02 01 19 Vol. 40 No. 24

THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 40, NO. 24 | FEBRUARY 1, 2019

SUPPORTING SEMINARIANS

‘We place our seminarians under Our Lady’s mantle’

By Jill Ragar Esfeld jill.esfeld@theleaven.org

K

ANSAS CITY, Mo. — If you bake it, they will come.

Bakery products from Conception Abbey in Conception, Missouri, were definitely a draw for patrons filling the main floor of Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, at the 26th annual Support Our Seminarians benefit on Jan. 25.

But equally attractive was the opportunity for members of both the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and the Diocese of Kansas CitySt. Joseph to join together in support of the formation of the next generation of priests.

“When you support the gift of the priesthood,” said Deacon Nicholas Ashton, “you are joining in on the mission of the man.”

A seminarian from our archdiocese, Deacon Ashton was one of the evening’s guest speakers and charmed the crowd as he recalled the moment in fourth grade when he served his first Mass and observed the consecration.

“I remember gazing up as [the priest] lifted up Our Lord to the people of God,” he said. “And I remember thinking, ‘One day I’m going to be there.’

“And God willing, four months from today, that will be true.”

Indeed, Deacon Ashmore will be ordained on May 25.

The 2019 SOS was dedicated to Our Lady of Ephesus and her house in the ancient city of Ephesus, Turkey. Images of her graced the walls and the silent auction tables.

Bill Quatman, a member of Visitation Parish in Kansas City, Missouri, and president of the American Society of Ephesus gave a >> See “SEMINARIANS” on page 7

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD

Deacon Nicholas Ashton, a seminarian of the archdiocese, was one of the guest speakers at the annual Support Our Seminarians benefit on Jan. 25.

You can still support our seminarians The mission of SOS is to support both spiritually and materially young men in formation for the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph and Conception Seminary College.

The funds raised help reduce the price of the seminarians’ college educations. Currently, there are 31 seminarians from the archdiocese of and 27 from the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.

To learn more or make a donation, visit the website at: www.supportourseminarians. com.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD

From left, Jeremy Lillig and Lamar Hunt Jr. served as the SOS masters of ceremonies at Union Station.

LENTEN DINNER NOTICES

WHEN

DEADLINE

March 1.

Feb. 19.

The Leaven will publish a list of Lenten dinners in the archdiocese on

Because of space considerations, notices are limited to 40 words and are due

INCLUDE

• Time of event • Date(s) of event • Address of event

SUBMIT

Please email your information to: todd.habiger@ theleaven.org.

FEBRUARY 1, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

ARCHBISHOP

2

Our schools’ purpose is to help our children know Jesus

T

his week is Catholic Schools Week.

This year’s theme encourages us to celebrate the gift Catholic schools are to the students, families, the church and the entire community.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution that in part states: “Catholic schools serve the nation by providing a diverse student population from all regions of the country and all socioeconomic backgrounds a strong academic and moral foundation, including 41.4 percent of students from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds and 19 percent from non-Catholic families.”

The U.S. Senate resolution affirms that Catholic schools “are an affordable option for parents, particularly in underserved urban areas. . . . Whereas the Catholic high school graduation rate is 99 percent with 86 percent attending four-year colleges.”

Based on the average public school per pupil cost of $11,454, Catholic schools provide $21 billion in savings each year for the nation.

Catholic schools and teachers deserve to receive these well-earned accolades from the Congress because they make a significant contribution to our nation.

However, the purpose of our schools is not to save taxpayers money or superior graduation rates.

The purpose of our Catholic schools is not to win football, basketball, volleyball or soccer championships. The purpose of our Catholic schools is not to have the best choral singers,

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN superior dramatic presentations or the best art program.

The purpose of our Catholic schools is not to achieve the best scores on standardized tests, the most National Merit scholars or graduates gaining admittance and earning scholarships to the college of their choice.

The purpose of our Catholic schools is not to collect the most canned goods for Catholic Charities or for our students to accumulate the most service hours in the community. These are all laudable achievements, but they are not the primary reasons why our Catholic schools exist.

The purpose of our Catholic schools is to assist parents in the spiritual formation of their children. The purpose of our Catholic schools, plain and simple, is to help young people to know Jesus.

It is not enough for our young people to know about Jesus. Our schools are designed to help our students develop a friendship with Jesus, to experience his personal love

for them.

For this to happen, our young people need to develop a rich prayer life. Our schools strive to assist parents in helping their children build the habit of speaking daily to Jesus about all that is going on in their lives and, just as importantly, to learn how to discern the voice of God as he speaks to them through the Bible, through the events of their lives and through quiet moments of prayer.

Catholic schools also help young people develop a love for the bride of

Baptisms for children of larger families To show his personal support for those couples open to raising larger families, Archbishop Naumann has offered to celebrate the baptism of the third or greater child of any family interested. Please contact your parish office for more information.

Additional information is also available from the archdiocesan office for liturgy and sacramental life at (913) 647-0330 or by email at: liturgy@ archkck.org.

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Jesus, his church. They come to understand that one cannot follow Jesus alone.

We need to be part of a community of fellow disciples who support and encourage each other in living lives of virtue and heroic love in the world. Catholic schools help young people embrace the importance of being part of a community of believers — the church.

The church founded

by Jesus has certain defining marks. Our Lord’s church has to be, first and foremost, apostolic. An apostolic church has to be able to trace its roots back to the apostles.

Thus, the successors of the apostles, the bishops, share in the authority that Jesus himself gave to his apostles. Thus, the moral and doctrinal truths of the church are not determined by popular vote or what is trending on social media.

The church of Jesus must be catholic, which means universal and, at the same time, one. The church of Jesus does not belong to any particular race, nation, ethnic group or culture.

Our unity is not based on being the same in the externals of our lives, but in having the same Lord. Jesus prayed that his disciples might be one as he and the Father are one so that the world would believe in him. It is Our Lord’s ability to unite in one family of faith different races, nationalities, ethnicities and cultures that compels the world to take notice of the Gospel.

Finally, the church of Jesus must be holy. The holiness of the church

Archbishop Naumann Feb. 2 Consecrated Religious Life Day Mass and lunch — Savior Pastoral Center

St. Peter, Kansas City, Kansas World Marriage Day Mass — St. Therese Parish, Parkville, Missouri Visit — St. John Vianney Seminary, Denver

Feb. 4 Pre-convocation archdiocesan gathering — Savior Pastoral Center

Feb. 11 Visit — St. John Vianney, Denver

Feb. 6-7 Jesus Caritas retreat — Wichita

Feb. 12 Bishop Miege High School eucharistic adoration

Feb. 8 Kansans for Life Valentine’s Day banquet — Wichita

Feb. 9 White Mass and reception — Church of the Ascension, Overland Park Feb. 10 Sisters, Servants of Mary Mass for Vener-

able Soledad Sanjurjo Santos — Cathedral of

is not based upon the perfection of its individual members. From the pope to the newest member in the pew, we are all sinners in desperate need of Our Lord’s mercy.

The church’s claim to holiness is derived from Our Lord’s promise to remain with his church until the end of time.

The church is holy because the promised Holy Spirit continues to guide and lead the church through all the snares of this world.

If we get the primary mission of our Catholic schools right — namely, to nurture in our students their friendship with Jesus

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Priest Advisory Committee meeting Administrative Team meeting Kansans For Life Valentine’s Day banquet — Overland Park Feb. 13 Eucharistic adoration — Maur Hill-Mount Academy, Atchison

and love for his bride, the church — then we will experience excellence in the classroom, athletic field, laboratory, theater and our service to others.

This excellence will come naturally because of the motivation of our faculty and students to do their very best as a means of giving glory to God. Our Catholic schools are helping to form future saints, who are striving to make it to heaven and bring as many others as possible with them.

Truly, there is much to celebrate in our Catholic schools.

FEBRUARY 1, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

3

ARCHDIOCESE RALLIES FOR LIFE Pre-march rally ‘ignited’ by survivor’s story

“

By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org

T

OPEKA — If David Scotton’s birth mother hadn’t undergone a last-second change of heart, he would have just been another statistic — one of the 61 million lives ended by abortions performed in the United States since 1973.

Scotton tells his story in a documentary titled “I Lived on Parker Avenue.”

The film was shown to approximately 1,200 Catholic middle schoolers, high school students, college students and home-schoolers from the state’s four Catholic dioceses during this year’s Ignite rally.

Sponsored by the archdiocese and held Jan. 22 at the Topeka Performing Arts Center, the event was just one of several activities held throughout the day in the capital city to commemorate the 46th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decisions that legalized abortion throughout the United States.

“Today marks the 46th anniversary of the Supreme Court decisions, Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton,” said archdiocesan pro-life consultant Debra Niesen, beginning the rally. “[Those decisions] essentially legalized abortion through the nine months of pregnancy for essentially any reason, and these decisions that happened resulted in over 60 million innocent babies’ lives taken in their mothers’ wombs since 1973.”

“That’s a staggering number, but you know what? That doesn’t even count all the other lives impacted by abortion,” she said, adding there are countless men and women affected by their decisions to abort.

“Your generation is the pro-life generation,” she said. “We ask that you always share the truth about life and that you share it with love and compassion because only love is going to change hearts.”

In “I Lived on Parker Avenue,” Scotton’s birth mother Melissa Coles tearfully describes going to an abortion clinic in Indianapolis and being shielded from seeing pro-life advocates praying in front

“

“YOUR GENERATION IS THE PRO-LIFE GENERATION. WE ASK THAT YOU ALWAYS SHARE THE TRUTH ABOUT LIFE AND THAT YOU SHARE IT WITH LOVE AND COMPASSION BECAUSE ONLY LOVE IS GOING TO CHANGE HEARTS.”

“I’LL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL TO HER FOR WALKING OUT THAT DOOR AND GIVING ME THE LIFE I’VE HAD.”

LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON

David Scotton, whose mother had a last-second change of heart and decided not to abort him, tells his story to the 1,200 people gathered for the Ignite rally Jan. 22 in Topeka. of the clinic. Clinic staff placed a blanket over her head and blasted music. Yet, in the midst of the commotion, Coles heard someone say, “That baby has 10 fingers and 10 toes, and you’re going to kill it.”

As she waited for the abortion to begin, a gown-clad Coles sat in a room.

Surrounded by medical equipment, she kept thinking about what that person outside had said.

“Right as [the abortion doctor] went to touch me, ‘I said I can’t do this,’” she said.

Coles walked out, never to return.

That was in 1993. In 2013, Scotton, along with his adoptive parents Jimmy and Susan Scotton met Coles and his birth father, Brian Nicholas.

Scotton gave a scrapbook titled “Grateful,” a collection of thank-you letters written by his friends and family members, to Coles and Nicholas, thanking the two of them for making the choice to place Scotton for adoption instead of going through with the abortion.

And gratitude, not hatred or anger, Scotton said, is all he feels for his birth parents.

President Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann

Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799)

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

“I’ll always be grateful to her for walking out that door and giving me the life I’ve had,” Scotton said near the film’s end.

“What you gave to David was life. He has now taken that opportunity and is sharing his gifts with the world,” read a letter shared by one of Scotton’s former teachers.

After the film, Scotton, currently a third-year law school student at Louisiana State University, shared a brief history of his life and the film’s inception.

During the Q&A period that followed, nearly two dozen students asked him questions focusing on how to spread the pro-life message, the best way to share their own adoption stories and whether he plans to adopt children in the future.

“This film has a been a labor of love for so many years,” Scotton said.

“It’s been a humbling blessing and mission for our family to be able to share the adoption message in this way,” he added.

It wasn’t something he was always comfortable sharing with others.

It was not until he was enrolled in

Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita.mcsorley@theleaven.org

Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

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a Catholic high school in New Orleans and, at the recommendation of his mother Susan, joined the pro-life club, that over time he “began to feel a calling to share this story.”

Shortly after entering a pro-life contest sponsored by Louisiana Right to Life, Scotton received a letter from his birth mother through the legal firm that handled his adoption. She wanted to know if he would be interested in meeting. Scotton admits it took him and his family much time and prayer to agree to the meeting, but filming the meeting wasn’t on his radar.

Through his work with Louisiana Right to Life, he was approached about the possibility of filming the meeting with his birth parents. Released in March 2018, “I Lived on Parker Avenue,” has led Scotton coast to coast.

“God has really allowed this message — and this mission — to get out there, and we’re really thankful for that,” he said.

The Ignite rally was not the only event marking the anniversary in the Kansas capital. The state’s four bishops — Bishop John Brungardt of the Diocese of Dodge City, Bishop Jerry Vincke of the Diocese of Salina, Bishop Carl Kemme of the Diocese of Wichita and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann — along with priests from across Kansas celebrated Mass to pray for an end to abortion.

In his homily, Bishop Brungardt named three practical ways everyone can foster a culture of life.

“We are focusing today on our little brothers and sisters in the womb,” he said. But pro-life Christians should not forget to visit the elderly and the sick, care for the poor, welcome the immigrant, celebrate those with disabilities and reach out to those who feel alienated and alone.

Secondly, he said, everyone can practice the virtue of chastity and use the gift of human sexuality only within Christian marriage, as God designed it.

The third way to be pro-life in today’s world, the bishop said, is to discern one’s particular vocation in life and to live that vocation in holiness.

“We are called to be saints. We are called to holiness,” he said. “That’s going to help us with all the above. If we don’t experience that call to holiness, if we don’t strive for holiness, this all is going to be lacking.”

Published weekly September through May, excepting the Friday the week after Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Christmas; biweekly June through August. Address communications to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Phone: (913) 721-1570; fax: (913) 721-5276; or e-mail at: sub@theleaven.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. For change of address, provide old and new address and parish. Subscriptions $21/year. Periodicals postage paid at Kansas City, KS 66109.

FEBRUARY 1, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

4

THE CLUB NO ONE WANTS TO JOIN Project Chrysalis is there when your child is not

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

O

VERLAND PARK — “Everyone loved Leah,” said Pat Brown, her grandmother.

Leah Brown, 22, was one of three people who died in Lawrence when they were shot on Oct. 1, 2017.

She had gone to Lawrence, rather than Westport in Kansas City, Missouri, because the university town was considered safer. Brown and her friends were walking to their car when she was felled by a stray bullet.

There is nothing worse than the loss of a child or a grandchild, said Pat, a member of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Overland Park.

“Because it’s your future,” said Pat. “Your child, your future, has been cut short. The joys and pleasures and even whatever sadness come with it — part of you has been taken away. It’s your flesh and blood, too.

“So that’s gone, and all the good things you looked forward to — the big events, the little events, being a grandmother by that child, not seeing her fulfill her dreams. That hurts.”

Ken and Patty Billinger, members of the Church of the Ascension in Overland Park, understand this loss very well.

Their only child Blaine Billinger, 29, experienced sudden cardiac death while riding his mountain bike on Sept. 17, 2011, just down the street from his parents’ home.

“People will say, ‘I know how you feel, I lost my mom a year ago,’” said Ken. “Well, losing a parent or a sibling and [losing] a child are two totally different things.”

“We’ve both lost our parents,” said Patty. “I’ve lost two siblings, and Ken lost a sibling. The level of grief is different.”

In their time of grief, the Billingers turned to their Catholic faith. Patty, in particular, began to look for a ministry that would comfort and heal them.

There was none.

Sure, there were plenty of bereavement groups out there, but there was nothing specifically Catholic that would accompany them on their pilgrimage of grief toward a place of hope. There was nothing that would nourish them with the Scriptures.

“I went to Ken, because he was studying to be part of the permanent diaconate and said, ‘I can’t find anything — it doesn’t exist,’” said Patty. “‘Maybe we need to go out and create something.’”

Ken and Patty checked with their pastor, Msgr. Tom Tank. They also contacted Deacon Tony Zimmerman and Brad and Libby DuPont of the archdiocesan marriage and family life office. They talked with other couples who had also

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LEAVEN PHOTO BY JOE BOLLIG

After the death of their only child, Patty and Ken Billinger, members of Church of the Ascension in Overland Park, were moved to found Project Chrysalis, a bereavement ministry for those who have lost a child.

“

WHAT’S BEAUTIFUL ABOUT THIS CLUB THAT NOBODY WANTS TO BE IN IS THAT WE FOUND OUT THAT NO MATTER [WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE LOSS], WE’RE ALL GOING THROUGH THAT SAME THING.” lost children.

As Patty read through the Scriptures, she began to see glimpses of hope.

“So, I took it to Ken,” said Patty.

Gradually, through prayer, talking to people and reading the Scriptures, the Billingers began to form the idea of a ministry, which they called “Project Chrysalis.”

A chrysalis is the shell from which a butterfly emerges.

“What happens when this occurs to you, you pull yourself into the cocoon, and hopefully you emerge transformed into something beautiful — like a butterfly,” said Patty.

“There’s transformation both for the

one you lost and your own self,” said Ken. Project Chrysalis does its work through gatherings every six weeks. The first was on Oct. 22, 2018. For the time being, the gatherings are from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Ascension Parish in Overland Park.

The format is simple, and still evolving. The first few meetings began with prayer, introductions, Scripture readings and other materials, discussion, a closing prayer and socializing.

Generally, there is a topic for each meeting, selected by the Billingers. Both the Scriptures and Marian spirituality are foundational to the ministry.

“Sharing is optional,” said Ken. “Most people share, but they’re not required to.

We don’t push that.”

“The beauty of it is how we’ve all come together,” said Patty. “We’ve become this little family in a short period of time. What’s beautiful about this club that nobody wants to be in is that we found out that, no matter [what the circumstances of the loss], we’re all going through that same thing.”

Project Chrysalis is open not just to mothers and fathers who have lost children, but also grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles and other relatives. It’s open to parents who have lost children at any age, whether recently or in the past.

Jeff and Mary Howes, members of

Sacred Heart Parish in Shawnee, have been to two meetings and brought other members of their family along with them. Their son Ryan, 25, died in a one-vehicle accident in Olathe on June 1, 2018.

They were initially hesitant because Ryan’s death occurred only five months before their first Project Chrysalis meeting, but they’re glad they went.

“It’s helpful to know there’s support out there, and you know the pain the other people in the room are experiencing,” said Mary. “And there have been many graces that have unfolded since [Ryan’s] passing through our church community, and an awareness of our faith.

“That’s what’s really getting us through.”

“Also, the constant support of our family, and not only our church community but our neighbors,” said Jeff.

“That’s been an important part of how we’ve been able to deal with this particular grief, to move forward and not feel lost.”

For more information about Project Chrysalis and the next meeting, contact Ken or Patty by calling (913) 634-4210, or by email at: kbillinger@archkck.org.

You can also find more information on the website at: www.hopeinscripture. com, or on Facebook at: projectchrysaliskc.

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FEBRUARY 1, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

5

World Youth Day message unites area young people with Panama event

By Susan Fotovich McCabe Special to The Leaven

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — All eyes were on Pope Francis at the 34th World Youth Day, as a crowd of more than 700,000 people gathered to hear his address to young people in Panama on Jan. 26.

That same evening, more than 300 youth from the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas gathered at the SportingKC Event Center in Kansas City, Kansas, to listen to the pope’s message via satellite and to celebrate with a watch party, eucharistic adoration and Benediction.

The night was organized by ReachKCK director Tricia Hutchison and Rick Cheek, the archdiocese’s consultant for the office of youth evangelization. The night featured a performance by guitarist and songwriter Tony Melendez, who was born without arms, and a closing concert by the Mikey Needleman Band.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann led eucharistic adoration and Benediction, accompanied by musicians Joe and Cayleigh Heron. The archbishop offered young people encouragement to keep God by their side.

“World Youth Day is an opportunity to come together and open our hearts to Jesus Christ,” said Archbishop Naumann.

“You don’t have to know World Youth Day to know Jesus and encounter him.

All you have to do is turn to him in prayer, particularly the Eucharist. He is with us in a very unique and powerful way. Go to your adoration chapels and you can have a mini encounter with Jesus right there.”

World Youth Day is a worldwide encounter with the pope, typically celebrated every three years in a different country. The event is open to all young people who want to take part in a festive encounter with their contemporaries centered on Jesus Christ. It offers an opportunity to experience the universality of the church and to share the hopes of many young people who want to commit themselves to Christ and others. The next World Youth Day will be held in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2022.

Church of the Nativity, Leawood, parishioners Mary Kathryn Schreck, 16, and her sister, Martha, 18, attended the local event. Both expected the Holy Father’s address would inspire them to further deepen their faith.

“I always make sure I pray every day.

Normally, I look over the readings and I just always remember that God is at the center of it all,” Martha said. “We’re all his creatures, and no matter what struggles we’re going through, we try to stay focused on God.” According to Hutchison, 350 people, mostly young adults, purchased tickets to the event. Tickets were priced at just $5 to make it affordable. Several businesses donated funds to provide entertainment and food during the evening. It was the archdiocese’s first World Youth Day watch party and a tremendous success, Hutchison said.

“We wanted to be in communion with the whole church and the people gathered in Panama,” Hutchison said. “It was a great moment of solidarity with the church at large. I hope all 350 souls realize that the church is so much bigger than any one of us.”

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

More than 300 youth from the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas gather at the SportingKC Event Center in Kansas City, Kansas, to listen to the pope’s message via satellite and to celebrate with a watch party, eucharistic adoration and Benediction.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

The Mikey Needleman Band closes the evening with a concert.

For his part, Pope Francis encouraged young people to say “yes” to God, just as the Virgin Mary did.

“With Mary, keep saying ‘yes’ to the dream that God has sown in you,” he said. “With her ‘yes,’ Mary became the most influential woman in history. Without social networks, she became the first ‘influencer,’ the ‘influencer’ of God.” World Youth Day, according to Cheek, is a powerful event that was started by Pope John Paul II who believed young people are the church now and in the future.

“Our youth are always looking to go deeper. No matter what the secular media is telling us, people are hungry for more,” Cheek said. “As I was praying during adoration, I hoped that these young people know they are loved and that God has this great desire for them to be holy, to never ever walk away and to always be deep in prayer, asking God for anything that they need.”

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

Musician Tony Melendez entertains the youth at the World Youth Day watch party organized by ReachKCK.

FEBRUARY 1, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

FAMILY LIFE TOOLS FOR FAMILIES

Growing as Disciples of Jesus

Are you settling for an ordinary — or striving for a joyful — marriage

R

ecently, the topic of Valentine’s Day came up on a morning entertainment show.

One of the show’s stars, who had been married for a few years, remarked that she and her husband don’t give cards to each other anymore. Instead, they just give them to their children.

This statement seems reasonable: If you have been married for a while, it should be obvious that you love each other.

Therefore, all the little daily imaginative ways that you used in your courtship and early marriage to express your attraction and excitement for one another aren’t so needed after marriage.

This assumption, which at first glance seems reasonable, actually threatens the life of a marriage.

Ron and Kathy Feher, acclaimed speakers and authors on the topic of

Questions and actions: • What are the little acts of love that give my spouse delight?

• Look for ways to make them a part of your daily life.

• Look up the lyrics to “A Daisy a Day” and read them together.

• Celebrate your marriage at the World Marriage Day Mass on Feb. 10.

marriage, shared this in “Every Day in Love”: “All the recent data indicates couples are not divorcing just because they are conflicted as we once thought, but rather because they are no longer ‘in love.’”

Often, they still love

and care for each other and are bonded as a family. But they are not experiencing being “in love,” and that is the defining characteristic that distinguishes married love from all other kinds of love.

We love a lot of

people, but we are really only “in love” with one.

Consider: What were the little daily things you did for your spouse during courtship?

Was it a love note placed under their windshield wiper? Was it a surprise romantic dinner

or an affectionate text message?

After marriage, did you leave a Hershey’s Kiss on their pillow or a love note taped to the bathroom mirror to greet them at the start of the day?

These are small daily

acts of intentional love that fuel the experience of being “in love.” Suddenly, our lives are more joyful.

In a culture that doesn’t see the value and relevance of marriage, your joyful presence may change others’ hearts, causing them to realize what a great gift God has given to us in holy marriage.

Maybe your joy will move them to consider this as their lifelong vocation.

6

FEBRUARY 1, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

Sister Marianna Bauder, SCL

Pat and Galen Stallbaumer, members of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish, Topeka, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Feb. 9 with a blessing at the 4 p.m. Mass at the church, followed by a dinner and dance at Heritage Hall on the Expocentre grounds in Topeka. The couple was married on Feb. 8, 1969, at St. Michael Church, Axtell. Their children are Chrisy Madden and Kevin Stallbaumer. They also have seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Joyce (Wilcox) and David Dehaemers, members of Curé of Ars Parish, Leawood, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Feb. 7.

The couple was married on Feb. 7, 1959, at Blessed Sacrament Church, Kansas City, Kansas. They have five children, 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Walter B. and Johanna M. Hanks, m e m b e rs of Most Pure Heart of Mary Church, To p e k a , celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Dec. 11. Their children are: Nancy H. Alexander, Topeka; Brenda J. Zimmerman, Topeka; and Maureen G. McGrath, Leawood. They also have six grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

ANNIVERSARY submissions submissions ANNIVERSARY POLICY: The Leaven prints 50, 60, 65 and 70th anniversary notices. They are for parishioners in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas WHERE TO SUBMIT: Send notices to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109, attn: anniversaries; or email: todd. habiger@theleaven.org.

7

L LEAVEN PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann leads the opening prayer at the 26th annual Support Our Seminarians benefit on Jan. 25.

Seminarians take center stage at annual event >> Continued from page 1 talk on Our Lady and the work of the organization founded by his grandfather in 1955.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann led the opening prayer, saying, “We place our seminarians under Our Lady’s mantle and ask her to inspire them to imitate her ‘fiat’ to God’s will.”

The evening’s masters of ceremonies, Lamar Hunt Jr. and Jeremy Lillig, thanked all the volunteers who made SOS a success and recognized this year’s event chairs, Bill and Denise Quatman.

Hunt also thanked the seminarians for their hard work, saying the young men were “a sign of light, a sign of hope, a sign of charity for all of us.”

Cards featuring pictures of the seminarians were at each place setting during dinner, and patrons were encouraged to keep them as reminders to pray for the future priests.

In addition to being given opportunities to purchase raffle tickets for a football autographed by Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce and a champagne mink coat donated by Anne Kettering Klein, they were

also given a chance to fill out donation cards and participate in a spiritual bouquet organized for the seminarians through Easter of this year.

By evening’s end, the bouquet consisted of 1,056 Masses; 1,249 rosaries; 140 days of fasting; 425 hours of Scripture reading; 1,021 Divine Mercy chaplets; 324 hours of eucharistic adoration; and 102 Stations of the Cross.

The highlight of the event was the moment when the seminarians came on stage, followed by the priests who help form them.

“Please give generously to help these men who are courageously answering God’s call,” Hunt told the audience, which gave the young men a standing ovation.

The seminarians were clearly grateful.

“Through your donations, through your prayers,” said Deacon Ashton, “you’re allowing my brothers — and future generations of young men like me who may now be in fourth grade waiting to serve — to live the life God has designed for them.

“Your gifts truly make an impact on my life and the lives of all my brothers.”

EAVENWORTH — Sister Marianna Bauder, 75, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth for 57 years, died on Jan. 21 at Saint Luke’s Cushing Hospital here.

As someone who loved a challenge and had a positive and grateful attitude toward life, Sister Marianna served in leadership roles in the health care ministry, within the religious community and on many boards of directors.

Mary Anna and her twin brother Joe were born Sept. 13, 1943, in Leavenworth. Mary Anna began thinking about becoming a Sister in grade school and as a student at Immaculata High School. She entered the Sisters of Charity community with her cousin Sister Helen Bristow in August 1961. She professed vows as Sister Gertrude Therese on Sept. 2, 1963, and later took the name Marianna.

Health issues delayed her initial role as a teacher. She soon realized that her calling was in health care. She earned a degree in chemistry and biology from Saint Mary College, Leavenworth, and completed a medical technology internship at Research Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. Sister Marianna worked in the laboratory at St. Mary’s Hospital, Grand Junction, Colorado, for eight years.

Her innate talents, a master’s in administration from the University of Notre Dame and a fellowship in Sisters of Charity hospitals transitioned Sister Marianna into leadership positions. She was assistant administrator at St. Francis Hospital, Topeka; CEO of St. Mary’s Hospital; and CEO and president of Saint Joseph Hospital, Denver.

Her concern for the poor motivated her to help establish Marillac Clinic in Grand Junction and Clínica Tepeyac, Denver.

Under her leadership, Saint Joseph Hospital excelled in quality and expanded its global reach, providing equipment and supplies for health facilities in struggling countries.

In her next ministry, Sister Marianna served on the Sisters of Charity Community Council for 12 years. She subsequently was the first executive director of Leaven Ministries, the sponsor of SCL Health.

Despite serious illnesses over the years, Sister Marianna was resilient and retained a positive outlook. She lived life to the fullest and strove to make things better for those she served and with whom she served. She had great love for her family and enjoyed card games and gatherings.

Be ‘influencers’ for God, pope urges at World Y

By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service

P

ANAMA CITY (CNS) — Although Mary would not be considered an “influencer,” like many social media personalities, she still became the most influential woman in history by trusting “in the love and promises of God, the only force capable of making all things new,” Pope Francis told young people at the World Youth Day prayer vigil Jan. 26.

“Are you willing to be an ‘influencer’ like Mary, who dared to say, ‘Let it be done’?” he asked. “Only love makes us more human and fulfilled; everything else is a pleasant but useless placebo.”

Despite sweltering temperatures in Panama City, hundreds of thousands of young men and women made their way to St. John Paul II Park on the penultimate day of World Youth Day. They brought sleeping bags and tents, prepared to spend the night at the field — praying the rosary, making new friends — before celebrating Mass with Pope Francis at 8 a.m. Jan. 27. The pope did not spend the night, but returned later in the evening to the apostolic nunciature.

Arriving in his popemobile, Pope Francis made his way through a sea of colorful flags

CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

The setting sun is seen during World Youth Day as young people wait for Pope Francis’ arrival at a prayer vigil at St. John Paul II Field in Panama City Jan. 26. and banners people waved excitedly.

After the pope took his place on the stage, young adults from Panama and the Palestinian territories gave their experiences

of finding faith and hope amid doubt, sickness and addiction.

Erika de Bucktron, a 42-year-old mother of four from Panama, spoke of the fear and difficulties she faced when

doctors said her pregnancy was at high risk after diagnosing her unborn daughter with Down syndrome.

Throughout her pregnancy, she said, she and her hus-

band abandoned themselves in God’s hands and, after the birth of their daughter, decided “to love her with all our hearts, without making any difference with our other children, who

As World Youth Day closes, pope prompts volunteers

By Rhina Guidos Catholic News Service

P

ANAMA CITY (CNS) — Just before leaving the physical and human warmth of Panama Jan. 27, Pope Francis stopped to thank the thousands of official volunteers, young and old, gathered at the capital city’s Rommel Fernandez Stadium to tell them that they had just participated in an event similar to one that took place early in Christianity.

In their case, they didn’t just multiply food, he said.

“You could have easily chosen to do other things, but you wanted to be involved, to give your best to making possible the miracle of the multiplication, not only of loaves, but also hope,” he said, telling the volunteers to go out into the world and make that attitude contagious. “We need to multiply that hope.”

Volunteers at Panama’s World Youth Day showed it was possible to renounce one’s interests in favor of others, the pope said.

“You made a commitment,” he said. “Thank you.”

On stage, before the pope spoke, Bartosz Placak of Poland offered his testimony in Spanish to those gathered at the stadium and said that while volunteering for World Youth Day in Panama, he had experienced a taste of what living in the early Christian communities must have been like: sharing food, homes, anything other people needed.

“In sharing, you create a small community and we return to the times of the first Christians . . . we follow their example,” he said.

Panamanian volunteer Stella Maris del Carmen told the story of how she had planned to attend the previous World Youth Day, an event she’d longed to attend since she was a child. She had saved enough money to go to Poland in 2016 and then her grandparents died. She canceled her plans and used the money she had saved to tend to her family.

The pope said he was touched by her story. By renouncing the trip for the family,

CNS PHOTO/CHAZ MUTH

Pope Francis arrives at Panama City’s Rommel Fernandez Stadium Jan. 27, 2019, to thank World Youth Day volunteers for their service in making the event a reality. “you honored your roots,” the pope told her. “That’s what makes you a woman, an adult.”

But then consider what hap-

pened because of that sacrifice, he said.

“The Lord had the gift of [World Youth Day] waiting for

you in your homeland,” he said.

“The Lord likes to play those tricks. That’s how God is.”

What a person gives to

Youth Day vigil also welcomed her with so much love.”

Panamanian Alfredo Martinez Andrion, 20, recalled his experience of falling into a life of drugs and crime. His addiction, he said, ultimately led to a 12-month prison sentence.

Despite attempts to reform following his release, he fell back again into drug use.

Ultimately, he found help at a Catholic-run halfway house that helped and encouraged him “in my path toward reintegration.”

“I want to tell the young people of the world that God loves us and never abandons us.

We are the masters of our own actions, but if we are with God, everything will be OK,” Martinez said.

Nirmeen Odeh, a 26-yearold Palestinian woman, gave the final testimony of the evening, recalling that despite being born and raised in the Holy Land, she was apathetic to Christianity, especially coming “from a place where many of my simple rights are violated.”

“I thought it was better to be distant from Christianity so as not to be bothered by others,” Odeh said. “With all the struggles and weariness of daily life, I wasn’t interested in faith.

However, I was curious about the idea of God! It fascinated me.”

After participating in World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow,

Poland, Odeh said she took a “leap of faith” and began receiving the sacraments.

“And here I am today, three years later in Panama, excitedly praying for him (God) to lead me on my next journey,” she said.

After listening to their experiences, Pope Francis addressed the youths, saying that their experiences reflected the risk Mary took to say “yes” to God. The salvation that God wishes to give his children, he said, isn’t a file in the cloud waiting to be downloaded or the latest app, but rather is an invitation to be “part of a love story interwoven with our personal stories; it is alive and wants to be born in our midst so that we can bear fruit just as we are, wherever we are and with everyone all around us.”

However, Christians can only obtain this salvation by placing their trust in God, especially in moments of uncertainty, doubt and trial.

Pope Francis encouraged young people to not be afraid of opening their hearts to Christ and “embrace life with all its frailty and flaws, but also with its grandeur and beauty.

“Do not be afraid,” he said, “to tell him that you, too, want to be a part of his love story in this world, that you are ready for something greater.”

to keep serving others “the Lord returns” many times over, he said. And the world needs more such examples of surrender and love to provide a “balm in the lives of others,” he said.

Panamanians certainly had heeded that counsel long before the event.

World Youth Day 2019 in Panama may not have been the largest, in terms of attendance.

Event officials say some 113,000 registered as pilgrims to attend various events — though it was obvious that many more who did not register filled up the venues.

What the event in Panama may — or may not — have lacked in numbers, it made up for in its treatment of young pilgrims. Priests, bishops, women religious and thousands of volunteers, young and old, officially and unofficially, seemed to devote more quality time to participants than in the past, said pilgrims such as Francisco Apenu Cofie of Ghana.

“It was more intimate,” said Cofie, who attended World Youth Day in Poland and Brazil.

Panama had a special touch, he

said.

Those like Polish volunteer Placak said it was not always easy to help and admitted moments of weakness, but he said he learned powerful lessons along the way.

“I have received more than what I expected, and this is the mystery of the divine gifts. I am happy,” he said.

Though the pope spent time with the volunteers who attended the ceremony at the stadium, there were thousands of other unofficial helpers, such as those who offered water to pilgrims passing through their neighborhoods, who sprayed them with water hoses to cool them off, and offered use of their facilities or couches to rest, but who did not attend the event.

“Thank you all, because in these days you have been attentive to even the smallest details, however ordinary and apparently insignificant, like offering someone a glass of water,” the pope said to volunteers at the ceremony.

CNS PHOTO/CARLOS JASSO, REUTERS

Pilgrims carry the World Youth Day cross as Pope Francis joins them in the Way of the Cross at Santa Maria la Antigua Field in Panama City Jan. 25.

PRAYER AND SILENCE

Pope joins World Youth Day Way of Cross

By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service

P

ANAMA CITY (CNS) — The path walked by Jesus to his passion and death on the cross is the same path of indifference and marginalization taken by those who suffer in the world today, Pope Francis said.

Addressing young men and women participating in the Way of the Cross at World Youth Day in Panama Jan. 25, the pope said the road to Calvary is “a way of suffering and solitude” that is “prolonged in a society that has lost the ability to weep and to be moved by suffering.”

Jesus “walks and suffers in all those faces hurt by the complacent and anesthetizing indifference of our society that consumes and is consumed, that ignores and is ignorant, blind to the pain of our brothers and sisters,” he said.

While the youthful participants expressed their joy with cheers when Pope Francis arrived, prayerful silence overcame the thousands of young people gathered as the solemn celebration began. Groups of pilgrims from different countries took turns carrying

the World Youth Day cross throughout the stage at every station.

Each significant event of Jesus’ crucifixion was linked to a current theme or issue affecting young people, particularly in Latin America.

Two young pilgrims from Guatemala read the reflection and prayer that connected the station — Jesus denied by Peter — to the suffering and marginalization of indigenous people.

“Our indigenous people represent Jesus in centuries-old pain that marks their lives,” a young man prayed. “Denied and forgotten, they found in their Lord Jesus the image of their pain, the portrait of so many forgotten.”

The reflection and prayer on Jesus being scourged and crowned with thorns was read by two pilgrims from Venezuela, where political and economic instability continues, causing countless men, women and children to flee the country as refugees.

Just like those migrants and refugees, said the male pilgrim, Christ, too, heard “the footsteps of those who yesterday and today, persecute with brutality those who have not only lost everything, but also those who have seen how borders

and doors are closed.”

He added that the boundaries separating countries today are “crowned with sharp thorns that threaten, despise and reject so many brothers and sisters.”

The Venezuelan pilgrims prayed that the world may see the face of Christ in the migrants and refugees of the country and “care, heal and fill with hope the scourged and thorn-crowned hearts of many who have lost even their homeland.”

After the Stations of the Cross, Pope Francis, who had watched from the stage, began his meditation by reflecting on the arduous path taken

by Christ and the paralyzing temptation of indifference that causes many to look away or actively hurt those who suffer.

“How easy it is to fall into a culture of bullying, harassment and intimidation. It is not like that for you, Lord: On the cross, you identified yourself with all those who suffer, with all those who feel forgotten,” the pope said.

With arms outstretched on the cross, Jesus wished to “embrace all those unworthy of an embrace, a caress, a blessing or, worse yet, do not even realize that they need it.”

Next World Youth Day to be held in Portugal

P

ANAMA CITY (CNS) — Lisbon, Portugal, will open its doors to the world’s young people in 2022 for the next World Youth Day. The announcement of Portugal was made by Cardinal

Kevin Farrell, head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, at the final Mass of World Youth Day Jan. 27. World Youth Day officials confirmed the year and city.

Upon hearing the location of the next celebration,

Portuguese erupted in cheers, waving their country’s flag and chanting “We are the pope’s youth!”

Pope Francis then greeted Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who attended the Mass.

FEBRUARY 1, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

NATION

10

Culinary program helps former inmates achieve success

By Dennis Sadowski Catholic News Service

C

LEVELAND (CNS) — Joe Dawson is learning that there’s a skill to cutting celery and it begins with how the chef’s knife is held — not by the handle but firmly above the sharpened blade.

Using a rocking motion, he carefully practices cutting long stalks into 1/4inch pieces, making sure to keep a good grip so the cuts are clean and without strings.

It’s Dawson’s first day learning knife skills at the nonprofit Edwins Leadership Restaurant Institute in Cleveland’s Shaker Square, a vibrant mix of boutiques, banks and restaurants that bridges the city’s largely poor east side with the monied eastern suburbs.

“It’s challenging. It’s challenging in a good way,” Dawson, 44 and dressed in a traditional chef’s white jacket, told Catholic News Service before the start of a mid-August shift at the French cuisine restaurant that trains former prison inmates for culinary careers.

Beginning in May, Dawson had been “in the front of the house” at Edwins, honing his hospitality skills by welcoming guests, serving meals and learning how to anticipate diners’ needs. For the next three months, he’ll be in back — meaning the kitchen — learning how to cook classic French dishes, pair wine with cheeses and move almost effortlessly among the dozen or so chefs-intraining in tight, almost chaotic surroundings.

Edwins — short for education wins — is a venture of Brandon Chrostowski, 38, a no-nonsense, hard-driving entrepreneur who saw a need to help people released from prison. He envisions eventually that Edwins will host the country’s best culinary school and provide well-trained chefs and servers to the city’s burgeoning local food scene.

It’s people like Dawson whom Chrostowski sees as valuable assets to the community. Dawson returned home to Cleveland in April after spending 11 years in a West Virginia penitentiary following his conviction in connection with the death of a man he assaulted.

Dawson said he was looking for a fresh start and Edwins is providing it.

Chrostowski explained to CNS that his undertaking is about giving people a second chance, like the one he received as an 18-year-old in his hometown of Detroit.

Chrostowski’s story begins with his arrest for drug possession and fleeing police soon after high school graduation. He faced a 10-year prison sentence, but in court, the judge gave Chrostowski probation rather than time behind bars.

He said the new chance he received is something that African-Americans and Latinos who enter the U.S. criminal justice system rarely get.

“First, it’s about fair and equal opportunity regardless of your past,” Chrostowski explained about his reason for helping people now out of prison.

“When we take a student in here, we don’t ask about previous offenses or education level. It’s about moving forward. I was never looked upon in a different way when I was getting out of where I had to get out of.

“Two, is this idea that hard work doesn’t have a language. If you work hard, it’s universal.”

To a certain extent, he added, Edwins is rooted in the biblical call for justice

CNS PHOTO/DENNIS SADOWSKI

Brandon Chrostowski, founder and CEO of Edwins Leadership and Restaurant Institute in Cleveland, demonstrates knife skills to student Cordell Miller of Cleveland Aug. 14. The restaurant’s six-month program prepares students recently released from prison for culinary careers. for people on society’s margins. Chrostowski credited his grandmother for making sure he went to Mass on Sundays in Detroit after his arrest. He continues to practice the Catholic faith at Our Lady of Peace Parish in Cleveland with his wife, Catana, and their children, Leo, 3, and Lilly, 1. Chrostowski finds comfort in the Book of Genesis and its stories of beginnings.

Edwins welcomes students into its six-month program after thorough screening and an interview to determine their desire to succeed. Through August, 263 students will have completed the program with more than 95 percent finding employment and less than 2 percent recidivism.

One graduate has opened a restaurant, and another runs a food truck.

Others work at well-known restaurants.

Students know Chrostowski, who often clocks 90 hours or more a week on the job, expects a lot from them.

There are long hours, constant lessons to be learned and an expectation to

study after work hours.

Students receive a stipend and program-provided housing at the “Edwins campus” nearby.

Clevelander Nicole Palmer, 31, is another Edwins student. She began working in the kitchen when she started in the program in July. “It’s going good,” she said.

“I had no cooking experience. It’s all hands-on. Hearing compliments from everybody makes me want to do more,” added Palmer, who ended a 15-month prison sentence on a felony conviction in the spring.

The philosophy Chrostowski follows is simple: make sure people know when they are doing well and point out errors in a nonjudgmental way so people learn from their mistakes without feeling they will never succeed.

Chrostowski arrived in Cleveland in 2008 after hearing that the city had the highest poverty rate in the country. He had worked for a decade learning the culinary trade under well-known men-

CNS PHOTO/DENNIS SADOWSKI

Student Isaiah Black of Cleveland prepares a traditional French sauce tableside at Edwins Leadership and Restaurant Institute Aug. 14. The restaurant’s six-month program prepares students recently released from prison for culinary careers.

tors in New York, Chicago and France, and decided to bring to Ohio his dream to develop the best culinary school and best French restaurant in the country along with the desire to help others succeed. On Nov. 1, 2013, the restaurant opened.

Edwins encompasses more than the restaurant and culinary school. Chrostowski has established the Second Chance Life Skills Center two blocks south of Shaker Square. Four buildings are involved, including two residences for students and a culinary library and recreation center. The fourth is being converted into a butcher shop.

The butcher shop, Chrostowski said, will include Edwins graduates while providing quality meats and healthy food at reasonable prices.

Funding for the venture comes from restaurant revenues, individual and corporate contributions and foundation grants. Several parishes also collaborate with the program by collecting money, books, clothing and household items to help graduates re-establish their lives.

The program has been featured in an Oscar-nominated documentary short, “Knife Skills.”

Chrostowski recruits students often before they are released, teaching basic cooking skills in prisons.

Dawson learned about Edwins from an aunt before his release. He applied as soon as he returned home and was accepted. He told CNS he likes greeting guests and making sure their needs are met.

“I knew customer service,” he said, “but I had no idea how to really cater to someone and anticipate what they need before they need it. It’s how to become comfortable with the table, to listen to certain cues and just watch.

“It’s more than just giving them water. It’s more than giving them bread.

It’s more than just taking their order.

It’s catering to them. It’s making sure they feel pampered.”

After being admitted into the program, students are required within a week or so to obtain state-issued identification card, a bank account, health insurance and a life plan. For many, it’s the first time they have been able to accomplish so much in so little time.

“In 10 days if I threw you in a scenario where you kept winning, winning, wining, what happens then is that you get this more powerful ‘yes.’ That more powerful ‘yes’ is stronger than the temptation around you and you’re more likely to say ‘no’ to this, ‘no’ to that. You’re also building trust. That takes longer, but that’s the winning part of this and this building of esteem,” Chrostowski said.

“That’s the biggest challenge we have, esteem. Poverty has ripped it away, that prison has ripped it away,” he continued. “You’re switching tasks [at Edwins], facing new challenges. You’re building that muscle of esteem and in six months you have someone who is confident.”

When Dawson completes his training in November he will have a recommendation from the Edwins staff that he can carry to one of Cleveland’s classy new restaurants or perhaps the new butcher shop. He wants to continue interacting with the people who come through the door.

“I like when the guest asks me, ‘What do you recommend tonight? What wine do you recommend?’”

With his new culinary experience, he hopes to have the perfect answer.

FEBRUARY 1, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

WORLD

Bishops must realize seriousness of abuse crisis, pope says

By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service

A

BOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM PANAMA (CNS) — The primary goal of the Vatican’s February summit on clerical sexual abuse and child protection is to help bishops understand the urgency of the crisis, Pope Francis said.

During a news conference with journalists Jan. 27 on his flight to Rome from Panama, the pope said the presidents of the world’s bishops’ conferences have been called to the Feb. 21-24 meeting at the Vatican to be “made aware of the tragedy” of those abused by members of the clergy.

“I regularly meet with people who have been abused. I remember one person — 40 years old — who was unable to pray,” he said. “It is terrible, the suffering is terrible. So first, they (the bishops) need to be made aware of this.”

The pope’s international Council of Cardinals suggested the summit after realizing that some bishops did not know how to address or handle the crisis on their own, he said.

“We felt the responsibility of giving a ‘catechesis’ on this problem to the bishops’ conferences,” he said. “That is why we convoked the presidents” of the conferences, the heads of the Eastern Catholic churches and representatives of the leadership groups of men’s and women’s religious orders.

The meeting, he said, will address “in a clear way” what protocols bishops need to follow when handling sexual abuse.

Asked about the expectations for

11

Pakistan court upholds blasphemy acquittal of Asia Bibi

I CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING

Pope Francis answers questions from journalists aboard his flight from Panama City to Rome, Jan. 27, 2019. Also pictured is Msgr. Mauricio Rueda, papal trip planner. the meeting, especially the expectations of Catholics who have grown frustrated with the repeated reports of abuse and cover-up by some bishops, the pope said people need to realize “the problem of abuse will continue.”

“It is a human problem, a human problem [that is] everywhere,” he said.

But if the church becomes more aware of the tragedy of sexual abuse, the pope said, it can help others face the crisis of abuse, especially in families “where shame leads to covering up everything.”

Speaking with journalists for nearly an hour, the pope was asked whether he would consider a general acceptance of married men into the Latin-rite priesthood in a way similar to the practice of the Eastern

Catholic churches.

“In the Eastern rite, they can do it. They make the choice between celibacy or marriage before they’re ordained into the diaconate,” he explained. “When it comes to the Latin rite, a phrase said by St. Paul VI comes to mind: ‘I would rather give my life than change the law on celibacy.’”

The pope said he personally believes that “celibacy is gift to the church” and that while the prospect of married priests could one day be considered in remote areas that lack priests, he did not agree “with allowing optional celibacy.”

“My decision is: no optional celibacy,” the pope said. “I will not do this. I don’t feel like I could stand before God with this decision.”

SLAMABAD (CNS) — Pakistan’s Supreme Court upheld its acquittal of a Pakistani Catholic woman sentenced to hang for blasphemy.

Asia Bibi, a mother of five, is now free to leave Pakistan and is expected to join her family in Canada, where they were granted asylum, the Associated Press reported.

AP reported that Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa stood by the court’s Oct. 31 verdict, which criticized the conflicting testimony against Bibi.

“You think we give the death sentence to someone on the basis of false evidence?” he said according to media reports. “Such lies were told that one statement doesn’t match with another.”

Tehreek-e-Labbaaik, an extremist group, challenged the Oct. 31 acquittal. Protests erupted after the original acquittal, and the BBC reported that, after the Jan. 29 decision, Pakistan’s electronic media were downplaying the story “in a concerted move to forestall public unrest.”

The ordeal of Bibi, who worked as a farmhand, began in June 2009 when she was accused of insulting Muhammad, the founder of Islam, after Muslim co-workers objected to her drinking from a common water supply because she is a Christian.

Bibi was rescued from a mob by police, only to be sentenced to death in 2010 for violating Section 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which makes insulting Muhammad a capital offense.

No one has been executed under the law so far, but Christians who are falsely accused often are lynched or spend many years in prison.

Zimbabwe bishops collect data on human rights violations

H

ARARE, Zimbabwe (CNS) — The Zimbabwe bishops’ justice and peace commission is collecting information on violence and human rights abuses in dioceses across the country.

“The victims very often come to the church to seek help and visit our hospitals, and we bring those cases to the attention of the government, so they serve as evidence of what is happening,” said Father Frederick Chiromba, general secretary of the bishops’ conference. Also, some nongovernmental organizations have asked to visit clinics run by the church, he said in a report by the Jesuits in Zimbabwe.

Bishop Michael Bhasera of Masvingo led a delegation of bishops at a Jan. 25 meeting with Zimbabwe Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, the country’s defense minister and the head of its national intelligence agency to discuss the mid-January violent protests in which 12 people died.

The Harare meeting aimed “to get an understanding on what provoked this situation” and to discuss how “government and the church can collaborate so that we move beyond this situation to a

Zimbabwe we want,” Father Chiromba said.

Dialogue is “much needed” in Zimbabwe, he said, noting that “there is so much polarization in the nation and the church is best placed to mediate.”

The government’s “heavy-handed and intolerant handling of dissent” has resulted in the deaths of innocent people, the bishops said in a Jan. 17 statement titled, “Rebuild hope, trust and stability in Zimbabwe.”

Recent strikes by doctors, teachers and others followed the government’s “failure to arrest the deteriorating economic situation,” with “many breadwinners losing their jobs” and “the cost of living soaring beyond the reach of the majority of people,” the bishops said.

“Zimbabwe is burning; its economy is hurting; its people are suffering,” they said.

Unemployment is above 80 percent in Zimbabwe. Many Zimbabweans accuse President Emmerson Mnangagwa of failing to keep pre-election pledges to improve the economy after long-ruling Robert Mugabe was forced out in a de facto coup in November 2017.

CNS PHOTO/PHILIMON BULAWAYO, REUTERS

A man who was injured during violent protests is seen at a hospital in Harare, Zimbabwe, Jan. 16.

The Zimbabwe bishops’ justice and peace commission is collecting information on violence and human rights abuses in dioceses across the country.

FEBRUARY 1, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

CLASSIFIEDS

EMPLOYMENT Drivers - Ready for the summers off? Join our school transportation division and live like a kid again! Our drivers have the opportunity to serve our community and still get those precious summer breaks. Assisted Transportation seeks caring and reliable drivers to transport K - 12 students in Johnson and Wyandotte counties in our minivans. CDL not required. $12 per hour. Retirees encouraged to apply. Learn more or apply online at: assistedtransportation.com or call (913) 262-5190 for more information. EOE. DRIVERS NEEDED Seeking caring and reliable drivers. Work up to 40 hours per week. Transport elderly and disabled individuals to and from medical appointments.

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Competitive wages and benefits. EOE. Learn more or apply online at: www.assistedtransportation.com (913) 262-5190

Data entry position - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has an immediate opening for a temporary data entry position. This individual will assist the campaign office for the capital campaign. The position would be two to three days per week beginning late January with approximate end date in May or June. Requires reliability, collaborative demeanor and demonstrated data entry skills. Qualified individuals should email cover letter, resume and application (available on the archdiocesan website at: archkck.org) to: jobs@archkck.org, title: Data Entry. Position open until filled.

Career opportunity – Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding a financial representative in the Topeka and Kansas City, Kansas, and Missouri metro areas. This is ideal for a determined, high-energy, high-expectation, professional, self-disciplined, independent individual, who desires to serve others yet earn a better-than-average income. We provide top-rated financial products to our members and their families, and will provide excellent benefits and training. This is a full-time position. For more information or an interview, contact John A. Mahon, General Agent, 1275 S.W. Topeka Blvd.; Topeka KS 66612; call (785) 408-8806; or send an email to: john.mahon@kofc.org.

Part-time stylists - Are you addicted to the TV show “Say Yes to the Dress”? Are you self-motivated, love fashion and enjoy helping people look their best? If so, we want to talk to you! Sincerely Susan, a unique destination shop that specializes in dresses for mothers of the bride/groom and galas is looking for part-time stylists. Our boutique is a warehouse environment where clients come in by appointment only.

You must have a sense of style and a great personality to be able to interact with our “Moms.” Hours are flexible. Must be willing to work minimum of one evening per week and weekends. Must be able to stand and walk on concrete for long periods of time and reach overhead to pull gowns. Previous retail experience preferred, but not necessary. Hourly rate is based on experience. If interested, call (913) 730-8840.

Catholic elementary school vice principal - Holy Trinity School in Lenexa is seeking an individual with demonstrated skill in spiritual and instructional leadership, as well as advancement in Catholic schools for the 2019-20 school year.

Applicants for vice principal must be practicing Catholics, understand the mission of Catholic schools and have or be eligible for Kansas licensure in educational leadership. Complete the vice principal application process online at: www. archkckcs.org. Questions should be directed to principal Scott Merfen at: smerfen@htslenexa.org. The deadline for applications is Feb. 8.

Part-time assistant - The Knights of Columbus Insurance Agency is looking for a part-time assistant in our Topeka office. The hours are flexible, 10 - 20 per week. Duties include professional customer service, phone inquiries and general office assistance. If interested, call Stephanie at (785) 4088800.

Holy Spirit extended day care assistant - Do you enjoy spending time with children? Holy Spirit School is seeking an enthusiastic person to be an assistant in our after-school care program. This well-established program runs from 3 5:45 p.m. each school day for our K - 8th grade students. We are looking for a responsible and creative person who enjoys working with children. The ability to communicate clearly with children, colleagues, and parents is most important in order to foster positive relationships. Applicant must attend a Virtus training and be at least 16 years old. If you are interested, contact Eileen Colling at (913) 492-2582 or send an email to: ecolling@hscatholic.org for more information.

Executive director - Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic is currently seeking a full-time executive director to provide Christ-centered leadership for our clinic that has been open 12-plus years. The director will be under the supervision of the governing board and responsible for the day-to-day operations of the clinic, including: community networking; marketing; employee leadership and fiscal oversight. If you feel called to lead this ministry that is changing lives and saving lives, email your resume to: Dkelsey@wpcnetwork.org.

Caregiver - Needed for immediate job. Pay is $25 per hour for 4 - 5 hours daily for a father with dementia.

Applicants should email their resume and references to: talk2amanda75@gmail.com.

Do you enjoy driving? - The Kansas City Transportation Group is looking for chauffeurs to drive our guests to events, the airport, dinner, etc. Business is growing and we are in need of workers with flexible hours, those who are retired, etc. Great pay and benefits. Send resume to: jkalbert@kctg. com or in person at Kansas City Transportation Group, Kansas City, MO 64106.

Physical education/recreation coordinator - The specialneeds ministry of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking a physical education/recreation coordinator who is a motivated, creative and enthusiastic individual to serve in our BREATHE respite care program. Respite is the gift of time.

Respite care events provide parents or caregivers a temporary relief from the responsibilities of caring for individuals with physical or intellectual/developmental disabilities. A physical education or related degree is preferred. The candidate must be VIRTUS trained. The position requires attendance one Saturday evening per month for approximately six hours with up to four additional hours per month for planning and preparation. The position is paid by stipend. For more information or to apply, contact Tom Racunas, lead consultant, special-needs ministry, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, at: tracunas@archkck.org or call (913) 647-3054.

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Concrete construction - Tear out and replace stamped, stained or colored patios and drives. Retaining walls, footings, poured-in-place safe rooms, excavation and hauling. Asphalt drives and lots. Fully insured; references. Call Dan at (913) 207-4371 or send an email to: dandeeconst@aol.com.

The Drywall Doctor, Inc. – A unique solution to your drywall problems! We fix all types of ceiling and wall damage — from water stains and stress cracks to texture repairs and skim coating. We provide professional, timely repairs and leave the job site clean! Lead-certified and insured! Serving the metro since 1997. Call (913) 768-6655.

NELSON CREATION’S L.L.C. Home makeovers, kitchen, bath. All interior and exterior remodeling and repairs.

Family owned, experienced, licensed and insured. Member St. Joseph, Shawnee. Kirk Nelson.

(913) 927-5240; nelsport@everestkc.net

SERVICES Rodman Lawn Care Lawn mowing, aeration, verticutting, mulching, Hedge trimming, leaf removal, gutter cleaning Fully insured and free estimates John Rodman (913) 548-3002 HARCO Exteriors LLC Your Kansas City fencing specialists Family owned and operated (913) 815-4817 www.harcoexteriorsllc.com

Swalms organizing - downsizing - cleanout service Reduce clutter – Any space organized. Shelving built on-site. Items hauled for recycling and donations. 20 years exp.; insured. Call Tillar at (913) 375-9115. WWW. SWALMSORGANIZING.COM.

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

Local handyman - Painting int. and ext., staining, wood rot, power wash, decks, doors and windows, masonry, hardwood floors, gutter cleaning, water heaters, toilets, faucets, garbage disposals, ceiling fans, mowing and more!! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118.

8 to Your IdealWeight Get Real, Get Healthy, Get Empowered.

Release your weight and restore your power in 8 weeks!

Certified coach: kathioppold.8toyouridealweight.com.

Sheetrock repaired - We can repair your ceilings and walls and can retexture with popcorn or knockdown ceilings. We can repaint old yellowed ceilings. Interior painting for 25 years with no mess!! Call Jerry at (913) 206-1144.

EL SOL Y LA TIERRA *Commercial & residential * Lawn renovation *Mowing * Clean-up and hauling * Dirt grading/installation * Landscape design * Free estimates Hablamos y escribimos Ingles!! www.elsolylatierra.com Call Lupe at (816) 935-0176 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.

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

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

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

Mike Hammer local moving - A full-service mover.

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

Tree Trimming Tree Trimming/Landscaping Insured/References Free Estimates/Local Parishioner Tony (913) 620-6063 Custom countertops - Laminates installed within five days. Cambria, granite and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.

CAREGIVING Looking for assisted living at home? - Before you move, call us and explore our in-home care options. We specialize in helping families live safely at home while saving thousands of dollars per year. Call today for more information or to request a FREE home care planning guide. Benefits of Home - Senior Care, www.benefitsofhome.com or call (913) 4221591.

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.

Senior CNA - Has extensive nursing training. Will do private care, Johnson County area. Available Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Call (913) 701-6381. Fee negotiable.

FOR SALE Residential lifts - New and recycled. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. St. Michael’s parishioners. KC Lift & Elevator at (913) 327-5557. (Formerly Silver Cross - KC) For sale - Two side-by-side crypts; tier B, 13 and 15, located in the St. Joseph Chapel at Mount Calvary Cemetery, the only two left in the chapel. Call (913) 269-6176 for pricing.

For sale - Two side-by-side cemetery spaces at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Kansas City, Kansas. The price is $2850 for both. Cash only. Call (913) 378-7158 if interested.

For sale - Two internal crypts at Prince of Peace Mausoleum, Nativity Cove, Resurrection Cemetery. For more information, call (913) 631-4348.

For sale - Two spaces at Resurrection Cemetery in Mausoleum, St. John Corridor. Reasonable rate. Call (913) 894-2448.

REAL ESTATE CASH FOR YOUR HOME (913) 980-4905 Any condition in the metro area Mark Edmondson - local parishioner http://www.buykcproperty.com We buy houses and whole estates - We are local and family-owned, and will make you a fair cash offer. We buy houses in any condition. No fees or commissions and can close on the date of your choice. Selling your house as is never felt so good. Jon & Stacy Bichelmeyer (913) 5995000.

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

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

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

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.

Bankruptcy consultation - If debts are overwhelming you, seek hope and help from compassionate, experienced Catholic attorney, Teresa Kidd. For a free consultation, call (913) 422-0610; send an email to: tkidd@ kc.rr.com; or visit the website at: www.teresakiddlawyer. com. Please do not wait until life seems hopeless before getting good quality legal advice that may solve your financial stress.

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

Speedy Guzman Moving and delivery Licensed and insured Anytime (816) 935-0176

Retreat and pilgrimage - There will be a retreat given by Father Sudac and a pilgrimage to Medjugorje from March 20 - April 3, 2019. The cost is $3100 per person. For more information, call Grace at (913) 449-1806 or send an email to: mgracelegaspi@gmail.com.

PILGRIMAGE

“We constantly hear how grateful children are that their parents had things taken care of. Have you done this for your children?”

WE LOVE OUR TEACHERS - COME SEE WHY YOU WANT TO WORK HERE! - The Goddard School Olathe Northwest is looking for dynamic, energetic, professional teachers to add to our faculty. The Goddard School is a premiere preschool where children from 6 weeks to 6 years are encouraged to develop at their own pace in a nurturing environment, lovingly guided by our highly skilled, professional teachers. Our staff is comprised of loving and dedicated teachers who understand each child’s needs. They are highly qualified childhood educators who use their creativity and the Goddard developmental guidelines as the basis for unique lesson plans that are brought to life in a fun and imaginative way.

Education and experience are required for lead teachers. We offer training and mentoring for assistant teachers with little or no experience. We are hiring for the following positions: full-time preschool teacher; full-time toddler teacher; school-age teacher from 3 - 6 p.m.; and an assistant teacher for multiple classrooms.

Daycare director - Holy Rosary Wea Catholic School is seeking a full-time daycare director. The ideal candidate should be a practicing Catholic with daycare experience. We are looking for a responsible and caring individual who works well with children and communicates clearly with children, parents and colleagues. Interested candidates should send a resume and cover letter to: info@qhrwea.org.

Rusty Dandy Painting, Inc. – We have been coloring your world for 40 years. Your home will be treated as if it were our own. Old cabinets will be made to look like new. Dingy walls and ceilings will be made beautiful. Woodwork will glow.

Lead-certified and insured. Call (913) 341-9125.

FUNERAL HOME • CREMATORY • MEMORIAL CHAPELS 10901 Johnson Drive Shawnee, Kansas 66203 Telephone 913-631-5566 Fax 913-631-2236 Gregg Amos

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www.amosfamily.com

FEBRUARY 1 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

CALENDAR BIEROCK SALE Sacred Heart Parish (hall) 106 Exchange St., Emporia Feb. 2 at 11 a.m.

Fresh bierocks will be sold for $4 each or 10 for $30. The sale will continue until bierocks are sold out. No pre-orders will be accepted.

TASTING FAIR AND AUCTION St. Francis de Sales Parish (Robert Martz Social Hall) 900 Ida St., Lansing Feb. 2 at 6 p.m.

Dinner will be prepared by the Knights of Columbus and their family members. The cost of this exquisite meal is by the ounce. Beverages will be available. Explore and bid on the many items available in the silent and live auctions and take a chance on the 50/50 cash prize.

TACO DINNER FUNDRAISER Divine Mercy Parish (Formation Center) 555 W. Main St., Gardner Feb. 2 at 6 p.m.

For the cost of a freewill donation, enjoy a taco dinner. All funds raised will help cover costs for students attending the Just5Days Catholic mission trip in June. Help support our young people to grow in faith while helping others.

‘DEEP CONVERSION AND DEEP PRAYER’ Christ’s Peace House of Prayer 22131 Meagher Rd., Easton Feb. 8 - 10

Sacred Heart Knights of Columbus will be hosting bingo. There will be cash prizes, and concessions will be sold. For more information, call (913) 850-3348.

WINTER IN WAIKIKI DANCE St. Thomas More Parish (More Hall building, lower level) 11822 Holmes Rd., Kansas City, Missouri Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.

The cost to attend is $20 per person. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. There will be great music, delicious snacks, soft drinks, wine and beer.

Proceeds from the event help people who are unable to afford to attend the Beginning Experience weekends and the “Coping with Life Alone” sessions.

10TH ANNUAL WHITE MASS Church of the Ascension 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park Feb. 9 at 6:30 p.m.

This Mass is held for members of the healing profession. A reception will be held at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at: www. catholicmedkc.org.

SOUP-R-BOWL St. Mary Parish 9208 Main St., St. Benedict Feb. 3 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

St. Mary Parish will host its annual Soupr-bowl Sunday lunch of homemade chili, chicken noodle and vegetable beef soups, along with relishes and pie. The suggested donation is a freewill offering. Everyone is welcome.

BEST SUPER BOWL SUNDAY MEAL St. Patrick Parish (center) 9400 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas Feb. 3 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

MINI MARRIAGE RETREAT Church of the Ascension (parish hall) 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park Feb. 9 from 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Mike and Alicia Hernon of “The Messy Family Project” will present this retreat by sharing practical and encouraging insights on the topics of parenting as a team, creating a family culture and keeping love alive. The retreat will include Mass and vow renewal, inspirational and relatable talks with discussion time, breakfast and lunch, and free child care. The cost is $40 per couple. For more information or to register, go online to: kcascension.org/ messy-family.

Join the Sisters, Servants of Mary for their annual homemade pasta dinner. The cost for tickets is $10 for adults; $5 for children 10 and under. Dinner includes pasta, Italian sausage, sauce, meatballs, salad, drinks and sides. Tickets may be purchased in advance or at the door. For more information, call (913) 371-3423.

Now taking orders for carryout — call (913) 334-2330. No order is too large. All orders are warm and ready to serve.

RAISING SAFE KIDS Keeler Women’s Center 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kansas Feb. 4 and Feb. 11

The program on Feb. 4 will be: “Young Children’s Exposure to Violence.” The program on Feb. 11 will be: “Understanding and Controlling Parents’ Anger.” There is no charge to attend.

Donations are welcome. For more information, go online to: www.keelerwomenscenter.org.

TAIZE PRAYER Annunciation Chapel 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth Feb. 7 at 7 p.m.

Taize prayer is a meditative, candlelit service that includes chants sung repeatedly, silence, and prayers of praise and intercession. These prayer services emerged from an ecumenical community of monks in Taize, France. For more information, visit the website at: www.marillac center.org or call (913) 680-2342.

Grace Church). The fair is sponsored by the Blue Valley School District and the Blue Valley Special Education Advisory Council.

WOMEN’S RETREAT Camp Tekakwitha 1124 California Rd., Williamsburg April 26 - 28

The retreat begins on Fri., Feb. 8, and ends on Sun., Feb. 10. The topic of the retreat is: “Deep Conversion and Deep Prayer.” It will consist of five talks, Mass at the local parish on Saturday night and daily eucharistic adoration. If you plan on attending, call (913) 773-8255 or send an email to: info@christspeace.com.

BINGO NIGHT Sacred Heart Parish 2646 S. 34th St., Kansas City, Kansas Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.

VALENTINE DANCE St. Mary-St. Anthony Parish (basement) 615 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas Feb. 16 from 6 - 10 p.m.

The dance and meal, sponsored by the German American Edelweiss Society, cost $20 for adults. There are discounted prices for young adults and children; children under 5 eat for free. There will be raffles for prizes. No need for reservations; pay at the door. For more information, contact Patty Orth at (913) 371-2468 or send an email to: pattyorth@sbcglobal.net.

BREATHE RESPITE CARE PROGRAM Holy Cross School 8101 W. 95th St., Overland Park Feb. 16 from 4 - 8 p.m.

The Christian widow and widowers organization will host the soup luncheon. There is no cost to attend. For more information, call (785) 233-7350.

DIVORCED: CALLED TO LOVE AGAIN Church of the Ascension (St. Luke Room) 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park 2nd and 4th Sundays from 7 - 8:30 p.m.

What’s next after divorce/annulment? Join us for a formation series on the gift of self, which helps us fulfill the call to love again.

Various topics will be discussed. Visit our Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/ giftofself143 or send an email to: calledto love143@gmail.com.

This retreat is offered for women ages 21 and older. There will be group and breakout sessions, inspirational speakers, fellowship with other women and celebration of the sacraments. For more information and to register, go online to: camptekakwitha-womensretreat. com. Registration opens Feb. 1.

‘UNFAILING MERCY’ RETREAT: HEALING AFTER ABORTION March 2

If you or a loved one is hurting from an abortion, join our Project Rachel ministry for a one-day “Unfailing Mercy” retreat to share God’s mercy and healing after abortion. All communication, services and logistics are confidential. Call or text Ann Marie Alvey at (913) 621-2199 or send an email to: projectrachelkc@archkck.org for retreat time and location. For more information about this ministry, visit the website at: project rachelkc.com.

BREATHE respite care provides the gift of time away from caregiving for families who have a loved one with a disability age 5 years or older. If you have any questions regarding the program, contact Tom Racunas at (913) 647-3054 or send an email to: tracunas@ archkck.org. To register a loved one, go to the website at: www.archkck.org/specialneeds and complete the online form.

VALENTINE DINNER AND DANCE Divine Mercy Parish 555 W. Main St., Gardner Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Piano music will accompany a dinner catered

by Wally’s at 7 p.m. Toby Hobbs will DJ until 11 p.m. The cost for tickets is $25 for singles and $50 for couples. Tickets may be purchased at each Mass until Feb. 9.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST St. Bede Parish (hall) 7344 Drought St., Kelly Feb. 17 from 7:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Pancakes, sausage and eggs will be served.

The suggested donation is a freewill offering.

All are invited.

‘WOMEN IN SCRIPTURE: MODELS OF SUFFERING’ Sophia Spirituality Center 751 S. 8th, Atchison March 7 from 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Begin Lent by looking at women in Scripture who experienced suffering and responded in ways that are surprising and powerful. The fee for the program is $60 and includes lunch ($20 nonrefundable deposit). To register, call (913) 360-6173 or visit the website at: www. sophiaspiritualitycenter.org.

SOUP LUNCHEON Most Pure Heart of Mary (Formation Room) 3601 S.W. 17th St., Topeka Feb. 10 from 1 - 3 p.m.

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MARGARITAS FOR MARGARITA Merchant’s Pub and Plate 746 Massachusetts St., Lawrence Feb. 21 from 4 - 10 p.m.

Merchant’s Pub and Plate will be donating 15 percent from margaritas and selected food items sold to benefit Centro Hispano. Mention this promotion to your server.

SPECIAL-NEEDS RESOURCE FAIR Hilltop Conference Center 7700 W. 143rd St., Overland Park Feb. 26 from 5 - 8 p.m.

Information on camps and other recreational opportunities, therapies and equipment will be on hand, with opportunities to learn about and/ or purchase equipment from over 100 vendors representing various disabilities. There will also be vendors from adult/transition services, financial, legal, health and wellness institutions and much more. Free child care will be provided by SOAR (Special-needs ministry of

RUNNIN’ REVS BASKETBALL GAME Bishop Miege High School (gym) 5041 Reinhardt Dr., Roeland Park March 4 at 7 p.m.

Priests and seminarians (the Revs) will challenge eighth-grade and high school youth from Catholic schools in a fun and competitive game. Donations and a silent auction will benefit seminarians. For more information, visit the website at: kckvocation.com.

BEGINNING EXPERIENCE GRIEF SUPPORT WEEKEND Precious Blood Renewal Center 2120 St. Gaspar Way, Liberty, Missouri March 8 - 10

Beginning Experience is a weekend of healing open to men and women of all ages who have suffered the loss of a spouse through death, divorce or separation. It is a time to heal and a time to begin anew. Reservations are required.

For more information and to register, visit the website at: www.beginningexperiencekc.org; send an email to: register.bekc@gmail.com; or call Michelle at (913) 709-3779.

AN AFTERNOON OF PRAYERFUL REMEMBRANCE AND INTERCESSION St. Thomas More Parish 11822 Holmes Rd., Kansas City, Missouri March 9 from 1:30 - 3 p.m.

The hidden wounds of abortion affect each of us, whether it is our neighbor, co-worker, friend, relative or ourself. Gather to pray and intercede on behalf of our nation, seeking forgiveness and healing in God’s merciful love.

Confession will be offered after the prayer service. Mass begins at 4 p.m. All are welcome.

This event is sponsored by the respect life office of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.

CATHOLIC HEART WORKCAMP Kansas City area July 8 - 11

Do you need your house painted, inside or out?

Or need your yard cleaned up? Do you need any minor home repairs? Contact the Kansas City managers online at: chwc.kc@gmail.com or call (402) 306-9043. Leave a message and someone will return your call as soon as possible.

FEBRUARY 1, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

COMMENTARY

Why can’t we be friends?

FOURTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME Feb. 3 FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Jer 1: 4-5, 17-19 Ps 71: 1-6, 15, 17 1 Cor 12:31 – 13:13 Lk 4: 21-30 Feb. 4 Monday Heb 11: 32-40 Ps 31: 20-24 Mk 5: 1-20 Feb. 5 Agatha, virgin, martyr Heb 12: 1-4 Ps 22: 26b-28, 30-32 Mk 5: 21-43 Feb. 6 Paul Miki and companions, martyrs Heb 12: 4-7, 11-15 Ps 103: 1-2, 13-14, 17-18a Mk 6: 1-6 Feb. 7 Thursday Heb 12: 18-19, 21-24 Ps 48: 2-4, 9-11 Mk 6: 7-13 Feb. 8 Jerome Emiliani; Josephine Bakhita, virgin Heb 13: 1-8 Ps 27: 1, 3, 5, 8b-9c Mk 6: 14-29 Feb. 9 Saturday Heb 13: 15-17, 20-21 Ps 23: 1-6 Mk 6: 30-34

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H

ave we forgotten how to make friends?

This simple question is answered in a delightful and unique way on the British website Be More Us. There, a two-and-ahalf minute video — just Google Be More Us and you’ll find it — opens with several people in a London coffee shop, each absorbed in their smartphone or simply staring blankly into space. All are by themselves. It’s a typical scene played out every day around us.

Suddenly, four “experts” invade the space.

All are energetic, curious, giggly young kids. (And you’ll love their accents!)

Immediately, each one chooses an individual and dares to invade their personal space by saying hello. The initial reaction of the “victims” is priceless. They try to give the kids the brush off, but the experts are having none of it.

After introducing herself, one little girl boldly asks her “victim,” a retired woman from Jamaica, if she’s “shy or something.” Once she has the woman’s attention, she plunges in with the

“J

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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.

question no polite person would ever ask: “How much money do you have?”

Not to be outdone, another little girl asks her elderly gentleman victim: “Why is your hair white?”

And a little boy asks his young adult victim: “Why are you wearing a hat?”

As each person answers these wonderfully precocious and persistent kids, walls of isolation are broken down and connections are made. Soon, these new friends are laughing, sharing a coffee and giving one another

hugs.

When one of the kids asks, “Why can’t everybody be friends?” the adults start up with excuses like: “Well, it would be a bit strange to just talk to a stranger” or “It’s not that easy.”

The experts disagree.

One girl replies, “It’s kind of boring having tea or coffee by yourself.” Another girl insists, “I think everyone should talk to everybody.” The third girl asserts, “Making friends is easier than eating chocolate!”

The video is part of a campaign to end loneliness. In our world, so often marked by rancor, division, and crippling isolation, these children remind us that there’s a better way. They’re living out what’s said in

the Book of Isaiah: “And a little child shall lead them” (11:6).

The video ends with this question: Remember when making friends was child’s play? It goes on to suggest some ways to reconnect with others, ways so simple even a child can do them: • Get involved in your community. Get to know the names of your neighbors or fellow parishioners.

• Start a conversation with a stranger.

• Phone a friend you’ve not spoken to in a while.

• Go out for coffee or a meal with someone.

• Go for a day without checking your smartphone; connect in real life instead.

• Try something new.

Join a group that shares this passion.

• Make friends with people of all ages.

• Volunteer somewhere.

As I wrote here several months ago, I’ve been bowling on my parish’s Knights of Columbus team in Lawrence. It’s a mixed league, men and women, and we might be the only “all Catholic” team. Each week, we face a new team and it’s a rare

night when they don’t say to us, “It was really nice to bowl you guys.” The reason is simple: We’re lousy.

No, just kidding! The real reason is that we’re not so much bowling “against” the other team as “with” them. In other words, we talk to our “opponents,” congratulate them on a well-thrown ball and commiserate when the pins don’t fall the right way. And they do the same with us. That not only makes for an enjoyable evening, it leaves us with new friends.

This month of February is a wonderful time to reach out in love to others. An easy, nonthreatening way to do that is with some Valentine’s Day cards.

They have plenty of “nonmushy” ones to send to friends, people who have positively influenced you or maybe to a lonely fellow parishioner.

But, honestly, what’s the best reason to make friends? Well, Jesus said it best: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20).

Hey, you can’t beat that!

God’s words to Jeremiah encourage us as well

eremiad”: A prolonged lamentation or complaint (Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary) This word is derived from the frequent outbursts that the prophet Jeremiah made against the enemies of Judah and Judah’s leaders. We overhear one such outburst as Sunday’s first reading, Jer 1:4-5, 17-19.

Jeremiah hears the Lord telling him: “A prophet to the nations I appointed you.” Through Jeremiah, God is sending the nations neighboring Judah, not a message of salvation but, rather, a rebuke and a prophecy of doom.

Even though these gentile nations at times might act unwittingly as God’s agents in punishing Judah for its sins, the

IN THE BEGINNING

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

gentile nations themselves are also guilty of sin and thus deserving of punishment.

These oracles against the nations will appear in

chapters 46 through 51.

Besides castigating the gentile nations, Jeremiah also directs his attention to “Judah’s kings and princes, against its priests and people.”

He criticizes them for tolerating the worship of false gods and for their political decisions.

Throughout his career as a prophet, Jeremiah constantly spoke out in condemnation of others.

His messages acquired

for him a long list of enemies. To withstand them, he needed a considerable amount of moral strength.

That is why God instructs Jeremiah: “But do you gird your loins; stand up and tell them all that I command you.”

The gist of what God is telling Jeremiah here is “man up.” Someone would gird his loins, that is to say, pull up his robes around them, in order to do physical work or to fight. This last seems more likely for Jeremiah.

But Jeremiah will not have to do this all on his own. God will help him.

That is why God assures Jeremiah: “For it is I this day who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass.”

These images suggest the great strength that Jeremiah will need in

facing his opponents.

Ultimately, Jeremiah will succeed in delivering his unpleasant messages, because God is with him: “They will fight against you but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.”

The words that God speaks to Jeremiah can also encourage us as a church whenever we deliver difficult messages to the world, when we speak out in support of human life, when we advocate on behalf of refugees, when we point out dangers to the environment.

That forms part of the prophetic mission of the church, into which we were baptized: “As Christ was anointed priest, prophet and king, so may you live always as a member of his body.”

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POPE FRANCIS Just as divisions in society grow when wealth is not shared, divisions within Christianity grow when the richness of gifts God has given to one Christian church or community are not recognized and shared, Pope Francis said.

“It is easy to forget the fundamental equality existing among us: that once we were all slaves to sin, that the Lord saved us in baptism and called us his children,” the pope said Jan. 18 during an ecumenical evening prayer service at Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

At the beginning of the service, Pope Francis,

Orthodox Metropolitan Gennadios of Italy and Malta and the Rev. Tim Macquiban, minister of Rome’s Ponte Sant’Angelo Methodist Church, paused for a moment of prayer before the presumed tomb of St. Paul. The prayer service marked the beginning of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The theme for 2019 — “Justice, Only Justice, Shall You Pursue” — was chosen by a group of Christians in Indonesia.

Members of the group, Pope Francis said, chose the passage from Deuteronomy because “they are deeply concerned that the economic growth of their country, driven by the mentality of competition, is leaving many in poverty and allowing a small few to become immensely wealthy.”

— CNS

FEBRUARY 1, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

COMMENTARY

D

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‘Perinatal hospice’ offers invaluable model

uring the course of pregnancy, receiving an adverse prenatal diagnosis can be a tremendously jolting experience for parents.

In severe cases, physicians may tell them that their unborn child has a condition that is “incompatible with life.”

While some children with this diagnosis may still receive helpful treatments and manage to live or even thrive for years, in other cases, no realistic treatment options exist and they may live only a matter of minutes or hours following their birth.

Prior to the development of prenatal screening technologies and genetic testing, doctors who delivered stillborn or terminally ill babies would often shuttle them away from their mothers to die, leaving the parents and family without a sense of closure or resolution.

These losses were basically viewed and treated as “nonevents” and the emotions and grief experienced by

MAKING SENSE OF BIOETHICS

FATHER TAD PACHOLCZYK Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk is a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, and serves as the director of education at the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia.

the family received little attention or notice.

In recent years, there has fortunately been a growing awareness of the grief associated with all forms of perinatal loss, whether from miscarriage, stillbirth, newborn death or direct abortion.

The prenatal diagnosis of a lethal anomaly creates a challenging

and unusual situation for many families when they are informed of their baby’s terminal condition weeks, or even months, before their child’s death. What was once a surprise miscarriage or a surprise loss after birth, becomes an anticipated and foreseen event.

In the wake of the diagnosis, medical professionals will sometimes recommend and pressure parents to abort their unborn child.

This unsatisfactory choice often relegates them to never reaching meaningful closure with respect to the difficult pregnancy they have traversed. It also tempts them to act contrary to

every protective parental instinct they have, and deny the reality of their newest family member, as if he or she can simply disappear through the termination.

Many hospitals and obstetrics programs, however, are now offering an improved alternative known as “perinatal hospice.”

This approach seeks to set up a particular supportive environment within the hospital or another setting in which all the members of the family can receive the child following delivery, hold and name the newborn, and fully acknowledge his or her brief but meaningful life.

Perinatal hospice support staff will typically inquire as to what the parents and family would like to see happen, and try to tailor the experience accordingly. Families can invite a religious leader into the room. They can make arrangements for baptism. They can take a mold of their infant’s footprints in clay. They can take photos of the child in the arms of

other family members.

Perinatal hospice staff remain nearby and available to provide emotional support or pain medication for a baby who appears uncomfortable, even as the child may shortly yield the breath of life and pass on.

In some cases, infants will have conditions that are not immediately fatal and they may be able to go home to be with family for a few days or weeks before passing on.

Hospice care continues during this time, with ongoing input and support from the neonatal team.

Drs. Hoeldtke and Calhoun, two pioneers in the field of perinatal hospice, sum up this supportive and consoling form of care this way: “Perinatal hospice differs in emphasis, though not necessarily in kind, from other modes of perinatal health care. It focuses on the persons involved, rather than on the fetal pathology, and places the family in the central

arena of care. It provides a continuum of support for the family from the time of diagnosis until death and beyond. It is marked by a cognizance that ‘dying involves real people, even unborn fetuses; [and that] significant relationships are disrupted and familiar bonds are severed.’

Hospice allows time — time for bonding, loving and losing; time so that the entire course of living and dying is a gradual process that is not jarringly interrupted. . . . We believe that a structured and compassionate approach, such as that embodied in perinatal hospice, can be woven into the mainstream of pregnancy care to best facilitate the challenging, yet rewarding, task of helping these families cope with the death of their youngest member, in comfort and with dignity.”

Perinatal hospice offers an invaluable model of medical and interpersonal outreach, one that hopefully will continue to expand in the context of modern neonatal care.

FEBRUARY 1, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

The eucharistic prayer — mystery made manifest

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CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ, LONG ISLAND CATHOLIC

Jesus and his apostles at the Last Supper are depicted in a painting at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Church in Southampton, New York.

By Father Geoffrey A. Brooke Jr. Catholic News Service

S

tage plays are broken down into acts. Sporting events are separated into quarters, innings, possessions, drives and plays. Symphonies are composed of movements. Books are split into chapters, while magazines have articles.

Similarly, the Mass can be broken down into parts.

Focusing on one part at a time makes it easier to avoid getting distracted.

Here’s a pro tip: Purchase a missal or subscribe to a service such as Magnificat to follow along with all the parts of the Mass.

In Sunday school or religion class, most were taught about the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

Yet, each can be broken down into several components. Within the Liturgy of the Eucharist, one finds the eucharistic prayer.

The Second Vatican Council’s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (“Lumen Gentium”) reminds the faithful that the eucharistic sacrifice on the altar is the “fount and apex” of the Christian life (11).

Therefore, the eucharistic prayer is the moment when that sacrifice is realized.

When viewed in that light, the eucharistic prayer is anything but boring; it is the pinnacle of our Christian experience. Within the overall structure of the Mass, it is during the eucharistic prayer that the bread and wine presented in the offertory are transformed into the body and blood of Christ.

While the bread and wine maintain their same outward characteristics (shape, color, taste, etc.) of bread and wine, the church believes that their inner essence, in what they are, is changed into the body and blood of Christ.

This mysterious act can be overwhelming to comprehend at times.

Instead of succumbing to distraction in the face of such bewilderment, one should be drawn into a deeper relationship with God. One way for that to happen is to develop a deeper understanding and awareness regarding the actual words and parts that make up the eucharistic prayer, by which the mystery is made manifest.

Currently, there are four main options. Eucharistic Prayer 1 has ancient roots and is traditionally known as the Roman Canon (think: the one with all the saint names). Eucharistic Prayers 2-4 are all newer, post-Vatican II developments. Eucharistic Prayer 3 is often

CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ

Father Antony Asir, right, and Deacon Matthew Surico elevate the Eucharist during Mass at St. Thomas More Church in Hauppauge, New York. The word “Eucharist” comes from the Greek word that means “to give thanks.” used on saints’ feast days, whereas Eucharistic Prayer 2 is often used for weekday Masses (the one that says “dewfall”).

While the wording may vary from one to another, the eucharistic prayers all contain the same elements. Breaking down these elements can help to both avoid future moments of distraction and illuminate a greater understanding of the deep mystery that is the Eucharist.

• Thanksgiving: This is found in the preface: “It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks.” The word “Eucharist” comes from the Greek word that means “to give thanks,” thus it’s entirely appropriate that the eucharistic prayer begins with an act of thanksgiving. In other words, it sets the tone for what is about to happen.

• Acclamation: The Sanctus, or Holy, Holy, Holy. Through this chant, the Eucharist is never celebrated alone.

In the acclamation, all gathered (the visible church) are united with the invisible church (all the angels and saints in heaven).

• Epiclesis: This takes place when

the priest holds his hands out over the bread and wine, along with the accompanying words. This is a calling down of the Holy Spirit upon the gifts being offered, so that they may be consecrated. For many priests, it is the most humbling part of the liturgy because they are in a sense guiding or “telling the Holy Spirit what to do.”

• Institution narrative or consecration: The core of these words do not change in between the eucharistic prayers because they come directly from Christ himself: “Take this, all of you . . .” This is when the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. It is the climax of the eucharistic prayer.

The institution narrative ends with the profound line: “Do this in memory of me.” Every time those words are said, that is exactly what is being fulfilled in that moment and then perpetuated on to the future.

• Anamnesis: This is the part that can sometimes sound like a reminder of the mysteries of the rosary (Passion, Resurrection, Ascension). More profoundly, it’s the church’s way of helping to place the Eucharist within the econ-

omy of salvation, within the bigger picture of all the mysteries of Christ’s life.

• Oblation, or offering: A chief complaint of young and old alike about the Mass is that they fail “to get anything out of it.” Going to Mass isn’t just about receiving, it is also about giving — offering oneself to God. The Mass is not a “withdrawal-only ATM.” The oblation in the eucharistic prayer helps all to realize this call to a deeper self-gift to God. • Intercessions: Each Mass unites us not only to those present in our particular church, but to the entire universal church. In this moment of the eucharistic prayer, this catholicity is realized through pleading intercession for those living and dead.

• Final doxology: This brings about the conclusion of the eucharistic prayer by giving glory and praise to God, which is affirmed with the great response: Amen.

Father Brooke is a priest of the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri. His website is: frgeoffrey.com and his social media handle is: @PadreGeoffrey.