01 07 22 Vol. 43 No. 21

THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 43, NO. 21 | JANUARY 7, 2022

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ARCHBISHOP

JANUARY 7, 2O22 | THELEAVEN.ORG

Open your eyes to the vivid colors of God’s amazing grace!

“T

he source of Christian joy is the certainty of being loved by God, loved personally by our Creator, by the One who holds the entire universe in his hands and loves each one of us and the whole great human family with a passionate and faithful love, a love greater than our infidelities and sins, a love which forgives.”

This quote from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI articulates the great central truth of our Christian faith. It is the truth of God’s amazing love for us revealed by his immersion into our human condition.

As Christians, we believe in a God who pursues us and has revealed himself to us.

Thus, for those of us who embrace this central truth of Christianity, our natural state of life is joyful thanksgiving.

In December, I had cataract surgery performed on both of my eyes. My doctor counseled me that if we live long enough, most everyone will need this surgery. My cataracts were not severe enough yet to impair my ability to read or to negotiate most aspects of everyday life. However, I was

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN experiencing challenges with glare from bright lights.

I was amazed after the surgery how brighter the world seemed.

The colors of nature were much more vivid and beautiful. Previous to the surgery, the sharpness of my vision had gradually dimmed over time. In fact, the process had been so incremental that I did not appreciate what I was missing.

With the feast of the Baptism of Our Lord this Sunday, the Christmas liturgical season comes to a conclusion. Each year, the Advent and Christmas seasons are meant to be like having cataract surgery on the eyes

of our soul that have become dimmed to the beauty and power of the miracle of the incarnation — God becoming flesh.

Our heart can become callous to the goodness and beauty of the Christmas miracle, God’s amazing love for us. The glare of the bright lights of the fleeting but alluring pleasures of this world can blind us to the awesome beauty of God’s faithful love for us.

A month ago on the Third Sunday of Advent, we heard St. Paul’s message to the early Christians to rejoice always and everywhere.

Christians should be known for our joy. Pope Francis reminds us of all the things that can impede us from witnessing the joy of the Gospel: “Something deep within us invites us to

rejoice and tells us not to settle for placebos that simply keep us comfortable. At the same time, though, we all know the struggles of everyday life. So much seems to stand in the way of this invitation to rejoice. Our daily routine can often lead us to a kind of glum apathy, which gradually becomes a habit, with a fatal consequence that our heart grows numb.

“What can we do to keep our heart from growing numb, becoming anesthetized? How do we make the joy of the Gospel increase and take deeper root in our lives?

“Jesus gives the answer. He said to his disciples then and he says to us now: ‘Go forth!

Proclaim!’ The joy of the Gospel is something to be experienced, something to be known and lived only through giving it away, through giving ourselves away.”

There is a very important and powerful connection between Christmas and the Eucharist. The same Jesus born in the Bethlehem cave makes himself present to us in the Blessed Sacrament.

The same Lord of lords and King of kings, who revealed himself to shepherds and wise

ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN’S CALENDAR Jan. 14 High school Mass — St. Thomas Aquinas, Overland Park Jan. 15 Snow Ball Mass and banquet —Overland Park Convention Center

men in a manger, a crude vessel to feed animals, comes to nourish our hearts and souls with his love and peace through the Bread of Life. The same one whom the shepherds came to adore comes to reside within the manger of our hearts.

During June of 2022, the church in the United States begins a threeyear pastoral initiative to revive eucharistic amazement among American Catholics.

May the vision of our hearts never be callous to the amazing miracles of the Incarnation and the Eucharist! May our souls not become dulled to the vivid colors of God’s amazing grace that is available to us each time we receive holy Communion and welcome into our hearts the One born in

Bethlehem!

How do we keep alive and vibrant the joy that comes from encountering the love of God, when we eat the Bread of Angels, the only food that can satisfy the deepest hungers of our souls? By proclaiming with our lives the joy that results inevitably from communion with God, from friendship with Jesus.

Each time we receive holy Communion, we also receive a mission to become the sacrament of God’s love for our families, our friends, our neighbors, our co-workers and especially for the world’s poor, forgotten and wounded.

Our own joy intensifies the more we strive to share its sweetness with others.

YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 7, 2022 | THELEAVEN.ORG

2021 YEAR IN REVIEW K

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THE ARCHDIOCESAN

BY JOE BOLLIG joe.bollig@theleaven.org

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — If 2020 was the year of the pandemic, 2021 was the year of . . . “It ain’t over till it’s over,” as the late great Yogi Berra famously said.

Even as the church and the world struggled to get back to “normal,” the COVID-19 virus and its variants continued to vex.

Even so, life went on. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann ended the dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation effective the weekend of June 5-6. Some parishes held “welcome back” activities.

Along with the universal church, the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas began 2021 by celebrating the Year of St. Joseph and ended it by starting the synodality process here locally with a Mass on Oct. 24 at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kansas.

Nationally, Archbishop Naumann wrapped up his three-year term as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on ProLife Activities at the USCCB fall general assembly from Nov. 15-18.

Meanwhile, locally, the archdiocese wrapped up its “One Faith. One Family. One Future . . . in Christ” capital campaign.

Sadly, we mourned the deaths of four archdiocesan priests in 2021: Father John Reynolds, Father Marc Tillia, Father Thomas Kearns and Father Pete O’Sullivan.

At the end of the year, retired Abbot Barnabas Senecal, OSB, of St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison, also died. He was known by many through his pastoral assignments, his teaching at Maur Hill-Mount Academy in Atchison and the many children he confirmed over the years.

Happily, the archdiocese also celebrated three priestly ordinations and two ordinations to the transitional diaconate.

The Leaven could document only a snapshot of archdiocesan life in its weekly 16 pages — all the social and religious activities, the sacraments, liturgies, evangelization, health care, education, charity, fundraising, personal milestones — in short, all the things that comprise the lives of Catholics here in northeastern Kansas.

Still, before we close the book on this memorable year, let’s take one last look back at the events and people that affected the lives of Catholics in northeast Kansas in 2021.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKAYLA RICO

Mikayla Rico, 21, a first-year pharmacy student at the University of Kansas, delivers the first of the twodose Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination to Sister Esther Fangman, OSB, prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Atchison.

January

PHOTO BY MELISSA SCHRAMP

Trudy Scott, a second grade teacher at St. Benedict School in Atchison, teaches a group of eighth graders how to properly squat as a part of the schools “Holy Hobbies” presentations during Catholic Schools Week. Teachers shared with the students their vocation stories before sharing a hobby of theirs. Scott is a calisthenics enthusiast.

• John and Terry Gillcrist, members of Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park, were named honorary chairpersons of the 2021 Archbishop’s Call to Share appeal.

• Archdiocesan high school faculty and staff attended an “Enflame Our Schools” event on Jan. 4 at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kansas.

• On Jan. 8, all 150 Benedictine Sisters and laypeople of the Mount St. Scholastica community and its longterm care facility, Atchison, received the first of their two-dose COVID-19 vaccinations.

• Craig and Karen Gaffney, members of Holy Angels Parish in Basehor, were presidents of the virtually held 47th annual Catholic Charities Snow Ball gala on Jan. 16.

• After a run of 27 years, the last Support Our Seminarians fundraising gala was held on Jan. 28 as a virtual event.

• Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann celebrated the opening Mass on Jan. 28

President Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann

Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799) Published weekly September through May, excepting the Friday the week after Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Christmas; biweekly June through August. Address communications to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Phone: (913) 721-1570; fax: (913) 7215276; or email at: sub@theleaven.org. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. For change of address, provide old and new address and parish. Subscriptions $21/year. Periodicals postage paid at Kansas City, KS 66109.

Production Manager Todd Habiger todd.habiger@theleaven.org

Editor Rev. Mark Goldasich, stl frmark.goldasich@theleaven.org

Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

for the annual National March for Life at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. A livestreamed Mass with the bishops of Kansas was celebrated on Jan. 21 in Topeka, followed by a march to the state Capitol.

February • Archdiocesan schools celebrated Catholic Schools Week Jan. 31-Feb. 6.

• Under the “metropolitan model” of Pope Francis’ new rules for dealing with abuse allegations “Vox estis lux mundi,” Archbishop Naumann was tasked with carrying out a canonical preliminary investigation of a complaint against Bishop John B. Brungardt of the Diocese of Dodge City.

• Katie Walters, a theology teacher and director of the community/house system at St. James Academy, Lenexa, received the Teacher of the Year Award >> Continued on page 4

Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita.mcsorley@theleaven.org

Advertising Coordinator Beth Blankenship beth.blankenship@theleaven.org

Social Media Editor/Reporter Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org

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YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 7, 2O22 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE

The Holy Family School of Faith prayed its 1000th rosary in style on May 23 when hundreds of people turned out to Fiorella’s Event Center in Overland Park for the event. In August 2018, Mike Scherschligt, left, founder and director of the Holy Family School of Faith, started recording and publishing daily rosary meditations on a podcast. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann was on hand for the event.

>> Continued from page 3 from the Kansas Association of Independent and Religious Schools.

• Father John Reynolds, 58, who served as a priest for a little more than 30 years, died from Parkinson’s disease on Feb. 16 in hospice care in Kansas City, Missouri.

• Archbishop Naumann suppressed the male branch of the Apostles of the Interior Life, a Clerical Association of the Christian Faithful, effective Feb. 19, as requested by its members.

• More than 200 junior high youths gathered at Prairie Star Ranch on Feb. 28 for a youth rally sponsored by the archdiocesan office of youth evangelization.

March • Burmese Catholics joined with others to protest a Feb. 1 military coup in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.

• A U.S. government forensic team announced on March 4 that it had identified the remains of Father Emil Kapaun, a priest of the Diocese of Wichita who was an Army chaplain and died in a Chinese prisoner-of-war camp during the Korean War. In 1993, Father Kapaun had been named a “Servant of God” by the Catholic Church.

• Father Arul Carasala, pastor, presided on March 21 at a groundbreaking for a new parish rectory at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Seneca.

• Senior Marcel Pryor and junior Sean McConnell, of Hayden High School in Topeka, won the Kansas Debate Classic and the Kansas State High School Activities Association 4A 2-Speaker state tournament, a feat Hayden hadn’t accomplished in 24 years.

• Sister Ann Albrecht, CSJ, leader of the archdiocesan deaf ministry from 1974 to 2001, was honored on March 19 upon her 75th anniversary as a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet.

• About 120 teens attended the Rural Catholic Youth Conference from March 27-28 at Prairie Star Ranch in Williamsburg.

April • Father Marc Tillia, 89, a former Trappist monk who became a missionary for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas in 1970, died on April 1 in São Gabriel, Brazil.

• Archbishop Naumann and Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor David Alvey received their COVID-19 vaccine shots on April 5 at the Unified Government’s Public Health Department’s vaccination

COURTESY PHOTO

Members of the metropolitan area’s Myanmar community participated in protests on Feb. 6, 13 and 20 against the military coup in their homeland. site in the Kansas National Guard facility.

• The historic first cohort of 17 permanent deacons for the archdiocese who were ordained on April 9, 2011, observed their 10th anniversary.

• Sister Irene Nowell, OSB, of Mount St. Scholastica Monastery in Atchison, and Scott and Kimberly Hahn, renowned theologians and speakers, were awarded the Lumen Vitae medal of St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison during the annual Abbot’s Table event on April 10.

• The annual Scouting Awards Mass was held at the Cathedral of St. Peter on April 18.

• Dr. Christopher Shingledecker, an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Benedictine College in Atchison, was part of a group of scientists who discovered new molecules in interstellar space.

May • A record-breaking $218,000 was raised for Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas at the 40th Ben & Betty Zarda Family Golf Classic on May 10 at the Lake Quivira Country Club.

• Deacon Andrew Gaffney and Deacon Sudeep Kodigandla were ordained to the transitional diaconate

PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE

The newest priests for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas stand with Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann following their ordination ceremony at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Leawood on May 29. From left are: Father Thomas Maddock, Father Luke Doyle and Father Keith Chadwick. on May 22 at St. Matthew Parish in Topeka.

• Mike Scherschligt, founder and director of the Holy Family School of Faith, led the 1,000th podcast rosary

on May 23 at Fiorella’s Event Center in Overland Park.

• The archdiocesan vocations office >> Continued on page 5

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>> Continued from page 4 sponsored a virtual Seminarian Trivia Night on May 26.

• Father Keith Chadwick, Father Luke Doyle and Father Thomas Maddock were ordained priests by Archbishop Naumann on May 29 at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood.

• The archdiocese announced the restructuring of three major archdiocesansponsored health care ministries under a new governance organization, the Northeast Kansas Catholic Healthcare Services, Inc. The three ministries were Catholic Community Hospice, Santa Marta senior living community in Olathe and Villa St. Francis in Olathe.

June • The first-ever Catholic Youth Organization tennis camp, for youths aged kindergarten through eighth grade, was held June 1-3 at Genesis Health Club in Merriam.

• Archbishop Naumann ended the COVID pandemic-initiated dispensation from the Sunday obligation effective the weekend of June 5-6, the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi).

• The Leaven won 12 national press awards at the virtual Catholic Media Conference from June 8-10.

• A severe thunderstorm damaged the church and parish hall at St. Boniface Parish in Scipio on June 11.

• Approximately 560 people from 37 dioceses and archdioceses — including eight archdiocesan parishes and one high school — attended the “Amazing Parish” conference June 21-23 at the Overland Park Convention Center.

• The archdiocesan pro-life and social justice offices co-sponsored “Pray — Reflect — Act for Religious Liberty,” a rally on June 26 at Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park.

• The archdiocese wrapped up its “One Faith. One Family. One Future . . . in Christ” capital campaign, which generated $42.9 million in pledges with an additional $21.3 million raised by 11 parish co-campaigns.

• The 42nd annual Telly Awards recognized the video series “Hebrews: The New and Eternal Covenant,” featuring Andrew Swafford, an associate professor of theology at Benedictine College in Atchison.

July • Howard and Lori Elliott, members of St. Ann Parish in Hiawatha, were honored as Kansas Master Farmer and Master Farm Homemaker by the Kansas State University Research Extension in Manhattan.

• Sister Eva-Maria Ackerman, FSGM, was appointed archdiocesan delegate for religious and consecrated life.

• A Totus Tuus for people with special needs was held July 19-23 at Prince of Peace Parish in Olathe.

• Archbishop Naumann issued a July 27 letter to the priests and deacons of the archdiocese concerning Pope Francis’ document, issued “motu proprio” (on his own initiative), “Traditiones Custodes” (“Guardians of Tradition”), regarding the celebration of the Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal.

• Mike and Mary Ann Caffrey, and Robert and Elena Fallon, members of Church of the Nativity Parish in Leawood, were honored with the Echo of Kateri award on July 30 for their service to youth ministry and Prairie Star Ranch.

• Father Michael Hermes, pastor of St. Paul Parish in Olathe, was appointed to the new position of vicar for His-

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

Father Jerry Williams, O.Carm., pastor of St. Boniface Parish in Scipio, surveys the damage done to the parish hall by a severe thunderstorm that took most of the roof off on June 11. panic ministry.

• Archbishop Naumann blessed and dedicated a new parish hall on July 31 for Mater Dei Parish in Topeka. The building is next to Holy Name Church.

• Archbishop Emeritus James P. Keleher celebrated his 90th birthday on July 31.

August • About 200 people participated in the first Master’s Cup golf charity event and luncheon, sponsored by the archdiocesan vocations office and Johnson County Serra Club, on Aug. 2 at the Iron Horse Golf Club in Leawood.

• Josh Ruoff, a member of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Topeka, succeeded Tom Racunas as lead consultant for the archdiocesan specialneeds ministry on Aug. 2.

• Archbishop Naumann led 21 archdiocesan seminarians on an Aug. 4-11 pilgrimage to shrines, churches and historic sites in the northeastern states.

• Archdiocesan Catholic school teachers began the school year for the first time with four all-teacher Masses Aug. 11 and 12 celebrated by Archbishop Naumann at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood, Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish in Topeka, and St. Patrick Parish in Kansas City, Kansas.

• Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish in Topeka celebrated its 75th anniversary on Aug. 15 with a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Naumann.

• Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, formerly housed in a sevenstory repurposed hospital, moved into its new academic building in late August.

September • The archdiocesan office of the permanent diaconate held a series of information nights Sept. 1- Oct. 12 for the formation of a new cohort of aspirants.

• In recognition of his work promoting priestly vocations, Msgr. Michael Mullen was honored by having his name added to the Monsignor Thomas Culhane/Monsignor Mike Mullen Endowment. The endowment is used to benefit archdiocesan seminarians.

LEAVEN FILE PHOTO

Archbishop Emeritus James P. Keleher hears a confession at Prairie Star Ranch in Williamsburg.

Archbishop Keleher approved the purchase of the ranch and focused on making it a holy and fun place for young people. The archbishop celebrated his 90th birthday on July 31.

• A meditation garden at Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa was dedicated to the memory of the late Father Tom Dolezal.

• Benedictine College in Atchison launched a new, strategic plan called “Transforming Culture in America” on Sept. 9.

• More than 300 people gathered on Sept. 9 for a block party and rosary, led

by Archbishop Naumann, in the parking lot at Church of the Nativity in Leawood.

• Archbishop Naumann celebrated a Mass commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Legion of Mary on Sept. 10 at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kansas.

• Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann >> Continued on page 6

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>> Continued from page 5 was the main celebrant and homilist at a Mass on Sept. 12 celebrating the 150th anniversary of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Burlington. Concelebrants included parochial administrator Father John Samineni, and Father Earl Dekat, Father Mike Hawken, Father Francis Hund and Father Quentin Schmitz. Father Anthony Saiki was master of ceremonies.

• Pastors and parishioners in the Nemaha-Marshall pastoral region gathered at St. Bede Parish in Kelly on Sept.

18 for a Day of Prayer and Reflection.

• The retreat center Sanctuary of Hope, which operated in the heart of Kansas City, Kansas, for 25 years, held its last retreat on Sept. 18. The facility will be converted to other uses.

• Archbishop Naumann blessed and dedicated on Sept. 21 the new parish hall of Holy Family Parish in Alma.

• Catholic school teachers and staff from across the archdiocese were honored for their work during the 2020 pandemic on Sept. 23 at a brunch hosted by the Catholic Education Foundation at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kansas.

• The Youth Catechism in American Sign Language became available, thanks in part to the leadership of Katie Locus, consultant for the archdiocesan deaf ministry.

• Archdiocesan Catholics traveled to Hartman Arena in Wichita for the funeral Mass on Sept. 29 of Servant of God Father Emil Kapaun, a U.S. Army chaplain who died in captivity during the Korean War. • The construction of the new Kapaun Priests’ House at Prairie Star Ranch near Williamsburg was completed in September.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY KAREN MIKOLS BONAR

Ray Kapaun, left, approaches the casket bearing the remains of his uncle, Father Emil Kapaun, with Paul Roach, who was held as a prisoner of war with Father Kapaun during the Korean War. St. John Nepomucene parishioners in Pilsen — many of whom remembered Father Kapaun — were given the chance to honor his remains on Sept. 26, even before the official funeral services in Wichita took place. Father Kapaun died on May 23, 1951; his remains were only identified in the spring of this year, and then returned to Kansas for a funeral and burial.

October • Archdiocesan parishes and Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas began collecting items to help resettle Afghan refugees.

• Bishop James Conley of the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, celebrated Mass on Oct. 3 to bless and commemorate a rare organ installed at Holy Angels Parish in Basehor.

• Archbishop Naumann blessed and dedicated a 4D-imaging ultrasound on Oct. 9, a gift of the Knights of Columbus, at the Kansas City Pregnancy Clinic in Kansas City, Kansas.

• Father Pete O’Sullivan, 65, pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Paola, died on Oct. 9 while in hospice care in Kansas City, Missouri.

• Sacred Heart Parish in Sabetha held a “Hope Arising” event on Oct. 10 as a welcome back and invitation to parishioners to resume participation in parish life.

• Father Ramiro Sanchez Chan, CS, assumed the duties of director of Hispanic ministry for the archdiocese on Oct. 11.

• Priests from the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, took a 4-3 lead in the Pitching for Priests series when they defeated the priests of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas on Oct. 15 at Legends Field in Kansas City, Kansas.

• The Holy Family School of Faith hosted an outdoor youth rosary on Oct. 17 at Fiorella’s Event Center in Overland Park.

• The Catholic Education Foundation gave the Michael and Patty Morrisey Angels Among Us award to all the Catholic school teachers of the archdiocese at the annual Gaudeamus gala on Oct. 23 at the Overland Park Convention Center. St. Patrick School in Kansas City, Kansas, received the Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann CEF

PHOTO BY GRETA HEIMAN

Sacred Heart Parish, Sabetha, offered an event on Oct. 10 called “Hope Arising,” which featured performance artist Mike Debus, a soup supper with live music from the Mikey Needleman Band and eucharistic adoration.

PHOTO BY PAM MEHRHOF

Holy Family’s new parish hall was blessed and dedicated by Archbishop Naumann on Sept. 21. The previous parish hall was destroyed in a fire in 2016.

School of Excellence Award. The gala raised $2,437,387 for scholarships.

November • Archbishop Naumann blessed and dedicated the new offices of Catholic Community Hospice in Lenexa on Nov. 1.

• The Archbishop’s Call to Share

raised more than $6.3 million for more than 40 ministries and programs, thanks to the generosity of 13,966 parishioners, including 1,965 Crosier Society members.

• Archbishop Naumann celebrated a memorial Mass and 50th anniversary celebration on Nov. 10 for the Serra Club of Kansas City, Kansas, at St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee.

• Pat and Mel McAnany, members of St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee, and Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, were given the Deo Gratias award on Nov. 11 at an annual dinner sponsored by the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas at Savior Pastoral Center.

• Msgr. Stuart Swetland was the celebrant and homilist for the first regional Gold Mass for scientists on Nov. 16 at St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison.

• Youth from the archdiocese attended the National Catholic Youth Conference from Nov. 18-20, in Indianapolis.

• Jerry Tuckwin, a Prairie Band Potawatomi and member of the Haskell University Catholic Campus Center permanent community in Lawrence, was presented the Duchesne Award on Nov. 21 at Sacred Heart Parish and St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Shrine in Mound City.

December • Retired Abbot Barnabas Senecal, OSB, the eighth abbot of St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison and longtime educator, died on Dec. 7 at the abbey. He also served at five archdiocesan parishes.

• Archbishop Naumann blessed two ultrasound machines on Dec. 8 at the Advice & Aid Pregnancy Center in Overland Park.

• Archdiocesan parishes held Holy Hours on Dec. 12 in thanksgiving for Archbishop Naumann’s three years of service as chairperson of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Pro-Life Activities; in prayer for his successor Archbishop William Lori and for the unborn and their mothers; and for the success of the “Value Them Both” amendment to the Kansas Constitution.

• Archbishop Naumann was the main celebrant at the Catholic Education Foundation Mass and dinner for parents of scholarship recipients on Dec. 13 at his residence.

• Archbishop Naumann presided at the annual seminarian vespers and dinner on Dec. 28 at his residence.

• Father Thomas Ambrose Kearns, 87, died on Dec. 16 at Villa St. Francis Care Center in Olathe. He was a priest of the archdiocese for 61 years.

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Beating COVID-19 has shown to be tougher than expected

By Mark Pattison Catholic News Service

W

CNS PHOTO/TYLER ORSBURN

A man at Catholic Charities in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington receives the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine May 18, 2021. Catholic Charities DC reported 56 clients with known chronic illnesses signed up for the pop-up clinic.

“

ASHINGTON (CNS) — The year is ending pretty much the same way it started, with the United States wondering whether it will experience a surge in COVID-19 cases when the calendar changes numbers.

A year ago, the urge to gather with family and friends at Christmas went hand in hand with a big spike in coronavirus infections. This time, families are likely to come together once more, but now in the shadow of the recently discovered omicron variant. Early indications say the variant seems to cause mild symptoms but is more transmissible, although not enough is yet known as to how much damage it can do.

Vaccines, which were approved on an emergency basis in the latter part of 2020, became widely available in 2021, first to the most vulnerable demographics, then to the general population. By spring, the vaccines were OK’d for use by middle and high schoolers, and by fall they had been approved for use for children as young as age 5.

That doesn’t mean, though, that everyone got in a line with their sleeves rolled up for an injection. Despite a famous photo of Pope Francis getting a jab, millions of Americans have refused to be vaccinated.

Some have cited religious reasons related to how the vaccines were developed.

In the U.S., the three currently being administered are the Pfizer and Moderna two-shot vaccines and the oneshot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines did not use abortion-derived cell lines in developing or producing their vaccines, but they did in lab testing. The one-shot Johnson & Johnson used abortion-derived cell lines in testing and producing its vaccine.

The Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a statement last December, saying: “All vaccinations recognized as clinically safe and effective can be used in good conscience with the certain knowledge that the use of such vaccines does not constitute formal cooperation with the abortion from which the cells used in production of the vaccines derive.”

The doctrinal congregation added, “It should be emphasized, however, that the morally licit use of these types of vaccines, in the particular conditions that make it so, does not in itself constitute a legitimation, even indirect, of the practice of abortion, and necessarily assumes the opposition to this practice by those who make use of these vaccines.”

Politics may be another reason some Americans aren’t getting inoculated. A Sept. 28 report from the Kaiser Family Foundation said 90% of Democrats had been vaccinated, compared with 68% of Independents and just 58% of Republicans.

There are still others who do not oppose the vaccine itself, but do oppose being forced to get it, like under mandates the Biden administration has imposed on the nation’s health care workers and on companies with 100 or more employees.

Biden’s mandates were to go into effect Dec. 3 for health care workers and Jan. 4 for businesses, but by early December a number of federal courts put them on hold for now.

“ ALL VACCINATIONS RECOGNIZED AS CLINICALLY SAFE AND EFFECTIVE CAN BE USED IN GOOD CONSCIENCE WITH THE CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE THAT THE USE OF SUCH VACCINES DOES NOT CONSTITUTE FORMAL COOPERATION WITH THE ABORTION FROM WHICH THE CELLS USED IN PRODUCTION OF THE VACCINES DERIVE. VATICAN CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH STATEMENT

Several city and state governments have instituted vaccine mandates of their own for health care workers, police, firefighters and all other first responders.

The holidays weren’t the only cause for spikes in COVID cases in 2021. As warmer weather spread throughout most of the country, people seemed to be more optimistic that COVID had been successfully beaten back. But by late July, the delta variant had become the predominant strain of coronavirus in the United States, and death rates exceeded the 2,000-a-day mark — equal to what it had been early in ’21 — despite the widespread availability of vaccines.

As the 2021 calendar turned to December, there had been more than 48 million cases of COVID diagnosed in the United States — that’s one for every seven people in the nation — with 780,000 deaths, with the daily death toll just under 1,000, despite vaccination levels. Worldwide, there have

been 262 million cases confirmed and more than 5.2 million deaths.

A total of 8.02 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide, just a bit better than one for each person. In the United States, 468.23 million doses have been given, close to one-and-a-half doses per person.

With the rise of the omicron variant — found in at least 10 U.S. states to date — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reiterated their recommendation Americans get their booster shot no matter which COVID vaccine they received.

While vaccines have only recently been approved for children ages 5-11, children under 5 still cannot get immunized for COVID. The global vaccine disparity has led to complaints by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, meeting Oct. 4-7, about vaccine inequity between the world’s richer nations and its poorer ones, noting that high-income countries had 35 times as many doses available to them than low-income countries.

The advisory group warned the imbalance could come back to haunt the wealthier nations — pointing to delta variant, which was first recognized in India and has surged in Europe and the U.S. And now comes omicron, first discovered in South Africa.

And as people continue to wonder what a “new normal” may look like, memories of the old normal are fast fading.

Two drugmakers have submitted COVID-fighting pills for federal approval. Some have expressed queasiness about being injected with a needle. Pills also promise easier transportation and longer shelf life than the liquid vaccines, some of which must be stored at very low temperatures and are at risk of being tossed if not used before an early expiration date.

That U.S. deaths remained stubbornly high despite the wide availability of vaccines, which has led many, including President Joe Biden, to call it

“a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

Many high-profile Americans who made a name for themselves refusing and refuting vaccinations, and sometimes even mask wearing, have ultimately died of COVID. The latest such casualty was Marcus Lamb, a televangelist and “prosperity gospel” preacher, and founding president of the Daystar Network, a collection of nearly 100 mostly low-power television stations across the country. He used his airwaves to tout conspiracy theories behind the virus and the vaccine.

The Pew Research Center did not ask about COVID-19 specifically, but COVID was the impetus behind a survey about the nature and cause of suffering, according to Greg Smith, a senior research associate at Pew. A Pew survey released in late November said Americans largely blame random chance — along with people’s own actions and the way society is structured — for human suffering, while relatively few believers blame God or voice doubts about the existence of God for this reason.

Asked if they thought suffering was a punishment from God, only 3% of Catholics thought “all or most” suffering could be ascribed to the Almighty. Among white Catholics, less than 1% thought so; no demographic or religious group or subgroup had a percentage this small. Meanwhile 16% of Catholics said “some” suffering was God’s punishment, while 23% said “only a little,” and a majority of 55% said “none” of it was God sending his wrath down on his creation.

Smith noted that due to the pandemic, the Pew staff is still largely working from home, with only rare small-group in-person get-togethers. He added they expect to be back at their desks in January, although the omicron variant could change the equation.

The return-to-office reverse exodus has only marginally materialized, as cities’ downtown hubs still lack the buzz of activity that was their hallmark two years ago.

YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 7, 2022 | THELEAVEN.ORG

9

CNS PHOTO/ARND WIEGMANN, REUTERS

CNS PHOTO/FLAVIO LO SCALZO, REUTERS

CNS PHOTO/RUSSELL CHEYNE, REUTERS

Blankets cover parts of a glacier to protect it against melting on Mount Titlis near the Alpine resort of Engelberg, Switzerland, Aug. 25, 2021.

A demonstrator holds up a sign as he attends a Fridays for Future climate strike in Milan Oct. 1, 2021, ahead of the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland.

Autumn foliage is reflected on a man-made reservoir in Pitlochry, Scotland, Nov. 9, 2021. Pope Francis warned that time is running out in preventing climate change.

Pope calls world to act on impact of climate change

By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service

P

ope Francis invited Catholics — and anyone else interested — to join a seven-year journey to widen the reach of his 2015 encyclical on the environment in a time of global climate change.

Known as the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, the effort formally launched Nov. 14 in dioceses around the world.

The invitation came as communities globally experienced extreme heat and drought, massive flooding, intense and long-burning wildfires, rising sea levels and failed crops in 2021.

The pope introduced the platform in a video May 25, encouraging people to join the global grassroots movement to create a more inclusive, fraternal, peaceful and sustainable world.

Coordinated through the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, the platform is a “journey that will see our communities committed in different ways to becoming totally sustainable, in the spirit of integral ecology,” the pope said.

He called for a “new ecological approach that can transform our way of dwelling in the world, our lifestyles, our relationship with the resources of the earth and, in general, our way of looking at humanity and of living life.”

The initiative invited dioceses, parishes and individuals to build an integrated global effort to protect creation for future generations. The Vatican platform is meant to help those who want to increase their commitment to bringing the encyclical, “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” to life by committing through 2028 to carry out a set of actions they developed based on local needs.

In the United States, 17 dioceses and 58 parishes had committed to participating in the platform at its kickoff. More were expected to join, said Jose Aguto, executive director of the Washington-based Catholic Climate Covenant.

The platform calls for integrating actions across different sectors, such as universities, parishes, dioceses, religious orders, community organizations, neighborhoods, businesses and health care institutions.

“The covenant, we’re really excited about the U.S. participation in the Laudato Si’ Action Platform so far. We look forward to the seven-year journey as a big step,” Aguto said Dec. 1.

The effort surrounding the platform began as the two-week 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference closed in Glasgow, Scotland. Representatives of more than 200 nations came together Oct. 31-Nov. 12 with the goal of agreeing to cut global carbon emissions by

CNS PHOTO/MONICAH MWANGI, REUTERS

Musyoka Mulu and his wife, Waki Munyalo, pummel corn from a harvest at their farm in Kitui, Kenya, March 17, 2021, as they manage extreme climate conditions. half by 2030 as part of efforts to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

COP26, as the conference was known, was delayed a year because of the pandemic.

A Vatican delegation and several Catholic organizations and parishes were present throughout COP26.

Vatican representatives joined highlevel talks, while Catholics from other groups participated in sideline events.

Vatican representatives in a video message urged the conference to deliver on financing from wealthier countries to help poorer countries respond to climate change and to take urgent action to comply with the standards of the Paris Agreement.

The final agreement, however, fell short of those goals, disappointing Catholic environmental and development advocates. Action to limit temperature increases was pushed into 2022 and wealthier nations failed to deliver on needed climate finance to help poor countries respond and adapt to climate change.

Although promises and practical action fell short in the final agreement, “we are on the road from which there is no turning back,” said Christine Allen, director of CAFOD, the Catholic international development agency in England and Wales, which joined the Vatican delegation in Scotland.

“The level of realization from right across the world that we need to act and act with urgency absolutely took

place,” Allen said.

Chloe Noel, the coordinator of the Faith Economy Ecology Project at the Washington-based Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, who joined the conference sideline activities online, told CNS Dec. 2 that while delegates from major fossil fuel-using countries began discussing reduction in such consumption, “there’s not a clear plan about how that will be done and by when that will be done.”

“We need more ambition to keep the temperature rise to even two degrees Celsius let alone to what the temperature really needs to be, which is 1.5 degrees Celsius,” Noel said.

She also called for a more expansive financial commitment by the world’s richest nations to help developing countries already feeling the negative effects of climate change.

“We will continue, as the climate movement, as the faith community, to push the U.S. government to address loss and damage at COP27,” Noel said.

COP27 will convene in Egypt in November 2022.

In other events, the Catholic Climate Covenant teamed with Creighton University in July to convene the second of three planned biennial “Laudato Si’ and the U.S. Catholic Church” conferences.

More than 2,700 participants joined a series of online programs to learn how to bring the encyclical’s teaching on climate change more widely into the life of the church.

“We’re continuing to grow the Catholic community [that is] concerned about climate. We’re seeing steady increases in the number of Catholics being interested,” Aguto told Catholic News Service.

“But we need to elevate our voices more. The science is becoming more significant and the divisions in our country are becoming more stark. We have to speak first of love of God and love of neighbor. We have to create a space for dialogue,” he added.

A global campaign to divest from fossil fuels continued to gain adherents in the fall, with 72 institutions — 36 of them Catholic — announcing days ahead of COP26 that they will withdraw investments from carbon-based energy corporations. The institutions hold assets of $4.2 billion.

Salesian Father Joshtrom Kureethadam, coordinator of Ecology and Creation at the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, welcomed the announcement during an Oct. 26 video conference organized by leading divestment proponents.

The Vatican and Pope Francis have become increasingly vocal about shifting investment funds from fossil fuels toward clean energy alternatives. In 2020, as part of the Laudato Si’ Year, the Vatican released guidelines for Catholics to implement integral ecology and other actions outlined in the pope’s encyclical.

10

YEAR IN REVIEW

JANUARY 7, 2O22 | THELEAVEN.ORG

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

Pope Francis leads a meeting with representatives of bishops’ conferences from around the world at the Vatican Oct. 9, 2021. The meeting came as the Vatican launched the process that will lead up to the assembly of the world Synod of Bishops in 2023.

Pope launches synodal process to discern Holy Spirit’s call

By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service

B

uilding on the guiding principles of his papacy, Pope Francis this year invited Catholics both in the mainstream of church life and on the margins to express their dreams, ideas and concerns in preparation for the Synod of Bishops in 2023.

The pope’s invitation to discern a path forward for the church stems from his belief that the Holy Spirit inspires all members to be missionary disciples, sharing core Christian beliefs by going out to the world.

The pope formally opened the synodal process at the Vatican Oct. 9-10. It launched Oct. 16-17 in dioceses worldwide.

Under the theme “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission,” the pope has called the church to practice synodality, that is listening to — and hearing — one another in all facets of church life, coordinators of the effort at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops explained.

The October opening “is just the first step in a larger, longer-term process of really incorporating the fruits of Vatican II and becoming a synodal church,” said Julia McStravog, a former USCCB employee who is a consultant to the bishops on the process.

“We’re going to have consultation.

It’s also going to be a learning process about how to actually engage in a synodal way,” McStravog said.

The launch began a two-year journey that will culminate in the Synod of Bishops in October 2023. The synod is expected to adopt a final document that will guide the continuing development of a synodal church going into the future.

The pope’s call to synodality is rooted in his deep involvement as a

cardinal in 2007 in drafting a document on church life for the Latin American bishops’ council, known as CELAM, its acronym in Spanish, which met in Aparecida, Brazil. The document issued repeated calls for a “continental mission,” a church that goes out in search of ways to proclaim the Gospel to all.

In the first phase that is underway, dioceses and parishes have begun convening discussions, or consultations, in which people from across the church have been invited to participate.

The listening sessions will continue through June.

Each diocese is asked to submit a summary report to the USCCB or their appropriate episcopal conference office, which will then have until Aug. 15 to present a report to the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican.

The process presents opportunities to welcome the Holy Spirit to guide discussions, said Richard Coll, executive director of the bishops’ Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, who is coordinating the effort for the USCCB. “The Synod of Bishops is saying don’t focus on what the ultimate product is going to be. Focus on the process itself and how the Spirit will guide the church, represented in part through subsidiarity in the work that you are doing at the diocesan level,” Coll said.

The diocesan consultations also are an opportunity for creativity, McStravog added.

“This is a moment to be co-creators with the Spirit. . . . It is a chance for reinvigorating an engaged community through creativity and the call to be open. There’s a chance to reaffirm the good and re-imagine some things that could be better,” she explained.

Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, echoed the pope’s invitation to creativity while addressing the bishops’ fall general assembly in

Baltimore in November.

“No one is unimportant in this time of listening,” he said, encouraging the bishops to remember that the first phase of the process must involve the participation of the whole church “listening together, praying together, discerning together” the voice of the Holy Spirit.

“Pope Francis has asked us to invite people, to listen to people, including those who do not show up in our pews,” said Bishop Flores, who began a three-year term as chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Doctrine at the close of the assembly.

He also described the synodal process as a “deliberate pathway and style of communion.”

To facilitate the effort, the Synod of Bishops, under Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general, introduced documents to guide the work being done in dioceses. The USCCB followed up by developing a supplemental document as well.

The primary Vatican document is a “vademecum,” or handbook, offering support for diocesan teams “to prepare and gather the people of God so that they can give voice to their experience in their local church.”

The USCCB document further defines the Vatican materials. It includes a checklist of actions, proposed timeline for dioceses to follow, and a listing of background materials to help walk parishes and dioceses through the initial process and ensure wide participation.

An addendum, developed by the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship, offers ideas for liturgical celebrations to mark the opening and closing of the synodal process in dioceses and suggestions for Scripture readings and musical themes.

As the first phase began, several U.S. prelates said the effort is an opportunity

to better engage people in the life of the church.

In San Diego, Bishop Robert W. McElroy said he expects the diocese to become more synodal in its operation as the first phase unfolds, long before the final conclusions are reached by the Synod of Bishops and Pope Francis in October 2023.

“I hope this is an opportunity not only for us to assess the level of synodality, which is already present in the life of our local church, but to advance it dramatically,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut, convened a team of 260 delegates who have been charged with going out and prayerfully meeting with people. From parish town hall gatherings to one-onone conversations, the delegates will be hearing from people about concerns, hurts and hopes, he said.

“In the end, we’re not trying to solve a problem. What we’re trying to do is discern the solution that is already there. The Holy Spirit already knows what the solution is,” he said.

For several other dioceses, the process will build upon local synods that are addressing local priorities including young adults, family life and ministry to Latino members.

When the Vatican receives the synthesized reports of diocesan meetings from bishops’ conferences around the world, the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops will draft by fall 2022 the “instrumentum laboris,” or working document, to guide continental or regional ecclesial assemblies that will take place by March 2023.

Those assemblies will produce another set of documents that will help in the drafting of a second working document for the October 2023 Synod of Bishops.

JANUARY 7, 2022 | THELEAVEN.ORG

YEAR IN REVIEW

U.S. bishops stress need for Catholics to deepen understanding of Communion

11

CNS PHOTO/CHAZ MUTH

Freshly baked and cut altar bread is waiting to be sorted in the bakery at the Monastery of St. Clare in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, July 21, 2021. The monastery produces up to 3 million altar breads a year, selling what may eventually become consecrated hosts to parishes throughout Pennsylvania and other parts of the U.S.

By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service

W

ASHINGTON (CNS) — Communion was a big topic in the Catholic Church this year, after the U.S. bishops initiated a discussion about the sacrament at their June meeting and then overwhelmingly approved a statement on it five months later.

But in the months in between, there was plenty of speculation about what the statement might say, specifically about denying Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion.

Ultimately, the document did not call out these Catholic political leaders.

Instead, it highlighted the seriousness of the sacrament frequently described as a gift to the church.

Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, told the bishops Nov. 16 during their fall assembly in Baltimore that the statement, “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church,” is addressed to all Catholics in the United States and “endeavors to explain the centrality of the Eucharist in the life of the church.”

The bishop, chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Doctrine, which drafted the statement, also said this work was meant to be a theological contribution to the bishops’ upcoming eucharistic revival “by providing a doctrinal resource for parishes, catechists and the faithful.”

The eucharistic revival, which begins next year and will end with a National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in 2024, will feature eucharistic processions and other events of adoration and resources for parishes to increasing Catholics’ understanding of what the Eucharist really means.

Part of the impetus for both the

CNS PHOTO/SEAN GALLAGHER, THE CRITERION

Father Aaron Jenkins, pastor of St. Michael Parish in Greenfield, Indiana, distributes Communion to Anne Bauer during Mass at the parish church Jan. 30, 2021. statement on the Eucharist and the eucharistic revival was a Pew study in the fall of 2019 that showed just 30% of Catholics understand the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

This study, which some have faulted for its wording, struck a nerve with many U.S. bishops, who described this lack of understanding as a catechetical crisis.

“This should be a wake-up call to all of us in the church,” said Auxiliary

Bishop Robert E. Barron of Los Angeles, founder of the Catholic evangelization organization Word on Fire, soon after the survey was published.

John Grabowski, associate professor of moral theology and ethics at The Catholic University of America, told Catholic News Service this summer he hoped efforts by the bishops, including the planned eucharistic revival, “can move the needle in a significant way so that more than just one-third of Catho-

lics in the United States recognize the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.”

He said he viewed the Pew survey as a way to ultimately help Catholics, because the results provide an opportunity for the church to respond.

A few months before the bishops’ document was presented, Timothy O’Malley, director of education at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, told CNS: “If you pay attention to what the bishops are saying to recent revisions and outlines of drafts of the document, you don’t see it ‘being sort of political.’”

“This is the source and summit of our faith. It’s the source and summit of our commitment to the world and to each other,” he said about Communion.

And in its final form, the bishops’ statement, which is full of references from Scripture, prayers of the church and Second Vatican Council documents, specifically references this “source and summit of the Christian life” description of the Eucharist from the Vatican II document “Lumen Gentium” (Dogmatic Constitution on the Church).

The bishops’ statement also notes that, as Catholics understand what the Eucharist means, they should more fully participate in Mass and also reach out to serve those in need, citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which says: “The Eucharist commits us to the poor.”

Toward the end, the statement mentions how Catholics should show reverence in receiving the Eucharist and also recognize that if they have “knowingly and obstinately” rejected the doctrines of the church or its teaching on moral issues, they should refrain from receiving Communion because it is “likely to cause scandal for others.”

CLASSIFIEDS

12 EMPLOYMENT Administrative assistant, human resources - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking qualified candidates to fill a full-time position of administrative assistant for the human resources office. This position will provide administrative support to the human resources director and three HR consultants. Qualified applicants must be proficient using the Microsoft Suite of Office products; possess excellent verbal and written communication skills; be a practicing Catholic in good standing; and an active and faithful steward in their parish. Previous experience working in a human resources office is preferred.

This position requires a high school diploma or equivalent plus a minimum of three years’ prior experience working in a professional office environment. Self-motivated candidates with the ability to work independently as well as part of a team are encouraged to submit their information for consideration. To apply, visit the website at: www.archkck. org/jobs. Position open until filled.

Faculty/adjunct faculty positions available - Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, a Catholic college offering higher education for those who may not otherwise be served, has the following faculty job openings: information systems faculty coordinator, nursing faculty and Title V project director. Adjunct faculty openings include: accounting, biology, clinical nursing and nursing. Find job descriptions and details on: www.donnelly.edu/careers.

Chief development officer - Are you a Catholic professional with large-scale development experience? Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas is hiring a full-time chief development officer. This is an executive level position responsible for leading the agency’s fundraising and marketing efforts. Learn more by visiting: www. catholiccharitiesks.org.

Math teacher - The students at Holy Spirit School need a terrific math teacher able to help them learn pre-algebra and algebra. Their current teacher will be on maternity leave from March – May 2022. So, if you have a Kansas certification or a Kansas substitute license with this mathematical ability, we would love to talk with YOU! This position will be Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Please contact Michele Watson at: mwatson@ hscatholic.org if you are interested in learning more about this position.

Staff job openings - Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, has the following staff job openings available: admissions counselor, advancement officer, Allied Health intake specialist and part-time accounting assistant. Find job descriptions and details at: www. donnelly.edu/careers.

Teacher - Holy Spirit School is seeking a certified math teacher or someone with a Kansas substitute license with the ability to teach geometry to a small group of advanced placement students. The current teacher will be on maternity leave from March – May 2022. The hours for this position are Monday – Friday, 6:45 – 7:40 a.m. Please contact Michele Watson at: mwatson@ hscatholic.org if you are interested in learning more about this position.

Administrative assistant, marriage and family life - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking qualified candidates to fill a full-time position of administrative assistant for the office of marriage and family life. Qualified applicants must have experience handling general office duties; assisting with event preparations; creating and maintaining databases; using software platforms to create flyers and promotional materials; must be proficient using the Microsoft Suite of Office products, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, internet and the ability to learn other software and social media as required; file management of both paper and electronic files; must be a practicing Catholic in good standing; and an active and faithful steward in their parish. Must have a high school diploma or equivalent plus a minimum of three years’ prior experience working in a professional office environment. Must have strong writing and creativity skills. Must be self-motivated with the ability to work independently as well as part of a team. To apply, visit the website at: www. archkck.org/jobs. Application deadline is Dec. 31.

Operations director and volunteer coordinator - The Bishop Sullivan Center, Kansas City, Missouri, is seeking an operations director and a volunteer coordinator: Inspired by Christian faith, Bishop Sullivan Center (BSC) shows God’s love to people in financial hardship by providing food, help in finding jobs and other aid. Beyond material assistance, Bishop Sullivan Center strives to build relationships between those who live in poverty and those who do not, promoting mutual understanding and affirming the dignity of all. BSC is seeking both a fulltime operations director and a volunteer coordinator to work primarily at our 3936 Troost Ave. location in Kansas City, Missouri. For additional information and to apply: m.carlstedt@bishopsullivan.org or (816) 231-2971.

Accountant - St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood is seeking a full-time accountant. Duties include processing accounts payable, supervising weekly collection counting, processing payroll, preparing financial reports and other accounting duties. This position works with another accountant, communicates with parishioners and staff, and reports to the parish administrator. For more information, go to: stmichael cp.org and click on “Our Parish,” then “Employment Opportunities.” Submit cover letter and resume to: denise. greene@stmichaelcp.org.

Consultant, human resources - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking qualified candidates to fill a full-time position of consultant for the human resources office. This position provides training and guidance to archdiocesan entities regarding payroll and benefits processes. The consultant position is also the liaison between our immigration legal advisers and the archdiocese. Additionally, this position is responsible for special projects. Qualified applicants must be have previous experience working with human resources payroll systems, HRIS or benefit software. The ideal candidate will be proficient using the Microsoft Suite of Office Products; possess excellent verbal and written communication skills; be a practicing Catholic in good standing; and an active and faithful steward in their parish. A bachelor’s degree in business administration, industrial relations or human resources or related field of study is required. Previous human resources experience is required. To apply, visit the website at: www. archkck.org/jobs. Position open until filled.

Live-in or live-out caregivers (assistants) - Looking for purposeful volunteer or paid work? Live-in or liveout caregivers (assistants) needed for all shifts with adults with intellectual disabilities. L’Arche Heartland has five residential group homes that house a max of five individuals, located in old Overland Park. Duties include but are not exclusive to: be responsible for the overall growth and direction of the home; foster appropriate relationships between all members of the home; foster positive and supportive relationships with families and professionals; attend community nights and other community events. Qualifications: a person who has lived or worked in a community with persons with disabilities preferred. A person with good organizational skills; good communication skills; and the ability to deal with conflict objectively. Have a valid driver’s license and a high school diploma or equivalent.

Pass all required background checks; pass required pre-employment readiness evaluation. All training provided after hire: CPR/first aid; medication administration; rights and responsibilities — abuse, neglect and exploitation; emergency preparedness and documentation. Hourly pay for live-out assistants dependent on experience: range from $13.50-$15/hour. Perks for full-time employees: eight paid holidays; flexible hours available; health, dental, vision insurance benefits (premiums paid by L’Arche Heartland), 401(k) and PTO. Email letter of inquiry, contact information and experience to: heartland@larcheks.org Consultant for student services/special education - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking a consultant for student services/special education. This position is responsible for assisting schools in meeting the needs of students with special learning needs enrolled in the Catholic schools within the archdiocese.

This position provides on-site consultation with principals and teachers regarding students with special needs; provides on-site training for teachers; and engages in the student improvement teams. Additionally, the incumbent assists schools in accessing funds from federal title programs to support students with special needs. The ideal candidate will be a practicing Catholic in good standing. This position requires a master’s degree in special education with at least five years’ experience in special education. To apply, visit the website at: www.archkck.org/jobs. Application deadline is Feb. 1.

School cafeteria workers – Holy Spirit Catholic School, Overland Park, is seeking school cafeteria workers willing to learn all duties in assigned areas to include production, preparation, storage of food/supplies, accountability and safety/sanitation. Workers may perform sales transactions and must interact with students in a friendly, service-oriented manner. Compliance with sanitation and safety requirements is essential, and basic math skills are required. Shifts will be Monday – Friday and hours are flexible. Previous kitchen/ cafeteria experience preferred but not required. If interested, please contact Larry at: lgroce@hscatholic. org to schedule an interview.

Case manager - Catholic Charities is seeking an organized, passionate, mission-driven case manager to serve as the mobile resource bus coordinator. The position will travel the rural counties of northeast Kansas and provide financial and gift-in-kind assistance to our neighbors in need. The coordinator will also work with parishes, community partners and volunteers for the programs’s success. Apply at: www.catholiccharitiesks. org/careers.

Join the Santa Marta team - Santa Marta is recognized as a premier senior living community in Olathe.

You will make a positive difference when you join the Santa Marta team. We are looking for part-time servers. Responsibilities include: serving meals to residents in a professional and hospitable manner in either independent living or health care neighborhoods; respectful interaction and communication with residents and coworkers is required; work with a team in a professional manner within dining and other departments; use proper food handling and cleaning techniques; setup and clean the dining rooms after each dining session.

Part-time servers are normally scheduled for three to five shifts per week (evening from 4 - 8 p.m. and weekend breakfast, lunch and dinner shifts). Pay is $10 - $11 hourly rate depending upon relevant experience. Parttime associates earn paid time off for hours worked.

Thank you for your interest in joining the Santa Marta team. Check out Santa Marta at: https:www.facebook. com/SantaMartaRetirement/.

Part-time stylists - Are you addicted to the TV show “Say Yes to the Dress”? Are you self-motivated, love fashion and enjoy helping people look their best? If so, we want to talk to you! Sincerely Susan, a unique destination shop that specializes in dresses for mothers of the bride/groom and galas, is looking for part-time stylists. Our boutique is a warehouse environment where clients come in by appointment only. You must have a sense of style and a great personality to be able to interact with our “moms.” Hours are flexible. Must be willing to work a minimum of one evening per week and weekends. Must be able to stand and walk on concrete for long periods of time and reach overhead to pull gowns.

Previous retail experience preferred, but not necessary.

Hourly rate is based on experience. If interested, call (913) 730-8840.

St. Mary’s food kitchen manager - Do you have a calling to serve others? Do you want to feel fulfilled at the end of your workday? If you do, St. Mary’s Food Kitchen is seeking to hire a full-time manager. The ideal candidate has a calling to serve the hungry in an urban context. You will assist coordinators and volunteers from supporting religious organizations serve a delicious and nutritious meal to the underprivileged in Kansas City, Kansas. Reporting to the board of directors of Hot Lunch Service, Inc., you will need to have good communication (writing and verbal) and management skills.

Experience in fund-raising, marketing and community outreach are beneficial but not required. Salary range is $35,000 to $50,000 based on experience and education. A college degree is preferred. Interested? Please submit a current resume, letter of interest and references, along with contact information, to: hotlunch serviceinc@gmail.com.

Development coordinator - L’Arche Heartland is a nonprofit organization that provides residential housing for adults with intellectual disabilities located in old Overland Park. We are looking to hire an enthusiastic, entry-level development coordinator to secure financial support for our organization. The development coordinator will set and achieve fundraising goals; maintain knowledge of fundraising events; maintain a social media presence; and craft engaging ways to share our story. The successful applicant will build lasting relationships with donors and keep them informed on how their financial input is making the world a better place. A new position in the organization, the development coordinator will have the opportunity to build the development function of L’Arche Heartland requiring preferred candidates to be self-motivated, energetic and highly organized. Responsibilities: develop and execute L’Arche Heartland’s comprehensive annual fundraising plan; secure financial support from individuals, foundations and corporations; manage the implementation/utilization of Bloomerang donor management system and coordinate with staff responsible for data entry and gift processing; develop and maintain an ongoing moves-management relationship strategy with major donors; coordinate external communications and marketing efforts including print and social media; create and execute a strategy for a large, sustained base of annual individual donors; coordinate contracted grant writing efforts managing grants, proposals and reports for all foundation and corporate fundraising.

Qualifications: BA in business, nonprofit management, or related field; previous experience in a nonprofit setting preferred; demonstrated excellence in organizational and communication skills; superb oral, written and persuasive communication skills; possess ability to set, manage and meet personal and organizational timelines and deadlines; have a high level of computer literacy (i.e., MS Office), experience with online donor database systems and an ability to self-direct their own mastery of such; ability to work in a faith-inspired, values-based environment; extensive use of technology and in-person interactions to communicate and conference with the various stakeholders, the public, the local team and national leadership. Evening and weekend work are occasionally required. Applicants within the local area preferred, but others living outside of the area are encouraged to apply (no relocation assistance available). Valid driver’s license required. Interested applicants should submit a PDF cover letter and resume to: heartland@larcheks.org.

Drivers and aides - Assisted Transportation is now hiring safe drivers and aides to transport students with special needs in Johnson, Wyandotte and Clay County, Missouri, in company vans. Drivers earn $14 - $16 per hour. Aides earn $12 per hour. Part-time and full-time schedules available. CDL not required. Retirees encouraged to apply. Make a difference in your community by helping those in need. Call (913) 521-4955 for more information. EEO Financial representatives - Knights of Columbus has full-time openings in northeast Kansas and western Missouri for full-time financial representatives. Ideal for determined, disciplined, professional, high-expectation individual desiring to serve others. We work exclusively with the families of brother Knights and Catholic gentlemen who are eligible to join the Knights. We have established territories where agents devote their working day to the needs of the members in their assigned councils. Excellent, multi-tiered training and benefits are provided, allowing the successful field agent to earn a professional level income. This is a career opportunity that may be the right fit at the right time for you, or possibly for someone you know. For further information, contact John A. Mahon, general agent, at (785) 4088800 or email: john.mahon@kofc.org.

JANUARY 7, 2O22 | THELEAVEN.ORG Early childhood educators – With multiple locations in Johnson County, Special Beginnings Early Learning Center provides high quality child care in a safe, loving Christian environment. Our classrooms are full, and we are looking to add to our amazing team. We are looking for both full-time and part-time teachers for all ages of children. If you have an excellent work ethic, a heart for children and a willingness to learn more about early childhood education, we would love to meet you. For more information or to apply, call Carolyn Andruss at (913) 894-0131, ext. 102.

Caregivers - Daughters & Company is looking for several compassionate caregivers to provide assistance to seniors in their home, assisted living or in a skilled nursing facility. We provide light housekeeping/light meal preparation, organizational assistance, care management and occasional transportation services for our clients. We need caregivers with reliable transportation and a cellphone for communication. A CNA background is helpful, though not mandatory. We typically employ on a part-time basis, but will strive to match up hours desired. Contact Gary or Laurie at (913) 341-2500 if you want to become part of an excellent caregiving team.

FOR SALE 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) Looking to purchase a home or sell your home? I am here to help you on your real estate journey! Tanairi Kennedy We Sell KC Team - Realty Executive. Call (913) 972-5097 or email: Tanairi@WeSellKcTeam.com. See the website at: www.tanairiSellsKC.com. I appreciate and look forward to the opportunity to work with you.

For sale - Double crypt at Resurrection Cemetery inside the Beautiful Queen of Heaven mausoleum and chapel; tier A-1, crypt 111. Beautiful finished wood exterior on lower level. Today’s value is $16,000. Make offer. Call (816) 215-2000.

For sale - Two plots at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens.

Selling for half price at $1595. Call Ernest Cowden at (913) 706-5958.

For sale - Single patio crypt with paid interment at Resurrection Cemetery. Patio B, tier E, Crypt 6. $4295 value discounted to $3000, or best offer. Call (913) 642-2191.

For sale - Two plots for sale at Mount Calvary Cemetery. Section A, lot 7, spaces 8 and 10. Asking $2200 or best offer. Call Levita at (913) 730-8435.

SERVICES Senior Care Authority - Navigating senior care options can be overwhelming. We’ll help you sort through and understand all your care and living options and point you to vetted resources. Placement assistance is FREE. We do a thorough assessment, do all the research and walk with you as you make these big decisions for you or your loved one. Call (913) 359-8580.

Painting - Diamond Paining, (913) 648-4933, residential/commercial, exterior/interior. Free estimate, affordable, decks. DiamondPaintKc.com, KCMO/Overland Park Metropolitan area.

Quality work - Kitchen and bath room additions. Licensed and insured. Call (913) 206-4524.

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.

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.

Win disability benefits - Disabled and no longer able to work? Get help winning Social Security disability benefits. Free consultation. Eight years’ experience. No fee unless you win. Call (785) 331-6452 or send an email to: montemace2000@yahoo.com or visit http://www. montemacedisability.org.

Tutoring - for K - Adult. Sessions are fun and meaningful. For more information please call Kathleen at (913) 206-2151 or email: Klmamuric@yahoo.com.

ACT Prep - Founded by a Bishop Miege graduate, Pathway Prep has helped over 250 students during the last four years improve their scores. In-person or virtual sessions available. For more information, visit: pathwayprepkc.com and contact Alex Pint at (913) 9918217 or: alex@pathwayprepkc.com.

Mike Hammer local moving - A full-service mover.

Packing, pianos, rental truck load/unload, storage container load/unload and in-home moving. No job too small. Serving JoCo since 1987. St. Joseph, Shawnee, parishioner. Call Mike at (913) 927-4347 or send an email to: mike@mikehammermoving.com. >> Classifieds continue on page 13

CALENDAR

JANUARY 7, 2022 | THELEAVEN.ORG

CAMP KATERI TEKAKWITHA Prairie Star Ranch 1124 California Road, Williamsburg 2022

Camp Tekakwitha has announced its 2022 schedule. Come join in faith, fun and friends down at Camp Kateri Tekakwitha. Camp has always been a place of adventure activities combined with powerful, spiritual and unique encounters with God. Camp Tekakwitha Women’s Retreat will return again this spring.

There will also be a new Spanish Family Camp in July. Visit the website at: www. archkck.org/camp for more information about Camp Kateri Tekakwitha. Registration dates will be announced soon.

ROSARY RALLY IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA St. Mary/St. Anthony Parish 615 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas Jan. 9 from 3 - 4:15 p.m.

We will pray the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries of the rosary. Benediction will follow, as well as an opportunity for attendees to enroll in the brown scapular. For driving instructions or future dates for the Kansas City monthly Holy Rosary rallies, visit the website at: www.rosaryrallieskc.org.

POTLUCK DINNER Most Pure Heart of Mary (Culhane Room) 3601 S.W. 17th St., Topeka Jan. 16 from 1 - 3 p.m.

The Christian Widow and Widowers Organization will host the potluck dinner.

There is no cost to attend. For more information, call (785) 233-7350.

‘HEALING THE DIVORCED HEART’ DIVORCE SUPPORT GROUP St. Michael the Archangel Parish 14251 Nall Ave., Leawood Jan. 17 at 7 p.m.

1st and 3rd Wed. of every month

We who have experienced divorce understand, as perhaps few others can. We

too 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, go online to: www.stmichaelcp.org/divorce-support.

TAKE-A-LOOK THURSDAY Holy Spirit School 11300 W. 103rd St., Overland Park Jan. 20 from 9 - 11 a.m.

Join us for information, tours of the school and refreshments. Choose a learning environment that is welcoming and Christ-centered. For more information, contact Anita Pauls at (913) 492-2582 or email: apauls@hscatholic.org.

TACO DINNER AND BINGO St. Patrick Parish Center 1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas Jan. 7 and Jan. 14 at 6 p.m.

There will be a dinner of three tacos, rice, beans, dessert and lemonade or tea.

The cost is $10 for adults; $5 for children; and $30 for a family. For more information, call Fritz at (913) 515-0621.

POSTPARTUM NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING CLASS St. John the Evangelist (extra building) 200 W. 13th St., Lawrence Jan. 21 at 6:30 p.m.

A Couple to Couple League sponsored class in using the sympto-thermal method of natural family planning during the postpartum period takes place at the St. John’s Building. For more information about this class or other self-paced, online classes, call Shannon or John Rasmussen at (785) 749-1015. Preregistration is required online at: www.ccli.org.

DAUGHTERS OF ISABELLA LITTLE FLOWER CIRCLE Christ the King Parish (Yadrich Hall) 5972 S.W. 25th St., Topeka Jan. 23 at 12:40 p.m.

A rosary will be followed by the business meeting and social time. Masks are strongly encouraged. If anyone knows of

13

a member or family member of Daughters of Isabella in need of the circle’s prayers, call Diana Ortiz at (785) 554-4256.

>> Continued from page 12

CALLED TO LOVE AGAIN DIVORCE SUPPORT Church of the Ascension (St. Luke Room) 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park Jan. 29 from 6:30 - 8 p.m.

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 as is never felt so good. Jon & Stacy Bichelmeyer (913) 599-5000.

Do you have questions about the annulment process? What’s next after divorce? Save the date for a meeting on annulments with special guest, Father Gary Pennings. For more information, send an email to: calledtolove143@gmail.com.

SAVE THE DATE: IGNITE FOR LIFE & KANSAS MARCH AND RALLY FOR LIFE Topeka Performing Arts Center 214 S.E. 8th Ave., Topeka Jan. 25 at 8:30 a.m.

The event will begin at 9 a.m. There will be a Mass with the bishops of Kansas and archdiocesan priests at 10:30 a.m. At noon, there will be a march to the Capitol for the Kansans for Life rally. Visit the website at: archkck.org/prolife/activities/ ksmass-marchforlife for detailed information.

TASTE OF KCK Resurrection School 425 N. 15th St., Kansas City, Kansas Jan. 29 from 6 - 9 p.m.

Join us for an evening of food, culture and community as we raise funds for the students of Resurrection School.

There will be a social hour, drinks and live music, followed by a dinner of diverse ethnic foods, provided by home cooks and local restaurateurs. The event program includes student speakers, presentation of the honoree and a special student performance. To purchase tickets or make a donation, visit the website at: rcskck.org or call the school office at (913) 371-8101.

TOPICAL VIDEO SERIES Precious Blood Renewal Center 2120 St. Gaspar Way, Liberty, Missouri Ongoing

Precious Blood Renewal Center has resources available to those who wish to view them. There are videos on topics including respect life topics (mothers who have lost children, elder abuse, gun violence), meditations, cooking and spirituality, family matters, Taize prayers and resources for spiritual development. Go online to: www.pbrenewalcenter.org and click on “Meditations.”

NEED HELP HEALING FROM A PAST ABORTION?

REAL ESTATE

Whole Estates Need to sell a home and everything in it?

We buy it all at once in as-is condition.

Call (816) 444-1950 or send an email to: www.wholeestates.com.

Tired of being a landlord? I’ll buy it.

Call Mark Edmondson (913) 980-4905 Local parishioner.

CAREGIVING 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.

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.

Caring Christian companion - I am a retired, licensed, practical nurse with 20-plus years of experience caring for the young to elderly facing medical challenges. I will work for you in your home or assisted living. I’m experienced in all areas of medical needs. References from past employment available.

I am caring, honest and dependable. Prefer Johnson County. Call Barbara at (913) 645-3779.

HOME IMPROVEMENT Popcorn ceiling texture removal Interior wall painting specialist.

Jerry at (913) 206-1144. 30 years’ experience.

Member St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.

DRC Construction We’ll get the job done right the first time.

Windows - Doors - Decks - Siding Repair or replace, we will work with you to solve your problems. Choose us for any window, door, siding or deck project and be glad you did.

Everything is guaranteed 100% (913) 461-4052 www.windowservicesoverlandpark. com drcconswindows@gmail.com 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.

Concrete construction - Tear out and replace stamped, stained or colored patios and drives. Retaining walls, footings, 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.

Local Handyman - Painting int. and ext., wood rot, masonry (chimney repair), gutter cleaning (gutter covers), dryer vent cleaning, sump pump (replace, add new), windows, doors (interior and exterior) honey-do list and more! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor.

Call Billy at (913) 927-4118.

WANTED TO BUY Call or text 913-621-2199 Compassionate, Confidential, Free

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 - Antique/vintage jewelry, paintings, pottery, sterling, etc. Single pieces or estate. Renee Maderak, (913) 475-7393. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.

Wanted to buy - Cemetery plot in section 2 of Mount Cavalry Cemetery. Call Frank at (404) 542-7860 or (678) 464-3023, or email: FCooper316@gmail.com.

SALES Advertising Account Manager Sell ad space for Church bulletins.

Salary, expenses, commission PLUS benefits.

Reply: Recruiting@jspaluch.com www.jspaluch.com

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.

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COLUMNISTS

DAILY READINGS ORDINARY TIME Jan. 9 THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD Is 42: 1-4, 6-7 Ps 29: 1-4, 9-10 Acts 10: 34-38 Lk 3: 15-16, 21-22 Jan. 10 Monday 1 Sm 1: 1-8 Ps 116: 12-19 Mk 1: 14-20 Jan. 11 Tuesday 1 Sm 1: 9-20 (Ps) 1 Sm 2: 1, 4-8 Mk 1: 21-28 Jan. 12 Wednesday 1 Sm 3: 1-10, 19-20 Ps 40: 2, 5, 7-10 Mk 1: 29-39 Jan. 13 Hilary, bishop, doctor of the church 1 Sm 4: 1-11 Ps 44: 10-11, 14-15, 24-25 Mk 1: 40-45 Jan. 14 Friday 1 Sm 8: 4-7, 10-22a Ps 89: 16-19 Mk 2: 1-12 Jan. 15 Saturday 1 Sm 9: 1-4, 17-19; 10: 1a Ps 21: 2-7 Mk 2: 13-17

Elizabeth Ann Seton 1774-1821 Raised Episcopalian in colonial New York City, Elizabeth married William Magee Seton, a merchant. The couple had five children. William died in 1803 in Italy, where Elizabeth learned about Catholicism from the family who gave her hospitality. Wars had bankrupted the family’s shipping business. After becoming a Catholic in New York in 1805, the now-poor Elizabeth was abandoned by old friends, but accepted the offer of a Baltimore priest to open a school for girls there. In 1809, she founded the U.S. Sisters of Charity, whose schools and orphanages grew in number. She became the first native-born U.S. saint in 1975 and is the patron of converts.

L

eave it to Pope Francis.

In my last column, I wrote about making resolutions for the new year. What took me 616 words to say, the pope did it in two: Be happy.

Shortly before Jan. 1, a Facebook post presented “A New Year’s Resolution List by Pope Francis” that contained 10 items, culled from what the pope has said over the years.

Honestly, though, the last item — “Be happy” — encompasses the other nine.

This is a theme the pope has referred to often. In the first year of his pontificate in 2013, Pope Francis issued “The Joy of the Gospel” that warned Christians to avoid the temptation to become “sourpusses” (No. 85).

And the pope reiterated in December 2014: “You have never heard of a sad or gloomyfaced saint.”

Due to the pope’s suggestion, I scuttled my previous, planned resolutions for 2022 in favor of: “Be happy.”

JANUARY 7, 2O22 | THELEAVEN.ORG

Put the happy in this new year MARK MY WORDS

FATHER MARK GOLDASICH Father Mark is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989.

Apparently, this idea of happiness was knocking around in my mind long before the new year. Because I still enjoy sending pen-to-paper, physical cards and notes, I also like to “dress up” the envelope with stickers front and back to bring a smile to the recipient’s face.

Of late, these have included sparkly smiley faces, envelope seals that read: “Take time to make your soul happy,” and anthoph-

ila-themed stickers that say: “Bee happy.”

(By the way, don’t take time to look up “anthophila”; it’s the scientific name for “bee.”)

So, what are those other nine resolutions of the pope? Here they are: 1. Don’t gossip.

2. Don’t waste food.

3. Make time for others.

4. Choose the “more humble” purchase.

5. Meet the poor “in the flesh.”

6. Stop judging others.

7. Befriend those who disagree.

8. Be faithful to your promises.

9. Make it a habit to “ask the Lord.”

If you can “be

happy,” then all these others will fall into place. You won’t feel the urge to compare yourself to others or demean them. You’ll see food as a precious gift that many in the world lack. In meeting the poor personally, you’ll seek ways to lift their spirits and burdens. In buying things, you’ll be content with getting what you need, not necessarily what you want. In encountering enemies, you’ll seek to establish common ground.

Being faithful to your promises will bring peace of heart. And in prayer, in “asking the Lord,” you’ll discover the true source of happiness.

But is being happy enough to help you into heaven? I’ll let this story answer that: There was once an Irishman who died suddenly and appeared before the Pearly Gates, feeling extremely uneasy. There was a line ahead of him, so he decided to look and listen. After consulting a big book, Jesus

said to the first in line, “I see here that I was hungry, and you gave me food. Good man!

Go on into heaven.” To the second, he said, “I was thirsty, and you gave me drink,” and to a third person, “I was in prison, and you visited me.” As each was sent into heaven, the Irishman grew more fearful, as he’d never given anyone food or drink or visited the imprisoned. As he stood before Jesus and his big book, the Lord looked up and said, “Well, there isn’t much written here. But you did do something: I was sad, discouraged and depressed and you came and told me funny stories, made me laugh and cheered me up. Get along now into heaven!” (Story adapted from Anthony Castle’s “A Treasure of Quips, Quotes & Anecdotes.”)

So, there you have it. Resolve to be happy in this new year; it’s more important than you know.

Harness the grace of your own baptism in this new year

A

new year offers a fresh opportunity to renew ourselves spiritually.

And among the spiritual resolutions we could make is to strive to live out daily the meaning of our baptism.

We are all called, by virtue of baptism, to ongoing conversion of life, perseverance in prayer and selfless witness to the Gospel in our homes, places of work, neighborhoods and communities of faith.

We live our baptismal vocation at home, in the workplace and in our communities of faith. The renewing strength and wisdom we need to witness to Jesus Christ is rooted in graces we first received

,

JEM SULLIVAN Sullivan is a professor at The Catholic University of America.

at baptism. Living out our baptism can be a good spiritual resolution in this new year.

The feast of the Baptism of Our Lord focuses our gaze on the sacred moment when Jesus is baptized

by John the Baptist in the Jordan. Scripture recounts that, at his baptism, Jesus saw the heavens open, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove.

God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are present at Jesus’ baptism. And our baptism is an invitation into the Trinitarian mystery of God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This foundational event in Jesus’ life calls to mind the gift

of new life we received at the foundational moment of our baptism.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks of baptism as the unrepeatable sacrament of initiation that incorporates a person into new life in the Trinitarian mystery of God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in whose name every Christian is baptized.

At baptism, we receive “forgiveness of original sin and all personal sins, birth into the new life by which man becomes an adoptive son of the Father, a member of Christ and a temple of the Holy Spirit” (CCC, 1279).

The grace we received at baptism is not a thing of the past,

a nice family memory from infancy or childhood. Rather, baptism is the foundation of new life in Jesus Christ lived today and every day in the light of God’s love and mercy. The new year is a perfect time to resolve to rely more on God’s grace, first received at baptism.

Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan began his public ministry as the son of God incarnate.

Our baptism into Jesus Christ strengthens us with graces for daily conversion of life and Christian witness.

As we strive to give joyful and humble witness to our new life in Jesus Christ, the grace of our baptism moves us now to pray, “Speak to me, Lord.”

Even when rejected, God seeks out his children, pope says VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christians can rest assured that even when they feel unworthy, God is a good shepherd who goes in search of them, Pope Francis said.

Speaking to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square Jan. 2 for his Sunday Angelus address, the pope said God persists with his children “because he does not resign himself to the fact that we can go astray by going far from him, far

from eternity, far from the light.

This is God’s work: to come among us,” the pope said.

“If we consider ourselves unworthy, that does not stop him: he comes,” the pope added. “If we reject him, he does not tire of seeking us out. If we are not ready and willing to receive him, he prefers to come anyway. And if we close the door in his face, he waits.”

Reflecting on the prologue of

the Gospel of St. John, in which the apostle proclaims that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” the pope said the phrase contains a paradox in that “the Word is eternal” while “the flesh” is “fragile, limited and mortal.”

The “polarities,” he said, explain “God’s way of acting. Faced with our frailties, the Lord does not withdraw.”

JANUARY 7, 2022 | THELEAVEN.ORG Fred and Anita (Price) Dresie, members of Prince of Peace Parish, Olathe, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Jan. 7 with a dinner with family and friends.

The couple was married on Jan. 7, 1972, in Mulvane.

Their children are: Christopher Dresie, Courtney Dresie and Hilary Dresie.

They also have five grandchildren.

LOCAL NEWS Ed and Donna Morgan, members of St. John the Baptist Parish, G r e e l e y, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Dec. 30, 2021. The couple was married on Dec. 30, 1961, at St. John the Baptist by Msgr. A.J. Blaufuss. Their children are: Jo Ann Prieto, Juanita Cassidy, Scott Morgan and Dale Morgan.

Dianne and Jon Boren, members of St. Ann Parish, Prairie Village, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Jan. 7. The couple was married on Jan. 7, 1972, at Curé of Ars Parish, Leawood.

Their children are: Jeff Boren, Sarah Forge and Scott Boren. They also have nine grandchildren. They will celebrate with a family trip in the summer.

15 ANNIVERSARY SUBMISSIONS POLICY: The Leaven prints 50, 60, 65 and 70th anniversary notices. They are for parishioners in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas DEADLINE: 10 days before the desired publication date.

WHERE TO SUBMIT: Email: todd.habiger@theleaven.org.

LOCAL NEWS

JANUARY 7, 2022 | THELEAVEN.ORG

16

St. Paul couple serves as Call to Share honorary chairpersons

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Carlos and Mireya Torres lead a busy life, and are active parishioners at St. Paul Parish in Olathe. But they’re soon to take it up a notch.

The Torreses have long been supporters of the Archbishop’s Call to Share appeal.

Now, in 2022, they will serve as the honorary chairpersons of the campaign.

“It is an honor to our family to represent the community of the archdiocese,” they said. “The only way we can give back all the grace God has poured on us is through serving others and helping our archbishop to meet his Call to Share goals.”

The Torreses are advocates for the Spanish-speaking community through a range of activities. They participate in “¿Por Qué Ser Católico?” (“Why Be Catholic?”), serve as a lead couple for marriage preparation and lead the V Encuentro process for St. Paul Parish and the archdiocese.

In 2017, Carlos had the honor of participating in the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops “Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America” as the only Spanish-speaking layperson of the delegation for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

Carlos and Mireya have instilled the importance of service in their two children, Sofia and Esteban. Sofia spent a summer working with refugees through Catholic Charities; Esteban serves as an altar server.

The Torres family also volunteers for their parish

hospitality ministry, Good Samaritan Nursing Home ministry and in “Enflame Our Hearts.”

“As a family, we try to help people feel comfortable in becoming leaders in our church,” said Carlos. “This is accomplished thanks to the vision of our pastor, Father Michael Hermes, who championed our leadership.”

“We are the body of Christ; in this, we are united as a family,” continued Carlos.

“Together, we walk in our faith path, and it is our duty to work hand in hand. At the end of the day, the questions will be: How much did you help those in need? How selfless were you?

“We need to support each other and our communities.

In this way, we will always be able to make a loving impact in the lives of others.”

Gifts to the Archbishop’s Call to Share appeal support more than 40 offices, agencies and ministries throughout northeast Kansas, including parishes like St. Paul.

“Our responsibility as Catholics is to strive to help the church,” the couple concluded. “We all have had a unique spiritual path, we may belong to many parishes, but we belong to a single Church.

“That is why we must help each other, and support Archbishop Joseph Naumann’s Call to Share.”

Please prayerfully consider renewing or making a firsttime gift to the Archbishop’s Call to Share appeal today.

COURTESY PHOTO

Mireya and Carlos Torres, members of St. Paul Parish in Olathe, are the honorary chairpersons of this year’s Archbishop’s Call to Share appeal. The couple are pictured with their children Esteban and Sofia.