate by contacting your elected officials. Discuss Catholic teaching on the death penalty and what steps could be taken at the state and national level to curtail or end its use. To receive information on efforts regarding the death penalty at the national level or to link with a particular state’s efforts, visit the websites listed below.

Join the coalition Kansas is one of 33 states with the death penalty. The Kansas Coalition Against the Death Penalty is a not-for-profit organization that promotes public education about capital punishment and disseminates information about the death penalty and effects of executions. To learn more visit the KCADP website at: www.ksabolition.org.

Educate yourself To receive information regarding the Catholic Church’s work on the death penalty at the national level, or to link with a particular state’s efforts, visit the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website at: www. usccb.org/deathpenalty.

To join the Catholic Mobilizing Network for the Catholic Campaign to End the Use of the Death Penalty in the United States, visit the website at: www.catholicsmobilizing. org.

By Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Parishioners could tell by the tone of his voice that the venerable, old Irish priest at the little Nova Scotian parish was none too pleased.

The time was the early 1960s. New and exciting things — disturbing things, too — from the Second Vatican Council were arriving at the small, Canadian parish.

Father John Melnick, SSA, was a boy at the time, and it was his fate to serve Mass that Sunday when the pastor mounted the pulpit, took off his biretta topped with a green pom, and made his momentous announcement.

“In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, Amen,” the priest said. “I have a letter to be read from the bishop. It seems that we Catholics no longer believe in the Holy Ghost.”

Expressions of shock emanated from the pews.

The pastor read the bishop’s letter.

The bishop wrote that the Second Vatican Council was moving the church to the use of the vernacular (or everyday) language in the Mass. Since the modern usage of the word “ghost” had negative connotations, the “in” word was now “spirit.”

The pastor shook his head and put away the letter.

“As long as I am the parish priest, I can guarantee you all that there will be no further changes at this parish,” he said. “In the name of Father, and of the Son and of the Holy GHOST — AMEN!” And with that, the pastor slapped his biretta back on his head and climbed down from the pulpit.

Of course, there were further changes.

Change brought by the Second Vatican Council, as highlighted by this anecdote, was the topic of one of two reflections presented by Father John during the first of two days of recollection for archdiocesan priests. The first, on Nov. 8, was at St. Patrick Parish in Kansas City, Kan. The second will be in April.

Leaven photo by Joe Bollig

Father John Melnick, SSA, offers a reflection on the Second Vatican Council at a day of recollection for archdiocesan priests Nov. 8 at St. Patrick Parish, Kansas City, Kan. Father Brian Schieber, archdiocesan vicar general for clergy, is the organizer of the days of recollection for priests. “[The days] came about because Pope Benedict XVI, in his decree on the Year of Faith, asked all Catholics to study the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism [of the Catholic Church] during the Year of Faith,” he said.

“I thought [these days] would be an opportunity for priests to take a fresh look at the council documents,” Father Schieber continued. “It’s good to go back and study them anew. There are always graces and fruits if we respond to the pope’s invitation to do something like this.”

“I’m certainly no magisterial voice like the archbishop,” said Father Melnick, an Augustinian priest and director of campus ministries and religious studies at Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kan., in his introduction.

“I am a priest who has lived his life, just like you, in the shadow of the Second Vatican Council,” he said.

Pope John XXIII called for a council because he wanted to “care for souls in modern times,” said Father John. “[He wanted to] seek for clarity of thought and to increase spiritual riches in peo-

ple’s lives.”

John XXIII was a fatherly and gentle man, said Father John, but was also very intelligent. He received some of the best education the church could offer and was formed in a “church culture.”

He had a wonderful “transformative” spirit and a wider sense of the world than most churchmen.

That could get a person in trouble with the Holy Office.

Father John told the story of how — after Pope John XXIII’s election — the new pontiff asked to see his own personnel file. It said, “This priest is suspected of being a modernist.”

The pope pulled out his pen and angrily wrote, “I have NEVER been a modernist.” Later, the pope chuckled and said, “Well, it just goes to show you can get in trouble with the Holy Office and still be elected pope!”

Father John said there were four concepts that shaped the mind and pastoral ministry of Pope John XXIII: “convivenza,” “aggiornamento,” “pace e unità,” and “il senso del umorismo.”

Most people who know about the Second Vatican Council know about “aggiornamento” — which is Italian for bringing up to date, or seeing things with a new freshness or light.

The other three are important, too, however. “Convivenza” means everyone has a voice. “Pace e unità” means “peace and unity,” a reference to a tranquility of order that results from a respect for human rights. And finally, “il senso del umorismo ” means to make humor a way of living — to develop the ability to laugh and deal with the contradictions of life.

Pope John XXIII lived “il senso del umorismo” even to the moment of his death, said Father John. The pope’s sacristan, Bishop Canisius Van Lierde, OSA, didn’t have much actual pastoral experience, so the dying pope had to show him the correct way the anointing of the sick was done.

The last words of Pope John XXIII were, “My time on earth is drawing to a close. But Christ lives on and continues his work in the church. Souls, souls, ‘Ut omnes unum sint’ (‘That they may all be one’).”

“That is the spirit that generated what’s happened with the council,” said Father John. “It’s the spirit of a shepherd who was led by the Holy Spirit of God, who knows what human weakness is and strength is, knows what the faith of the church is, and the beauty and the power of the Gospel.”

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6 LOCAL NEWS

theleaven.com | november 23, 2012

Council claims all Catholics —not just clergy — are

Father Cyril J. Seaman, Ofm

called to be holy

By Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Some of the most profound things are actually very simple.

Take, for example, the value of holiness.

It seems like a no-brainer. Aren’t Christians supposed to live holy lives?

After all, Jesus ended his Sermon on the Mount by saying, “So be perfect (holy), just as your heavenly Father is perfect (holy)” (Mt 5:48).

One of the most profound — and simple — teachings of the Second Vatican Council can be found in the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (“Lumen Gentium”), in Chapter Five, the “Universal Call to Holiness”: In a nutshell, it said that everyone should strive for a holy life.

That teaching is so integral today that even the youngest Catholic schoolchild could articulate it. But it was not always so.

“I think [before the council] there was maybe an unspoken but assumed feeling that the real call to holiness was to religious life and the priesthood,” said Msgr. Thomas Tank, pastor of the Church of Ascension in Overland Park.

“But the Vatican Council certainly affirmed that universal call to holiness.

“Each and every person — by reason of his or her baptism and confirmation — is called to a deep holiness of life.”

The Second Vatican Council reminded us that a life of holiness wasn’t only to be found in a religious discipline or behind monastery walls, he said, but was a necessary part of the everyday fabric of life for all Catholics.

This universal call to holiness came out of a renewed understanding of the sacrament of baptism, said Father Al Rockers, senior associate in residence at Church of the Nativity in Leawood.

“We are all equally baptized, so we equally have the Holy Spirit within us,” said Father Rockers. “The Spirit equally dwells in all baptized hearts, and so we are all called to respond to that Spirit.

“The council emphasized that entrance role of baptism,” he continued.

“That’s all of us. It’s by baptism that we are called to be part of the holiness of the church of Jesus Christ — the universal call to holiness.”

Changes in the way the Mass was celebrated — switching from Latin to English, with the priest facing the people — also had a profound effect on Catholic spirituality.

Father Rockers studied Latin for 12 years and knew it quite well, but it was

CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz

The challenge of Vatican II has been to take what is learned in the pews and apply it to everyday life. “If we are an incarnational people, and we celebrate that in the word of God and the liturgy, then we have to carry out that ‘Word’ that has become flesh in us,” said Father John Melnick, SSA, director of campus ministries and religious studies at Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kan. still a chore to translate in his head. To pray in English, with others, was easier and more natural. Likewise, he found celebrating the Mass from the other side of the altar spiritually enriching. “[Facing the congregation] had a big impact on my spirituality — facing and interacting with them. That’s how the original altars were in the first century. It was just a natural thing when you’re eating, talking and praying with people to face them.”

Like many Catholics, Msgr. Tank grew up with a deep love for the Mass.

The changes to the Mass brought by the council only deepened that love.

“While I’ve always had a great devotion to the Mass, [the council] helped me shift from private devotions to a much more liturgical spirituality — seeing the liturgy as shaping my spirituality in a very special way,” he said.

“So I tended to move away from a devotional spirituality,” he continued, “much more to a realization of the Paschal Mystery — the death and the

Kernel of truth Pastors — like Art Linkletter — know better than most that kids say the darndest things.

So I wasn’t surprised when Father Jerry Spencer told me some years back how he only smiled when he was processing in and heard a gasp, then a child’s voice cry out, “Doesn’t God look beautiful today?”

Take a good look at your “God” at Mass this weekend — and then next. If he looks a bit more beautiful next weekend, it might be because of the change in the color of his vestments.

resurrection of Jesus — as not only the means of salvation but also the call for holiness as a way of life for each of us: to die in order to rise with him.”

Part of understanding the universal call to holiness is the realization that the Council Fathers saw the world as a “theater of redemption,” said Father John Melnick, SSA, director of campus ministries and religious studies at Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kan. “The council sees the world as the place where redemption happens,” he said. “So, the spirituality of Vatican II is incarnational. In other words, God redeems us in the flesh. This world is a good world. It’s in need of redemption, but it’s a good world.”

And all the baptized are called to holiness in this theater of redemption.

The way each becomes holy will differ according to our differing vocations, but we are all called to one holiness.

“Ultimately, that holiness is Jesus, because of the incarnation,” said Father John.

This weekend we’ll celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King, so the celebrant will be wearing white, as he does on most feast days. But next weekend, when we enter the season of Advent, the celebrant will switch to purple. And for the colorblind among us, yes, it does mean something.

Just as colors are used as driving cues in our highway system, so, too, do the colors of a Mass cue us as to where we are in the liturgical year.

Advent is a season of devout conversion and preparation.

For that reason, and because purple is the color of royalty — we’re preparing for the coming of the Messiah, remember — Advent’s “color” is purple.

local news 7

november 23, 2012 | theleaven.com

The next logical step is to ask how that spirituality is incarnated. Father John pointed to five things: Scripture, liturgy, the universal call to holiness, ecumenism and the call to practice social justice.

“If we are an incarnational people, and we celebrate that in the word of God and the liturgy, then we have to carry out that ‘Word’ that has become flesh in us,” said Father John, “feeding the poor, taking care of people and eradicating injustice. All those are mandates of the call to holiness.”

We are called to redeem the world by celebrating our incarnational spirituality — God who has come in the flesh. The Mass, the source and summit of our lives, feeds us and empowers us to go out.

“Everything we do ‘out there’ leads us back in to this summit of prayer,” said Father John.

But a change in the celebrant’s vestments won’t be the only difference you’ll notice between this weekend’s Mass and next’s. At the Dec. 2 liturgy, you’ll find new missals in your pew. That’s because the church year begins not with the calendar year, but with the season of Advent.

We’ve seen the last, therefore, of “Ordinary Time” for a while. Instead, the universal church will start the original “circle of Life” all over again.

It all begins, the Gospel of Luke reminds us, with an angel named Gabriel and a virgin named Mary.

— A.M.

Ringwood, N.J. — Father Cyril J. Seaman, 83, a professed Franciscan friar for 61 years and a priest for 56, died Nov. 8 at Holy Name Friary here.

Father Cyril was born on Sept. 24, 1929, in Kansas City, Kan., to Andrew and Elizabeth Seaman. Baptized as Edward Michael, he was a parishioner at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church in Kansas City, Kan. After graduating from Bishop Ward High School, he enrolled in St. Joseph’s Seminary in Callicoon, N.Y. He was received into the Order of Friars Minor, Holy Name Province, on Aug. 12, 1950, at St. Bonaventure Friary in Paterson, N.J., receiving the name Cyril. He went on to study philosophy and theology at St. Stephen Friary in Croghan, N.Y., at St. Anthony Friary in Butler, N.J., and at Holy Name College in Washington, D.C. He professed final vows on Sept. 13, 1954, at Christ the King Seminary in Allegany, N.Y., and was ordained to the priesthood at Mount St. Sepulchre, the Franciscan monastery in Washington, D.C., on June 11, 1956.

From 1957 to 1958, Father Cyril was assigned to St. Anthony Shrine in Boston. From 1958 to 1984, Father Cyril taught English at Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y. In the academic year 1962-1963, he resided at Holy Name College in Washington, D.C., and earned his Master of Science in library science from The Catholic University of America. From 1984 to 2005, he was pastoral associate at St. Anthony Shrine in Boston.

He retired in September 2005 to St. Anthony Residence in Boston.

Gifts for newborns

Fifth-graders at Holy Spirit School in Overland Park recently coordinated a school-wide campaign to collect items for newborns. Students made colorful posters and read morning announcements to the student body, encouraging the Holy Spirit community to support life by donating diapers, clothing, and other care items that were presented to the Advice and Aid Pregnancy Center. Above and from left, fifth-graders Joseph Roth, Michael McNamara, Ellie Wheeler, Lauren Nguyen, Jam Navarro and Teresa Scherschligt gather some of the donated items.

Rockhurst presents annual Ceremony of Lessons and Carols Kansas City, Mo. — Rockhurst University’s student choruses will present the 22nd annual Ceremony of Lessons and Carols at 7 p.m. on Dec. 1 in St. Francis Xavier Church here, located at 1001 E. 52nd St. More than 30 student voices will perform traditional and nontraditional

seasonal music, which includes Daniel Kanton’s “Ave Maria”; scriptural readings representing the Christmas story; carols sung by the choruses and audience, including the candlelight singing of “Silent Night”; and the program’s signature finale, “O Holy Night.”

Admission to the concert is free,

but a donation of nonperishable food, a child’s toy, or a grooming product is requested. A candlelight procession will lead audience members to a complimentary post-concert reception in Massman Hall on the Rockhurst University Campus. To register, call (816) 501-4828.

Raising the Bar Ministry enriches lives of seniors, volunteers alike

L

Story and photos by Sheila Myers

EAWOOD — “One who makes room for the elderly, makes room for life,” said Pope Benedict XVI recently. “One who welcomes the elderly, welcomes life.”

Judging by that standard, Tom Garbach is a very lively guy. So are Mike Bartkoski, Jeanne Hokanson and the 30-some volunteers involved in elderly ministry at Church of the Nativity in Leawood.

Garbach and his team help conduct prayer services, assist at Mass and work with Nativity priests to bring the sacraments to elderly parishioners. It’s an immense outreach effort.

“We have close to 25 percent of the [nursing] homes in Johnson County,” Garbach said.

About 250 elderly parishioners reside in those 10 homes within Nativity’s borders. Garbach credits his volunteers with the ministry’s success.

“It’s the people and the parishioners who have the heart and want to minister to go out to do that,” he said.

Connecting to faith The ministry exists because of the determination of elderly parishioners with a strong desire to stay connected to their faith.

One in particular, in fact.

Ten years ago, Hazel Craemer was a widow in her 80s, who found herself a reluctant resident of Brookdale Place in Overland Park.

Determined to practice her faith, the spirited Craemer phoned Nativity and asked for someone to bring her and the other residents Communion. “[Hazel] had no desire to be there,” Garbach said. “But she rolled up her shirtsleeves and thought, ‘If this is where God has me, I’m going to do this ministry here.’”

Craemer was eventually connected to Andrea Frary, Nativity’s director of ministries. Frary lacked the support to conduct the ministry, so she trained Craemer as a eucharistic minister.

Over time, Craemer recruited more Catholics to participate in prayer

services and rosaries. When the group grew to 15, Brookdale started bussing them to Nativity for Saturday Mass. “[Hazel] was very sociable and every time a new person entered the home, she would find out if they were Catholic,” said Garbach. “She encouraged them to ride the bus to church and to pray the rosary with them.”

When time came for Frary to retire, she approached Garbach about taking over as Nativity’s director of ministries.

Garbach had been volunteering for Nativity for some time by then and was looking for a way to transition out of a 20-year career with General Electric.

“I thought it was the chance of a lifetime,” he said.

A growing ministry The elderly ministry is just one part of Garbach’s job, but it’s the part that’s grown the most.

“The graying of our population is happening at a very fast pace where we

Father Al Rockers, senior associate in residence at Nativity, hears a confession at Brookdale Place.

Father Rockers also celebrates Mass at Brookdale once a month. two-and-a-half hours a day.”

A person can understand the importance of faith just by looking around Mary’s room. Her children have filled it with treasured religious articles, including a picture of the Blessed Mother that belonged to her grandmother and a crucifix made with wood from a tree near St. Munchin’s Church in Mary’s hometown of Cameron, Mo. Bernie Welsh, 97, has always been a member of Nativity. Since moving to Brookdale, he enjoys the prayer service led by Garbach every Monday and the monthly Mass celebrated by Father Al Rockers. Welsh also rides the bus to Nativity for Saturday Mass.

“My faith is important to me,” he said.

Rosemary Wolak, 88, is another Nativity parishioner who recently moved to Brookdale and participates in all the religious activities.

“This has been wonderful for me,” she said. “It’s just a wonderful, uplifting experience. I get a lot out of it.”

are,” said Garbach.

According to the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging, Kansas now ranks 10th among states in the percentage of the oldest old: persons aged 85 and older.

Helping the elderly stay connected to their faith helps enhance their quality of life, whether they live in a nursing home or in their own homes.

Nativity is ahead of the curve in meeting this need, thanks to a steady flow of volunteers interested in this kind of service.

People learn about the ministry on Stewardship Sunday, current volunteers invite their friends to help, or someone steps forward when a family member or friend moves into a nursing home.

“It never ceases to amaze me that whenever the need arises, the Holy Spirit puts it on someone’s heart that they would like to minister,” he said.

Whatever the reason they became involved, volunteers are surprised to discover that they receive far more than they give.

Meaningful practice Discovering the joy Three years ago, some friends invited Mike Bartkoski to help distribute Communion to residents at Villa St. Joseph in Overland Park once a week.

Now, Bartkoski spends every weekday and Sunday morning visiting 15 to 20 residents at Brookdale. He also visits a few parishioners in their homes, including his former high school English teacher.

“I’m still trying to get my grade changed,” he joked.

He never would have pegged himself as a minister to the elderly. But now, he can’t imagine giving it up.

“It’s become such an integral part of my life that I almost miss not being able to do it,” he said.

When he arrives at the home, Bartkoski checks in with the staff, who let him know if someone is having a particularly good or bad day. He greets each resident, they chat for a few minutes, pray and then he gives them Communion.

He spends 10 to 15 minutes with each resident.

Bartkoski is most impressed by the way the elderly respond. Even if they are skeptical of his motives at first, they eventually warm up to him and share pieces of their lives.

“You become familiar and you hold

Nativity parishioner Mike Bartkoski visits Angela Hill, 94, a resident of Brookdale Place in Overland Park, and offers her Communion. Angela is accompanied by her sister, Judy Hiatt.

Tom Garbach leads a prayer service for residents of Brookdale Place.

No matter what the resident’s condition — some suffer from advanced Alzheimer’s disease, others are bedridden — they always sit at attention when he announces he is bringing Communion.

“Once you start to pray, they always remember,” he said. “They make the sign of the cross, they pray, and then they go right back to who they were before.”

Spiritual nourishment their hand, and when you do that, they’ll take yours and you realize it means just as much to them as it does to you,” he said.

He often encounters familiar faces.

Bartkoski regularly gives Communion to Father Frank Horvat, the former pastor of St. John the Baptist on Strawberry Hill.

Mary Marnett, 79, is bedridden, but Bartkoski’s visits mean a lot, said her son, Tim. “Mom’s faith has always been foremost in her life,” he said. “She probably prays

Besides the work of Garbach and his team of volunteers, the ministry wouldn’t be possible without the help of Nativity priests.

Father Al Rockers, senior associate in residence at Nativity, visits several homes to say Mass, hear confessions and anoint the sick. He said it was a “happy coincidence” when Father Francis Hund assigned him to the ministry.

“It’s always been my preference,” said Father Rockers. “I am helping people come to terms with the ultimate mysteries of life and death.”

In the elderly, he said, “I see a trust in Jesus. They say, ‘He’s my good shepherd.’

The great majority feel this way.

“For some, they are having difficulty accepting the Lord’s forgiveness — maybe because of some incidents in their lives they are not proud of,” continued Father Rockers. “[I encourage them] to trust in Jesus’ forgiveness.”

Likewise, bringing comfort and spiritual nourishment to the elderly is an important ministry. Father Rockers encourages anyone considering it to go ahead and get involved — even if they don’t believe they have a special talent for it.

“Most of those who do work in this ministry soon discover the skill is in coming [to the elderly] with faith, being kind and gentle, and listening,” said Father Rockers.

Like most volunteers, Jeanne Hokanson started by helping with the rosary and Communion services and grew to like it. Nine years later, she is still helping. She brings the Mass kit, distributes song sheets, and helps distribute Communion at Father Rockers’ Masses.

The Brookdale crowd has grown considerably now that residents call their friends ahead of time to remind them to go to Mass.

“I think we might have the largest senior living community in terms of numbers at Mass,” Hokanson said of the Brookdale group. “It’s been wonderful.”

Educating the community The large elderly population has triggered a demand from the parish community for information about age-related issues.

“Adult children have come to me to talk about a parent with Alzheimer’s,” Garbach said.

He coordinated two presentations with the support of Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas: one on hospice care and another on Alzheimer’s. Both presentations were well attended.

He is now brainstorming ideas for a third presentation in February 2013, possibly on strokes and heart disease.

As Garbach and his team strive to serve Nativity’s growing elderly demographic, they continue to reap rewards.

“Their stories are so rich, so meaningful,” he said. “We can learn so much from them if we take the time. Once you know who they are, they share with you how God has worked in their lives.”

For Bartkoski, the ministry is a reminder that “God really has his hooks in us.”

“Even though [some of those he visits] may want to deny it or fight it,” he said, “at the end of the day, God’s always there, and they all know it.”

Bringing Jesus and the faith to these people at the end of their journey in this world can teach the volunteers themselves about the beauty of old age, and perhaps it can make their own journeys easier.

And, like Pope Benedict said during his visit to the elderly, “The quality of a society or civilization can be judged by how it treats the elderly.”

The parishioners of Nativity are raising the bar.

10 local news

theleaven.com | november 23, 2012

Traveling statue devotion proves popular with Hispanic community >> Continued from page 1 The ministry was slow to take hold, but now the youth enjoy spending time with the Sisters.

“When we started going, there were only two or three people who came,” said Sister Paula. “They are not Catholic and didn’t know what we were talking about. They didn’t know how to pray. We started to dance and sing.

Now, we have 12, 16, 20 who come to meet us.”

Three times a week, the members serve meals to the men of Shalom House. After dinner, they play dominoes and visit. The men help Sister Paula and Sister Agatha with their English. This past summer, the men helped the Sisters cultivate a vegetable garden.

Ralph Johnson, a member of the Nativity of Mary Parish in Independence, Mo., got to know the Sisters when he lived at Shalom House last spring.

“They clean this place from top to bottom,” Johnson said. “They are tireless. They soften a lot of hearts.”

On Tuesdays, the members travel with other volunteers to deliver food and clothing to the homeless on the street or at their encampments in the woods. Willie Dugan, a member of St. Agnes Parish in Roeland Park, has participated in the street ministry with the Sisters for several months.

“They are so delightful to be around,”

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with [families] in their homes,” said Sister Paula.

During the devotion, Sister Agatha centers everyone by strumming her guitar and leading hymns in Spanish.

Participants take turns saying a Hail Mary. After the rosary, everyone prays for the family. Then dinner is served.

“The devotion is powerful because it strengthens the family,” said Brother Casio.

Dugan said. “They’re very inspiring — their spirituality, their humility, their willingness to help the poorest people.

I feel honored to have met them.”

Personal interaction After nine months, the order has established a foothold in the neighborhood. Their friends represent the diversity of the surrounding area.

Many were present Oct. 23 for a Mass and reception to celebrate the order’s 11th anniversary. Perla Longoria, of All Saints Parish in Kansas City, Kan., met the Sisters in June, when she was coping with the loss of her cousin.

“The first time I came, I found people of love,” said Longoria. “They helped me with self-esteem, with prayer. They are good people. I have never had anyone to help me like this.”

The members interact with residents on a personal level, listening patiently and with compassion.

This highly personal interaction occurs during a weekly devotion to the Blessed Mother known as “peregrinação” in Portuguese, or “pilgrimage,” that has become especially popular with the Hispanic community.

Every Wednesday, a statue of Mary is delivered to a family. That evening, the Poor of Jesus Christ members, neighbors and friends — both children and adults — show up at the family’s

Meeting the need

A participant in the Fraternity of Missionaries, the Poor of Jesus Christ anniversary Mass wears a handmade crucifix made by the order. home to pray the rosary and offer intentions for the family.

The family keeps the statue and prays the rosary daily until the following Wednesday, when the statue moves to a different house and the devotion is repeated.

“It is an opportunity for us to get close to the community, to spend time

In a neighborhood that many consider abandoned, members of the Poor of Jesus Christ are gently working their way into the hearts of the residents.

“People say it is a poor area — that there is a lot of violence here,” Brother Casio said. “But we see people thirsting for God.” The order’s ultimate goal is to bring the love and compassion of Jesus Christ to those who need him. But before they can do that, they must meet the immediate needs of residents, otherwise the word of God is just words, Brother Casio said.

Are they making a difference?

“The answer has to come from those around us,” said Brother Casio. “We are living to work and help the best we can. What God sees is more important.

That answer coming from us means nothing.”

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local news 11

november 23, 2012 | theleaven.com

Father Sullivan helps any way he can >> Continued from page 16 “It just gives me great encouragement. I know these people well — not from being on the fire department with them, but because they’re members of this small community,” he said.

Father Sullivan — like everyone in the department — works his volunteer duties around his regular responsibilities.

“We don’t expect him to miss Mass,” Paul Tommer said with a laugh.

But he has been impressed by the pastor’s willingness to stay and help at long events, even knowing he has a full day ahead of him.

As a priest, responding to these scenes reminds Father Sullivan of the necessity to have Jesus in one’s life.

And just as a priest is expected to act as Jesus walking in the world today, he sees Jesus in everyone working around him.

Melody Tommer has relished watching the parish priest take on this new role.

“It’s nice because you can sit there and talk and he gives you a different perspective,” she said, “and he helps you make sense of what you’re dealing with.

“I just think it’s an asset. It’s very comforting to us that he’s there — kind of like our church is going with us.”

Sister Georgeanne Desch, SCL LEAVENWORTH — Sister Georgeanne Desch (formerly Sister George Anne), SCL, 92, died Nov. 12 at the Sisters of Charity of L e ave nwo r t h m o t h e rh o u s e here.

Florence Desch was born on Nov. 2, 1920, in Topeka, one of six children of George and Anna Marie Stadler Desch. She graduated from Sacred Heart School, Topeka, and Topeka Catholic High School.

Growing up, she enjoyed watching ballgames, listening to band concerts, and singing. She had a reputation for being a very accomplished dancer. She danced at weddings and anywhere else dance tunes were being played.

On Sept. 4, 1939, Florence entered the community of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, joining her older sister, Sister Ruth Anne, who

had entered three years earlier, and three older cousins. She was given the name Sister George Anne and professed vows on March 5, 1941. She later changed to Sister Georgeanne, a more feminine version of the name that honored her parents.

She received a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s in elementary school administration from Saint Mary College, Leavenworth.

In an interview, Sister Georgeanne said that she felt life was enriched by giving herself to those who needed love, kindness, and concern. This attitude of loving service marked her 41-year career in elementary education. For nine years she taught, and for 32 years she was principal in schools in Kansas, Missouri, Montana, and Nebraska.

She was the local coordinator of the motherhouse from 1982-1989.

In 1990, following a sabbatical program, Sister Georgeanne was employed at St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings, Mont., in senior services as the coordinator of the foster-grandparent program. She retired to the motherhouse on April 29, 2007.

Vocal ensemble will sing Advent vespers Dec. 9 BASEHOR — Sursum Corda, the archdiocese’s polyphonic vocal ensemble, will sing Advent vespers with a sacred choral music concert on Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. at Holy Angels Church here, located at 15408 Leavenworth Rd.

This hourlong program includes evening prayer of the church, sung to the beautiful melodies of Gregorian chant and enriched by the musical tapestry of Renaissance polyphony. The cost is a freewill offering.

Martin and Patricia (Yulich) Kasick, members of the Cathedral of St. Peter, Kansas City, Kan., will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Nov. 24. The couple was married on Nov. 24, 1962, at Holy Name Church, Kansas City, Kan. Their children and their spouses are: Martin J. Kasick, Olathe; Robin and Kimberly Hicks, Olathe; and Scott and Carri Kasick, Olathe. They also have five grandchildren. They plan to celebrate with family and friends.

Sharon (Ebert) and Larry Wickstrum, members of St. Joseph Parish, Flush, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Nov. 14.

The couple was married on Nov. 14, 1962, at St. Joseph by Father J.E. Biehler. Their children and their spouses are: Todd and Trista Wickstrum, Dallas; and Troy Wickstrum, Manhattan. Two other children, Timothy and Tamara, are deceased. They also have two grandchildren. They celebrated in late summer with a family vacation in Colorado. Cards may be sent to: 11870 Hwy. 13, Westmoreland, KS 66549.

12 classifieds Employment Catholic school principals - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking dynamic Catholic school principals for the 2013-2014 academic year who embrace the Catholic faith and possess spiritual leadership skills blended with strong instructional leadership and managerial skills. Principal applicants must be practicing Catholics and hold (or be eligible for) an administrative license from the Kansas State Department of Education. Interested individuals should complete the principal application available online at: www.archkckcs.org. Preliminary interviews will begin as applications are received. Questions may be directed to Dr. Kathleen O’Hara, superintendent of schools, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, at (913) 721-1570 or by email at: kohara@archkckcs.org.

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(913) 599-7998 Custom countertops - Laminates installed within 5 days. Cambria, granite, and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.

Caregiving Have a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease? Inquire about our fresh, unique approach to care. ComfortCare Homes, a local, family-owned care option, opened its first home in 2005. We have now grown to four homes located in Overland Park and Leawood. All of our homes are located minutes from highways I-35 or I-435, allowing easy access from anywhere in the Kansas City metropolitan area including Lee’s Summit, Shawnee, Liberty and Olathe. To learn more or take a tour, call Courtney Minter at (913) 609-1891 or visit the website at: www.ComfortCareKC.com.

Retired nurse - With 20-plus years of caregiving experience is seeking to care for an individual and their home on a full-time basis. Will consider live-in. I will provide caregiving, meal preparation, housekeeping, laundry, errands, etc. My goal is to keep your loved one in their home. Reasonable rates (will negotiate salary) and excellent references. Willing to relocate.

Call (913) 579-5276.

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 and based in Lenexa. Call Benefits of Home - Senior Care at (913) 422-1591 or visit our website at: www.benefits ofhome.com.

CNA – Would you like to keep your senior loved one in the comfort of their own home? Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. Compassionate, nurturing, attentive home health care professional provides quality service and personal assistance for over 20 years. Available anytime. Live-in optional. Non-smoker. Excellent references and reasonable rates. Call Rosalyn at (816) 830-7455.

Caregiver - 42-year-old caregiver. 10 years experience. Works nights, days, weekends. Flexible hours.

Best rate in town. Pay negotiable. Excellent references. Call Kara at (913) 909-6659.

Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management, and transportation to the elderly and disabled in home, assisted living and 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, Debbie or Gary.

Real estate Investors - Why play the stock market? Become a passive real estate investor. If you want to discuss the pos-

sibility of investing in real estate that produces positive income with a seasoned investor, call (913) 980-3559.

November

For sale - Lake of the Ozarks waterfront condo.

2 bedroom, 2 bath in the Four Seasons area. Condo offers boat slip, pool, wooded acreage, tennis courts, trail and main channel view. Call (913) 485-3484.

A Daughters of Isabella meeting will be held at 1 p.m. on Nov. 25 at Assumption Church, 8th and Jackson, Topeka, followed by a social hour. A memorial Mass for deceased members will be at 12:30 p.m.

for sale Two plots, side by side, for sale - Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens. Location: Garden of Gethsemane, vaults included. Price: $3,690 each or $7,000 for both. Contact Sondra at (913) 441-1650.

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.

Doll uniforms for 18” or American Girl dolls. Full line of doll clothes and accessories including cheerleader outfits, party dresses, play clothes, pajamas, dance wear, flower girl dresses and First Communion dresses.

In house showroom in south Johnson County. Call (913) 345-9498.

Max’s rosaries - Custom-made locally for all occasions – first Communion, confirmation, baptism, graduation.

Rosary bracelets and beaded earrings too! I also do repairs. Member of the Church of the Ascension, Overland Park. Call (913) 400-3236.

vacation Ski cabin in Winter Park, Colo. - 2 BR, 1 BA, fully furnished; sleeps four. View of Continental Divide from deck. Close to points of interest and activities. $115/ night. Call (913) 642-3027. For pictures, visit the website at: www.tillmancabin.com.

Branson condo nightly rental - 2 king BRs, 2 BA; sleeps 6. Sunporch overlooks public golf course. Walkin level (no steps), flat screen TVs, and fully equipped kitchen. Near the Hwy. 76 strip. No smoking; no pets.

Members of Holy Cross Parish, Overland Park. Call (913) 851-8886.

Colorado ski vacation - Winter Park. 2 BR, sleeps 6.

Fully furnished, fireplace, rec. center with pool & hot tub. Bus to ski area. $135/night; $800/week. Call Joe Frederick at (913) 385-5589.

for rent For rent - 1 BR, 1 BA apartment in St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee. Near Nieman and Johnson Dr. $500/month; utilities included. 10911 W. 59th Terr. Nonsmokers only.

For a virtual tour, visit the website at: www.shawnee rentals.com. Call (913) 649-7596.

ROOMMATE

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november 23, 2012 | theleaven.com

25

Shop for the holidays and support Keeler Women’s Center on Nov. 25 from 1 - 5 p.m. at Ten Thousand Villages, 7947 Santa Fe, Overland Park. Fifteen percent of all sales will help the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica fulfill their mission of empowering women in the urban core of Kansas City, Kan., through education, advocacy, and personal and spiritual development.

The Topeka area ACCW will be hosting the first ever “Ladies Time Out” at 6 p.m. on Nov. 28 at St. Matthew Parish hall, 2700 S.E. Virginia, Topeka. The evening will include a meet-and-greet friends hour, potluck dinner, door prizes and local entertainment.

The cost at the door will be $2.

28

The Serra KCK Club will hold its noon luncheon meeting on Nov. 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn, 5th and Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The guest speaker is Stephen Minnis, Benedictine College president.

The Keeler Women’s Center is hosting a five-part series entitled “Praying Every Day and into the Advent Season.” The series began on Nov. 7, and will continue on Nov. 28, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12 from 9:30 - 11 a.m. Call (913) 906-8990 to register. Experience different ways of praying and spend time with God and with other women who are seeking God in daily life. There is no cost to attend.

A Marian Mass for the sanctity of human life will be held at 7 p.m. on Nov. 28 at Sacred Heart Church, 312 N.E. Freeman Ave., Topeka. Confessions will begin at 6:15 p.m., followed by a rosary and Mass.

The Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica will host a professional etiquette for job readiness workshop on Nov. 28 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Keeler

Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The workshop is designed to help women assess their skills, set goals and prepare for the interview and the job.

Participants will leave better prepared and confident for an interview. Lunch is included. Space is limited and reservations are required.

The Women of St. Ignatius will host an Advent retreat on Nov. 29 from 8:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. at the Fort Leavenworth Frontier Chapel, 625 Thomas Ave., Fort Leavenworth.

The guest speaker is Doug Barry. Activities include breakfast and lunch. The cost to attend is a $25 donation. Child care is available on site; space is limited (parents must provide a lunch for the children). To register, send an email to: bublgum5@gmail. com or call (915) 253-1656.

29

The Women of Spirit of Holy Spirit Parish, Overland Park, are hosting a tour, including visits to the Strawberry Hill Museum and Cultural Center and St. John the Baptist Church, on Nov. 30 from 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

The cost is $40, which includes bus transportation leaving from Holy Spirit at 9 a.m., tours, and lunch. Call Mary at (913) 4863285 or Kathy at (913) 599-2940 for more information.

30

December Holy Family Church, 513 Ohio, Kansas City, Kan., will host the Don Lipovac Orchestra’s 32nd annual Booster Club Christmas party on Dec. 1 from 5:30 to 10 p.m. The cost is $25 per person. For reservations, contact JoAnn Lipovac at (913) 299-2792.

1

Tom Jacobs and his 10-piece ensemble will perform their 24th annual concert at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 1 at Unity Temple on the Plaza in Kansas City, Mo. Tickets can be purchased online at: www.tomjacobs.com; by sending an email to: tbjacobs@earthlink. net; or by calling (816) 619-3499. Early bird November tickets are $20; tickets at the door are $25.

SON Christmas dance will be held on Dec.

1 from 7 - 11 p.m. at Nativity Parish, 119th and Mission, Leawood. The cost is $15 for members and guests. There is a semiformal dress code. Married SON alumni are welcome. For more information, send an email to: j-shea13@hotmail.com.

A Spirituality of Waiting retreat will be held Dec. 1 from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. The Gospel of Luke and the psalms give many hints about how to wait during this holy season.

Advent also provides the time to let Mary, Elizabeth and Zachary, Simeon and Anna show us the way. The retreat will be conducted by Sister Marie Ballmann, OSB. The cost is $50. For more information or to register, call (913) 360-6151 or visit Sophia Center’s website at: www.mountosb.org/ sophia.html.

Sacred Heart Knights of Columbus, Council No. 11917, 2646 S. 34th St., Kansas City, Kan., will host an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast with Santa Claus from 8 - 11 a.m. on Dec. 2. The cost is: $6 for adults; $4 for children ages 4 - 12; and free for children ages 3 and under.

2

St. Mary - St. Anthony Church, 615 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan., will host jingle bell bingo on Dec. 2 at 2 p.m. in Bishop Forst Hall. The cost for a bingo card, desserts, popcorn and coffee is $5. For information, call Carol Shomin at (913) 897-4833 or the rectory office at (913) 621-2120. Tickets may be purchased in advance from the rectory office, Teresa’s Hair Salon at 508 N. 6th in Kansas City, Kan., or at the door.

Apostles of the Interior Life will lead a parish mission at Holy Angels Church, 15408 Leavenworth Road, Basehor, at 7 p.m. on Dec. 3 - 5. At 7 p.m. on Dec. 4, the sacrament of reconciliation will be offered. Designed specifically for the laity for strengthening their relationship with God through prayer, this mission helps participants build prayer into their busy lives by offering opportunities for fellowship, and prayer.

3

5

“Building Children’s SelfEsteem,” a two-part series, will be offered on Dec. 5 and Dec. 12 from 9:30 - 11 a.m. at the Keeler

Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Call (913) 906-8990 for information. There is no cost to attend.

The motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth, will host a Taize prayer on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. in Annunciation Chapel. Taize prayer is a meditative, candlelit service that includes simple chants sung repeatedly, silence, and prayers of praise and intercession. These prayer services emerged from an ecumenical community of monks in Taize, France.

For more information, visit the website at: www.marillaccenter.org or call (913) 7586572.

6

The Social Concerns Committee of Prince of Peace Parish, 16000 W. 143rd St., Olathe, will host a movie and discussion on Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. in the St. Luke - Mark Room. The topic is immigration, and the movie is entitled “The Visitor.” Refreshments will be provided.

9

Sursum Corda, the archdiocese’s polyphonic vocal ensemble, will sing Advent vespers with a sacred choral music concert on Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. at Holy Angels Church, 15408 Leavenworth Rd., Basehor.

This hourlong program includes evening prayer of the church, sung to the beautiful melodies of Gregorian chant and enriched by the musical tapestry of Renaissance polyphony. The cost is a freewill offering.

A celebration in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe will be held at 6 p.m. on Dec. 12 at Queen of the Holy Rosary Church, 71st and Metcalf, Overland Park. Beto Lopez will provide mariachi music. A reception will follow Mass with Mexican pastries, coffee and hot chocolate.

12

The annual Serran seminarian/ parents luncheon will be at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 27 at the Church of the Ascension, Overland Park.

The cost to attend is $25 per person. The luncheon is sponsored by the Johnson County Serra Club. For information, contact George or Maggie Lents at (913) 492-3239 or send an email to: glents@kc.rr.com.

27

Roommate wanted - Move in Jan. or Feb. 2013. Student or young professional female, 21 or older. Clean, nonsmoker to share 3 BR, 2 BA home in Prairie Village. $485 per month, plus half of the utilities. Email: mmcguire85@gmail.com.

wanted to buy Antiques wanted I buy old pocket & wrist watches; sets of silverware; souvenir spoons; advertising signs; coins; and Native American turquoise jewelry, arrowheads & rugs. Call Chris at (913) 593-7507 or (913) 642-8269.

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.

“I am proud to continue the legacy of service my grandfather and father began in 1946.”

*** Wanted to buy *** Antique/vintage jewelry, paintings, pottery, prints, sterling, etc.

Renee Maderak (913) 631-7179 St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee Wanted to buy - Lionel Trains. Call (913) 485-6700

Open House Open house - Handcrafted heirloom furniture for the American Girl doll. Nov. 17 and 18, noon to 5 p.m. John Hember, 5619 Widmer Rd., Shawnee KS 66216. (913) 631-4060.

Funeral home • crematory • Memorial chapels 10901 Johnson Drive Shawnee, Kansas 66203 Telephone 913-631-5566 Fax 913-631-2236

Free Two female English bulldogs for free - Send an email to: robinevans29@yahoo.com.

Cost to advertise is: $17.50 for five lines or less; $1.50 each additional line. Email: adv@ theleaven.com or phone: (913) 647-0327

www.amosfamily.com Gregg Amos

Wagner’s Mud-Jacking Co. Specializing in Foundation Repairs Mud-jacking and Waterproofing.

Serving Lawrence, Topeka and surrounding areas.

Topeka (785) 233-3447 Lawrence (785) 749-1696 In business since 1963 www.foundationrepairks.com

14 commentary

theleaven.com | november 23, 2012

mark my words Scripture Readings Thirty-fourth week of ordinary time Nov. 25 OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE Dn 7: 13-14 Ps 93: 1-2, 5 Rv 1: 5-8 Jn 18: 33b-37 Nov. 26 Monday Rv 14: 1-3, 4b-5 Ps 24: 1-6 Lk 21: 1-4 Nov. 27 Tuesday Rv 14: 14-19 Ps 96: 10-13 Lk 21: 5-11 Nov. 28 Wednesday Rv 15: 1-4 Ps 98: 1-3, 7-9 Lk 21: 12-19 Nov. 29 Thursday Rv 18: 1-2, 21-23; 19: 1-3, 9a Ps 100: 1b-5 Lk 21: 20-28 Nov. 30 ANDREW, APOSTLE Rom 10: 9-18 Ps 19: 2-5 Mt 4: 18-22 Dec. 1 Saturday Rv 22: 1-7 Ps 95: 1-7 Lk 21: 34-36 FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT Dec. 2 FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT Jer 33: 14-16 Ps 25: 4-5, 8-10, 14 1 Thes 3:12 – 4:2 Lk 21: 25-28, 34-36 Dec. 3 Francis Xavier, priest Is 2: 1-5 Ps 122: 1-9 Mt 8: 5-11 Dec. 4 John Damascene, priest, doctor of the church Is 11: 1-10 Ps 72: 1, 7-8, 12-13, 17 Lk 10: 21-24 Dec. 5 Wednesday Is 25: 6-10a Ps 23: 1-6 Mt 15: 29-37 Dec. 6 Nicholas, bishop Is 26: 1-6 Ps 118: 1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a Mt 7: 21, 24-27 Dec. 7 Ambrose, bishop, doctor of the church Is 29: 17-24 Ps 27: 1, 4, 13-14 Mt 9: 27-31 Dec. 8 THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Gn 3: 9-15, 20 Ps 98: 1-4 Eph 1: 3-6, 11-12 Lk 1: 26-38

Y

Behold, the ultimate gift list

ou should receive this Leaven on Thanksgiving weekend, maybe even on Black Friday. The holiday shopping season is officially in full swing. As of Nov. 23, there are only 32 shopping days until Christmas.

With that in mind, let the following story put things into perspective: Four Jewish brothers left home for college. Eventually, they became prosperous doctors, lawyers and businessmen. At dinner one year, they discussed the gifts they were able to give to their elderly mother who lived far away.

The first said, “I had a big house built for Mama.”

The second said, “I had a $100,000 theater built in the house.”

The third said, “I had my Mercedes dealer deliver her an SL600, complete with a chauffeur.”

The fourth said, “Listen to this. You know how Mama loved reading the Torah.

And you know, too, that she can’t read anymore because she can’t see very well. I met this rabbi who told me about a parrot that can recite the entire Torah! It took 20

Father Mark Goldasich Father Mark Goldasich is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989. rabbis 12 years to teach him.

I had to pledge to contribute $100,000 a year for 20 years to the temple to get the parrot. But let me tell you, it was worth it. All Mama has to do is name a chapter and verse from the Torah and the parrot will recite it.”

Well, the others were impressed. After the holidays, Mama sent out her thankyou notes: “Milton, The house you had built is so huge. I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house.

Thanks anyway.”

“Menachim, You gave me an expensive theater with Dolby sound. The place could hold 50 people, but all my friends are dead, I lost my hearing and I’m nearly

blind. I’ll never use it. Thank you for the gesture just the same.”

“Marvin, I am too old to travel. I stay home and have my groceries delivered, so I never use the Mercedes.

And I think the driver you hired is a Nazi. The thought was good, though. Thanks anyway.”

“Dearest Melvin, You were the only son to have the good sense to give a little thought to your gift.

The chicken was delicious!

Thank you.” (Cue the rimshot sound!)

Keep this story in mind as you’re out shopping for the “perfect gift” for someone.

Realize that such a gift rarely exists. And, though it sounds trite, the best gift that we can give is usually not a thing at all, but an experience, something that will live long in the mind and in the heart.

Use this holiday weekend to plan ways of making these next few weeks special.

Despite all the extra activities, we can choose to do at least a few things differently, to give ourselves the gift of Advent. These might include some of the following: • Gather every evening around an Advent wreath for a short prayer

• Take a day off from household chores and holiday shopping to enjoy the season • Drink lots of hot chocolate and little alcohol • Put on some Christmas music, sit comfortably, close your eyes and really listen to it.

And as you’re compiling your gift list, be inspired by this one, courtesy of the British statesman Lord Balfour who said that “the best thing to give: To your enemy is forgiveness; To an opponent, tolerance; To a friend, your heart; To your child, a good example; To a father, deference; To your mother, conduct that will make her proud of you; To yourself, respect; And to all men, charity.”

(Found in Anthony P. Castle’s “Quotes & Anecdotes.”)

This Advent, don’t shop till you drop. Presents like fancy houses, home theaters, brand-new cars or even special “chickens” won’t mean a thing if you don’t give what’s most desired and needed in the lives of others: your presence.

In the beginning

Claim to be ‘Son of Man’ revealed Jesus as Messiah

F

lying in an airplane has always been a lot of fun for me. Since my father had a pilot’s license, I have fond memories of his taking me up for a spin when I was a young boy.

There’s something intriguing about climbing high above the earth, so that the cars on the highway look as small as ants, and the trees look like sprigs of parsley.

Pretty soon, you’re traveling amid the clouds. That in itself creates an otherworldly feeling.

In the Scriptures, clouds often indicated God’s presence. That is only natural, since clouds are ordinarily located up in the sky, in the heavens, the place where people imagined God to dwell.

When God would come down to earth, that often would take place through a cloud: “Return, O Lord, you

Father Mike Stubbs Father Mike Stubbs is the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University. who ride upon the clouds, to the troops of Israel” (Nm 10:36). Similarly, a cloud could also indicate God’s continued presence: “In the daytime the cloud of the Lord was seen over the Dwelling; whereas at night, fire was seen in the cloud by the whole house of Israel in all the stages of their journey” (Ex 40:38).

Sunday’s first reading, Dn 7:13-14, shows a mysterious figure arriving “on the clouds

of heaven.” The mention of clouds emphasizes the otherworldly dimension of this person, who is not identified by name, but only described as “one like a son of man.”

This should sound very familiar, since only last Sunday we heard the Gospel reading state something very similar: “And then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory” (Mk 13: 26). Jesus’ prediction in Mark’s Gospel echoes the prediction in the Book of Daniel. Even though neither prediction explicitly names who the Son of Man is, we identify him as Jesus, since on other occasions Jesus made that connection.

In presenting himself as the Son of Man, Jesus made an enormous claim. In light of this prediction from the Book of Daniel, Jesus would be revealing himself as the

THE PRACTICAL CATHOLIC Peggy cleans my house on Fridays. I wonder if she’s ever wondered why there’s sometimes a glass bowl on the bathroom counter. Actually, the bowl is usually there, but often I get it to the dishwasher before she arrives.

Since my sink’s stopper doesn’t work too well, I fill the bowl with water and use that to rinse my razor while I’m shaving, instead of letting the water run the whole time. I also don’t let water run when brushing my teeth.

celestial figure coming from God to rule the world forever: “His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.” In other words, Jesus would be revealing himself as the Messiah. Many Scripture scholars believe that Jesus’ self-identification as the Son of Man constituted his most daring claim about himself, that it inflamed the anger of the authorities and ultimately led to his death.

As we celebrate the feast of Christ the King this Sunday, we recognize Jesus as the Son of Man who one day will arrive on earth “on the clouds of heaven.” On that day, the kingdom of God, which he proclaimed through his parables and which he anticipated through his miracles of compassion, will be revealed in its fullness.

This past summer’s drought and its continuing effects have made me very conscious of water. It’s truly a blessing that I take for granted. Monitor your water use. A couple of quick tasks to try this week are to winterize your outdoor spigots (to prevent pipes from leaking or bursting when temps get to freezing again) or put a bucket in the shower when waiting for the water to warm up and use that to give your plants a drink.

So, water you waiting for?

— M.G.

Thank you

To the Crosier Society members who give generously and graciously to the 2012 Archbishop’s Call to Share Mr. and Mrs. Peter S. Abbey, Mr. and Mrs. Randy Abbott, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Abraham, Mr. and Mrs. James Adams, Ms. Mary Adams, Mr. and Mrs. Brian Agnew, Dr. and Mrs. Pablo Aguayo, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas C. Albers, Father Lawrence Albertson, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Allen, Dr. and Dr. Jeffrey R. Althoff, American Multi-Cinema, Inc (AMC), Mr. and Mrs. Bradley E. Anderson, Mr. and Mrs. James Anderson, Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Andrews, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Angles, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Aranki, Mr. and Mrs. Christopher G. Arth, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Arth, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Baker, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Baker, Mr. and Mrs. William Baker, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Baldwin, Mr. and Mrs. John Balling, Mr. and Mrs. John Balzer, Mr. and Mrs. Vito Barbieri, Dr. and Mrs. Theron Barr, Mr. and Mrs. George Barraza, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Barrett, Mr. and Mrs. Paul W. Barrett, Dr. and Mrs. Charles W. Barth III, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Bartkoski, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bartkoski, Mr. and Mrs. Chad Basler, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bastasch, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Bayliss, Mr. Jack Bechelmayr, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard H. Becker, Mr. Ralph Becker, Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Beckley, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Beier, Mr. James R. Benson, Mr. Charles J. Berkel, Mr. and Mrs. Gregg Bermond, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene J. Bertels, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bertrand, Ms. Joan M. Bevacqua, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Bever, Mr. Patrick Bickers and Ms. Diane Hunter, Mr. and Mrs. Phillip C. Bird, Ms. Carol J. Bishop, Mr. and Mrs. Ron Bishop, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Black, Mr. John M. Blair, Mr. and Mrs. Brent Blake, Miss Debbie Blakeley, Blessed Seelos Fund, Mr. and Mrs. Scott Blonigen, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Blosser, Dr. and Mrs. Peter A. Bock, Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Bockwinkel, Ms. Joyce Bodenhamer, Ms. Mary Lou Boeh, Dr. William W. Bohn and Mrs. Angela M. Noto, Mr. and Mrs. William Bokath, Mr. and Mrs. James Boldt, Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Bone, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Book, Mr. and Mrs. David H. Boone, Mr. Martin D. Boos, Mr. and Mrs. James T. Borelli, Mr. and Mrs. Don Botts, Mr. Eli Boucher, Mr. and Mrs. John E. Bourdow, Mrs. Jeanette Bouzianis, Mr. and Mrs. Rich Boynton, Mr. and Mrs. Donald C. Brain, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Brennan, Mr. and Mrs. Greg L. Bride, Mr. and Mrs. John Brinker, Mr. and Mrs. James Brosnahan, Mr. and Mrs. James Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Kent P. Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Marvin N. Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Brad Bukaty, Mr. John L. Burke, Mr. Thomas J. Burke, Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Burton, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Busch, Mr. Michael Bussell, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Butch, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Bybee, Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Byrd, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Caggianello, Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Calovich, Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Camerlinck, Mr. and Mrs. John Campbell, Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Campbell, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Candelario, Dr. and Mrs. Ramon V. Canent, Mr. and Mrs. John W. Cantrell, Mr. and Mrs. Candelario Carmona, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Caro, Mr. and Mrs. Arden E. Carr, Mr. and Mrs. John W. Cartwright, Dr. and Mrs. Michael Cassell, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cattanach, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Cavaliere III, Mr. and Mrs. Lui Ting T. Chan, Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Chenoweth, Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Cheray, Mr. and Mrs. Tim Chik, Mr. Mark E. Chop, Ms. Tracy Christian, Mr. and Mrs. James A. Christoph, Mr. and Mrs. John Ciliberti, Mr. and Mrs. Albert E. Cinelli, Mr. and Mrs. Edward J. Cisek, Mr. and Mrs. Adrian Clark, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Clark, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Martin J. Clement, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Clements, Mr. and Mrs. Craig Clennan, Mr. and Mrs. David Cobb, Mr. and Mrs. Brian J. Coens, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Colanero, Mr. and Mrs. Gregg Collins, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Combes, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew H. Comstock, Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Condon, Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Connealy, Dr. and Mrs. Robert W. Conroy, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne P. Conway III, Mr. and Mrs. John R. Copeland, Mr. and Mrs. Tim Coppinger, Mr. Tom Cortright, Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Cotter, Dr. James Crawford, Mr. Edward Cronnin III, Mr. and Mrs. Kirk Cross, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Dahir, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Dahl, Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Dahm, Mr. and Mrs. David R. Daly, Mr. and Mrs. John M. Daly, Mr. and Mrs. Jason M. Dana, Mr. Paul G. Danaher, Mr. Wallace E. Daniels, Ms. Margaret Daugherty, Dr. and Mrs. Dale A. Davis, Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Davis, Mr. and Mrs. Gary D. Davis, Mr. and Mrs. James Davis, Mr. and Mrs. Jasper S. De Maria, Ms. Shirley Deal, Mr. and Mrs. Peter J. Debus, Mr. and Mrs. James M. Decker, Mr. and Mrs. Larry J. DeDonder, Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas M. DeGennaro, Mr. and Mrs. Gerard A. Degnan, Mr. and Mrs. Gary M. Del Nero, Mrs. Kathy Delaney, Mr. and Mrs. Troy S. Delong, Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Demaria, Mr. and Mrs. David DeMint, Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Denice, Mr. and Mrs. Gary Denning, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Denning, Dr. and Mrs. Martin DeRuyter, Mr. and Mrs. Rolland A. Dessert, Jr., Mr. Todd DeYoung, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Dickason, Ms. Eleanor G. Dideles, Mr. and Mrs. Bryan J. Didier, Mr. and Mrs. Gerard Dipoto, Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. DiSilvestro, Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Dixon, Mr. and Mrs. David M. Dixon, Mrs. Marianne Dixon, Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Doll, Mr. and Mrs. Owen F. Donohoe, Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Dorst, Mrs. Emma R. Dougherty, Mr. John Downey and Mrs. Shannan Seely, Mr. and Mrs. Kurt R. Doyle, Dr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Doyle, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence F. Drbal, Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Dreiling, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Drinon, DST Systems, Mr. and Mrs. David K. Duckers, Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Dummermuth, Dr. and Mrs. John L. Dunlap, Mr. and Mrs. Steven Dunn, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas A. Dvorak, Mr. Howard E. Earnhardt, Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Easterday, Ms. Cindy Eckert, Mr. and Mrs. Terry Ecklund, Mr. and Mrs. Jason Edmondson, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen W. Ehart, Mrs. Carol Eichman, Mr. and Mrs. Brad Elder, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Elias, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Eliason, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Erker, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel L. Ernst, Mr. and Mrs. John M. Errante, Ms. Sandi Evenson, Dr. Anthony Fangman and Mrs. Marsha Dannenberg, Mr. Mark F. Farley and Dr. Kay R. Farley, Mr. and Mrs. Dennis A. Farmer, Mr. and Mrs. Pete Feyerabend, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Fiddes, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Figura, Mr. James Finnegan, Mrs. Sandra Fisher, Mr. John R. Fladung, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Flake, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Fogarty, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Foley, Mr. and Mrs. Mike E. Forsythe, Mr. and Mrs. Fred M. Fosnacht, Mr. Andy Fox, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Fox, Mr. and Mrs. Kevin J. Fox, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Franchett, Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Friedel, Mr. and Mrs. Gary Friedrichsen, Mr. and Mrs. Donald J. Fritschie, Mr. Luigi Frosini, Mr. Steven Frye, Mr. and Mrs. Rick Funke, Mr. and Mrs. Craig Gaffney, Mr. William Galligan and Mrs. Anecita Galligan, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Garbach, Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Garrett, Ms. Madge R. Garrison, Mrs. Roseann Gartner, Mr. and Mrs. David D. Gatchell, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph W. Geckles, Mr. and Mrs. Crosby L. Gernon, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Giancarlo, Mrs. Elida A. Gibbons, Ms. Nancy Gibson, Mr. and Mrs. James A. Giglione, Mr. and Mrs. Brian C. Gillespie, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse E. Gillikin, Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Ginn, Mr. and Mrs. John R. Ginzel, Mr. James E. Glick, Mr. and Mrs. Leo Glick, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Golba, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Goode, Mr. and Mrs. Dean Goodell, Mr. Alexander Gordzica and Ms. Theresa K. Gordzica, Ms. Jeanne Gorman, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph G. Gose, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Gound, Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Gowan, Mr. Tom Grace, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Graham, Ms. Carol E. Graney, Mr. and Mrs. Ed Grasso, Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Graves, Mr. and Mrs. Brian J. Green, Mr. and Mrs. Tom E. Green, Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Greenwood, Sr., Mr. and Mrs. Charles Gregg, Mr. and Mrs. Robert K. Gremminger, Mr. and Mrs. David P. Greving, Mr. and Mrs. Doug Griffin, Mr. and Mrs. Terry E. Gruenewald, Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Grunhard, Mr. and Mrs. Diego Guerrero, Mr. David F. Gunter, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Gurera, Ms. Kathy Guthrie, Mrs. Mary Beth Guy, Mrs. Mary Jane Habig, Mr. and Mrs. Chris Hackleman, Mr. James L. Hagen III, Mr. Brandon K. Hall, Mr. and Mrs. Roman Hamerski, Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Hamilton, Mr. and Mrs. Ron Hammerschmidt, Father Greg Hammes, Mr. and Mrs. Leo R. Hammes, Mr. and Mrs. David Hanks, Mr. and Mrs. Donald P. Hanrahan, Mr. and Mrs. William C. Hansen II, Ms. Maxine Harman, Mr. and Mrs. John L. Harrington, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin O. Hart, Mrs. Patricia Hartwich, Mr. and Mrs. John V. Haug, Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Hausman, Mr. and Mrs. Chris Haverkamp, Dr. and Mrs. Kent D. Haverkamp, Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. Haverty, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Hayden, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald E. Heap, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Hegarty, Mr. Ben P. Heideman, Mr. and Mrs. Richard W. Heim, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Heiman, Mr. and Mrs. Gerald W. Heinen, Mr. and Mrs. Gregory S. Helt, Mr. David Hendrix, Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Hennessey, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Henry, Mr. and Mrs. Jeff E. Henry, Mr. and Mrs. Steven A. Henry, Mr. Normand P. Heon, Mrs. Elinor C. Hermansen, Ms. Maria Hernandez, Ms. Ellen Herrmann, Dr. and Mrs. Scott D. Herrmann, Mr. and Mrs. Roger R. Herting, Mr. Richard Herz and Ms. Fran Lancaster, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Heschmeyer, Mr. and Mrs. William Hickey, Mr. and Mrs. Travis Hicks, Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Higley, Mr. and Mrs. Denis E. Hill, Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Hill, Deacon and Mrs. Michael D. Hill, Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Hillebert, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Hirt, Dr. Roman Hiszczynskyj, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Hlobik, Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Hoehn, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence P. Hoffman, Mr. and Mrs. Tracey Hoffman, Mr. and Mrs. Rod Holcomb, Mr. and Mrs. Scott Holland, Mr. and Mrs. Hal L. Holmquist, Mr. and Mrs. James V. Holtgraves, Mr. and Mrs. Jay E. Holthaus, Mr. John Taylor and Ms. Tish Holub, Mrs. Elizabeth J. Honeycutt, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hoopes, Mr. and Mrs. Steve Hoover, Mr. David Horn, Mr. James B. Horner, Mr. Gerald H. Houfek, Mr. and Mrs. William Houlehan, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar H. Hovis III, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Howell, Mrs. Sally Hubbell, Mr. and Mrs. Louis A. Huber III, Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Huber, Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Hummell, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph D. Hund, Mr. and Mrs. Allen Hunter, Ms. Jenny Hurlbut, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Hyatt, Mr. and Mrs. Jamie Ibarra, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Imm, Mr. and Mr. Daniel Intfen, Mr. Steve E. Jacobson, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Jacquinot, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Jaeger, Ms. Shelly Jarvis, Mr. and Mrs. Benedict M. Jilka, Mr. and Mrs. John Joerger, Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Johnson, Dr. and Mrs. Fred F. Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Kelly D. Johnson, Mr. and Dr. Stephen Johnson, Mr. Tom S. Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry C. Jones, Mr. and Mrs. R. D. Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Shane Jones, Mrs. Theresa Jones, Mr. and Mrs. Jeff A. Jurgensmeyer, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard P. Kalmus, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Kane, Ms. Bonnie L. Kangas, Deacon and Mrs. George Karnaze, Archbishop James P. Keleher, Mr. and Mrs. Tim S. Kellerman, Mrs. Mary Kellner, Mrs. Jane E. Kelly, Mr. and Mrs. Kevin T. Kelly, Ms. Margaret E. Kelly, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald E. Kelsey, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Kempf, Mr. and Mrs. John Kendrick, Mr. Charles Kennedy, Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Kern, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Kerr, Mr. Timothy J. Kerschen, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Ketelle, Mrs. Vickie Ketter, Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Kiesling, Mr. and Mrs. William D. Kilian, Mr. and Mrs. Mark D. Killen, Mr. and Mrs. Gerald A. King, Mr. and Mrs. Bruce W. Kinzie, Mr. and Mrs. Chad Kirby, Ms. Geraldine M. Kirkpatrick, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Kisgen, Dr. and Mrs. Theodore L. Kitowski, Mr. and Mrs. Michael S. Klein, Mr. and Mrs. Pat P. Klein, Mr. and Mrs. Edmund A. Kobylinski, Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Koenig, Ms. Donna Koerner- Frederick, Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Kolich, Dr. Judith A. Kooser, Dr. and Mrs. Frank Koranda, Mr. Richard S. Korvick and Ms. Denise M. Holt, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Kramer, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Kroh, Mr. and Mrs. Brad A. Kropf, Mr. and Mrs. James E. Krueger, Mr. and Mrs. John Kubicki, Mr. and Mrs. Mark V. Lacy, Mr. and Mrs. Glen Lammers, Mr. and Mrs. David Lamott, Mr. Donald Landoll, Mr. and Mrs. C Edward Larcom, Mr. and Mrs. John J. Larkin, Mr. and Mrs. Larry Larkin, Ms. Danuta Larson, Mr. and Mrs. Lauren J. Larson, Mrs. Sally Lauer, Dr. and Mrs. Ed J. Laughlin, Deacon and Mrs. James E. Lavin, Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. Lawless, Sr., Mrs. Diana L. Layes, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Leese, Mrs. Norma C. Legaspi, Mr. and Mrs. David Leiker, Ms. Stephanie Letourneau and Mr. Michael Domer, Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Levell, Ms. Victoria Lewis, Mr. and Mrs. Gary Liberty, Mr. and Mrs. Adam Liebergen, Mr. Chris M. Likens, Dr. and Mrs. Patrick Lillis, Ms. Marlene R. Link, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Lintz, Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey A. Lipp, Joan M. Lipp, Mr. and Mrs. H. Jan Lippincott, Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Litch, Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Litzen, Dr. Karen Lombardi, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Long, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Looman, Ms. Phyllis L. Lord, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen P. Loughman, Dr. Michael Luchi, Dr. and Mrs. Robert J. Luchi, Father James E. Ludwikoski, Ms. Maria Lui, Mr. and Mrs. John Lyon, Mr. and Mrs. Jason Lyons, Mr. and Mrs. Carroll B. Macke, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Madrid, Mr. and Mrs. Ken Madsen, Mr. and Mrs. Frank M. Magana, Mr. and Mrs. William P. Mahoney, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin C. Maimer, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Majerle, Mr. and Mrs. Gregory W. Malmgren, Mr. and Mrs. William Maloney, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Mansker, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Marincel, Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Maring, Mrs. Ann H. Martella, Mr. and Mrs. Chris Martin, Mr. Thomas M. Martin, Mr. and Mrs. Orlando Martinez, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Martucci, Mr. and Mrs. David R. Masters, Mr. and Mrs. Eric May, Dr. and Mrs. Kevin P. Mays, Mrs. Laura Mae McAntee, Mr. and Mrs. Quentin E. McArthur, Mr. and Mrs. Donald R. McCann, Mr. and Mrs. Marcus McCarty, Ms. Barbara J. McCauley, Dr. and Mrs. James P. McCullough, Mr. and Mrs. William McDowell, Mrs. Frances McEvoy, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas McGuire, Mr. and Mrs. John McMahon, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry L. Meert, Mr. and Mrs. David Meiners, Mr. and Mrs. Librado Meraz, Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Mettee, Mr. and Mrs. Larry and Mary Meyers, Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Meyers, Mr. and Mrs. Greg Mies, Mr. Paul Mies, Mr. and Mrs. Brian Miller, Mr. and Mrs. David Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Gregory L. Miller, Ms. Jolene Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen S. Miller, Ms. Carla K. Mills, Mr. and Mrs. John P. Minnis, Dr. and Mrs. Brendan B. Mitchell, Mrs. Velma L. Mitsdarfer, Mr. Paul R. Mockler, Mr. and Mrs. David S. Moll, Mr. and Mrs. Troy Montgomery, Mr. and Mrs. John Moore, Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Morris, Mr. and Mrs. Carey Morrison, Mr. and Mrs. Alan D. Mosher, Ms. Rhonda Moylan, Major and Mrs. John J. Mroszczak, Ms. Lynn Muder and Mrs. Lanell Pruett, Dr. and Dr. Gregory F. Muehlebach, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Muessig, Mr. Louis M. Mufich, Mr. and Mrs. Darrin Muggli, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Mulinazzi, Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Mullinax, Mr. and Mrs. John F. Murphy, Mr. and Mrs. Vincent L. Murphy, Mr. and Mrs. James H. Murphy-Beach, Mr. Raphael Musau, Mr. and Mrs. William E. Myers, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Neal, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert L. Nease II, Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Needleman, Mr. James P. Neel, Mr. and Mrs. John Nelson, Mr. Jim Neville, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Newcomer, Mr. and Mrs. Randy Newcomer, Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Newell, Mr. and Mrs. Travis S. Newkirk, Mrs. Elizabeth R. Newman, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Newmaster, Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Newport, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Newton, Mr. and Mrs. James L. Ney, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry C. Ney, Mr. Don Ngo and Mrs. Mary Hoang-Ngo, Mr. and Mrs. Steve T. Nguyen, Mr. and Mrs. Harold J. Nicholson, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard H. Nicolaisen, Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Niehues, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Van Nine, Ms. Alice M. Nolan, Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Noland, Dr. Mary Sheila Noon, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard T. Noonan, Mr. Daniel Norman, Mr. and Mrs. Gale E. Norris, Mr. and Mrs. Larry Norris, Dr. and Mrs. Paul O’Boynick, Mr. and Mrs. Matthew O’Donnell, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas O’Grady, Mr. and Mrs. Adrian O’Hara, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew O’Hara, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen O’Keefe, Mr. and Mrs. Kevin O’Malley, Mr. and Mrs. Pat O’Malley, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel O’Neill, Ms. Kathleen O’Neill, Mr. and Mrs. Jamie Oakes, Mr. and Mrs. Troy A. Oberle, Mrs. Priscilla Obert, Dr. William J. Oborny, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Ochs, Mr. Gerald C. Odgers, Mr. and Mrs. Scott Ogilvie, Dr. and Mrs. Phillip Olsen, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Osborn, Mr. and Mrs. Rocky Osborn, Mr. and Mrs. Brett Oswald, Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Overbay, Dr. and Mrs. James Overlease, Dr. and Mrs. David B. Owens, Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Paden, Ms. Marian Pant, Mr. and Mrs. Jason Park, Mr. and Mrs. Brian Patterson, Mr. Otto Pavelcik, Mr. and Mrs. Greg Pavlyak, Mr. and Mrs. Kent Pech, Mr. and Mrs. David Peck, Mr. Adam T. Peltzer, Mr. and Mrs. Francisco L. Pena, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Pendergast, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Penn, Mr. Edward Perkins, Mr. and Mrs. J Lorenzo Person, Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Pfannenstiel, Dr. and Dr. Alan Phillips, Mrs. Ruth Phillips, Mr. Brad G. Phipps and Mrs. Carla Phipps, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Pickert, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Pikus, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon P. Pinsky, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Pitzl, Mrs. Mary Jean Podrebarac, Mr. and Mrs. Mark S. Poelzl, Mr. and Mrs. Jack J. Polise, Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Pope, Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Poro, Mr. and Mrs. Joe E. Poskin, Mr. David Power, Mrs. Rosemary Pratt, Ms. Deborah Predmore, Dr. James B. Pretz, Mr. and Mrs. John Price, Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Prier, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Prucka, Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Pudenz, Dr. and Mrs. Kevin Punswick, Mr. and Mrs. Richard J. Randolph, Mr. and Mrs. John Ratigan, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Reardon, Mr. and Mrs. Kerry E. Reardon, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin D. Reasoner, Mr. and Mrs. George J. Rebeck, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Frank Rebori, Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Rebori, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Rebout, Dr. and Mrs. Ronald J. Reeb, Mrs. Becky A. Reed, Mr. and Mrs. Chris Regier, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Reichenberger, Mr. John M. Reilly and Dr. Laura Reilly, Mr. and Mrs. Andy Renyer, Mr. and Mrs. Greg A. Renyer, Mr. and Mrs. Edward R. Reschke, Dr. and Mrs. Gregory C. Reuter, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Reynolds, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel K. Reynoldson, Mr. and Mrs. David W. Rezac, Ms. Donna M. Rice, Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Riedel, Ms. Louise D. Rieke, Mr. and Mrs. Mel J. Riley, Father Patric Riley, Mr. and Mrs. Laurence Rilinger, Father Alfred J. Rockers, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Rockford, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ronnau, Mr. and Mrs. Eric Root, Mrs. Mary Anna Ross, Mr. and Mrs. David A. Roth, Mr. and Mrs. Florian Rothbrust, Mr. and Mrs. John Rowe, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry R. Rowley, Mr. and Mrs. John J. Rubin, Mr. and Mrs. Dan A. Rundle, Mr. and Mrs. Steven Rus, Mrs. Rose Anne Sachse, Ltc. Conrad J. Samuelsen, Mr. and Mrs. Gregory A. Sanchez, Mrs. Pauline Sanders, Mr. and Mrs. David L. Sapenoff, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Schafer, Mr. and Mrs. Melvin N. Schartz, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene F. Scherer, Mr. and Mrs. James B. Scherer, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Scherschligt, Mr. and Mrs. Mark J. Scheve, Mr. and Mrs. George V. Schieber, Mr. and Ms. Greg Schieber, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene J. Schiefelbein, Mr. and Mrs. James P. Schier, Mr. Hal W. Schierts, Ms. Andrea M. Schiffelbein, Mrs. Frances S. Schilling, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Schleicher, Mr. and Mrs. James Schmank, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Schmelzle, Mr. Rodney Schmidt, Mr. and Mrs. David A. Schmitz, Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert A. Schmitz, Mrs. Joan L. Schmitz, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Schneider, Mr. and Mrs. Todd C. Schneider, Mr. and Mrs. Brian M. Schneweis, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Schramp, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Schreiner, Ms. Jessica Schrick, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Schroer, Mr. and Mrs. David Schukai, Mr. and Mrs. Rick Schultz, Dr. and Mrs. William J. Schwartz III, Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Scott, Mr. and Mrs. Marvin M. Sechi, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Seeman, Mr. and Mrs. David Sell, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Serra, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Sevigny, Father James E. Shaughnessy, Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Shea, Mr. and Mrs. Eric Sheerin, Drs. Catherine and Prakash Shenoy, Mr. and Mrs. Todd Shepherd, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks Sherman, Mr. and Mrs. Mark P. Short, Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Shoulta, Mr. and Mrs. Jeff R. Shue, Mr. and Mrs. Steven Sickinger, Mr. and Mrs. James M. Sieben, Mr. and Mrs. John R. Simecka, Miss Patricia K. Simecka, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas L. Simek, Dr. Catherine Simon, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Simpson, Ms. Barbara H. Sindo, Mr. and Mrs. Dale Sizemore, Dr. Doug Sjogren, Mr. and Mrs. Greg J. Skoch, Ms. Mary J. Slatten, Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Slaven, Ms. Deborah L. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Gary D. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Smith, Mr. Robert D. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Scott Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Chuck E. Smrt, Mr. and Mrs. Bart Spachek, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Spaedy, Mr. and Mrs. Randal R. Spale, Mrs. Jane Spence, Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Spence, Mr. Michael Spooner, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Stadler, Mr. and Mrs. Dave Stecher, Dr. and Mrs. Mark T. Steele, Mr. and Mrs. William J. Steenson, Mrs. Mary Lou Stein, Mr. and Mrs. Roger W. Steiner, Mr. and Mrs. Brad Steinlage, Mr. Ken Stelzer, Mr. and Mrs. Brian Stephens, Mr. and Mrs. Brian Stevens, Ms. Lori Stevens, Mrs. Mary T. Stewart, Ms. Stephanie Stewart, Dr. and Mrs. Michael C. Stiles, Mr. and Mrs. Steven Stoecklein, Mr. and Mrs. Doug Stoltz, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Stork, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Stout, Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Strathman, Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Straub, Mr. and Mrs. Larry M. Strecker, Mr. Stanley S. Subelka, Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Sullivan, Mr. Charles Sutryk, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Rob Sweatt, Mr. and Mrs. John Sweeney, Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Swindler, Mr. and Mrs. Doug E. Switzer, Mr. and Mrs. Toby Taggart, Mr. and Mrs. Chris F. Talarico, Mr. and Mrs. Lucas Tappan, Mr. Daniel Tasset, Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Tasset, Mrs. Georgianna Taylor, Mr. and Mrs. Trenton L. Teager, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Teahan, Mr. and Mrs. William Textor, Dr. and Mrs. Bradley S. Thedinger, Dr. and Mrs. John A. Thesing, Mr. and Mrs. Mark W. Thill, Ms. Anna Thomas, Mr. and Mrs. Terrence Thomas, Mr. and Mrs. Chris Thompson, Mr. John M. Thompson, Ms. Patricia D. Tierney, Mr. Rob C. Tinker, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Tomlin, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Tornquist, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Torres, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. Torti, Mr. and Mrs. Valentin Tovar, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Tracy, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Trautschold, Mr. and Mrs. Alan Tribble, Mr. and Mrs. William D. Trimble, Melissa Tritsch, Mr. and Mrs. Kevin N. Tucker, Mr. and Mrs. John Turek, Mr. and Mrs. David Tuttle, Dr. Kahdi Udobi, Mr. and Mrs. Chad Underwood, Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Unrein, Ms. Bridget R. Van Gotten, Mr. and Mrs. Terry Van Meter, Mr. and Mrs. Dominic Varraveto, Mr. and Mrs. David A. Vega, Sr., Mr. William R. Venable, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Gerardo G. Vergara, Mr. and Mrs. Chuck A. Verville, Mr. and Mrs. Michael T. Vielhauer, Dr. and Mrs. Jim T. Voorhees, DDS, Mr. and Mrs. Stan Vopata, Dr. and Mrs. Craig L. Vosburgh, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph J. Vyhanek, Mr. and Mrs. Don Wadell, Jr., Mrs. Marianne Wagner, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas D. Wagner, Ms. M Ellen Wall, Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Wallace, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Walls, Dr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Walsh, Dr. and Mrs. Dean Walton, Miss Victoria K. Ward, Mr. and Mrs. David Warlick, Mr. and Mrs. Francis J. Warsnak, Father Richard J. Warsnak, Mr. Randall J. Wasinger, Mr. and Mrs. John T. Waters, Mr. and Mrs. James G. Weaver, Mr. and Mrs. Sam L. Weems, Miss Kelly A. Wegner, Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Weiss, Deacon and Mrs. John R. Weist, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wesonig, Mr. Thomas Westerman, Mr. and Mrs. Craig Whalen, Mr. and Mrs. A V Wheat, Dr. and Mrs. Jim Whitaker, Dr. and Mrs. Stephen H. White, Mr. and Mrs. William K. White, Mr. Sam Whitehead, Mr. and Mrs. Don Whitlock, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Wiedeman, Mr. and Mrs. John A. Wiedeman, Mr. and Mrs. Steve D. Wilkinson, Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. Williams, Mr. and Mrs. John Williams, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Williams, Mr. and Mrs. Wendell W. Willis, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. David Willy, Mr. and Mrs. James R. Wilson, Mr. and Mrs. Christopher M. Winger, Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey A. Winkel, Mr. and Mrs. Scott Winkler, Mr. Christopher Winter, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Winterman, Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Witcher, Mr. and Mrs. Brett Wobker, Mrs. Martha Wolf-Holland, Mr. Robert W. Woodard, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Woods, Mr. and Mrs. Bruce M. Woolverton, Mr. and Mrs. Rick Worner, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Wurtz, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Wurtz, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph W. Wyndrum, Mr. and Mrs. Jeff L. Yakle, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Yaple, Mr. and Mrs. Doug Yoder, Mr. and Mrs. James Young, Mr. Mitchell Young, Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Zacharias, Mr. and Mrs. Gary Zancanelli, Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Zarse, Mr. and Mrs. David N. Zimmerman, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Zweig,

A listing of Crosier Society members who have contributed to the Archbishop’s Call to Share for five consecutive years or more was published in The Leaven on Nov. 16.

The Crosier Society includes all individuals and families who respond by gifting one percent of their annual income or at least $1,000 to the Archbishop’s Call to Share in a given year. We regret any errors or omissions.

16 local news

theleaven.com | november 23, 2012

When seconds count n Priest provides prayer, practical help in emergencies

his way around the firehouse and its equipment.

Seeing the local priest waving from behind the wheel of a fire truck has caused some double takes, Melody Tommer said. At the same time, his presence during some of people’s most desperate hours offers a lot of comfort. Many have accepted his blessing as they brace for a trip to the hospital, unsure of what lies ahead for them.

Father Sullivan received his own set of gear and a pager — and soaked in as much training as he could.

“He’s really been an asset to us,” said Paul Tommer. “He’s a good role model.”

By Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com

F

RANKFORT — As a pastor, Father Pat Sullivan is committed to stoking the fire of faith in his parishioners’ hearts.

And as a volunteer, he’s committed to serving his community when real fires or other emergencies occur.

Father Sullivan is pastor of Annunciation Parish in Frankfort, St. Columbkille Parish in Blaine, and St. Monica-St. Elizabeth Parish in Blue Rapids.

He wanted to help his communities soon after he assumed his parochial assignments, so he became a chaplain for the Frankfort Volunteer Fire Department. Like other members of the department, he responds to fire or emergency calls, sometimes accompanying ambulance crews.

He offers the sacraments to Catholics, and comfort and spiritual assistance to all.

Real-life impact

Lifelong interest As long as he can remember, Father Sullivan couldn’t ignore the wail of sirens or the flashing of passing emergency lights.

He would immediately say a prayer, a practice he learned from his mother Rosemarie.

“If an ambulance went by, she’d say a Hail Mary for the emergency workers and whoever might be affected,” said Father Sullivan. “It’s an emergency, even if it’s not life-ordeath. Someone needs prayers and that’s the quickest way you can jump in and do something.”

Before he answered the call to the priesthood, he responded to crime scenes as an evidence technician with the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department.

After ordination, just as he was learning the ropes as a chaplain with the Johnson County Fire District, he was named to his current position in Frankfort.

But it didn’t take long before he sparked a friendship with Annunciation parishioners Paul and Melody Tommer.

Paul has been chief of Frankfort’s volunteer fire depart-

Leaven photo by Doug Hesse

Father Pat Sullivan, pastor of Annunciation Parish in Frankfort, St. Columbkille Parish in Blaine and St. Monica-St. Elizabeth Parish in Blue Rapids, learned the equipment at the Frankfort Volunteer Fire Department. He serves as chaplain and takes on other duties during emergency calls. He tends to the spiritual needs of first responders and the people who need help, offering to anoint those who are Catholic and are ill or injured. ment for nearly 30 years, and Melody serves as the director of the all-volunteer ambulance service.

‘An asset to us’ Paul Tommer was quick to accept Father Sullivan’s offer to serve as chaplain. Previously, a Methodist minister from

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Disconnect from technology at least once a week and

Marysville occasionally aided the department by conducting debriefings after traumatic events, but he had been transferred.

So Father Sullivan stepped up.

He provides sacramental support to the ill and injured, pastoral support for the other spiritual needs of emergency workers, and critical incident

debriefing to crews — something especially needed after traumatic events and deaths.

When he is not otherwise occupied, Father Sullivan hauls equipment and helps in whatever ways he can.

“He wanted to get more involved,” said Paul Tommer. “I started showing him the trucks.”

That’s all it took. Father Sullivan quickly started learning

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Father Sullivan participates in all the regular volunteer training sessions, like this fall’s mock car crash scene in which the department practiced a rescue using the Jaws of Life.

“We played it like it was the real scene,” said Father Sullivan.

As first responders, the members of this department know all too well the difference a split second can make on a country road.

There are few city streets compared to the many miles of rural roadways with much higher speed limits in the 200plus square miles the fire department covers.

So the 36 members of the fire department face the special anxiety of knowing that it might be a friend or neighbor at the accident scene where they are responding.

Father Sullivan hasn’t yet been called out when flames are devouring someone’s home — and hopes that never happens — but he has seen plenty of calls for help when fields catch fire, especially during the hot, dry spring and summer that just passed.

“It usually is somebody’s field that has their crops in it — their livelihood,” he said.

Jesus in the world Father Sullivan finds inspiration in the volunteer firefighters, emergency medical technicians and law enforcement out working together to help people. >> See “father” on page 11

and see the fun side of math. Adults who join in the game will exercise mental skills as well.

Family members of every age can benefit from a fun family card night.

—J.R.E.