12-16-11 Vol. 33 No. 18

WWW.THELEAVEN.COM | NEWSPAPER OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF KANSAS CITY IN KANSAS | VOL. 33, NO. 18 DECEMBER 16, 2011

Leaven photo by JD Benning

Benedictine Sisters Irene Nowell (left) and Susan Barber look over a copy of “Give Us This Day,” a prayer resource to which the two nuns have contributed.

DAILY BREAD FOR THE SOUL

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New monthly provides prayer resource for laypeople

TCHISON — In a lot ly prayer,” said Brother Aelred. of ways, the new pubThe prayer resource “Give us This lication “Give Us This Day” is a monthly publication deDay: Daily Prayer for signed for daily spiritual reading.

Today’s Catholic” is like It includes morning and evening the manna that fed the prayers for each day, as well as essays, children of Israel during the Exodus. features on saints and other holy perIt’s heaven-sent, delicious and sons, daily people’s Mass parts with spiritually nutritious — but what is it? readings and reflections, the order of How, exactly, does one deMass, the liturgical calenscribe it? dar, prayers and blessings, STORY BY “That’s a very good and “lectio divina” (meditaJOE BOLLIG question,” said Brother tive reading).

Aelred Senna, OSB, associIt’s compact — just a ate publisher of Liturgical Press, an shade bigger than a paperback book apostolate of St. John’s Abbey in Col— and easy to stuff into a purse or a legeville, Minn. “We do struggle with pocket. It averages about 400 pages. exactly what to call it.”

Sister Irene Nowell, OSB, of Mount It’s not a missalette, Mass guide, St. Scholastica in Atchison, is one of prayer book, collection of spiritual six editorial advisers for “Give Us This essays, magazine, aid for meditation Day.” She is also the Scripture editor or breviary. It’s kind of like a spiritual for the morning and evening prayers Swiss Army Knife: a portable bundle and the author of some of the reflecof tools in one handy package. tions.

“In fact, the best thing we’ve come Another Atchison Benedictine, Sisup with is calling it a ‘prayer resource,’ ter Susan Barber, writes the intercesa resource that supports people in daisions for morning and evening prayer.

“The idea [for ‘Give Us This Day’] had been floating around St. John’s [University] for five or six years, but we didn’t settle down and do serious planning until the middle of 2010,” said Sister Irene.

As sort of a trial balloon, the editors put together a four-day sample edition and handed out copies in March 2011 at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. People reacted to it so well that Liturgical Press decided to launch the first issue in August 2011.

Part of the marketing strategy was to distribute a generous amount of complimentary copies. People really seem to like the resource.

“One of the things that is delightful about this is that it has really taken off,” said Sister Irene. “We’re getting lots and lots of subscriptions, and they are coming in really rapidly.”

Liturgical Press was unable to provide current or projected sales numbers.

See “PUBLICATION” on page 4

For information or to subscribe, go to the website at: www. giveusthisday.org. To subscribe, go to “Subscribe Now!” on the left or right sides of the home page. Discounts are available for both the print and digital editions. For gift subscriptions, call 1 (800) 858-5450.

2 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • DECEMBER 16, 2011

THE LEAVEN • DECEMBER 16, 2011

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS

Holy Spirit, not democratic process, guides selection of bishops

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fter Pope Benedict XVI’s pastoral visit to the United States in the fall of 2007, I was watching a television program, featuring a panel of pundits, analyzing the impact of the Holy Father’s trip.

At one point, a Jewish panelist, after expressing his admiration for both Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II, commented that he gave the College of Cardinals high marks for its selection of leaders for the Catholic Church. He noted that both popes were impressive — not just because of their remarkable intellectual abilities, but because of their moral integrity. He admired that they lived in a manner consistent with what they taught. Then, he quipped: “Maybe our nation ought to look into this method of selecting our leadership?”

At the time of the pope’s visit in the autumn of 2007, we were about at the same point as we are now in a presidential election cycle. It seems every election year there is a certain level of disappointment in the quality of candidates standing for office. Personally, I have great admiration for those who serve in public life for the right reasons. It is a difficult and demanding job, requiring significant sacrifices by both officeholders and their families.

No one has developed a superior form of civil governance than the democratically elected representative government that we enjoy in the United States. Yet, each election year reminds us of the weaknesses of our system. For instance, the failure of the president and the Congress to enact laws that address adequately our current deficit and debt crisis is symptomatic of the vulnerabilities of our system.

Presidents and legislators have to keep their constituents happy in order to remain in office. This makes it very difficult for them to challenge us to make the necessary sacrifices to restore economic stability to our nation.

The grueling election process for president, where success seems driven more by image than substance, discourages many capable individuals from seeking our nation’s highest office. The harsh negative political ads (an apparent must for every campaign) are a reality that many potential candidates would rather not endure — much less inflict upon their family.

The fact that those serving in the House of Representatives must run for office every two years results in the members of Congress being in a constant election mode. Consequently, they have to be very sensitive to constituent reaction, militating against making tough but necessary decisions that are good for the long-term health of our nation.

Our political system also suffers from the need to defeat members of the other political party. Consequently, we often experience gridlock in government because neither party wants the other to gain credit for solving major national problems, e.g., the reform of the economy or immigration.

Sometimes, I am asked by people: How does one become a bishop? Recently, Pope Benedict XVI appointed a new apostolic nuncio (ambassador) to the United States, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano. The appointment of a papal nuncio for a nation is extremely important, because a significant component of the nuncio’s responsibility is to identify good candidates to serve as bishops.

To assist the nuncio in this work, he asks current bishops to recommend names to him of potential candidates for the ministry of bishop. The church is divided into provinces, much like our country is divided into states. Every couple of years, each province is asked to provide a list of recommended candidates for the office of bishop.

Once the nuncio identifies a candidate that he is considering recommending for a particular diocese, he inquires confidentially through questionnaires to selected bishops, priests, religious and laity about the priest’s suitability to serve as a bishop. Sometimes, people wonder why it seems to take so long for the appointment of a new bishop. Part of the answer to that question is the thorough vetting process that is conducted in examining each candidate.

Once the nuncio has prepared his dossier recommending three potential candidates for a particular diocese, he sends his recommendations and rationale to the Congregation for Bishops in Rome. This congregation, which is composed of bishops from all over the world, reviews the nuncio’s recommen-

dations and can either ratify or amend them. The congregation then sends its recommendations to the Holy Father, who ultimately selects and appoints all bishops. The pope, of course, is free to appoint any of the three recommended candidates or to choose someone entirely different from those who have been proposed.

This process is generally the one employed by the church throughout the world, although there are variations in some places because of: 1) historical agreements; 2) the youthfulness of the church in a nation; or 3) the current political situation. For instance, when Poland was under Communist rule, the church, in order to be able to ordain bishops, allowed the government the ability to veto candidates. The Holy Spirit can work through great obstacles.

For instance, the Polish Communist leaders permitted the appointment of Karol Wojtyla (the late Pope John Paul II) as archbishop of Krakow, after vetoing several others candidates. They viewed Wojtyla as an intellectual they could control.

The method for the selection of bishops throughout history has varied and evolved over time. Obviously, the selection method is not an element of defined doctrine that is essential to the church’s integrity. We know of examples in the early church where some great bishops were chosen by public acclamation, e.g., St. Ambrose. However, bishops never received their authority through the election of the people. As is evident in the ordination rite of bishops, the bishop can only receive his authority to serve in the office of bishop by a successor of the apostles. In fact, at least two bishops are necessary to ordain a new bishop.

Most Protestant churches have imitated secular culture and employ some sort of democratic process for the selection of their leadership. With the high value we as Americans place on the democratic selection of our civil leaders, this seems an attractive option for also choosing church leadership.

Yet, we can see in the experience of Protestant churches a terrible flaw in this system. Eventually, the popular election of church leaders, who are responsible for determining church teaching, results in popular referendums on church doctrine. We see this in many Protestant churches that have abandoned such central dogmatic truths as the Trinity or eliminated fundamental, biblical moral teaching regarding abortion and/or homosexual or extramarital sexual activity.

Bishops, in communion with the Suc-

Archbishop Naumann’s weekly calendar

Dec. 18 Gathering of Covenant Community — Savior Pastoral Center Dec. 19 Meeting with Catholic Housing of Wyandotte County Dec. 23 Christmas Mass and lunch for chancery staff

Archbishop Keleher’s weekly calendar

Dec. 17 “The Catholic Way” program taping Dec. 18 Federal prison Mass Confessions — Church of the Nativity, Leawood Dec. 19 Confessions — St. Michael the Archangel, Leawood Dec. 20 Women’s prison Mass

Dec. 23 Christmas Mass and lunch for chancery staff

cessor of Peter — the pope — have the responsibility for protecting the doctrinal truths of the church, not making up new teaching. Bishops also have the responsibility to apply ancient truths to new cultural and technological circumstances. Not always an easy task!

Is the current method of selecting bishops perfect? I am living proof that it is not! The former papal nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, in exhorting the American bishops to take seriously our responsibility to identify qualified individuals, reminded us that there are no perfect candidates.

Otherwise, none of us would be bishops!

Please pray for me and all my brother bishops as we attempt to fulfill our responsibilities as successors to the apostles. Please pray that the Lord will raise up in our time shepherds after his own heart to lead his church.

Elmer Rottinghaus

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SECOND FRONT PAGE 3

‘A WONDERFUL SURPRISE’

Hispanic and Latino bishops offer hope to immigrants and migrants

By Joe Bollig Leaven staff

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — It was a gift that was as unexpected as it was welcome.

Thirty-three Hispanic and Latino bishops issued an open letter, outlining pastoral concerns and thoughts about immigration law, to all immigrants and migrants on Dec. 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

“It’s a wonderful surprise,” said Father Patrick Murphy, CS, animator for archdiocesan Hispanic ministry, on Dec. 12. “I wasn’t expecting this. . . . And I’m also happy they chose Dec. 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, to release this letter.”

The significance of the letter’s timing is that Our Lady of Guadalupe was the primary evangelizer of the Hispanic people of Mexico, said Father Pat, and her feast day is of special significance to Hispanics.

“To wake up and find out that this letter has been released by the Hispanic bishops of the United States will mean a lot to people,” he said.

In their statement, the bishops said they wanted “those of you who lack proper authorization to live and work in our country,” to know that they are not forgotten and that the church opens its arms and hearts to them.

The letter itself doesn’t contain new proposals or ideas, said Father Pat. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops previously expressed many of the thoughts and ideas in the letter.

Moreover, some of the same points that were raised by the Hispanic and Latino bishops were covered in a reflection on illegal immigration issued by the Catholic and some Protestant bishops of Kansas on Nov. 11. The reflection called for immigration reform, including an improved admission process and respect for the dignity of every human being.

The significance of the statement, however, said Father Pat, lies in the fact that so many Hispanic and Latino bishops have chosen to speak together, and that they are speaking in a very clear way.

Father Pat read the letter through the lens of what he calls “the three P’s.”

The first “p” is personal.

“When you look at the list of bishops who have signed it, it’s a long list,” said Father Pat. “They’re in a unique position. We’ve never had 33 [Hispanic and Latino] bishops [in the United States]. So, they’re in a unique position to make a very personal statement about how they feel about people who are close to their

The letter was signed by Archbishops Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles and Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio; Bishops Gerald R. Barnes, San Bernardino, Calif.; Alvaro Corrada del Rio, apostolic administrator of Tyler, Texas, and newly named bishop of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, in July; Felipe de Jesus Estevez, St. Augustine, Fla.; Richard J. Garcia, Monterey, Calif.; Armando X. Ochoa, bishop of El Paso, Texas, who has been named to Fresno, Calif.; Placido Rodriguez, Lubbock, Texas; Jaime Soto of Sacramento, Calif.; James A. Tamayo, Laredo, Texas; Daniel E. Flores, Brownsville, Texas; Fernando Isern, Pueblo, Colo.; Ricardo Ramirez, Las Cruces, N.M.; and Joe S. Vasquez, Austin.

Other signers included: Auxiliary Bishops Oscar Cantu, San Antonio; Arturo Cepeda, Detroit; Manuel A. Cruz, Newark, N.J.; Rutilio del Riego, San Bernardino, Calif.; Eusebio Elizondo, Seattle; Francisco Gonzalez, Washington; Eduardo A. Nevares, Phoenix; Alexander Salazar and Gabino Zavala, Los Angeles; Octavio Cisneros, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Edgar M. da Cunha, Newark; Cirilo B. Flores, Orange, Calif.; Josu Iriondo, New York; Alberto Rojas, Chicago; Luis Rafael Zarama, Atlanta; and retired Bishops Raymundo J. Pena, Brownsville; Arthur N. Tafoya, Pueblo; Carlos A. Sevilla, Yakima, Wash.; and David Arias, Newark.

CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz, Long Island Catholic

Worshippers stand during a special Mass honoring immigrants at St. John the Evangelist Church in Riverhead, N.Y., Oct. 30. In a letter released Dec. 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Hispanic bishops of the United States told undocumented immigrants that “you are not alone or forgotten,” and committed themselves to continued advocacy for all immigrants. hearts. I see it as a personal way to reach out and offer a word of hope to the people.”

The second “p” is prophetic. “[The bishops] are saying in a very clear way we need to reach out and be more welcoming to the Hispanic community,” he said. “No doubt there will be reactions. Some people will criticize them for this. . . . They’re saying the right thing; it makes sense.”

The third “p” is pastoral.

“It’s a pastoral letter, and they are expressing pastoral concerns for their people,” said Father Pat. “They’re saying, ‘We’re your pastors and we want to take care of our sheep.’ There’s a real concern [Hispanics] could be lost

if they’re not offered the right pastoral care.”

The motivation behind the letter, although it is not clearly expressed, is that there is a danger of losing the future of the Catholic Church by failing to take care of migrants and immigrants.

“We’re not doing a good job,” said Father Pat. “[Hispanic] people are still leaving the Catholic Church because they still don’t feel welcome.

The bishops want to say we have to do a better job of offering spiritual support of the people.”

Additionally, the message the Hispanic and Latino bishops are sending to the broader church in the United

Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799)

Editor Reverend Mark Goldasich, stl frmark@theleaven.com

Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com

Reporter Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com

President Most Reverend Joseph F. Naumann

Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita@theleaven.com

Production Manager Todd Habiger todd@theleaven.com

Advertising Representative Jennifer Siebes jennifer@theleaven.com

States is a reminder, that all of us — except for Native Americans — have immigrant roots, said Father Pat. “Somewhere along the line, some priest or Sister helped us so we kept the faith,” he said.

“I think it goes back to [last Sunday’s] Gospel. As John [the Baptist] pointed to the light, we have to all be about pointing to the light and showing immigrants the light of Christ in our lives and our example and welcoming attitude.”

The next step was for the letter to be widely distributed. On Dec. 12, Father Pat sent a letter asking pastors in the 11 archdiocesan parishes with Hispanic ministries to share the bishops’ letter with their parishioners. “ People need to hear this message of hope,” he said. “It has to be heard on the local level. Most people living here don’t know these bishops. . . .

They need to know that there are people out there who really care for them who are of a similar background.”

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.

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4 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • DECEMBER 16, 2011

THE LEAVEN • DECEMBER 16, 2011

Topeka’s PACE remains a family affair Hayden High School PACE director retires after 35 years; passes reins to daughter

“Families like to be engaged in activities.

The most important skill I learned was to not be afraid to ask people for help and then to thank all the individuals for the work they did.

By Marc and Julie Anderson Special to The Leaven

TOPEKA — In the late ’70s, this city’s only Catholic high school faced a financial crisis that threatened to close its doors forever.

Those doors were kept open, thanks, in part, to the work of a Hayden parent, Linda Brungardt, who eventually became the director of Parents and Alumni for Catholic Education (PACE).

Through the next three decades and then some, Brungardt, a member of Christ the King Parish in Topeka, coordinated the concession sales, maintained the alumni files, coordinated parent volunteers and chaired the PACE auction. It now nets approximately $200,000 annually.

Along the way, she instilled a sense of commitment to and pride in both Hayden and Catholic education in her entire family. But it “took” in a particular way in her youngest, Eileen Canfield.

Now, the 1992 graduate, also a Christ the King parishioner, is following in her mother’s footsteps as she succeeds Brungardt as the next PACE director upon her mother’s retirement earlier this year. It’s a job Canfield said she is looking forward to for several reasons.

“I have literally grown up at Hayden High School,” said Canfield, “and I have a passion for the school. I believe in Catholic education, and I want to be a part of growing Hayden.

“I began working at Hayden about four years ago,” she said. “Mom mentioned she needed some additional

”

Linda Brungardt, retired director of PACE

Leaven photo by Marc Anderson

After serving as the PACE (Parents and Alumni for Catholic Education) director at Hayden High School in Topeka for more than three decades, Linda Brungardt (left) retired in September. Earlier this academic year, Hayden hired Brungardt’s youngest daughter, Eileen Canfield (right), as Brungardt’s successor. help with preparing concession stands and someone to be in charge of all the spirit wear for the athletic organization and for getting apparel sales to the public.”

The cause was a good one, and the company even better.

“It has been enjoyable working with my mom,” said Canfield. “She has a huge heart and commitment to the school, which has been passed along to me.”

In addition to the annual PACE auction, Canfield will now coordinate parent volunteers. Years ago, when PACE was in its infancy, Brungardt suggested to then-principal Father Tom Santa that not just a few parents should help with PACE, but all families should pitch in

and help in some way.

Today, each Hayden family is asked to sign a volunteer contract and commit to spending 40 hours on at least one of 112 tasks, ranging from sweeping floors or manning concession stands to calling businesses for auction donations. Without the families’ involvement, agree the women, PACE would not be the success it is today.

“Families like to be engaged in activities,” said Brungardt. “The most important skill I learned was to not be afraid to ask people for help and then to thank all the individuals for the work they did.”

But the transition is bittersweet.

“I will miss interacting with the parents,” she said. “They are anxious to

help their children and to be involved in activities where their student will see them helping.”

Canfield, in turn, is excited to meet the Hayden families.

“Mom has taught me that without the wonderful parent volunteers, PACE would not be successful. I am looking forward to meeting all the parents and working together to ensure the future of PACE and Catholic education.”

As Brungardt looks back on her service as PACE director, she is grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of this exceptional community.

“The people are what make it so special to me. . . . It is a small enough school that, if someone needs help, we’re all there doing what we can.”

Brungardt also looks forward to watching Canfield develop the organization further.

“I want Eileen to succeed, of course,” she said, “because she is our daughter.

“But more than that, she has a wonderful way with people, and I know she will gather the people needed to make all her events a success.”

Publication targeted at the laity, and even lapsed Catholics Continued from page 1 But “Give Us This Day” seems to fill a niche that was heretofore left wanting for a prayer resource.

“We are aware of the various resources out there,” said Brother Aelred.

“There was a dearth or lack of something that would present a diverse spectrum of voices and profiles of faith that represent our Catholic and Christian tradition.”

“For example,” he continued, “in the reflections for daily Mass, we use previously published material that goes back to the earliest Christian times — saints, mystics, and the Mothers and Fathers of the Church.”

“At the same time, at least 50 to 60 percent of the daily reflections we feature each month are commissioned as brand-new pieces of writing. We’re able to represent our Catholic tradition from the earliest times up to now, today, in

the tradition that we, as today’s Catholics, are creating — thinkers and writers of the present day comfortably sitting alongside the great spiritual writers and thinkers.”

Priests and religious find it a handy resource when they are pressed for time or traveling, but it’s designed primarily for lay use.

“First and foremost, it’s really for the laity, mostly for the people in the pews who go to church every Sunday and who want something that supports their daily prayer practice between Sundays,” said Brother Aelred.

But it’s hoped that it reaches another demographic as well.

“It’s our goal to reach out to people who aren’t in the pews on Sunday,” said Brother Aelred. “We know that’s already happening.”

A subscriber sent a letter about how she encountered another woman at O’Hare Airport in Chicago. The woman

was reading “Give Us This Day.” When the subscriber commented on this, the other woman said that she was no longer a practicing Catholic, but picked up the publication when she attended Mass with her mother during a visit.

The tagline on the cover reads “Daily prayer for today’s Catholics,” but Lutherans and Episcopalians can use it, too.

Kathleen Norris, a poet, essayist, and author of “The Cloister Walk,” is one of the editorial advisers for “Give Us This Day.” Norris, an Episcopalian and Benedictine oblate, was asked to recommend poets and writers who could contribute original material.

The ecumenical aspect of the resource can be seen not only in the writers and poets who contribute, but also in the individuals featured in “Blessed Among Us.” “They’re not all saints in the Catholic Church,” said Norris. “They’re people

who have led extraordinary lives and have extraordinary stories. A lot of them are fairly hidden, and you may not have heard about them.”

“Every day there is a different person,” she continued. “Sometimes it is the saint [of the] day, but sometimes it’s a portrait of someone who gave witness in their life. They’re not canonized people, not official saints, but their lives are exemplary in some way. I’m happy they’re including a lot of women and a really diverse group of people. . . . I know there are at least two in the Anglican book of saints, so it’s a more ecumenical view. A sanctified life does not honor denominational bonds.”

“Give Us This Day” is also still a work in progress, however, and changes will likely be made to the publication’s format. Benedictine oblates, for example, have already recommended to Sister Irene the addition of night prayer.

LOCAL NEWS 5

Take a moment: Give. Hope.

New Catholic Charities initiative ‘does what it says it does,’ says client

By Jessica Langdon

Give. Hope.

Leaven staff

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — If you’ve finished your Christmas cards — or even if you still have some left to Want to see do — you might conmore? sider adding For more another card information about to your to-do “Give. Hope,” visit list. the website at: www.

This one catholiccharitiesks. isn’t a holiorg. The site has a day card; it’s link to a YouTube more to celvideo in which Jenebrate and nifer and Thomas boost someEngland share their one’s spirits family’s story and all year. talk about the Hope Cat holic card they received.

Charities of Northeast Kansas invites you to send a message of hope to one of the 85,000 people it helps during the year.

The messages are part of a campaign the agency launched this fall called “Give. Hope.”

Give The “Give” part of the campaign reminds people there are many ways to give to others, explained Rachel Hodgson, manager of integrated marketing with the Catholic Charities Foundation of Northeast Kansas.

Financial donations are always appreciated, but giving goes far beyond that. Donations of food and toiletries help stock Catholic Charities’ pantries for families in need.

“People can give time by volunteering with Catholic Charities,” said Hodgson.

They can give excess clothing or furniture to the TurnStyles Thrift Store.

And there is something else anyone can give, and that’s where the “Hope” part of the campaign comes in.

Hope It doesn’t cost a thing. All it takes is a message from the heart and a few minutes of your time.

There are several ways to do it. You can request actual cards from Catholic Charities and write your messages directly on them. You can tweet your message on Twitter (use the phrase #give hope) or post your message via Facebook at: www.facebook.com/CCNEK. You can also visit the Catholic Charities website at: www.catholiccharitiesks.org.

Volunteers are taking the online messages and writing them on cards that clients will be able to keep.

The hope is that the thousands of cli-

People are invited to write words of encouragement to the 85,000 people Catholic Charities serves during the year as part of the “Give. Hope.” initiative. ents — who are people of all ages, and from many different backgrounds and denominations — will keep these cards and continue to draw hope from them.

When someone receives a bag of groceries, the items in the bag might last three or four days. A card that someone can keep and display will last far longer than that, said Hodgson.

The message doesn’t have to be long to make a big impact. It just means a lot to people “to know that someone out there is praying for them or caring for them,” said Hodgson.

Message received Members of the England family — a family of seven in Overland Park — treasure the words on the card they received.

They were the first to get a Hope card.

The card tells them there is hope for them and someone is praying for them, and it offers words of encouragement, said Jennifer England.

She and her husband Thomas England were living in Biloxi, Miss., with their five children when Hurricane Katrina hit.

They were the average family, doing all right and not needing assistance, said Jennifer. Thomas had his own business; he was in trucking.

When the hurricane hit, they suffered their share of damage and disruption.

The storm didn’t destroy their home but, with the loans they relied on for repairs, they fell behind on their mortgage and lost their house to foreclosure.

Since Thomas had some opportunities back in the Kansas City area, where he lived as a child, the family moved up here.

There have been ups and downs since they arrived. The economy hasn’t been good. The motor blew on a new truck not long after Thomas got it.

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Working hard to get on their feet, they turned to Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas for assistance.

The help they found there came in many forms, from food pantry items to financial assistance to a hand in finding their home.

It’s a beautiful house, said Jennifer, and it is home to her and Thomas, 14-year-old Dejá, 13-year-old Taliyah, 12-year-old Thomas England V, 10-yearold Jeremiah and 8-year-old Jada.

Jennifer loves the way the food pantry works. They still sometimes turn to it when times are tough. There are always some treats in the bags for the kids.

The tough times also strained them emotionally and, through Catholic Charities, the couple went through marriage counseling. They also got some financial counseling.

“Catholic Charities has supported us every step of the way,” said Jennifer.

“Our savings are building up. It’s been a tremendous blessing and help for us.”

Inspiration Jennifer thought at first about putting the card she received on some type of plaque to display, but so far, she has kept it in the car as a constant source of support when she needs to draw strength.

“It literally gives you the inspiration and hope you need, to know you have a community — and people in that community — who care enough to pray for you,” she said.

There are times you feel as if no one understands what you’re going through, and that’s especially tough as parents, she added. But having this message on paper makes the burden lighter.

It’s one thing to say it, she said, but still another to take the time to write it down for someone.

“It does what it says it does,” she said

Giving someone hope takes just a few moments — and it’s free.

There are four ways to offer your message. Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas is collecting the messages and giving cards to the clients it serves through a wide variety of programs.

To write a message, you can: • Request printed cards from Catholic Charities. Call Rachel Hodgson at (913) 433-2034.

• Tweet your message on Twitter. (For those who use this social networking site, the hashtag is #givehope.)

• Post your message via Facebook at: www.facebook.com/CCNEK. • Visit the Catholic Charities website at: www.catholiccharitiesks. org/givehope.

Catholic Charities is also looking for volunteers to get the word out online through social networking sites. By posting on Facebook or Twitter something like “This is my message. . . . What’s yours?” they can encourage others to share hope, said Hodgson. Contact Catholic Charities if you’d like to help with that.

of the “Give. Hope.” campaign. “It gives you hope.”

Hope is spreading With schools, Scout troops and parishes already getting involved, Catholic Charities has collected several hundred messages. It hopes that will multiply into the thousands. Catholic Charities works with families that need a few days’ supplies in an emergency situation to help make ends meet, refugees who are building new lives here and children at the St. Benedict Early Education Center in Kansas City, Kan., just to name a few.

The organization reaches out to those who are experiencing poverty of mind, body and spirit, and works to give them help, hospitality and hope.

Hope messages range from a few paragraphs to a sentence or two to drawings by children — who are welcome to participate.

“A setback is an opportunity for a comeback,” wrote one person. “Where there is a will, there is a way, and God has a say. Many blessings to you.”

“Keep the faith!” reads another. “God is good!”

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann filled out a Hope card. His reads: “I pray that Catholic Charities will help you know you are loved and that you will find help for your needs.”

6 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • DECEMBER 16, 2011

THE LEAVEN • DECEMBER 16, 2011

Initiative explains poverty to students in simplest terms

By Jessica Langdon Leaven staff

LEAWOOD — A little Dixie cup taught a big lesson to children here at St. Michael the Archangel School, when each student received a cup filled with more — or less — snack food.

Teacher Holly Nelson heard one student, upon receiving his cup, draw in a quick breath and say, “I don’t have as much in mine.”

“Without a second thought,” recalled Nelson, “a kid said, ‘Here, take half of mine.’”

The hands-on lesson was designed to show the students what poverty looks like — and how many people live at or below that line.

A week later, the whole school was sharing donations of food with others who face poverty in their real, day-to-day lives. The students collected cans to fill a food pantry in Olathe for Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. The project’s name? “One ‘Can’ Make a Difference.”

It’s just one example of the lessons and service that go hand in hand in an all-school initiative called “Go Forth to Serve.”

Megan Nasche (left), Savana Mayer, Maggie McGuire, Blake Richmeier and Michael Mallouk help assemble birthday boxes for children in need during the pilot year of “Go Forth to Serve.”

Mitchell Neunuebel (clockwise, from left), Natalie Rall, Daniel Hegarty, Joseph Pierce, Colin Kelly and Kurt Rall fill a Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas truck with donations from St. Michael the Archangel School, Leawood, in October. The school-wide food drive benefitted the Catholic Charities food pantry in Olathe and was part of the school’s “Go Forth to Serve” initiative.

Enter to learn The school’s very building reads “Enter to learn. . . . Go forth to serve.”

True to that idea, lessons and projects engage kindergartners through eighthgraders in service.

This initiative started a couple of years ago when the school advisory council called for an increase in the amount of service the students did.

Parents Jane Rall and Karen Dehais, along with other volunteers, started thinking about what that might look like and what could really make this project Catholic. They examined why, exactly, the Catholic faith calls people to serve and what service-specific lessons the Bible holds.

They tried the initiative on a smaller scale during the 2010-2011 school year, putting it into action in the fourth grade.

“They were already visiting Harvesters, so it seemed like a good place to start,” said Rall.

The fourth-grade program was kicked off in the fall of 2010 with a visit from Jan Lewis, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas.

Students also heard from Sister Berta Sailer of Operation Breakthrough in Kansas City, Mo. Then the fourth-graders led a project that got the whole school involved: Each grade was assigned a different birthdayparty supply. One grade brought frosting; another, cake mixes; another, candles.

The resulting 80 birthday boxes — each basically a “party in a box,” said Dehais — went to families that might not otherwise have had the means to celebrate a child’s birthday.

It was an issue fourth-graders could relate to.

“What fourth-grader does not love their birthday?” said teacher Mardi Ross.

Ross, who taught fourth grade last year, was part of the “Go Forth to Serve” pilot program and was delighted by her students’ enthusiasm for service.

This year, as a third-grade teacher, she is excited to be part of it again — this time on a school-wide scale.

A faith-filled family Organizers decided to approach this service initiative through the school’s “faith families,” each led by a faculty

member. Every entering student is assigned to a faith family, and the youngsters grow together through the years, welcoming new members as older students graduate and new students arrive.

The groups meet quarterly.

Seventh-graders were chosen to step into the leadership role. More than two dozen of them are serving as “service ambassadors.” Once a month, they give up a recess and lunch period to discuss, organize, plan and get the word out about school-wide service projects.

Service hours are a requirement for confirmation at St. Michael, said seventh-grader Alexa Gahagan, but this is something more. This is something that comes from the “goodness of your heart,” she said.

“You’re not doing it to get to your goal,” agreed seventh-grader Amy Helt.

“You’re doing it for the community’s goal.”

And seventh-grader Joseph Pierce enjoys the work.

“Whenever we have a meeting,” he said, “we plan what we’re doing. . . . I like how we get to be creative with the posters, and we get to be able to write our own announcements.”

Service ambassadors make PA announcements and even stand outside on cold mornings with posters to remind everyone of the projects.

Most recently, students started bringing in the change they earned through a “Work for Change” project, which benefits families in need through the Red Bag program.

This isn’t merely asking Mom or Dad for some money to take to school. The students were earning change to donate through extra work around the house.

Eye-opening lessons To really help the students understand the stories of the people they were serving through “Work for Change,” the faith families met beforehand and divided into smaller “families.” Each group had tokens to represent money.

Only one “family” had more than enough. As that group decided whether there was enough money for a vacation to Disneyland, others struggled to make money stretch far enough to cover food, transportation and other essentials. Their funds wouldn’t go far enough to let the kids play on sports teams, and there might have been money enough for only one child to get a birthday present.

“That’s when poverty hit, I think, for them — the little ones,” said Nelson.

Being the oldest in his mini-family, Joseph helped explain to a younger student — who wanted to use the last token they had left to buy a birthday present — that they wouldn’t have any money left.

“I think my eyes were opened a little more when I saw what other people go through,” said Joseph.

The students taught the adults some lessons in love during this exercise. Nelson and Ross both saw it happen in their faith families.

“The family that had more than enough were trying to give their money away,” said Ross. “They realized, ‘Oh my gosh, let’s help out this family.’”

“That was not a scripted part of the lesson,” added Dehais.

Sharing the service That giving spirit spreads far beyond the classroom.

Every part of the initiative begins

and ends with prayer — at school, during all-school Masses and at home.

There are enhanced offertories during the school Masses. And each student takes home a “table tent” with facts about what they’re learning. The cards include prayers for the families to share and opportunities for volunteering.

Ross, who has been teaching at St. Michael the Archangel for years, has loved seeing the seventh-graders take on this leadership role and their transformation into leaders.

The service ambassadors work on a number of projects throughout the year and will also organize a school-wide day of service that will take place at the end of the school year. The group has already started talking about some ideas.

The efforts so far have created quite a spark. Donations, no matter what the particular project is, have poured in.

“I thought it was cool how many people remembered just because of faith family and the little cards they got,” said Amy. The seventh-grade service ambassadors also know these lessons aren’t staying within the walls of the school.

“I think it’s also neat in faith families, you’re explaining something to a little kid,” said Amy. “And they each go to their families, and they give them the little cards. They can grow off of that, too, so it spreads everywhere.”

And through this initiative, which brings together teachers, parents and students, the school is living up to the mission at St. Michael the Archangel to “live, love, learn and go forth to serve like Jesus.”

“It’s like a candle that’s lit and you light someone else’s candle,” said Alexa.

“And they light the other person’s,” she added, “and it goes on and on.”

Sister Mary Andrew Talle, SCL LEAVENWORTH — Sister Mary Andrew Talle, 85, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth, died on Dec. 3 at the motherhouse here.

Mary Patricia Talle was born on Feb. 4, 1926, in Kansas City, Mo., one of five children of Andrew Louis and Mary Elizabeth Duffy Talle. She attended Blessed Sacrament Grade OBITUARIES School and Redemptorist High School, both in Kansas City, Mo. After her freshman year at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Mary Patricia entered the religious community of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth on Sept.

1, 1943, and, as Sister Mary Andrew, made her profession of vows on March 19, 1945.

Sister Mary Andrew taught elemen-

tary school for three years and then attended Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., where she earned a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy. In 1953, she completed an internship as a pharmacist at St. Anthony Hospital, Oklahoma City, before becoming the pharmacist at Providence Medical Center, Kansas City, Kan. Sister Mary Andrew next earned an MHA in hospital administration from St. Louis University. For 25 years, she was the president, chairperson of the board of directors and chief executive officer of Saint Joseph Hospital, Denver. In 1991, she took the position of president and CEO of De Paul Hospital in Cheyenne, Wyo., and, in 1992, went to St. John Hospital in Leavenworth, where she was executive vice president and chief operating officer. After resigning from hospital administration in 1995, Sister Mary Andrew spent many years in volunteer work at the University of Saint Mary library. She retired to Ross Hall at the motherhouse in 2007.

Sister Anne Joseph Swiderski, SCL LEAVENWORTH — Sister Anne Joseph Swiderski, 94, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth, died Dec. 5 at the motherhouse here.

Florence Marie Swiderski was born on Aug. 7, 1917, in Leavenworth, one of seven children of John and Mary Tetlinski Swiderski. She attended Sacred Heart Grade School and Immaculata High School, Leavenworth, and entered the religious community of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth on Sept. 8, 1935. She was given the name Sister Anne Joseph Swiderski, and made her

profession of vows on March 12, 1937.

Sister Anne Joseph received a certification in food service supervision from the University of St. Louis and spent 44 years in dietary services at the motherhouse and in hospitals in the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System. After 1981, she engaged in a variety of works: directing volunteers and youth volunteers at several sites in the SCL Health System; renovating and opening the Ronald McDonald House in Billings, Mont.; pastoral care at Providence Medical Center; and working and volunteering at St. Mary’s Hospital and Medical Center in Grand Junction, Colo. She retired to Ross Hall at the motherhouse in September 2011.

LOCAL NEWS 7

8th-grade High School Placement Exams All prospective eighth-grade students interested in attending archdiocesan Catholic high schools must take the placement exam (not an entrance exam) on Jan. 7 from 8 a.m. – noon. The test will be administered at each of the four schools. Preregistration is not required.

Bishop Ward High School, 708 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kan. For information, call Kiernan Markey at (913) 371-6901.

• Bring $13 exam fee and two No. 2 pencils.

• A parent breakfast will be served during the test for parents interested in learning more about Bishop Ward.

• Makeup exam will be held on Jan. 14 from 8 a.m. – noon.

Bishop Miege High School, 5041 Reinhardt Dr., Roeland Park For information, call Patti Marnett at (913) 262-2700, ext. 226.

• Bring $15 exam fee; two No. 2 pencils; NO CALCULATORS. • A pizza lunch will be served after the exam.

• Makeup exam will be held on Jan. 14 from 8 a.m. – noon.

• Test-takers who score well can qualify for scholarships.

St. Thomas Aquinas High School, 11411 Pflumm, Overland Park For information, call Diane Pyle at (913) 319-2423.

• Bring $15 exam fee; two No. 2 pencils; a calculator; and your Social Security number.

• A pizza lunch will be served after the exam.

• Makeup exam will be held on Jan. 21 from 8 a.m. – noon.

St. James Academy, 24505 Prairie Star Pkwy., Lenexa For information, call Karen at (913) 254-4200, ext. 4228.

• Bring $15 exam fee; two No. 2 pencils; and a calculator.

• Lunch will be served after the exam.

• Makeup exam will be held on Jan. 21 from 8 a.m. – noon.

• Only Jan. 7 test-takers are eligible for scholarships.

Pray with the Serra Club KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Serra Club invites all men of the archdiocese to pray with them to increase vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Meetings are held at noon on every second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the

Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For information, contact Jim Conrad at (913) 432-4162; John Muehlberger at (913) 441-5061; or Bill Peters at (913) 894-6967.

FAMILY GOES ‘BACK TO BASICS’ Farming and faith go hand in hand for Pleasanton family

teach their three kids at home.

They went to a nondenominational Protestant church, and Bill got his master’s in theology.

He eventually accepted a pastor position in the Pleasanton area, heading up a small, evangelical charismatic group.

“We always wanted to have land, you know, a place in the country,” he said.

“So we bought this.”

It started as a small farming endeavor.

“We thought, ‘Well, we’ll have a cow, we’ll have a couple of chickens,” said Bill.

“And as we went down that road, how we ended up getting into the Catholic Church kind of coincided with us actually doing the farm as more of a profession,” he explained.

A curious dairy cow checks out the camera at Skyview Farm and Creamery in Pleasanton. Owners Bill (seen in photo) and Sheri Noffke know each animal’s name and are committed to offering quality foods.

Sheri Noffke checks on the supply of cheeses in the cheese “cave,” where the cheeses age, at the Skyview creamery. The creamery opened this year. Owners Bill and Sheri Noffke are excited about this latest endeavor at the farm. The parishioners of Sacred Heart in Mound City make a wide variety, ranging from gouda and Swiss to queso fresco and jalapeño cheddar.

P

LEASANTON — Sheri Noffke compares calling in the cows for milking at Skyview Farm and Creamery to Santa calling his reindeer.

Because just like Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer and the rest, each of the Jersey dairy cows here on the 80-acre farm has a name.

And there’s usually a story behind it.

Gloria was born on Easter. Stormy?

She was born during a hailstorm, explained Bill Noffke with a laugh.

Sheri and Bill own and operate a farm and creamery tucked away off a rural road about 50 miles south of Kansas City. They’ve raised a variety of animals on this farm over the years and have offered customers everything from beef to Thanksgiving turkeys to raw milk, which must be purchased at the farm.

And with the addition this year of the

creamery, they are now offering customers a variety of cheeses made right here.

Their whole family has been part of the farm effort from the beginning.

Their oldest, Rachel, is a junior at Benedictine College in Atchison; son Stephen is a freshman there. And their youngest daughter, 16-year-old Christin, is homeschooled at the family house, right in the middle of it all.

The Noffkes are members of Sacred Heart Parish in Mound City.

And while they seem right at home

now on their peaceful farm and in their parish, things didn’t start out this way.

They weren’t farmers by trade, first of all, and they weren’t Catholic.

In fact, it was Bill’s job that first brought them to the community — his job as pastor of an evangelical Protestant church.

Their farm — and their faith — kind of grew in tandem and wound up taking them down a path they might not have expected . . . but wouldn’t trade for anything.

In the beginning It was August of 1989. Sheri was 29; Bill, 35.

He had been in Kansas City maybe a couple of weeks at the most, a fresh arrival from Wisconsin, where he grew up.

A virtual visit

Meet the Noffke family and take a video tour of the Skyview Farm and Creamery on The Leaven’s website at: www.theleaven.com.

He grew up Catholic, attending Catholic schools through some of college, but the dots never really connected for him, he said.

So he was in Kansas City to be part of a church fellowship.

That summer, he and Sheri found themselves on the same bus for a retreat.

They hit it off and, about six months later, they married.

Bill did some work as a builder and worked in a city weatherization department.

Sheri was a teacher.

So it was a natural transition for her when they started their own family to

A time to rend, a time to sew When Bill had been pastor for about three years, a shift came in his church.

“We had a bit of a doctrinal disagreement,” he said. And as in many churches of this type, he said, there was really no way to settle it satisfactorily.

He ultimately felt stepping down was the right thing to do.

“So I did,” he said.

The family then faced the question of what to do next. Would they go back to the nine-to-five world? Or could they make this farming thing work on a larger scale?

“So we decided ‘Let’s give this farm a go,’” said Bill.

The Noffkes already had a couple of cows, some customers and some chickens, so they weren’t really starting from scratch. There was a lot to learn, though.

“We would get the animal,” said Sheri. “We’d buy a book about the animal, then we’d read the book. If we had a problem, we’d reread the book.”

Things just seemed to click. The home schooling schedule worked well with the farming because they could be flexible when they needed to be.

The kids had responsibilities on the farm. Chores and school — and, of course, breaks for family meals — wove themselves into the fabric of their lives.

But movement on the faith front was a bit slower.

After leaving his congregation, Bill began to meet and pray with a small group at the community center. He and a friend spent a lot of time soul-searching, trying to figure out where they belonged.

In his prayers, Bill would say, “This was not the way You designed Your church to be — all fragmented and broken up all over the place.”

The family spent some time in a charismatic Episcopal church, which was sort of a middle ground for them. But the fit still wasn’t right.

“We just knew we weren’t home,” said Bill.

Knowing he and Catholicism hadn’t clicked in his early years made it hard to move toward his childhood faith. But, in the end, move he did.

“Finally it was like . . . ‘This is where we’ve got to go,’” he said. He couldn’t believe it, but it was.

“And so we did.”

“And my kids were just ecstatic about it,” he said. “They still are, and we’ve just loved it.”

The family has always had lots of deep discussions around the dinner table, and Christin believes that it is there that her own conversion took place.

Now Bill and Rachel have the same lively discussions during meals, explained Sheri, but about Catholicism.

Bill will ask his daughter a question about religion, and soon one of her professors will send back a book for him.

Although technically Bill really only

Say cheese!

N Bill Noffke (left) offers Clay and Leslie McCullough samples of the cheeses available at Skyview Farm and Creamery. The McCulloughs, parishioners of Queen of the Holy Rosary in Wea, find the fresh milk and cheese worth the trip. had to go to confession to become a Catholic in good standing again, he decided instead to go through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program with his family.

Now he teaches RCIA.

Thriving in faith and farming The Eucharist was a key reason behind this family’s conversion to Catholicism.

If Bill had to narrow the decision down to one reason, though, it would be the “authority” of the church.

You can really only have unity with authority, he said.

“That was probably the one thing that I couldn’t get away from,” he said.

“No place else did Jesus give them the keys,” he added, referring to Jesus placing the church in Peter’s hands.

And their faith shines through in their farming philosophies.

“You have to trust the Lord,” said Sheri.

It’s the same in any profession, Bill said.

“We’re all human beings that are on a journey, and farmers are just doing their little part,” he said. “You bring all your problems, your issues, you try to walk those through with the Lord.”

As in anything else, it’s not always easy.

“When the weather’s not nice and you don’t feel good and issues hit, you get a little tested, and you have to lean on the Lord,” said Bill.

In their day-to-day farming, the Noffkes try to keep everything as natural as it can be.

The farm isn’t certified organic, but they strive to do everything as organically as possible, right down to what the animals eat.

And the lifestyle has planted in them an appreciation of nature that few Americans have anymore.

Holiday gift and party ideas with a local flair Still looking for a unique gift or something special to serve at a holiday gathering?

The Noffkes encourage you to check out what Skyview Farm and Creamery might have to offer, including a variety of cheeses.

For information about the farm and to sign up for the email newsletter, which talks about special offers and availability of cheeses and other products, visit the website at: www.skyviewfarm.net.

Take Christin, for example, who is responsible for the goats.

“I just get a kick out of the animals, watching them grow, watching them because they are so personable some of the time,” said Christin.

“I think we take that for granted sometimes, in that they’re just things,” she added. “But they’re not, really; they’re creatures.”

“You see birth and you see death on a farm,” added Bill. “You see the whole, everything in between. It’s not all pretty and clean. It’s not all just storybook.”

More than business One December day, Leslie McCullough and her 14-year-old son Clay made the trip south for bottle after bottle of milk.

They have been buying milk from Skyview Farm for close to three years.

“We love it,” said Leslie. There are six kids, ranging in age from 14 to 32, in this family. With several growing boys — Clay is the shortest at about 6 feet 4 inches — they go through a lot of milk.

“It’s almost like drinking a milkshake,” said Clay, of the “real” milk they purchase from the Noffkes.

They also share a Catholic connection with the farm’s operators. The McCulloughs are members of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Wea. To Leslie, it’s worth the drive. She makes her own yogurt with the milk she buys.

And she takes whole, fresh milk to her 16-year-old son Connor, who has been fighting a brain tumor for the past several months.

“He loves [the milk],” she said, as do all the kids.

“It’s so good for them. It’s got the live enzymes,” she added. “We’ve really been pleased.”

The Noffkes, in turn, are pleased with the happy customers — and with the choices that have led them this far.

“I suppose our type of farming is, in a sense, orthodox, back to basics,” said Bill.

“Sustainable,” added Sheri.

They’re learning from people who did this before them. In that way, their farming and their faith are a lot alike.

“I suppose with our journey back to the Catholic Church, we’re coming back to something orthodox, something conservative, something that we didn’t begin that has been going on for a long time,” said Bill.

Story by

Jessica Langdon Photos by

Elaina Cochran

ot long after the Noffke family got their first cow, Sheri sliced into the idea of making cheese at home.

She made small batches at first.

She took orders for the cheeses that were available — and when she could keep Bill from eating all of it, she laughed.

There was never as much as she would have liked.

All of that changed this year — with the addition of the brand-new creamery at Skyview Farm and Creamery.

“I like to cut out the middle man,” said Sheri, so she loves the way the layout takes milk from cow to refrigeration in a hurry. She also savors the opportunity to create a wide variety of cheeses.

It all begins in the pastures, where the cows are encouraged to graze on good grass. To keep the milk supply going, they’re on a schedule of having one calf a year.

When it’s time for milking, they’re called inside by name. A couple can be milked at one time.

Goats are milked in this same room.

While goats’ milk goes into a bucket and then into a refrigeration system, the setup for cows’ milk is a little more complex.

A machine vacuums the milk through a piping system through the wall into the next room, where the milk pours into a bulk vat to be chilled quickly.

On the days they make cheese — generally once a week — milk is vacuumed into yet another room, into the cheese vat, an 80-gallon metal container.

They heat the milk and add the culture, which has to ripen. The time that takes varies by the type of cheese they’re making.

Then they add the rennet, which causes the cheese to separate into curds.

They put the cutters through it, and the whey is drained.

“We put the cheesecloth in here,” said Sheri, holding a round mold.

“Curds go in, cover it up.”

And then it’s time to press it. She takes the mold over to a stainless steel table.

If the cheeses aren’t pre-salted, brining comes next.

And then they go into the cheese “cave” down below.

By law, cheeses have to age for at least 60 days, but they can age longer than that.

“If you don’t sell it right away, it only gets better,” Sheri said.

The oak shelves are lined several feet high with wheels of cheese — everything from gouda to Swiss to asiago to jalapeño cheddar and more.

Sheri’s favorite is the gouda.

Each week, they’ll add seven or eight wheels to the mix. They’ll make the cheeses that are “due” — aged to the right date — available for purchase.

They started this operation in August, so the first cheeses weren’t available for eating until October.

They’ve learned a lot about this process from other cheese makers online. People have been willing to share what worked well and what they would have done differently.

Sheri hopes to one day have the cave filled with shelves.

“It’s time for Bill to build another shelf,” she said with a smile.

10 NATION

THE LEAVEN • DECEMBER 16, 2011

USCCB seeks answers to why plan was denied WASHINGTON (CNS) — The letter arrived after business hours at the end of the workweek the last Friday of September in an email message to the U.S. bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services.

“Thank you for submitting an application for the National Human Trafficking Victim Assistance Program,” began the correspondence from George H. Sheldon, acting assistant secretary in the Administration for Children and Families at the Department of Health and Human Services. “I regret to inform you that your organization’s application was not approved for funding.” Sheldon’s letter contained little information other than an encouraging word to try again in the future. It gave no explanation as to why MRS was denied funding to continue a five-and-a-halfyear-long government-funded program respected for its compassionate and professional service to foreign-born victims of human trafficking. Missing were details on which agencies were funded to serve those whom advocates and social workers describe as victims of modern-day slavery. The brief letter offered no word of thanks and no acknowledgment of how MRS had aided 2,783 men and women victims of labor and sex trafficking and their family members under what became a $19 million contract administered by the Office of Refugee Resettlement within HHS. And that shocked and irritated MRS staff. “It was a very generic message. They could have sent it to anyone,” Johnny Young, executive director of MRS, told Catholic News Service. “It’s not the way you deal with an institution that has been in partnership with you for over five years,” Young said.

THE LEAVEN • DECEMBER 16, 2011

Cardinal Foley, a friend to the Catholic Press, dies PHILADELPHIA (CNS) — U.S. Cardinal John P. Foley, longtime Catholic journalist and advocate of Catholic communication, was being fondly remembered after his Dec. 11 death as a friend to the Catholic press around the world.

The cardinal, a Philadelphia native, was residing at Villa St. Joseph in Darby, the home for retired Philadelphia archdiocesan priests, when he died of leukemia at age 76.

“I was pleased that he was able to come home during the final months of his life. No matter where he lived or how he served the church over the years, he always considered Philadelphia his home,” said Philadelphia Archbishop Charles J. Chaput.

The archbishop described Cardinal Foley as “a man of great apostolic energy” and said anyone who met him “was immediately aware of his intense love for the church and his zeal for communicating the Gospel.”

“By the sheer force of his personality, he drew people to the faith and to himself,” he said, adding that the cardinal’s “charisma and gentle spirit will be sorely missed throughout the universal church.”

Cardinal Foley was known for his many different roles: editor of Philadelphia’s archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Standard & Times, 1970-1984; head of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, 1984 to 2007; and most recently, grand master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher, a chivalric organization dedicated to supporting the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and to responding to the needs of Catholics in the Holy Land.

CNS photo/T.J. Jones, Pontifical Council for Social Communications

Cardinal John P. Foley provides live commentary for Pope Benedict XVI’s Easter blessing “urbi et orbi” at the Vatican April 12, 2009. Cardinal Foley, who spend more than two decades leading the church’s social communications council, died Dec. 11 after a battle with leukemia. For 25 years, beginning in 1984, Cardinal Foley provided commentary for the pope’s Christmas Eve Mass.

To many, he was known as the Vatican’s “Voice of Christmas” in his role as English-language commentator for the pope’s midnight Mass for 25 years.

Greg Erlandson, president of the Catholic Press Association, described the cardinal as a “bright, witty, humble man who served his church faithfully and well in many capacities.”

He said the cardinal was an “indefatigable supporter of the Catholic press” who always “remained a journalist at heart, and he believed strongly in the

importance of this professional vocation for the life of the church.”

Erlandson, president and publisher of Our Sunday Visitor, praised Cardinal Foley’s work as president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, saying he “not only encouraged the Catholic press around the world, but he also spearheaded an effort to make the values and teachings of the Catholic Church relevant in the burgeoning fields of public relations, advertising and digital media.”

Andean community, fighting for water rights, wins award LIMA, Peru (CNS) — With the help of the Catholic Church, the small Quechuaspeaking community of Cruz de Mayo, high in the Peruvian Andes, has been waging a legal battle for nearly four years over the lake that provides its drinking and irrigation water. In early December, Cruz de Mayo received the Angel Escobar Award from the National Human Rights Coordinating Committee, an umbrella group of human rights organizations, many of which are church-related. The annual award is the committee’s highest honor.

“Our trout have disappeared and our plants have died. We have lost the peace that once reigned in our community,” said Carlos Milla, president of Cruz de Mayo, as 20 community leaders looked on. “We want to live in peace and harmony with nature. Water is our life. That is why we are defending our Lake Paron.” Water levels in the turquoise, glacier-fed Lake Paron dropped to dangerously low levels during the annual dry season, which was exacerbated by a drought. The community’s farmers, many of whom grow barely enough food for their families to eat, blamed the Peruvian subsidiary of the North Carolina-based Duke Energy, which operates a hydroelectric dam downstream, on the Santa River, and had property rights to the lake. The farmers blocked the service road to the dam and seized control of the sluice gates in a face-off that lasted nearly two years. With assistance from the Peruvian bishops’ Social Action Commission, they also launched a legal battle over the water, on which they rely for drinking, watering livestock and irrigating crops.

WORLD 11

Climate change is a faith issue, cardinal says

By Cindy Wooden

Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Climate change is a faith issue because it deals with God’s creation and with poverty, said Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa.

The cardinal, president of Caritas Internationalis, was in Durban, South Africa, for the U.N.-sponsored international conference on climate change Nov. 28-Dec. 9; he discussed the conference Dec. 13 with journalists at the Vatican.

Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of 165 national Catholic charities, provides emergency relief and development aid around the globe. But it also teaches Catholics about the church’s social doctrines, advocating and educating people about issues of justice and peace, he said.

At a time when so many people in the world are starving, it was important for Caritas to be in Durban “because one of the causes of starvation is climate change and, especially, irresponsible attitudes toward creation,” Cardinal Rodriguez said.

For the Catholic Church, he said, climate change is not only a matter of “thermometers or scientific analysis, we are talking about human beings and the sufferings of human beings.”

Catholics need to know that climate change is real and it is a problem that must be faced, the cardinal said. The way people treat the environment must

CNS photo/Paul Haring

Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, is seen before Pope Benedict XVI’s celebration of Mass marking the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 12. Cardinal Rodriguez, president of Caritas Internationalis, called climate change a faith issue because it deals with God’s creation and with poverty. change quickly, “not after all the consequences and tragedies that will come,” he said.

“It is a faith issue because, from the very beginning of the Bible, you see how creation was entrusted to human beings” for their administration, not for their exploitation, he said.

While the Durban conference did

not lead to a strong, legally binding commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within a specific time frame, it did lead to international promises to continue working toward that goal.

With the international economy in a shambles, Cardinal Rodriguez said the Caritas team didn’t expect “magic” from Durban, but the conference was a sign of growing public sensitivity to the need for real change.

“Of course, the problems are big.

For us, one of the commitments will be to continue educating” Catholics and other people of good will about their responsibility toward creation and toward others living on the planet.

The Honduran cardinal said globalization “is not a bad word,” but if people see it only as a process of expanding markets and finance, it will not help the human community.

“It is necessary to globalize solidarity,” he said.

Cardinal Rodriguez is a member of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, which in late October published a note on the causes of and possible solutions to the global economic crisis; the note called for the establishment of a global financial authority and a new financial order marked by greater sharing and solidarity with the poor.

The cardinal described the council’s statement as a “good effort” that has been “discredited by the financial world because they don’t want some issues touched” that could limit their ability to act as they have been.

12 CLASSIFIEDS Employment Communications assistant/intern - Part-time communications work for conservative issues advocacy and political campaigns. Need strong writing skills and experience with preparing content for the Web, email and social media. Graphics and Web development experience a plus. Flexible hours. Prefer 1 - 5 years experience or local college student (credit or paid internships available). Submit letter, resume, references and two samples of writing work, via email, to: contact@voterdialogue.com.

Outreach call representative - CFCA is a dynamic, international sponsorship organization serving children, youth and the aging in 22 developing countries. The call representative is responsible for initiating contacts within the national Catholic community and promoting CFCA to prospective parishes.

Communication is predominantly completed via the telephone, but will also utilize email, fax and U.S. mail. Job involves outbound cold calling and inbound customer relations. Submit resume, via email, to: hr@ cfcausa.org. $11 – 13 /hr., depending on experience.

St. Agnes Early Education Center - Roeland Park, is currently seeking to fill an opening. The right candidate will be at least 18 years old; meet Kansas state lead teacher requirements; be physically able to meet the demands of working with young children; have a positive attitude; and be energetic, flexible, creative and patient. To apply, submit resume, via email, to Neona Russ, director, to: russneo@stagnes kc.org.

Assistant wrestling coach - Immediate opening at Bishop Ward High School, Kansas City, Kan. Contact Greg Duggins, athletic director, at (913) 371-1201 or send an email to him at: gduggins@wardhigh.org.

Financial representative - Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding financial representatives in the Kansas City, Topeka and Atchison areas. This position is 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. For information or an interview, contact John A. Mahon, 307 Dakota, Holton KS 66436; or call (785) 364-5450.

Services Machine quilting - by Jenell Noeth, Basehor.

Also, quilts made to order. Call (913) 724-1837.

Computer repair and upgrades/virus, spyware & malware removal - Microsoft certified, 11+ yrs. experience. Member of Sacred Heart Parish. Call Matt at (816) 876-6619 or send an email to him at: mattcomputerfix@gmail.com.

Housecleaning - Old-fashioned cleaning, hand mopping, etc. A thorough and consistent job every time. References from customers I’ve served for over 17 years. Call Sharon at (816) 322-0006 (home) or (816) 214-0156 (mobile).

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.

The Innovative Event - Wedding and special event centerpieces, event design and décor. Using original creations and artistic flair, The Innovative Event can turn your vision into a very special occasion. Over 10 years experience with parish community events and weddings. Call Marilyn at (913) 707-8009 or send an email to her at: Marilyn@The InnovativeEvent.com.

Semi-retired arborist - Available for tree and shrub trimming. Call Bob at (913) 231- 6460.

THE LEAVEN • DECEMBER 16, 2011 QuickBooks® for small business - Setup, customization and maintenance; quarterly and/or yearly accounting; support to your CPA, balance monthly statements, profit and expense tracking. Free consultations! Call Ann Evans Consulting LLC at (913) 4069778.

Faith-based counseling to cope with life concerns - Kansas City area. Call Mary Vorsten, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, at (913) 909-2002.

Bankruptcy - When debt becomes overwhelming, seek professional help. Experienced, compassionate Catholic attorney Teresa Kidd. For a confidential, no obligation consultation, call (913) 422-0610; or send an email to: tkidd@kc.rr.com.

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.

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.

CNA home health care professional - Provides excellent service and personal assistance for seniors and the homebound. Over 20 years experience. Excellent references and reasonable rates. Let me reduce your stress by helping you keep your loved one comfortably at home. Call Rosalyn at (816) 830-7455.

Private senior care - Registered nurse offering medical and nonmedical services. Keeping seniors at home and independent. Call (913) 522-4938 or send an email to: jcseniorcare@gmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity Parish, Lenexa.

Retired nurse - Available to care for your loved one. Days, nights, and weekends. Will consider livein; willing to relocate. References; salary negotiable.

Call (913) 579-5276.

Looking for high quality home care? Whether you’re looking to introduce care for your family or simply looking to improve your current home care quality, we can help. Our unique approach to home care has earned us a 99% client satisfaction rating among the 1,000-plus families we have assisted. We are familyowned and based in Lenexa. Call Benefits of HomeSenior Care at (913) 422-1591 or visit our website at: www.benefitsofhome.com.

Home Improvement Heating and air conditioning - Serving Johnson, Wyandotte and northern Miami counties. Seasonal tune-ups, full system replacements, and everything in between. 20 years experience. Call Jon at (913) 850-3376.

Tim the Handyman - Small jobs are my specialty! Faucets, garbage disposals, toilets, light fixtures, ceiling fans, handrails, window screen repair, bush trimming and garden tilling. Free estimates. JoCo only. Call (913) 859-0471.

Helping Hand Handy Man - Home maintenance, upgrades and chores available by the hour. Special rate for senior and single-parent households. Electrical, painting, wood refinishing, wood rot repair, deck repair, yardwork, small to medium tree trimming, gutter cleaning, shelving and organizing. Most home problems and needs solved. Member of Prince of Peace, Olathe. Call Mark Coleman at (913) 526-4490.

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.

TOUCH OF HEAVEN Catholic Store 119 SE 18th Topeka, KS (785) 232-2543

Hrs. T-F - 10 a.m. 5:30; Sat. 9 a.m. to noon

THE LEAVEN • DECEMBER 16, 2011 STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 491-5837 or (913) 579-1835. Email: smokeycabin@ hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.

Adept Home Improvements Where quality still counts!

Basement finishing, Kitchens and baths, Electrical and plumbing, Licensed and insured.

(913) 599-7998 Tile work - Ceramic tile installation/repairs; kitchen or bathrooms; custom showers and flooring projects. 20 years exp.; insured. Free estimates. Call Frank Womack, In Line Flooring, at (913) 485-0745, or send an email to: inlineflooringkc@gmail.com.

Custom countertops - Laminates installed within 5 days. Cambria, granite, and solid surface.

Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.

Exterior painting, drywall projects, wood rot repair, bathroom and kitchen remodels, - Quality products, 20 years experience, references. Call (913) 206-4524.

Swalms Organizing Service - Basement, garage, attic, shop — any room organized! Items taken to donation sites, trash is bagged, and areas are clean and neat when job is complete. To view before-andafter pictures, visit the website at: www.swalms.com.

Over 20 years of organizing experience; insured. Call Tillar at (913) 375-9115.

Clutter getting you down? Organize, fix, assemble, clean . . . we do it all! For a free consultation, call your professional organizing handyman, Kevin Hogan, M.Ed., today at (913) 271-5055. Insured; references. Visit the website at: www.koatindustries.com.

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 Roofing insurance specialist - Free estimates; repairs if needed. Hail/wind damage inspections. Insured and reasonable. Call Rob (913) 206-4524.

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.

Master electrician - Licensed in Missouri and Kansas. 35 years experience in residential and commercial electrical needs. Call Rick, L & M Electric, at (913) 362-1501 or (816) 781-1501.

Electrician - Free estimates; reasonable rates.

JoCo and south KC metro. Call Pat at (913) 963-9896.

Real Estate Townhome for sale - 3 BR, 3 BA, move-in ready condition! Bonus bedroom on lower level with egress window. Fresh interior paint, new flooring and a fenced patio. HOA maintains exterior, driveway and walkways, roof, lawn, snow and trash removal.

Complex has two swimming pools, tennis court and a clubhouse. Located in Holy Spirit Parish, Overland Park. $169,500. Call Rosemary Connors, Reece and Nichols Realtors, at (913) 669-1229.

DeLeon Furniture

Furniture, upholstering and restoration 1142 Minnesota Ave. Kansas City, Kan. 66102 (913) 342-9446

For Rent Merriam - Large, 2 BR unit in fourplex. Private and quiet area, large country kitchen, private patio.

Electricity is only utility. Call Ken at (913) 484-6942.

Office space available - Great location in the Ranchmart area of Prairie Village. Ideal for start-ups, professional and small businesses. Flexible terms.

Call Marek at (913) 461-4491.

Vacation Colorado ski vacation - Winter Park. 2 BR, sleeps 6. Fully furnished, fireplace, rec. center with pool & hot tub. Bus to ski area. $135/night; $800/ week. Call Joe Frederick at (913) 385-5589.

Ski cabin in Winter Park, Colo. – 2 BR, 1 BA, on free ski shuttle route. $110/night. Call (913) 642-3027.

To view, visit the website at: www.tillmancabin.com.

Child Care In-home child care provider needed - We are looking for a child care provider/nanny, with references and experience, to care for our 9-month-old daughter at our home close to Mission. Hours are from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Mon. - Fri. Spanish speaking a plus. Call (913) 262-1609.

For Sale Max’s rosaries - Custom-made locally for all occasions – first Communion, confirmation, baptism, graduation. Rosary bracelets and beaded earrings too! I also do repairs. Member of the Church of the Ascension, Overland Park. Call (913) 839-3106.

Pool table - Foremost; in excellent condition. $500. Johnson County area. Call (916) 942-8069.

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.

Wanted to Buy Cash for your antiques - Coins, watches, silverware, old rifles and shotguns, pocket knives, old military items, Zippo lighters, duck decoys, antique toys, old signs, old pine or primitive furniture. Call Chris at (913) 593-7507 or (913) 642-8269. *** Want to buy *** Antique or vintage jewelry Single pieces or entire estate Renee Maderak (913) 631-7179 St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee 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.

Miscellaneous Donate a vehicle. Make a difference. Donate your vehicle to Catholic Charities to support those in need. Your tax-deductible donation 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 1 (866) 430-9499 or visit the website at: www.cars4kckids.com.

To purchase a classified ad

Send an email to: jennifer@theleaven.com, or call (913) 647-0327. The cost is $17.50 for five lines or less. Each additional line is $1.50.

Maximum ad size is 25 lines.

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

17

Dec.

Join the Singles of Nativity on Dec. 17 for dinner and bowling at 5:30 p.m. at Hayward’s Barbecue, 11051 Antioch, Overland Park, followed by bowling at AMF College Lanes, 10201 College Blvd., Overland Park. For information or to RSVP, send an email to Ken at: skiop@ yahoo.com.

A memorial liturgy for deceased loved ones will be held at 8 a.m. on Dec. 17 at Curé of Ars Church, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. The bereavement ministry will have its monthly meeting following Mass in the Father Burak Room. The topic will be: “Spirituality and Grief.” For information, call (913) 649-2026.

Father Brandon Farrar will celebrate the archdiocesan monthly pro-life Mass at 8 a.m. on Dec. 17 at Sts. Cyril & Methodius Church, 44 N. Mill, Kansas City, Kan., followed by a rosary procession to an abortion clinic four blocks away. Eucharistic adoration is available for those not processing; Benediction concludes services at 9:45 a.m.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta Church, 2014 N.W. 46th St., Topeka, will host a concert by artist Tajci, entitled “Emmanuel: The Story of Christmas,” at 7 p.m. on Dec. 17. A freewill offering will be collected.

Guardian Angels Church, 43rd St. and Westport Rd., Kansas City, Mo., will host its annual Christmas concert, “An Evening of Hope,” featuring the Kansas City Kansas Community Orchestra and the Guardian Angels Church choir at 6 p.m. on Dec. 17.

18

The Knights of Columbus of Sacred Heart Parish, 2646 S. 34th St., Kansas City, Kan., will host a pancake breakfast with Santa Claus from 8 - 11 a.m. on Dec. 18 in the church hall. The cost is: $6 for adults; $4 for children under 12; $20 maximum per family.

Church of the Ascension, 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park, will host a concert by artist Tajci, entitled “Emmanuel: The Story of Christmas,” at 2 p.m. on Dec. 18. There is no charge to attend. A freewill offering will be collected.

21

The Venturing Crew 316 of Hayden High School, 401 S.W. Gage, Topeka, will meet at 7 p.m. on Dec. 21 in the main lobby of the school. Venturing membership is open to all youths between the ages of 14 - 20 who are interested in outdoor high adventure. Build leadership skills and team development through planning and organization of activities, including sailing, rock climbing, shooting skills, snow skiing, canoeing, rafting, kayaking, and conservation and service projects. For information, call Irene Owen, Crew advisor, at (785) 2491913 or send an email to her at: ihowen@ att.net.

24 & 25

St. Philippine Duchesne Latin Mass Community will host several Christmas Masses. The “Missa O magnum mysterium” by Tomás Luis de Victoria, will be sung at Midnight Mass and at the 11 a.m. Christmas Day Mass. There will also be a 6:30 a.m. Mass on Christmas Day (low Mass) and High Mass (sung) at 11 a.m. Confessions will be heard 30 minutes prior to all Masses.

Services are held at Blessed Sacrament Church, located at 2203 Parallel, Kansas City, Kan. For further information, contact the Fraternity of St. Peter at (913) 236-0005.

28

The Serra Club invites all men of the archdiocese to pray with them to increase vocations to religious life. Meetings are held at noon on every second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For information, contact Jim Conrad at (913) 432-4162, John Muehlberger at (913) 441-5061, or Bill Peters at (913) 894-6967.

CALENDAR 13

Jan. 9

Advice and Aid Pregnancy Centers, Inc., will host a volunteer information meeting from 7 - 9 p.m. on Jan. 9 at 11031 W. 75th Terr., Shawnee. For information or to RSVP, contact Mary Newcomer at (913) 962-0200 or send an email to: volunteer@adviceandaid.com.

St. Michael the Archangel Parish, 14251 Nall Ave., Leawood, will host “Inspiring Moms and Dads,” a seven-part parenting workshop. It will be presented by Amy Hilbrich Davis, a mother of seven and nationally recognized family expert, from 9:45 - 11 a.m. on Monday mornings, beginning Jan. 9. Participants will learn proven strategies and solutions to create a happier, healthier, and more successful family life. Limited child care is available. For information or to register, visit the website at: www.inspiring MomsAndDads.com.

31

Holy Family Church will host a New Year’s Eve dinner dance at its club, located at 513 Ohio Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Dinner will be served at 6 p.m.

The Don Lipovac Orchestra will provide dance music from 7:15 - 11:15 p.m. Party favors will be provided. Tickets cost $30.

For information, to purchase tickets or to RSVP, call Richard Schutte at (913) 6693677; Mike Waliczek at (913) 342-1785; or JoAnn Lipovac at (913) 299-2792.

Calendar submissions:

Are due at noon on Wednesday, nine days prior to the requested publication date. Email submissions are preferred; send to: jennifer@theleaven.com or mail to: 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City KS 66109.

14 COMMENTARY

THE LEAVEN • DECEMBER 16, 2011

THE LEAVEN • DECEMBER 16, 2011

MARK MY WORDS

Catholic Press Association Award Winner

1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011

QUOTE WEEK

OF THE

“We’re all human beings that are on a journey, and farmers are just doing their little part. You bring all your problems, your issues, you try to walk those through with the Lord.”

Bill Noffke, owner of Skyview Farm and Creamery See story on pages 8-9

J

DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU

Last week of Advent should be ‘all-write’

ust a week to go until Christmas.

That’s what is now foremost on my mind. Well, actually, it’s not the main thing. What I’m feeling most right now is panic — pure and simple.

One of the activities that get me into the spirit of this Advent time of year is writing Christmas cards. And this year, I’m behind. Way behind. Way, way behind. Staring at me, crying for attention, are blank Christmas cards — stacks of them. Understand, I have all of the necessary components: beautiful cards in a variety of styles, Christmas postage stamps and labels, holy cards, even stickers to “gussy up” the outside of the envelopes. What I don’t have is time.

Across, on page 15, Michael Podrebarac has written about the “O Antiphons.” Actually, there’s one more antiphon that didn’t make the official list . . . and it’s my favorite, one that I pray often as the tasks increase and the days until Christmas decrease: “O, good Lord, no!”

The way that I write Christmas cards does take time. I feel guilty just signing my name and popping the card in the mail. (And I can’t even imagine having cards imprinted with my name, preaddressed and then sent from some outside source.) For me, Christmas cards are a way of connecting, of keeping in touch with family and friends, those valued people who have guided and supported and sometimes even challenged me on my life’s journey.

Cards are a way of saying that these people are being remembered in my thoughts and prayers. They’re a chance to express, in my own words, my wish to these special folks for a holy Christmas and a new year filled with God’s blessings. And it’s important for me to express those feelings by actually writing a note in the cards.

Cursive writing. Remember that?

It’s something that’s going the way of vinyl records and the dinosaurs. I read the other day that 10 percent of elementary schools are not even teaching it anymore. Another study, done in 2007, found that 85 percent of high school students are now printing their SAT essays. Finally, due to a recent change, the only person who now signs the marriage license in the state of Kansas is the celebrant! Everything else is printed.

To me, that’s a shame. Don’t get me wrong; I love my technology. Heck, I’m writing this article on my computer.

However, nothing beats a handwritten letter. Much like fingerprints, our handwriting is unique and says a lot about us beyond the words. Whenever I get a handwritten letter or note, it tells me that someone thought enough about me to spend time on me — to go out and get a card or note, write in it, buy the postage and take the finished product to the post office.

More importantly, taking the time to think of something and then to write it down, in long hand, is a gift in itself, especially in this hurry-up, efficiencyminded world.

So, that’s why I’m still old-fashioned about sending out cards with a note inside. Because I shudder to send out a card with nothing in it, I usually include a holy card or a picture with my greetings. I also love to decorate the

envelope as well with a sticker or two . . . or three. (I want to get my 44 cents worth, I guess.) About my only concession to technology are my printed return address and the recipients’ address labels, which do save some time.

Whether or not you normally write Christmas cards, I’m suggesting that you do at least one or two to someone special during this final week of Advent. Take your time with it, write your note by hand and pop in a little surprise gift. I’m certain that your card will stand out and be treasured by the person lucky enough to receive it.

If you’re looking for a New Year’s resolution, maybe starting a carda-month practice would be just the ticket. You can either pick one person and write to them each month or pick a new person each month and drop a note to them. To motivate yourself, use some of that special stationery you’ve been saving for a “special occasion,” or buy yourself a new pen to be used only for note writing. Then send happy new year greetings in January, commemorate Valentine’s Day in February, St. Patrick’s Day in March, etc. Birthdays, get well or just “thinking of you” cards are always welcome.

And it’s fun to never let a card leave your hand without an enclosure: several lottery tickets, a schedule for a favorite sports team, a cartoon, a few stamps, an interesting newspaper article, some cash, a gift card, a sheet of silly stickers, confetti, etc.

Writing can truly be a form of prayer. It’s a way to give two of the most precious things we have — our time and ourselves — to another.

Let’s take a cue from the folks at Hallmark and only write a card to someone “when you care enough to send the very best” — of yourself.

FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT Dec. 18 FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT 2 Sm 7: 1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Ps 89: 2-5, 27, 29; Rom 16: 25-27; Lk 1: 26-38 Dec. 19 Monday Jgs 13: 2-7, 24-25a; Ps 71: 3-6, 16-17; Lk 1: 5-25 Dec. 20 Tuesday Is 7: 10-14; Ps 24: 1-6; Lk 1: 26-38 Dec. 21 Peter Canisius, priest, doctor of the church Sg 2: 8-14; Ps 33: 2-3, 11-12, 20-21; Lk 1: 39-45 Dec. 22 Thursday 1 Sm 1: 24-28; (Ps) 1 Sm 2: 1, 4-7, 8abcd; Lk 1: 46-56 Dec. 23 John of Kanty, priest Mal 3: 1-4, 23-24; Ps 25: 4bc-5ab, 8-10, 14; Lk 1: 57-66 Dec. 24 Saturday 2 Sm 7: 1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Ps 89: 2-5, 27, 29; Lk 1: 67-79

IN THE BEGINNING

God’s promise in Old Testament fulfilled in New

A

mong the changes resulting from the new translation of the Mass, Catholics may notice the word “hosts.” It appears in the Holy, Holy and takes the place of the phrase “power and might.”

In this instance, the word “hosts” does not refer to the wafers that we use as altar breads. Instead, the word “hosts” translates the Hebrew FOURTH SUNDAY OF word “Sabaoth,” ADVENT which means 2 Sm 7: 1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16 “armies.”

God was called “God of the armies “ because God would lead the men into battle.

God’s presence was represented by a portable shrine, the ark, which was carried at the head of the army. It was a gold-plated wooden box, topped with the figures of two kneeling cherubim, facing each other.

Significantly, the ark was empty, except for the two stone tablets on which were inscribed the Ten Commandments. The ark was empty, except for God’s presence. That is why, in Sunday’s first reading — 2 Sm 7: 1-5,

8b-12, 14a, 16 — it is called “the ark of God.” God dwelt in the ark. And because of the ark, God dwelt among the people of Israel.

In the reading, King David expresses his displeasure that the ark, unlike him, has not found a permanent resting place. He announces his intention to build a temple in Jerusalem, which he has established as the new capital city of the recently unified kingdom: “Here I am living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God dwells in a tent.”

David’s plan to build a temple may reflect genuine religious piety. But it may also reflect his political ambitions.

Having the ark of God reside in his capital city would definitely strengthen his image among the people.

COMMENTARY 15

Be that as it may, David never achieves his plan. Instead, the next king, his son Solomon, eventually builds the temple. In response to David’s plan, the prophet Nathan reveals God’s plan to David. God will build a dynasty from David that will last forever: “Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever.”

These words may have sounded hollow in 587 B.C., when the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by the invading Babylonian army, the temple and the ark burned, and the people of Israel dragged off into captivity. The survivors must have wondered: Where is God now? Where does God dwell now?

As Christians, we answer that God came to dwell with us through Jesus Christ. God has established a new kingdom through him, a spiritual kingdom, one that will last forever. That is the great mystery of the Incarnation, the mystery we celebrate at Christmas.

Father Mike Stubbs is the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University.

Does your technology help or hurt your relationship with God?

R

ecently I heard a young person on a retreat weekend say that it was really nice not having her cellphone with her.

I asked her why. Her reply didn’t really shock me, but it really made me think about how technology and media have taken over our lives.

She said, “For once, I really don’t feel the pressure to have to return a text, a phone call, check my email or see what my friends are doing on Facebook or Twitter.”

We live in a time in which we are constantly being pressured to connect to a virtual reality world with cellphones, video games, TV shows, movies, music or digital distractions that have no lasting value.

A friend of mine took his child to

a psychologist to figure out where his bouts of anger were coming from. The doctor’s comment was to take away the video games and constant TV for two weeks, then come back and see him. When he returned, my friend was amazed that his child was acting normal for the first time in a long time. The psychologist didn’t see the need to continue with any further sessions.

Cellphones are not to be left out of the mix when it comes to the use of technology, and I’m just as guilty as the next person when it comes to keeping up on things. Young people — and older folks

as well — are constantly texting back and forth with friends and family and, yes, even family in the same house. I just spent Thanksgiving with my brother and his family in Indiana. This conversation came up one evening. One of my nieces, Emma, last month had sent/received 10,000 texts. Yes that’s right, ten thousand. That’s 333 a day! WOW!! What ever happened to face to face conversations? What ever happened to human interaction? I had to ask her what are her face to face conversations like and how long did they last? It was hard for her to answer.

Some of us ignore things as they really are. A young man or woman may waste countless hours, postpone or forfeit vocational or academic achievement, and ultimately sacrifice cherished human relationships because of mindand spirit-numbing video and online games, or be so caught up in texting their friends or checking their status or

the status of their friends that they may lose sight of reality.

I’m not against using technology as long as it is used for the greater good of our community or to bring you into a deeper relationship with God. God, after all, is the author of all salvation. Jesus is the Christ. He is real and lives and stands at the head of his church and is not a virtual experience.

As we continue our journey through Advent, ask yourself these two questions: Does the use of various technologies and media invite or impede the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit in your life? And does the time you spend using various technologies and media enlarge or restrict your capacity to live, to love, and to serve in meaningful ways?

Wishing you a blessed Advent season.

Rick Cheek is the associate consultant for the office of evangelization and Catholic formation of youth.

AS THE CHURCH PRAYS

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‘O Antiphons’ can help us prepare the way of the Lord

eginning tomorrow, and for the last seven days of Advent, the Latin Church enters into an even more focused liturgical reflection upon the coming of the Lord Jesus.

And in the Liturgy of the Hours, we pray what are commonly called the great “O Antiphons.” These ancient prayers date from the fifth century.

Each evening, a different antiphon is recited or chanted at vespers, the church’s evening prayer.

Now, even if we don’t pray the Liturgy of the Hours, we can still make these antiphons part of our personal or family prayer on the evenings of Dec. 17 through 23. I have taken the liberty of

translating them from the Latin as follows (although other translations and even their Latin chants are available online). They speak for themselves.

Dec. 17: O Wisdom, proceeding from God’s own mouth, and ordering all things as they should be: Come, and teach us the way of prudence.

Dec. 18: O Lord of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the burning bush, and gave him the law on Mount Sinai: Come, and redeem us with your mighty hand.

Dec. 19: O Root of Jesse, a sign for

the peoples, before whom kings shall keep silent and gentiles shall offer supplication: Come, and deliver us, and do not delay.

Dec. 20: O Key of David, who locks, and no one can open; and unlocks, and no one can close: Come, and liberate those held captive in prisons of darkness and the shadow of death.

Dec. 21: O Morning Star, the splendor of eternal Light and the Sun of Righteousness: Come, and shine on those who dwell in death’s dark shadow.

Dec. 22: O King of the nations, their Desire and Cornerstone: Come, and save the human family, whom you have formed from the clay of the earth.

Dec. 23: O Emmanuel, God-with-us, our King and Lawgiver, the Expected of the nations, and the Savior of all: Come, and save us, O Lord our God. The Advent hymn “O Come, O Come

Emmanuel” is a poetic paraphrase of the “O Antiphons.” Simply chanting a verse each evening (beginning with verse 2 on Dec. 17 and ending with verse 1 on Dec. 23) will help us enter into that spirit of longing for the Lord’s coming which this holy season embraces.

The “O Antiphons” not only reflect the hope of God’s people in ancient times, but also our own contemporary hope — that Christ will come again, and soon. Following St. Paul’s instruction, let us together “await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our Savior Jesus Christ” (Ti 2:13).

Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Come, and deliver us! Come, and delay no longer!

Michael Podrebarac is the archdiocesan consultant for the liturgy office.

CHURCH AND STATE

Vouchers should be part of Legislature’s school finance debate

W

hen the Kansas Legislature convenes in January 2012, one issue that will likely not receive serious consideration is the matter of school choice.

This, despite the fact that legislators are expected to debate Gov. Sam Brownback’s proposal for a new school finance formula — seemingly an opportune time for a conversation about the vital role Catholic schools play in educating Kansas children.

Pope Benedict XVI has spoken of “the protection of the right of parents to educate their children” as being “not negotiable.” Yet in this country, too many parents are not empowered to choose their children’s education. The location of one’s house, and frequently

the value of that property, all too often determines what kind of education one’s child will receive.

Parents who opt for a Catholic education must resign themselves to paying tuition twice: once in taxes dedicated to public education and once in tuition for the Catholic school. This reality makes a Catholic education unattainable for many who would otherwise gladly take advantage of it.

School choice legislation — perhaps better described as parental rights legislation — can take many forms. A voucher system would allow the tax dollars a family pays for education

to follow the child to the school of its choice. Milton Friedman, who won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and who was promoting vouchers in the 1950s, believed that government financing of education and government operation of schools were two different matters, and that the former did not necessarily imply the latter.

Nonetheless, there are those who fear that government funding of private schools will inevitably come with too many strings attached. They tend to support what are called tax-credit scholarship programs, where individuals and corporations receive a tax credit for making donations to scholarship organizations, which in turn use the donated funds to provide scholarships to private schools.

To legislators concerned with the perilous state of the Kansas budget but unconcerned with the challenges facing Catholic schools, the following thought experiment is proposed: Suppose every

Catholic school in Kansas was closed and those roughly 29,000 students were suddenly dumped into the public school system. Where would you find the money to pay for the public education they are entitled to? Surely the taxes their parents have been paying all these years for their education is sitting there waiting for them, right?

In an age when it seems almost routine for the government to force taxpayers to pay for other people’s abortions, contraceptives, and sterilizations, the merest suggestion that public funds be used to help a disadvantaged child attend a private school is considered beyond the pale — dangerous, suicidal for politicians, and even unconstitutional.

The framers of our Constitution, rolling over in their graves, must wonder what madness has infected our times.

Michael Schuttloffel is the executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference.

16 LOCAL NEWS

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THE LEAVEN • DECEMBER 16, 2011

La gloriosa celebración de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

t several parishes throughout the archdiocese, members of the Hispanic community and others gathered to celebrate the glorious feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

According to the tradition, it was on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City that a humble Aztec by the name of Juan Diego encountered an apparition of the Blessed

Virgin Mary on the night of Dec. 9, 1531.

She asked him to build a chapel on that spot and, to confirm her appearance to Bishop Juan de Zumarraga, she performed two miracles. The first was to gather rare Castilian roses which, contrary to nature, bloomed on that wintery landscape. The second occurred when Juan Diego let down his pancho-like tilma to give the roses to

the bishop. There, on his garment, was the miraculous image of the Lady. Inspired by this image, millions of Aztecs converted to Christianity within a few years.

Today, a huge basilica marks the spot of the apparition. Our Lady of Guadalupe is not only the national patroness of Mexico, but also of all the Americas. The church canonized St. Juan Diego in 2002.

Photos clockwise from top.

PROCESSION

Damaris Muños (center) processes down the aisle holding an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, while children around her do traditional dances for the Guadalupe celebration Dec. 12 at Holy Trinity Church in Lenexa.

GIFTS

Anabel Juarez makes the sign of the cross on eight-monthold Sharon Denise Tejada as they offer flowers to Mary during the Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration.

LITTLE JUAN

One-year-old Joel Delgado Prieto channels his inner Juan Diego at Holy Trinity’s Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration. Joel is held by his father, Joel Delgado.

Photos by

DOUG HESSE

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