12-20-13 Vol. 35 No. 19

theleaven.com | vol. 35, no. 19 | december 20, 2013

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light� (Is 9:1).

May Jesus Christ, the light which the darkness cannot overcome, bless you with the radiance of his loving countenance and grant you peace and joy this Christmastide. Having grown in our love for Jesus and our knowledge of the church during this Year of Faith, may we proclaim it with joy during the coming year!

Joseph F. Naumann Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas

James P. Keleher Archbishop Emeritus of Kansas City in Kansas

2 archbishop

theleaven.com | december 20, 2013

Life will be victorious

person of the year

Example of Catholic Koreans is both beautiful and inspiring

R

ecently, I had the privilege to make a pastoral visit to the St. Andrew Kim Korean Catholic Community, which celebrates Mass each Sunday in the old Holy Trinity Church in Lenexa.

The St. Andrew Kim Chaplaincy is blessed to be led by Father Young Gil Joo from the Cheongju Diocese of South Korea, who is assisted by a group of very dedicated lay leaders.

The Catholic Church in Korea has a very unique history. To my knowledge, it is the only country where the faith was introduced by Koreans who encountered Christianity elsewhere and brought it back to their homeland. Only after Catholicism was already established with a vibrant believing community, did Korean Christians recruit missionary priests to minister to them.

Christianity was introduced into Korea as early as the 16th century. Korean intellectuals had a great interest in “Western learning,” in part as a rejection of their political domination by China and Japan. Beginning in the early part of 17th century, Korean diplomats brought back from China many items of Western culture; among these were Chinese translations of Catholic doctrinal books. One of these Catholic doctrinal books was “The True Meaning of the Doctrine of Heaven and Earth”

by Father Matteo Ricci, the remarkable Jesuit missionary to China.

The fact that Korean intellectuals were fascinated by Christianity and, in particular, Catholicism made it acceptable for Koreans in general to embrace the faith. Father Simon Kim, a Korean-American Catholic priest in his book, “Memory and Honor,” recounts: “In 1784, the son of the Korean ambassador to China, Peter Seung-hun Yi (Yi Sunghun) encountered a Chinese Catholic priest in Beijing and

archbishop Joseph F. Naumann To my knowledge, [Korea] is the only country where the faith was introduced by Koreans who encountered Christianity elsewhere and brought it back to their homeland. his inquiries eventually led to his baptism. With newfound faith, Yi returned to Korea to pass on the faith by transporting texts across the closely guarded border and sharing his personal experiences. Soon after, many who became believers crossed over to China several times to grow in their faith under dangerous conditions.”

Missionaries were recruited and invited to come to Korea only after a decade of striving to live their Catholic faith without the benefits of ordained clergy. Eventually, the Korean Christians realized that they needed a priest to be able to participate fully in the life of the church. In 1794, Father James Chou, a Chinese priest, came to Korea to minister to the Catholic community there.

After the initial openness to the Catholic faith by the Korean dynasty, the Christian faith in Korea underwent a series of persecutions that spanned more than a century, producing many martyrs — among them, the first native-born Korean Catholic priest, Father Andrew Taegon Kim. In 1984, Pope John Paul II canonized 103 Korean martyrs while making a pastoral visit to

The Korean Catholic community in the archdiocese presented Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann with a Madonna and Child with Korean likenesses.

Korea.

In his homily at the canonization on May 6, 1984, Pope John Paul said: “They (the Korean martyrs) are your ancestors, according to the flesh, language and culture. At the same time, they are your fathers and mothers in the faith, a faith to which they bore witness by the shedding of their blood.”

The pope continued: “From 13-year-old Peter Yu to 72-year-old Mark Chong, men and women, clergy and laity, rich and poor, ordinary people and nobles, many of them descendants of earlier unsung martyrs — they all gladly died for the sake of Christ.

“Listen to the last words of Teresa Kwon, one of the early martyrs: ‘Since the Lord of heaven is the Father

of all mankind and the Lord of all creation, how can you ask me to betray him? Even in this world, anyone who betrays his own father or mother will not be forgiven.

All the more, may I never betray him who is the Father of us all.’

“A generation later, Peter Yu’s father, Augustine, firmly declares: ‘Once having known God, I cannot possibly betray him.’ Peter Cho goes even further and says: ‘Even supposing that one’s own father committed a crime, still one cannot disown him as no longer being one’s father. How then can I say that I do not know the heavenly Lord Father who is so good?’

“And what did the 17-yearold Agatha Yi say when she and her younger brother were falsely told that their parents had betrayed the faith? ‘Whether my parents betrayed or not is their affair.

As for us, we cannot betray the Lord of heaven whom we have always served.’ Hearing this, six other adult Christians freely delivered themselves to the magistrate to be martyred.”

Finally, Pope John Paul said: “The death of the martyrs is similar to the death of Christ on the cross, because, like his, theirs has become the beginning of new life.

This new life was manifested not only in themselves — in those who underwent death for Christ — but it was also extended to others. . . . The blood of the martyrs is the seed of Christians: This phrase from the first centuries of Christianity is confirmed before our eyes.”

The story of the beginning and growth of Catholicism in Korea is a remarkable one. The Catholic Church in Korea today is vibrant with more than 5 million Catholics and an abundance of priestly and religious vocations.

Although initially Koreans were attracted to Catholicism as part of Western learning and as a rejection of the culture of their Chinese and Japanese conquerors, ultimately it was the power and the beauty of the Christian understanding of God who manifested a personal love for humanity. This love was first revealed with the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem

calendar archbishop

Naumann Dec. 21 Quo Vadis retreat Dec. 22 Annual Catholic Radio Chiefs game Dec. 23 Chancery staff Mass and lunch Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Mass — 10 p.m., Cathedral of St. Peter, Kansas City, Kan. Dec. 25 Christmas Mass — 9:30 a.m., Sacred Heart, Shawnee Dec. 27 Serra Mass and lunch — Ascension, Overland Park Vespers and dinner with seminarians Dec. 30 One Thing Remains evening of worship — ReachKCK campus

archbishop

keleher Dec. 21 “Catholic Way” taping Dec. 23 Chancery staff Mass and lunch Dec. 24 Mass — St. Agnes, Roeland Park Dec. 25 Christmas Mass — Sisters, Servants of Mary

and found its ultimate expression with the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary.

Recounting the beautiful history of Korean Catholicism during this Christmas season is a reminder of the great treasure of our Catholic faith. As we contend more and more with a secularized culture that shows hostility to Christianity in general, and Catholicism in particular, the example of Korean Catholics inspires us to treasure our Catholic faith and to be courageous witnesses of its truth and beauty.

second front page 3

december 20, 2013 | theleaven.com

Conveying pope’s ‘beautiful’ character artist’s goal for Time cover

By Sam Lucero Catholic News Service

Francis is third pope to win Time’s honor

G

REEN BAY, Wis. (CNS) — Chicago artist Jason Seiler, who created the illustration of Pope Francis for Time magazine’s Person of the Year cover, said his goal was to convey his impression of the pontiff as a genuine, compassionate spiritual leader.

“My goal when painting him was to capture this man’s character and essence,” he said. “He is a beautiful person and I hope my painting captured that.”

While Seiler is not Catholic, he said he has “great respect for who [Pope Francis] is and how he uses his influence.”

“From what I have seen of Pope Francis, he seems real and genuine,” added Seiler.

“He does not abuse his power.”

Seiler made the comments via email in response to questions from The Compass, newspaper of the Diocese of Green Bay. The artist was born in Green Bay, where his grandmother, Julaine Seiler, still lives. His parents, Larry and Debbie, and younger brother Jeremy and wife Ashley all live in Laona, about 100 miles north of Green Bay. Seiler moved to Rice Lake with his family around age 5 and later to Eau Claire, where he graduated from Eau Claire Memorial High School in 1996. After high school, he studied fine art illustration at the American Academy of Art in Chicago for two years.

Seiler’s illustrations, paintings and caricatures have graced the covers of dozens of newspapers and magazines, including Billboard, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Der Spiegel, The New York Times and Business Week. He said Time’s 2013 Person of the Year was a first for him.

“I have never painted the Person of the Year before,” he said. “Not many artists have.

Most times it is a photograph, so the honor I feel is tremendous.”

Seiler explained that Time first hired him to paint the Person of the Year runner-up: National Security Agency whistle-blower Edward Snowden. “The art directors were extremely happy and

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service

V

CNS photo/Time Inc., handout via Reuters

Chicago artist Jason Seiler created the illustration of Pope Francis for Time magazine’s Person of the Year cover.

Pope Francis is the third pope to be named Time’s Person of the Year. asked if I would like to also paint Pope Francis. I said, ‘Of course.’ I had recently done a drawing of Pope Francis for the cover of Der Spiegel,” a German magazine.

Trained to paint on canvas with oils and acrylics, Seiler used a 21-inch LCD display and digitally painted Pope Francis. It took him more than 70 hours to complete the project.

“I wanted to push it further and capture him in a more realistic way, focusing on subtle things to capture his character,” he said. “It was important to me that it really feels like him. I only had four or

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

five days to paint the cover.”

According to Seiler, he did not know that his illustration of Pope Francis would grace the cover of Time until the night before it went to press.

In researching projects, Seiler said, “I gather as many references as possible and watch YouTube videos, if there are any. And then I just draw.”

Seiler spent a lot of time creating the eyes and mouth of Pope Francis. “I [first] showed him with his mouth open and I wanted a closed mouth and softer eyes,” he said.

Seiler said he has received

“tons and tons of feedback” on his Time cover illustration.

“It has been a little overwhelming,” he said. “It is great for my professional career. . . . A lot of letters and interviews, including TV and magazine, but mostly hearing from my friends and family — that means the world to me!”

Seiler said he has painted only a few religious figures in his career, but nothing tops his most recent project.

“I am just so honored to have been asked to do this,” he told The Compass, “and I hope the pope sees it and is pleased with my work.”

Editor Reverend Mark Goldasich, stl frmark@theleaven.com

Production Manager Todd Habiger todd@theleaven.com

Reporter Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com

Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita@theleaven.com

Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com

Advertising Coordinator Julie Holthaus julie@theleaven.com

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis is not seeking fame or accolades, but being named Time magazine’s Person of the Year will make him happy if it helps attract people to the hope of the Gospel, said the Vatican spokesman.

“It’s a positive sign that one of the most prestigious recognitions in the international press” goes to a person who “proclaims to the world spiritual, religious and moral values and speaks effectively in favor of peace and greater justice,” said the spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi.

The choice of Pope Francis “is not surprising, given the wide appeal and huge attention” to his pontificate so far, Father Lombardi said in a written statement Dec. 11, shortly after Time announced it had named the pope for the annual feature.

“Rarely has a new player on the world stage captured so much attention so quickly — young and old, faithful and cynical — as has Pope Francis,” Time said on its website. “With a focus on compassion, the leader of the Catholic Church has become a new voice of conscience.”

Blessed John Paul II was named Person of the Year in 1994 and Blessed John XXIII in 1962.

The pope “does not seek fame and success, because he serves to proclaim the Gospel and God’s love for everyone,” Father Lombardi said.

But if the recognition “attracts women and men and gives them hope, the pope is happy.”

The spokesman added that Pope Francis would also be pleased if the magazine’s decision “means that many have understood, at least implicitly, this message” of hope.

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

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4 local news

theleaven.com | december 20, 2013

LOCAL NEWS 5

december 20, 2013 | theleaven.com

Miscarriage ministry Ministry launched for parents experiencing loss during pregnancy

By Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com

K

A group of teens from parishes in Leavenworth kneel as a procession with the Blessed Sacrament makes its way through the convention center to the adoration room at the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis.

NCYC fans flame of faith in hundreds of Kansas teens

By Jessica Langdon jessica@theleaven.com

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Maddie Schmucker finds herself surrounded by fellow Catholics when she attends Mass at Immaculate Conception-St. Joseph Parish in Leavenworth.

But more than 20,000 all close to her own age?

That’s more of a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the junior at Immaculata High School in Leavenworth.

Schmucker gathered with roughly 24,000 other teens and their chaperones Nov. 21-23 in Indianapolis for the 2013 National Catholic Youth Conference.

About 600 teens and adults traveled to Indianapolis from parishes and schools across the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

“I just think that the most fun part of NCYC was meeting people from across the nation,” said Schmucker. “It was amazing to see 20,000-30,000 people who all believe in God in one place.

What other place can you see so many people praising [God]?”

And when the presenters asked for moments of silence from the throngs of excited teens gathered in Lucas Oil Stadium, “You can kind of see God working in that atmosphere,” said Schmucker.

Those quiet moments also made a major impact on Skylar Ling, who attended NCYC with a group from St. Ignatius Parish at Fort Leavenworth.

Although Ling loved the music, hanging out with friends, and watching the action, the silence with more than 20,000 teens created a lasting memory.

“NCYC opened my faith life and gave me time to experience all the things that Catholics do — but in a fun way,” she said.

The teens joined in eucharistic adoration and had opportunities to go to confession.

They attended huge sessions that brought everyone together and chose from a wide range of smaller breakout sessions.

“My favorite part of NCYC was all of the speakers being able to come out and talk to us about everything,” said Chris Wendt, who was also part of the St. Ignatius group.

Faith Winchel, left, a member Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Wea, and Cari Dodson, a member of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park, make a cape that will be given to a child at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. Every child that spends a night in the hospital is offered one of the colorful capes.

Participants discovered plenty of ways to serve others, including making 100,000 meals for people in need in Africa.

Faith Winchel of Queen of the Holy Rosary in Wea and Cari Dodson of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park sat down to fashion a cape for young patients at the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. The hospital offers a cape for some extra comfort to every child who spends a night there.

“I absolutely loved every part of NCYC!” said Winchel. “I met so many young people from all over the United States that share my faith, and it really helped to reassure me that, when I struggle with my faith, I’m not alone.”

Her favorite moment came on the last night of the conference, which cul-

minated in a huge Mass for all of the participants.

“I knelt through 23,000 people receiving Communion, and it is simply amazing to me!” she said.

Sarah Wise, who teaches math and science at Immaculata High School, converted to Catholicism three years ago and always looks for ways to grow in her faith.

Yet she found excuses not to accompany a group to NCYC — until she was signed up this year — and she loved every minute of it.

“As Mass concluded, the joy on each of the kids’ faces was shining Christ, and each person (adults included) walked away from the stadium with a renewed hope,” said Wise.

“As we walked away one last time from the stadium, in the cold, not a single teenager complained. They sang

together songs of praise at the top of their lungs, so loud that all could hear it on the streets.

“I can only imagine that this was what it was like for the crowds of people who swarmed Jesus 2,000 years ago.”

While NCYC itself wrapped up with the bus rides home, its impact was just beginning.

“The best part was the opportunity to be with friends and learn about what God wants from us,” said Michael Hollingsworth of St. Ignatius Parish.

“I believe that God puts that flame inside each one of us,” added Schmucker. “At NCYC you can really see that flame can be turned into a roaring fire — not just for weeks or months or years, but for a long time — and also build other people’s flame to be just as strong as ours.”

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — After a long struggle to conceive, Becky and David Dixon were overjoyed to learn in late 2007 that they were going to have a baby.

But it was not to be. Instead of becoming parents, they became a statistic. In February 2008, after 12 weeks, Becky Dixon experienced a miscarriage.

“No one — not my sisters or my mother — had a miscarriage,” she said.

“I was unaware of anyone I knew who had a miscarriage. It wasn’t on my radar that it was a possibility. I was just really in shock.”

Miscarriage is a lot more common than many realize.

One in four women who become pregnant in their lifetimes experience a miscarriage, according to WebMD. The rate is 14 percent for women ages 20 to 29, and increases to 28 percent for women ages 38 to 40.

Although crushed and heartbroken, the Dixons didn’t have time to mourn.

Becky worked as a CPA, and the miscarriage happened in the middle of the busiest time of the year.

Instead, she did what a lot of couples do after a miscarriage. She put it all behind her and tried to move on with her life.

But it didn’t work.

“In early April, it crept back up for me,” she said. “I was very depressed for several weeks. It finally all came back and hit me — it resurfaced.”

Many couples mourn their loss quietly, rarely talking about it even among themselves, much less with anyone else, said Ron Kelsey, archdiocesan pro-life consultant. Sometimes they carry their grief for many years.

“Very often, society minimizes miscarriage, [considering it] something that just happens, frequently, and you move on with your life,” said Kelsey.

“Couples haven’t necessarily been encouraged to stop and recognize the loss of a child or share the grief of losing a child.”

This is no longer the situation in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

Under the direction of Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, the archdiocese launched a ministry to assist and console parents who have lost a child before birth, a stillborn child, or a child who dies soon after birth.

This fall, with the assistance of the archdiocesan pro-life office, new clergy binders and parent resource packets were distributed to all the parishes.

The clergy packet — “Miscarriage and Early Childhood Loss: Clergy Resource Binder” — includes the Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb, and the Order for the Naming and Commendation of an Infant Who Died Before Birth, among other things.

And the parent packet includes “Miscarriage and Early Childhood Loss: A Handbook for Parents,” “Mourning a Miscarriage: Prayers for a Couple Grieving the Death of Their Unborn Child,” information from Catholic Cemeteries about burial arrangements following a miscarriage, and a letter from Archbishop Naumann.

“My involvement [in miscarriage ministry] goes back to when I was in St. Louis, when I was director of the pro-life office,” said Archbishop Naumann.

“A need [for the ministry] surfaced from a variety of places,” he continued, “hospital chaplains, my own experiences in parishes with couples . . . and from a feeling that the church should do more for couples that experience the loss of a child before birth [or stillborn].”

One of the challenges of the ministry is that parishes are often unaware that the loss has taken place, he said.

Often, couples suffer alone without support.

“So, one of the things we’ve tried to do is ask parishes to encourage couples . . . to let the parish know, so the parish could pray for the couple and the unborn newest parishioner,” said the archbishop. “In doing that, the parish becomes aware of couples who experience miscarriage.”

Independently of the archbishop, various individuals had approached Kelsey and vicar general Father Gary Pennings about the need for a miscarriage and stillborn ministry.

One of those individuals was Becky Dixon, who knew Kelsey through her work as a parish respect life coordinator.

“I mentioned to Ron that I definitely felt that this was a needed ministry, because for me personally at that time, I was blindsided by the event and hadn’t any idea how many women had miscarriages until I had mine,” she said.

“You need to have some sort of support system out there to help you through that time.”

Another person who talked to Kelsey and Father Pennings was Virginia Saiki, a member of St. Paul Parish in Olathe. Her experience with miscarriage was very difficult, because she had five.

“When I had the last miscarriage, the law had changed, so the parents could have the baby’s body,” she said. “Before that, you could not. The doctors treated them as [medical waste].”

When she miscarried the fifth time, she called Father Pennings, who helped her through her grief and conducted a burial service.

“I did not know what to do, but I didn’t want my baby thrown away with the trash,” she said. “[Father Pennings said, ‘No, we’ll have a funeral.’ This was the first time it ever happened to me. It was so healing compared to [before].”

Saiki named her child Timmy and now has a grave to visit.

“I can see all five of them,” she said.

“I would have done the same for all five of them. . . . With the other ones, I felt empty; it was a terrible ending.

“So the ministry is so important to have that closure.”

Additionally, Saiki attends the annual Mass of the Innocents, because “it’s one more thing I can do for them.”

Becky Dixon was not, unfortunately, able to bury her child, who she named Abigale. For her, too, the annual Mass of the Innocents provides a place to remember the child.

There is no “one size fits all” approach in the miscarriage ministry, said Kelsey. Couples find themselves in a variety of situations, so the ministry is necessarily flexible and offers a variety of resources and ways to participate.

Parents who would like to obtain a packet that includes “Miscarriage and Early Childhood Loss: A Handbook for Parents” can contact Kelsey by calling (913) 647-0350; sending an email to him at: prolife@archkck; or writing to: ProLife Office, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109.

Hazel (Hessenberger) and Roy White, members of Prince of Peace Parish in Olathe, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Dec. 28 with a Mass followed by a family celebration and dinner. The couple was married on Dec. 28, 1963, at Holy Cross Church, Mendota, Ill. Their children and their spouses are: Brad and Anastasia White, Chesterfield, Mo.; Tamara and Michael Bulleigh, Olathe; Tara and Richard Myers, St. Peters, Mo.; Tanya and Ryan Wettengel, Roanoke, Texas; and Brett White, Olathe. They also have 11 grandchildren.

Leona (Boeding) and Robert “Bob” Olberd i n g , m e m bers of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, Seneca, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Dec. 29 with a dinner hosted by their 12 children, followed by an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. at the community building in Corning. The couple was married on Dec. 31, 1953, at St. Bede Church in Kelly. Their children and their spouses are: Duane and Kim Olberding; Janet and Neil Conley; Barb and Jerry Feldkamp; Joan and Dan Rickel; Jim and Jean Olberding; Donna and Kenny Wege; Mike and Sara Olberding; Cheryl Broxterman; Colette and Cy Wallisch; Kevin and Valerie Olberding; Angelia and Shawn Wise; and Brian and Mindy Olberding.

They also have 43 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

Robert and Winona Wurtz, members of M o s t P u r e H e a r t of Mary Parish, To p e k a , celebrated their 5 0 t h wedding anniversary with a family reunion in October. The couple was married on Dec. 19, 1963, at St. Michael Church in Kimeo. Their children and their spouses are: John and Theresa Wurtz; David Wurtz; Sonny and Jeanine Holbrook; Bernard and Janet Stewart; Paul and Debbie Wurtz; and Lisa Aragon. They also have 11 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Pat and Helen (Hughes) Olmsted, members of St. Malachy Parish, Beattie, will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary on Dec. 27. The couple was married on Dec. 27, 1943, at St. Gregory Church in Marysville. Their children and their spouses are: Tim and Rosalie Olmsted, Beattie; Jerry and Lu Olmsted, Emporia; Bishop Tom Olmsted, Phoenix; Mary and Gary Dodd, Branson, Mo.; Jane and Jeff Sandstrom, Marysville; and Monica and Scott Anderson, Olathe. They also have 21 grandchildren, 13 step-grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.

6 Local news

theleaven.com | december 20, 2013

Father Albert Fey remembered by Baileyville Catholics

“

“I don’t think anyone in our community smiled as much as he did. He liked people and he always had that big smile. He was just a happy man.”

By Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Success can be measured in many ways, but Father Albert J. Fey, CPPS, was successful in perhaps the most important way: happiness.

“I don’t think anyone in our community smiled as much as he did,” said Father Edward Oen, CPPS, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Baileyville. “He liked people and he always had that big smile. He was just a happy man.”

Father Albert, 92, a member of the Kansas City Province of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, died on Dec. 7 at the St. Charles Center in Carthagena, Ohio.

Albert Joseph Fey was born on Dec. 28, 1920, in McKeesport, Pa., to Leo and Mary (Keddie) Fey. He entered Brunnerdale Seminary in Canton, Ohio, in October 1934 and made temporary incorporation on Nov. 30, 1938, at St. Joseph College in Rensselaer, Ind. He was definitively incorporated as a Missionary of the Precious Blood on Dec. 3, 1941, at St. Charles Seminary in Carthagena, Ohio, and ordained to the priesthood at the seminary on Feb. 2, 1946.

During his more than 60 years of parish ministry, Father Albert served in Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, Oklahoma and, finally, at Sacred Heart Parish in Baileyville, from Nov. 23, 1994, until his retirement at age 86 in June 2007. While at Baileyville, he was cared for by his two sisters, Marie and Isabel.

“The people loved him here,” said Father Edward. “[Father Albert] said this was the best parish he every had.

People would do anything for him. He said, ‘I don’t have to worry about fixing anything. I just tell the president of the parish council and it’s done.”

Parish secretary Phyllis Broxterman said Father Albert was a wonderful pas-

Father Edward Oen, CPPS, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Baileyville

tor and that it was a privilege to work with him.

“He liked to joke that he was the assistant and I was the pastor,” said Broxterman.

One of his challenges was severe hearing loss, said Broxterman. This led him to avoid crowds, because he was afraid the “noise” would lead him to misunderstand people. He preferred to talk to people one-on-one.

When he was a younger man, Father

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Albert liked to fish and hunt — mostly game birds. He’d given up his dogs and guns, however, by the time he was assigned to Baileyville. When he was younger, he also liked to play golf, said Father Edward.

While in Baileyville, he took up gardening and landscaping. He planted some “Moses bushes” — also known as “burning bushes” — on the parish grounds that are still thriving. He liked to work with his hands, so he took up

stone polishing. And he loved his dogs — two schnauzers.

Besides his ready smile, Father Albert was also known for being uncompromisingly pro-life.

“He was so pro-life,” said Broxterman, “he had one of the parishioners paint a great, big sign and place it by the highway. He wanted to make it very obvious that abortion was murder and he didn’t pussyfoot around. He dwelt on it a lot in his sermons. He was very frank.”

Parishioners in Baileyville were inspired to dedicate a memorial to the unborn in honor of Father Albert in 2005.

Father Albert was also instrumental in encouraging the priestly vocation of Father Quentin Schmitz.

Father Albert is survived by his two sisters, of St. Henry, Ohio. He was preceded in death by his parents and his older brother, Father George Fey, CPPS, who died earlier this year.

A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated for Father Albert on Dec. 10 at St. Charles with Father Joseph Nassal, CPPS, the provincial director, as main celebrant and homilist. Burial was in the St. Charles Cemetery.

local news 7

december 20, 2013 | theleaven.com

Sister Mary Antoinette Thomas, SCL LEAVENWORTH — Sister Mary Antoinette Thomas, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth for 69 years, died on Dec. 8 at the motherhouse here. She was 89.

The daughter of Lebanese refugees, Ann Elizabeth Thomas was born on Aug. 17, 1924, in Butte, Mont., one of 11 children born to Joseph T. and Mary Isaac Thomas. She graduated from Sacred Heart Grade School and Girls’ Central High School, both in Butte. She entered the religious community of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth on Jan. 5, 1944, and, as Sister Antoinette, made her profession of vows on Sept. 24, 1945. She added “Mary” to her name during the Marian year of 1954.

Sister Mary Antoinette claimed that she learned the lessons of faith and hard work that she practiced throughout her own life from her parents. In the early years in Butte, her father was a peddler, selling merchandise door to door. He had the reputation as the hardest-working man in town.

Eventually, he opened Thomas’ Family Apparel in Butte.

From her mother, she learned persever-

ance and the power of prayer. In an account of her entrance into the world, Sister Mary Antoinette wrote the following: “I almost did not survive my first few weeks. My mom was assisted by a neighbor midwife.

I was born at home weighing less than two pounds. For the first eight months of my life, I required lots of tender, loving care.

My incubator/bed was a shoebox. Mom, my aunts, Mom’s friends and all the neighbors, joined in to keep me alive. I was fed with an eye dropper, rubbed in olive oil, wrapped in cotton and put in a shoebox in a warm oven that was always kept at an even temperature — not an easy task for anyone using a coal and wood-burning stove. From the oven, my shoebox was moved to rest on the wood box behind the stove. A family friend was about to sit on the wood box to have a talk with my mother. Just in time, Mom screeched, ‘Don’t sit on my baby.’”

After making vows, Sister Mary Antoinette embarked on a teaching career that began in 1946 at St. Mary School in Leadville, Colo., and ended 60 years later in her hometown of Butte, where she tutored at Butte Catholic Elementary School. She received a bachelor’s degree in education from Saint Mary College, Leavenworth. For a few years, she volunteered at St. James Healthcare, but her heart was truly with the children, who drew her back to tutoring. Sister Mary Antoinette retired to the motherhouse in 2007.

Pro-life Mass set for Dec. 21 KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will celebrate an archdiocesan pro-life Mass on Dec. 21 at 8 a.m. at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church here, located at 44 N. Mill. Immediately following Mass will

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

be a rosary procession to an abortion clinic approximately four blocks away.

Eucharistic adoration will be available for those not processing. Benediction concludes services by 9:45 a.m.

The new Eagle Scouts from Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood are, from left to right: Alex Dee, Brian Tornquist, Zachary Queen, Andrew Hovis, A.J. Pope, Jacob Pitt, and Patrick Doyle.

Curé honors seven new Eagle Scouts LEAWOOD — On Nov. 17, a Court of Honor recognition ceremony was held at Curé of Ars Church here to celebrate seven members of Troop 395 who attained the rank of Eagle Scout. The seven new Eagle Scouts are: Alex Dee, Brian Tornquist, Zachary Queen, Andrew Hovis, A.J. Pope, Jacob Pitt, and Patrick Doyle.

For his Eagle Scout project, Dee cleaned and restored the Linwood Pioneer Cemetery in Leawood.

Doyle built storage bins for Sleepyhead Beds, an organization that delivers gently used beds to bed-less children in

the Kansas City metropolitan area.

Hovis built picnic tables for the Ozanam Home for Boys and Girls in Kansas City, Mo. Pitt collected and purchased food for the pantry at Operation Breakthrough in Kansas City, Mo., while Pope completed a landscaping project for Shalom House in Kansas City, Kan. Queen refurbished a garden shed at the Kansas State School for the Blind in Kansas City, Kan. Tornquist held a winter clothing drive benefiting TurnStyles, the thrift stores run by Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas.

From one family to another

George Liebergen needed help breathing when he was born at 35 weeks in November 2008. He spent nine days in the NICU at Overland Park Regional Medical Center as his brain and lungs matured. Hearing the stories of other families in the NICU, his parents delivered Thanksgiving dinner so others didn’t have to leave their babies or go without a home-cooked meal. It has become a holiday tradition.

Photo by Adrienne Liebergen

Below, Laura Liebergen was anticipating Thanksgiving in 2008 when son George, now five, arrived several weeks early. Today, George loves trains and playing with his siblings.

Holiday tradition feeds body and soul in the NICU

O

By Jessica Langdon VERLAND PARK — To say 5-yearold George Liebergen loves trains might be a bit of an understatement.

So it’s no surprise he was far too engrossed in yet another viewing of his all-time-favorite movie — “The Polar Express” — to notice the holiday plans his family was mapping out all around him.

Yet George’s early arrival at 35 weeks gestation in November 2008 actually fueled this flurry of activity that unfolds at his home every fall.

Each November, his parents — Adam and Laura Liebergen, members of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood — organize a Thanksgiving feast with all the trimmings for families with babies in the neonatal intensive care unit at Overland Park Regional Medical Center.

George spent his first nine days in that very place.

And every year since then, other families like the Liebergens have joined them in serving up a traditional meal in an untraditional place.

Because of George, the Liebergens understand what even a short stay in the NICU can feel like, especially around the holidays.

During George’s stay, his parents met families facing far more precarious situations than theirs and came to realize that when babies are born weeks — and sometimes months — early, those tiniest “micro preemies” have a hard fight ahead of them.

Survival is anything but certain.

So breaking away to share a Thanksgiving meal with family often isn’t feasible for parents in the NICU. Some don’t have anyone nearby.

Some won’t risk carrying germs from a gathering back to a fragile infant.

And some simply don’t want to spend the holiday anywhere but with their babies.

“For a lot of mothers, it’s very hard to be separated from your baby, especially this time of year when it’s so focused on families and children,” said Laura. “For a lot of those parents whose babies are very small or sick,

you don’t know if you’re going to have next year. This might be your only holiday with your child.”

That heart-wrenching reality hit home again with the Liebergen family recently when their niece Charlotte, born in April at 25 weeks at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, lived only 11 weeks.

In her memory and in George’s honor, the Liebergens also collected hats and blankets for babies in the NICU this year.

Laura delivered the tiny knitted caps when the family arrived at the hospital to add the turkeys to the spread on Nov. 28.

Small gesture, big impact As a Catholic family, the Liebergens consider their annual Thanksgiving Day delivery sort of their pro-life ministry.

Through it, they honor the extremely small or sick babies who are often tucked away from where the world can see them.

And they provide a moment of respite to the moms and dads of these tiniest among us.

Every baby in the NICU has a unique story. Some stay for just a few hours; others, for months.

And while some simply need a little extra time and TLC to thrive, others face life-threatening circumstances.

In November 2008, the Liebergens were planning for a normal Thanksgiving with their two older children — Joseph and Camille — and anticipating George’s ar-

Photo by Abby Benedict / Blessed Life Photography

Leaven photo by Jessica Langdon

Laura Liebergen, a parishioner of St. Michael the Archangel in Leawood, delivers tiny caps for preemies to the NICU at Overland Park Regional Medical Center in memory of her infant niece Charlotte and in honor of her son George, who spent his first nine days of life in this NICU. rival in December.

Then, on Nov. 19, Laura’s water broke.

George entered the world early the morning of Nov. 20.

Even though he weighed six and a half pounds, he didn’t quite look like a full-term newborn.

More importantly, he wasn’t breathing well.

In the NICU, he was placed on a ventilator, hooked to monitors, and sedated.

The two weeks he was expected to stay sounded like forever to Laura.

Still, all it took was a short walk down the hall for the severity of other families’ situations to sink in.

“I can still name every single baby that was down that hall,” said Laura.

They met one family the day the parents were told their tiny baby would be taken off life support.

They met another woman who had gone into labor hours from her hometown.

Those were just a few of the stories that touched the Liebergens and made them want to do something.

It didn’t take Adam long to

“For a lot of those parents whose babies are very small or sick, you don’t know if you’re going to have next year. This might be your only holiday with your child.” decide what: They had a turkey at home just waiting to be prepared.

So that first year — while George was still a baby in the NICU — Adam grilled the turkey and brought Thanksgiving dinner in for the other families to share.

“You don’t have to do a big thing to make a difference,” said Adam.

Indeed, their small gesture made a huge impact.

And a holiday tradition was born.

One big family

Leaven photo by Jessica Langdon

Andrea Armato, left, and Jessica Rash sit down for a Thanksgiving meal at Overland Park Regional Medical Center’s NICU. Armato said her daughter Joelyn was born at six months, and she is grateful for other parents who lend a hand like this in the NICU because they know what this time is like.

When the Liebergens decided to do it again for Thanksgiving 2009, they didn’t have to look far for help. And so the tradition has continued.

“You fed us last year. We’ll help you this year,” they’ve heard over and over again.

Now, Adam, an engineer, has it down to a fine science.

The Liebergens provide the turkey — they’ve upped the number from one to two since the hospital’s NICU expanded — and others pitch in side dishes and more.

Adam rises hours before the sun to start grilling the birds.

When Circle of Hope NICU

ry the November weather outside George’s window seemed and how dark the view was.

She hopes this simple gesture from families who know what it’s like to have babies in these rooms brightens the holiday season a bit.

Loving care

Leaven photo by Jessica Langdon

Adam Liebergen, a parishioner of St. Michael the Archangel in Leawood, carves the turkeys at a Thanksgiving feast set up for families with babies in the NICU at Overland Park Regional Medical Center. This was the sixth year for this meal, which started when the Liebergens’ now 5-year-old son George was a newborn there.

Katie Gonzalez wasn’t sure son Matthew, left, would survive when he was born 16 weeks early. After months in the NICU, Matthew, now 2, plays right alongside his brothers Luke and Andrew and younger sister Grace.

Foundation — a nonprofit organization designed to provide more assistance year-round to families of babies in Overland Park Regional’s NICU — formed in 2011, its members were thrilled to lend a hand.

“We’re lucky enough to be able to help out,” said Katie Gonzalez, who is part of Circle of Hope and also a parishioner of St. Michael the Archangel.

“But Laura really is our fearless leader of this Thanksgiving event.”

Gonzalez’s son Matthew was born 16 weeks early in 2011. He weighed one pound, five ounces, and measured 11 inches long.

Father Bill Porter, then-pastor of St. Michael the Archangel, baptized him in the incubator with sterile hospital water.

Matthew spent 121 days in the hospital.

“When the families start coming in to eat, it’s so amazing to see their faces and the smiles on their faces.

It’s the best start to Thanksgiving.

Ever.”

“He’s such a miracle — he really is,” said Gonzalez of her son, who will turn three in March. “When he was born, we were told that he had a 40 percent chance of survival, and — if he survived — he had a 95 percent chance of severe disability.”

Despite requiring some speech therapy, Matthew is an otherwise perfectly healthy toddler, playing right alongside his two older brothers and younger sister.

Because of the bonds created among other families and the hospital staff, Gonzalez considers the months Matthew spent there — while difficult — one of the greatest times of her life.

“We still have friends whose children we celebrate with them. We have friends whose children have passed away, unfortunately,” said Gonzalez.

“And it creates such a tight-knit circle, a tight-knit family.”

‘Best start . . . ever’ Having Matthew in the NICU during the spring and summer months was hard enough on Gonzalez.

What with worrying about the baby, wanting to be at the hospital, caring for other children at home, and meeting the demands of her job, she knows firsthand how parents are pulled in many different directions.

“Then to have the layer of the holidays on top of that, I can’t even imagine,” she said.

So she always arrives at the hospital on Thanksgiving with a twinge of sadness in her heart.

But she finds it eases quickly as parents reunite with one an-

other and the nurses.

Families of NICU graduates pile dish after dish on the tables — mashed potatoes, stuffing, pies — anything a traditional family gathering might entail.

Although tables are set up

for the diners, parents can eat at their convenience.

“And then when the families start coming in to eat, it’s so amazing to see their faces and the smiles on their faces,” said Gonzalez. “It’s the best start to Thanksgiving. Ever.”

Even though children can’t attend (it’s the season for colds, flu and RSV, so little ones aren’t allowed in the NICU), there are many happy reunions.

“We love to catch up with them and see what they’re doing,” said Margaret Meier, NICU director at Overland Park Regional. “The nurses absolutely love it. You can see lots of hugs.

They’re just really happy to see everybody back. It’s just a really nice way for a family who’s been through a difficult time to give back because they’re in a good spot now.”

Laura remembers how drea-

Today, 5-year-old George, now big brother to 3-yearold Cole, has never known a Thanksgiving that — for his family — didn’t start in the NICU. Despite some residual complications from his premature birth, the family described him for a NICU window display as a train-loving, loud, active, growing, thriving and joyful 5-yearold.

“We are grateful for your loving care!” the Liebergen family wrote to the NICU staff.

And the NICU staff — like the families they serve — are grateful to the Liebergens, who plan to keep their holiday tradition barreling full steam ahead.

In fact, they’re already looking forward to next year.

After all, it’s a cause that’s close to their hearts, and they know they have much to be thankful for.

“It’s amazing to think that this child couldn’t breathe at birth,” said Laura. “You don’t realize . . . just . . . how much of a miracle it is that any of them survive what they go through.

“And a lot of times I’ll just sit there and listen to him breathe.”

10 nation

theleaven.com | december 20, 2013

‘Wave of prayer’ to end world hunger sweeps over nation’s capital

By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service

W

ASHINGTON (CNS) — The global “wave of prayer” to eradicate hunger reached the U.S. Capitol with participants in an interfaith prayer service asking God to guide all people to better see and understand the needs of people living in poverty.

During the noontime service Dec. 10, many of the prayers focused on government decision-makers who have targeted various federal food programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, for decreased government spending.

“We really need to pray that God will lead members of Congress, our nation’s leaders and the people of this nation to make decisions on this and other issues that will help get us to the end of hunger,” said the Rev. David Beckmann, a Lutheran minister and president of the Christian citizens’ anti-hunger organization Bread for the World.

The wave of prayer was one of hundreds of services that cascaded around the world at noon local time under an initiative of Caritas Internationalis, the Vatican-based federation of Catholic charities. The effort is aimed at prayer and action to relieve hunger around the world through May 2015.

Nearly 50 people crowded into a first-floor meeting room in the Capitol’s House wing to recite a prayer developed by Caritas Internationalis.

They were joined by three members of Congress: Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and Rep. David Price, D-N.C. Several participants offered prayers of thanksgiving for the inspirational words of Pope Francis, who has repeatedly invited the world to reach out and care for people in need in developed and undeveloped countries alike.

“Let’s pray not just as a symbol, but believing that our prayers have power,” said the Rev. Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners, who joined the service as he was in the sixth day of a water-only fast as part of the Fast for Families tent community outside the Capitol on the National Mall. The organization is utilizing prayer, public witness and fasting in pursuit of comprehensive immigration reform.

The hungry are “part of our fam-

Marriage and Religious Freedom Act introduced WASHINGTON (CNS) — U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and 11 co-sponsors introduced a measure in the U.S. Senate Dec. 12 that would protect religious organizations from discrimination by the federal government for supporting traditional marriage. The Marriage and Religious Freedom Act “protects the rights of individuals and organizations from religious discrimination by the federal government,” Lee said in a statement. “Those who believe in the traditional definition of marriage deserve respect and tolerance.

It is critical that we clarify the law to ensure that their fundamental civil liberties are not at risk.” The measure would bar the government from denying any person or group tax-exempt status for opposing same-sex marriage for religious reasons.

The chairman of two U.S. bishops’ committees said in a Dec. 12 statement they support the nondiscrimination bill, saying it is necessary because of intolerance of those who believe marriage is between one man and one woman.

A young woman prays next to students and clergymen during a Dec. 10 prayer service to end world hunger at Caldwell Chapel on the campus of The Catholic University of America in Washington.

New York dioceses granted injunction for HHS mandate

ities so that all may eat,” he said.

Afterward, McGovern, who is Catholic and co-chairs the hunger caucus in Congress, told Catholic News Service that hunger in the United States could end if elected representatives felt it was prudent to do so.

“Hunger is a political condition,” he said. “We can solve this problem. All we need is the political will.”

He said support for federally funded food and nutrition programs has waned because “critics of these programs create a distortion” by portraying enrollees as criminals or as unwilling to work.

“When you see the face of hunger, it changes you,” he said, explaining that he regularly visits hunger centers in his Massachusetts district and has visited poverty-stricken communities worldwide. “When you see a hungry child, it breaks your heart and you can’t get it out of your mind. I do think when people see things firsthand, they get enlightened.”

Across town at The Catholic University of America, the message was much the same as church leaders called on God to inspire government and business leaders to help end global hunger during a prayer service.

Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington, a university trustee, led students in prayer at Caldwell Chapel, asking God for assistance in sharing “food with all members in this global family.”

NEW YORK (CNS) — A spokesman for the New York Archdiocese said the archdiocese “welcomes and applauds” a Dec. 13 ruling by a federal judge granting Catholic organizations in the archdiocese and the neighboring Diocese of Rockville Centre a permanent injunction on having to comply with the federal contraceptive mandate in the health care law. The 41page ruling issued by Judge Brian Cogan of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn said the Affordable Care Act mandate violates the religious freedom of the four nonprofit plaintiffs — two Catholic high schools and two health care systems. Three of the plaintiffs are in the New York Archdiocese: Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx, Msgr. Farrell High School in Staten Island, and ArchCare, an umbrella group of nonprofits based in New York that provides health care to the poor and disabled. The fourth is Catholic Health Services of Long Island in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, which includes six hospitals, three nursing homes and a hospice center. The mandate, issued by the Department of Health and Human Services and scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2014, requires nearly all employers to provide free preventative health care coverage specifically for women. That coverage includes services such as mammograms, prenatal care and cervical cancer screenings, but it also mandates free contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-inducing drugs — which are contrary to Catholic teaching.

CNS photo/Tyler Orsburn

ily,” Rev. Wallis prayed. “We lift them up now. We intercede for them and we pray that somehow their stories would reach this place,” he said.

“We pray that you help . . . us understand that this isn’t just politics, it isn’t just policy, it isn’t about who wins and loses. It’s about particular mothers, particular fathers, particular children.

It’s names we know. So we lift up those names in this place,” he said.

Those offering prayers also remembered the plight of undocumented immigrants the world over, American children who go to school hungry and the people living in tent camps in war-ravaged Syria and in Haiti, nearly four years after a devastating earthquake.

Sister Marge Clark, a domesticissues lobbyist for Network, the Catholic social justice lobby, prayed that low-wage workers receive just compensation for their labor as well as their employers to “be struck with a sense of justice.”

“May they receive in justice the resources to feed themselves and their families,” prayed the member of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Rev. Gary Cook, a staff member of Bread for the World, asked God for forgiveness as he “confessed our complicity” in decisions that cause hunger in others. “Help us rearrange our prior-

World 11

december 20, 2013 | theleaven.com

Pope talks about Marxism, women cardinals

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service

V

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — In another wide-ranging interview with an Italian journalist, Pope Francis denied he was a Marxist but said he took no offense at the label; dismissed the notion of women cardinals; and reflected on Christmas as an occasion of joy, tenderness and hope.

The pope made his remarks in an interview with Andrea Tornielli of the Italian daily La Stampa and the website Vatican Insider. The interview was conducted Dec. 10 and published Dec. 14.

“Marxist ideology is wrong, but I have met many Marxists in my life who are good people, so I don’t feel offended” at being branded one, Pope Francis said.

Following the publication of the pope’s apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium,” (“The Joy of the Gospel”) Nov. 26, U.S. radio show host Rush Limbaugh denounced what he called “pure Marxism coming out of the mouth of the pope.”

“There is nothing in the exhortation that cannot be found in the social doctrine of the church,” the pope said.

He acknowledged rejecting what he termed “trickle-down theories” of economic growth, but said such a position “does not mean being a Marxist.”

Pope Francis repeated earlier calls for an end to world hunger, recounting

CNS photo/Paul Haring

In an interview with journalists, Pope Francis talked about a wide range of subjects, including Marxism and women cardinals. a recent encounter during a public audience with a woman holding an infant.

“The child was crying its eyes out as I came past,” the pope said. “‘Please give it something to eat!’ I said. She was shy and didn’t want to breastfeed in public while the pope was passing. I wish to say the same to humanity: Give people something to eat!”

Asked about the possibility of creating women cardinals, Pope Francis said: “I don’t know where this idea sprang from. Women in the church must be valued, not clericalized. Whoever thinks of women as cardinals suffers a bit from clericalism.”

The pope reaffirmed his commitment to ecumenism, noting that Chris-

tians around the world are already bound together by their common experience of martyrdom.

“Those who kill Christians don’t ask for your identity card to see which church you were baptized in,” he said.

“We are united in blood, even though we have not yet managed to take necessary steps toward unity between us, and perhaps the time has not yet come.”

Pope Francis mentioned a German priest pursuing the sainthood causes of a Catholic priest and a Lutheran pastor, both killed by the Nazis for teaching the catechism to children.

“This is what ecumenism of blood is,” the pope said.

Recalling Pope Paul VI’s historic visit to Jerusalem in 1964, when he met Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople, Pope Francis said the Vatican was preparing for him to mark that event’s 50th anniversary in 2014 with a papal visit to the Holy Land, including a meeting with the current Patriarch Bartholomew.

The pope noted the sufferings of Christians in the Holy Land: “On Christmas night, I think above all of the Christians who live there, of those who are in difficulty, of the many people who have had to leave that land because of various problems.”

Yet he emphasized that, despite the world’s misery, “Christmas is joy, religious joy, an inner joy of light and peace” and “speaks of tenderness and hope.”

Pope makes changes to Roman Curia

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

V

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Nine months after his election, Pope Francis has reconfirmed Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet as prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, seen as one of the most powerful offices of the Roman Curia, and expanded the international membership of the congregation.

Among the new members named Dec. 16 were Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl of Washington; Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, England; Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega of Guadalajara, Mexico; and Cardinal Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogota, Colombia.

The departing members of the congregation include U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, prefect of the Apostolic Signature, the church’s highest court; Cardinal Justin Rigali, retired archbishop of Philadelphia; and 70-year-old Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco of Genoa,

president of the Italian bishops’ conference.

Confirming Cardinal Ouellet as prefect Dec. 16, Pope Francis also confirmed 18 current members of the congregation, including Australian Cardinal George Pell of Sydney and U.S. Cardinal William J. Levada, former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Besides French Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris, the other 15 members reconfirmed are officials or recently retired officials of the Roman Curia.

Cardinal Ouellet, the 69-year-old former archbishop of Quebec, was first appointed by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010 to head the congregation that oversees the vetting and appointment of bishops for Latin-rite dioceses around the world.

Technically, all heads of Vatican congregations and councils lose their jobs at the end of a pontificate.

Just three days after his election in March, Pope Francis formally recon-

firmed the prefects, presidents and secretaries of Vatican congregations and councils “donec aliter provideatur” (until otherwise provided), meaning for the time being. While temporary reappointments are normal at the beginning of a pontificate, the Vatican said the pope intended to take “time for reflection, prayer and dialogue before making any definitive appointments or confirmations.”

In September, Pope Francis confirmed German Archbishop Gerhard Muller as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, along with all the members and consultants of the congregation. He also confirmed Italian Cardinal Fernando Filoni as prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and named Italian Archbishop Beniamino Stella to be the new prefect of the Congregation for Clergy. In late November, he confirmed Polish Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski as prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education.

TOUCH OF HEAVEN

Belgium’s faith leaders: Don’t allow kids to decide on own euthanasia BRUSSELS (CNS) — The president of the Belgian bishops’ conference joined other faith leaders who criticized proposed legislation to extend euthanasia to children and dementia sufferers, warning the measure risks “destroying the functioning of society. We are also opposed to suffering, whether physical or moral, and especially the suffering of children,” Archbishop Andre Leonard, conference president, said in a joint statement with Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders. “But to suggest minors can decide on their own euthanasia is to falsify their power of judgment and their freedom. To suggest persons with dementia can also be euthanized is to deny their dignity and hand them over to the arbitrary judgment of decision-makers.”

Some Belgian legislators have proposed extending a 2002 euthanasia law to include children and dementia sufferers.

Two senate commissions will draft a bill, which then would be debated in Parliament. The religious leaders said such a bill risked “the growing banalization of a very grave reality,” adding that they were “deeply alarmed . . . as citizens relying on philosophical arguments, and as believers inheriting our respective religious traditions.”

Christian marchers beaten; prime minister apologizes NEW DELHI (CNS) — Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh apologized to church leaders for the police beating of protesters — including priests and nuns — during a march to Parliament advocating for rights for low-caste Christians. Singh apologized Dec. 12 when a 10-member delegation, led by Delhi Archbishop Anil Couto, called on him to press for the Christian demand for an end to discrimination against Christian dalits, or members of the low castes. Archbishop Couto was among six Catholic bishops and about a dozen of different denominations detained with 400 protesters during the march the previous day. Hundreds of the protesters from across India broke through police barricades and marched to Parliament shouting, “We want justice.”

“Dalit,” which means “trampled upon” in Sanskrit, refers to people treated as untouchables under the caste system in India. In 1950, the Indian government established a quota system in education and government jobs as a type of affirmative action for Hindu dalits.

Though these statutory privileges were later extended to Sikh dalits in 1956 and Buddhist dalits in 1990, the repeated requests of the Christian dalits — who account for two-thirds of 27 million Christians in India — have gone unanswered.

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12 classifieds

theleaven.com | DECEMBER 20, 2013

Employment Data entry - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has immediate openings for two temporary data entry positions. These individuals will assist the office of stewardship and development during the busy Call to Share annual appeal. Required hours will be 30+ hours per week beginning in Jan. with approximate end date in late March. Requires reliability, collaborative demeanor and demonstrated data entry skills. Qualified individuals should email cover letter, resume, and application (available on the archdiocesan website) to: jobs@archkck.org by Jan. 2. May also be mailed to: Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, Office of Human Resources, Stewardship - Data Entry, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109.

Housekeepers - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has immediate openings for several seasonal parttime housekeepers. These individuals will assist with housekeeping duties at Savior Pastoral Center as needed. Hours will vary from week to week; hours may vary by weekend or weekday depending on facility needs. This job requires flexibility, reliability, attention to details, and the ability to work independently. Prior housekeeping experience and knowledge of chemical solutions a plus.

Qualified individuals should email cover letter, resume, and application (available on the archdiocesan website) to: jobs@archkck.org by Jan. 2. May also be mailed to: Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, Office of Human Resources, Savior Pastoral Center - Housekeeper, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109.

Business manager - Holy Trinity Parish, Lenexa, is seeking a business manager to assume responsibilities no later than Feb. 3, 2014. Holy Trinity is an active and vibrant parish with 2,700 registered families and operates a K-8 school with 690 students and an early education center with 300 children. Duties include responsibility for overall parish fiscal management and upkeep of the physical plant. The position includes oversight of accounting and management of financial resources; human resources and employee benefit programs; and facility management. Individual will report to the pastor and provide supervision of office staff (bookkeeper and secretary/receptionist) and maintenance personnel. Qualified candidates should possess a bachelor’s degree in business or related field; have 7 - 10 years of progressive experience in business and management; excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills; experience in development and fundraising; and possess the ability to work with a variety of constituencies. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume by Dec. 31. Please mail to: Pastor, Holy Trinity Church, 9150 Pflumm Rd., Lenexa, KS 66215. The full job description is available online at: www.htlenexa.org.

Administrative assistant - Advice and Aid Pregnancy Centers, Inc., is seeking a part-time (15 hours per week) administrative assistant. Proficient in computer data entry and Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, Power Point and Publisher). Experience working with donor database software is a plus. Demonstrated ability to effectively organize and prioritize tasks as assigned. Detail-oriented, minimum two years experience as an administrative assistant required. For a complete job description, contact Ruth Tisdale by email at: rtisdale@adviceandaid.com.

Office accountant - A CPA firm located in Topeka is seeking an office accountant. Qualified candidates must have three-plus years of experience with processing payroll, accounts payable, reconciling the general ledger, and generating statements for billing. Human resource experience is a plus. Strong computer skills are mandatory, and experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook are required. The position will be flexible and we will consider candidates that are seeking 30 to 40 hours a week. Successful candidates will be professional, highly motivated, problem solvers, and organized.

Our firm offers a professional environment, challenging work, competitive compensation and a benefits package. Please send resume in complete confidence to Mr. Eric Otting, Wendling Noe Nelson and Johnson LLC, 534 S. Kansas Ave., Suite 1500, Topeka, KS 66603, or by email to: eotting@wnnjcpa.com.

Financial representatives - Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding a financial representative in the Kansas City metro, Lawrence, Topeka and the Seneca - Sabetha area. Ideal for a determined, high energy, high expectation, professional, self-disciplined, independent individual desiring to serve others, yet earn a better-than-average income.

We provide top-rated financial products to our members and their families and will provide excellent benefits and training. Please contact John A. Mahon, general agent, for more information or an interview by sending an email to: john.mahon@kofc.org, by phone at (785) 408-8806 or at 1275 Topeka Blvd., Topeka, KS 66612.

Baseball coaches - Bishop Ward High School is looking for two baseball assistant coaches. Anyone interested in the positions can contact Greg Duggins by sending an email to: gduggins@wardhigh.org or by phone at (913) 371-1201.

Musicians - Musicians are needed for the 11 a.m. Mass choir at Holy Name Church, Kansas City, Kan. Guitar and/or piano. Please contact Father Michael Hermes by email at: frhermes@wardhigh.org.

Middle school youth minister - Church of the Ascension seeks a part-time role that is perfect for a person who loves to share the faith with young people. Please send resume by email to: findithere@gmail.com.

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

Garage door and opener sales and service - 24-hour, 7-day-a-week service on all types of doors. Replace broken springs, cables, hinges, rollers, gate openers, entry and patio doors, and more. Over 32 years of experience.

Call (913) 227-4902.

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

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.

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

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.

House painting Interior and exterior; wall paper removal.

Power washing, fences, decks.

30 years experience. References. Reasonable rates.

Call Joe at (913) 620-5776.

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

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

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.

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

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

Tim the Handyman - Small jobs, faucets, garbage disposals, toilets, ceiling fans, light fixtures, painting, wall ceiling repair, wood rot, siding, decks, doors, windows, and gutter cleaning. Call (913) 526-1844.

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

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

Caregiving

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

We moved! Come check out our new office in Lenexa.

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

Landscape and irrigation design, installation and maintenance.

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

Visit the website at: www.goaguafina.com Call (913) 530-7260 or (913) 530-5661 Lawn Mowing Spring Cleanups/Landscaping Local Parishioner Insured/References Free Estimates Call Tony (913) 620-6063 MEDICATION SETUP & MANAGEMENT - RN support visits for filling weekly pill boxes & managing medication. Affordable and convenient. To learn more, call Home Connect Health Services at (913) 627-9222.

Home Improvement 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.

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.

Childcare - Need some time to run errands or go to an appointment and want your child to benefit from a fun, Catholic, social environment all at the same time? Consider Our Lady’s Playcare! We provide quality by-the-hour childcare that offers flexible hours and a schedule that works with yours. No longterm commitment is required. Simply register in advance of the day you would like your child to attend. We also offer a long-term Mother’s Day Out program. For more information, please call Coronation of Our Lady Catholic Church at (816) 761-8811 or send an email to: ljenkins@kc.rr.com.

NEED SOME HELP? - Maybe I can do it? I can get you to your doctor’s appointment, hairdresser or shopping. Maybe you aren’t driving anymore or just prefer a chauffeur, I’ll get you there. I can also run errands for you or maybe pick up your prescriptions or groceries. Just give me a call to discuss your needs. Johnson County only. Call (913) 4696211 or (816) 806-0564.

Caregiving - I am a private duty caregiver/nurse with 17+ years experience. I have worked with patients with diabetes, cancer, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and MS. I am familiar with feeding tubes, Foley catheters, Hoyer lifts, CPAP and oxygen tanks. Bathing, grooming, skin care for diabetic sores. Companionship, meal preparation, and light housekeeping. Call (816) 786-1794.

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

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

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

Call (816) 521-1336.

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.

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

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

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

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

For sale - 10504 W. 65th St., Shawnee. Built in 1966. 3 BR, 2 BA, wood floors, 2 fireplaces, family room, steel storage rooms, fenced yard. Asking $149,000. Call (913) 269-5337.

For sale - 15615 Conser St., Overland Park. St. Michael the Archangel Parish. 3 BR, 2.5 BA. Approximately 2,000 square feet. New floors, paint, roof, garage doors, furnace and AC. $225,000. Call Frank at (913) 558-5204 for more details.

for RENT For rent - 4934 Leavenworth Rd., Kansas City, Kan. 2 BR, full walkout basement, laundry hookups, deck. No smokers, no pets. $545 per month. Call (913) 334-0124.

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

Member of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Leawood.

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

ENTERTAINMENT

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December 20, 2013 | theleaven.com

December The vocation office will host a short, challenging Quo Vadis retreat for single men ages 18 – 35 to discern their purpose in life, including a look at the priesthood, from Dec. 20 - 22 at Savior Pastoral Center, 12601 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kan. Activities include a pro-life Mass and rosary procession, eucharistic adoration and lunch with the Sisters, Servants of Mary, and talks on holiness, sacrifice and discernment.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, priests, and seminarians will offer their insights and guidance. There is no cost to attend, and those who register by Dec. 16 online at: www.kckvocations.com are eligible to win a gift card.

20

Archbishop Joseph Naumann will be joined by archdiocesan seminarians and vocational retreatants for an archdiocesan pro-life Mass on Dec. 21 at 8 a.m. at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church, 44 N. Mill, Kansas City, Kan. Immediately following Mass will be a rosary procession to an abortion clinic approximately four blocks away. Eucharistic adoration will be available for those not processing. Benediction concludes services by 9:45 a.m.

21

The annual seminarians and parents Mass and luncheon, sponsored by the Serra Clubs of the archdiocese, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 27 at the Church of the Ascension, 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park.

Hayden High School Venturing Crew 316 will host a new member pizza party for youth ages 14 - 20 at 1 p.m. on Dec. 21 at Glory Days Pizza, 10th and Gage, Topeka. Venturing is a coed program of the Boy Scouts of America and involves

teamwork, planning and leadership development centered around an outdoor high adventure program. Individuals interested in doing high adventure activities are welcome to attend and learn more. Reservations are required by contacting Irene Haws by email at: irene@kalos-inc.com or by calling (785) 249-1913.

“Missa O Magnum Mysterium”

by Tomas Luis de Victoria will be sung for the midnight Mass at St. Philippine Duchesne Latin Mass Church, 5035 Rainbow Blvd., Westwood, on Dec. 24. Carols begin at 11:30 p.m.

Christmas Eve, low Mass will be held at 8 a.m., and high Mass will be sung at 10 a.m.

Confessions are heard 30 minutes before all Masses. For more information, contact the Fraternity of St. Peter at (913) 236-0005.

24

January St. Therese Little Flower Church, 5814 Euclid, Kansas City, Mo., will host its annual Mass dedicated to Kansas City police officers who have died in the line of duty on Jan. 1 at 10 a.m. For more information, contact Father Ernie Davis at (816) 444-5406.

1

Are you suffering from an acute, chronic or terminal illness? Are you someone who is caring for a loved one with one of those conditions? Come together or come alone, join a group of friends to walk the journey with on the first Thursday of every month from 7 - 8 p.m., following the rosary and anointing of the sick at 6:30 p.m. in the conference room at Church of the Ascension, Overland Park. For more information, contact Jean Hinman at (913) 681-3348 or send an email to: jhinman@ kcascension.org.

2

The motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth, will host a Taize prayer on Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. in Annunciation Chapel. For more information, visit the website at: www. marillaccenter.org or call (913) 680-2342.

High Mass to celebrate the feast of Epiphany will be celebrated at St. Philippine Duchesne Latin Mass Church, 5035 Rainbow Blvd., Westwood, at 7 p.m. on Jan. 6. Confessions will be heard 30 minutes before Mass.

6

Do you and your spouse need help with improving your communication skills? Marriage for Keeps, an outreach of Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, is returning to St. Paul Parish, Olathe. Marriage for Keeps offers education, support and resources for couples seeking to improve their marriage and strengthen their family. Workshops teach couples to communicate effectively, reduce conflict, connect emotionally and learn to better meet each other’s needs. Classes begin Jan. 7 and run seven consecutive Tuesdays through Feb. 18 from 6 - 8:30 p.m. Registration is required by calling (913) 621-5775, ext. 1105, or send an email to Donna at: dmills@catholiccharitiesks.org.

7

A 10-week divorce recovery class for women will be held on Wednesdays, Jan. 15 - March 26, from 7 - 8:30 p.m. at Church of the Ascension, Overland Park. For more information, contact Mary Ann Gaston at (913) 609-7794; send an email to: ma_ gaston@yahoo.com; or call Jean in the office at (913) 681-3348. Class size is limited. Share with women you may know who are struggling with divorce. The cost to attend is $85 for materials. Scholarships may be provided as needed.

15

St. Philippine Duchesne Knights of Columbus Assembly 2260 will host a winter formal from 7:30 - 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 18 at the Father Quigley Center on the Holy Trinity Church campus, 9201 Summit Rd., Lenexa.

The cost to attend is $18, which includes food and drinks. The “Fairfax Four” band will provide dance music. Dress will be dark suits/tie or tuxedos/social baldric for Knights and evening dresses or gowns for the women. Knights of any degree or any council/assembly are invited to attend. This is a chance to socialize with fellow Knights as we celebrate the start of a new year. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Bob Sherman at (913) 709-9671 or send an email to: bobby sherm@everestkc.net. Tickets will not be available at the door.

18

A New Year retreat focused on the new evangelization will be held Jan. 18 at Sanctuary of Hope Prayer and Retreat Center, 2601 Ridge Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The cost to attend is $30. For more information and for reservations, send an email to: julie@sanctuaryofhope.org or call (913) 321-4673.

Learn about and practice the ancient art of prayerful reading, 22-23 “lectio divina,” from Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. - Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. at Sophia Spirituality Center, 751 S. 8th St., Atchison. There will be time for sharing, silence, solitude and reflection. The retreat will be conducted by Sister Micaela Randolph, a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, director of the Souljourners program, a spiritual director and retreat leader. The cost to attend is $115. For more information or to register, call (913) 360-6151 or visit Sophia Spirituality Center’s website at: www.sophiaspiritualitycenter.org.

New Year’s Eve singles extravaganza - Dec. 31 from 8:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m., Holy Trinity Church hall, 9150 Pflumm Rd., Lenexa. Save $5 on advance tickets. For tickets and table reservations prior to Dec. 20, call John Stuart at (913) 219-3465. Includes DJ Zepster, delicious appetizers, beer, wine, soda, water and champagne at midnight!

The cost to attend is $40 at the door.

MISCELLANEOUS Donate a vehicle. Make a difference. Donate your vehicle to Catholic Charities to support those in need. Your tax-deductible donation of a vehicle helps children and families served by Catholic Charities and is an environmentally wise way to recycle your vehicle. Cars for KC Kids is a partnership between Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas and Catholic Charities of Kansas City - St. Joseph.

Call (866) 430-9499 or visit our website at: www.cars4kckids.com.

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

Renee Maderak, (913) 631-7179.

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

Call (913) 593-7507 or (913) 642-8269.

Will buy firearms and related accessories - One or a whole collection. Honest evaluation and top prices paid.

Contact Tom at (913) 238-2473. Member of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee.

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

K E A T I N G Mud Jacking FOUNDATION REPAIR

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Cracked • Bowed • Settled Wall Repair v Wall Bracing v Waterproofing v Steel Underpinning Kansas City (913) 262-9352

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v Patios v Drives v Garage Floors v Slab Houses Topeka (785) 246-0128

12/13

14 commentary Scripture Readings

theleaven.com | december 20, 2013

Dec. 22 fourth sunday of advent Is 7: 10-14 Ps 24: 1-6 Rom 1: 1-7 Mt 1: 18-24 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 Tuesday 2 Sm 7: 1-15, 8b-12, 14a, 16 Ps 89: 2-5, 27, 29 Lk 1: 67-79 Dec. 25 THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD Is 9: 1-6 Ps 96: 1-3, 11-13 Ti 2: 11-14 Lk 2: 1-14 Dec. 26 STEPHEN, THE FIRST MARTYR Acts 6: 8-10; 7: 54-59 Ps 31: 3cd-4, 6, 8ab, 16bc-17 Mt 10: 17-22 Dec. 27 JOHN, APOSTLE, EVANGELIST 1 Jn 1: 1-4 Ps 97: 1-2, 5-6, 11-12 Jn 20: 1a, 2-8 Dec. 28 THE HOLY INNOCENTS, MARTYRS 1 Jn 1: 5 – 2: 2 Ps 124: 2-5, 7c-8 Mt 2: 13-18

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as the church prays

mark my words

Fourth week of ADVENT

C

Ride on Jesus’ coattails this Christmas

hristmas is a time for stories.

While nothing could ever rival the story of the birth of Jesus, the continuing effects of the incarnation continue to impact the world. The following story — from an anonymous source — shows how contagious the true Spirit of this season can be.

The unnamed author writes: I remember my first Christmas adventure with Grandma. I was just a kid.

I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb. “There is no Santa Claus,” she jeered.

“Even dummies know that!”

My grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been.

I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. Grandma always told the truth, and that truth went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her “world-famous” cinnamon buns. I knew they were world famous, because Grandma said so. It had to be true.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything. She was ready for me.

“No Santa Claus?” she snorted. “Ridiculous. Don’t believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain

Father Mark Goldasich Father Mark Goldasich is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989. mad! Now, put on your coat, and let’s go.”

“Go where, Grandma?” I asked. Heck, I hadn’t even finished my second world-famous cinnamon bun.

“Where” turned out to be Kerby’s General Store, the one place in town that had a little bit of just about everything. As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me $10, which was a bundle of cash in those days. “Take this money,” she said, “and buy something for someone who needs it. I’ll wait for you in the car.” Then she turned and walked out of Kerby’s.

I was only 8 years old. I’d often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping. For a few moments, I just stood there, clutching that $10 bill, wondering what to buy, and

who to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, friends, neighbors, the kids at school, and the people who went to my church.

I was just about thought out, when suddenly Bobby Decker came to mind. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, who sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollack’s second-grade class. Bobby didn’t have a coat. I knew that because he never went out to recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but we kids all knew that Bobby didn’t have a cough; he just didn’t have a good coat. I fingered the $10 bill with growing excitement.

I would buy Bobby a coat!

I settled on a red corduroy one with a hood. It looked really warm, and he would like that. “Is this a Christmas present for someone?” the lady behind the counter asked, as I put my $10 down.

“Yes, ma’am,” I answered shyly. “It’s for . . . Bobby.”

The nice lady smiled at me, as I told her about how Bobby really needed a good winter coat. I didn’t get any change, but she put the coat in a bag, smiled again, and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat — a little tag fell out of it, and Grandma tucked that into her Bible — and then she

wrote, “To: Bobby. From: Santa Claus” on the package.

Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy.

Then she drove me over to the Decker house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever — officially — one of Santa’s helpers.

Grandma parked down the street from Bobby’s, and we crept noiselessly to the house and hid in the bushes by the front walk.

Then Grandma gave me a nudge. “All right, Santa Claus,” she whispered, “get going!”

I took a deep breath, dashed on the front porch, plopped the present down, pounded on Bobby’s door and then flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together, we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally, it did, and there stood a surprised and wideeyed Bobby.

Fifty years haven’t dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering beside my Grandma in Bobby Decker’s bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were: ridiculous. Santa was alive and well . . . and we were on his team.

By the way, I still have Grandma’s Bible, with the coat tag tucked inside: $19.95.

Merry Christmas!

In the beginning

S

Do we trust enough to depend on God?

ometimes, people will refuse a favor from someone else because they do not want to feel obligated to the other person.

It may be that the person refusing the favor wants to preserve his or her independence. The person resists being tied down.

In a sense, that is what is going on in this Sunday’s first reading, Is 7: 10-14. We overhear a dialogue between God and Ahaz, the king of Judah at the time. God invites Ahaz to ask for a sign that God will help him in his role as king. God will defeat his enemies.

Surprisingly enough, Ahaz refuses the offer: “I will not ask! I will not tempt

commentary 15

december 20, 2013 | theleaven.com

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

Sometimes, a guest at dinner will decline a second helping of food out of politeness, so as not to appear greedy. We might suspect that Ahaz is refusing God’s offer for similar motives. It sounds innocent enough.

But the prophet Isaiah

Pope francis People can say things that sound Christian and call themselves Christian as they tell others what to do, but if they don’t pray often and live the Gospel, they harm others and the church, Pope Francis said.

Concelebrating his morning Mass Dec. 5 with the eight members of the Council of Cardinals advising

reacts violently to Ahaz’s refusal: “Is it not enough for you to weary people, must you also weary my God?” By his refusal, Ahaz is showing a lack of trust in God. If Ahaz were to accept a sign from God, it would mean that he was depending on God. That is exactly what the prophet Isaiah had encouraged Ahaz to do in the verse preceding our reading: “Unless your faith is firm, you shall not be firm.”

In rejecting a sign from God, Ahaz is also rejecting God’s help. Ahaz does not want to depend upon God. Ahaz lacks faith in God. Despite Ahaz’s objections, Isaiah promises Ahaz that he will receive a sign. A child will be born to contin-

him on the reform of the Roman Curia and church governance, Pope Francis prayed that God would give all Christians “the grace of humility” to build their lives on the rock that is Christ.

According to Vatican Radio, the pope’s homily focused on the Gospel story of Jesus scolding the Pharisees who knew all of the commandments, but did not live them. Modern-day Pharisees know the right

ue the line of David. Presumably, this child would be an heir to the throne, to follow Ahaz as king.

Centuries later, Christian tradition would interpret this prophecy of Isaiah as referring to the child born of Mary, also of the line of David. In this case, the child’s birth would come as a sign to all of us of God’s love. It would be a sign of hope for the entire world, not just for Ahaz.

God offers us the sign, just as God did centuries ago to Ahaz. The question is: How will we receive the sign? Will we trust in God, and accept the sign in good faith? Or will we reject it, as did Ahaz?

words, he said, but by not putting them into practice, “they do harm; they trick us and make us believe that we have a beautiful home, but it is without a foundation” because it is not built on rock. “The rock is Jesus Christ. The rock is the Lord,” he said. “A word is strong, it gives life, it carries on, it withstands attacks if the word has its roots in Jesus Christ.”

— CNS

Express gratitude for Christ by participating in his sacraments

“A

nd the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

— Jn 1:14 The sacraments that we celebrate today began over two thousand years ago, with the incarnation of Jesus Christ. After all, are they not those outward, visible signs, instituted by Christ, which give grace? Of course they are.

And that is also what the Incarnation is. Jesus is an outward sign: “He is the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15).

Michael Podrebarac Michael Podrebarac is the archdiocesan consultant for the liturgy office Jesus is an outward sign, instituted by God: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son” (Jn 3:16).

Jesus is an outward sign, instituted by God, which gives grace: “And we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14).

The sacraments make Jesus truly present to us today. And not only that, they allow us to participate in what he makes present.

In the Eucharist, Jesus is present: offering himself for us, rising for our salvation, and giving us the bread of life to eat. He invites us to participate in his offering, abiding in us, and we in him, as we eat his flesh and drink his blood.

In baptism, Jesus is present: entering his tomb and then rising from it, the Father’s beloved son. And we also die with him, and rise with him, beloved sons and daughters of the Father in the Holy Spirit.

In confirmation, Jesus makes Pentecost present

to us, and we receive those same gifts of the Holy Spirit as did the apostles. And with such gifts come great responsibilities.

In reconciliation, the same Jesus who said to the woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you, go, and sin no more,” says to us, “And I absolve you from your sins. Go in peace.” And we who have been forgiven must also forgive.

In the anointing of the sick, Jesus the great physician is there to heal us in the way we need most, and we are given the privilege of joining our sufferings to his passion, carrying our own cross by his help.

In holy orders the ministry of Jesus our high priest

is borne through ordinary yet chosen men that the people of God might be served by the Lord himself. In a particular way, the ordained no longer themselves live, but Christ lives in them, and they are crucified with him (cf. Gal 2:20).

In holy matrimony, the complementarity between God and humanity is expressed through that of man and woman, and they participate in this most sacred and natural covenant.

This Christmas, thank God for the Incarnation.

And thank him also for the sacraments. And then participate in them like never before.

Called to Discipleship

I

True hospitality is a hallmark of discipleship

have never seen a Nativity display with an innkeeper depicted.

Animals, shepherds, the Magi, angels, Jesus, Mary and Joseph are all there, but no innkeeper. Based on the Gospel accounts, it comes as no surprise for the innkeeper to be absent. The innkeeper did not accommodate the Holy Family so Our Lady gave birth to Our Lord outside the inn.

As the Evangelist Luke described, “She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Lk 2:7).

The challenge for us today

Father Andrew Strobl Father Andrew Strobl is the archdiocesan director of evangelization.

is to be more accommodating than the innkeeper. It sounds good to be welcoming and hospitable at Christmas.

However, unless we are intentional about welcoming our neighbor this Christmas, we might resemble the inn-

keeper more than a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Here’s a brief examination about hospitality this Christmas: 1) Have I prayed and sacrificed for my neighbor’s return to Christ this Christmas?

2) Have I refrained from snide comments or jokes about “Christmas and Easter Catholics”?

3) Have I invited anyone to an Advent penance service or Christmas Mass?

4) Am I willing to sacrifice and go to a less convenient Christmas Mass time so my neighbor can be better accommodated?

5) If able, will I select a parking spot furthest away from the church so my neighbor can have the closer spot?

6) Do I look forward to greeting unfamiliar faces in the gathering area?

7) Will I move to the center of the pew without being prompted by an usher or choose to stand so my neighbor can sit?

8) Do I plan on thanking God after holy Communion for the larger crowds at Christmas Mass?

Intentional hospitality is a mark of authentic discipleship. As our first pope explained, “The end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be serious and sober for prayers. Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. As each one has

received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Pt 4:7-10).

Pope Francis maintains the call to intentional hospitality.

In his apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”), he states: “The Church must be a place of mercy freely given, where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live the good life of the Gospel.” May we welcome our neighbor this Christmas with more warmth than Jesus, Mary and Joseph received at the inn on the first Christmas. If the innkeeper had given his own room to the Holy Family, our Nativity displays would look much different today.

16 local news

theleaven.com | december 20, 2013

Prayer wave

Students at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth participated in the global Wave of Prayer called for by Pope Francis to raise awareness of global hunger on Dec. 10. Saint Mary staff from campus ministry and the department of mission — along with students — led the prayer in USM’s St. Joseph Dining Hall. All in the university community were also encouraged to say a short prayer when they heard the university bells ring at noon. Above, Dr. Joe Snyder, director of mission at USM, leads students and staff in prayer.

network meeting

Leaven Photo by joe mcsorley

Dan Spencer, co-founder and executive director of the Heart of America Catholic Business Network, chats with Maggie Mohrfeld, director of development at Bishop Ward High School, following a network meeting Dec. 10 at Avila University in Kansas City, Mo.

Leaven Photo by Elaina Cochran

Festival of lessons

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann enjoys the vocal ensemble Sursum Corda as they perform the St. Nicholas Festival of Lessons and Carols on Dec. 3 at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kan.

Laurie Oswald Robinson, a member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Newton in the Diocese of Wichita, logs onto the 50 Million Names website to honor babies who have been aborted in the United States by naming them. Robinson is an advisory board member of 50 Million Names. Her friend Charlotte Ostermann, a parishioner of St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center in Lawrence, launched this grass-roots effort to recognize the dignity of these babies and show that “violence is not the end of the story.” A Mass was celebrated Dec. 12 at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kan., followed by a launch party, where computers were set up so attendees could enter names as well as commit themselves to various spiritual practices in the babies’ honor. To participate, visit the website at: www.50millionnames.org.

Leaven Photo by Jessica Langdon

50 Million Names