God himself, assuming human nature, Choosing birth in a stable in Bethlehem —
“The House of Bread.”
He makes himself present to his disciples
“Until the end of time,”
Humbly appearing as a simple piece of bread.
Still entering our humanity
That we may share in his divinity.
Especially at this time of Eucharistic Revival, May we be filled with thanksgiving For the gift of the Eucharist — The Bread of Life!
Merry Christmas and a joyous New Year!
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann
ARTWORK BY CHRIS LEWIS/ BARITUSCATHOLIC.COM
Fertile soil helped Guadalupe devotion blossom
When I was the priest pro-life director for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, a local businessman made a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City.
The apparition of Our Lady in Guadalupe had precipitated the conversion of millions of Native Americans to convert to Catholicism and also brought an end to the polytheism, human sacrifice and polygamy that were prevalent in the Indigenous culture.
The man was convinced that Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe, was the key to ending legalized abortion, the brutal human sacrifice of our time. The killing of millions of our own children by abortion is the fruit of a godless, secular culture.
At the time, the largest abortion clinic in St. Louis was Reproductive Health, located in a large office building in the central west end of St. Louis, not far from the cathedral basilica. This man rented space in the same office building and established the Juan Diego Shop, ostensibly to sell artifacts made in Mexico. In the rear of the Juan Diego Shop was a chapel where the owner invited priests to celebrate Mass, praying for an end to abortion in that building.
In less than a year, stories began to appear in the local secular newspaper that
ARCHBISHOP
JOSEPH F. NAUMANN
Reproductive Health was having both financial difficulties and was afflicted with poor staff morale. Reproductive Health was eventually purchased by Planned Parenthood and moved to a free-standing building.
Several years later, Planned Parenthood in St. Louis relocated to Illinois because of Missouri legislation that restricted and regulated abortion facilities. Sadly, with the recent passage of an amendment to the Missouri Constitution, legalized abortion is returning to Missouri.
This year on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, I attended a lecture by Joseph and Monique Gonzalez, authors of the book “Guadalupe and the Flower World Prophecy.” The subtitle is: “How God Prepared the Americas for Conversion before the Lady Appeared.” Joseph is an award-winning composer who has written musical scores for both movies and television. In the introduction for the book, Joseph
LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS
Jubilee 2025
described driving on I-5 in California in the early 1990s, when he began hearing a piece of music in his mind. He became so distracted that he was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol and received a speeding ticket. From this highway inspiration, Joseph composed a concert Mass entitled “Misa Azteca” that musically portrayed the worlds of the Spanish and the Indigenous Mesoamerican cultures coming together.
His research for writing this composition brought him into contact with “Cantares Mexicanos” (“Songs of the Aztecs”). The Franciscan missionaries had collected about 180 song/poems that were part of the Aztec culture before the arrival of the Spanish explorers. He discovered a song/poem that had remarkable parallels to the Guadalupe apparition. Joseph was disturbed by the existence of this song/ poem that predated the Guadalupe event. He also became aware that many university professors in Mexico taught college students that Guadalupe was a fraud, an adaptation by the Franciscan
The Jubilee Year 2025, proclaimed by Pope Francis on May 9, will open on Christmas Eve with the rite of the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. Here in northeast Kansas, Catholics will have the opportunity to attend the opening of the Holy Door at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Kansas City, Kansas, by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann on Dec. 29 at 10 a.m. For more coverage of the Jubilee Year, look for the Jan. 10 issue of The Leaven.
missionaries of a prior legend as a means of converting the Indigenous people.
Joseph and his wife Monique began researching both the history of the Guadalupe appearance as well as the philosophy and song/poems of Mesoamerican culture. After weighing the available evidence, it became clear to Joseph and Monique that it was impossible for the Guadalupe event to have been fabricated. Instead, they became convinced that God had prepared the Mesoamerican people to embrace Christianity through the philosophical concepts and symbolism of their culture.
The Mesoamerican Indigenous people conceived of heaven as an incredibly beautiful place filled with iridescent flowers and colorful songbirds. Some of the song/poems depicted a noble hero attempting to find and enter the Flower World. In their poetry, the heroes were never able to make it to the Flower World. It was also part of their worldview that the Flower World Heaven was only accessible to royalty and nobility.
The Guadalupe apparition included both miraculously beautiful flowers and colorful songbirds. The beautiful
ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN’S CALENDAR
Dec. 20
“Quo Vadis” — Savior
Dec. 24
Christmas Eve Mass — cathedral
Dec. 25
Christmas Day Mass — St. Agnes, Roeland Park
Dec. 26
Vespers and dinner with seminarians — residence
Dec. 29
Solemn opening of the Jubilee Year — cathedral
Dec. 30
Archbishop George Joseph Lucas anniversary dinner (25 years - episcopal anniversary; 50 years - priestly ordination) — Omaha, Nebraska
Jan. 2
SEEK 25 — Salt Lake City
Jan. 4
Region IX bishops’ retreat — Oceanside, California
Jan. 12
Baptism of third or more child — cathedral
Jan. 13
“Shepherd’s Voice” recording — chancery
royal lady, who is both a virgin and pregnant, leads Juan Diego to the treasured flowers.
Mary arranged the flowers in Juan Diego’s tilma, and it is her miraculous image that appeared on the tilma. Juan Diego, the hero, is not of nobility but a simple peasant. For the Mesoamericans, when they heard the song/poem describing the Guadalupe event featuring Juan Diego, a peasant hero who discovered the entrance to the Flower World, they are overjoyed because it revealed that heaven is open not only to the royals, but to the poor as well.
It was not the Franciscan missionaries who popularized Guadalupe, but the Indigenous people who recounted the miraculous apparition in song. The mass conversions of millions overwhelmed the missionaries. Millions came not only seeking baptism, but were also determined to change their lives. They renounced polytheism, human sacrifice and polygamy.
I encourage you to read “Guadalupe and the Flower World Prophecy.” It is meticulously researched. It reveals why Our Lady’s appearance at Guadalupe resulted in mass conversions. God had prepared the former
pagan Mesoamericans to embrace Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, who came as one of their own and carried in her womb the one God. The Guadalupe apparition is unique among all Marian appearances because it is the only one where Mary gave an image of herself.
Pope John Paul II declared Our Lady of Guadalupe as the patroness of the Americas and of the New Evangelization. He stated that it was in prayer before the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that it became clear to him that he was called to be a missionary pope. We need to seek Our Lady of Guadalupe’s intercession to end abortion (modern child sacrifice), to restore the dignity and importance of marriage as the foundation of the family, and to convert and bring back to her Son millions who have lost faith in the Gospel. Mary always leads us to Jesus, who alone can heal the epidemics of loneliness, anxiety and depression that are so prevalent in our secular culture.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us! St. Juan Diego, pray for us!
CHRISTGIVING
Biennial reunion keeps family, faith as its focus
By Jill Ragar Esfeld jill.esfeld@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — This year, the Dieker family, hailing from St. Teresa Parish in Westphalia, had a very special way of ushering in the season of Advent.
Eighty family members from throughout the region gathered at the Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kansas, for a weekend of sharing meals, games and their Catholic faith.
On the final evening, they participated in a live rosary and Nativity play followed by a talent show.
Then, everyone from oldest uncles to the youngest cousins exchanged stockings filled with homemade treats and trinkets.
The celebration culminated with a lively rendition of “Winter Wonderland” on kazoos.
The next morning they gathered for Advent Sunday Mass.
It’s not the first time the Diekers have celebrated this way. As a matter of fact, they’ve done it for 50 years.
They call it Christgiving.
“The idea of Christgiving is not really Christmas,” said Father James Dieker, pastor of multiple parishes in the Diocese of Dodge City. “It’s not really Thanksgiving.
“It’s about keeping tradition alive, the tradition of sharing and caring about other people more than yourself.”
Father Dieker is one of nine siblings raised on a farm in Westphalia. Their parents were devout Catholics who wanted to keep their children always close to each other and to their faith.
“My mother started this tradition,” said Father Dieker’s sister, Janet Dieker Huss. “Our family was moving away and getting married; it became impossible to get us all together for Christmas.”
To make sure her children reunited at least once every two years, Dorothy Dieker came up with a unique solution.
She started making stockings — green for the boys and red for the girls.
In every even-numbered year, Dorothy declared the family would gather
[CHRISTGIVING IS] ABOUT KEEPING TRADITION ALIVE, THE TRADITION OF SHARING AND CARING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE MORE THAN YOURSELF.
FATHER JAMES DIEKER
during the Thanksgiving holidays, before the Christmas bustle began. They would spend a few days together,
sharing meals, playing games, and participating in Mass, rosaries, a live Nativity and sharing stockings.
The weekend would culminate with the first Advent Mass.
“And so, we knew [to reserve] every other year on Thanksgiving,” said Janet. “That was our time for our whole family to be there.
“So at Christmas, we could spend our time with the other sides of the family.”
When Dorothy died in 2012, her children committed to continuing the tradition in honor of her deep faith and love of family.
Janet took over making stockings as the family continued to grow.
“This year, I had six to make, because we’ve had four babies and two
weddings,” she said.
At first, the celebration took place at the farmhouse. But soon, the family outgrew it and moved to an event venue.
This year, with 80 family members committed to come, the family gathered at Savior Pastoral Center.
“I think this is a very important effort of our family to stay intertwined, to stay aware of each other’s needs,” said Father Dieker. “It’s a chance to share our faith as we share our social time together.
“The sharing of gifts is so important to us that we include it also.”
And what’s in all those stockings? You never know.
>> See “DECEASED” on page 7
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD
As part of the family Christgiving talent show, Father Jim Dieker holds his relatives spellbound with the recitation of a traditional fairy tale.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD
Kelsie and Archie Huskey help their son Clement unpack his Christgiving stocking.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD
Displaying their talents are, from left: Emma Tattershall, Libby Huskey and Archie Huskey. Behind the performers, Dalton Tattershall holds Leonidas Tattershall.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD
The Dieker Family stockings are hung on Thanksgiving, and family members spend two days sneaking around and filling them with surprise gifts.
Crosier Society members honored as ACTS set to celebrate 50th
By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org
TOPEKA — He’s becoming “a little bit more generous.”
Well, at least that’s his hope, as he tries to honor his late wife Liz, who he said was “a generous, saintly kind of person.”
That’s why Jerry Bessette, a member of Christ the King Parish in Topeka, said he became one of the nearly 2,200 member families of the Crosier Society this year.
Established in 1998 with 230 member families, the Crosier Society represents those across the archdiocese who have donated to the Archbishop’s Call to Share either 1% of the family’s income or made a financial gift of at least $1,000.
“Archbishop [James P.] Keleher started the Crosier Society in 1998 just as a way to thank and recognize the leaders who are supporting the archdiocese,” said Lisa McKelvey, the archdiocese’s director of stewardship and development.
Member families not only make generous financial gifts to the fundraising campaign, she said, but “get up and speak at the end of Mass and encourage their fellow parishioners to support the appeal. They answer questions. They speak highly about the appeal, or they’ve served on committees or as champions for the appeal in the past.
“So, really,” she said, [the Crosier Society is] just a group of people who are advocates for the appeal outside of [the] archbishop, myself and the pastors. They’re people who are lay advocates for the ministries that are supported by the appeal.”
Those members, including Bessette, were invited to participate in one of two Masses of thanksgiving — one on Nov. 19 at St. Joseph Church in Shawnee; the other on Dec. 3 at Most Pure Heart of Mary.
The Masses also served as two of several kickoff events for the 2025 Arch bishop’s Call to Share campaign. Begun in 1975 by Archbishop Ignatius J. Strecker, the annual campaign funds more than 40 ministries and programs across the archdiocese’s 107 parishes.
Campus Center at the University of Kansas in Lawrence or the Didde Catholic Campus Center at Emporia State University, Cor Christi relies almost entirely on funds from the Archbishop’s Call to Share, said Father Rhodes.
In addition to celebrating the sacraments, Father Rhodes said his chaplaincy work involves Bible studies, group discussions and “plenty of social events to really build a Catholic community at the campus center. It’s not just supposed to be the place where they come for Sunday Mass. We want to be much more. It’s our goal to walk with these students, and it’s bearing a lot of fruit.”
After each Mass, a program led by McKelvey followed, during which the 40 ministries funded partially or entirely through the Archbishop’s Call to Share were highlighted.
“These events are opportunities to say thank you,” McKelvey said prior to the event. “I don’t think we do that enough. It’s an opportunity for us to say thank you, but it’s also an opportunity to show everyone the wonderful work that is happening across the archdiocese because of their support. We ask for gifts for Call to Share. Everyone knows that archbishop and the archdiocese are going to put the money to good work, but I think this is a chance for us to show the faces and tell the stories of the impact of those gifts.”
For example, at the event in Shawnee, Deacon Dana Nearmyer, director of the archdiocese’s evangelization office, explained the various programs that fall under his purview — and their impact. In Topeka, Father George Rhodes, the associate pastor of Most Pure Heart and chaplain at Cor Christi Catholic Center at Washburn University spoke. Because it is considerably smaller than either the St. Lawrence Catholic
Last year, Father Rhodes said, two students who came to the center joined the Catholic Church. This year, one student will be confirmed while others are making inquiries into the Catholic faith.
“All of that is possible because of Call to Share,” he said. “It’s a wonderful experience for me as a spiritual father to walk with some of these Catholic young adults in their own faith life. Some of them, even though they grew up Catholic, never really owned their faith until they came to the campus center.
“So, the potential for the rest of their lives to be filled with a relationship with Jesus and the fact that we get to be a formative part of that is really just the grace of God.”
Gratitude, Bessette said, works the other way, too.
Hearing the archbishop and Father Rhodes speak during the evening made Bessette feel even more thankful that his financial gift can touch the lives of so many.
“There’s a lot of different programs that benefit [from a contribution],” he said. “It’s well worth it. You can help out so many people in so many ways.”
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann celebrates a Mass of thanksgiving with the Crosier Society at Most Pure Heart of Mary Church, Topeka, on Dec. 3. The Crosier Society represents those across the archdiocese who have donated either 1% of the family’s income or made a financial gift of at least $1,000 to the Archbishop’s Call to Share. Pictured with the archbishop are, from left, Father George Rhodes, associate pastor of Most Pure Heart; Father Anthony Saiki, master of ceremonies; and servers Philip Tappan and Joseph Newport.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
Father George Rhodes, associate pastor of Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish and chaplain at Cor Christi Catholic Center at Washburn University in Topeka, spoke at a program after Mass about the ministries funded by the Archbishop’s Call to Share. The annual campaign funds more than 40 ministries and programs across the archdiocese’s 107 parishes.
Prayers, Providence, the Blessed Mother and guardian angel prevail
By Therese Horvat Special to The Leaven
SHAWNEE. — Nick Vallejo has a lot that he’s thankful for this Christmas season. The parishioner of Sacred Heart Parish here turned 36 on his recent birthday.
And he’s happy to be alive. Giving credit where credit’s due, he acknowledges his wife and family, his employer, and — by all means — his good friends, the Blessed Mother and his guardian angel. This was the A-team that saw him through the aftermath of a life-threatening accident and on the path to healing and recovery.
Life-threatening accident
On the morning of Dec. 21, 2021, Vallejo was traveling to visit his son who was having surgery at Children’s Mercy Hospital. He was driving eastbound on I-70 in western Wyandotte County when out of the blue, a vehicle jumped the median and struck his 2005 Toyota Camry head-on. Vallejo has no recollection of the accident.
From what people have told him and from the dash cam of a nearby vehicle that captured the accident, an explosion occurred at the point of impact. Paramedics arrived quickly at the scene and transported Vallejo, who was critically injured, by ambulance to KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. The driver of the other vehicle sustained no major injuries.
When his parents, Sharon and Dennis Vallejo, arrived at the emergency room, they inquired about injuries to their son’s knee, which was split down the middle from striking the dashboard. They learned, however, that his severed aorta was of much greater concern, as he was hanging on to his life by a thread.
Dennis, a retired police senior master patrolman, explained that in most high-impact accidents the seatbelt will tear the aorta, and the victim will die. Sharon, president of Catholic Cemeteries of Northeast Kansas, turned straight to prayer.
“I was scared and made promises with God that if he could please let Nick make it through the injuries and surgeries and not take my son from me,” she said, “I would make any sacrifice.“
Counting on the Blessed Mother
The prayers and God’s providence prevailed. Vallejo remained hospitalized for nine days, five of which were in intensive care. He underwent
off from their jobs to help care for him in his home.
In September 2022, McLane Trucking, his employer in Shawnee, welcomed him back on the job. He had worked in logistics at the company since 2018. He returned to the role of supervisor over the warehouse.
“I felt blessed that McLane took me back with open arms,” he said. “They have been a wonderful company to work for and were very good to me throughout my recovery.”
Not his time
Three years after the accident, Vallejo’s left side remains numb and tingling due to permanent nerve damage. Since the accident, he said his faith has strengthened and his relationship with God is much stronger.
“I have more frequent talks with God,” he added. “I know he has a plan for me.”
The experience made Vallejo look at life differently and not take any days or any people for granted.
I HAVE MORE FREQUENT TALKS WITH GOD. I KNOW HE HAS A PLAN FOR ME. . . . YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO BE CALLED HOME.
SACRED
NICK VALLEJO
HEART PARISH, SHAWNEE
surgeries to repair his aorta, knee and wrist. His recovery journey had just begun. Home therapy followed for at least four months. He was off work for nine months.
Throughout this time, he
said he kept asking himself, “‘Why me? Why didn’t God let me die?’ So many people, including my doctors, told me that I should have died from this accident and that hardly anyone makes it back from an aorta tear.”
Members of the Vallejo family are no strangers to near-death experiences. Following a similar occurrence of his own, Vallejo’s grandfather said that his first sight was of the Blessed Mother, and that it was the most beautiful experience he had ever had — so much so, that he didn’t want to return to life. But the senior Vallejo was told that his time on earth was not yet over. That story stuck with his grandson through the years.
Devotion to the Blessed Mother, in fact, has been passed down the generations
of the Vallejo family. Vallejo’s father Dennis gave him a Marian medal to wear when he was in the military and stationed in Afghanistan. Dennis’ mother had brought the medal from Rome and had originally given it to him.
When the chain broke in the war zone, Vallejo asked his parents for a speedy replacement.
“Wearing the medal, I felt safe, and I knew the Blessed Mother would protect me from harm’s way,” he said.
After the 2021 accident, Vallejo believes that his faith and his love for the Blessed Mother sustained him and kept him going — along with the support of people closest to him. His girlfriend Codi, who is now his wife, was by his side through it all. His parents, brother and sister took days
“You never know when you are going to be called home,” he said.
His mother is convinced that God was watching over her son. When she and her husband retrieved their son’s personal belongings from the totaled vehicle, they found a guardian angel holy card under the driver’s seat. Vallejo said the card had been in the console of the vehicle since he purchased it from his sisterin-law.
“How it got under the seat is a mystery and a miracle,” he said. “I know we all have our own personal guardian angels, and I believe mine was with me for sure that day.”
“It wasn’t time,” said Sharon Vallejo gratefully, “for Nick to go home to God.”
Nick Vallejo belongs to Sacred Heart Parish in Shawnee.
COURTESY PHOTO
When Nick Vallejo’s parents were gathering his belongings from his totaled car, they found this guardian angel holy card under the driver’s seat.
COURTESY PHOTO
On Dec. 21, 2021, Nick Vallejo was involved in a life-threatening car accident. Nick believes that his faith and his love for the Blessed Mother sustained him and kept him going.
My first job out of college was teaching at a Catholic school in a small town.
I was at that point in life — barely 22 — when I was questioning my faith. But something about the music and joy of the weekly Masses in the school gym called to me. And the young priest who offered Mass challenged me.
“The peace of Christ be with you,” he would say, adding, “And may the unrest of Christ be with you.”
What did that mean? It took me a while to realize that the missing nugget of my faith quest was encapsulated in those words.
That unrest of Christ surfaced in me recently when I stumbled upon an amazing story in the Nov. 14 issue of Esquire magazine.
“My Life as a Homeless Man in America: A Firsthand Account of What Homelessness in America is Really Like,” is the compelling story of Patrick Fealey’s struggle.
From the first paragraph, in which you meet Fealey in a portable potty on a brutally cold and windy night, his impressive writing skills have you hooked.
Why is a man with such skills homeless? He is open about the mental breakdown he experienced several years ago. He persisted, for a while, in successful freelance
work for publications like the Boston Globe and Reuters, but eventually illness and the effects of the menu of drugs necessary to keep him alive caught up with him.
Today, he lives out of his car, subsists on Social Security disability and continues writing on his “desk,” an overturned guitar. Pictures accompany the piece: a rugged face covered in stubble, rumpled hair, clothing that gets laundered infrequently. Let’s be honest. If we saw him on the street, we’d probably avoid him. And therein lies the problem: People without housing are invisible to most, and often judged unfairly when noticed. A dentist seems to suspect Fealey of seeking opioids, even though he presents terrible pain and a grossly swollen jaw.
This is the America in which we live: The homeless population expands, and affordable housing, even for the employed, shrinks. What will this look like in the coming years?
Unsmiling staff in agencies place him on housing waiting lists he might be on for years. He feels threatened in a homeless shelter where he goes for a shower.
“The despair in the shelter is contagious,” Fealey writes.
One day, a woman offers him half of her meatball sub, a glorious departure from
the peanut butter and jelly sandwich eaten daily from his trunk.
But she was, said Fealey, “the only person in six months to offer help.”
Two positives: Fealey has a dog, and an emotionally supportive girlfriend. But despite her full-time position as a clerk at a hotel, she couldn’t afford her rent and moved in with her parents.
I know many folks whose children went to Catholic schools. One of them, a kid who went to a Jesuit university, loved the social justice advocacy at his institution. But when he got out, he couldn’t find the same enthusiasm for action in parishes. There are many reasons young people have left the church — abuse and
cover-up being high on the list. But for many, the church as an institution has not, since the days of civil rights advocacy, answered Christ’s call to be proactive in addressing many major social issues of our time.
I’m not talking about charity. We’re good at that. I’m talking about change. Christ was consistently with those on the margins. As a church, as parishes, as individuals, if we are not on those margins, we’re not being faithful. We need to start feeling some unrest.
EFFIE CALDAROLA Effie
and grandmother who
her master’s degree in
from Seattle University.
Deceased loved ones remembered at reunion
>> Continued from page 3
“We’ll have them hanging the minute we get there,” said Janet. “Everybody puts in and we try to be sneaky about it.
“Maybe somebody gets up early or stays up late at night, and you’ll see them putting something in the stockings.”
It may be homemade jams or snack mixes or honey; a new toothbrush from the niece who is a dentist; a carved treasure from the aunt who is a woodworker. Sometimes there are lottery tickets, and it’s always a religious item from Father Dieker.
This year, of course, somebody put in kazoos.
“It’s very important that we have a chance to celebrate as a family,” said Father Dieker. “You notice we remember our [deceased] parents and our brother Don who were so much a part of our family.”
Indeed, the family still hangs the stockings of their parents and brother. They fill these stockings with Mass cards.
“The grace of being in a large family is you learn how to be in the family of the church,” said Father Dieker. “It is so essential to be able to accept everyone, to invite them in anyway you can; and to always leave the door open for them to be part of it.”
What would Dorothy think of this continued celebration?
“She would be so proud,” said Janet. “She just loved to keep our family together.
“She just loved family.”
Search underway for proposed new Catholic medical school
ATCHISON — In a significant step toward completing a proposed new medical school, Benedictine College here is looking to hire a dean.
This is the latest in a series of milestones reached by the proposed Benedictine College School of Osteopathic Medicine on its campus.
“Last June, Benedictine College’s board of directors made the bold decision to move forward with a proposed medical school as part of Benedictine College rather than as an independent school,” said Benedictine College president Stephen D. Minnis. “In the months since, we are more convinced than ever that this was a correct and visionary decision.”
Minnis announced the proposed new medical school in a June 17 article he wrote for USA Today. Minnis said that the college’s Transform Culture in America plan — created by the board of directors, faculty and staff of the college and launched in 2021 — calls for the college to focus on STEM fields, bioethics and health care initiatives.
The move comes on the heels of the college opening a new 100,000-squarefoot building designed to be the finest small college STEM facility in America. The school already has a successful premed program, and its School of Nursing is ranked as the best in Kansas.
The college has partnered with organizations with national success
records in accreditation and fundraising to ensure this project succeeds.
The mission of the proposed school of osteopathic medicine commits it “to educate medical students within a community of faith and scholarship to become skilled physicians dedicated to the physical, spiritual and mental well-being of all individuals, in fidelity to the healing and teaching ministry of Jesus Christ through the magisterial teachings of the Catholic Church.”
The college’s search for a dean looks for a leader of “a distinctively Catholic
Sister loved serving the people of God throughout her life
LEAVENWORTH — Sister Letitia Lenherr, 91, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth for 72 years, died on Nov. 29. Born Letitia Ann Lenherr on April 18, 1933, in St. Marys, she was the fourth of seven children of Paul J. and Regina Lenherr.
Following in the footsteps of her sister, the late Sister Mary Cecilia Lenherr, SCL, Letitia entered religious life on Aug. 22, 1952, taking the name Sister Mary Duchesne upon receiving her habit. Later, she returned to her baptismal name.
Sister Letitia often attributed her deep faith to her parents, who gave her “roots to grow and wings to fly.” Growing up, strong Catholic values and close friendships with the local Jesuit priests shaped her faith life and spiritual journey. She cherished her early, formative years, frequently reflecting on treasured memories of family, faith and conversations about God that remained close to her heart.
Sister Letitia joined the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth when she was 19. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Saint Mary College in Leavenworth, and taught for nearly two decades in elementary schools across Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Wyoming.
In the mid-1970s, Sister Letitia’s ministry shifted to full-time parish work throughout the West and Midwest, a role that exercised her love for serving God’s people. She was particularly devoted to her 14-year ministry at St. Matthew Parish in Gillette, Wyoming, where she cared for the sick and elderly and taught and facilitated parish groups.
She loved the outdoors and open spaces and often talked about the beautiful and magnificent mountain ranges. She was attentive to where she was and where she served, and said in a 1991 article for the Wyoming Catholic Register: “The more aware I become, the more beautiful life becomes. Life is right now — this moment only! It is in the moment that we find our God.”
Sister Letitia returned to the motherhouse in Leavenworth in 2011, where she engaged in volunteer ministry. She retired in 2022 and loved her life there, ever deepening her relationship with God, with Sisters she lived with and with the staff she got to know.
medical school at Benedictine College, fostering a program dedicated to academic excellence, compassionate care, and the integration of faith and science.”
Interested candidates or those wishing to nominate a qualified individual for the position of founding dean of the Benedictine College School of Osteopathic Medicine are encouraged to submit a letter of interest and a current curriculum vitae by email to: BC Medical@benedictine.edu.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD
Marlo Holloway practices playing a kazoo she found in her Christgiving stocking.
Sister Letitia Lenherr, SCL
PHOTO COURTESY OF BENEDICTINE COLLEGE
Benedictine College is looking for a dean for its proposed School of Osteopathic Medicine on its campus in Atchison.
HELPING THE FORGOTTEN ONES
Poor of Jesus Christ take ministry to the streets
By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — “There are places in the world that we feel like God’s love can’t get to,” said Father Aaron Waldeck, associate pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood.
One of those places, he said, is Cracolândia, a region in São Palo, Brazil, where hundreds or more people suffering from addiction congregate.
“It’s desolate,” said Father Waldeck. “It’s like hell on earth. It’s basically the worst thing I’ve ever seen.
“But Christ’s love does go there, because they go there. They go.”
“They” are the Sisters and Friars of the Fraternity the Poor of Jesus Christ, a religious community founded in Brazil in 2001.
Wamego native Sally Savery, now Sister Magdalena, was the community’s first American Sister who opened the mission in Kansas City, Kansas.
She’s now serving in Brazil, while four Sisters and three friars continue the mission in Kansas City.
A hopeful presence
On a cold and rainy Saturday, men and women experiencing homelessness were given a chance to get off the streets and join in a special celebration.
The annual Christmas party and meal with the poor, hosted by the Poor of Jesus and a team of around 100 volunteers, was
Get in touch
To learn more about the Sisters Poor of Jesus Christ, visit their website at: sisterspoorofjesuschrist.com.
Those interested in donating to their ministry can do so online at: sisterspoorofjesuschrist.com/donate or by mailing a check to: Poor of Jesus Christ, 2226 Troup Ave., Kansas City, KS 66104.
held Dec. 14 at the former Blessed Sacrament School in Kansas City, Kansas.
Guests were treated to a hot shower and given a warm coat. Men lined up for haircuts while women got both their hair and nails done. They played games, with everybody taking home a prize, and were entertained by a children’s choir.
The hot meal was donated by the New Theatre & Restaurant in Overland Park.
“It’s an experience they don’t get to have as often as they should,” said Jerry Immethun, a volunteer from Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa.
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann offered a blessing before the meal, thanking the Sisters, friars and volunteers for putting it together.
“Thanks to all of our guests for coming today,” he said, “and celebrating this special time of year — this feast where we commemorate how God pursues us, how he seeks us out and how he was born into humble circumstances.
“He identifies with all of us in our humanity.”
The day is one of many ways the mem-
bers of the Poor of Jesus are taking care of their neighbors in need.
“When they come, they are in these dirty clothes — they’re dirty themselves,” said Sister Maria Dolores of the Eucharistic Heart. “And when they leave, they leave smiling, not hungry anymore, with bags of clothes.”
It’s a moment of respite from the struggles of living on the streets, she said.
“For a second, they forget everything else,” said Sister Maria Dolores. “Just for
this second, heaven’s come to them.”
Chris Hillyer, a parishioner of St. Michael, said the experience helps him enter more deeply into Advent.
“Having the opportunity to serve Christ in the poor and to be Christ to those who have so little is the best Christmas gift I could receive,” he said. “And for that I am filled with gratitude for the Sisters and friars of the Poor of Jesus Christ.”
Father Waldeck said the party shows what the Sisters’ presence means to the
COURTESY PHOTO
Sister Servant, foundress of the Fraternity the Poor of Jesus Christ, places a ring on Sister Maria Dolores during a Mass on Oct. 19, when she and 16 other women took their perpetual vows.
From left, Sister Talya, Sister Maria Goretti, Sister Sentinelle, Sister Maria Dolores and Father Aaron women took their perpetual vows during a Mass at Our Lady of Aparecida in São Paulo on Oct. 19.
Sister Maria Dolores of the Fraternity the Poor of Jesus Christ and Father Aaron Waldeck, associate Christmas with the poor party and meal on Dec. 14 at the former Blessed Sacrament School in Kansas
community.
“They’re reminding people of who they are,” he said, “reminding people that they’re loved, they’re seen, that they’re human beings.
“And that they also deserve to have someone take care of them.”
Solidifying a calling
On Oct. 19, Sister Maria Dolores and Sister Talya of the Immaculate Heart of
swered the call to serve a community 5,000 miles from home.
“Following the Lord is an adventure in a lot of ways,” he said.
A bridge to the poor
The Poor of Jesus offer something everybody needs, said Immethun: hope.
Mary took their perpetual vows during a Mass at Our Lady of Aparecida in São Paulo.
Father Waldeck, who was ordained in May, got to know the Sisters during a pastoral internship year of seminary at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, which neighbors their convent.
He traveled to Brazil to witness their vows.
Sister Maria Dolores, who first joined the Poor of Jesus at age 18, was grateful he and other friends and family made the journey.
“It’s the most important day of our lives,” she said.
Sister Talya, who joined the community when she was 17, was elated when the moment arrived.
“It was [such] an amazing experience,” she said. “It’s so special for me.”
And it was a long time coming.
The Poor of Jesus initially offered four years of formation before women professed first vows, until a couple years ago when a decision was made to have perpetual vows for those with six years of simple vows.
Taking the next step was an easy decision for Sister Maria Dolores and Sister Talya, who are both from Brazil.
“I decided to enter in the Poor of Jesus first of all for the service to the poor,” said Sister Talya. “God called me to do this.”
During their visit to Brazil, Father Waldeck caught a glimpse of the order’s radical ministry when visiting Cracolândia, and it shaped his own priesthood.
“The priesthood is God’s love being brought to humanity,” he said. “And that’s a huge reminder to me all the time now.
“Even the worst place imaginable, even the worst situation that I get called to or somehow am brought to, God’s love is meant to be there.”
Father Waldeck is also impressed by the Sisters in Kansas, knowing they an-
“Hope is probably one of the greatest virtues that God has given us,” he said. “And if we can find ways as an archdiocese and as a community to build hope and to lift people up, that’s what we’ve got to do.”
Immethun said that often, people don’t know where to start.
“It’s too easy to turn a blind eye, or to feel overwhelmed,” he said. “If we can give people a tangible way to help — financially, physically — it’s going to do nothing but good.”
After a 40-year career as a veterinarian, Immethun said volunteering with the Poor of Jesus has allowed him to put his faith in action.
Each Tuesday and Saturday, the Sisters and volunteers visit those living without a home. Immethun is able to provide care for their pets when he’s there, and the group also offers food and clothing.
But it’s the message they bring to those they encounter that really matters, said Sister Maria Dolores.
“You are not forgotten,” she said, “because God sees you. God still loves you. We always remind them that he doesn’t love your sins.
“But as a person, who you are, yes, he loves you.”
The group has three routes in Kansas and Missouri, typically serving 100 people and up to 200 in the summer.
“We won’t save them [from homelessness],” said Sister Maria Dolores. “But they will know that they are seen.”
Hillyer recalled going out to the streets for the first time with Sister Maria Dolores, who didn’t hesitate to venture into a dark area under a bridge.
“I thought, ‘Are you crazy?’” he said. “When I saw her shadow, she looked like a Jedi Knight going in.
“And then she came out with all these friends that were looking for food. It was just amazing.”
Hillyer said the Sisters and friars are a
bridge to the isolated.
“They go to all those places,” he said, “and they make friends with them. So when we do come and encounter those that are living on the streets, they’re prepared to meet us.
“They talk to us, they thank us, they pray with us.”
Growing the mission
The mission of the Poor of Jesus in Kansas City will expand after the new year, when the community will welcome back Sister Maria Goretti and Sister Mariana, who served here before moving to Los Angeles.
The Sisters are excited at the possibility of taking care of even more of their neighbors in need.
They do that in multiple ways, including couples retreats, and the friars run a “Be Sober” ministry for those struggling with addiction.
“One thing that I really like in Kansas City is we can feel the church as our family,” said Sister Maria Dolores. “We could not do everything that we do here in the diocese if the churches didn’t help us.”
Father Waldeck said it’s easy for people to come up with reasons why they can’t help the poor, but he offers two pieces of encouragement.
“One, for people to know that it’s possible is important,” he said. “It is possible to help the poor.
“Two, to recognize it, in many ways, does more for the people who are serving than the ones who are served.”
Mother Teresa’s description of the poor as “Jesus in distressing disguise” comes to mind for Father Waldeck.
“That’s Christ come to see me,” he said. “A stranger and you welcomed me. That is Jesus in that moment for me to serve.”
Father Waldeck continues to stay in touch with the Sisters, occasionally visiting to celebrate Mass or share a meal.
“Any friendship in the Lord is blessed in a really special way,” he said. “This is a special convent. It’s a special place to be, and we’re thankful to have these Sisters here.
“They’ve really blessed our local church.”
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
Sister Talya of the Poor of Jesus checks on one of the guests during the Christmas meal, which is offered to men and women experiencing homelessness around the Kansas City area.
COURTESY PHOTO Waldeck hold up the American flag after the four
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER associate pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood, chat with a group of guests at the annual Kansas City, Kansas.
Benedictine abbot goes back to high school as ‘lifelong learner’
By Gina Christian OSV News
WASHINGTON
(OSV News) — A Benedictine abbot, former college professor and secondary education teacher is now among the students at his abbey’s Catholic high school, proving that — as he told OSV News — “all of us should continue to be learners our entire life long.”
“You never just say, ‘I’ve learned enough,’” said Abbot James Wiseman of St. Anselm’s Abbey in Washington.
For the past several semesters, the abbot has been among the students in Spanish teacher Belén Fernández’s classroom at St. Anselm’s Abbey School. Founded in 1942 and located steps away from the abbey, the Catholic, Benedictine school in the nation’s capital provides a rigorous classically based college preparatory curriculum to some 250 middle school and high school boys.
Five days a week, Abbot Wiseman takes his place at one of the desks, keeping up with all of the assignments and improving his grasp of the language.
“I do all the tests, I do all the quizzes,” said Abbot Wiseman. “I haven’t missed a class this year.”
The abbot, who taught theology at The Catholic University of America from 1985 to 2012, is no stranger to foreign languages. As a young man, he studied in Europe and “got to know German very well.” That facility proved “very useful” for his academic work in particular, he said.
But, said Abbot Wiseman, the increased use of Spanish in the United States, along with being “very much in love” with Spanish culture — particularly after undertaking the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain — led him to start studying the language on his own.
“I’m pretty good at reading it,” he said. “But I need to practice speaking the language, and I figured the only thing that would push me to do it is to just take a course.”
As a faculty member at the abbey’s school, he’s entitled to do so, although he admits that “hardly any” of his fellow teachers take advantage of the perk.
Mary Kelly, the schools communications director, told OSV News she was “not surprised at all” by the abbot’s decision.
“He’s an eager teacher and an eager learner,” she said. “Education is his vocation.”
Abbot Wiseman said that initially, the students “were a little puzzled” by his presence.
“They were a little unsure about who this guy is,” he quipped.
And he insists on not receiving any preferential treatment, he said.
“The teacher said the other day she was going to excuse me from doing an upcoming quiz, and one of the students said, ‘Well, why excuse him?’” Abbot Wiseman said. “I tended to agree with them. I’ve done all the tests so far, and I don’t see why I should get special privileges just because I’m the abbot.”
Fernández’s class is keeping him on
his toes, he said.
“I can’t deny it’s a bit of extra work. . . . I’m in there with a group of sophomores, and in some respects, some of them are better speakers of Spanish than I am right now,” said Abbot Wiseman. “But I’m pushing myself to get as skilled as I can, and if all goes well, I’ll take a more advanced course in the coming school year.”
Kelly said that as Abbot Wiseman takes his place in the class to learn, he’s also teaching by example.
“It’s a fabulous lesson from him to the students,” she said. “We are all lifelong learners.”
OSV NEWS PHOTO/MARY KELLY, ST. ANSELM’S ABBEY SCHOOL
Abbot James Wiseman of St. Anselm’s Abbey in Washington is seen in Spanish class at St. Anselm’s Abbey School in this undated photo. The abbot, who had taught for several years at The Catholic University of America, told OSV News, “You never just say, ‘I’ve learned enough.’”
Pope calls for end to foreign debt ahead of Jubilee Year
By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) —
Pope Francis has called on all nations to eliminate the death penalty, to divert a fixed percentage of arms spending to a global fund to fight hunger and climate change, and to cancel the international debt of developing nations as concrete ways to usher in a new era of hope.
“Sporadic acts of philanthropy are not enough. Cultural and structural changes are necessary, so that enduring change may come about,” the pope said in his message for World Peace Day 2025.
The message, “Forgive us our trespasses: Grant us your peace,” was released Dec. 12 at a Vatican news conference ahead of the Jan. 1 commemoration.
Offering his “cordial good wishes for the New Year to the heads of state and government, to the leaders of international organizations, to the leaders of the various religions and to every person of goodwill,” the pope made three proposals for bringing about “much-needed changes” during the Jubilee Year, which focuses on “Pilgrims of Hope.”
The proposals, he wrote, are “capable of restoring dignity to the lives of entire peoples and enabling them to set out anew on the journey of hope.”
The first proposal, he wrote, is renewing the appeal launched by St. John Paul II for the Holy Year 2000 to consider “reducing substantially, if not canceling outright, the international debt which seriously threatens the future of many nations.”
Foreign debt, Pope Francis wrote, “has become a means of control whereby certain governments and private financial institutions of the richer countries unscrupulously and indiscriminately exploit the human and natural resources of poorer countries, simply to satisfy the demands of their
own markets.”
Pope Francis also said wealthier nations must recognize their own “ecological debt” to the global south due to the exploitation of resources, the destruction of ecosystems and the effects of climate change. “The more prosperous countries ought to feel called to do everything possible to forgive the debts of those countries that are in no condition to repay the amount they owe.”
“A new financial framework must be devised, leading to the creation of a global financial charter based on solidarity and harmony between peoples,” he wrote, so that debt forgiveness is not just “an isolated act of charity that simply reboots the vicious cycle of
financing and indebtedness.”
The pope’s second proposal is for “a firm commitment” to respecting “the dignity of human life from conception to natural death, so that each person can cherish his or her own life and all may look with hope to a future of prosperity and happiness for themselves and for their children.”
“Without hope for the future, it becomes hard for the young to look forward to bringing new lives into the world,” he wrote. And a “concrete gesture that can help foster the culture of life” is the elimination of the death penalty in all nations.
The death penalty “not only compromises the inviolability of life but
eliminates every human hope of forgiveness and rehabilitation,” he wrote.
The pope’s third appeal follows “in the footsteps of St. Paul VI and Benedict XVI,” he wrote. “In this time marked by wars, let us use at least a fixed percentage of the money earmarked for armaments to establish a global fund.”
The fund should finance initiatives “to eradicate hunger” and facilitate educational activities in poor countries to promote sustainable development and combat climate change, he wrote. “We need to work at eliminating every pretext that encourages young people to regard their future as hopeless or dominated by the thirst to avenge the blood of their dear ones.”
Jesus’ crown of thorns returns to Notre Dame Cathedral
By Caroline de Sury OSV News
PARIS (OSV News) — Firefighters and police officers formed a human chain to rescue the crown of thorns from the inferno at Notre Dame on April 15, 2019. On Dec. 13, this holiest relic of Paris’ cathedral was returned to its proper home on the Île de la Cité.
Though temperatures were cold, the facade of Notre Dame was sunny in the late afternoon, as the procession arrived on foot along the cathedral from Palais du Louvre, on the other side of the Seine River, where the treasure had been stored since the fire.
A knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, dressed in a large black cloak trimmed in red, held the crown of thorns, in its crystal circle frame, on a red velvet cushion. Over 400 members of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher, including 200 knights dressed in white coats marked with the red Jerusalem cross, participated in the procession. They have been the crown’s honor guard since the archbishop of Paris entrusted
it to their care in 1923.
The crown of thorns, placed on Jesus’ head by his captors to cause him pain and mock his claim of authority, was acquired by St. Louis, then-King Louis IX
of France, in Constantinople in 1239 for 135,000 livres — nearly half France’s annual expenditure at the time, according to the BBC.
It was moved to Notre Dame’s
treasury from the magnificent Sainte-Chapelle in 1806.
Once the crown of thorns had been placed on the main new altar inside the cathedral, Archbishop Laurent Ulrich of Paris addressed the 2,000-strong audience of faithful.
“We are moving from the time of Advent to the time of the Passion, but that is the way it is all the time in life, and in the Christian life,” he said. “We come to adore the Lord in the gift he made of himself to all humanity, as the Son of God.”
The relic of the crown of thorns will be displayed every Friday from Jan. 10, 2025, until Good Friday; on other days it will be stored in the safe inside the marble altar.
For Father Ide, Notre Dame is now entirely a “cathedral of light.”
“Reopening day was a historic moment,” he said. “I spent three hours discovering it [anew], and prayed in each of its 29 side chapels. The physical path around it is like a mystical itinerary, which allows you to inscribe your personal story in the great story of salvation.”
OSV NEWS PHOTO/MOHAMED ZAKARIA, MSF HANDOUT VIA REUTERS
A woman and baby are pictured in a January photo at the Zamzam displacement camp close to El Fasher in North Darfur, Sudan. Sudan has the second highest total external debt as a percentage of GDP at 215.49%.
OSV NEWS PHOTO/STEPHANIE LECOCQ, REUTERS
A knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher holds the crown of thorns during a procession marking its return to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris Dec. 13, five-and-a-half years after a fire ravaged the Gothic Parisian landmark.
EMPLOYMENT
Digital content designer - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has an immediate opening for a digital content designer, who creates and manages compelling digital content that bridges communication between the archdiocese and its clergy, parishes, schools and parishioners. The position is full time, benefits-eligible with a hybrid schedule available. For more details or to apply, please visit “Employment Opportunities” at: www.archkck.org.
Administrative assistant - Holy Trinity Parish, Lenexa. The administrative assistant serves as the face of Holy Trinity Parish for those contacting the parish office. Key responsibilities include managing the front desk of the office, maintaining the parishioner database, scheduling facility usage and recording parish sacraments. The administrative assistant provides primary administrative support for the pastor and director of administrative services and supports other parish staff for the success of the parish. Must be a team player with strong organizational, administrative and communications skills. Applicant must have a working knowledge of the Catholic Church’s teachings and practices and understand the importance of being a welcoming face for the Catholic Church. Experience required with Microsoft Office Suite, Google Mail, Google Calendar, database systems, general office equipment and managing multiple tasks. Position is full time and qualifies for archdiocesan benefits, including health, dental, vision, life insurance and 401(k) match. A full position description can be found at: htlenexa.org/job-openings. Interested applicants should submit cover letter and resume to: lweber@htlenexa.org.
Catholic elementary school principal - Holy Cross School in Overland Park is seeking a dynamic and visionary leader with a passion for Catholic education. The principal will continue the school’s tradition of forming disciples, pursuing academic excellence and spiritual growth. The principal will lead by example and inspire a team of dedicated faculty and staff. Applicants must have or be eligible for Kansas licensure in educational leadership. Apply online at: archkckcs.org/apply. For more information, contact Father Abner at: aables@ holycrossopks.org.
Annual giving manager –The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking to hire an Annual Giving Manager, which would be responsible for the management and continued growth of a dynamic Annual Appeal, and the cultivation of long lasting relationships with major donors; supporters; lay leaders; priests and prospects to ensure the financial stability of the local church. Please visit Employment Opportunities on the Archdiocesan website for more information or to apply. To Apply: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/ Details/2755248
Parish receptionist - St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood is seeking a part-time receptionist to work two - three days per week from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. This is a job-share position. Duties include routing incoming calls, welcoming guests, scheduling Mass intentions and other office duties. Must be a practicing Catholic, compassionate, possess excellent communication skills and be comfortable with computer technology. Find additional details at: stmichaelcp.org/employment. Email resume and cover letter to Denise Greene at: denise. greene@stmichaelcp.org.
Catholic elementary school principal - Holy Name School in Kansas City, Kansas, is seeking a dynamic and visionary leader with a passion for Catholic education. The principal will continue the school’s tradition of forming disciples, pursuing academic excellence and spiritual growth. The principal will lead by example and inspire a team of dedicated faculty and staff. Applicants must have or be eligible for Kansas licensure in educational leadership. Apply online at: archkckcs. org/apply. For more information, contact Father Anthony at: aouellette@archkck.org.
Van drivers and aides needed - Assisted Transportation is hiring safe drivers and aides to transport general education and students with special needs to and from school and other activities in Johnson County in passenger vans. Drivers earn $16 - $20 per hour. Aides earn $15.50 per hour. Part-time and full-time schedules are available. Make a difference in your community by helping those in need! Call (913) 521-4955 or visit: assisted transportation.com for more information. EEO.
Workforce coordinator - Are you seeking an opportunity to advance your career while assisting others to advance theirs? Want to lead a team with the same high level of conviction and passion of serving others as you do? Then consider your next career move with our great team as a workforce coordinator at Catholic Charities of NE Kansas. For more information, go to: catholiccharitiesks.org.
Financial empowerment specialist - This position will provide financial education and empowerment to individuals and families in the Johnson County area. The caseworker will provide wraparound strengthbased case management, which includes completing assessments, developing spending plans with families, and assisting clients in identifying and monitoring measurable and achievable goals with appropriate action steps. For more information about this position, please visit: catholiccharitiesks.org.
Staff job openings - Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, a Catholic college offering higher education for those who may not otherwise be served, has the following staff job openings available — Financial aid director, director of nursing, human resources generalist, director of development. Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/careers.
Liturgical musicians - Christ the King Parish and Blessed Sacrament Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, are searching for liturgical musicians that can play at English and Spanish Masses on the weekends and holy days, as well as being available for funerals and other special occasions. Organists will enjoy the chance to play our beautiful, recently installed Tracher organ. All musicians are welcome to inquire. Cantors with the ability to sing in English, Spanish or both are also needed. Part-time employment is also available. Visit: ctkkcks.org for more information, or contact Father Nick Blaha to apply at (913) 287-8823 or email: pastor@ ctkkck.org.
Elementary school principal - St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Seward, Nebraska, has an opening for an energetic Catholic leader as elementary school principal for the 2025-26 school year. Principal must be certified by the Nebraska Department of Education or be able to be certified with minimal effort. Preference will be given to applicants with successful administrative experience. St. Vincent de Paul is a pre-K-4 elementary school located 25 miles west of Lincoln. Interested, qualified candidates can ask for application information by contacting Msgr. Robert Tucker: msgr. robert-tucker@cdolinc.net or call (402) 643-3421.
Executive director - Villa St. Francis Catholic Care Center is seeking an executive director to serve the care center. Villa St. Francis is a 170-bed skilled nursing facility that is under the umbrella of Catholic Community Health (Home-care-Villa St. Francis-Hospice), which is under the direction of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. The role requires an active nursing home administrator license in Kansas with 3-5 years of experience with proven leadership and communication skills. Current CMS 5 Star & PEAK Mentor Facility with 2025 annual budget of $20M and 250 staff members. Not required, but preferred, practicing Catholic in good standing to lead operations of quality facility and bring value to the executive team. Please reach out with questions to HR director Kendra Unruh at: kunruh@catholiccommunityhealth.org or apply online at: catholiccommunityhealth.org.
Make a meaningful impact today - Join L’Arche Heartland as a Direct Support Professional in our residential homes. Contribute to the empowerment and enrichment of adults with developmental disabilities as they engage in meaningful lifestyles. We have immediate full-time positions available. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% coverage for medical, dental and vision expenses. Conveniently situated in downtown Overland Park. Training provided. Apply now by visiting our website at: www.larcheks.org/join-our-team or by emailing: james@larcheks.org.
Catholic financial planners - The Knights of Columbus Mahon Agency has openings in NE Kansas and western Missouri, covering areas in and around KCK, KCMO, Topeka and Atchison. We have much to offer determined, disciplined and high-expectation professionals who would like to share needed life insurance, disability income, long-term care and annuity products with other Catholic individuals and families. This is a full-time position with excellent, multi-tiered training and benefits, allowing the successful field agent to earn a professional-level income. This is an exciting career opportunity that may be the right fit at the right time for you, or someone you know. For further information, contact John Mahon at (785) 408-8800.
Liturgy coordinator – St. Michael the Archangel in Leawood is seeking a full-time liturgy coordinator to prepare for the celebration of the Mass and other sacred mysteries. Applicants must be practicing Catholics familiar with the Roman Catholic liturgical tradition. The position requires strong organizational, administrative and communication skills as well as initiative and responsibility. Hours include weekend and some evening hours. Includes full benefits options. Go to: stmichaelcp. org/employment for a full job description. Send cover letter and resume to: kevin.vogt@stmichaelcp.org.
Front office secretary - St. Ann School in Prairie Village is seeking a full-time front office secretary. This position provides daily support to school families, students and teachers, and includes performing a variety of tasks for both the school and parish offices. Applicants must have strong written and verbal communication skills, be detail-oriented and possess the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. Experience with Microsoft and Google is required. Benefits are included. Position starts Jan. 6, 2025. To apply or for more information, please mail a cover letter and resume to: susielutz@stannpv.org.
Caregivers needed - Daughter & Company is looking for compassionate caregivers to provide assistance to seniors in their home, assisted living or in a skilled nursing facility. We provide sitter services, light housekeeping and light meal preparation, organizational assistance, care management and occasional transportation for our clients. We need caregivers with reliable transportation and a cellphone for communication. We typically employ on a part-time basis, but will strive to match hours desired. Contact Gary or Laurie at (913) 341-2500 if you want to become part of an excellent caregiving team.
Faculty and adjunct faculty job openings - Donnelly College, Kansas City, Kansas, is a Catholic college offering higher education for those who may not other wise be served Faculty job openings - none. Adjunct faculty job openings - psychology adjunct, adjunct instructor for nursing and clinical nursing adjunct. Adjunct faculty Lansing Correctional Campus - English adjunct and math adjunct and psychology adjunct. Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/careers.
Technician Needed ASAP - Do you like to tinker? Are you detail-oriented? Then this is the job for you! A locally owned family business is currently seeking candidates to provide preventive maintenance (cleaning) and repair service on microscopes. No previous experience necessary, on-the-job training provided. Good communication, time management and customer service skills necessary. Expenses paid, out in the field majority of time and each day is different! Some travel is required. Please contact us at: techneeded23@gmail.com.
Administrative assistant - Come join our team! A small family-owned company located in Lenexa is looking for an assistant to answer phones; invoicing; product ordering; some shipping/receiving and to assist the owner. We need a team member who is organized; detail oriented; self-motivated; trustworthy; has a positive attitude and above all else, gives excellent customer service. Schedule flexibility. Send your resume to: YourCareer101@gmail.com
Bilingual financial empowerment specialist - Catholic Charities of N.E. Kansas is seeking a bilingual financial empowerment specialist. This position will pilot a financial program for bilingual individuals and families. This position is based in Wyandotte County and will provide culturally relevant financial education and empowerment to Latino communities within Wyandotte and Johnson counties, as well as serving the general population in Wyandotte County. The caseworker will provide wraparound strength-based case management, which includes completing assessments, developing a spending plan with families, and assisting clients in identifying and monitoring measurable and achievable goals with appropriate action steps. For more information about this position, please visit: catholiccharitiesks.org.
HOME IMPROVEMENT
Local handyman - Painting, int. and ext., wood rot, mason repair, gutter cleaning (gutter covers), dryer vent cleaning, sump pump (replace, add new), windows, doors (interior and exterior), honey-do list, window cleaning and more! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118.
Garage renovations - Married couple from St. Paul Parish in Olathe. Haul off, clean-out, floor coatings, shelving/painting. Experienced, references available, insured. Call (913) 405-8123.
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Haus To Home Remodeling - Let’s give that room a nice face-lift! Specializing in affordable room remodeling. From small projects to bathrooms and basements. Tile, paint, carpentry, wood rot, decks, drywall, etc. Free estimates. Call Cole at (913) 544-7352.
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) 579-1835. Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.
Father and Son Home Remodeling - We specialize in kitchen/bathroom and basement remodeling, from start to finish. We also do decks, covered decks, porches, sun-rooms and room additions! If you’re not sure we do it, just call. From my family to yours, thank you for supporting my small business. To contact me, call (913) 709-7230 and ask for Josh.
SERVICES
Garage door repair expert
New Garage Doors
Garage Floor Coatings
A Total Door Inc., Since ‘83. Leaven discount joe@atotaldoor.com or (913) 236-644
Memory quilts - Preserve your memories in a keepsake quality quilt, pillows, etc. Custom designed from your T-shirt collection, baby clothes, sports memorabilia, neckties . . . Quilted Memories. (913) 649-2704.
MIKE HAMMER MOVING - A full-service mover. Local and long-distance moving. Packing, pianos, rental truck load/unload, storage container load/unload. In-home moving and office moves. No job too small. Serving the KC metro since 1987. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee, parishioner. Call the office at (913) 927-4347 or email: mike@mikehammermoving.com.
Catholic Counseling
Sam Meier, MA, LCPC - (913) 952-2267 & David Walter, MA, LCPC - (402) 913-0463
Book an appointment online at: StillWatersKC.com, In Person or Telehealth Tree trimming and landscaping - We provide free estimates and recent references. Five years of experience and fully insured. Call Charly at (913) 405-8123.
Concrete construction - Tear out and replace stamped, stained or colored patios and drives. Retaining walls, footing, poured-in-place safe rooms, excavation and hauling. Asphalt drives and lots. Fully insured, references. Call Dan at (913) 207-4371 or send an email to: dandeeconst@aol.com.
Free estimates - We do all things home improvement! Services include: interior/exterior painting, flooring, drywall, windows, kitchen/bathroom remodel, decks, etc. You name it, we can help. At Stone Painting, we put the customer first. We ensure a professional quality job at a competitive price. Call today for a free estimate. (913) 963-6465.
Masonry work - Quality new or repair work. Brick, block and chimney/fireplace repair. Insured; secondgeneration bricklayer. Member of St. Paul Parish, Olathe. Call (913) 271-0362.
AKC Pros roofing, siding, gutters, insulation - Did you get tired of the door-knocking and constant calls from different roofing companies after the storms this year? Now that the dust has settled, let’s talk. If it’s new damage or old damage, just give me a call. I’ll walk your roof and we will decide together whether to file a claim. Locally owned and operated, licensed and insured. Call Josh at (913) 709-7230.
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.
Faith-based counseling to cope with life concerns - Kansas City area. Call Mary Vorsten, licensed clinical professional counselor, at (913) 909-2002.
Alvarez remodeling - Kitchen and bath remodeling. Will do quality work at a fair price. Insured. Call (913) 206-4524.
REAL ESTATE
We are local people who can buy your house - Big companies from all over the nation come here buying houses, but that’s not us. We are parishioners of Holy Trinity Parish and we enjoy giving you personalized service. We can offer you a fair price and are flexible to your needs. If I can help, call me, Mark Edmondson, at (913) 980-4905.
Looking to buy or sell a home? - Buy or sell a home with someone who understands your values. We are a Catholic-owned, faith-driven team of realtors, dedicated to helping fellow Catholics buy or sell homes in our community. We bring integrity, compassion and a commitment to your needs. Let us be part of your journey. Call Kevin Holmes (owner) at (913) 553-0539.
We buy houses and whole estates - We are local and family-owned, and will make you a fair cash offer. We buy houses in any condition. No fees or commissions and can close on the date of your choice. Selling your house has never felt so good. Jon & Stacy Bichelmeyer, (913) 599-5000.
WANTED TO BUY
Will buy firearms and related accessories - One or a whole collection. Honest evaluation and top prices paid. Contact Tom at (913) 238-2473. Member of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee.
Wanted to buy
Do you have a car or truck that you need to get rid of? If you do, CALL ME! I’m a cash buyer. We’re Holy Trinity parishioners. My name is Mark. (913) 980-4905.
Wanted to buy - Antiques & Collectibles: jewelry, military items, railroad, sterling, OLD holiday/toys and more. Renee Maderak (913) 475-7393. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.
$$PAYING CASH$$ Antique furniture, crocks, tin and cast iron toys, old tools, glassware, American coins, jewelry. Most anything old. Please call Patricia at (913) 515-2950.
FOR SALE
For sale - Four side-by-side plots beautifully located in Resurrection Cemetery’s Ascension Gardens in the first area behind the wonderful Christ statue at the main entrance. Asking $12,000 for all four plots which is less than if you purchased from Catholic Cemeteries. Foundation fee and maintenance paid. Call Steve at (913) 486-3532.
Residential lifts - New and recycled. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. St. Michael’s parishioners. KC Lift & Elevator at (913) 327-5557. (Formerly Silver Cross - KC).
CAREGIVING
Family member with dementia or need help at home? - We specialize in helping seniors live SAFELY at home, where they want to live! We also offer free dementia training and resources for families and caregivers. Benefits of Home - Senior Care, www. Benefitsofhome.com or call (913) 422-1591.
>> Classifieds continue on page 13
CARE NIGHT FOR SPECIAL NEEDS
Bishop Miege High School
5041 Reinhardt Dr., Roeland Park
Dec. 21 from 4 - 7 p.m.
There will be a respite care night for people with special needs. There will be a variety of games and activities such as arts and crafts. We will also have a music therapist to provide music, and we share a meal.
‘AWAKEN THE NIGHT, EMBRACING THE LIGHT’
Precious Blood Renewal Center
2120 St. Gaspar Way, Liberty, Missouri
Dec. 21 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
The winter solstice invites us to pause and pray on the longest night of the year, to rest in the darkness, trusting that the light of Christ — the light of hope, peace and love — will grow ever brighter in the days ahead. Register online at: www.pbrenewalcenter.org.
SINGLE WOMEN’S RETREAT:
‘ALL THE JOY YOU BRING’
751 S. 8th St., Atchison
Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. - Jan.4 at 3 p.m.
Through faith sharing and creativity, we will uplift our gifts of resilience, ingenuity and faith, leaving us ready to be God’s joyful presence wherever life leads. For more information, call the Sophia Center at (913) 360-6173.
FORGIVENESS 101
Church of the Ascension
(St Mark’s Room)
9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park
Jan. 11 and 18 from 9 - 11:30 a.m.
Are you struggling with forgiving someone who has hurt you? You are not alone!
“Forgiveness 101” offers a safe and supportive experience of healing for anyone suffering from unresolved conflict and past trauma. In this workshop, you will review the important difference between forgiveness and justice. People who learn to forgive are happier, healthier, more at peace and more purposeful. For more information, go online to: www.yeabut.org. Send an email to: yeabut40@gmail.com to register.
BREAKFAST WITH THE KNIGHTS
Divine Mercy Parish
555 W. Main St., Gardner
Jan 12 from 8:30 - 10 a.m.
Breakfast will include eggs, sausage and gravy, pancakes and drinks. Join us for great fellowship. The cost is $6 for those over the age of 13 and free for
ages 12 and under. Proceeds are used for charitable works, such as scholarships and other giving through the year.
NEW YEAR SPIRITUAL REFLECTION AND PLANNING RETREAT
Christ’s Peace House of Prayer 22131 Meagher Rd., Easton
Jan. 10 - 12
The retreat will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 10 and end on Jan. 12 at 4:30 p.m. Set aside time to reflect on what matters most in life, prioritize the most important things first and map out pathways for the new year. There will be conferences, spiritual direction, eucharistic adoration, Mass, confession, and time for private prayer, reflection and walking. Bring your own personal items that will aid in the process such as: Bible, notebook, agenda, journal, catechism, laptop (if this helps you plan better), etc. Cabins/courtyard rooms are: $180 single/$270 couple, or single guest rooms are: $110 (meals included). To attend, fill out the individual retreat form at: Christs Peace.com or call (913) 773-8255.
SPAGHETTI DINNER
St. Patrick Parish (center)
1066 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas
Jan. 18 at 6 p.m.
Dinner will include spaghetti with sauce, meatball, Italian sausage, salad, breadstick and ice cream sandwich. The cost is: $12 for adults; $7 for children under 12; and a family meal is $35. Ten games of bingo are $12. The average prize is $75 per game with blackout around $250. For questions, call Fritz at (913) 515-0621.
SNOW BALL
Overland Park Convention Center
6000 College Blvd., Leawood
Jan. 18 at 6 p.m.
Support Catholic Charities’ mission of providing help, hope and hospitality to the most vulnerable. Ninety-one cents of every dollar raised through Snow Ball supports Catholic Charities’ 30-plus life-changing programs. This black-tie event includes a cocktail reception, sit-down dinner and dancing to music by The Crossroad Sound. There is no fundraising — just celebrating — the night of the event. To purchase a ticket, table or make a gift, visit the website at: snowballgala.org. For more information, call (913) 433-2068.
WILLS AND TRUSTS WORKSHOP
Holy Spirit Parish (Martha and Mary Room)
11300 W. 103rd St., Overland Park
Jan. 21 at 6 p.m.
The workshop will run from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. and will begin with light snacks and a social gathering. The presentation will include: What is the difference between a will and a trust? How do you avoid probate (and what exactly is probate)? How can I leave money or assets to my church, school, archdiocese or favorite charitable organization? Register online at: cfnek.org/events or contact Greg Alejos at (913) 647-0365 or by email at: galejos@archkck.org.
EXTRAVAGANZA EVENT
The Foundry Event Center
400 S.W. 33rd St., Topeka
Jan. 25 at 5 p.m.
The Holy Family School Extravaganza is the major fundraiser for the school. The funds raised support programs for our students, teachers and school beyond parish subsidies. If interested in becoming a sponsor, purchasing event or raffle tickets, contact Courtney Engel by email at: engelc@ holyfamilytopeka.net or go online to: holy familytopeka.net/extravaganza. Donations can also be mailed to: Holy Family School, 1725 N.E. Seward Ave., Topeka, KS 66616.
BEYOND ACADEMICS: THE CATHOLIC DIFFERENCE IN EDUCATION
Holy Spirit Parish
11300 W. 103rd St.
Jan. 29 from 7 - 8:30 p.m.
The Blessed Seelos Institute and archdiocesan office of Catholic schools is hosting this information event for parents with or without children currently enrolled in Catholic school. The evening will begin with prayer, followed by a presentation on “What is Catholic Education?” and a panel discussion with Catholic school leaders and parents. Register online at: archkckcs.org.
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
The National Shrine of Mary 176 Marian Dr., Laurie, Missouri Ongoing until Jan. 5
From 5 - 10 p.m.
Join us for one of the longest-running Christmas light displays. The event features a live Nativity, children’s crafts, refreshments, carolers, St. Nicholas and a bonfire. Hot cocoa and candy canes are offered each Friday. For more information, go to: mothersshrine.com.
OLDE WORLD CHRISTMAS
Strawberry Hill Museum 720 N. 4th St., Kansas City, Kansas Saturdays and Sundays through Jan. 12 From noon - 3 p.m.
8:30 a.m. Sundays on 92.9 FM and KEXS AM 1090
Encore Monday at 11:30 a.m.
Come experience an Olde World Christmas at the museum. Go online to: Strawberryhillmuseum.org for tickets and a list of other holiday events.
SANCTA MARIA SCHOOL’S EVENING UNDER THE STARS
Abe and Jake’s Landing 8 E. 6th St., Lawrence Feb. 1 at 6 p.m.
Join us for a dinner and dance fundraiser for Sancta Maria School, a small Catholic Montessori school in Eudora and a nonprofit 501(3)(c). The evening begins with cocktails at 6 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m. Semiformal attire is requested. For more information or to make reservations, send an email to: raventmf@yahoo.com or call (785) 727-0942. If you are unable to attend but would still like to financially support the school, you can write a check to: Sancta Maria School, 1623 Elm St., Eudora, KS 66025.
WILLS AND TRUSTS WORKSHOP
St. Patrick Parish (hall)
1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas Feb. 5 at 12:15 p.m. (Mass - optional) 1:15 - 2:15 p.m. (workshop)
The event begins after Mass and will be followed by a light lunch, snacks and fellowship, as well as a welcome message from the parish. Register online at: cfnek. org or contact Jane Schmitt at (913) 6473060 or by email at: jschmitt@archkck.org.
DIVORCE SUPPORT GROUP
‘HEALING THE DIVORCED HEART’
St. Michael the Archangel (Gabriel Room) 14251 Nall Ave., Leawood 1st & 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m.
Those who have experienced a divorce understand, as perhaps few others can. We were sad, lonely, scared and angry, but we have found that with God, time and the support of others, healing is possible. For more information, visit the website at: www.stmichaelcp.org/divorce-support, or email: calledtolove143@gmail.com
CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS
DEADLINE: Noon, Thursday, eight days before the desired publication date.
SEND SUBMISSIONS TO: beth. blankenship@theleaven.org.
>> Continued from page 12
Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management and transportation for seniors in their home, assisted living or nursing facilities. We also provide respite care for main caregivers needing some personal time. Call Daughters & Company at (913) 341-2500 and speak with Laurie, Pat or Gary.
Home care - CMA, 15 years’ experience, background check available from past employers. Call (913) 9994340.
PILGRIMAGES
Pilgrimages - Medjugorje is approved by the Vatican, receiving “nihil obstat” and encouraging people to go. The next pilgrimage date with visionary Mirjana Soldo as our hostess is March 12-20 and April 16-23, 2025. I am also available to speak to groups about Medjugorje. Call Grace at (913) 449-1806.
DAILY READINGS
FOURTH WEEK OF ADVENT
Dec. 22
FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Mi 5: 1-4a
Ps 80: 2-3, 15-16, 18-19
Heb 10: 5-10
Lk 1: 39-45
Dec. 23
John of Kanty, priest
Mal 3: 1-4, 23-24
Ps 25: 4-5b, 8-10, 14
Lk 1: 57-66
Dec. 24
Tuesday
2 Sm 7: 1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
Ps 89: 2-5, 27, 29
Lk 1: 67-79
Dec. 25
THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD (CHRISTMAS)
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: 3c-4, 6, 8a, 16b-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, 7b-8
Mt 2: 13-18
Dec. 29
THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH
Sir 3: 2-6, 12-14
Ps 128: 1-5
Col 3: 12-21
Lk 2: 41-52
Dec. 30
SIXTH DAY WITHIN
THE OCTAVE OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD
1 Jn 2: 12-17
Ps 96: 7-10
Lk 2: 36-40
Dec. 31
SEVENTH DAY WITHIN
THE OCTAVE OF THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD
1 Jn 2: 18-21
Ps 96: 1-2, 11-13
Jn 1: 1-18
Jan. 1
SOLEMNITY OF MARY, THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD
Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord
Nm 6: 22-27
Ps 67: 2-3, 5-6, 8
Gal 4: 4-7
Lk 2: 16-21
Jan. 2
Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, bishops, doctors of the church
1 Jn 2: 22-28
Ps 98: 1-4
Jn 1: 19-28
Jan. 3
The Most Holy Name of Jesus
1 Jn 2:29 – 3:6
Ps 98: 1, 3cd-6
Jn 1: 29-34
Jan. 4
Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious
1 Jn 3: 7-10
Ps 98: 1, 7-9
Jn 1: 35-42
How blessed we are to live to tell the tale
As is true, I’m sure, at most family gatherings — especially during the holidays — the stories flow as plentifully as the hot chocolate or eggnog. Some are heartwarming, others embarrassing (but funny) and still others, thought provoking. Paralleling that pattern, here are three stories for the Christmas holiday:
Two brothers worked together on a family farm. One was unmarried and the other was married with children. They always shared equally what they grew — both produce and profit. But one day, the single brother said to himself, “You know, it’s not right that we should share the produce equally, and the profit, too. After all, I’m all alone, just by myself, and my needs are simple. But there’s my poor brother with a wife and all those children.” So, each night, in the middle of the night, he took a
IMARK MY WORDS
sack of grain from his bin, crept over the field between their houses and dumped it into his brother’s bin. Meanwhile, unknown to him, his brother had a similar thought. He said to himself, “You know, it’s not right that we should share produce and profit equally. After all, I’m married and blessed to have a wonderful, loving wife to look after me and my children for
years to come. But my brother has no one, and no one to take care of his future.” So, he too, in the middle of the night, took a sack of grain from his bin and sneaked across the field to deposit it in his brother’s bin.
Each night for years, the brothers did this. And both were always puzzled as to why their supply did not dwindle.
Well, one Christmas night, it just so happened that they both set out for each other’s house at the same time. In the dark, they bumped into each other carrying their sacks. Each was startled! But then, it slowly dawned on them
what was happening. They dropped their sacks and embraced one another. Suddenly, the dark sky lit up and a voice from heaven spoke, “Here at last is the place where I will build my Temple. For where brothers meet in love, there my presence shall dwell.” (Story found in William J. Bausch’s “A World of Stories for Preachers and Teachers.”)
The next two stories, found in “Illustrations Unlimited” (edited by James S. Hewett), direct our attention to the fact that perhaps many people have lost sight of what is “the reason for the season.”
Story number one takes place a few days before Christmas and finds two women gazing through a downtown department store window. Their attention is focused on a large display of a Nativity scene with clay figures of the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men and the animals.
Disgustedly, one woman turns to the
other and says, “Look at that, will you, the church is now trying to horn in on Christmas!”
The second story takes place in a family that celebrated Christmas every year with its heart in the right place by holding a birthday party for Jesus. An extra chair of honor at the table became the family’s reminder of Jesus’ presence. A cake with candles, along with the singing of “Happy Birthday” expressed the family’s joy in Jesus’ coming.
One year, a Christmas afternoon visitor asked 5-year-old Ruth, “Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?”
After a moment’s hesitation, she answered, “No . . . but then, it’s not my birthday!”
May the stories of our Christmas gatherings never forget that one tale we’re all privileged to tell: that of a God so full of love that he sent his only Son to dwell among us.
Mary prefigures all the disciples who will follow
ronically, as our Advent journey is drawing to a close, another journey is beginning.
It’s right there in the first three words of this Sunday’s Gospel: “Mary set out . . .” This time of year, I think, a lot of us can appreciate the idea of taking a trip for the holidays. But what Mary does here is hardly a vacation.
DEACON GREG KANDRA
— and serving her cousin.
We tend to think of the Blessed Mother as a quiet, serene figure — a woman of few words, but blessed with tremendous faith and boundless trust. This is true.
But with this episode, we realize something else: Mary is also a woman of action.
Egypt, to escape death.
We then see her traveling to Jerusalem, where her son goes missing —and we follow her as she goes in search of him. Finding him, she continues her travels, bringing him home to Nazareth.
Deacon Greg Kandra is an award-winning author and journalist, and creator of the blog “The Deacon’s Bench.” He serves in the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York.
Mary is serving the Lord in this moment
Consider Mary’s circumstances. She has just been told that she is to be the mother of God. And rather than keeping this news to herself, or wondering how she will cope, she sets out to visit her cousin Elizabeth — and we have this momentous scene that follows: The Visitation.
She is a woman on a continual journey — constantly, by necessity, on the move. After this journey to see Elizabeth, we next find Mary embarking on an arduous trip, while pregnant, to Bethlehem. After giving birth, she and her small family are on the move again, fleeing to
Mary, as the first disciple, in many ways prefigures all the disciples who will follow — those who traveled, mostly on foot, throughout the world to spread the Gospel and proclaim the good news. Like those apostles, Mary was a missionary — the first missionary — on a mission to bring Jesus into the world.
We can only imagine what other travels
Mary took in the course of her life. But we can’t forget one in particular, the most difficult of all, as she followed her son on his journey to Calvary. In these last hours before Christmas, this Sunday reminds us that our mission in life is not that different from Mary’s: to take Christ into a broken, wounded, waiting world.
A familiar hymn over these last few weeks has been telling us how we “mourn in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear.” If we needed any reminder, here it is: He is coming. Rejoice! Rejoice! He is near.
Hope is an ‘active virtue’ that makes good things happen, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The “most beautiful gift” the Catholic Church and its members can give the world is a reason to live with hope, Pope Francis said.
“The Christian cannot be satisfied with having hope; he or she must also radiate hope, be a sower of hope,” the pope said
at his weekly general audience Dec. 11.
Speaking to thousands of visitors and pilgrims in the Vatican audience hall, the pope said he was concluding the series of audience talks that he began in May reflecting on the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church.
“The Holy Spirit is the evergushing source of Christian hope,” the pope said, pointing to St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans, which says: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
FATHER
MARK GOLDASICH
Father Mark is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989.
This Christmas, serve the poor without leaving your pew
Did you hear what the archbishop wants for Christmas?
Archbishop Naumann made a polite plea in his Oct. 18 Leaven article. Did you see it? No, he did not ask for sweet treats, a new coffee mug or even a fancy new technological gadget — what he really wants is the full participation of the faithful in the annual Christmas collection benefiting the work of Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. Your generosity will bring him immense joy and life-changing help to those most in need. Some may not be
INSIDE CATHOLIC CHARITIES
aware of the history of the Christmas collection. This is a long-standing tradition in our archdiocese — one that is not reflected
among all the dioceses in Kansas or the United States, which makes its appeal one of a very special opportunity to put love into action. The call to action is not an “extra” tax or assessment on your parish. This is a primary vessel for you to help serve the poor through
freewill donations to the church’s charitable arm in our archdiocese. A wise friend often reminds me that he never asks anyone to give more than he does. This thought recurs as my husband Drew and I determine our charitable priorities for the upcoming year. As we heard just a few weeks ago, it is not about the amount but rather the effort to give — not of surplus but out of a responsibility to love our neighbor. A great example of this is our M25 members. Their generous support of $25 a month has raised over $19,000 this year to help assist families
in need. You, too, can be a part of making an extreme difference in the lives of others. We could not do our critical work without your support. Every year at this time, we are especially blessed as a second collection at all Christmas Masses throughout the archdiocese comes directly to Catholic Charities. Every donation is truly appreciated and is a testament to our shared commitment to living out our faith through action. Ninety-one cents of every dollar donated goes right back into our programs and services. I’ve said it before and I will say it again,
Catholic Charities is a worthy, meaningful and smart investment. On behalf of the Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas board of directors, trustees, staff, volunteers and those we serve, thank you! This past year, your parish’s incredible generosity helped feed, clothe, shelter and provide life-changing skills to over 70,000 who are marginalized, vulnerable and in need of assistance.
May we all continue to embrace the call to love and serve the poor and inspire others to join us.
Merry Christmas and blessings to you and yours in the new year!
Mercy’s ‘secret sauce’ is its human face on the face of God
Deacons are ordained to serve the archdiocese through ministries of the word, liturgy and charity.
The deacon’s ministry of charity is about “animating the laity,” “enlisting others” and “marshaling resources” for the bodily and spiritual well-being of others. The deacon embodies Christ’s self-emptying love in his actions. The deacon sees the hidden Jesus in the poor, suffering and lonely.
In carrying out this mission, deacons are not alone. This is the mission of the church. In fact, one of the three super priorities
During Advent and Christmas, we are bombarded with images of smiling families baking cookies in their matching pajamas, or cozy lovebirds snuggled up by the fire. For those dealing with difficult relationships, this can compound feelings of alienation and shame.
Luckily, the “meaning of Christmas” is not a warm, fuzzy feeling. It’s the fact that God went to radical lengths to heal us of our brokenness.
God could have chosen to leave us to our
DEACON LEON SUPRENANT
Deacon Leon Suprenant is the co-director of the office of the permanent diaconate. He may be reached at: leons@archkck.org.
of the archdiocese entails encountering Jesus by living the corporal and spiritual
ORDAINED TO SERVE
works of mercy.
Something about the works of mercy resonates with all people, even those who do not share our Christian faith. Especially during the holidays, we all experience a gut-level impulse to reach out and help those who are less fortunate than we are.
I have an old friend who likes to say, “Give ’em heaven!” Isn’t that what we’re all about as Catholics? We desire that the kingdom of heaven break into our broken, sinful world, and we do our part by being instruments of God’s mercy to others.
The ultimate goal, of course, is to facilitate life-changing encounters with Jesus. We don’t merely want the hungry to be fed, for example, but rather we desire everyone’s ultimate, eternal good.
Yet, we do want the hungry to be fed, the naked to be clothed, etc., because those are good and important things in themselves as well as an opportunity
for them (and us) to experience the merciful love of God.
The works of mercy are signs that indeed the kingdom of heaven is in our midst. They point to Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, who came to give us abundant life.
The “secret sauce,” if I may reverently say that, of the works of mercy is that they put a human face on the love of God.
Yes, sometimes the best we can do is help from afar, perhaps through a financial gift. Even Jesus did that on occasion, as when he cured the centurion’s servant from a distance or the 10 lepers only after they
Learning to be holy in a broken world
FAMILY MATTERS
own devices, or just to offer some comfort at an arm’s length. But
instead, he chose to take on human flesh and experience poverty, betrayal, rejection, abuse and even death. He knows what it’s like to not have enough. He has been the victim of unjust systems. He
was abandoned by the people who claimed to love him most. He was physically and psychologically tormented. He shares every human experience with one important difference — he endures them without sinning. This leaves us with two powerful lessons. First, struggling with something ugly doesn’t make us “second-class Catholics,” and it certainly doesn’t exclude us from celebrating Christmas. Even in cases where we are at fault, Jesus desires repentance, not shame. Allowing him to love us
in our sin and weakness is the best gift we can offer him!
Secondly, Jesus and Mary can teach us how to be holy in a broken world. We can’t change the behavior of others, nor can we always change our circumstances. But as we allow Jesus to heal our wounds, we can ask him to show us how to replace destructive responses with love. If the holiday season is exacerbating painful relationships in your life, I encourage you to reach out to the church for help. Here are a few resources:
left his presence.
The more typical circumstance, however, is that Jesus looked people in the eye. He willingly gave people the gift of his time and his undivided attention. He was more present to others than they were to themselves. He knew what was on people’s hearts and where they were hurting.
When we perform the corporal or spiritual works of mercy, I think it is crucially important that we also make eye contact, that the recipient of our action feels “seen” and valued — not only by us, but by the One who saves them.
Give ’em heaven this Christmas, and always!
Find a Catholic counselor: archkck. org/catholic-counselors
Struggling marriages: helpour marriage.org
Adult children of divorced/separated parents: archkck.org/ LGW
Mental health resources: archkck. org/special-needs/ mental-health
Healing from divorce: thecall2love. com
Learning to forgive: forgivenessinstitutekc. com
Catholic addiction support: callixsociety. org
LAUREN SOLIDUM
Lauren Solidum is the executive director of Catholic Charities.
LIBBY DUPONT
Libby DuPont is a consultant for the archdiocesan office of marriage and family life.
Kids’ Kids’ CHRONICLE
CHRONICLE
An angel tells some shepherds about Jesus’ birth
By Jennifer Ficcaglia Catholic Courier
One day, the Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus wanted to count the people who lived in the lands he ruled. Since Rome controlled the Middle East, all the people living there were instructed to go to their ancestral hometowns to be counted.
A man named Joseph, who was a relative of King David, was living in the town of Nazareth in Galilee. He had to travel to Bethlehem in Judea to be counted in the census. He took his pregnant wife Mary with him.
When the couple reached Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have her baby. She gave birth to a son, whom she wrapped in swaddling clothes. She laid him in a manger, because there had been no room for Joseph and Mary to stay at an inn.
During this time, there were shepherds who were living in the fields around Bethlehem. They were keeping watch over their flocks at night when an angel from God appeared in their midst.
The glory of God shone so brightly around the angel and the shepherds that the men became frightened.
“Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people,” the angel said. “For today in the city of David, a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: You will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a multitude of other angels who were all praising God.
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests,” they said.
After the angels left, the shepherds looked at each other in awe and excitement.
“Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us,” they said.
The shepherds went into the city. They found Joseph, Mary and the infant lying in the manger, just as the angel had said.
The shepherds went back into the city and told everyone they encountered what the angel had told them. Then they returned to Joseph and Mary to glorify and praise God.
Bible accent
The shepherds were not the only ones who received messages from angels after Jesus’ birth.
In Matthew 2:13-15, we learn that after Joseph, Mary and the infant Jesus had been visited by the Magi, Joseph had a dream. In this dream, an angel warned him that King Herod of Judea planned to find Jesus and kill him.
“Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. Herod is going to search for the child to destroy him,” the angel told Joseph.
Joseph did what he was told and fled to Egypt with his family during the night. In the meantime, Herod ordered the massacre of all boys who were infants up to age 2.
After Herod died, an angel again appeared to Joseph in a dream.
“Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead,” the angel said.
Joseph, Mary and Jesus returned to Israel and lived in the town of Nazareth in Galilee.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton was born in 1774 in colonial New York City and was raised an Episcopalian. She married a merchant named William Magee Seton and had five children.
Her husband died in 1803 in Italy, where Elizabeth had learned about Catholicism. She converted to the faith in 1805 in New York.
The Seton family’s shipping business had gone bankrupt, leaving Elizabeth poor and friendless. A priest from Baltimore suggested that she open a school for girls in that city. In 1809, Elizabeth founded the U.S. Sisters of Charity, which opened many schools and orphanages. Elizabeth died in 1821, and she became the first native-born U.S. saint in 1975. We remember her on Jan. 4.
