‘IT’S
TOO MUCH’ Los Angeles fire victims grieve lost homes, church
By Pablo Kay OSV News
LOS ANGELES (OSV News) — Pacific Palisades is the only place Sam Laganà has ever called home.
The man known today as the official stadium voice of the Los Angeles Rams grew up playing in the closely knit community’s streets. He was educated in its public schools, and received his faith at Corpus Christi Church, where he went to catechism class as a child.
On the night of Jan. 7, he watched all of it — the streets, the homes, the schools and his beloved church — burn to ashes.
“It’s too much,” said Laganà. “Overwhelming.”
put out the flames encircling his home of 28 years.
“Next door, everything was all burned already, all of the sides,” recalled Laganà. “The next-door neighbor’s house was blowing all of its embers straight at me.”
How to help
To donate directly to wildfire relief, go to the website at: www. catholiccharitiesusa.
Thanks to friends who soon arrived to help with the firefight, Laganà’s house was saved. Corpus Christi’s church building, located directly downhill from his house, was not. Laganà saw the church in flames as he finally drove out of the neighborhood around 11 p.m. Tuesday night.
org. Or contribute this weekend to the second collections being taken up at archdiocesan parishes (Jan. 18-19).
While the last residents were evacuating the picturesque enclave in LA’s Westside that night, Laganà was using water from garden hoses and his backyard jacuzzi to
“As I was leaving, I was trying to defend my home and hoping to keep the [Corpus Christi] school from catching on fire by watering down the hillsides,” said Laganà.
Laganà’s efforts may be one reason the parish school was mostly spared, apart
OSV NEWS PHOTO/DANIEL COLE, REUTERS
A signal light goes green on the Pacific Coast Highway during a weather-driven windstorm in Los Angeles Jan. 7 that fueled ferocious wildfires. The fires tore across the Los Angeles area with devastating force Jan. 8 after setting off a desperate escape for residents from burning homes through flames, fierce winds and towering clouds of smoke.
Pray this Jubilee draws back to the faith loved ones who have left
Thank you to all who have shared your prayer intentions with me. I keep all of them in a basket in my chapel to remind me every day to pray for your intentions.
I keep a stack of the intention cards on a writing table in the chapel and read 10 to 25 each day. These intention cards help to make me aware of what is happening in the lives of all those who are under my pastoral care.
There are many requests for the physical health and healing of family members and friends. There are requests for the protection of the unborn, for peace in the world, for employment opportunities, for adult children to find a good spouse, for eternal happiness in heaven for loved ones who have died, and for personal spiritual growth and renewal.
By far the most frequent prayer intention is for adult children to recover and deepen their faith and for their return to the church.
For a bishop, it is heartbreaking that so many parents and grandparents are experiencing this profound sadness.
ARCHBISHOP
JOSEPH
F. NAUMANN
LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS
adult children are still free to choose to reject friendship with Jesus and living their Catholic faith.
In the nuptial blessing for Catholic marriages, the priest prays for the newly married couple: “May these your servants hold fast to the faith and keep your commandments; made one in flesh, may they be blameless in all they do; and with the strength that comes from the Gospel, may they bear true witness to Christ before all; may they be blessed with children, and prove themselves virtuous parents, who live to see their children’s children.”
This is a bold blessing, praying that the newlyweds: 1) hold fast to the faith; 2) keep the commandments; 3) are blameless in all they do; 4) bear witness to Christ before all; and 5) prove themselves virtuous parents. Even if you did all those things perfectly, your
I pray for all of your intentions, but there is not a day that goes by when I am not praying for the renewed faith and return to the church of many adults who have been baptized Catholic and raised in Catholic families. It is important for parents to understand that this is not necessarily a reflection of failure on their part. First of all, there are no guarantees that adult children will continue to live their Catholic faith. Catholic parents are called to live their faith with fidelity and passion. Your children have a free will. You cannot control the choices that they make in adulthood.
KParents are the first and most influential teachers of the faith, but they are not the only teachers. A few generations ago, parents had more control over the environment in which their children came of age. Certainly, the failure of some bishops and priests to be good shepherds and the clergy sexual abuse scandal did great harm to the faith of many of all ages. Internet influencers, social media, entertainment industry personalities, university professors, flawed political leaders and peer pressure can all have a significant impact on children.
Jesus did not promise his disciples that following him would be easy. To follow Our Lord requires striving to live lives of heroic love. The devil knows our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. The prince of this world attempts to entice us with material things, popularity, worldly esteem and pleasure to allure us away from Jesus and the truth of his Gospel.
More than 20 years ago, before I came to the archdiocese, Mary
Ann and Bob Gardner were experiencing the sadness of an adult child abandoning the faith. Mary Ann had a particular devotion to our Blessed Mother under her title Our Lady of Sorrows. They began praying the daily rosary for the renewal of the faith of their son. They also began the Marian Mantle Ministry that has two purposes: 1) to bring peace to hurting parents, relatives and friends; and 2) to pray for adult children to find their way back to Jesus, the church and the sacraments.
I encourage everyone in the archdiocese to pray for individuals in your families and friends who, for whatever reason, have chosen to stop living their Catholic faith. I encourage you to go to the MarianMantle.com website to find many prayer resources to help pray for your family members. The Lord may be calling you to start or to join a Marian Mantle group in your parish. I also encourage you to include fasting and other sacrifices with your intercessory prayer for the intention of the return of loved ones to the faith.
The Walk With One initiative of the Eucharistic Revival also encourages a similar effort to pray for the return of loved ones to the Catholic faith or to introduce individuals who do not yet know Jesus to the beauty of our Catholic faith.
Walk With One begins by asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the person for whom he desires us to be an instrument of his
Camp announces registration dates
ANAS CITY, Kan. — Dates for this summer’s camps and retreats at Prairie Star Ranch in Williamsburg have been announced. See the schedule below for the camp dates and the opening of online registration.
CAMP DATES
• June 2–7 — Junior High 1
• June 9 –11 — Kateri 1
• June 13–15 — Family Camp II Special Needs
• June 16–21 — Junior High 2
• June 23–25 — Kateri 2
• June 27–29 — Family Camp III Spanish
• July 7–9 — Kateri 3
• July 11–13 — Family Camp I
• July 14–19 — Junior High 3
• July 21–27 — Sr. High Extreme (Evening Echo
Mass for campers July 26)
• TBA — Women’s Retreat (Women 18+)
REGISTRATION OPENING DATES
• Jan. 28 at 9 a.m.
High School Extreme (campers entering 9th-12th grades in fall 2025), Women’s Retreat (women campers 18+) and all Family Camps.
• Feb. 4 at 9 a.m.
Jr. High 7th/8th Grade Middle School Camps (campers entering 7th/8th grade in fall of 2025)
• Feb. 11 at 9 a.m.
5th/6th Grade Kateri Camps (campers entering 5th/6th grade in fall 2025)
To register, go to: archkck.org/camp-tekakwitha
ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN’S CALENDAR
Jan. 17
Eucharistic adoration/Benediction for Encounter School of Ministry — Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Kansas City, Missouri
Jan. 18
Snow Ball presidents’ Mass and gala — Overland Park Convention Center
Jan. 21
Annual high school administrators’ Mass and dinner — residence
Jan. 23
Pro-life leadership Mass — Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America, Washington, D.C.
Jan. 24
March for Life Kansas Pilgrims Mass — St. Dominic Church, Washington, D.C.
Jan. 26 Mass — Immaculate Conception, Louisburg
Jan. 27 Priests open house — residence
grace. Walk With One encourages us to be intentional in deepening our relationship with the person for whom we are praying and fasting.
Before ever talking about faith, spend time building your friendship and relationship with this person. Do all that you can to make them know how much you care about them, and celebrate the goodness you recognize in them.
In many cases, you will not be the instrument Our Lord desires to use in bringing your family members closer to him and back to the church. In such a case, we need to persevere in praying for our family member and petition the Lord to bring the best person to walk with our loved one.
Prayer has to be the foundation for all of
our efforts to bring loved ones back to Jesus and his church. We need to be persistent in our prayer for our loved ones and docile to how the Holy Spirit wants to use us to be an instrument of grace in opening the heart of another to the truth, beauty and joy of friendship with Jesus and to being part of his family, the church. Adult children abandoning their faith has been a spiritual epidemic for decades. 2025 is a Holy Year, a Jubilee Year. It is an anointed time for the Holy Spirit to bring reconciliation and renewal to the hearts of his people. Let us pray and sacrifice for our loved ones that this Jubilee Year will be the time when they rediscover the peace and joy that only Jesus can bring to their hearts.
A PASTOR OF TWO WORLDS
Father Nicholas Ashmore’s dual ministry — pastoring an Hispanic parish and chaplain of a campus center — enriches both
By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org
EMPORIA — A balancing act. That’s how Father Nicholas Ashmore describes his priestly ministry.
As pastor of St. Catherine Parish in Emporia, he ministers to a unique Spanish-speaking community there. At the same time, he is also the full-time chaplain to college students at the Didde Catholic Campus Center at Emporia State University.
The ministries, he noted, are different but, in some ways, similar as well.
“One of the marks of campus ministry as the leader of the organization is that I am focused on the formation of the students to be themselves leaders,” he said.
He has not wound up doing as much one-on-one ministry as he anticipated. Instead, he said, he is empowering others in that capacity.
“What I’m doing . . . with my student leaders is seeing what they’re doing, making sure they’re supported in their work,” he said.
The same is true at the parish.
“At a parish, a pastor is investing — or he should be investing — in his staff, because they’re the ones who have so much more contact [with parishioners] than the average priest,” he said. “A parish pastor is going to be doing a lot more team formation.
“The difference, however, is that people come to parishes very frequently. People don’t just show up at campus centers. Communication starts mainly [with] the center’s leaders, who then need to reach out and invite students and faculty to the center.”
Being engaged in two different ministries is often a balancing act, Father Ashmore said.
“The challenge is that I have to live in two worlds constantly,” he said.
The campus center is mostly comprised of people of middle-class Americans, whereas many of St. Catherine’s parishioners are immigrants coming from absolute poverty.
“Those two human experiences demand two human responses, even though I have to be the same person in those two roles, he said. “That is a real challenge.
“How do I live in those two worlds?”
“Respecting the individual culture of each place is important,” he continued. “I can’t make St. Catherine’s run like an
Anglo parish because that would not be in accord with how Hispanic people live and work and think in their worlds. But I also can’t let Didde run like anything other than a campus center. [Both places] need to be true to who they are. I need to bring order to them as far as I can and lean into their individual strengths.”
It is his leadership strategy that carries over.
“My students are more effective when I invest in their leadership. The same is true in a parish,” he said. “The temptation in a lot of parishes is that everything centers around the priest, and it’s not healthy for the priest and it’s not healthy for the people.”
Learning from both places, said Father Ashmore, has been a great joy.
“St. Catherine’s has taught me what true poverty is. . . . I’ve walked into places where I think this should be condemned, but it’s what the people have because they’ve been here for three months. They’ve crossed the border. It really softens your heart in a real way to the plight of people who are just trying their best to live in a real way.”
“That encounter with poverty,” he
continued, “has helped give me a gentleness for situations that my heart would have been harder to previously. . . . It’s given me patience. It makes me more attentive to the way they’re suffering, and then they become part of my prayer.”
Likewise, Father Ashmore said both ministries have helped him to see the importance of the ministry of presence.
“Both of them have led me to see with a greater appreciation how important the ministry of presence is — just being with people. Both of them taught me how necessary that fatherly role is,”
Father Ashmore said.
While there are similarities between the two ministries, there are some key differences, too.
“The church always has held up inculturation as being part of who she is,” he said.
Despite the fact that the rite, words, gestures, rubrics, etc., remain the same no matter where he celebrates Mass, some nonessential elements will change. The musical instruments and the selection of songs are definitely influenced by the cultures he is celebrating for. And even that requires a delicate touch. The
parish might be mostly Hispanic, but members come from different places, including El Salvador, Colombia, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
That delicate touch comes in just as handy at Didde.
A priest for five years, Father Ashmore said he’s learned that college students yearn for approval.
“What I mean is [they need someone to] hold up their sense of self, help them discover their sense of self and their meaning. . . . They need someone to help call out their gifts, to help them discover the love of God.”
“As priests, we’re not here to play the role of God,” he continued. “We’re here to help them discover that what they’re desiring can only be found in God. The more that we help them do that, the more they are fulfilled as human beings.”
What helps him fulfill the spiritual and emotional demands of the roles he’s been called to? Simple, Father Ashmore answered.
“Prayer. Prayer is what sustains me,” he said. “There’s no question there. The more I’m praying, the more peace I have.”
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON
Father Nicholas Ashmore (lower right), pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Emporia and chaplain to the Didde Catholic Campus Center at Emporia State University, joins students from the campus center in a game of water balloon volleyball on Aug. 28.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON
Father Nicholas Ashmore, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Emporia and chaplain to the Didde Catholic Campus Center at Emporia State University, prays over sisters Catrina and Yuliana Rodriguez near the end of their quinceañera celebrated Sept. 21 at St. Catherine. A quinceañera celebrates the journey from girlhood to maturity and is typically celebrated around a girl’s 15th birthday. Sometimes, girls wait to celebrate it with a younger sister as was the case with these two sisters.
Local retreat centers team up for Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
By John Sorce john.sorce@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. —
Three local retreat centers will be teaming up to promote the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity this year.
This special week of prayer has been celebrated for over 100 years and this year will be commemorated from Jan. 18 through Jan. 25. Its goal is to unite Christians of all denominations as a reminder of Jesus’ prayer for his disciples during the Last Supper “that they may be one so that the world may believe” (cf. Jn 17:21).
Leaders from Sophia Spirituality Center in Atchison, Marillac Retreat & Spirituality Center in Leavenworth and Precious Blood Renewal Center in Liberty, Missouri, have been meeting for about 18 months to brainstorm ideas on how to support each other.
According to Father Ron Will, CPPS, a spiritual director at the Precious Blood Renewal Center, the center has offered prayer services during Thanksgiving week in affiliation with the Liberty-area Ministerial Alliance.
But the center also wanted to add another time for people of different denominations to join together in prayer, and that’s how their tradition surrounding the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity came about three years ago.
The idea grew to include surrounding retreat centers at one of their meetings in early December.
“When we met as regional retreat centers, I brought [a team approach] up as an option and the other two centers thought it was a good idea,” Father Ron said. “It’s a way of reaching a bigger audience and making people aware of the desire to work together and focus on what we have in common rather than our differences.”
“This is such a divisive time in our
country and around the world that we thought this was an ideal time for something like this,” added Marillac director Sue Robb.
Father Ron worked with Robb and Mary Kay Whitacre of Sophia on a video that will be sent out the week before by each retreat center through its mailing list as an invitation to pray with them.
Each video throughout the week of prayer will consist of a prayer and a person to highlight. The list consists of: Brother Roger Schutz; Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; St. Francis of Assisi; Dorothy Day; Mother Teresa; Glenmary Brother Craig Digmann; and Howard Thurman.
The trio wanted to stress diversity when it came to selecting the persons to include.
“We tried to be in different religions and ethnicities and represent both male and female,” Whitacre said. “We largely wanted to pick people who were voices for healing, peace and unity.”
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is all about what we have in common as Christians rather than our differences. While the Precious Blood order largely serves the Missouri side, Father Ron wants to encourage people to check if their local center is participating.
“Jesus prayed for unity at the Last Supper and it’s his desire that
we all love and respect one another,” Father Ron said. “I think the focus of the week of prayer is to highlight what we already have in common. And we can pray together even if we have different doctrinal beliefs because we have the same God in Jesus Christ as our savior.”
Robb agreed and noted that Jesus is the way for people of all Christian backgrounds to come together and make a difference.
“For us to fully live the Gospel, we need to find ways to come together, and Jesus is that way,” Robb said. “I think if we can focus on what we share rather than our differences, that’s what’s going to be the catalyst for us to truly make a difference in our communities.
“We all believe in one God. Most of us believe in the Trinity, and this is an opportunity to come together and reinforce that belief. We want to remind ourselves that we are working from the same Gospel, and I am curious to see what the fruits will be.”
For more information, or to sign up for one of the newsletters, go online to:
• Precious Blood Renewal Center at: pbrenewalcenter.org/contact-us
• Sophia Center at: mountosb.org/ sophia-spirituality-center/ contact-sophia-center
• Marillac: scls.org/prayer-spirituality/ marillac-center/contact-us
Foster Care Ministry to host movie screening
By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org
OVERLAND PARK — Everybody can do something to help.
That’s the message that Kathy White, foster care ministry coordinator for the archdiocese, wants to spread.
Approximately 400,000 children within the United States are in foster care; 7,500 are in Kansas. White believes everyone within the archdiocese can do something to help these children. After all, other communities have done it.
Take for example, Possum Trot, an unincorporated community in eastern Texas. In the mid-1990s, 22 families of the local Baptist church adopted 77 children, emptying the area’s foster care system.
“Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot,” a full-length feature film released
in summer of 2024 by Angel Studios, tells the community’s story, sharing the joys and challenges of foster care. It also shows ways the church community worked together through prayer, helping with household chores and the sharing of financial resources to provide the children what they needed most — love.
In what White hopes will be the first of similar events across the archdiocese, the foster care ministry will host a screening of the movie on Feb. 6 at the Glenwood Arts Theater in Overland Park. Complimentary tickets are limited, so people are encouraged to register soon. Due to the sensitive nature of the film, organizers recommend it for only those 14 years of age and older.
The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a reception featuring appetizers and wine during which attendees will have the opportunity to meet foster care parents and hear remarks from Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann. Organizers hope
to later invite attendees to an informational session on foster care ministry.
Of the film, the archbishop has said, “Addressing the foster care crisis must be a high priority for the church’s prolife efforts. ‘Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot’ is an inspirational true story of what one tiny church in Texas was able to do when they responded to God’s call to open their hearts and homes to society’s forgotten children. ‘Sound of Hope’ does not romanticize the challenges of foster care but reveals what is possible when an entire church community chooses to put the Gospel into action.”
White agrees with the sentiment.
“I really believe that everybody can do something to help, and that’s what this film shows,” she said.
For more information about the event, see ad and QR code on page 11.
Appointments
Father John A. Riley, vicar generalchancellor, announces the following appointments made by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann:
Father Bruce Ansems, from pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, Louisburg, to leave of absence to provide medical care for family members in Canada, effective Sept. 23, 2024.
Father John Cousins, OFM Cap., from pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish, Lawrence, to assignment outside of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas by his religious community, effective Jan. 4.
Father Daniel Gardner, from retirement to parochial administrator of Holy Angels Parish, Garnett, and St. John the Baptist Parish, Greeley, effective Aug. 12, 2024.
Father Michael Hermes, from episcopal vicar for ministry to Hispanics; continuing as pastor of St. Paul Parish, Olathe, effective Jan. 1.
Father John Riley, to parochial administrator of Immaculate Conception Parish, Louisburg, effective Sept. 23, 2024, and continuing as vicar generalchancellor.
Father Oswaldo Sandoval, to episcopal vicar for ministry to Hispanics, effective Jan. 1, and continuing as pastor of Our Lady of Unity Parish, Kansas City, Kansas.
Father Daniel Stover, from pastor of Holy Angels Parish, Garnett, and St. John the Baptist Parish, Greeley, to leave of absence, effective Aug. 9, 2024, pending completion of an investigation by the Garnett Police Department regarding an alleged incident involving an adult.
Father Brent Stull, from departure and excardination from the Congregation of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri in Cincinnati to incardination as a priest of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, effective Nov. 26, 2024, and continuing as parochial vicar for Church of the Ascension Parish, Overland Park.
Father John Toepfer, OFM Cap., from assignment outside of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, to pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish, Lawrence, effective Jan. 4.
Announcement
Christopher Rossman, as a result of a penal process, has been dismissed from the clerical state (laicized), effective Sept. 27, 2024.
Leaders from Sophia Spirituality Center in Atchison, Marillac Retreat & Spirituality Center in Leavenworth and Precious Blood Renewal Center in Liberty, Missouri, will offer videos about Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa and others during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Jan. 18-25.
50 years in God’s country: Father Dekat dies at 84
By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Father Earl John Dekat found splendor in a simple life.
In his spare time, he was often out in his garden or inside his woodworking shop.
“He seldom bought anything new,” said Father Bob Hasenkamp. “If he could fix it, he would fix it and make it better than it was.
“He seemed to be very content with just using the simple things in life.”
Father Dekat, 84, passed away on Jan. 9 at Home of the Flint Hills in St. George. His health had declined in recent years as he battled cancer.
He was born on May 20, 1940, in Flush, to Clemens and Laura (Winter) Dekat, and was the second youngest of eight children.
He attended Flush Grade School and High School. He graduated from Conception College and Seminary in Conception, Missouri, and was ordained a priest by Archbishop Edward J. Hunkeler on May 28, 1966.
Father Dekat had multiple assignments around the archdiocese — most in rural parishes — before he retired in 2013 and moved back to his family farm in Flush to take care of his brother Thomas, who had cancer.
Father Dekat had a kind heart, according to Father Anthony Chendumalli, pastor of Annunciation Parish in Frankfort, St. Monica-St. Elizabeth Parish in Blue Rapids and St. Columbkille Parish, Blaine.
With Father Chendumalli’s rectory just 33 miles from Father Dekat’s farm, the pair became friends and often cooked together.
“In the beginning, we cooked Indian spicy food, and he liked it,” said Father Chendumalli.
Father Dekat introduced the Indian priest to American techniques, like how to cook steak on the George Foreman Grill.
When Father Dekat moved to assisted living, Father Chendumalli continued to visit and bring him Communion.
He was a “fatherly figure,” said Father Chendumalli, “which I never expected in this foreign country.”
Father Dekat enjoyed being around people, especially his nieces and nephews and their children.
Erin Dekat Antosh, Laurie Masters and Deanne Reiter — three of his nieces — said their uncle was a man of faith who liked to have fun.
He was a fierce and cunning competitor at 10-point pitch.
“It was amazing how he could strategize and usually win his bid when he had almost nothing in his hand,” said Masters.
Perhaps as impressive were his culinary abilities.
“His canning skills were impeccable,” said Reiter. “He would can anything on hand — fish, tomatoes, meat and the regular stuff like cucumbers and beets.
“The garden was his pride and joy.”
And faith was at the forefront of his life.
“When family members visited, he would always say a Mass in his living room, along with singing some church hymns,” said Antosh. “And all who attended would get a special homily tailor-made just for them.
“All of his nieces and nephews looked forward to visiting Father Earl on the farm, but the hardest part of the visit
LEAVEN
Father Earl Dekat checks on his tomato harvest in 2019, which he canned and stored in his basement. Because of the size of his farm, Father Dekat did quite a bit of canning. He also gave away a lot of his produce.
was always saying ‘goodbye.’”
Masters said her uncle had a heart not only for his family but for all the people he served.
“I know that he genuinely loved his parishioners,” she said, “and he always told them so at the end of Mass.”
Father Michael Peterson, pastor of St. Bernard Parish in Wamego and St. Joseph Parish in Flush, was impressed by Father Dekat’s generosity.
He often gave away his produce and handmade wooden crosses.
He was also giving of his time, serving as chaplain of the Knights of Columbus council in Flush, helping with the local Catholic radio station and offering Father Peterson a hand where he could during his retirement.
“He was very dedicated to the church,” said Father Peterson. “He was very intelligent about Scripture. I thought he was a good off-the-cuff homilist.”
Father Hasenkamp, who was in a monthly prayer group with Father Dekat for some 40 years, was most inspired by his friend’s strong faith.
“He loved the Mass,” said Father
Hasenkamp. “Even after his retirement when he was no longer able to offer Mass himself, he always loved to concelebrate. He wanted to be there.”
That faith, and his love, were what Reiter admired most about her uncle.
“His spirit will live on forever with all the lives and people he met,” she said.
Father Dekat was preceded in death by his parents and siblings Thomas, Sister Merita, Eileen Boatwright, Roseann Dutton, Doretha Suther and Lawrence. He is survived by one brother, Joseph.
A visitation will be held on Jan. 24 from 4-7 p.m. at Campanella & Stewart Funeral Home in Wamego, with a rosary beginning at 7.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann on Jan. 25 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph Church in Flush. Burial will be at St. Joseph Cemetery.
Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Joseph Church. Checks can be made to St. Joseph Church and mailed to Campanella & Stewart Funeral Home, P.O. Box 48, Wamego, KS 66547.
Father Earl Dekat’s Assignments
Date of Ordination - May, 28, 1966
June to August 1966 — Temporary assistant, Curé of Ars, Leawood
August 1966 to March 1968 — Assistant, St. John Baptist, Kansas City, Kansas
March 1968 to July 1971 — Assistant, Holy Name, Topeka
July 1971 to June 1972 — Associate pastor, Immaculate Conception, Leavenworth, and chaplain, Immaculata High School
June 1972 to July 1973 — Associate pastor, St. Gregory; and pastoral work at St. Elizabeth, Blue Rapids, and St. Monica, Waterville
July 1973 to July 1979 — Team ministry with residence in Valley Falls
July 1979 to July 1986 — Pastor, St. Francis Xavier in Burlington, St. Joseph in Waverly and St. Teresa, Westphalia
July 1986 to July 1998 — Pastor, Holy Trinity, Paola
July 1994 to July 1998 — Added as pastor, St. Philip Neri, Osawatomie July 1998 to April 2002 — Pastor, Immaculate Conception, St. Marys; St. Stanislaus, Rossville; Holy Cross, Emmett; and Sacred Heart, Delia
April to December 2002 — Sabbatical
January to July 2003 — Senior associate, St. Gregory, Marysville; Annunciation, Frankfort; St. Elizabeth, Blue Rapids; and St. Monica, Waterville
July 2003 to July 2004 — Senior associate, Sts. Peter & Paul, Seneca, and sacramental minister to St. Patrick, Corning, and St. Bede, Kelly
July 2004 to July 2005 — Pastor of St. Bede, Kelly, and St. Patrick, Corning, while remaining pastoral associate at Sts. Peter and Paul, Seneca
July 2005 to July 2013 — Pastor, St. Leo in Horton and St. Mary, Purcell
July 2013 — Retired
LEAVEN FILE PHOTO BY JOE BOLLIG
Father Earl Dekat, center, is seen here with his late cousin Father Carl Dekat, left, and Father Mike Peterson, right, in this 2017 file photo. Father Earl died on Jan. 9 at Home of the Flint Hills in St. George. His health had declined in recent years as he battled cancer.
FILE PHOTO BY JOE BOLLIG
Camino wraps up the year with a record half-million pilgrims
By Andreas Drouve OSV News
SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain (OSV News) — The boom in the number of pilgrims on Spain’s famous El Camino de Santiago, or the Way of St. James, hit a new record of almost half a million last year. Among them were 38,000 Americans.
According to the pilgrims office in Santiago de Compostela, 499,239 completion certificates were issued to pilgrims from all over the world in 2024. This was the third record year in a row after 2023, when 446,082 pilgrims visited, and 438,307 pilgrims arrived in 2022. To top 2024 off — 183 pilgrims arrived on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31.
The Way of St. James has been leading pilgrims to the tomb of St. James the Apostle in Santiago de Compostela since the Middle Ages. The pilgrimage routes cross the whole European continent and then join up on the final stages in Portugal, France and Spain.
The tomb developed into one of the three main destinations of Christian pilgrimages alongside Rome and Jerusalem. In recent decades, the route has experienced a renaissance.
The peak of pilgrimages begins in May every year, when gorgeous and pilgrimage-perfect weather reaches the Spanish Galicia region, known for harsh oceanic-climate winters. Pilgrims, according to the Santiagolocated bureau, arrive in large numbers until October, with an average of around 2,300 arrivals per day.
American pilgrims again broke records with over 38,000 people arriving at the tomb of St. James, overtaken only by native Spaniards of whom over 200,000 walked the Camino in 2024. In 2023, 6,000 fewer Americans walked the Camino.
Among the record-breaking pilgrims, 28,599 Italians and 23,462 Germans crossed the route, and there were also a few pilgrims from such far-away places as Gambia, Suriname, Laos and the Solomon Islands — with one pilgrim each.
Traditionally, those who wanted to receive the special certificate had to prove
THE PEAK OF PILGRIMAGES BEGINS IN MAY EVERY YEAR, WHEN GORGEOUS AND PILGRIMAGE-PERFECT
WEATHER REACHES THE SPANISH GALICIA REGION, KNOWN FOR HARSH
OCEANIC-CLIMATE WINTERS.
that they had completed at least the last 100 kilometers (62 miles) on foot or the final 200 kilometers (124 miles) by bike by stamping their pilgrim’s identity
card. The ways to reach St. James tomb and Santiago de Compostela are numerous, however, and 591 pilgrims reached the dream point of the pilgrimage on horseback in 2024.
While the influx of pilgrims has been exciting, local communities are feeling the strain with overcrowded accommodations and growing concerns over noise and congestion. Despite these challenges, the Camino remains a route for spiritual growth, adventure and cultural exploration.
Jorge Martínez-Cava, chairman of the European pilgrimage association Camino Europa Compostela, which has more than 40,000 members in 20 countries, described motives for making the pilgrimage: “Catholic faith is the decisive factor for around 30 to 35 percent. A similar number are spiritually motivated,” he said. The
rest have other reasons. “After all, the Way of St. James is also a route of art, nature, friendship, gastronomy and sport,” he told KNA German Catholic news agency.
Martínez-Cava considers the Way of St. James through Spain to be “safe” but recommended the “Alertcops” app created by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior for those who have concerns. The app has an SOS button function and the option to be located by the police. So far, the app is only available in Spanish. However, instructions for use in other languages are in the works.
Andreas Drouve is a staff writer for KNA International, an Englishlanguage news service covering the Catholic Church in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg. OSV News contributed to this report.
OSV NEWS PHOTO/ANDREAS DROUVE, KNA
A woman and a man stand in a quiet city park May 29, 2024, and look at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela in Spain. According to the pilgrims office there, a record 499,239 pilgrims from all over the world walked Spain’s famed Camino de Santiago in 2024.
EverMore in Love becomes private association of the faithful
By John Sorce john.sorce@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A popular marriage prep and support program has gotten some new recognition within the archdiocese.
On May 15, 2024, EverMore in Love officially became a private association of the faithful.
According to Canon 298 of the Code of Canon Law, a private association of the faithful is a group of laypeople or laypeople together with clerics who “strive in a common endeavor to foster a more perfect life, to promote public worship or Christian doctrine or to exercise other works of the apostolate such as initiatives of evangelization, works of piety or charity, and those which animate the temporal order with a Christian spirit.”
This is established by an “ecclesial authority,” which in EverMore’s case was Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann. This officially recognizes EverMore as a Catholic organization under the archbishop’s guidance.
“Of all the things we have done in the archdiocese, I’ve gotten more positive feedback on the weekend immersion than anything else,” the archbishop said in an EverMore in Love brochure. “Couples say, ‘We had a good marriage, but our marriage is so much more alive and we have so much more joy.’”
EverMore in Love was first welcomed to the archdiocese in 2011, when its marriage preparation program was made available here and 10 weekend immersion retreats were offered during the Year of Faith.
Since then, hundreds of couples have experienced the weekend immersion (formerly known as Living in Love), marriage prep, everyday skills courses, date nights
and small groups.
The weekend immersion helps married couples rekindle the deep commitment that God wants couples to have for each other within the sacrament of matrimony.
“Being in love is the best way to steward the sacrament of matrimony and to cultivate the overall atmosphere of wonder and awe between husband and wife,” said Brad DuPont, lead consultant of the archdiocesan office of marriage and family life.
Everyday skills courses are designed to be light and fun enough to incorporate into a series of date nights, but substantial and concrete enough to make a difference in the way a couple lives their sacrament daily.
The marriage preparation course “offers theology of the body-based Catholic formation, meaningful mentorship and practical skills — provided by trained local couples or through online classes.”
While people within the archdiocese may think they have done all that EverMore has to offer after doing one weekend immersion retreat, director Libby DuPont wants folks to know that EverMore has
more to offer.
“I think because EverMore in Love has been in the diocese for over a decade and a lot of people have experienced the retreat, people sometimes think it’s a program that you do one time,” Libby DuPont said. “But I want to invite people deeper.
“Being a private association of the faithful sets us up as [the] archbishop saying that there’s merit to living matrimony to the fullness. If people are interested and want to be more involved, we want them to see what it means to live this as a way of life.”
There is an upcoming retreat on Jan. 25-26 at Christ the King Parish in Topeka. The cost is $150 per couple.
Brad DuPont wants people to know there is always an opportunity for people to take their marriages to the next level.
“For any couple that wants to experience more fully the sacrament of matrimony, there’s an opportunity for them to be members and participate,” he said.
Anyone wanting to learn more can reach out by email to Brad at: bdupont@archkck.org or Libby at: ldupont@archkck.org or visit the website at: evermoreinlove.org.
Rosemary and Bob Dougherty, members of Curé of Ars Parish, Leawood, will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary with reception for family and friends on Jan. 25, followed by a Mass of thanksgiving at Curé of Ars on Jan. 26. The couple was married on Jan. 29, 1955, at St. Mary Church in Litchfield, Illinois. Their children are: Kevin, Pat, Mike, Mary Ann Coomer and Tim. They also have 13 grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren.
Lloyd and Leila Gollhofer, members of Corpus Christi Parish, Lawrence, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary with a blessing at 4:30 Mass on Jan. 18 and a party after Mass with dinner and dancing. The couple was married on Jan. 23, 1965, at St. Agnes Church in Sarcoxie, Missouri. Their children are: Mary Jo and Allen. They also have four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Lester and Phyllis Herzog, members of Christ the King Parish, Topeka, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Dec. 29, 2024, with their children and grandchildren. The couple was married on Jan. 18, 1975, at Sacred Heart Church, Park. They have three children and five grandchildren.
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO PRAYER FOR CATHOLICS
By OSV News
What is prayer all about?
Clement of Alexandria, a popular teacher of the early church, put it simply: “Prayer is conversation with God.” Centuries later, St. Thérèse of Lisieux offered a similar sentiment, only more poetically: “For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”
Like any conversation, it goes both ways. We talk to God, and he talks to us. God loves us more than we can imagine. He wants us to get to know and love him as a Father. Like any loving parent, he wants to spend time talking with his children. The following are answers to commonly asked questions about prayer.
Q. What kind of conversation am I supposed to have?
A.
Think of it this way: Imagine that someone saved your life through an act of great personal sacrifice. What kind of conversation would you want to have with that kind of benefactor?
You would no doubt want to offer an earnest thank you. You would be eager to praise the person’s kindness, generosity and selflessness. You would probably ask, “How can I ever repay you?”
Now think about what God has done for us. He created us and gives us life. Every good gift we have is from him. When the human race turned away from him and lost its way because of sin, he made the most precious sacrifice possible to save us and bring us back to himself: He sent his own son, Jesus Christ, to die for us.
What kind of conversation should you have with that kind of benefactor? For starters, you can express to him sincere praise and thanks.
Q. Doesn’t prayer include asking God for something?
A. Of course! Think of a small child who is hungry. If the child comes to Daddy asking for food, he’s delighted to answer that request. And if human fathers, Jesus reminded us, know how to give good gifts to their children when asked, “How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Mt 7: 9-11).
In fact, most of the Our Father is devoted to this important aspect of prayer: petition. We ask God to provide for us (“our daily bread”), guide us (“lead us not into temptation”) and protect us (“deliver us from evil”). He cares about us, and he’s delighted to answer our prayers. “Have no anxiety about anything,” St. Paul insisted, “but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil 4:6). Just tell God what you need.
Q. What about praying for others?
A. Another important aspect of praying we can’t forget is intercession, which is prayer for others. St. Paul urged that intercessions “be made for all” (1 Tm 2:1).
Everyone has some need for God’s help. It’s your privilege to ask for it on their behalf. Even if you know that they themselves are praying, you can join them in their requests. Our heavenly Father is pleased to see his children helping one another that way. When you pray for others, you find that your own life changes. Your heart grows warmer toward people in need. You’re not as upset by the difficulties in your own life because you’re more aware of the troubles
“When Catholics pray using the words given us in Scripture and tradition,
other people have. You find yourself more willing to help people in other ways as well.
It’s not easy, but God calls us to pray even for our enemies. Jesus set the example. As he died on the cross, he prayed for his killers: “Father, forgive them” (Lk 23:34). Praying for people who have offended or injured us actually makes it easier to forgive them and to see them more as God sees them. It can also lead us to recognize more clearly the times when we offend or injure others.
Q. Does God always hear our prayers?
A. We can have the same confidence Jesus had when he prayed: “Father . . . I [know] that you always hear me” (Jn 11:42). And God not only hears our prayers; he answers them as well. Nevertheless, his answer isn’t always the one we’re hoping to hear.
Sometimes, we ask for the wrong things — things we would regret having if he gave them to us. Sometimes, what we want doesn’t fit into the bigger, wiser plan he has for us and for those around us. Sometimes, he’s allowing us to develop patience or to grow in some other way.
In any case, we can always pray to God in faith. That doesn’t mean we try to convince ourselves that everything we ever ask for, we’ll receive. Instead, it means that we pray with trust in the Father who listens to our prayers, confident that he wants what’s best for us; he knows what’s best for us and he’s able to give us what’s best for us. Our prayers should always ask for God’s will.
Q. How do I find the right words to pray?
A. God listens even when we’re not sure what to say. Catholics often pray using composed prayers. It’s called formal prayer, because it has a set “form,” rather than being spontaneous.
Jesus gave us a formal prayer when he taught
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” — St. Thérèse of Lisieux
tradition, we are guided by these formal prayers as we search for words to express ourselves to God.”
his disciples the Lord’s Prayer (Mt 6: 9-12). He and his apostles used formal prayers in worship, often from the psalms, because this was the ancient custom of the Jewish people. The church has followed their example in the Mass and in other settings. When Catholics pray using the words given us in Scripture and tradition, we are guided by these formal prayers as we search for words to express ourselves to God.
When we make these common prayers our own, we find ourselves praying in unity with the whole church. We become part of a timeless, global community of prayer, a sign that we all belong to “the household of God” (Eph 2:19).
An easy way to remember the different kinds of prayer is ACTS (Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving and Supplication).
St. Thomas Aquinas called the Lord’s Prayer “the most perfect of prayers.” He wrote: “In it, we ask, not only for all the things we can rightly desire, but also in the sequence that they should be desired. This prayer not only teaches us to ask for things, but also in what order we should desire them.”
Q. How do I know when God is talking?
A. First, it’s important to give him time to talk, a few quiet moments when you’re listening for him. On those occasions, you may have thoughts or impressions come into your mind from God: a word of comfort, a solution to a problem, a prompting to take a particular action.
There are other ways to listen to God as well. Reading Scripture or helpful spiritual books may allow him to speak to you through the printed word. God may speak through others who say that you came to mind during their own prayer time. Sometimes, God simply answers you through situations, opening one door and closing another.
If you think God is saying something that puzzles or disturbs you, it’s a good idea to talk it over with a priest or another trusted friend.
“We can pray anytime, of course, since God is always listening. Many Catholics even say little ‘mini-prayers’ throughout the day as they go about their business, such as ‘Thank you, Lord,’ or ‘Jesus, help me.’”
Q. When should I pray?
A.
We can pray anytime, of course, since God is always listening. Many Catholics even say little “miniprayers” throughout the day as they go about their business, such as “Thank you, Lord,” or “Jesus, help me.” But over the centuries, believers have also developed habits of praying at certain hours because they found it helped
them to recognize God and seek his will at important junctures of the day.
Many people, for example, dedicate the day to God as soon as they wake up. Asking God’s blessing is an important way to begin meals and recognize our dependence on his provision. At bedtime, many Catholics review the day as it closes, examine their consciences, and say a prayer of confession and contrition.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHYRYN WHITE
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
Tabernacle survives Los Angeles inferno
By Ann Rodgers OSV News
LOS ANGELES (OSV News)
— Four days after Corpus Christi Church was incinerated in the Palisades Fire, Capt. Bryan Nassour of the Los Angeles Fire Department picked his way over a 6-foot layer of rubble in the ashen bones of the sanctuary and recovered the tabernacle Jan. 11.
“I did it because the whole community has been decimated — it looks like a nuclear bomb has gone off and nothing is standing,” Nassour told Angelus, the news outlet of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Nassour is a member of St. Francis de Sales Church in Sherman Oaks, and his brother belongs to Corpus Christi.
“My brother lost his home. I have close friends who lost everything but the shirts on their backs, and they belong to that church, too. So, if I could save just one thing, let it be this, so they have something to believe in,” he said.
That Saturday morning Nassour, whose station in Pacific Palisades is across the street from Corpus Christi, had been up all night battling other fires. As he sipped coffee at his desk and gazed at the ruined church, he decided to check for valuables. He wanted to protect them from looters and perhaps return something meaningful to the parish.
Scorched bricks, tiles and hunks of debris filled the nave so high that he had to crawl under the top of door frames that no longer had doors. The roof had collapsed, a burned steel frame teetered above the twisted remains of a chandelier. The pews had been consumed. Only the granite altar remained, with the solid brass tabernacle atop it and a cross above. The Blessed Sacrament was intact.
Nassour was astounded to find that the tabernacle weighed more than 300 lbs. His crew helped him get it into the station house.
“It was one of the most uplifting
Msgr. Liam Kidney, left, and Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson are pictured at St. Monica Church with the tabernacle recovered Jan. 11 from Corpus Christi Church, where Msgr. Kidney is pastor. Some days after Corpus Christi was incinerated by the Palisades Fire, Capt. Bryan Nassour of the LA Fire Department crawled through the rubble and found the tabernacle intact.
things,” he said. “Not everyone is religious, but they saw that and they’re like, ‘This is awesome.’ We’re doing something — at least one thing — that we can salvage for the community.”
He made many calls before he was able to reach Msgr. Liam Kidney of Corpus Christi to tell him that the tabernacle was safe and undamaged.
“He was in utter disbelief,” Nassour said.
Nassour offered to search for other sacred objects and the priest told him where to find the chalices and patens. Firefighters from Station 69 helped dig for the crushed cabinet. The chalices and patens had been severely damaged. But the firefighters recovered other sacred objects, including three unbroken containers of holy oil.
Brass withstands high heat, but Nassour suspects more was involved in the tabernacle’s survival.
“Talk to any firefighter. In any religious building what usually survives is the cross and certain specific items that are highly religious, unless they’ve been specifically set on fire,” he said.
Gabe Sanchez, a retired FBI special agent who does contract investigations for the Los Angeles Archdiocese, was sent to retrieve the tabernacle. Firefighters helped him wrestle it into his car. He drove it to St. Monica Church, where Msgr. Kidney celebrated Mass for survivors the next day.
At that Mass, the tabernacle stood on a table by the altar. Msgr. Kidney recounted Nassour calling him to ask, “I have found this big gold box. What would you like me to do with it?”
The Corpus Christi parishioners burst into applause.
Nassour was unable to attend because he was fighting fires.
Parishes offer shelter, relief to evacuated families
By Pablo Kay OSV News
LOS ANGELES (OSV
News)
— Several Catholic parishes opened their doors to families evacuated from their homes as wind-driven fires continued to burn through parts of Los Angeles County Jan. 8.
St. Monica Church in Santa Monica was open until almost midnight Tuesday night, offering evacuees from the nearby Palisades Fire a place to freshen up, get snacks and charge their devices, said Merrick Siebenaler, director of parish life at St. Monica.
“We have dozens and dozens of parishioners and school families who have lost everything,” said Siebenaler.
The parish campus was again open to evacuees the following morning, but by Wednesday afternoon had to close after fire officials designated it part of a “warning zone.”
One older couple from St. Monica spent the night at the parish rectory, after pastor Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson
learned they’d been evacuated from the Palisades Fire burn area.
Another family whose Pacific Palisades home was threatened by the fire stopped by St. Monica Tuesday night to pray. Hours later, they learned the house had been destroyed. The next morning, the family was back to drop off their bicycles and pray with Msgr. Torgerson.
Meanwhile on Wednesday afternoon, Sacred Heart Church in the Lincoln Heights area of Los Angeles opened its auditorium to make water, food and masks available to evacuees and victims of fires in the area.
The shelter was being operated by the City of Los Angeles, but representatives of the local St. Vincent de Paul Society were also on site with supplies, including children’s clothes and diapers, Sacred Heart pastor Father Tesfaldet Asghedom told Angelus News.
“We’re here to help out,” Asghedom said.
After classes were canceled at St. Andrew School in Pasadena, principal Jae Kim opened the school gym to
Statue of Virgin only thing left standing
>> Continued from page 1
from its gym. And so, on Jan. 9, Laganà and his wife were among the dozens of Corpus Christi parishioners at a special Mass celebrated by Archbishop José H. Gomez at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels to pray for those affected by the fires raging through parts of Los Angeles County.
Many, if not most, of them had become both physically and spiritually homeless in the last 36 hours.
Longtime parishioner Rick McGeagh serves on Corpus Christi’s pastoral advisory council. His worst fears came true Wednesday morning, when his son hiked up through Will Rogers State Park and confirmed that their home was gone.
But looking through pictures of the rubble sent by his son, McGeagh was amazed when he saw the sole part of his home left standing: a statue of the Virgin Mary installed outside in 1998 when they moved in.
“That statue belonged to my grandmother, who died in 1997,” explained McGeagh. “The fact that [the statue] survived, when everything, even our Viking stove, burned down, I think is miraculous. There’s no way to explain that.”
McGeagh describes Corpus Christi as “a strong family” that’s grown thanks to ties fostered by the parish school and the steady leadership of Msgr. Liam Kidney, who has been the parish’s pastor since 1999.
In his homily at the Mass, Archbishop Gomez acknowledged “we can be tempted to question God’s love for us, to wonder where he is when good people are suffering.”
While there are no “easy answers” after such a tragedy, the archbishop said that God calls each person “to be instruments that show his compassion and care to those who are suffering.”
families who needed a break from the hazardous air quality caused by the growing Eaton Fire just to the north. Coffee, donuts and snacks were brought to the gym Wednesday. On Thursday, Kim planned to screen a movie for children on a large screen and have a “lot of board games” available.
“You can’t be outside here in Pasadena, the air is really bad. It’s hazardous and toxic,” said Kim.
Many of the families who came by Wednesday had been evacuated from the Eaton Fire evacuation area around Altadena and Pasadena. Several, said Kim, were waiting to be allowed back into their neighborhoods to see if their homes were still standing.
“Every hour, I’m getting a phone call from another family who’s lost everything,” Kim told Angelus News over the phone Wednesday afternoon.
“You can hug them, pray with them, listen to them as best you can,” said Kim of the several school families who stopped by. “What else is there to do?”
“Love is what is asked from us in this challenging moment,” said the archbishop, who celebrated another Mass for fire victims later that day at Mission San Gabriel, and was scheduled for another one late afternoon Friday at Incarnation Church in Glendale.
As the Mass ended with the popular Catholic hymn “Be Not Afraid,” its lyrics left a row of Corpus Christi parishioners in tears. Among them were Ed and Chris Amos, who after evacuating on Tuesday watched aghast as an orange glow in the distance grew closer in the live feed from their home security camera.
“You could see the flames approaching the house, and then [the feed] went dead,” said Ed, who with his wife was staying at the West LA home of a fellow doctor at Providence St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica.
After losing the home they built 20 years ago, the couple said hearing encouraging words from Archbishop Gomez and Msgr. Kidney at the Mass while seeing parishioners’ faces again was a necessary “part of the healing process.”
“I think that what comes out of something like this is it teaches you the value of life, it makes you appreciate each day more,” said Ed.
OSV NEWS PHOTO/VICTOR ALEMÁN, ANGELUS
Russia killing clergy in occupied Ukraine, says foreign minister
By Gina Christian OSV News
KYIV, Ukraine (OSV News)
— Since the start of their February 2022 full-scale invasion, Russian forces have killed close to 70 clergy and destroyed more than 630 places of worship in Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s ministry of foreign affairs.
The ministry, led by Andrii Sybiha, issued a Jan. 10 statement saying Russia’s invasion “has had a devastating impact on religious freedom” in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
Russian occupation authorities “relentlessly restrict the activities of all religious organizations that maintain an independent stance or support the territorial integrity of Ukraine, grossly violating the rights of believers and the fundamental principles of freedom of conscience enshrined in international law,” said the statement.
Sybiha’s office urged “the international community to strongly condemn these flagrant human rights violations, particularly the right to freedom of conscience, in the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by the Russian Federation.”
In addition, the Jan. 10 statement called upon nations to “strengthen sanctions against the Russian Federation and increase pressure on Russian authorities,” and to “intensify efforts to bring to justice all those responsible for the crime of aggression, genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Russia’s invasion — which continues attacks launched in 2014 — has
been declared a genocide in two joint reports from the New Lines Institute and the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights.
So far, the full-scale invasion has resulted in the deaths of 67 religious leaders from various faiths, some of whom have been killed “even while performing their sacred duties,” said the statement.
Russian occupation authorities “have systematically repressed religious freedom, targeting not only denominations banned by Russian law, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Hizb ut-Tahrir, but also all religious organizations independent of the Moscow
Calls multiply for release of kidnapped Nigerian nuns; security in region dramatically deteriorates
UFUMA, Nigeria (OSV News)
— Calls for the release of Sister Vincentia Maria Nwankwo and Sister Grace Mariette Okoli are growing after the two nuns were kidnapped on Jan. 7 along Ufuma Road in Anambra State, Nigeria. The Sisters are part of the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Mother of Christ, with both serving as principals at Catholic schools.
Sister Maria Sobenna Ikeotuonye, the congregation’s secretary general, urged prayers for their swift and safe return, while Intersociety, a Nigerian
civil rights group, also called for their immediate release. Emeka Umeagbalasi, the group’s director, condemned the rise in attacks on clergy, citing a recent spate of kidnappings, including the abduction of a priest just weeks earlier.
This latest kidnapping highlights the ongoing threat from armed gangs, known as “bandits,” who target Christians and demand ransoms. Over the last year, criminal groups and militia have wreaked havoc in the region, kidnapping and killing civilians. Umeagbalasi suggests the kidnappers could be linked to terror groups like Boko Haram or Fulani herders.
U.S. Sister killed in the Amazon honored at Rome’s ‘new martyrs’ shrine
ROME (CNS) — A cross containing dirt stained with the blood of Sister Dorothy Stang, a U.S. member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur shot down in the Amazon 20 years ago, and one of her sweaters were placed Jan. 10 on the altar of the “new martyrs of the Americas” in Rome’s Basilica of St. Bartholomew.
Sister Dorothy was sent on mission to the Brazilian Amazon in 1966 and worked closely with the Brazilian bishops’ Pastoral Land Commission in favor of land rights for the poor and for sustainable development in the region. The work she did angered many large landowners, and she had received death threats. A rancher and three
others were convicted of plotting her death and killing her in 2005.
The international leadership team of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur and leaders of the order’s Ohio province, to which Sister Dorothy belonged — along with her brother and 24 nieces, nephews and other family members — were invited by the Community of Sant’Egidio to place her relics at the new martyrs’ shrine and museum.
The relics were added to the shrine during an evening prayer service led by Archbishop Fabio Fabene, secretary of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. The service followed a symposium at Rome’s Gregorian University on Sister Dorothy’s life and ministry and “women’s leadership in the climate movement.”
Patriarchate” of the Russian Orthodox Church, said the ministry.
In December 2022, Russian occupation officials formally banned the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in occupied territories and forcibly expelled clergy in a breach of international law.
Two UGCC priests, Redemptorist Fathers Ivan Levitsky and Bohdan Geleta, were abducted from their parish, the Church of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in Berdyansk, and were imprisoned and tortured for 18 months. The priests were among 10 prisoners returned to Ukrainian authorities in June 2024.
In a post-release interview with the UGCC’s Zhyve TV channel, Father Geleta confirmed that he and Father Levitsky had been subjected to both psychological and physical torture at the hands of Russian forces.
Also banned by Russian occupation officials, in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, are the Knights of Columbus and multiple Caritas organizations, part of the universal Catholic Church’s worldwide humanitarian network, that have been providing spiritual and material assistance in Ukraine.
The Russian ban said the Knights of Columbus were “associated with the intelligence services of the United States and the Vatican.”
Researcher Felix Corley of Forum 18 — a news service that partners with the Norwegian Helsinki Committee in defending freedom of religion, thought and conscience — recently told OSV News that religious freedom in Russia itself is “growing ever tighter,” with “new laws against — well, everything, really,” and targeted “at people who exercise freedom of religion or belief.”
“Despite the war conditions, Ukraine remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting and upholding religious freedom, adhering to the principles of international law that govern freedom of religion or belief,” said Ukraine’s foreign ministry in its statement.
“We appeal to all global partners to actively support Ukraine’s struggle for a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace, the restoration of territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, and the full re-establishment of the rule of law and human rights,” the statement added.
OSV NEWS PHOTO/VLADYSLAV MUSIIENKO, REUTERS
A church destroyed by a Russian attack on the village of Bohorodychne in Ukraine’s Donetsk region is pictured Feb. 13, 2024. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine issued a statement Jan. 10, regarding the status of religious freedom in that nation, which has been misrepresented by Russia in a bid to undercut aid to Ukraine.
EMPLOYMENT
Human resources generalist - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has an immediate opening for a human resources generalist, who will serve as subject matter expert, project lead and coach in multiple key functions within HR. This position is full time and benefits-eligible. For more details or to apply, please visit “Employment Opportunities” at: www.archkck.org.
Administrator - Santa Marta Retirement center is seeking an experienced administrator to oversee health care operations, including skilled nursing, assisted living and memory care. This role involves managing finances, ensuring regulatory compliance and fostering a compassionate care environment. To learn more and apply, visit: recruiting.paylocity.com/recruiting/jobs/ Details/2921220/Santa-Marta-Retirement/Administrator.
Children’s ministry coordinator - Prince of Peace, a parish in Olathe, is seeking an exceptional leader who desires to help families form their children in the faith. The children’s ministry coordinator is responsible for the organization and implementation of the pre-K through sixth grade programs offered throughout the year for parishioners, including the parish school of religion, summer programming and assisting in sacramental preparation. This is a part-time position, working closely with the director of faith formation, as well as other parish ministers. For the complete job description go to: www.popolathe.org/employment-opportunities. Please send resume and cover letter to April Bailey, director of faith formation, at: abailey@popolathe.org.
Administrative assistant - Holy Trinity Parish, Lenexa. The administrative assistant serves as the face of Holy Trinity Parish for those contacting the parish office. Key responsibilities include managing the front desk of the office, maintaining the parishioner database, scheduling facility usage and recording parish sacraments. The administrative assistant provides primary administrative support for the pastor and director of administrative services and supports other parish staff for the success of the parish. Must be a team player with strong organizational, administrative and communications skills. Applicant must have a working knowledge of the Catholic Church’s teachings and practices and understand the importance of being a welcoming face for the Catholic Church. Experience required with Microsoft Office Suite, Google Mail, Google Calendar, database systems, general office equipment and managing multiple tasks. Position is full time and qualifies for archdiocesan benefits, including health, dental, vision, life insurance and 401(k) match. A full position description can be found at: htlenexa.org/job-openings. Interested applicants should submit cover letter and resume to: lweber@htlenexa.org.
Liturgical musicians - Christ the King Parish and Blessed Sacrament Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, are searching for liturgical musicians that can play at English and Spanish Masses on the weekends and holy days, as well as being available for funerals and other special occasions. Organists will enjoy the chance to play our beautiful, recently installed Tracker organ. All musicians are welcome to inquire. Cantors with the ability to sing in English, Spanish or both are also needed. Part-time employment is also available. Visit: ctkkcks.org for more information, or contact Father Nick Blaha to apply at (913) 287-8823 or email: pastor@ctkkck.org.
Technician Needed ASAP - Do you like to tinker? Are you detail-oriented? Then this is the job for you! A locally owned family business is currently seeking candidates to provide preventive maintenance (cleaning) and repair service on microscopes. No previous experience necessary, on-the-job training provided. Good communication, time management and customer service skills necessary. Expenses paid, out in the field majority of time and each day is different! Some travel is required. Please contact us at: techneeded23@gmail.com.
Van drivers and aides needed - Assisted Transportation is hiring safe drivers and aides to transport general education and students with special needs to and from school and other activities in Johnson County in passenger vans. Drivers earn $16 - $20 per hour. Aides earn $15.50 per hour. Part-time and full-time schedules are available. Make a difference in your community by helping those in need! Call (913) 521-4955 or visit: assisted transportation.com for more information. EEO.
Administrative assistant - Come join our team! A small family-owned company located in Lenexa is looking for an assistant to answer phones; invoicing; product ordering; some shipping/receiving and to assist the owner. We need a team member who is organized; detail oriented; self-motivated; trustworthy; has a positive attitude and above all else, gives excellent customer service. Schedule flexibility. Send your resume to: YourCareer101@gmail.com
Faculty and adjunct faculty job openings - Donnelly College, Kansas City, Kansas, is a Catholic college offering higher education for those who may not other wise be served Faculty job openings - Nursing faculty. Adjunct faculty job openings - psychology adjunct instructor for nursing and clinical nursing adjunct. Adjunct faculty Lansing Correctional Campus - English adjunct and math adjunct and psychology adjunct. Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/careers.
Staff job openings - Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, a Catholic college offering higher education for those who may not otherwise be served, has the following staff job openings available — Financial aid director, director of nursing, human resources generalist, and director of development. Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/careers.
Annual giving manager –The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking to hire an Annual Giving Manager, which would be responsible for the management and continued growth of a dynamic Annual Appeal, and the cultivation of long lasting relationships with major donors; supporters; lay leaders; priests and prospects to ensure the financial stability of the local church. Please visit Employment Opportunities on the Archdiocesan website for more information or to apply. To Apply: https://recruiting. paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/2755248.
Catholic elementary school principal - Holy Cross School in Overland Park is seeking a dynamic and visionary leader with a passion for Catholic education. The principal will continue the school’s tradition of forming disciples, pursuing academic excellence and spiritual growth. The principal will lead by example and inspire a team of dedicated faculty and staff. Applicants must have or be eligible for Kansas licensure in educational leadership. Apply online at: archkckcs.org/apply. For more information, contact Father Abner at: aables@holycrossopks.org.
Liturgy coordinator - St. Michael the Archangel in Leawood is seeking a full-time liturgy coordinator to prepare for the celebration of the Mass and other sacred mysteries. Applicants must be practicing Catholics familiar with the Roman Catholic liturgical tradition. The position requires strong organizational, administrative and communication skills as well as initiative and responsibility. Hours include weekend and some evening hours. Includes full benefits options. Go online to: stmichaelcp. org/employment for a full job description. Send cover letter and resume to: kevin.vogt@stmichaelcp.org.
Caregivers needed - Daughter & Company is looking for compassionate caregivers to provide assistance to seniors in their home, assisted living or in a skilled nursing facility. We provide sitter services, light housekeeping and light meal preparation, organizational assistance, care management and occasional transportation for our clients. We need caregivers with reliable transportation and a cellphone for communication. We typically employ on a part-time basis, but will strive to match hours desired. Contact Gary or Laurie at (913) 341-2500 if you want to become part of an excellent caregiving team.
SERVICES
Garage door repair expert
New Garage Doors
Garage Floor Coatings
A Total Door Inc., Since ‘83. Leaven discount joe@atotaldoor.com or (913) 236-6440.
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.
Alvarez Painting and Remodeling Kitchen and bath remodeling. Quality work at a fair price. Insured. Call (913) 206-4524.
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.
EL SOL Y LA TIERRA
*COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL
*LAWN RENOVATION *MOWING
*CLEANUP AND HAULING
*DIRT GRADING/INSTALLATION
*LANDSCAPE DESIGN* FREE ESTIMATES HABLAMOS Y ESCRIBIMOS INGLES!! CALL LUPE AT (816) 252-1391
MIKE HAMMER MOVING - A full-service mover. Local and long-distance moving. Packing, pianos, rental truck load/ unload, storage container load/unload. In-home moving and office moves. No job too small. Serving the KC metro since 1987. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee, parishioner. Call the office at (913) 927-4347 or email: mike@mikehammermoving.com.
Tree trimming and landscaping - We provide free estimates and recent references. Five years of experience and fully insured. Call Charly at (913) 405-8123.
Double A’s Lawn Service Lawn mowing, mulching, gutters, leaf removal Brush removal & hedge trimming Free estimates & insured Alex Spoerre (913) 488-5195
Concrete construction - Tear out and replace stamped, stained or colored patios and drives. Retaining walls, footing, poured-in-place safe rooms, excavation and hauling. Asphalt drives and lots. Fully insured, references. Call Dan at (913) 207-4371 or send an email to: dandeeconst@aol. com.
Free estimates - We do all things home improvement! Services include: interior/exterior painting, flooring, drywall, windows, kitchen/bathroom remodel, decks, etc. You name it, we can help. At Stone Painting, we put the customer first. We ensure a professional quality job at a competitive price. Call today for a free estimate. (913) 963-6465.
AKC Pros roofing, siding, gutters, insulation - Did you get tired of the door-knocking and constant calls from different roofing companies after the storms this year? Now that the dust has settled, let’s talk. If it’s new damage or old damage, just give me a call. I’ll walk your roof and we will decide together whether to file a claim. Locally owned and operated, licensed and insured. Call Josh at (913) 7097230.
HOME IMPROVEMENT
Local handyman - Painting, int. and ext., wood rot, mason repair, gutter cleaning (gutter covers), dryer vent cleaning, sump pump (replace, add new), windows, doors (interior and exterior), honey-do list, window cleaning and more! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118.
Garage renovations - Married couple from St. Paul Parish in Olathe. Haul off, clean-out, floor coatings, shelving/ painting. Experienced, references available, insured. Call (913) 405-8123.
Haus To Home Remodeling - Let’s give that room a nice face-lift! Specializing in affordable room remodeling. From small projects to bathrooms and basements. Tile, paint, carpentry, wood rot, decks, drywall, etc. Free estimates. Call Cole at (913) 544-7352.
Popcorn ceiling texture removal Call Jerry at (913) 206-1144. 30 years’ experience. Interior painting specialist. Member St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.
STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 579-1835. Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa. Father and Son Home Remodeling - We specialize in kitchen/bathroom and basement remodeling, from start to finish. We also do decks, covered decks, porches, sunrooms and room additions! If you’re not sure we do it, just call. From my family to yours, thank you for supporting my small business. To contact me, call (913) 709-7230 and ask for Josh.
CAREGIVING
Need caregiving at home? Don’t want to move?For nearly 20 years, we have helped seniors stay in their home with personal care, med management and household assistance. We also specialize in dementia care with free dementia training for families, all at reasonable rates and terms. Call Benefits of Home Senior Care at (913) 422-1591.
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.
REAL ESTATE
We are local people who can buy your house - Big companies from all over the nation come here buying houses, but that’s not us. We are parishioners of Holy Trinity Parish and we enjoy giving you personalized service. We can offer you a fair price and are flexible to your needs. If I can help, call me, Mark Edmondson, at (913) 980-4905.
Looking to buy or sell a home? - Buy or sell a home with someone who understands your values. We are a Catholic-owned, faith-driven team of Realtors, dedicated to helping fellow Catholics buy or sell homes in our community. We bring integrity, compassion and a commitment to your needs. Let us be part of your journey. Call Kevin Holmes (owner) at (913) 553-0539.
We buy houses and whole estates - We are local and family-owned, and will make you a fair cash offer. We buy houses in any condition. No fees or commissions and can close on the date of your choice. Selling your house has never felt so good. Jon & Stacy Bichelmeyer, (913) 599-5000.
WANTED TO BUY
Will buy firearms and related accessories - One or a whole collection. Honest evaluation and top prices paid. Contact Tom at (913) 238-2473. Member of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee.
Wanted to buy
Do you have a car or truck that you need to get rid of? If you do, CALL ME! I’m a cash buyer. We’re Holy Trinity parishioners. My name is Mark. (913) 980-4905.
Wanted to buy - Antiques & Collectibles: jewelry, military items, railroad, sterling, OLD holiday/toys and more. Renee Maderak (913) 475-7393. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.
Wanted to buy Vintage baseball & sport cards Cash for cards Holy Trinity parishioner Call Matt at (913) 522-4938
PILGRIMAGES
Pilgrimages - Medjugorje is approved by the Vatican, receiving “nihil obstat” and encouraging people to go. The next pilgrimage date with visionary Mirjana Soldo as our hostess is March 12-20 and April 16-23, 2025. I am also available to speak to groups about Medjugorje. Call Grace at (913) 449-1806.
FOR SALE
For sale - Corner level E, 5 x 5 patio mausoleum entombment located in Topeka’s Mt. Calvary cemetery, facing east, beautifully overlooking Gage Park. Original price last quoted $15,700. Asking $12,000. Pictures available upon request. Call Jill at (785) 408-6586.
For sale - Four side-by-side plots beautifully located in Resurrection Cemetery’s Ascension Gardens in the first area behind the wonderful Christ statue at the main entrance. Asking $12,000 for all four plots which is less than if you purchased from Catholic Cemeteries. Foundation fee and maintenance paid. Call Steve at (913) 486-3532.
Residential lifts - New and recycled. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. St. Michael’s parishioners. KC Lift & Elevator at (913) 327-5557. (Formerly Silver Cross - KC)
SPAGHETTI DINNER AND BINGO
St. Patrick Parish (center)
1066 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas
Jan. 18 at 6 p.m.
Dinner will include spaghetti with sauce, meatball, Italian sausage, salad, bread stick and ice cream sandwich. The cost is: $12 for adults; $7 for children under 12; and a family meal is $35. Ten games of bingo are $12. The average prize is $75 per game with blackout around $250. For questions, call Fritz at (913) 515-0621.
SNOW BALL
Overland Park Convention Center
6000 College Blvd., Leawood
Jan. 18 at 6 p.m.
Catholic Charities’ mission of providing help, hope and hospitality to the most vulnerable. Ninety-one cents of every dollar raised through Snow Ball supports Catholic Charities’ 30-plus life-changing programs. This black-tie event includes a cocktail reception, sit-down dinner and dancing to music by The Crossroad Sound. There is no fundraising — just celebrating — the night of the event. To purchase a ticket, table or make a gift, visit the website at: snowballgala.org. For more information, call (913) 433-2068.
WILLS AND TRUSTS WORKSHOP
Holy Spirit Parish
(Martha and Mary Room)
11300 W. 103rd St., Overland Park
Jan. 21 from 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
The workshop will run from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. and will begin with light snacks and a social gathering. The presentation will include: What is the difference between a will and a trust? How do you avoid probate (and what exactly is probate)? How can I leave money or assets to my church, school, archdiocese or favorite charitable organization? Register online at: cfnek.org/ events or contact Greg Alejos at (913) 6470365 or by email at: galejos@archkck.org.
‘DIVINE HARMONIES’
Sophia Spirituality Center
751 S. 8th St., Atchison
Jan. 22 - 23
This event will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 22 and end at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 23. Each year, thousands enjoy the magic of musicals — stories that linger through song and dance. Join us for a few days exploring classic musicals and discover their lessons on faith, morals and our connection to God. For more information, Google: Sophia Spirituality Center.
POPCORN WITH THE POPE
St. Pius the X Parish 5500 Woodson Rd., Mission
Jan. 19 at 2 p.m.
Join us for the January movie, “Witness to Hope.” Watch the movie, eat popcorn and have fun with friends.
POTLUCK DINNER
Most Pure Heart of Mary (Culhane Room)
3601 S.W. 17th St., Topeka
Jan. 23 at 1:30 p.m.
The Christian Widows and Widowers Organization will host the potluck dinner. There is no cost to attend. For information, text Gen Orozco at (785) 230-2473.
EXTRAVAGANZA EVENT
The Foundry Event Center
400 S.W. 33rd St., Topeka
Jan. 25 at 5 p.m.
The Holy Family School Extravaganza is the major fundraiser for the school. The funds raised support programs for our students, teachers and school beyond parish subsidies. If interested in becoming a sponsor, purchasing event or raffle tickets, contact Courtney Engel by email at: engelc@ holyfamilytopeka.net or go online to: holy familytopeka.net/extravaganza. Donations can also be mailed to: Holy Family School, 1725 N.E. Seward Ave., Topeka, KS 66616.
NEW YEAR SPIRIT
TASTE OF KCK 2025
Resurrection School
425 N. 15th St., Kansas City, Kansas
Jan. 25 at 6 p.m.
The evening begins with drinks and appetizers as well as school tours and student projects. An ethnic dinner follows with “diversity on a plate,” ranging from enchiladas to povitica. The program includes “meet the principal.” There will also be an honoree, a student speaker and performances.
BINGO
Sacred Heart Parish
1100 West St., Tonganoxie
Jan. 25 at 5:30 p.m.
Sacred Heart Church will hold its annual bingo fundraiser for the youth group, the 4:ThirTEENS, on Jan. 25. The night will feature a concession stand with baked potato bar, chili and hot dogs beginning at 5:30 p.m. Games begin at 6:15 p.m. with a final blackout game scheduled for 8:30 p.m. A $10 donation per card is suggested. Door prizes and 50/50 raffle will also be featured. All are welcome to attend.
DAUGHTERS OF ISABELLA, LITTLE FLOWER CIRCLE
Christ the King Parish (Yadrich Hall)
5973 S.W. 25th St., Topeka
Jan. 26 at 12:40 p.m.
A rosary will be followed by the business meeting and social time. If anyone knows a member or family member of the Daughters of Isabella in need of prayers, call Shirley Gustafson at (785) 554-3028 or chancellor Gen Orozco at (785) 230-2473.
PROJECT CHRYSALIS
Church of the Ascension Luke’s Room, lower level)
9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park
Jan. 28 at 6 p.m.
Are you a member of this club that nobody wants to be in? Project Chrysalis is a ministry for parents or grandparents who have suffered the loss of a child. Questions? Contact Patty in the parish office at: pbillinger@kcascension.org.
BEYOND ACADEMICS: THE CATHOLIC DIFFERENCE IN EDUCATION
Holy Spirit Parish 11300 W. 103rd St.
Jan. 29 from 7 - 8:30 p.m.
The Blessed Seelos Institute and the archdiocesan office of Catholic schools is hosting this information event for parents with or without children currently enrolled in Catholic school. The evening will begin with prayer, followed by a presentation on “What is Catholic Education?” and a panel discussion with Catholic school leaders and parents. Register online at: archkckcs.org.
RETROUVAILLE
Jan. 31 - Feb. 2
Rediscover the love that brought you together. Every marriage faces challenges, but it is through these moments that deeper connections are formed. Join us to learn new ways to communicate and strengthen your bond. As one couple shared, “We learned so much about each other that we never knew.” Let this be the beginning of a beautiful new chapter in your relationship. For more details and to register, call (800) 470-2230 or go online to: HelpOurMarriage.org.
PRAYER & HEALING SERVICE FOR THOSE TOUCHED BY ABORTION
Kansas City, Missouri, area (exact location disclosed only to registered participants)
Feb. 1 from 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Have you lost a child or grandchild to abortion? Did you pay for an abortion? Were you her driver? Did everyone else tell you what to do? Did you feel alone in
your decision? Did you marry someone who had an abortion in his/her past and it is affecting your relationship? God’s love and mercy are limitless. Find hope, help and healing at this prayer service. This prayer service is an outreach of Project Rachel. Call or text (816) 591-3804 or send an email to: projectrachelkc@diocesekcsj. org. All inquiries are confidential.
SANCTA MARIA SCHOOL’S EVENING UNDER THE STARS
Abe and Jake’s Landing 8 E. 6th St., Lawrence Feb. 1 at 6 p.m.
Join us for a dinner and dance fundraiser for Sancta Maria School, a small Catholic Montessori school in Eudora and a nonprofit 501(3)(c). The evening begins with cocktails at 6 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m. Semi-formal attire is requested. For more information or to make reservations, send an email to: raventmf@yahoo.com or call (785) 7270942. If you are unable to attend but would still like to financially support the school, you can write a check to: Sancta Maria School, 1623 Elm St., Eudora, KS 66025.
ANNUAL PANCAKE BREAKFAST
St. Bede Parish
7344 Drought St., Kelly Feb. 2 from 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
The cost is a freewill donation. We will be serving pancakes, sausage and eggs. Takeout meals will be available.
WILLS AND TRUSTS WORKSHOP
St. Patrick Parish (hall)
1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas Feb. 5 at 12:15 p.m. (Mass - optional) 1:15 - 2:15 p.m. (workshop)
The event begins after Mass and will be followed by a light lunch, snacks and fellowship, as well as a welcome message from the parish. Register online at: cfnek. org or contact Jane Schmitt at (913) 6473060 or by email at: jschmitt@archkck.org.
WHITE MASS
St. Michael the Archangel Parish (hall) 14251 Nall Ave., Overland Park Feb. 8 at 10:30 a.m.
There will be lunch (Jack Stack BBQ) and fellowship time following Mass. All physicians, nurses and allied health professionals are welcome and encouraged to attend. To register, notify us of the number of attendees by sending an email to: secretary@catholicmedkc.org.
DIVORCE SUPPORT GROUP
‘HEALING THE DIVORCED HEART’
St. Michael the Archangel (Gabriel Room) 14251 Nall Ave., Leawood 1st & 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m.
Those who have experienced a divorce understand, as perhaps few others can. We were sad, lonely, scared and angry, but we have found that with God, time and the support of others, healing is possible. For more information, visit the website at: www.stmichaelcp.org/divorce-support, or send an email to: calledtolove143@gmail. com.
CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS
SEND SUBMISSIONS TO: beth. blankenship@theleaven.org.
DAILY READINGS
SECOND WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
Jan. 19
SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Is 62: 1-5
Ps 96: 1-3, 7-10
1 Cor 12: 4-11
Jn 2: 1-11
Jan. 20
Fabian, pope, martyr; Sebastian, martyr
Heb 5: 1-10
Ps 110: 1-4
Mk 2: 18-22
Jan. 21
Agnes, virgin, martyr
Heb 6: 10-20
Ps 111: 1-2, 4-5, 9, 10c
Mk 2: 23-28
Jan. 22
Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children
Heb 7: 1-3, 15-17
Ps 110: 1-4
Mk 3: 1-6
Jan. 23
Vincent, deacon, martyr; Marianne Cope, virgin
Heb 7:25 – 8:6
Ps 40: 7-10, 17
Mk 3: 7-12
Jan. 24
Francis de Sales, bishop, doctor of the church
Heb 8: 6-13
Ps 85: 8, 10-14
Mk 3: 13-19
Jan. 25
THE CONVERSION OF PAUL THE APOSTLE
Acts 22: 3-16
Ps 117: 1b-2
Mk 16: 15-18
What is most important to you?
I’m sure many Southern Californians had to grapple with this question in the face of the devastating fires ravaging their neighborhoods. As our front page this week highlights, the scale of devastation is mind-boggling.
I’ve been monitoring the fires closely as a close college friend, who is an actress, lives in Pasadena. It’s been a harrowing experience to watch Nancy’s posts on Facebook.
Five days ago, she posted her address for friends who were concerned if she was safe. She ended her post with: “Thanks for the prayers & support. Gonna water down the deck & roof again. XX Nancy & THREE Dog Night.” (She has three rescue dogs.)
Someone asked if she had drinking water. Nancy replied with a picture: “Yes, have water & filled the tub.” Some
Find a sure-fire way to help
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.
people urged her to load up her dogs and get out before the evacuations became mandatory. Although the Rose Bowl was open for evacuees, it was heartening to see many folks offering her an alternate safe place to crash.
Being a hearty Iowan by birth, she stayed put. Her reasoning was simple: “One of my gauges for packing up is birds. . . . Today, the birds (finches & sparrows &
mourning doves) are chattering away so I’ve calmed a bit.”
Three days ago, she reposted something from a Bethanywin that took to task people who were downplaying the disaster that was unfolding. That post read: “You are seeing celebrity homes because that’s what the media is showing you. What they aren’t showing you are the small business owners that have lost everything. The people from convalescent homes being relocated on stretchers in the middle of the night. The unhoused. The working-class renters. So shut it about the LA you think you know.”
Our coverage in this issue shows those “other people,” especially how Catholic churches and parishioners are dealing with the loss of almost everything they had. Honestly, I get tears in my eyes reading these stories.
In times like these I recall some words of Fred Rogers from the TV show, “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood”: “When I was a boy and would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”
Pope Francis wants us to take things a step further, especially in this Jubilee Year. He invites us to become those helpers, to truly be “pilgrims of hope.”
Our question as followers of Christ must never be “if” we should help but “how” we can help.
As I look around my comfortable home, I’m humbled by how blessed I am to have clean water, a roof over my head, food, clothes,
electricity, a bed, and plenty of mementos and photos of family and friends. These are luxuries that I way too often take for granted. In thanksgiving for these gifts, how can I not reach out to those in need?
The information box on the front page indicates how to financially support those who may feel hopeless and lost in LA.
And let’s not forget the power of prayer for all those affected and for the helpers. Recently, Nancy posted: “Praying for rain. Is it Noah who brings rain or St. Peter . . . I’m out of touch?” Responses ranged from St. Joseph and St. Isidore to St. Anthony (since rain is presently “lost”) and St. Jude (“if all else fails”). As of this writing, Nancy, the dogs and her home are safe. However, she did just post a picture of Bob, one of her dogs, positioned on her front porch as a “spotter” for any tell-tale signs of smoke or fire.
At Cana, like Bethlehem, Mary’s role made it happen
Who couldn’t use a miracle right about now?
This Sunday, we encounter something wondrous. Just when we need it, we get a miracle, the first recorded miracle of Jesus as he began his public ministry.
This founder spent his entire life in Rome. Even as a youth, he was devoted to Mary and the poor. Ordained in 1818, he taught theology at La Sapienza University before dedicating himself to religious and charitable works in collaboration with laypeople. In 1835, the Society of the Catholic Apostleship, or Pallottine Fathers, emerged from his work, and an order for women also was founded. Pope Paul VI said Vincent “anticipated a discovery by almost one hundred years. He discovered in the world of laypeople a great capacity for good work.”
What he did was not an act of healing or restoration — no lepers were cured, no blind received sight — but, rather, it was a gesture of quiet but unmistakable transformation. The ordinary became extraordinary. Water became wine.
Whether we realize it or not, Jesus offered a beautiful lesson that
Deacon Greg Kandra is an award-winning author and journalist, and creator of the blog “The Deacon’s Bench.” He serves in the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York.
would hold true not just during his ministry, but for eternity. When we encounter
this episode, it’s a beautiful chance to look more closely at just how it’s told. The first lines of John’s Gospel make clear what, or who, is important: “There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.” Then comes this little afterthought, in case anyone was wondering: “Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.” Really? It’s a startling juxtaposition. The author clearly wants us to know who was present, and who takes precedence. We realize that Mary, the one whose “yes” was the catalyst for the joyous event we just celebrated, the Nativity,
was also the motivating force behind her son’s first miracle.
When you think about it, in some ways Cana echoed Bethlehem. Both involved God intervening to make the ordinary extraordinary.
And in Cana, as in Bethlehem, Mary’s role made it happen. That’s not all. One of the great gifts of this Gospel passage is that it leaves us with Mary’s final recorded words in Scripture, her advice to the servants: “Do whatever he tells you.” Those five words tell them (and us) all we need to know: This is where discipleship begins. Listen to him. Then do it.
It can be tempting to look at the miracle of Cana as a sentimental mystery — a surprising prelude to those loaves multiplying, the lame walking and the dead rising. But that misses the larger point. In Christ’s hands, miracles abound. They happen at unexpected moments, in places we might not imagine. And this event involves elements that we will see later, the night before his death: apostles gathered around a table, wine, and commanding words of faith and hope. “Do this in memory of me” carries a haunting echo of “Do whatever he tells you.”
Pope condemns economy that ‘does not respect life,’ exploits children
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — While society is increasingly focused on pushing the limits of human achievement, it must not lose sight of its duty to protect the dignity of the vulnerable, especially children exploited by the “scourge of child labor,” Pope Francis said.
“Today, we know how to turn our eyes toward Mars or virtual worlds, but we struggle to look into the eyes of a child who has been left on the margins and is being
exploited and abused,” he said at his general audience Jan. 8. The thousands of people, including many children, who gathered to see the pope in the Vatican audience hall also were treated to a short performance by members of the Circafrica, a circus troupe with animatronic elephants, acrobats and dancers from several African nations.
In his main audience talk, Pope Francis told the crowd that “the century that generates artificial intelligence and designs multiplanetary existences has
not yet come to terms with the scourge of humiliated, exploited, mortally wounded childhood.” Speaking about child labor, the pope said that “too many little ones are forced to work.” He said, “Everywhere on earth there are children exploited by an economy that does not respect life, an economy that, in doing so, burns up our greatest reservoir of hope and love,” adding that a child “who does not smile and dream cannot come to know or nurture his or her talents.”
DEACON GREG KANDRA
BREATHE offers
caregivers a few hours off; can you help?
In the Gospels, Jesus reminds us that he did not come to be served but to serve, setting an example that we are called to live lives of service to others.
Additionally, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus reminds us that when we do serve others, we are serving him.
We are approaching the start of the 2025 Archbishop’s Call to Share campaign. When discerning how the Lord is calling you to tithe and sacrifice so that his church has the resources it needs to serve northeast Kansas, I encourage you to also discern how the Lord
LEARNING TO LOVE LIKE HIM
JOSHUA RUOFF
Joshua Ruoff is the lead consultant for the archdiocesan special-needs ministry. He can be reached by email at: jruoff@ archkck.org.
is calling you to serve his church of northeast Kansas by being his
hands and feet to those in need.
The special-needs ministry of the archdiocese offers a monthly respite care evening for families caring for individuals with special needs and their siblings. Being a caregiver is a 24/7 job; being a
caregiver of someone with special needs requires even more sacrifice and commitment. Imagine how helpful it is for these caregivers to be allowed a few hours of respite. It also gives individuals with special needs and their siblings a night of fun and community.
This ministry known as BREATHE has been offered in the archdiocese since 2018, but due to the pandemic was suspended until last year. We have spent the last year trying to rebuild the volunteer and participant numbers and it has been a slow process.
This beautiful
ministry requires the help of volunteers who are willing to sacrifice their time and spend an evening with our participants and their siblings playing games, singing songs, doing arts and crafts — it is a night full of fun. Respite nights are offered once a month at Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park from 4-7 p.m. Dinner is provided. No experience is required to be a volunteer. Volunteers ages 14 and up are encouraged to sign up and help be the gentle and kind love of God for those that we serve. Visit the specialneeds ministry website
for more information. For future dates and any questions, contact Josh Ruoff by email at: jruoff@archkck.org or call (913) 647-3054. The new year is a great time to assess your life and your priorities and to start over. Start over by committing yourself to listening to the call of the Lord to live a life of service — service to him and to his church.
In this year of mission, let’s band together as the church of northeast Kansas and choose to begin our mission — the mission of changing the world by bringing the love of God to all we encounter.
Jubilee journey must start with grappling with questions
Hey you! And by you, I mean me, Tim Rives, community outreach coordinator for the archdiocesan office of social justice. How can I — an average guy trying to live up to his baptismal promises — give hope to those needy persons and knotty problems identified by Pope Francis in his recent bull of indiction, “Spes Non Confundit” (“Hope does not confound”)?
The Holy Father outlined threats to peace, life, planet and the common good in the document, and illumined hardships facing prisoners, the sick, the young, migrants,
Folks, I’m hungry. I mean, really hungry.
It’s Sunday afternoon, and we’re in the midst of one of the biggest winter storms to hit our region. The highways are so bad they’re closed, nearly all of them. Ice and wind and snow accompanied by bone-chilling temperatures.
I’m penning these words from home, isolated and thankful to be in and warm. But I’m so hungry. Not because I don’t have any food, for I have plenty. At least food that perishes.
No, I’m hungry for that food which never perishes, for I missed Mass this morning.
DO UNTO OTHERS
TIM RIVES
Tim Rives is the community outreach coordinator for the office of social justice. You can email him at: trives@archkck.org.
the elderly, the poor, the dispossessed and the preborn. And he asks me to give them
hope. As one who admittedly fails frequently in his attempts to help the least of these, “Spes Non Confundit” discomfits me and raises uncomfortable — indeed, unwanted — questions as I start this Jubilee journey.
Here are just three questions (there could
be many more) I feel called to consider. Questions to infuriate me, to insult my narrow sense of justice, and to inspire me to action. I hope they bother and move you, too.
Abortions in Kansas rose 58% in the year after the defeat of the “Value Them Both” amendment in that “annus horribilis” 2022. Globally, abortionists killed 45 million children in 2024, making the act the world’s leading cause of death. What am I going to do about it?
(Hint: Walking in the Kansas March for Life on Jan. 29 would be a good first step for the
hope of the unborn.)
As I write, the overnight temperature will be well below zero.
Lethal cold. More than 2,000 Kansans are unhoused, including more than 250 homeless in my own affluent Johnson County neighborhood. And yet the only cold weather shelter is too small, and the area’s last best hope for a permanent shelter was killed by the Lenexa’s city planning commission a few months ago. I understand the reasons why. What I don’t understand is why that doesn’t bother enough of us. And why, Lord, am I among the insufficiently bothered? I will
My stomach is full, but my soul is hungry
AS THE CHURCH PRAYS
parish church nearest where I live. But it was impossible.
Michael Podrebarac is the archdiocesan consultant for the office of liturgy and sacramental
Of course, it was because of the weather, and I even tried to venture out and get to the
Comforted by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann that those unable to attend Mass because of travel impeded by the extraordinary weather, I offered morning prayer from the Liturgy of the
Hours, inserting the readings from Mass after chanting the psalms. I made an act of spiritual communion, attaching my heart to the Eucharist offered in the nearby parish church as well as my home parish — both Masses celebrated with very small congregations, I imagine. Even now, I just finished watching a livestream of Sunday Mass from the National Shrine in Washington, D.C., as even my parish church’s livestream was impeded by a power outage. I know I’m not in trouble for missing Mass, because I had no control whatsoever of the weather or
the conditions of the roads.
But I’m hungry, very hungry, because I had to miss Mass. I was not there to take my place in the sacred assembly, to hear the word of God proclaimed before that assembly, to offer myself with Christ in the eucharistic sacrifice or to receive that food which never perishes.
All I’ve been able to eat today is food that perishes. My stomach is full, but my soul is hungry.
I know all this may sound a little dramatic, but it is a dramatic thing indeed when we have to miss Mass. It’s a cross to bear for the homebound who have no choice
pray on the question of my resistance in 2025. Here is one guaranteed to start a fight in many hearts and minds, including my own. How can I be a pilgrim of hope to the millions of migrants, documented or otherwise, as the change in presidential administrations promises to bring the issue to the forefront of national politics? Like many of you, I get the arguments, pro and con, both sides. No question. Lord, please, in this and in all the issues challenging and dividing me — dividing us — show us your way forward in this Holy Year of Jubilee!
but to miss Mass every Sunday. It’s a most tragic thing when we choose to miss Mass. And the ministry of livestream, helpful as it is, only provides pixels and the virtual — not real — reality of sacramental worship.
To those of you who had to miss Mass last Sunday because of the weather or the circumstances of life: Be of good cheer. For the Lord knows how hungry we are, and we shall be satisfied. To those who would’ve missed Mass anyway, opting for livestream by choice, or for nothing at all, consider how hungry you must be.
MICHAEL PODREBARAC
life.
Kids’ Kids’
CHRONICLE CHRONICLE
Jesus said that all who do God’s will are his family
By Jennifer Ficcaglia Catholic Courier
ne day, Jesus was in the synagogue.
The Pharisees were watching him closely to see if he would cure on the Sabbath so they could accuse him of wrongdoing.
That day, there was a man in the synagogue. He had a withered hand.
“Come up here before us,” Jesus told the man.
“Is it lawful,” Jesus asked as he looked around him, “to do good on the Sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?”
The Pharisees were silent.
Jesus was angry and sad at the same time because the Pharisees’ hearts were hardened.
“Stretch out your hand,” he told the man.
The man’s hand was immediately restored.
The Pharisees left and plotted with others to kill Jesus.
Afterward, Jesus and his followers withdrew toward the sea.
A large number of people had followed him from Galilee and Judea. When word spread that he was curing people, many others came from Jerusalem and Idumea, from beyond the Jordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon.
Whenever unclean spirits saw him, they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.”
Jesus sternly warned them not to make him known. He then went up a mountain and chose 12 of his followers to be his apostles. He sent them out to preach and gave them the authority to drive out demons.
After he chose his apostles, Jesus went home. The crowd was so large that it was impossible for him and his friends to even eat.
Some of Jesus’ relatives came looking for him.
“He is out of his mind,” they said.
“He is possessed by Beelzebul,” the scribes from Jerusalem chimed in. “By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”
“How can Satan drive out Satan?” Jesus replied. “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. . . . And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him.”
Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived at the house and asked for him.
“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he said while looking at those around him. “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
Bible accent
esus was with a member of his family when he performed his first of many miracles.
In John 2:1, we read that there was a wedding in Cana. Jesus’ mother was there, and he and his followers also were invited.
During the festivities, the wine began to run out. Jesus’ mother went up to him.
“They have no wine,” she told him.
Jesus looked at her.
“Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come,” he said.
His mother went to find the servers.
“Do whatever he tells you,” she instructed them.
At the wedding feast, there were six stone water jars for Jewish ceremonial washings. Each jar could hold 20 to 30 gallons of water.
“Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told the servers.
After the servers filled the jars to the brim, he told them to draw some out and take it to the headwaiter.
The headwaiter tasted the liquid the servers brought him and was pleased, because Jesus had turned the water into wine.
The headwaiter called the bridegroom.
“Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now,” he said.
Jesus performed this miracle as the beginning of his signs in Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his apostles began to believe in him.
St. Sigfrid
t. Sigfrid was born in 10th-century England and was believed to be a priest of Glastonbury or York. He became a bishop and was prominent among the English evangelizers of Scandinavia. He built a church at Vaxjo in southern Sweden and established sees in East and West Gothland. He converted and baptized King Olaf of Sweden in 1008, and he also preached in Denmark.
Sigfrid died around 1045, and we remember him on Feb. 15.
1. How many apostles did Jesus choose?
2. Who came looking for Jesus at his home?