11-29-13 Vol. 35 No. 17

theleaven.com | vol. 35, no. 17 | November 29, 2013

Advent

Hannah, age 3, and Lucy Wobker, age 2, light the first candle on the traditional Advent wreath.

They are the children of Emily and Brett Wobker, members of Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa. The Advent season starts this year on Dec. 1. — Photo by Joe Bollig

There will be no issue of The Leaven on Dec. 6. The next issue will be on Dec. 13.

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theleaven.com | november 29, 2013

Life will be victorious

Continued sacrifice called for on behalf of life, religious liberty

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encourage you to go to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website (usccb.org) to view a 3.5 minute video entitled, “Speak up for rights of conscience.” The video features three testimonies.

The first is given by a nurse, Catherine CenzonDiCarlo, who was forced by her hospital employer to participate in a late-term abortion. The second is by Sister Jane Marie Klein, who is the CEO for the Franciscan Alliance Hospital System that is suing the federal government to forestall their hospitals being shut down for refusing to provide abortifacient drugs, sterilizations and contraceptives in their health plans. The third testimony is by Christine Ketterhagen, whose family owns and operates Hercules Industries. Hercules Industries would have to pay $162,500 weekly in fines for refusing to comply with the HHS mandates that are part of the implementation for the Affordable Care Act. The attempted rollout for the Affordable Care Act has been disastrous.

The media has given much attention to the debacle of HealthCare.gov, revealing the government’s inability after three years and hundreds of millions of dollars to create even a workable website. The press has also focused on the cancellation of health insurance for over five million Americans, contradicting the president’s repeated promise that if you liked your health plan and doctor, you would be able to keep them.

However, the media has given scant attention to the threat to religious freedom and conscience rights resulting from the Health and Human Services (HHS) mandates which are part of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. At the conclusion of the recent meeting of the Catholic bishops of the United States, we issued a unanimous statement reaffirming our resistance to the HHS mandates.

The mandates require all health plans offered by for-profit employers to include abortifacient drugs, sterilizations, and contraceptives. This is a violation of the conscience rights of Catholic employers and others, who believe any or all of these so-called services to be morally objectionable.

archbishop Joseph F. Naumann Moreover, the mandates provide a narrow religious exemption that excludes many church ministries — e.g., Catholic Charities, Catholic hospitals, Catholic universities, etc. This creates a twofold problem. First, the government is claiming the authority to define what makes a ministry truly religious or, in our case, authentically Catholic. Secondly, it requires religious ministries that the government deems not sufficiently religious to offer so-called services that are in direct violation of their church’s moral teaching.

The bishops expressed our regret that we have been forced to spend much of our energy and time the last several years resisting these very real threats to religious liberty and conscience rights, instead of being able to work with the current administration for our common desire to expand access to health care. This is a battle that we did not choose, but one that we must fight.

Thus far, the Senate has blocked every effort to provide a legislative remedy to the HHS mandates. Even if we could miraculously motivate both the Senate and the House to pass corrective legislation, it seems certain that we would face a presidential veto.

This means our only hope is the court. Thus far, there have been 38 decisions by district or appellate courts regarding private businesses objecting to the violation of their conscience rights by the mandates.

Of those 38 cases, 32 decisions ruled against the government mandates and in favor of the conscience rights of private employers.

The Supreme Court, after reviewing appellate court decisions, announced just this week that it has agreed to hear a case on the conscience rights issue. The case includes Hobby Lobby, a nationwide chain of arts and crafts stores owned by David Green and his family, with oral arguments to be made in March of next year, with a ruling probably by late June 2014.

The requirement for religious ministries to comply with the mandates does not take effect until this January.

As a result, the courts have been more reluctant to hear those cases, in part hoping the

Testimonials wanted

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With the Year of Faith now officially concluded, I want to reissue my invitation for anyone who feels that your faith life has been significantly strengthened as a result of this year to send a written testimony of your experience to: Year of Faith, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109 or send an email to: rhammes@archkck.org. I would like to publish some of these testimonies in The Leaven and send a few of them in gratitude to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI for declaring the Year of Faith.

If your faith has been nourished and strengthened by the School of Faith catechism classes or the missions conducted by the Apostles of the Interior Life or the Living in Love weekends, it would be a blessing to hear of your experience. If the Year of Faith motivated you to make a Christ Renews His Parish retreat or spend time in eucharistic adoration or renew your practice of the sacrament of penance, it would be a joy to hear how these impacted your life. Finally, I wish to thank everyone who assisted at the archdiocesan level and parish level with the Year of Faith. I have been edified by the response of the people of the Archdiocese. From all that I can observe, it has been a tremendous blessing for the church in northeast Kansas.

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Fill out your survey Archbishop Naumann would like your feedback on a Vatican survey on the family. The survey can be taken online by going to archkck.org, or mail your answers to Rose Hammes, Communications & Planning, Catholic Church Offices, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109 or email them to: rhammes@ archkck.org. Please send your responses and suggestions by Dec. 9.

administration would offer an acceptable accommodation.

However, on Nov. 21 a federal district court in Pennsylvania handed down a decision ruling that the HHS mandates place a substantial burden on ministries to exercise their religion. The court judged that the ministries were likely to prevail in their case against the government and issued a preliminary injunction preventing the government from enforcing the HHS mandates.

This decision only impacts the dioceses of Pittsburgh and Erie. Nevertheless, Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, the president of the U.S. bishops’ conference, said: “I’m strongly encouraged by the court’s rejection of the government’s attempt to reduce freedom of religion to freedom of worship, as well as the court’s recognition that service to those in need is at the heart of our faith.”

Despite these encouraging judicial results, the final outcome remains uncertain.

If our efforts in the court fail, Catholic ministries and individual employers will be faced with the dilemma either to comply with the mandates in violation of their conscience or to engage in civil disobedience.

The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is one of a few diocesan health plans that for the time being enjoy “grandfathered status.” This means for this year and perhaps for another year or so, those in our health plan will not be affected by the mandates. However, in the not too distant future, the

government regulations will force the archdiocese to lose this status and we will face the same dilemma.

At the beginning of Advent last year, the American bishops issued a call to prayer for life, marriage and religious liberty. Catholics were asked through prayer, sacrifice and penance both to intercede for the renewal of our nation and to increase their own spiritual stamina and fortitude so that they could be more effective and joyful witnesses for a culture that values and protects life, marriage and religious liberty.

Suggestions for responding to this call to prayer included monthly eucharistic Holy Hours, daily rosaries by families or individuals, and abstaining from meat as well as fasting on Fridays.

This past year, my own personal commitment was to fast from desserts and other sweets, which was a major lifestyle change for me. I am glad this year is over!

For the coming year, my commitment is to make at least one additional Holy Hour each week. I normally make a Holy Hour each morning to begin the day.

This year, I will make an additional Holy Hour at night once a week, specifically praying for life, marriage and religious liberty.

I ask each of you to make some commitment to prayer, penance and sacrifice for life, marriage, and religious liberty. Please pray and fast especially for a wise and just decision by the Supreme Court. There is so much at stake.

Naumann Dec. 2 Mass and dinner with representatives of Catholic Education Foundation scholarship recipients Dec. 3 Confirmation — Immaculate Conception, Louisburg Dec. 4 Chancery staff open house Holy Hour — St. John the Evangelist, Lawrence Dec. 5 Religious Alliance Against Pornography conference call Administrative Team meeting Dec. 7 Nocturnal Adoration Society 5th anniversary Mass — All Saints, Kansas City, Kan. Dec. 8 Pastoral visit — Holy Trinity, Lenexa

Dec. 9 Mass — St. James Academy, Lenexa

Dec. 10 St. Lawrence Advisory Council meeting — St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center Dec. 11 Serra Club presidents meeting and luncheon with KCK Serra Club Donnelly board meeting Dec. 12 Catholic Education Foundation meeting

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keleher Dec. 1 Mass — federal prison Dec. 2 Mass for Charles Berkel — University of Saint Mary, Leavenworth Dec. 5 Cardinal’s dinner — Chicago Dec. 10 Labor Review Board — Chicago

Superintendent receives Duchesne Award

Kathleen O’Hara is known as a tireless promoter of Catholic education

Past St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Award winners

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Louise Naumann — longtime Catholic educator and mother of Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann

By Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com

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OUND CITY — There’s nothing like being compared to a saint — or an archbishop’s mother — to make a person feel a little bit humble.

On Nov. 17, the vigil of the feast day of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, archdiocesan superintendent of schools Kathleen O’Hara traveled to Sacred Heart Parish in Mound City to receive the award named for the saint during a Mass.

“It truly is an honor to receive this award,” said O’Hara. “As Archbishop [Naumann] was recounting the life of Saint Rose, and Father Reggie [Saldanha] just did now, I began to shrink in the pew.”

“When the archbishop reminded us that his mother received the first award, I felt even smaller,” she continued. “By the end, I thought, ‘I think they got the wrong person.’”

Louise Naumann, the archbishop’s mother, received the first St. Rose Philippine Duchesne award in 2006.

Since then, an additional seven have been so honored.

The award is given annually to an individual or community that promotes Catholic education, vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and/or devotion to St. Rose Philippine Duchesne.

The award is given on behalf of the pastor and parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish, which is also a shrine to St. Rose Philippine Duchesne.

Both the parish and the archbishop were quite certain they chose the right person this year.

“This year’s awardee . . . is an excellent choice,” said Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann. “No one has given more of himself or herself to promote excellence in every dimension of our Catholic schools than Dr. O’Hara, who has labored tirelessly to help the presidents, principals, faculties and staff understand and embrace that the first mission of our Catholic schools is to make lifelong disciples for Jesus Christ.”

The archbishop not only praised O’Hara for her success in her profession, but also praised her for the way she lives her faith in the vocation of Christian marriage and Christian family life.

O’Hara and her husband Jim have been married for 38 years and have five children and 13 grandchildren.

Some family members were present to witness O’Hara receive the award.

The O’Haras are members of St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee.

The archbishop called her “smart

Dec. 11 Labor Review Board — Chicago Dec. 11 29th anniversary as a bishop

second front page 3

november 29, 2013 | theleaven.com

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

2007

Betty Booker — longtime Catholic educator who taught for more than 40 years at St. Agnes School in Roeland Park

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Beverly Boyd — Instrumental in promoting St. Rose Philippine Duchesne’s cause for canonization

2009

The Ursuline Sisters

2010

Mike Scherschligt — founder of the School of Faith

2011

Hermena Kelsey —portrays the saint for parish functions Leaven photo by Joe Bollig

Archdiocesan superintendent of schools Kathleen O’Hara receives the 2013 St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Award from Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann on Nov. 17 at Sacred Heart Parish in Mound City. and gifted,” and “a woman of prayer and faith.”

“She serves on numerous boards and makes herself available to pastors, principals, teachers and parents, but she still keeps first and primary that relationship with Christ in her own life,” said Archbishop Naumann.

“It’s only the power of Our Lord working through her that explains all that she’s been able to accomplish in her service to our schools.”

Archbishop Naumann was the main celebrant and homilist at the Mass and presented the award plaque to O’Hara. Pastor Father Reginald Saldanha presented a figurine of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne to O’Hara as well.

A reception was held in the parish hall following the Mass.

2012

Msgr. Michael Mullen — former rector of Savior of the World Seminary in Kansas City, Kan.

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne was a 19th-century French missionary who evangelized American Indians.

St. Rose was born in France, where she joined the Sacred Heart order, but she spent 34 years in the United States. Arriving in New Orleans in 1818 with the goal of working with the Indians, she opened the first of several schools for girls in St. Charles, Mo., near St. Louis. It was the first free school west of the Mississippi.

When she was 72, she attained her goal of doing missionary work with the Indians, living and working among the Potawatomi in Kansas.

She founded a school in Sugar Creek for Potawatomi children, where she also spent considerable time taking care of the sick. Unable to master their language, she could not teach, so she would spend long periods in prayer. The children named her Quah-kah-ka-num-ad, which translates as “Woman-Who-Prays-Always.”

She died in 1852 at age 83.

Editor Reverend Mark Goldasich, stl frmark@theleaven.com

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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 29, 2013

Christmas Gift Guide

Retired priest dedicates time to youth, aging overseas

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“I know there’s poverty in this country,” said Father Hasenkamp. “But the poverty in these developing countries is far, far more extreme. There are no safety nets for most of these people.

The government doesn’t help them, and they can’t even find a food pantry.

There’s just no place to go if you’re poor.”

And there’s not really hope of rising out of that poverty without help.

So to find people who can help, Father Hasenkamp, who lives in Topeka, has traveled the country.

Closer to home, he visited this fall with parishioners at Immaculate Conception Church in Louisburg and St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee.

“We tell people that what we’re trying to do is give hope to these families, to restore their human dignity,” said Father Hasenkamp.

Even though physical changes might not be evident right away, the impact of CFCA sponsorship begins immediately.

“Just the fact that they know somebody cares about them, somebody is going to be walking with them through these difficult days, it really does restore their hope,” said Father Hasenkamp. “It just makes for a better life.”

And sponsorship benefits the whole family.

While many organizations help people living in poverty, CFCA fosters a genuine relationship between the child, youth, or aging person and the sponsor.

“You really get to know the child and the parents so that it becomes a mutual benefit to the sponsor as well as the child,” said Father Hasenkamp.

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Photo courtesy of CFCA

The two exchange letters, with the help of CFCA staff translators.

CFCA even organizes trips for sponsors to meet their young or aging friends and their families.

Lifelong friends

He sees in him someone who is not only welcoming, but who recognizes the dignity of every person, feels deeply, and “does something about it.”

“When I come back from one of these awareness trips, I just realize how much I have and how God has blessed me,” said Father Hasenkamp.

The girls Father Hasenkamp originally sponsored in India are now grown and married, and he visited them in January.

“They’re just really happy because Father Hasenkamp treasures the letthey know that CFCA changed their ters he exchanges with the children he lives,” he said. “They would not have sponsors. had a chance to go to school if some“They always draw me a picture,” body hadn’t helped them.” he said. “I tell them about the weather.

He now sponsors three more girls, They’ve never seen snow, so I sent them two in El Salvador and one in Costa a picture last year of me in the snow, Rica, and visited the first two — 15-yearand they really liked that. They tell us old Abbie and 12-year-old Jackie — on a about what they’re doing in school and sponsorship trip in October. about their family, and I talk about my Education is a top priority in CFCA family.”

“Hope for a FamThough the ily” sponsorships, circumstances in and benefits are which these famdesigned to fit ilies live differ the needs of each greatly from the child and family. lives many people Poverty beats know in northon these people’s eastern Kansas, doors every single the families are day, and the world very much the doesn’t always same at heart. even know they “These families exist, said Paco are no different Wertin, CEO of from your own,” CFCA. said Father HasenThe work of kamp. “They want Father Hasenthe best for their Father Bob Hasenkamp children and their kamp and other preachers introg ra n d c h i l d re n . duces people to them as individuals and They just don’t have the means to give makes a real connection. their children what they need.”

People like Father Hasenkamp are a In El Salvador, for instance, parents true gift to CFCA, as they work to bring find seasonal work picking coffee beans the marginalized to the middle and free — ripe once they’ve turned red — and it people from the bonds of poverty, hun- takes 35 pounds of picked beans to earn ger and oppression, he said. $1.

“He carries the authenticity of the So sponsorship is truly a way to message in his person,” said Wertin, change a life, he said. who knew him first as a pastor and then When he travels on the weekends, as a dedicated advocate for CFCA spon- Father Hasenkamp often celebrates at sorships. least three Masses, and that can make

Touching lives

“

I know there’s poverty in this country. But the poverty in these developing countries is far, far more extreme. There are no safety nets for most of these people.”

Providing hope and dignity CFCA was founded in Kansas City, Mo., in 1981 by a group of laypeople — siblings Bob, Bud and Jim Hentzen and Nadine Pearce, and friend Jerry Tolle — dedicated to walking with the poor and marginalized in developing countries.

Rooted in Catholic social teaching, the organization reaches out to people of all faiths.

CFCA today works with more than 300,000 children, youth and aging persons in 21 developing countries, helping them through a monthly financial commitment as well as optional contributions to birthday and Christmas funds.

For more information or to become a sponsor, visit the CFCA website at: www.hopeforafamily.org.

for a tiring — but extremely rewarding — couple of days.

CFCA sends ahead of him pictures of children needing sponsors and a few details on their ages and countries.

Then, at a sponsorship table after Mass, Father Hasenkamp said some people have felt God calling them to a particular child. Others discover a child who shares their birthday.

Still others with young children sponsor out of sheer gratitude for what they have and a desire to share some of it with others.

Father Hasenkamp finds inspiration in Pope Francis’ call to walk in solidarity with the poor and sees the message reflected in CFCA’s mission.

And although he is giving to others, he believes he and other sponsors receive a huge gift themselves.

“I really feel blessed to be part of this organization,” he said. “After a while, you realize how much it’s doing for you spiritually.”

2014 Calendar

Add your important dates to the feasts and holy days on these wall and desktop calendars. Large wall calendars feature full-color artwork of angels, Our Lady, and Our Lord; spiral bound desktop style offers monthly and weekly views and highlight a different saint every week. $11.99-$15.99

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Choose from framed prints, icons, holy water fonts, and other great gifts that turn a house into a spiritual home. You can also scout out gifts for upcoming Confirmations and First Holy Communions.

Father Bob Hasenkamp talks with the locals during a recent Christian Foundation for Children and Aging trip to El Salvador. In his retirement, Father Hasenkamp has worked tirelessly to promote the work of CFCA and encourage sponsorships.

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This charmingly illustrated Advent calendar changes day by day into a 3-dimensional Nativity scene. Beginning the first of December and continuing through the big feasts of Christmas, children can open a window each day to reveal a new detail or a new character of the Nativity scene. $10.99

Advent Wreaths

Select from a large variety of Advent wreaths.

Each candle represents Hope, Peace, Joy and Love respectively for each week of Advent.

Add an Advent daily devotional for personal or family prayer. Prices range from $18-50.

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Sharing the story

Rosary Boxes

Children’s Bible

Full-color editions of children’s Bibles with the best stories from salvation history. Beautiful vivid illustrations capture the attention of young readers. Perfect for children ages 6-12. $11.99- $25.

Keep a rosary at hand in every room! Choose from beautiful boxes in silver, bronze and resin.

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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Retirement, at least the way Father Bob Hasenkamp lives it, requires a lot of work.

Like many retirees, the archdiocesan priest planned to do a little traveling when he turned 70 and retired five years ago.

But his travels are less vacation and more vocation.

Now, he hits the road (or hops a plane) about 25 weekends a year, visiting cities across the United States.

Hoping to inspire sponsorships, he shares with congregations the work that Christian Foundation for Children and Aging is doing in 21 developing countries to help families create paths out of poverty.

Blessed with good health, he saw this as a chance to keep his hand in priestly ministry while at the same time pouring his heart into a beloved cause.

Long before his retirement, Father Hasenkamp started sponsoring two girls in India through the agency, headquartered in Kansas City, Kan. His monthly donations helped provide their education and other basic needs.

That $30 a month goes a long way — and 93.6 cents of every dollar donated through CFCA goes to help the child and his or her family, he said.

“They were in about third grade, and I was able to sponsor them through college,” said Father Hasenkamp. “They got their degree.”

He has visited them — and other children he sponsors — over the years.

And it was seeing the poverty they face every day that inspired him in his retirement to want to do even more.

Blessed Mother Statue

Reminds yourself that the Blessed Mother watches over you and your family. Statues range from 4-inch for dressers and night stands to 40- inch for placement in a spot of honor in your home.

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By Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com

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From the great defender Saint Michael to the finder of all things lost, Saint Anthony we carry all your favorites saint medals. Or choose from a superb selection of crucifixes in gold, sterling silver or pewter.

There is a special piece for everyone.

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Whether you have a young sports enthusiast who’s just beginning to pray the rosary or a friend with a special devotion to our Blessed Mother, you’ll find our rosary selection unsurpassed.

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Nativity sets are a great family heirloom adored by young and old alike. Start with a basic 3-piece with stable that can be added to each year or enjoy a 16-piece set right now. Figures range in height from 5 to 19 inches. For those who like fine collectables, we stock many Fontanini figures to complete your set. Prices range from $10 for individual figures to $600 for fine hand-painted porcelain sets from Italy.

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6 Local news

theleaven.com | november 29, 2013

Endowments a way to help, be remembered

By Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com

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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — One of the saddest things Father Pete O’Sullivan witnessed as a priest occurred soon after his ordination.

Thirty years ago, while at his first assignment at Christ the King Parish in Kansas City, Kan., Father O’Sullivan celebrated one of his first nursing home Masses.

One lady wept during the entire Mass.

“I went over and asked her, ‘Are you OK?’” said Father O’Sullivan, now pastor of Queen of the Holy Rosary in Overland Park.

She told the priest she was afraid to die, and Father O’Sullivan did his best to reassure her about God’s mercy. Finally, she said this: “Father, I’m afraid that when I die, nobody is going to remember me.”

There is, however, a very practical way not to be forgotten and to do some good long after one has departed this mortal coil, said Father O’Sullivan.

The answer is to leave an endowment through the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas to help the church and its various institutions and ministries, he told guests at the CFNEK annual Deo Gratias dinner, held Nov. 7 at

“An endowment can become the vehicle by which people can make a lasting mark on the church, the parish and the school they love.”

Father Pete O’Sullivan Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kan. Father O’Sullivan was the keynote speaker at the dinner because of his leadership in establishing endowments while pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Emporia.

“An endowment can become the vehicle by which people can make a lasting mark on the church, the parish and the school they love,” said Father O’Sullivan. “It gives people an opportunity to be immortal.”

In that same vein, the advantage of establishing an endowment to the church is that the church has permanency.

“Will they be here next year? Is this going to last?” he said. “The church is always going to be here.”

Endowments are also an outward

demonstration of love and respect for the church.

“You wouldn’t be here tonight if you didn’t love and respect the church,” said Father O’Sullivan.

The constant challenge facing the church is how this generation of believers can pass the faith on to future generations. Endowments can help, he said. Too often, those involved in church fundraising are looking for that grand-slam big donation — the “lightning in the bottle.”

It happens, but rarely. It’s far better to encourage something small, but consistent.

“One thing that works — I’ve done it in Emporia and [in] parishes I’ve been since — is the Mass stipend,” said Father O’Sullivan. “It’s a couple of hundred dollars a week. It’s not something you budget. Each month, we took the Mass stipend money and put it in the endowment.”

Another thing that has worked is appealing to young adults to take out life insurance policies with the church as the beneficiary.

“Somewhere down the road that will be a great benefit,” he said.

Finally, there is something Christians should always keep in mind when making financial gifts to support the church, he concluded. God cannot be outdone in generosity.

How generous will you be to Him —who gave everything for you?

Quo Vadis Retreat For single men 18-35

• Learn how to be a “Man of Discernment, Prayer & Sacrifice” • Personal time with Archbishop Naumann • Pro-Life Mass and procession • Adoration & lunch with the Sister Servants of Mary • Time with seminarians

Register by noon Dec. 16 and attend to be eligible to win a gift card.

Register at Kckvocations.com today.

John and Katherine Kurelac, members of Holy Cross Parish, Overland Park, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Nov. 28.

The couple was married on Nov. 28, 1953, at St. Benedict Church, Kansas City, Kan. Their children are: Mark Kurelac, Lee’s Summit, Mo.; and Marsha Kurelac, Overland Park.

They also have three grandchildren and one great-grandson. They celebrated with a small family gathering.

Leaven photo by Elaina cochran

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hold ica Gomez, sophomores at Bishop Ward, Latesha Maxey, left, Jazmine Diaz and Jess d’s War op Bish of rt the Great is the patron saint the animal room’s python, Monty. Albe ents stud and on, an education of faith and reas science department, which encourages t those topics. abou s tion and faculty have many conversa

ForWard Thinking Bishop Ward High School gives students hands-on experience today to prepare them for future

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Stories by Jessica Langdon ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Truman Snow is a big believer in turning students into scientists — sometimes even to their own amazement.

Take the case of the high school freshman who hated biology a few years ago.

She’s now a neonatal nurse at Children’s Mercy Hospital.

“And she loves it!” said Snow, head of the three-person science department at Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, Kan. This team is honoring a long tradition at the high school — producing scientists — and they are doing it in a way that looks to the future.

“I answer a question with a question,” explained Snow.

As students work to answer the questions, they talk themselves toward conclusions — just as sci-

entists would in the professional world.

Ward hopes to equip today’s students for scientific success tomorrow through a variety of programs, classes and an introduction to a network of professional scientists.

“I believe that they’re unique — not just by themselves, but when you put them together as a package, it’s a very impressive package,” said Father Michael Hermes, Bishop Ward High School president.

“I think my job here is to just expose our students to as much as I can,” said Snow.

That includes what, for now, lies beyond the parameters of science as well.

“We’re trying our best to make students aware that science and religion are both the same thing — that one’s trying to prove the other,” said Snow. “As the students study science, they realize that there is more to life. There is a higher being. We three in this department really try our best to point that out in every lesson we teach.”

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Area schools embark on science path together

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Leaven photo by Elaina cochran

Abby Gergick, a junior at Bishop Ward High School, gives Cloud, an umbrella cockatoo, some attention. Cloud can talk and is likely to tell visitors, “I love you.”

Teacher Ignacio Martinez-Alonso runs the St. Francis of Assisi Animal Room and considers the exotic creatures “living books.”

It’s a jungle in there: Animals provide hands-on learning

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gnacio Martinez-Alonso has a little help in making science come alive for his biology and zoology students.

The subjects his students are studying actually make their home inside the high school.

Bishop Ward High School’s St. Francis of Assisi Animal Room houses 68 species.

“You never know what’s going to walk through the door,” said Alonso.

The room is not only home to the animals; it provides a hands-on education for the students.

“These animals, to me, are like living books that we are using for education,” said Alonso, who teaches biology, earth and space, chemistry and zoology.

“It is very different from seeing animals in books to actually see the animals in person and work with them,” he said.

Beyond studying the exotic animals’ anatomy and physiology, students take responsibility for their care, even during the summer and holidays.

“What other school can you go to that has an owl flying around?” said Gabe Wilson, a senior at Ward — and a big fan of the animal room.

Or an albino Burmese python?

An alligator snapping turtle that first arrived about the size of a quarter now tips the scales at 35 pounds.

Another star is Cloud, a 39-yearold umbrella cockatoo from Australia who greets every visitor by saying, “Hi, Cloud.”

He yells for attention when people walk out of his sight. That part is loud — but entertaining to senior Cydney Bushue, who otherwise finds the animal room a peaceful, quiet place.

She loves all the animals.

Bushue was hooked even before high school when Alonso introduced a few at her middle school.

Now, as a Ward student, she has shared animals with other schools.

usion is more than a topic students study in science classes.

It’s a way of life among the Catholic schools of Wyandotte County, thanks to Bishop Ward’s participation in the Kansas City STEM Alliance. (STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and the alliance aims to prepare students now for the workforce in the future.)

Rachel Smith, Ward physics and chemistry teacher, constantly encourages her students to consider those in-demand fields.

“That’s the best way to guarantee that you’ll have a job,” she tells them.

The idea is to create a continuum of science education — right down to the specific curriculum and textbooks — for students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

One goal is to prepare younger students for the day they walk into Ward so they can hit the ground running.

Most of Bishop Ward’s students come through the five Catholic grade schools in Wyandotte County. So part of the plan puts Legos into the hands of the youngest students so they can start building a solid foundation about how things work.

Later, they’ll study things like electricity.

“They do a small robot in middle school, and then they do the big stuff here,” said Truman Snow, chairman of the science department at Bishop Ward.

For instance, Ward has a robotics team that competes in the FIRST Robotics competition.

The grade school principals are enthusiastic about the sharing of ideas, especially when many schools have only one or two science teachers. This gives them an opportunity to collaborate.

“We’re starting with sixth-, seventhand eighth-graders,” said Kathy Rhodes,

principal of St. Patrick School in Kansas City, Kan. “But [for the younger grades] we got our Lego League starter kit, and several parents and kids are excited about getting that going.”

“I think it’s providing a team atmosphere,” said Karen Davis, principal of Bishop Ward High School.

She’s excited to see Snow’s ideas for the future of science coming to life.

“His expertise of where we want our students to be with each of these areas of science when they walk into our building, I think, has been a huge support for the middle school teachers as they’ve started planning and looking at their curriculum,” she said.

And Snow has even more plans.

“I hope that before I retire we have what I call ‘pathways’ that work with the middle school. So, for the kids who think they may want to do engineering, we’ve got steps for them to do that in high school — so when they leave here and get to college, they know pretty much what they [need to] do and how it works,” said Snow.

Same thing with the biomedical field.

Rhodes hopes the strengthened collaboration among schools in the community will keep people excited about science topics.

“I think that it helps develop their true interest,” she said.

In this way, students are studying different branches of a vast field as opposed to viewing science as one generic topic.

And instead of simply saying they like science or they don’t, they can identify favorite areas, said Rhodes.

“As a parent, it’s encouraging to me that we’re not just looking for one year,” she said. “We’re looking at the total person as they finish high school and go to college and become productive Catholic members of society.”

In his DNA

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Leaven photo by Elaina cochran

Nic Brown, a senior drawn to Ward because of its science programs, works on a robot. Robotics has taught him how everyone sharing their ideas can lead to success, he said.

Lecture series exposes students to accomplished scientists

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Leaven photo by Elaina cochran

Cydney Bushue, a senior, met some of the animals from Ward’s St. Francis of Assisi Animal Room in middle school and has worked with them through high school. “I just started loving it,” she said. Students say teachers at Ward foster a love of science and encourage discussion.

“When I got here and started working here, I wasn’t afraid to hold the snakes or to clean the cages or anything,” said Bushue.

That’s not always the case.

“A lot of students come in with ingrained phobias and fears,” said Alonso.

“The more the students get to know the animals, the more they get to work with them, their whole attitude toward animals like snakes and scorpions and tarantulas changes.”

They develop a new respect for God’s creatures.

“That is something you cannot do with books,” said Alonso.

Students build a connection and sense of pride in seeing that the animals stay healthy (and they do lots of looking through the microscope to make sure they are) and well cared for.

“Working in here has taught me how to deal with things that suddenly pop up,” said Bushue, who has learned patience, especially in keeping the room clean.

“They teach you to be prepared for whatever comes next, how to take something suddenly,” she said.

This room provides a hands-on look at what it might be like to work as a wildlife biologist or veterinarian.

“I think it’s easier for me to teach them things like anatomy and physiology and biology when they can actually see it,” said Alonso. “They can see the snake laying eggs. They can actually feel the muscles. And we do a lot of dissections.”

Graduates often check in on their favorite animals.

“They still feel like this is part of their lives, so I think that’s really awesome,” said Alonso.

he school’s faculty and administration make sure the 360 students at Ward have a chance to learn a little about everything — and to see how science fits in, said Truman Snow, science department chair.

What better way to accomplish that than to bring in scientists — including many Ward alumni — to share their stories through the Science Lecture Series?

“With the lecture series, we are trying our best to show the kids that beyond high school there are so many levels of things they can do in science,” said Snow.

The guest lecturers cherish the spiritual opportunity to reflect on their own paths and honor the people who helped them achieve their dreams.

There are doctors and nurses, naturally, but the series stretches far beyond that.

“We try to do engineering and every aspect of science we can get,” said Snow.

2013-2014 Science Lecture Series lineup October — Tim Menard, Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge (conservation/ biology) November — Damian Brandenburg,

Tim Menard, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, talked to the students in October about his work at the Flint Hills and Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuges.

“It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to come and discuss wildlife conservation and careers in science, and to foster the relationship that we’ve already established with the high school,” said Menard.

Menard, a parishioner of St. Mary Church in Hartford, even invited Bishop Ward students this fall to join him out in the field to observe firsthand aspects of the duck migration season.

To him, being Catholic and working in science dovetail perfectly.

“My personal thoughts are that my faith encourages me to protect and restore God’s creation,” he said.

He believes this lecture series accomplishes an important mission — encouraging students to consider careers in science fields.

(’96), Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technology (engineering) December — Dr. Catherine Powers, HPM, Catholic Community Hospice (pediatric anesthesiology and palliative care) December — Dr. Rose Chop (’73) Powell, RN, Stephen F. Austin State University, School of Nursing (medical/surgical nurs-

Leaven photo by jessica Langdon

Tim Menard, a wildlife biologist who works at the Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge, shares his career path with Ward students in October as part of the school’s Science Lecture Series. Menard also invited students to observe highlights of bird migration up close.

ing and administration) January — John Tompkins, St. Thomas Aquinas High School (high school science education) February — Dr. Leticia Alaniz (’95), Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital (internal medicine) March — Dr. David Morrison, UMKC

School of Medicine (biomedical research) March — Dr. Alberto Castaneda (’84), Discover Dental Care (general dentistry) April — Kathleen Mantel (’60) Novosel, RN, Olathe Medical Center (diabetes education)

abe Wilson was a freshman at Bishop Ward High School when visiting lecturer Dr. Barry Kaplan piqued his interest with a mention of internships at the National Institute of Mental Health.

After the lecture, Wilson introduced himself to the senior investigator in neuroscience with the NIMH, making an early connection.

Last year, as a junior, Wilson decided to apply — and won an eightweek paid summer inGabe Wilson, a Ward senior, ternship with spent his summer interning the NIMH, with the National Institute of part of the Mental Health in Bethesda, National InMd. stitutes of Health, in Bethesda, Md. The prestigious internship was one of only a few awarded to high school students; most were in college.

“It was an amazing honor,” said Wilson, now a senior. “I wouldn’t have had this if it wasn’t for Ward.”

Wilson’s passion for science started early.

He was always asking questions, wanting to know why the sky was blue and how everything worked.

“You can ask any of my friends, and they’ll say I know a lot of random information,” he said.

His interest soared in seventh grade at St. Patrick School in Kansas City, Kan., where he studied science with teacher Joy Treacy.

He got to know the Ward family, including science chair Truman Snow, through middle school science fairs, and ultimately decided to attend Ward, where he’s tackled everything from robotics to football.

Once he learned he’d won the NIMH internship — and had completed the mountain of attendant paperwork — he was ready to head east for the summer.

Through Bishop Ward’s alumni association, he landed a place to stay.

“You have to be prepared,” he said. As a 17-year-old student largely on his own for the first time in a new city, he had a lot to figure out — including the public transportation system.

“You don’t have anyone looking over your shoulder to help you, and you have to make smart decisions,” he said.

In the lab, Kaplan invited Wilson to look at a project he’s been working on to see what the Ward student observed.

Well-versed in many areas of science, Wilson now doesn’t skip a beat when he says he spent much of his summer working on quantitative polymerase chain reaction of mRNA. Ward loves to see students take on internships, such as this one, sparked during the lecture series or those achieved through connections with alumni working in science careers.

Wilson hopes to become a neonatal doctor, helping babies thrive and lead full lives, and believes his internship will help with college admission.

“He’s a great example of what a Bishop Ward student should be,” said Snow, adding that even beyond Wilson’s intellect, he is well-rounded and from a great family — and he cares about people.

Wilson believes he has learned to ask tough questions, and to be a person of integrity at Ward.

“It’s made me into a very good Catholic who understands our faith,” he added.

10 Rome

theleaven.com | november 29, 2013

Pope venerates apostle’s relics

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

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ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis closed the Year of Faith by calling on people to keep Christ at the center of their lives, especially in times of trouble.

“When Jesus is at the center, light shines even the darkest moments of our lives; he gives us hope,” he said in his homily Nov. 24, the feast of Christ the King.

The closing Mass in St. Peter’s Square also saw, for the first time, the exposition for public veneration of bones believed to be those of St. Peter.

The apostle is believed to have been martyred on a hill overlooking St. Peter’s Square and buried in a tomb now located two levels below the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Eight bone fragments, each two to three centimeters long, were nestled in an open bronze reliquary displayed to the side of the altar.

During the ceremony, the pope — the 265th successor of Peter — held the closed reliquary for several minutes in silent prayer while choirs sang the Nicene Creed in Latin.

The bones, which were discovered during excavations of the necropolis under St. Peter’s Basilica in the 1940s, are kept in the pope’s private chapel but had never been displayed in public.

While no pope has ever declared the bones to be authentic, Pope Paul VI said in 1968 that the “relics” of St. Peter had been “identified in a way which we can hold to be convincing.”

Pope Francis began his homily by thanking retired Pope Benedict XVI for establishing the Year of Faith, calling it a “providential initiative” that gave Christians “the opportunity to rediscover the beauty of the journey of faith begun on the day of our baptism.”

The pope then greeted patriarchs and archbishops of the Eastern Catholic churches, who were in Rome for a meeting, and extended those greetings to all Christians living in the Holy Land, Syria and the East, wishing “them the gift of peace and harmony.”

He expressed his appreciation for their fidelity to Christ, which comes “often at a high price.”

In his homily, the pope focused on “the centrality of Christ” and how the

CNS photo/Stefano Rellandini, Reuters

Pope Francis holds a bronze reliquary containing the relics of St. Peter the Apostle during a Mass in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Nov. 24. The bone fragments, which were discovered during excavations of the necropolis under St. Peter’s Basilica in the 1940s, are kept in the pope’s private chapel but had never been displayed in public. faithful are expected to recognize and accept “the centrality of Jesus Christ in our thoughts, words and works.”

“When this center is lost, because it is replaced with something else, only harm can result for everything around us and for ourselves,” he said.

Reflecting on the day’s Gospel reading of the good thief, who was crucified alongside Jesus, repents and asks Jesus to remember him in paradise, the pope said Jesus responds to the man with forgiveness, “not condemnation.”

“Whenever anyone finds the courage to ask for this forgiveness, the Lord does not let such a petition go unheard.”

The pope said everyone should ask the Lord to remember them because “each one of us has a history,” has made mistakes and sinned as well as experienced happy times and sad.

People need to say, “‘Jesus, remember me because I want to be good, I have the desire to become good, but I don’t have the strength. I can’t, I’m a sinner,’” the pope said. In response, “the Lord always grants more than what he has been asked.”

With an estimated 60,000 people

gathered in the square for the Mass, a special collection was taken up for victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

At the end of the Mass and before reciting the Angelus prayer at noon, the pope formally presented his first apostolic exhortation to representatives of the church community, including bishops, seminarians, catechists, Catholic journalists and a woman with a visual impairment, who received her copy as an audio file on a CD-ROM. The document on evangelization, titled “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), was to be released to the public Nov. 26.

In a Nov. 25 meeting with people who volunteered their time and efforts to organize and promote Year of Faith activities, Pope Francis said, “the faith is the cornerstone of the Christian experience because it drives the choices and actions of our daily life.”

“Faith in Christ is able to warm hearts, truly becoming the driving force of the new evangelization,” he said.

A faith “lived deeply and with conviction” spreads the proclamation of the Gospel far and wide, but “apostolic courage” also is needed to reach people where they are, especially in very difficult places.

Before closing the Year of Faith, Pope Francis presided Nov. 23 over the Rite of Acceptance, marking the moment when some 500 men and women, from 47 countries, inquiring about the Catholic faith formally became catechumens preparing for baptism at Easter.

During a Liturgy of the Word in St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope told the adult catechumens that it is always God who initiates relationships with people and that he patiently and perseveringly waits for a response. “He never draws away from us, but has the patience to wait for the favorable moment to meet each of us.”

Believing “is walking with Jesus.

It’s a journey that lasts a lifetime,” Pope Francis told the catechumens.

“Obviously, in this journey there will be moments when we feel tired and confused. However, faith gives us the certainty of the constant presence of Jesus in every situation, including the most painful and difficult to understand.”

Vatican, Google bring catacombs to light

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ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Early Christian burial sites are now easier to see, both in person and via the Internet, thanks to 21st-century technology and collaboration between Google and the Vatican.

“This is perhaps the sign of the joining of two extremes, remote antiquity and modernity,” said Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi Nov. 19, at a news conference at the Catacombs of Priscilla in northeast Rome.

The cardinal, president of both the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, lauded recent restoration work by the archaeological commission inside the complex of early Christian tombs.

Using advanced laser techniques, restorers have uncovered vivid late fourth-century frescoes depicting Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and Sts. Peter and Paul accompanying Christians into the afterlife. Jesus’ face resembles portraits of the Emperor Constantine, who legalized Christian worship in 313.

Cardinal Ravasi also heralded the Nov. 19 debut of the catacombs on Google’s Street View feature, a project he said had grown out of a conversation he had with the Internet giant’s executive chairman, Eric Schmidt.

Users of Google Maps can now click the “see-inside” option for the catacombs, which allows them to move virtually through the narrow corridors tunneled out of soft tufa stone, and to see high-resolution images of the interiors from practically every angle.

The brilliantly lit views are in startling contrast to the shadowy reality of an in-person visit.

Google’s Giorgia Abeltino told reporters that almost the entire eightmile complex of catacombs is now accessible online. However, there is no underground map to let users know exactly what they are seeing.

Also Nov. 19, Google launched a Street View of the catacombs of the Ipogeo di via Dino Compagni, located in southeast Rome.

Evangelii Gaudium 11

november 29, 2013 | theleaven.com

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‘Evangelii Gaudium’

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — In his first extensive piece of writing as pope, Pope Francis lays out a vision of the Catholic Church dedicated to evangelization in a positive key, with a focus on society’s poorest and most vulnerable, including the aged and unborn.

“Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), released by the Vatican Nov. 26, is an apostolic exhortation, one of the most authoritative categories of papal document. (Pope Francis’ first encyclical, “Lumen Fidei,” published in July, was mostly the work of his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.) Pope Francis’ voice is unmistakable in the 50,000-word document’s relatively relaxed style — he writes that an “evangelizer must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral!” — and its emphasis on some of his signature themes, including the dangers of economic globalization and “spiritual worldliness.”

The church’s message “has to ON THIS DOCUMENT: “I am aware that nowadays documents do not arouse the same interest as in the past and that they are quickly forgotten. Nevertheless, I want to emphasize that what I am trying to express here has a programmatic significance and important consequences.

I hope that all communities will devote the necessary effort to advancing along the path of a pastoral and missionary conversion which cannot leave things as they presently are. ‘Mere administration’ can no longer be enough. Throughout the world, let us be ‘permanently in a state of mission.’”

ON EVANGELIZATION: “An evangelizing community is always concerned with fruit, because the Lord wants her to be fruitful. It cares for the grain and does not grow impatient at the weeds. The sower, when he sees weeds sprouting among the grain does not grumble or overreact. He or she finds a way to let the word take flesh in a particular situation and bear fruits of new life, however imperfect or incomplete these may appear. The disciple is ready to put his or her whole life on the line, even to accepting martyrdom, in bearing witness to Jesus Christ, yet the goal is not to make enemies but to see God’s word accepted and its capacity for liberation and renewal revealed.”

concentrate on the essentials, on what is most beautiful, most grand, most appealing and at the same time most necessary,” he writes. “In this basic core, what shines forth is the beauty of the saving love of God made mani-

fest in Jesus Christ who died and rose from the dead.”

Excerpts of “Evangelii Gaudium” appear below. Or to read the document in its entirety, go online to: www.theleaven.com.

ON IMBALANCE: “[I]f in the course of the liturgical year a parish priest speaks about temperance ten times but only mentions charity or justice two or three times, an imbalance results, and precisely those virtues which ought to be most present in preaching and catechesis are overlooked.

The same thing happens when we speak more about law than about grace, more about the Church than about Christ, more about the Pope than about God’s word.

ON CHALLENGES: “Challenges exist to be overcome!

Let us be realists, but without losing our joy, our boldness and our hope-filled commitment. Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of missionary vigor!”

ON BEING A CHRISTIAN: “Sometimes we are tempted to be that kind of Christian who keeps the Lord’s wounds at arm’s length. Yet Jesus wants us to touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others. He hopes that we will stop looking for those personal or communal niches which shelter us from the maelstrom of human misfortune and instead enter into the reality of other people’s lives and know the power of tenderness. Whenever we do so, our lives become wonderfully complicated and we experience intensely what it is to be a people, to be part of a people.”

ON MISSION: “I dream of a ‘missionary option,’ that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation.”

ON THE ECONOMY: “In this context, some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world. This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naïve trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system. Meanwhile, the excluded are still waiting.”

ON CULTURAL DIVERSITY: We cannot demand that peoples of every continent, in expressing their Christian faith, imitate modes of expression which European nations developed at a particular moment of their history, because the faith cannot be constricted to the limits of understanding and expression of any one culture.”

ON THE EUCHARIST: “The Eucharist, although it is the fullness of sacramental life, is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.”

ON CHRISTIAN JOY: “There are Christians whose lives seem like Lent without Easter. I realize of course that joy is not expressed the same way at all times in life, especially at moments of great difficulty.

Joy adapts and changes, but it always endures, even as a flicker of light born of our personal certainty that, when everything is said and done, we are infinitely loved.”

ON THE LAITY: “Lay people are, put simply, the vast majority of the People of God. The minority — ordained ministers — are at their service.”

ON COMPLACENCY: “The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience. Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades.”

ON PRIORITIES: “In all places and circumstances, Christians, with the help of their pastors, are called to hear the cry of the poor.”

ON TRADITION: “[A]bandon the complacent attitude that says: ‘We have always done it this way.’ I invite everyone to be bold and creative in this task of rethinking the goals, structures, style and methods of evangelization in their respective communities.”

ON MARRIAGE: “Marriage now tends to be viewed as a form of mere emotional satisfaction that can be constructed in any way or modified at will. But the indispensible contribution of marriage to society transcends the feelings and momentary needs of the couple.”

12 classifieds Employment Coordinator of parish life - The Church of the Ascension in Overland Park is seeking to employ a person for a full-time position as coordinator of parish life. The coordinator is responsible for working with parish volunteers, facilitating parish programs and activities, conducting the stewardship appeals and planning social and fundraising activities.

A more complete description is available online at: www. kcascension.org/events/jobposting. Letters of application and resumes may be submitted to Parish Life Coordinator Search Committee, Church of the Ascension, 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park, KS 66213 or send an email to: ascension church@kcascension.org.

Business manager - Holy Trinity Parish, Lenexa, is seeking a business manager to assume responsibilities no later than Feb. 3, 2014. Holy Trinity is an active and vibrant parish with 2,700 registered families and operates a K-8 school with 690 students and an early education center with 300 children. Duties include responsibility for overall parish fiscal management and upkeep of the physical plant. The position includes oversight of accounting and management of financial resources; human resources and employee benefit programs; and facility management. Individual will report to the pastor and provide supervision of office staff (bookkeeper and secretary/receptionist) and maintenance personnel. Qualified candidates should possess a bachelor’s degree in business or related field; have 7 - 10 years of progressive experience in business and management; excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills; experience in development and fundraising; and possess the ability to work with a variety of constituencies.

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume by Dec. 31. Please mail to: Pastor, Holy Trinity Church, 9150 Pflumm Rd., Lenexa, KS 66215. The full job description is available online at: www.htlenexa.org.

Principal - St. James Parish School, St. Joseph, Mo., seeks a principal committed to Catholic education with strong leadership, communication and motivational skills. St. James School is a parish school serving approximately 200 pre-K to 8th-grade students with a staff of approximately 15. The qualified candidate must be an active practicing Catholic in good standing with the Catholic Church (magisterium), have a master’s degree in educational administration or evidence that one is working toward a degree, teaching experience and preferably three years administrative experience. Applications may be made to the Catholic schools office on the website at: http://jobs.diocese-kcsj. org/?cid=4&lid=118. All applications must be received by Dec. 1.

Substitute teacher - Hayden High School, Topeka, seeks a part-time long-term substitute teacher for science. For an application or more information, email Mark Madsen at: madsenm@haydenhigh.org or call (785) 272-5210.

Data entry - Looking for a full-time data entry person at a local construction company in Shawnee. Person would be entering payroll data, accounts payable and answering the phone, among other duties. The position is salaried and included is a fully paid health insurance plan and participation after one year in the profit-sharing pension plan.

Please email resumes to: patm@mcananyconstruction. com or call Pat at (913) 631-5440.

Administrative assistant - Full time, entry level. Financial advisors office located in Overland Park. Benefits provided, flexible hours. Send resume by email to: lori@hadelfinan cialadvisors.com.

Financial representatives - Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding a financial representative in the Kansas City metro, Lawrence, Topeka and the Seneca - Sabetha area. Ideal for a determined, high energy, high expectation, professional, self-disciplined, independent individual desiring to serve others, yet earn a better-than-average income. We provide top-rated financial products to our members and their families and will provide excellent benefits and training. Please contact John A. Mahon, general agent, for more information or an interview by sending an email to: john.mahon@kofc.org, by phone at (785) 408-8806 or at 1275 Topeka Blvd., Topeka, KS 66612.

Services Electrician - Free estimates; reasonable rates. JoCo and south KC metro. Call Pat at (913) 963-9896.

Call Toll Free 888-246-1504

theleaven.com | NOVEMBER 29, 2013 Garage door and opener sales and service - 24-hour, 7-day-a-week service on all types of doors. Replace broken springs, cables, hinges, rollers, gate openers, entry and patio doors, and more. Over 32 years of experience. Call (913) 227-4902.

Tree service - Pruning trees for optimal growth and beauty and removal of hazardous limbs or problem trees. Free consultation and bid. Safe, insured, professional. Cristofer Estrada, Green Solutions of KC, (913) 378-5872. www.

GreenSolutionsKC.com.

Digital Family Forever - Convert your slides, negatives, photos, newspaper articles, or children’s artwork to digital images. Excellent quality. Preserved forever. Save your memories for future generations. Call now and surprise your family with a photo show on your TV for Thanksgiving!

Call (913) 383-1874.

Housecleaning - Reasonable rates, reliable. Cleaning patrons from The Leaven only for 20 years. Call Kathy at (913) 593-3795 or Judy at (913) 709-8130.

Mike Hammer local moving - A full-service mover. Packing, pianos, rental truck load/unload, storage container load/unload, and in-home moving. No job too small. Serving JoCo since 1987. St. Joseph, Shawnee, parishioner. Call Mike at (913) 927-4347 or send an email to: mikehammermoving@aol.com.

Housecleaning - Let me beautify your home. Offering the fees and scheduling that fit your needs. Call (913) 669-2327 or send an email to: cppantoja53@yahoo.com.

Masonry work - Quality new or repair work. Brick, block and chimney/fireplace repair. Insured; second-generation bricklayer. Member of St. Paul Parish, Olathe. Call (913) 829-4336.

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20-plus years experience. Excellent references. Southern JoCo area. Call (913) 548-8702.

Brick mason - Brick, stone, tile and flat work. 19 years of residential/commercial experience. FREE QUOTES - KC metro area. Small and large jobs accepted. Call Jim at (913) 485-4307. www.facebook.com/faganmasonry.

ALL AREA CATHOLICS WELCOME Christ the King Parish Federal Credit Union 5417 Leavenworth Rd., Kansas City, Kan. Good Car Loan and Share Loan Rates (913) 287-8448 or (913) 980-2192 Hours: 7 - 9 p.m., Mon., Wed., Fri. Tim the Handyman - Small jobs, faucets, garbage disposals, toilets, ceiling fans, light fixtures, painting, wall ceiling repair, wood rot, siding, decks, doors, windows, and gutter cleaning. Call (913) 526-1844.

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

Bankruptcy consultation - If debts are overwhelming you, seek hope and help from compassionate, experienced Catholic attorney, Teresa Kidd. For a free consultation, call (913) 422-0610; send an email to: tkidd@kc.rr.com; or visit the website at: www.teresakiddlawyer.com. We moved!

Come check out our new office in Lenexa.

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

Landscape and irrigation design, installation and maintenance.

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

Visit the website at: www.goaguafina.com Call (913) 530-7260 or (913) 530-5661 Lawn Mowing Spring Cleanups/Landscaping Local Parishioner Insured/References Free Estimates Call Tony (913) 620-6063 MEDICATION SETUP & MANAGEMENT - RN support visits for filling weekly pill boxes & managing medication.

Affordable and convenient. To learn more, call Home Connect Health Services at (913) 627-9222.

Concrete Work

Any type of repair and new work Driveways, Walks, Patios Member of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish

Harvey M. Kascht (913) 262-1555

Home Improvement STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 491-5837 or (913) 5791835. Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.

Caregiving - 15 years experience providing quality care that includes assisting with bathing and dressing, personal hygiene, cooking, light housework, dispensing medications, keeping doctor appointments, running errands and basically doing everything to keep you happy, healthy and at home. Excellent references available. Call Mary at (913) 526-6235.

vacation

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.

Pilgrimage to France with St. Thérèse - Lourdes, Paris, Lisieux, Normandy. Sept. 8 - Sept. 18, 2014. From Kansas City, $4,499. Call Father Ernie Davis at (816) 444-5406.

Detail construction and remodeling - We offer a full line of home remodeling services. Don’t move — remodel!

Johnson county area. Call for a free quote. (913) 709-8401.

Colorado vacation - Winter Park; 2 BR, 1 BA, furnished.

Mountain biking, golf, hiking, and fishing. $125 per night or $700 per week. Call (816) 392-0686.

House painting Interior and exterior; wall paper removal.

Power washing, fences, decks.

30 years experience. References. Reasonable rates.

Call Joe at (913) 620-5776.

Mountain 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. $95/ night. Call (913) 642-3027. For pictures, visit the website at: www.tillmancabin.com.

Swalms Organizing Service - Reducing Clutter - Enjoy an Organized Home! Basement, garage, attic, shop, storage rooms - any room organized! Belongings sorted, boxed and labeled, items hauled or taken for recycling, trash bagged. For before and after photos, visit: www.swalms organizing.com. Over 20 years of organizing experience; insured. Call Tillar at (913) 375-9115.

Adept Home Improvements Where quality still counts!

Basement finishing, Kitchens and baths, Electrical and plumbing, Licensed and insured. (913) 599-7998

Heating and cooling repair and replacement - Call Joe with JB Design and Service. Licensed and insured with 20 years experience. Member of Divine Mercy Parish. Call Joe at (913) 915-6887.

EL SOL Y LA TIERRA *Commercial & residential * Lawn renovation *Mowing * Clean-up and hauling * Dirt grading/installation * Landscape design * Free estimates Hablamos y escribimos Ingles!!

Call Lupe at (816) 252-3376 The Drywall Doctor, Inc. - A unique solution to your drywall problems! We fix all types of ceiling and wall damage — from water stains and stress cracks to texture repairs and skim coating. We provide professional, timely repairs and leave the job site clean! Lead-certified and insured!

Serving the metro since 1997. Call (913) 768-6655.

Caregiving 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.

Caregiving - Live-in nurse/companion position wanted.

Will be responsible for all care related to the client. Salary negotiable, recent references. Call (913) 579-5276.

Caregiving - CNA home health care specialist provides quality home comfort and care for the elderly. Available anytime. References. Affordable/seasoned/nonsmoker.

Call (816) 521-1336.

Looking for high quality home care? - Whether you’re looking to introduce care for your family or simply looking to improve your current home care quality, we can help.

Our unique approach to home care has earned us a 99% client satisfaction rating among the 1,000-plus families we have assisted. We are family-owned, with offices in Lenexa and Lawrence. Call Benefits of Home - Senior Care, Lenexa: (913) 422-1591 or Lawrence: (785) 727-1816 or www.benefitsofhome.com.

REAL ESTATE For sale - 28 Binder Lane, Ottawa, built in 2004. 4 BR, 3 BA, with a finished walkout basement, oak floors and vaulted ceilings. Sits on 5.7 acres of trees and manicured lawn with lake. All paved roads and covenants. Call (913) 980-3007 or send an email to: tomandmaryw@gmail. com for pictures and pricing.

for sale For sale - Single-depth lawn crypt in Charity Gardens.

Surrounded by all the beautiful saints. Includes bronze martyr vault, vase and property. Lot 21, section D4. $5,000. Call (913) 254-0290.

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.

MISCELLANEOUS Donate a vehicle. Make a difference. Donate your vehicle to Catholic Charities to support those in need.

Your tax-deductible donation of a vehicle helps children and families served by Catholic Charities and is an environmentally wise way to recycle your vehicle. Cars for KC Kids is a partnership between Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas and Catholic Charities of Kansas City - St. Joseph. Call (866) 430-9499 or visit our website at: www.cars4kckids.com.

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

Renee Maderak, (913) 631-7179.

St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee Wanted - Old drugstore, pharmacy, apothecary, soda fountain. Also will buy old signs and Coca-Cola.

Call (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.

Buying a classified ad

Cost to advertise is: $17.50 for five lines or less; $1.50 each additional line; Email: julie@theleaven.com; Phone: (913) 6470327

calendar 13

NOVEMBER 29, 2013 | theleaven.com

November The Church of the Nativity holiday boutique will be held on Nov. 30 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Nativity School, 3700 W. 119th St., Leawood. Shop home accessories, crafts, jewelry, and more. There is no cost to attend. For more information, contact Heather Bahora at (913) 642-4282.

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December Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., will offer a holiday grief group for men and women on Wednesdays, Dec. 4 and 11, from 1:30 - 2:45 p.m. The loss of a loved one is always painful. Holiday time brings lots of memories, and we may be especially aware of our losses. The group will help men and women address recent losses and those in the past. To register, call (913) 906-8990.

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An Advent retreat for women, “The Grace of Advent,” will be presented by Sister Bridget Dickason, OSB, at Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., on Dec. 4 from 6:30 – 9 p.m.

Call (913) 906-8990 or register online at: www.keelerwomenscenter.org.

A Taize prayer will be held Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. in Annunciation Chapel on the campus of the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth. For more information, visit the website at: www.marillaccenter.org or call (913) 680-2342.

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The 25th annual St. Lawrence Service of Lessons and Carols will take place at 7 p.m. on Dec. 7 at the St. Lawrence Campus Center, 1631 Crescent Dr., Lawrence. There is no cost to attend, and the event is open to the public.

7

St. Columbkille Church, Blaine, will host its annual Christmas fiesta on Dec. 7 from 8 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the new church hall.

Homemade candies and cookies will be sold by the pound, and there will be approximately 20 craft vendors. Full conces-

sions include homemade cinnamon rolls, various soups, ham sandwiches and pie.

For more information, call (785) 396-4328.

A rock ’n’ roll dance party featuring Four Fried Chickens and a Coke will be held Dec. 7 from 7 - 11 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 5900 King, Shawnee. The cost to attend is $10. For more information or to make reservations, contact Keith Winterhalter at (913) 631-2173. Proceeds support seminarians and priests.

A Rorate Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary will be offered at St. Philippine Duchesne Church, Westwood, on Dec. 7 at 6:30 a.m. Confessions are available 30 minutes before Mass and after Mass. For more information, contact the Fraternity of St. Peter at (913) 236-0005.

The Militia Immaculata Queen of Peace Village in Leavenworth invites members and others to learn more about the Militia Immaculata following 9 a.m. Mass on Dec. 7 at St. Joseph of the Valley Church, 31151 207th St., Leavenworth.

The Cathedral of St. Peter, 409 N. 15th St., Kansas City, Kan., will host its third annual crèche celebration on Dec. 7 from 3 - 6 p.m. and Dec. 8 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Over 100 unique Nativity sets will be on display.

Come and enjoy a magical experience that reflects the true meaning of Christmas.

There will also be a bake sale and raffle.

There is no cost to attend.

The Cathedral of St. Peter Altar Society is sponsoring a holiday homes tour on Dec. 8 from noon 3 p.m. This year’s tour will feature five homes in the historic cathedral and Westheight neighborhoods. Tickets are available in advance at the parish office by calling (913) 371-0840; at Michael’s Heritage Florist, (913) 342-1573; or from Terri Schneweis, (913) 342-4018. Tickets are also available on the day of the tour at the crèche celebration in the parish center. The cost to attend is a suggested donation of $5. For additional information, contact Patty McKiernan at (913) 281-2918.

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The Kansas City Kansas Community College winter choral concert, “As the Bells Ring,” will be held Dec. 8 at 3 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament Church, 2203 Parallel, Kan-

sas City, Kan. There is no cost to attend.

The Curé of Ars Knights of Columbus and the Mothers of Young Children organizations will host their annual breakfast with St. Nick on Dec. 8 from 8 a.m. - noon in the Curé of Ars School cafeteria, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. There will be a full breakfast with St. Nick. The cost to attend is $6 for adults; $5 for children; or $25 for a family. Proceeds benefit local charities.

Donations of diapers and wipes for local children’s charities will also be accepted.

Classically trained pianist Angela Toplikar, age 15, will perform a concert on Dec. 8 from 7 - 9 p.m. at Holy Angels Church, 15408 Leavenworth Rd., Basehor. She will play a wide variety of music and accompany Kansas City Symphony vocalist Greg Toplikar in several songs. The cost to attend is a suggested donation of $5 per person; $12 per family. All proceeds will benefit Angela’s mission trip to Piura, Peru, in August.

For more information, visit the website at: www.sfxmission.com. For more information regarding the concert, contact Mary Toplikar at (785) 542-3638.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will be the guest speaker at the KCK Serra Club meeting at noon on Dec. 11. The meeting will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, 5th and Minnesota, Kansas City, Kan.

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An Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration will be held Dec. 12 at Queen of the Holy Rosary Church, 71st and Metcalf, Overland Park. Mass begins at 6 p.m., followed by a reception in the church hall. Mariachi music will be provided by Beto Lopez.

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Christ’s Peace House of Prayer will hold a retreat on St. Thomas 13-15 Aquinas as a spiritual guide from Dec. 13 - 15. The cost to attend is $150 per person or $225 for each couple with all meals included. If interested, call (913) 773-8255 or send an email to: director cp@christspeace.com.

Christ’s Peace House of Prayer in Easton will host a contemplative prayer retreat day from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. on Dec. 15. Instruction will be provided on request. Full- or half-day

15

options are available, with a noon meal included. The cost is $25 per participant. The retreat may be extended for an overnight stay. For information or to register, call (913) 773-8255 or send an email to: info@ shantivanam.com.

Gaudete Vespers: An Advent Celebration, featuring vocal ensemble Sursum Corda, will be held Dec. 15 at 6 p.m. at Holy Angels Church, 15440 Leavenworth Rd., Basehor. The program will invite those present to join first in the liturgical celebration of evening prayer, accompanied by the choir, and conclude with a brief concert of sacred polyphony to prepare minds and hearts for the joy of the Christmas season.

There is no cost to attend. Freewill donations will be accepted for the support of Sursum Corda.

The vocation office will host a short, challenging Quo Vadis re20-22 treat for single men ages 18 – 35 to discern their purpose in life, including a look at the priesthood, from Dec. 20 22 at Savior Pastoral Center, 12601 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kan. Activities include a pro-life Mass and rosary procession, eucharistic adoration and lunch with the Sisters, Servants of Mary, and talks on holiness, sacrifice and discernment. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, priests, and seminarians will offer their insights and guidance. There is no cost to attend, and those who register by Dec. 16 online at: www.kckvocations.com are eligible to win a gift card.

January Do you and your spouse need help with improving your communication skills? Marriage for Keeps, an outreach of Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, is returning to St. Paul Parish, Olathe. Marriage for Keeps offers education, support and resources for couples seeking to improve their marriage and strengthen their family. Workshops teach couples to communicate effectively, reduce conflict, connect emotionally and learn to better meet each other’s needs. Classes begin Jan. 7 and run seven consecutive Tuesdays through Feb. 18 from 6 - 8:30 p.m.

Registration is required by calling (913) 6215775, ext. 1105, or send an email to Donna at: dmills@catholiccharitiesks.org.

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14 commentary Scripture Readings First week of ADVENT Dec. 1 first sunday of advent Is 2: 1-5 Ps 122: 1-9 Rom 13: 11-14 Mt 24: 37-44 Dec. 2 Monday Is 4: 2-6 Ps 122: 1-9 Mt 8: 5-11 Dec. 3 Francis Xavier, priest Is 11: 1-10 Ps 72: 1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 Lk 10: 21-24 Dec. 4 John Damascene, priest, doctor of the church Is 25: 6-10a Ps 23: 1-6 Mt 15: 29-37 Dec. 5 Thursday Is 26: 1-6 Ps 118: 1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a Mt 7: 21, 24-27 Dec. 6 Nicholas, bishop Is 29: 17-24 Ps 27: 1, 4, 13-14 Mt 9: 27-31 Dec. 7 Ambrose, bishop, doctor of the church Is 30: 19-21, 23-26 Ps 147: 1-6 Mt 9:35 – 10:1, 5a, 6-8 second week of ADVENT Dec. 8 SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT Is 11: 1-10 Ps 72: 1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17 Rom 15: 4-9 Mt 3: 1-12 Dec. 9 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 Dec. 10 Tuesday Is 40: 1-11 Ps 96: 1-3, 10-13 Mt 18: 12-14 Dec. 11 Damasus I, pope Is 40: 25-31 Ps 103: 1-4, 8, 10 Mt 11: 28-30 Dec. 12 our lady of Guadalupe Zec 2: 14-17 (Ps) Jdt 13: 18bc, 19 Lk 1: 39-47 Dec. 13 Lucy, virgin, martyr Is 48: 17-19 Ps 1: 1-4, 6 Mt 11: 16-19 Dec. 14 John of the Cross, priest, doctor of the church Sir 48: 1-4, 9-11 Ps 80: 2-3, 15-16, 18-19 Mt 17: 9a, 10-13

theleaven.com | november 29, 2013

mark my words

If you’re gonna pray for a holier Advent . . .

C

onsider this a public confession: The other day I lied to Anita McSorley, the managing editor of The Leaven. Now, I didn’t do it intentionally or maliciously. It’s just that, as I had a chance to think later, I realized that I’d not told the truth.

Here’s what happened: Anita sent me a text message and asked if I was playing video games at all anymore.

I answered: “I haven’t played video games in ages. Time is the main factor!” That’s true, as far as playing games on the Wii or Nintendo DS. What didn’t even enter my mind — and here’s where the fib came in — is all the time I spend (waste?) on what is not technically a “video” game, but is played on my iPad. In fact, many of you may be familiar with this addictive time bandit called Candy Crush Saga.

Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with playing a few games every once in a while to get a little break.

But when you start making excuses for things that you don’t get done for “lack of time,” dishonesty enters in. For example, there have been times I’ve not prayed or

Father Mark Goldasich Father Mark Goldasich is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989. read as much as I wanted, or written a long-delayed letter to a friend or cleaned up a messy corner in my home “for lack of time.” Miraculously, though, I’d somehow found scads of time to spend conquering a particularly difficult level of Candy Crush.

In years past, I’ve lamented here how I always fall short of making Advent a time of prayerful and meaningful preparation.

I’ve always laid the blame for that on God (not giving me enough energy or the ability to bilocate), on all the “extras” in my ministry schedule (like penance services), or on the year-end demands of The Leaven.

Never, however, have I taken responsibility for settling for a lackluster season.

I see a lot of myself in the following story: One summer, the heartland was gripped in a devastating drought. A local Baptist pastor organized a prayer crusade to pray for rain. He also invited the local Catholics to come to the park and bring their “prayer instruments” to bolster the Baptists’ prayers. Toward the end of the service, both pastors asked the people to come forward and lay down their “prayer instruments” beneath a cross in the park.

Soon the ground was covered in Bibles, rosaries, prayer books, medals, holy cards, statues, and crosses. Seeing this impressive array of religious items, the pastors declared that the people’s faith in God was clearly profound.

All were put to shame, however, when a little girl rushed forward at the last minute to offer her “prayer instrument”: a brightly colored red and yellow umbrella. She was the only one who really believed that when you ask God for rain, you’d better bring an umbrella!

God promises us great peace and meaning in these days of Advent, but so many times we don’t really believe

that’s possible. We think of it as a nice, but impossible, dream that couldn’t possibly fit into our shopping, baking, cleaning, decorating and scurrying around. However, if we give God the tools to work with — our faith and some time — all of these other “seasonal” items will shift to their proper place and move from being chores to being sources of holiness and service.

While Advent is still brand new, think of four things that would make this season a special, uplifting, and holy time for you and your family. It might be putting a handwritten note in your Christmas cards or going out to see a special Christmas play or concert or attending your parish’s penance service together.

The time to schedule these activities is now — one special thing each week of Advent. Everything else — Candy Crush, Facebook, an extra football or basketball game — can wait.

If you’re truly serious about having a holier and happier Advent season, just ask God for it . . . and then get ready for a downpour!

In the beginning

Prophet foresees a time when all will worship as one

“P

ilgrimage to Rome and Assisi.” “Visit the Holy Land, Follow in the Footsteps of Jesus.” “Fatima and Lourdes in 10 Days.”

Every once in a while, we see announcements about various trips to sacred sites.

The Leaven sometimes will print an advertisement for one. In making a pilgrimage, we Catholics continue a tradition that comes to us from the early days of the Bible. The Israelite people looked upon Jerusalem, specifically the Temple in Jerusalem, as the place to visit in making their pilgrimage.

While pilgrimages to Jerusalem were not restricted to any particular time of the year, it was especially encouraged during three annual feasts: Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. These celebrat-

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. ed different harvests and took place in the early spring, the late spring, and the autumn.

They were ways to thank God for the blessings of livestock and crops.

Sunday’s reading, Is 2:1-5, looks forward to a time when, besides the Israelite people, Gentiles will also journey to Jerusalem to worship God in the Temple: “All nations shall stream toward it.”

The city of Jerusalem is built on a considerably higher

Pope francis Pope Francis admitted he wasn’t a pharmacist, but he didn’t hesitate being the spokesman for the heart-healthy benefits of 59 little pills strung together: the rosary. “I want to recommend some medicine for all of you,” the pope said Nov. 17

elevation in comparison to the surrounding area. When approaching the city, it is necessary to go up. Pilgrims traveling on foot would especially notice the upward climb. When the Bible mentions a trip to Jerusalem, it often describes the journey as “going up to Jerusalem.”

Isaiah’s prophecy plays upon that higher elevation of the city: “In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain and raised above the hills.”

These words should not be taken literally. They are not talking about a geological change. They do not mean that the hill on which the Temple was built would compete with Mount Everest.

They do mean that the Temple would stand out in the eyes of the world as the place to worship God. In the future, Gentiles would be inspired to

at the end of his Sunday Angelus address.

“It’s a spiritual medicine.” Holding up a white medicine box with an anatomical drawing of the human heart on it, Pope Francis told some 80,000 people gathered for the midday prayer that the boxes contained a rosary. “Don’t forget to take it,” he said. “It’s good for your heart, for

say to each other, “Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob.”

How should we interpret these words now? The Temple in Jerusalem has been destroyed for nearly 2,000 years.

While many Jews, Christians and Muslims continue to venerate Jerusalem as a holy place and one worthy of a visit, I do not believe that the primary intent of the prophecy is to encourage pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

Rather, the prophecy looks forward to a time when all people will worship the one God. All people will turn to God for guidance — “that he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.”

Consequently, they will put aside their differences: “One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.”

your soul, for your whole life.” Praying the rosary and the Divine Mercy chaplet will help people reap the fruits of the Year of Faith, he said, because they are “a spiritual aid for our soul and for spreading love, forgiveness and brotherhood to everyone.”

— CNS

16 Local news

theleaven.com | november 29, 2013

Busy time in the archdiocese

Crosier society

Leaven photo by elaina cochran

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann presents Kent and Donna Saylor, members of Sacred Heart Parish in Sabetha, with a print of the Assumption painting, commissioned by Bishop Miege, as a thank you for serving as honorary chairs for the Archbishopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Call to Share. The Saylors were presented with the painting on Nov. 17 at brunch for the Crosier Society. The society is comprised of individuals and families that give one percent of their annual income or at least $1,000 to the Archbishopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Call to Share.

Rosary Rally

Fourth-degree Knights of Columbus of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Overland Park carry a statue of Mary outdoors for a rosary rally at the church on Oct. 12. The rally was organized by Harriett North.

Leaven photo by doug hesse

School Mass

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann prepares to celebrate Mass with the students and faculty of Immaculata High School in Leavenworth on Nov. 6 at the school.

Blessing

Leaven photo by Lori Wood habiger

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann blesses the Advice and Aid Pregnancy Center, 11644 W. 75th St., Shawnee. Advice and Aid moved its Shawnee location to a new site about a year ago. There are two Advice and Aid Pregnancy Centers in the archdiocese. The other is in Overland Park.

Adoration

Leaven photo by Joe McSorley

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann leads eucharistic adoration on Nov. 1 at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park. From left, Aquinas principal Craig Moss, sophomores Meg Loughman, Maddie Desch, and Haide Tapia, along with freshmen Cole Miller, Carley Bruemmer, and Maddie Mirich kneel before the Blessed Sacrament.