02 17 23 Vol. 44 No. 26

Breaking ground on a better Villa St. Francis

By J.D. Benning Special to The Leaven

OLATHE — For 70 years, Villa St. Francis here has been providing top quality senior care to people in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. On Feb. 7, led by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, it broke ground to further improve its facilities and the care it provides.

Money raised by the archdiocesan capital campaign One Faith, One Family, One Future in Christ are funding the start of the improvements, which include updates to the front exterior, new front and rear parking lots, an update of the HVAC system and a

new rehabilitation wing. The new rehabilitation facilities will enable improved resident experience, creating additional private rooms as well as an

additional dining area.

Extra funds are being raised to provide updates to other sections of the community, including hallways, resident rooms and common areas.

“I’m really proud of what Villa St. Francis has done through its history to provide the best care for all of our residents,” said Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann at the groundbreaking blessing and ceremony. “What we’re embarking on today will improve the facility, and it will visualize for our residents just how important they are to us. We are glad that our church can provide this place and partner with families to help those that need the quality and extent of care that we offer here at Villa St. Francis.”

LENTEN REGULATIONS

“We’re proud of our employees,” he continued, “and are especially grateful for the two religious communities that serve here. They bring a special quality to the care here and make the presence of Christ very real and visible to the residents.”

The leadership team at Villa St. Francis is excited to get this process started.

“This critical update will greatly improve our facilities and the care that we provide our residents,” said Jackie Longston, chief operating officer of Villa St. Francis. “Our mission is to provide personalized, resident-centered care. We are one of the only communities in the area that will accept residents regardless

>> See “IMPROVEMENTS” on page 4

All Catholics 14 years of age and older are obliged to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22, and all the Fridays of Lent. Catholics 18 to 59 years of age are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday — a fast consisting of one normal meal and two lesser meals, with no eating in between. It is also recommended that Catholics find opportunities throughout the Lenten season to complement their fasts with prayer, reception of the

of reconciliation and the Eucharist,

positive works of charity.

sacraments

and

PHOTO BY JD BENNING

Shovels are at the ready as Villa St. Francis in Olathe breaks ground on improvements to the facility. From left are: Patrick Karanja, Villa’s director of nursing; Jackie Hollis, Villa’s chief operating officer; Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann; Mary Bibler, Villa St. Francis and Catholic Community Health board co-chair; Scott Heady, Villa St. Francis and CCH board co-chair; Dan Himmelberg, archdiocesan construction and real estate consultant; and Daniel Keelin, Villa’s director of maintenance.

I’M REALLY PROUD OF WHAT VILLA ST. FRANCIS HAS DONE THROUGH ITS HISTORY TO PROVIDE THE BEST CARE FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS.

ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN

Make a saint your spiritual friend this Lent

Each year, the Little Sisters and Little Brothers of the Lamb, on the solemnity of All Saints, hold a lottery. It is not like a state lottery through which you can win millions of dollars.

Through the Community of the Lamb lottery, you gain something much more valuable — a new saint friend! Around All Saints Day, the Little Sisters and Brothers place slips of paper with the names of many of their favorite saints in a basket. The Little Sisters and Brothers, as well as their bishop, priest and lay members, draw a saint.

For the entire next year, the goal is to learn more about your particular saint by developing a deeper relationship with the saint, remembering them in prayer, as well as asking for their intercession with the many and varied challenges the next 12 months will bring. This year, I drew St. Bernadette of Soubirous.

Bernadette was the oldest of nine children. Ironically, though she was instrumental in making Lourdes a center for healing for so many, Bernadette experienced poor health her entire life. She contracted cholera at a very young age and suffered from asthma throughout her life.

Bernadette’s family was materially very poor. At the time of the apparitions at Lourdes, her family lived in the basement cells of a former jail. She was not well educated. She was small in stature, less than 5 feet tall. She was a peasant, shepherd girl from an obscure area of France with no influential friends. Bernadette did not possess impressive, charismatic leadership skills.

According to worldly wisdom, she was one of the most unlikely candidates to initiate a major building project or to launch an international healing ministry. After all, she was just an ordinary peasant child.

Yet, Mary chose to reveal herself to Bernadette. From the church’s approved Marian apparitions, it seems that Our Blessed Mother prefers often to choose ordinary children to be her human instruments in conveying her messages to the world.

Mary appears to Bernadette, while she, her sister and childhood friends are gathering wood for fuel to warm the humble Soubirous home. The other children were alarmed to see Bernadette in a trance-like state gazing intently at something they were unable to see. Bernadette tells her companions that she saw a beautiful, petite woman. They are puzzled by Bernadette’s claims.

After a couple days, Mary asks Bernadette to come and visit her daily for two weeks. Initially, Mary did not reveal her identity to Bernadette. After asking the woman several times to identify herself, Our Blessed Mother tells Bernadette that she is the Immaculate Conception. At the

time, this was not a common title for Mary. Just a few years prior to the apparitions at Lourdes, Pope Pius IX had declared the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, that Mary was conceived without the effects of original sin.

Bernadette experienced considerable opposition. Her claims of Mary’s apparitions were controversial. The townspeople were conflicted with many believing Bernadette was a fraud, while others supported her claims. The civic officials were not happy with the controversy and unrest caused by Bernadette’s claims. Similarly, church officials were skeptical, at least initially, regarding the authenticity of the apparitions. The church wisely takes a very cautious stance about miraculous claims.

At one of Bernadette’s daily visits, Mary instructs Bernadette to dig in the ground where there was just a trickle of a stream and to wash her face and drink from the muddy waters. Many more people become convinced that Bernadette is a fraud — or at best hallucinating. Remarkably, however, the stream of water grows much stronger, and apparent healings begin to occur.

Since 1858, more than 70 authenticated physical healings have happened at Lourdes. These authenticated

miracles have gone through rigorous examination by medical and theological experts. There are hundreds more physical healings associated with Lourdes and many thousands of spiritual miracles of grace that pilgrims have experienced.

Ironically, while many were healed physically at Lourdes, Bernadette herself experienced poor health and physical pain her entire life. She became a Sister of Charity, seeking to be out of the limelight. She only lived to age 35, eventually dying from tuberculosis. Interestingly, Bernadette’s body is numbered among the incorruptibles, miraculously not experiencing the normal decay that ensues from death.

While Bernadette seemed to lack human qualities for leadership, she possessed some very important virtues. She had an amazing faith that gave her the strength to speak the truth about the apparitions, even in the face of fierce opposition and when it caused many complications for her life. She also had an incredible humility, never seeking attention for herself.

Bernadette is a particularly excellent saint for our time.

When I was an auxiliary bishop in St. Louis, the provincial for a local Carmelite convent was elected mother general for the international community. The motherhouse was in the Netherlands. The new superior general asked a relatively young Carmelite Sister from the St. Louis convent to accompany her to the Netherlands in order to assist with her new responsibilities.

After being in the Netherlands for a relatively brief time, this young Sister was asked by a Dutch bishop to help invigorate youth ministry in the diocese. The practice of the Catholic faith was very tepid in the Netherlands for adults, much less for youth.

This Sister told me she had chosen St. Bernadette as her patron for her youth ministry. When I asked her why Bernadette, she confided because Mary

Feb. 17

ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN’S CALENDAR

Dedication of Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine — Oklahoma City

Feb. 19

Mass — St. Paul, Olathe

Feb. 21

Envisioning Team meeting — chancery

CFNEK board meeting — chancery

Kansas City Pregnancy Center banquet — Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kansas

Feb. 22

Resurrection School Mass — Cathedral

Mass — St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center, Lawrence

Feb. 23

Servants of the Pierced Heart of Jesus and Mary leadership meeting — chancery

Confirmation — Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Topeka

Feb. 24

Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem winter meeting — Omaha, Nebraska

Feb. 25

Men Under Construction — Church of the Ascension, Overland Park

Benedictine College Scholarship Ball — Overland park Convention Center

had instructed Bernadette to dig in the dry ground. Bernadette’s obedience to Mary’s request unleashed a vibrant stream of God’s healing love that continues today. This American Carmelite Sister introduced the Life Teen ministry to the Netherlands that is still bearing fruit today.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to cultivate a special friendship with St. Bernadette. I am asking her to intercede for me that the Holy Spirit might open my heart to nurture in my soul the faith, courage and humility that characterized the life of St. Bernadette.

With the increasing secularization of our culture, striving to renew and deepen faith in our society can feel like digging in arid ground. I ask Bernadette to intercede for me that I can remain faithful and resolute in proclaiming the gospel of life in a society where many of the powerful elite consider pregnancy a disease and the killing

of innocent children as essential preventive health care.

In a culture that confuses love with using others for sexual pleasure, the soil can feel very dry for fruitful efforts to restore authentic love that seeks to sacrifice for the good of others.

One of the most beautiful features of Lourdes is how the sick are treated with the greatest respect and reverence. Among the thousands of visitors to the shrine, the sick and infirm are the celebrities of Lourdes. It is one place in the world where the sanctity of every human life is celebrated.

You might find St. Bernadette a good spiritual friend as well.

Ask her to help you as you strive to follow Jesus faithfully and live your Catholic faith with joy, despite cultural opposition. May we remain humble and obedient to whatever Mary or Jesus asks of us, even to dig in the dry soil of our increasingly unbelieving, secularized culture.

ARCHBISHOP

St. Ann Makers spring into action to get things done ‘WE MAKE THINGS HAPPEN’

By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org

PRAIRIE VILLAGE — If there’s a need around town, it’s likely the St. Ann Makers here have heard about it.

And there’s no doubt they’ve pulled together their time, talents and resources to help fulfill it.

“It’s so varied what we can do or will do that [we call ourselves] the Makers group,” said Suzanne Mogren. “We make things happen.”

Mogren is one of more than a dozen women involved in the St. Ann Makers, a group of St. Ann parishioners who meet monthly.

“We hear of a need, and it might be through somebody who’s older that we know or Pat [Centner, minister of caring at St. Ann],” said Joanne Henley.

Then, the women work on the projects from home.

“A lot of people work or have other obligations,” said Jo Ann Palmer. “They don’t necessarily get to the meetings, but they’ll help with projects.”

Over the years, the group has taken on a wide range of projects, like making fidget quilts for individuals with dementia and fleece blankets for the homebound.

One of the greatest undertakings the group has been part of is its Halloween candy project, which Mogren started in 2014.

“She found out that this mom was

going to throw away Halloween candy because her kids had too much,” said Henley.

Mogren asked the mom if she could take the candy and send it to a group of U.S. troops, and she happily agreed. Her child’s kindergarten class also contributed.

“It snowballed so quickly,” said Mogren. “That first year, we just had it for the troops. But then after that, it just took off.”

This past October, St. Ann students helped bag the candies into sandwichsize Ziploc bags.

“I think it’s great the kids know we have an excess here,” said Henley, “and we can share that with people who really would enjoy it.

“In the end, we gave out right at 1,000 bags of candy. We still have two bins left.”

The candy went to a variety of

groups, including the troops, St. Ann seniors who are homebound or in assisted living, City Union Mission, a Medicaid care center, a grade school, and local fire and police departments. This year, Henley asked for feedback from recipients.

“They weren’t just happy,” she said. “They were ecstatic. These are people who just don’t get candy very much.”

‘Busy hands are happy hands’

When the Makers gathered for their monthly meeting on Jan. 27, two new members were eager to lend their skills to its mission.

Terrie Fry was invited to join the group by Palmer after they met at an exercise class.

“I moved here a little over five years ago from a 30-acre farm south of Joplin, [Missouri],” said Fry.

She was interested in making friends at the parish, and because she’s been sewing since she was 5 years old, the group seemed like the perfect fit.

Therese Park, who joined St. Ann this past summer, has also been sewing since childhood.

“It brings me memories of the Korean War time,” she said. “Communists came where I lived in Pusan [South Korea]. We were forced to accept refugees in our house.

“My mom was a pretty smart lady.

She started a sewing group.”

The handful of women would sew any materials they could find, and Park picked up the skill, as well as some life lessons.

“I learned a lot,” she said. “In Korea, we say busy hands are happy hands. It’s not just to encourage women to work hard. They believe the hand movement [is] involved with your brain activities.”

Park, who played cello in the Kansas City Symphony for 30 years, said activities like playing an instrument and sewing can reap major benefits as people age.

“Learning about this group was a very enlightening thing,” she said.

‘We need to help others’

When it comes to finding causes they can help, the Makers never run short.

The group’s next project is crafting fleece gloves. As of their January meeting, they were still deciding where to send them.

“We always know that there are organizations that are more than happy to have donations,” said Palmer.

Diane Waers organized making hats for newborn babies at Children’s Mercy, and over the years, she’s crocheted hundreds of prayer pockets and fidget quilts for people

>> See “MAKERS” on page 4

WHEN SHE PASSED, SHE WANTED TO BE BURIED WITH HER BLANKET. IT’S BEYOND WORDS.

LOUISE RIEKE ST. ANN MAKER

LEAVEN PHOTO BY MOIRA CULLINGS

Seated, from left, are: Diane Waers, Joanne Henley, Therese Park, Jo Ann Palmer and Diane Kovich; standing, from left, are: Suzanne Mogren, Joyce Smith, Louise Rieke, Nancy Nowatzke, Kari Pecha and Janice Orrick. They are all members of the St. Ann Makers, a group of women at St. Ann Parish in Prairie Village who take on a variety of service projects to help their community.

Dale and David Rose, members of St. Matthew Parish, Topeka, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a Hawaiian island cruise. The couple was married on Feb. 10, 1973, at St. Helen Church in Hugoton. Their children are: Anndrea Hershberger, Scott Rose, Dana McEwen and James “Brad” Rose. They also have seven grandchildren.

Connie and W. Michael Lindsay, members of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Shawnee, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Feb. 26 with family and friends. The couple was married on Feb. 25, 1973, at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. Their children are: Nicole McGinnis, Christina Avitia and Alison Beasley. They also have six grandchildren.

Marlene (Sudbeck) and Ferdinand Deters, members of St. Mary Parish, St. Benedict, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Feb. 19 with a Mass and meal with family. The couple was married Feb. 22, 1963, by Father Leander Scheier, OSB, at St. Mary Church, St. Benedict. Their children are: Mike Deters, Alan Deters, Richard Deters and Linda Lortscher. They also have five grandchildren and one stepgranddaughter.

ANNIVERSARY SUBMISSIONS

WHERE TO SUBMIT:

Email: todd.habiger@theleaven.org.

Improvements will better serve residents

>> Continued from page 1

of their ability to pay — we are grateful to the archdiocese for their support of this project and are hopeful that we can raise the additional funds to continue to improve Villa St. Francis.”

The facility provides long-term care, short-term rehabilitation and skilled memory care to seniors in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Not a strictly Catholic care community, it provides care to people of all faith backgrounds.

For those Catholics in their care, Villa has a daily Mass and a chaplain available to provide the sacraments to residents. It is also the only community in the area with a psychiatrist, cardiologist and pulmonologist on staff.

“I began as a nurse, and when I came to Villa St. Francis, I fell in love with this place,” said Christina Osterhaus, director of marketing at Villa. “I am passionate about helping and serving others. And seeing the incredible care that our staff of nurses and rehabilitation specialists provide is truly inspiring. I consider it a privilege to be a part of this team and to serve these people, many of whom have incredible stories of love and service.”

Villa St. Francis provides top-quality end-of life care, memory care and a place of rehabilitation

for seniors, regardless of their background or ability to pay. Its mission is to put the love of Christ into action

through its mission of mercy. To learn more, visit the website at: villa sf.org.

Makers use their talents to help others

>> Continued from page 3

with Alzheimer’s.

Joyce Smith took more than a dozen hats to the Johnson County Christmas Bureau for teenagers in need.

Diane Kovich said the group’s ingenuity is what makes it special.

“Creativity is a gift from God,” she said, “so you want to use those talents to honor him.”

For Louise Rieke, one instance of the

Makers’ impact stands out.

Centner, who has connected the group with many homebound individuals, told them about a woman who received one of their fleece blankets.

“When she passed, she wanted to be buried with her blanket,” said Rieke. “It’s beyond words.”

Henley said the Makers’ generous spirit comes from their faith.

“It’s something we all learned since we were kids, that you help others,” she

said.

Smith agreed.

“I was hungry and you fed me. I was naked and you clothed me,” she said, referencing the Gospel of Matthew. “And you think of those basic principles of your f aith, and you just have to help.

“We’ve got enough. We need to help others.”

SOLUTION

PHOTO BY JD BENNING

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann blesses the grounds of Villa St. Francis with holy water on Feb. 7. Villa St. Francis will start making improvements to its facility soon.

Students help create app to assist Burmese Catholics grow in faith

By Sean Gallagher OSV News

INDIANAPOLIS (OSV News) — It started with a dream and a conversation.

Paul Hnin dreamed of a way to help nurture the life of prayer and faith of his fellow Hakha Chin Catholics living in the Archdiocese in Indianapolis, in other places around the world and in his native Myanmar, where they face persecution from a military dictatorship in the southeast Asian country.

Hnin serves the Hakha Chin community as a pastoral associate at St. Barnabas Parish on Indianapolis’ southside. That part of the city has seen an estimated 20,000 people in the ethnic group, many of them Catholic, come to live there in the past 10 to 15 years.

Hnin envisioned a website and app that would have hundreds of pages of Catholic prayers and songs in the Hakha Chin language. Books with this kind of content, Hnin knew, are hard to find in this language and difficult for the people of this Burmese ethnic group to transport as they flee their country for safety and freedom.

“I wanted to create an app so that people could easily access that information,” Hnin told The Criterion, newspaper of the Indianapolis Archdiocese. “People in Myanmar have phones, so that would be an easy way to share information with them.”

To make the dream a reality, Hnin had a conversation last summer with Clint Meinerding, a technology teacher and the information technology administrator at St. Barnabas School.

“When Paul came and asked me to

make an app, I said that I didn’t know how to do that,” Meinerding recalled.

“He said, ‘Well, I’ll say a prayer that you can learn how to do it.’”

Meinerding was able to expand his knowledge of web development, but he soon learned that he couldn’t do this work alone.

“When Paul came to me and explained that there were going to be hundreds and hundreds of songs [on the website and app], I was a bit overwhelmed,” he said. “He started sending me all the stuff and I’m like, ‘I need help.’”

To get that help, Meinerding turned

to four St. Barnabas eighth grade students. They took skills they had learned in Meinerding’s technology classes and went to work on developing pages for the website and app.

They dove headfirst into the project, recalled one of the students, Lauren Koleszar. She and the others worked on the website and app before school and during lunch periods, recesses and study periods. All told, they put in about 100 hours on making the website and app a reality.

“We’ve done coding in classes,” Lauren said. “But this was something like real-life coding.”

Lauren also was motivated to make sacrifices to work on the project for another reason.

“It was really important for me to help out because it’s helping [Hakha Chin] people learn the songs and help them grow closer to God and in their faith,” she said.

“They just went to work,” Meinerding said. “They loved it. I definitely couldn’t have done it without their help.”

The website is up and running at www.hakkacatholic.com. (While the ordinary spelling of the ethnic group from Myanmar served by the website and app is “Hakha,” the spelling of this web address is correct.) The app version of the website, known as “Hla & Thlacamnak Catholic,” is available for free on Android and Apple devices.

It contains prayers for Mass, hundreds of songs and other prayers, including those for a “dry Mass,” a prayer service for Catholics in Myanmar who don’t have priests to celebrate Mass for them on a regular basis.

“Honestly, this is probably the most important project I’ve worked on,” Meinerding told The Criterion. “It has a possibility of global ramifications. It’s something that people all over the world can use. It’s very rewarding and satisfying.”

“I hope that people here in America and countries all over the world will use our app to help them to get closer to God,” Hnin said. “It’s amazing to see what Clint and his team have created. I thought that it was possible to make something like this, but it is great to see it happen.”

OSV NEWS PHOTO/COURTESY ST. BARNABAS SCHOOL

Eli Pac, left, Thomas Nguyen, Tessa Mize and Lauren Koleszar, all eighth graders at St. Barnabas School in Indianapolis, sit in their school’s computer classroom. They worked to develop a website and app that will help Hakha Chin Catholics in Indianapolis, Myanmar and around the world to pray and grow in their faith.

Senior Scholar finds joy in learning, free of the pressure of grades

By Lisa M. Hendey OSV News

With the deadline looming to select my Senior Scholar course for next term, I sit with pages of the university’s academic catalog arrayed about me.

My undergraduate peers at UCLA are choosing their classes after consulting a handy website that reviews professors as if they were products, but I simply print out the pages of my top choices.

As a Senior Scholar, I am not limited by prerequisites or frightened of tough graders. It is a delicious and new thing, to be concerned only with my own intellectual pleasures.

That I must limit myself to a single course saddens me, though; I feel like a child who can choose only one birthday gift. I’m greedy to learn more, to fill in so many gaps in my formal education.

A friend who knows me well is shocked when I consider taking “Cosmology: Origin, History and Fate of Universe.”

She texts: “Weren’t you a French major in

undergrad?” I reply with a verse from one of my favorite psalms: “Make known to me your ways, Lord; teach me your paths” (25:4).

The fact that I can barely make my way through the course description without consulting Wikipedia, however, eventually scares me off.

My husband’s hilarious suggestion that I audit “Scandinavian 138: Vikings” is ignored, and I forgo “Introduction to Screenwriting.”

It’s being taught via Zoom and after all the lockdowns, I desire a

lecture hall; I prefer to be present.

In the end, I apply for “History of Popular Music,’’ a class melding two of my passions. When another Senior Scholar I know decides to join me in the class, I imagine us taking walks across the quad, discussing what we’ve learned while younger students zip by us on skateboards, chasing their schedules.

Submitting my class choices, I couldn’t help but contemplate all the high school seniors who are fretting over college applications.

At their age, I’d applied to two colleges, both selected by my parents. I enjoyed my major and used my electives to study Russian and pursue a second major in political science. Back then, I took basic math and science courses to meet degree requirements. I wasn’t as concerned with looking for knowledge as I am now. I just wanted the easiest path to a degree.

While I regret none of my life decisions, I’ve often longed for the chance to have a do-over at my alma mater, the University of

Notre Dame. What a joy it would be to go back and study theology, to revel in philosophy and to lose myself in the stacks of the Hesburgh Libraries.

With one term as a Senior Scholar under my belt, I see how being set free of the pressures of grades and homework has made me a better student — one far more interested in everything and aware of what a blessing it is to be able to study, at all. To read and listen and ponder.

My initial interest in campus life was health related. Studies show

that lifelong learning can be associated with better memory and cognitive skills, improved mood, and better health and well-being. My recently deceased parents faced unique battles with early dementia, so I am vitally interested in promoting my own brain health.

But I discovered quickly last term that what had me up at night, poring over my textbooks or messaging classmates wasn’t my fear of early-onset disease. It was a passion for what we were studying.

In many ways, I feel like my brain is waking up from an extended nap. For years, I used it well to care for and support my family, to strive in my career and to function as a grownup in a complicated world. Now, curiosity compels me.

To live is to learn. “Love follows understanding,” wrote St. Catherine of Siena in her “Dialogue.” So perhaps to grow in learning is to grow in love.

Lisa M. Hendey is the founder of CatholicMom. com, and bestselling author. Visit her online at: www.LisaHendey.com.

COPYRIGHT © BY CLIFF LEITCH, THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE REFERENCE SITE, WWW.CHRISTIANBIBLEREFERENCE.ORG. USED BY PERMISSION

WEEKLY SPECIALS

The following will have Lenten dinners on all the Fridays of Lent, except Good Friday:

The St. Joseph Knights of Columbus, 11221 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, will host fish and shrimp dinners from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Cost is: $18 for shrimp; $13 for fish; $8 for seconds; $2 for a slice of cheese pizza; and $5 for three slices. Prepay online at: www. kofc2332.org. Bring a receipt to pick up.

St. Patrick Parish, 94th and State Ave., Kansas City Kansas, will host fish and shrimp dinners from 4:30 to 7 p.m. in the parish center. Cod, catfish and fried shrimp are $14. Boiled shrimp is $15. Drive through and carryout are available. Call (913) 5150621 for more information.

St. Pius X Parish, 5500 Woodson Rd., Mission, will host simple soup suppers at 6 p.m. in the Glowacki Room. Cost is a freewill donation.

Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish, Topeka, will host fish dinners from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the parish center, 1750 S.W. Stone Ave. Suggested donation is: $10 for ages 11 and older; $5 for ages 4-10; and free for ages 3 and younger. Maximum cost is $35 per household.

St. Michael the Archangel Leawood will host fish dinners from 4:45 to 6:45 p.m. in the parish hall, 14251 Nall Ave. Carryout is available. There will be smoked salmon, fried tilapia, fried shrimp, cheese pizza, fries, mac and cheese, rice, vegetables and dessert.

Prince of Peace Parish, 16000 W. 143rd, Olathe, will host all-you-can eat fish and shrimp dinners from 5 to 7 p.m. Cheese pizza, iced tea and desserts are also available. NCAA basketball will be televised.

Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish, 22779 Metcalf, Bucyrus, will host fish and shrimp dinners from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Cost is: $12 for fish or $17 for shrimp. Dinners served with potatoes, coleslaw, pizza and dessert. Carryout is available.

Sacred Heart Parish, Topeka, will host fish and shrimp dinners from 4 to 7 p.m. in the parish hall, 312 N.E. Freeman Ave. Cost is: $10 for adults; $5 for children 12 and under. Carryout is available. Call (785) 234-6727 for more information.

Church of the Ascension, 9510 W. 127th St, Overland Park, will host fish dinners from 5 to 7:30 p.m. in the parish hall. Cost is: $16 for adults; $7 for children ages 5 to 11; and free for children 4 and under. Carryouts are available.

Church of the Nativity, 3800 W. 119th St., Leawood will host fish and shrimp dinners from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Cost is: $14 for fish (adults); $6 for ages 5-12; and free for ages 4 and under. Large shrimp container costs $16; small is $9. Carryout and curbside are available. Go online to: KCFishFry.com for more information.

Holy Spirit Knights will host seafood dinners from 5 to 7 p.m. in St. Elizabeth

Hall, 11300 W. 103rd St., Overland Park. Cost for fish is: $15 for adults; $5 for ages 4 to 10; and $1 for children under 4. Family cost is $40. Shrimp and fish cost for adults is $20.

St. Gregory Parish, 1310 Carolina St., Marysville, will host fish dinners from 5 to 7 p.m. in the parish hall. Carryout is available.

St. Joseph Parish, Nortonville, will host fish and shrimp dinners from 5 to 7 p.m. There will be fried and baked fish, and fried shrimp. Cost is: $15 for adults; $5 for ages 4-10; and free for ages 3 and under.

Xavier Catholic School, 541 Muncie Rd., Leavenworth, will host fish dinners sponsored by Knights of Columbus from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Carryouts are available. There will be cod, tilapia, shrimp and more. Cost is: $13 for adults; $6 for children 6-12; and free for ages 5 and younger.

Good Shepherd Knights, 12800 W. 75th St., Shawnee, will host fish dinners from 5 to 7 p.m. Menu includes: tilapia, catfish, pizza and desserts. Cost is: $14 for adults; $12 for seniors 65 and older; $7 for ages 6 to 12; and free for ages 6 and under. Family of three is $35. Carryout is available.

Queen of the Holy Rosary, 7035 W. 71st St., Overland Park, will host Lenten dinners from 5 to 7 p.m. Cost is: $15 for adults; $8 for ages 12 and under. Menu includes: cod, shrimp, salmon (+$5), cheese pizza (child’s plate) and sides. Carryout is available.

Curé of Ars

Knights of Columbus will host fish dinners from 5 to 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria, 9403 Mission Rd., Leawood. Cost is: $15 for fish; $8 for pizza; and free for ages 5 and under. Carryout is available. See the parish bulletin for more details.

Church of the Holy Cross, 8311 W. 93rd St., Overland Park, will host Lenten dinners from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24 will be a meatless Italian dinner; March 31 will be fish tacos. Carryout is available on March 10, 17 and 24.

Sacred Heart Parish, 1100 West St., Tonganoxie, will host fish dinners from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Cost is: $10 for adults; $9 for senior citizens (60+); and $3 for ages 5-12. Spiced shrimp and fish dinners on March 10 and 31 only. Cost is: $15 for adults; $14 for senior citizens; and $7 for ages 5-12. Carryout is available.

St. Agnes Parish, 5130 Mission Rd. in Roeland Park, will host fish dinners from 5 to 7 p.m. Menu includes: catfish, baked fish, fish sticks, fish sandwich, sides and dessert. March 31 will feature a shrimp boil. Carryout is available.

Christ the King Parish , 5973 S.W. 25th St., Topeka , and Boy Scout Troop 11 will host Lenten dinners from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Visit the parish website at: ctktopeka.org for weekly menu details. The cost is a freewill donation with suggestions of $12 for adults and $8 for children. Carryout is available.

LIMITED-TIME DEALS

Holy Angels Parish, Garnett, will be serving shrimp and fish dinners on Feb. 24, March 10 and March 24 at the Garnett Knights Hall from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Cost is: $13 for adults; $5 for children ages 5-12; immediate family max is $50.

St. John the Baptist Parish, 708 N. 4th St., Kansas City Kansas, will host shrimp dinners beginning at 5:30 p.m. on March 3 and 24 in the gym. Cost is $20. RSVP by contacting the club at (913) 371-9690 or Larry Steele at (913) 956-2096.

St. Ann Parish, 7231 Mission Rd., Prairie Village, will host a fish dinner on March 3 and a shrimp boil on March 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Cost for fish is: $15 for adults; $10 for children. Cost for shrimp is: $20 for adults; $10 for children. Pizza is available for $1. Carryout is available.

Sacred Heart Parish Sabetha will have fish dinners from 5 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 24 and March 24. Cost is a freewill offering. The Sabetha Knights of Columbus will host.

The Holy Trinity Knights of Columbus will host a shrimp dinner from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on March 31 in the parish center, 13600 W. 92nd St., Lenexa. Carryout is available. For details, visit the website at: htknights.org, or call Ed Fogarty at (913) 207-7791 or Calvin Todd at (913) 207-3794.

St. Theresa Parish, 310 Oak Street, Perry, will host a drive-by fish fry from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on March 10. Menu includes fried fish, potatoes, mac and cheese, coleslaw and homemade cookies. Cost is $10. Call (785) 597-5558 or just drive by.

St. Dominic Parish, Holton, will host fish dinners beginning at 5 p.m. on Feb 24, March 10 and 24 in the parish hall. Carryout is available.

St. Francis Xavier Mayetta, will host fish dinners beginning at 5 p.m. on March 3, 17 and 31 in the parish hall. Carryout is available.

Knights of Columbus, Corning, will host a fish dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. on Feb. 24 at the Corning Community Center. The menu includes: fried pollock, cheesy potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, roll, dessert and a drink. Cost is a freewill donation.

Christ the King Parish, 3024 N. 53rd St., Kansas City, Kansas, will have fish tacos and bingo from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on March 3 and 31. Cost is $10. Dinner includes tacos or quesadillas, Mexican rice, chips, drink and dessert. Carryout is available. Go online to: ctkkcks.org/fish-tacos for more information.

Mater Dei Parish, 1114 S.W. 10th Ave., Topeka, will host Lenten dinners from 5 to 7 p.m. on Feb. 24, March 10 and 31.

The Kelly Knights of Columbus will have a fish dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. on March 3 in the St. Bede Parish hall. Cost is a freewill donation.

St. John the Baptist Parish, 406 S. Prairie, Greeley, will host fish dinners from 5 to 8 p.m. on March 3, 17 and 31 in the parish

hall. Menu includes: fried catfish, battered fish, baked fish and sides. Cost is: $12 for adults and teens; $6 for children ages 6-12; and free for ages 5 and under. Carryout is available.

St. John Paul II Parish, 18335 W. 168th Terr., Olathe, will host a fish dinner from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on March 24. The cost is a freewill donation. Menu includes fried and grilled fish, pizza and sides. Carryout is available.

Sacred Heart Knights of Columbus will host an all-you-can eat fish dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. on March 10 at 2646 S. 34th St., Kansas City, Kansas. Cost is: $11 for adults; $10 for seniors; and $6 for children under 12. Call Bob at (913) 850-3348 with questions.

Knights of Columbus will host fish and shrimp dinners from 4 to 7 p.m. on March 17 at St. John the Evangelist Church, 2910 Strong Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Cost is: $15 for a large plate and $10 for a small plate. Carryout is available. Annunciation Parish, 740 N. 6th St., Baldwin City, will host Lenten dinners from 5 to 7 p.m. on March 3 and 31. Menu includes: fried catfish and pollock, green beans, mac and cheese, hush puppies, coleslaw and desserts. Carryout is available.

Paxico Knights of Columbus will host a fish dinner beginning at 6 p.m. on March 3 at the Sacred Heart Parish hall, 22298 Newbury Rd., Paxico. Proceeds go to the religious education youth group.

Knights of Columbus, Blaine, will have a fish fry from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on March 10 at the St. Columbkille Parish hall. Carryout is available. Cost is a freewill donation.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Knights of Columbus will host fish dinners from 4 to 7 p.m. on March 3 and 31 at 216 N.E. Branner St., Topeka. Cost is: $8 for adults and $5 for kids 12 and under. Menu includes: fish, coleslaw, fries and a drink. Carryouts are available.

Mother Teresa Parish, 2014 N.W. 46th St., Topeka, will host Lenten dinners on Feb. 24, March 10, 17, 24 and 31 after the 5:30 p.m. Stations of the Cross. Cost is a freewill donation. Carryout is available.

St. Philip Neri Knights of Columbus will host fish dinners from 5 to 7 p.m. on Feb. 24 and March 10 in the church basement, 5th and Parker, Osawatomie. Delivery is available by calling (913) 271-7867. Menu includes: shrimp, baked or fried fish, hush puppies, green beans, potatoes, coleslaw and dessert.

Holy Angels Knights of Columbus, Basehor, will host a fish and shrimp dinner from 4 to 6 p.m. and from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on March 31 at Father Quinlan Hall, 15438 Leavenworth Rd.

NON-FRIDAY DEALS

St. Joseph Parish, 11311 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, will host a St. Joseph’s Table/ pasta dinner, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 5 in McDevitt Hall. Call Christine Marion at (913) 706-8860 for more information.

ASH WEDNESDAY

Leave the ‘Egypt’ of our hearts and return

By Paul Senz OSV News

One of the challenges we Catholics face is the way in which our liturgical calendar almost becomes like white noise in the background. There is such consistency in our liturgical year that we often don’t give much thought to the changing of the seasons, the feasts, the memorials, the solemnities, as they pass by.

But the seasons are there to help us mark the time, to help us consciously reflect on the mysteries in the life of Christ and in the life of the church.

Ash Wednesday kicks off the season of Lent, during which we prepare for the paschal mystery, the salvific suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus.

The 40-day period of prayer, fasting and almsgiving brings to mind and unites us with the Israelites’ 40 years in the desert, Noah’s 40 days in the ark and Christ’s 40 days in the desert before commencing his public ministry.

We are fallen and we all stray from the path to God. But we know God is forgiving, his mercy endures forever. During this holy and penitential season, we are called in a special way to face our sins, to get back on the right path and return to God.

As Pope Francis pointed out in his Ash Wednesday homily in 2021, “Lent is a journey of return to God.” In this light, the readings for Ash Wednesday are fitting, as they direct us toward the Lord, orient our minds to return to God.

In our first reading, from the prophet Joel, the Lord through his prophet exhorts us to return to him with our whole heart, with fasting, weeping and mourning. We are told that the Lord is gracious and merciful, a refrain we hear again in the responsorial psalm: “Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.”

God’s mercy is everlasting and perfect: All we need to do is accept the forgiveness he offers. Of course, this brings to mind the parable of the prodigal son (see Lk 15:11-32). God wants nothing more than to lovingly welcome us back into his embrace.

In the life of the church, and indeed the life of every Catholic, one of the most profound expressions of our journey of return to God is the sacrament of reconciliation.

During the season of Lent, this sacrament receives special attention, as Catholics around the world seek the Lord’s forgiveness in the lead-up to Easter.

Throughout salvation history, we hear again and again about humanity’s failings, God’s mercy and our return to him. The story is the same every time: God makes a covenant with his people, the people break the covenant and God forges a new covenant with them.

The story changes for good at the coming of Christ and his death and resurrection: We are now united to God in a

“new and eternal covenant” in the blood of Jesus.

We can still individually mess up our relationship with God, but the sacrament of reconciliation has been given to us to right those wrongs. Like the prodigal son, we need only to accept the forgiveness that is already and always being offered to us.

It is never too early to seek and accept the forgiveness of God. In fact, the time is now.

In his Ash Wednesday homily, Pope Francis emphasized the urgency of returning to God. “In this life, we will always have things to do and excuses to offer, but right now, brothers and sisters, right now is the time to return to God,” he said.

We can see this in the second reading, as well, wherein St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” The only reason we can find to delay seeking God’s mercy is our selfishness, our own attachment to sin.

In his “Confessions,” St. Augustine recounts that he would often pray asking God to make him chaste, “but not yet.” How many of us can relate to this prayer?

It is easy for us to talk about a return to

God — and easy for us to say that we want to! But sometimes in practice, it is not so easy. We don’t always want what is best for us.

The Israelites’ 40-year excursion in the desert was certainly no easy task, and at times, they even yearned for the days of their enslavement in Egypt.

Pope Francis makes reference to this in the same Ash Wednesday homily:

“How difficult it was to leave Egypt! It was more difficult for God’s people to leave the Egypt of the heart, that Egypt they carried with them, than to leave the land of Egypt. It is hard to leave Egypt behind. During their journey, there was an ever-present temptation to yearn for leeks, to turn back, to cling to memories of the past or to this or that idol.

“So it is with us: Our journey back to God is blocked by our unhealthy attachments, held back by the seductive snares of our sins, by the false security of money and appearances, by the paralysis of our discontents.”

Ash Wednesday is our annual reminder that we are dust, and unto dust we shall return. So, the time is now to return to God, to turn away from sin and accept his mercy.

We look at the ashes and see the

fleeting nature of physical things — “sic transit gloria mundi” (“thus passes the glory of the world”) — and remember the eternal, unchanging God who

Pope Francis gives ashes to a cleric as he celebrates Ash Wednesday Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Feb. 17, 2021. Pope Francis pointed out of return to God.”

In the life of the church, one of the most profound expressions rament of reconciliation. The sacrament provides us tions and conscience, to “come clean” with God so we

WEDNESDAY return to God

Jesus often comes to us ‘in his most distressing disguise’

By Effie Caldarola OSV News

Jesus, as I make the 40-day pilgrimage through Lent, I ask that my journey may always be at your side. My one Lenten goal, indeed the one goal of my life, is to enter into a relationship with you. What I do, the time I give to prayer, the sacrifices I make — I ask that all may be done as a way of growing in my closeness to you, my friendship with you, my risen Lord.

During Lent, I find myself called to Chapter 25, verses 31-46, of the Gospel of Matthew. In this reading, Jesus, you tell your friends what is necessary to make the kingdom of God our heritage. You didn’t lay down onerous, bureaucratic rules, or ask us to memorize catechism pages, or become great theologians and scholars.

Instead, you made what was expected of us clear in practical and very human terms: to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty, visit the sick and the imprisoned.

Jesus, every day of Lent, I might revisit Matthew 25 and ask: How am I doing in following these commands? I am especially aware in this reading of something remarkable: When I visit the sick or feed the hungry, I’m not doing it solely for the individual in need. I am quite literally doing it for you.

In the words of St. Teresa of Kolkata, Jesus often comes to us “in his most distressing disguise,” the poor. And if that’s where you are, then that’s where I should be, in relationship with you.

And in meeting the poor, I am also becoming Christ. As St. Teresa of Avila said, “Christ has no body now on earth but yours. . . . Yours are the hands with which he blesses all the world.”

During this Lent, I find myself in a world often consumed by anger and vitriol toward others. Sometimes I even find a slow burn of anger in my own heart.

Sometimes the “other” is she who doesn’t agree with me politically. Sometimes the “other” is he who is an immigrant, a refugee, a person who doesn’t look like me. Sometimes the “other” are those who try to impose their beliefs on me.

Even within the church, people point fingers and feel anger, selfrighteousness, certainty and rigidity about their own ideas. Whose side do I take?

expressions of our journey of return to God is the

opportunities to continue to examine our intenwe may move ahead refreshed, abundantly blessed.

wants to welcome us home.

Senz is a freelance writer living in Oklahoma with his family.

Jesus, I take your side. And you always reached out to all of us. You eschewed violence, hypocrisy, selfimportance. You pointed to the tax collector at the back of the Temple, not the self-righteous Pharisee proclaiming his goodness in the front (Lk 18:9-14).

You spoke of love, not a saccharine,

greeting card kind of love, but the gritty and hard love that reaches across barriers between people and shows itself in service.

Sometimes at the beginning of Lent, I ponder what I should “do” for Lent.

Giving up chocolate or a nightly glass of wine may strengthen and discipline me. But, in my heart, I must ask the basic question: What leads me to the heart of Jesus? This is my life’s sole destination.

Help me to spend time daily in silent prayer. Guide me to the help I need with this. Have I been wanting a spiritual director but procrastinating in this desire? Do I find excuses for setting aside prayer time? Do I want to give more, but find my own wants getting in the way of generosity and service? Let this Lent be a time to move forward.

Lord, you are the companion I seek, my life’s destination. Help me to be with you this Lent in prayer and service.

Caldarola is a freelance writer and a columnist for

OSV News.

CNS PHOTO/VATICAN MEDIA in a homily for Ash Wednesday, “Lent is a journey

CNS PHOTO/CHAZ MUTH

sacwith

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

A man prays during the World Day of Migrants and Refugees Mass on Sept. 25, 2022, at St. Patrick Church in Kansas City, Kansas. This Lent, how will you find time for prayer?

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

Brother Israel of the Crucified Lord, PJC, speaks with a man outside of the Hope Faith ministry, a day shelter at the corner of Admiral Blvd. and Virginia St. in Kansas City, Missouri, where many of those living on the streets gather. During this Lenten season, it’s important to remember that you can find Jesus in the most unlikely of places.

CHRIST HAS NO BODY NOW ON EARTH BUT YOURS. . . . YOURS ARE THE HANDS WITH WHICH HE BLESSES ALL THE WORLD. ST. TERESA OF AVILA

Ortega releases some priest-prisoners but sentences bishop

By Liz Chandler OSV News

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (OSV News)

— Two Catholic priests imprisoned in Nicaragua since August arrived in Charlotte late Feb. 12 to hugs and tears from family and friends, after their release and deportation to the United States Feb. 9.

Fathers Ramiro Tijerino and Óscar Danilo Benavidez, both of Nicaragua, were among 222 political prisoners exiled from the country by President Daniel Ortega. Their release came after what the U.S. government said were concerted diplomatic efforts.

Mayra Tijerino, a parishioner at St. Matthew in Charlotte, flew to Washington to bring her brother and his fellow priest to her home in the Charlotte area.

The parish, which has been praying for him and his fellow political prisoners since their imprisonment last August, shared the good news of the priests’ return at Sunday Masses, and two dozen well-wishers turned out to greet them at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.

“I am thankful to God,” Father Tijerino’s mother said, near tears as she and her husband positioned themselves at the bottom of an escalator that would soon deliver their son.

“He’s coming!” a boy cried, spotting Father Tijerino, his uncle, descending toward him.

Well-wishers unfurled blue-andwhite Nicaraguan flags as they greeted the priests, who appeared generally fit — and all smiles.

“There were some hard months but thanks to God and the prayers of this parish, we were given the strength to endure,” Father Tijerino said, working his way through a receiving line in baggage claim.

Father Benavidez was embraced as if he were family, too. “God bless the parish,” he said. “I am grateful to this diocese, and to the parish, and to the faithful whose prayers sustained us.”

Both priests said they were not physically mistreated in prison but noted emotional and psychological stress caused by such tactics as leaving the

lights on for two straight months, then off for a month.

“They gave us food,” Father Tijerino said, “and the medical care wasn’t the best, but it was there.”

Father John Allen, parochial administrator of St. Matthew Parish, hugged his fellow priests and pledged to help with anything they needed. He has arranged for a physician to see both priests during the coming week and is planning a Mass of Thanksgiving at an appropriate time.

“Today is a joyous day for their family and friends, and we look for-

ward to celebrating with them at St. Matthew,” Father Allen said. “As witness to the power of prayer, we will continue to pray for Bishop Álvarez who remains imprisoned and in danger.”

Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa — a vocal critic of the Nicaraguan government who was forcefully put under house arrest in August — refused to board the Feb. 9 flight carrying the group of political prisoners to the United States, according to Ortega, who says the prelate wanted to meet first with his fellow bishops. The bishop was subsequently moved from

house arrest, where he had languished incommunicado for five months, to a prison notorious for deplorable conditions.

On Feb. 10, Bishop Álvarez was convicted and sentenced by a Nicaraguan court to 26 years in prison. The court convicted the bishop on charges of conspiracy to undermine national integrity and spreading false information after a secret trial in which he was denied a lawyer of his choosing. He was also stripped of his Nicaraguan citizenship and prohibited from holding elected office or a public position.

Bishop Álvarez was not present as Judge Octavio Rothschuh delivered the decision over state-controlled media.

In his Sunday morning message Feb. 12, Pope Francis invited the faithful to pray and expressed sadness over the continued detention of Bishop Álvarez. He issued an appeal for Nicaraguan leaders “to open their hearts” in search of peace and to engage in dialogue.

As an independent institution trusted by a large portion of Nicaraguans, the church is a threat to Ortega’s increasingly authoritarian rule. Student protests intensified last spring and numerous Catholic and other religious leaders were among those detained during a crackdown last summer.

“I am grateful to God for bringing me here, and I am happy to see my family,” Father Tijerino said Feb. 12, kissing his infant nephew Eduardo, whom he was meeting for the first time.

“I knew I would see them again — I just didn’t know when,” he told the Catholic News Herald, Charlotte’s diocesan newspaper. “I want to thank the Catholic community of Charlotte for their prayers of support for me, and I hope we will remember and continue to bring strength to the prisoners who remain in Nicaragua.”

OSV NEWS PHOTO/LIZ CHANDLER, CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

Father Ramiro Tijerino greets his nephew Andres at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina Feb. 12, 2023, after being released about five days earlier by the Nicaraguan government. Father Tijerino was among 222 political prisoners released by President Daniel Ortega Feb. 9 and flown to the United States on a plane to Dulles International Airport just outside Washington.

OSV NEWS PHOTO/MAYNOR VALENZUELA, REUTERS Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa, Nicaragua, a frequent critic of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, prays at a Catholic church in Managua May 20, 2022. A Nicaraguan court sentenced Bishop Álvarez to more than 26 years in prison Feb. 10, for conspiracy and spreading false information.

BEREAVEMENT MEETING

Curé of Ars Parish

9405 Mission Rd., Leawood

Feb. 18 at 8 a.m.

The bereavement ministry will have a grief support meeting in the Father Burak Room after the 8 a.m. Mass. A grief counselor will speak. For more information, call (913) 649-2026.

CURSILLO 2023 WINTER RETREAT

St. Joseph Parish

11311 Johnson Dr., Shawnee

Feb. 18 from 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

There will be breakfast and lunch, talks and discussions, relic and miracle panels, Benediction and adoration. Attendees have the option at 7:45 a.m. to join the parish community in the church for the rosary, Mass and chaplet of Divine Mercy before the 9 a.m. check-in. The cost is $25. Register and pay online at: www.CursilloKCKS. com. Pay at the door is also available. Question? Email: cursillokcks@gmail.com.

SOUP LUNCHEON

St. Patrick Parish, Scranton

Carbondale Elm Community Bldg.

228 Main St., Carbondale

Feb. 19 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

There will be a dance area, photo booth, special dining lights and festive decorations. The cost for the luncheon is a freewill donation.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST

St. Bede Parish

7344 Drought St., Kelly

Feb. 19 from 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Join us for our annual breakfast. There will be chicken noodle, ham and beans and vegetarian potato soup along with cornbread, crackers, cookie and a drink. Takeout meals will be available. Take photos and dance if your toes get to tapping! The cost is a freewill donation that will benefit the Scranton St. Patrick’s new hall fund.

ROSARY RALLY IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA

St. Joseph Parish

11311 Johnson Dr., Shawnee

Feb. 19 from 3 - 4:15 p.m.

We will pray the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries of the rosary. Benediction will follow, as well as an opportunity for attendees to enroll in the brown scapular. For more information, visit the website at: www.rosaryrallieskc.org.

MARDI GRAS AT THE CATHEDRAL

The Cathedral of St. Peter

416 N. 14th St., Kansas City, Kansas

Feb. 19 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Come celebrate the last Sunday before Lent at the cathedral and enjoy a delicious spaghetti dinner. A freewill offering is requested for the dinner. Takeout is available. There will also be several great prizes to be raffled at the event. Raffle

tickets will be available for purchase at the event. Proceeds will go to support future programming at the cathedral. For more information, call (913) 371-0840 or visit the website at: www.cathedralkck.org.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST

St. Patrick Parish (center)

1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas

Feb. 19 from 8 - 11 a.m.

The Knights of Columbus Bicentennial Council 6781 breakfast will feature pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, and biscuits and gravy. Juice and fresh coffee are included. Proceeds benefit The Keeler Women’s Center — a Benedictine Sisters ministry in Kansas City, Kansas. The cost is a freewill donation.

‘PRAYING THE LENTEN SCRIPTURES’

Sophia Spirituality Center

Online

Feb. 23, March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30

Pray the Sunday Gospels of Lent with others using techniques such as centering prayer, lectio divina and guided meditation to listen with the ear of our hearts for inspiration from the reading, from the Spirit and from one another. The fee is $60 for the series.

HEARTACHE TO HEALING

Church of the Ascension (St. John’s Room)

9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park

Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m.

Come join us for a game night and make new friends as we play blackjack, Jenga, spades, swoop, dominoes and more. We begin with prayer, introductions and a bit about our group and upcoming events. Feel free to bring an appetizer and/or beverage to share. For more information and to RSVP, send an email to Laura at: khaeus1@hotmail.com; Heather at: hmbimpens@gmail.com; or Damon at: dmaon452@yahoo.com. An RSVP is appreciated, but not necessary.

‘ABIDING IN CHRIST - A LENTEN JOURNEY OF THE HEART’

Sophia Spirituality Center

751 S. 8th St., Atchison

Feb. 24 at 3 p.m. through Feb. 25 at 4 p.m.

To abide in Christ means to keep in constant close communion with him, lean on him, rest in him, pour out our hearts and experience him as our fountain of life and strength. As you enter into Lent, reflect on Jesus in your life through silence, lectio divina, reflection and sharing. The fee is $150 which includes a private room and meals.

LENTEN SILENT RETREAT:

‘PENETRATING MYSTICAL TRUTH’

Christ’s Peace House of Prayer

22131 Meager Rd., Easton

Feb. 24 at 5:30 p.m. - Feb. 25 at 4:30 p.m.

Start your Lent with a deep understanding of the mystical, with insight and practical usefulness. This retreat will give you

an overview of the brilliant vision, helping know the Christian mystical vision of truth. The more deeply you comprehend mystical truth, the more you will be transformed by its power. There will be conferences, eucharistic adoration, confession, and time for private prayer, reflection and walking. Cabins/courtyard rooms: $170 single/$250 couple or single guest rooms $100. To attend, fill out the form online at: Christs Peace.com or call (913) 773-8255.

FINISH FAITHFUL CONFERENCE

St. Michael the Archangel Parish (hall) 14251 Nall Ave., Leawood Feb. 25 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

All things preplanning for your legacy will be presented by six speakers on different topics. To register and for an agenda, go online to: archkck.org/finishfaithfulregistration or call Terri Lynn in the archdiocesan office of stewardship and development at (913) 647-0365.

DAUGHTERS OF ISABELLA LITTLE FLOWER CIRCLE

Christ the King Parish (Yadrich Hall) 5972 S.W. 25th St., Topeka

Feb. 26 at 12:30 p.m.

A rosary will be followed by a potluck lunch and business meeting and will include a celebration of the circle’s birthday. If anyone knows of a member or family member of Daughters of Isabella in need of the circle’s prayers, call Diana Ortiz at (785) 554-4256 or chancellor Gen Orozco at (785) 213-0374.

BEEF AND NOODLE DINNER

St. Mary Parish (multipurpose room)

240 N. Commercial St., Neosho

Feb. 26 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

There will be homemade beef and noodles, mashed potatoes, vegetables, salad, dessert and drink. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for kids under 10. There will also be a drawing for lots of wonderful prizes. Get your tickets at the door!

CALLED TO LOVE AGAIN DIVORCE MINISTRY

Church of the Ascension (St. Luke’s Room)

9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park

March 4 at 6 p.m.

Are you divorced and feeling lost and alone? The church welcomes you and offers healing. Please join us for formation and fellowship.

LENTEN RETREAT: REFLECTION AND SERVICE

Unbound

1 Elmwood Pl., Kansas City, Kansas Feb. 25 from 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Join us for a day of fellowship, learning and reflection as you begin the Lenten season. This retreat will guide you on the spiritual journey of sponsorship and service to others and give you the opportunity to walk in the shoes of the poor and marginalized. Unbound and Father John

Anglin, OFM, will lead prayer and group discussions, an exploration of Unbound’s Experience Center and a unique international poverty simulation. Coffee and fellowship begin at 9:30 a.m., lunch will be provided and an optional Mass will be celebrated at 4 p.m. RSVP online by Feb. 17 to Bernetta at: bernettam@unbound.org or call (913) 827-4176 and provide any dietary restriction in your RSVP. There is no registration fee or cost to attend.

BACH CONCERTS

Hope Lutheran 6308 Quivira Rd., Shawnee

Feb. 26 at 4 p.m.

Dr. Douglas O’Neill, director of formation in sacred music and liturgy at Christ the King School in Kansas City, Kansas, will perform the third in a series of the complete organ works of J.S. Bach. Works will include “Prelude and Fugue in A Major,” “Neumeister Chorals” and “Prelude and Fugue in A Minor.”

LENTEN BUSY PERSON RETREAT

Marillac Center

4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth

Feb. 26 - March 31

Retreat-goers will have the opportunity to meet once a week at your convenience with a Sister. At the beginning of the retreat, materials and resources will be provided for your private prayer. If you would like to participate in this retreat, contact Sister Sharon Smith by email at: ssmith@scls.org by Feb. 17. The cost is a freewill offering.

WOMEN’S CONFERENCE ON HEALING AND FORGIVENESS

Holy Trinity Parish

13615 W. 92nd St., Lenexa

May 4 from 5 - 9:30 p.m.

May 5 from 2:30 - 4 p.m. and 6 - 10 p.m. May 6 from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Come join us to experience Christ’s divine mercy and the power of healing and forgiveness in your life. We will have several inspirational speakers, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic adoration and opportunities for reconciliation. There will also be a wine and cheese social on Friday evening. The early registration cost of $85 ends March 19. The registration fee after that will be $125. For more information, visit the website at: CatholicWomens ConferenceKC.com.

BLOOD DRIVE

Savior Pastor Center (gym)

12601 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kansas March 8 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Give blood in March and get a $10 prepaid Visa card by email. Plus, get a chance to win a $3000 prepaid Visa card to help with gas or grocery expenses. You could be one of five lucky winners. Lend an arm; we’ll lend a hand. For more information, go online to: rcblood.org/help. To register, go online to: www.redcrossblood.org/ give and enter 66109 into the area code. Scroll down until you find Savior Pastoral Center.

EMPLOYMENT

Catholic financial planners – The Knights of Columbus Mahon Agency has openings in NE Kansas and western Missouri, covering areas in and around Kansas City, Kansas; Kansas City, Missouri; northern Missouri; Topeka; and Atchison. We have much to offer determined, disciplined and high-expectation professionals who would like to share needed life insurance, disability income, long-term care and annuity products with other Catholic individuals and families. This is a full-time position with excellent, multitiered training and benefits, allowing the successful field agent to earn a professional level income. This is an exciting career opportunity that may be the right fit at the right time for you or someone you know. For further information, contact John A. Mahon at (785) 408-8800, or at: john.mahon@kofc.org.

Three- to six-year-olds guide - As Our Lady’s Montessori School continues to grow, we are seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated Catholic to serve as a primary lead guide, trained in the 3- to 6-year-olds Montessori Method. We are looking for someone who has a deep love for God and a deep love for children. Experience with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is preferable but not required. All employees are expected to fully support the teachings of the Catholic Church. Montessori training opportunities may be available. Please complete an application found at: olmskc.org/job-opportunities and submit a cover letter and a resume to: jwallace@olmskc.org.

Junior agriculture loan officer position - Exchange Bank & Trust which is the “Oldest Bank in Kansas” is seeking a full-time ag loan officer who will make and service loans of any type directly or indirectly related to agriculture and keeps abreast of agricultural loan trends. This is a position which would offer a senior loan officer giving direction and guidance as you work into the position. The primary markets served include Atchison, Leavenworth, Doniphan and Wyandotte counties in Kansas and Buchanan and Platte County in Missouri. We prefer a candidate with an agriculture background. Benefits include competitive compensation, generous bonus potential, health insurance, 401(k) and profit sharing. Salary $40,000 - $50,000. For more information or to apply, email resume to: bhawk@myexchangebank.com.

Full-time lead teacher - Prince of Peace Early Education Center is seeking a year-round, full-time lead teacher in our preschool (3-year-olds) classroom who has a love for children and a background in early childhood (education and/or experience required). Job duties include: care and supervision of children at all times; face-to-face parent communication; closing and cleaning procedures; and creating and implementing lesson plans and activities. This position is available upon completion of orientation and training. We offer competitive wages based on education level and experience. Please email or send resume to: jwessel@popolathe.org.

Case manager/social worker/human services job openings – Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph is conducting a search to fill the following open program positions: Children and family services program: family development specialist — Social Butterflies, Kansas City office; family development specialist — Moms Empowerment, St. Joseph office; Veteran services program : housing case manager, St. Joseph office; program specialist, Kansas City office; and housing specialist, Kansas City office. To learn more about these positions or to apply, please visit: catholiccharities-kcsj.org/, select the “Get Involved” tab and then “Careers” from the drop-down menu or call Lynn Lichte, director of human resources, at (816) 659-8220.

Catholic elementary school principal – Holy Family School in Topeka is seeking an individual with demonstrated skill in spiritual, academic and advancement, particularly in the area of enrollment management leadership for the 2023-24 school year. Ability to understand and speak Spanish is a plus. Holy Family has approximately 150 students in K - 8th grades and 14 preschoolers taught by 13 teachers. Applicants for principal must be practicing Catholics, understand the mission of Catholic schools and have or be eligible for Kansas licensure in educational leadership. Please apply online at: www.archkckcs.org and send resume and credentials to: Superintendent Dr. Vince Cascone, Catholic schools office, via email to: vcascone@ archkckcs.org. Deadline for applications is Feb. 28.

Board members - Santa Marta, Johnson County’s premier life care community sponsored by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, is actively seeking board members for the current term. Applicants selected will begin serving April 1. The board meets during the business day six times a year, and each board member also serves on a committee that meets six to 12 times a year. We are seeking applicants who have experience serving on a not-forprofit board and a concern for our senior citizens. In particular, we are seeking individuals who have a background in law, board governance and finance to serve a three-year term with the option to extend for a second three-year term. Those who wish to be considered for appointment to the board are encouraged to submit a letter of interest, resume or details of relevant experience and home parish to Heidi Abeln at: habeln@santamartaretirement.com by Feb. 28. Any questions regarding the application process can also be emailed to this address. Be sure to include your phone number and mailing address. Additional information about Santa Marta can be viewed at: www. santamartaretirement.com.

Girls basketball coach - Bishop Miege High School is seeking a head girls basketball coach for the 202324 winter season. To apply, contact Joe Schramp, athletic director, at: jschramp@bishopmiege.com or (913) 222-5802.

Catholic elementary school principal – Sacred Heart School in Emporia is seeking a highly motivated individual with demonstrated skill in spiritual and academic leadership of both students and staff. In addition, familiarity with enrollment management, technology and the tithing/stewardship model would be considered especially desirable.

Sacred Heart has approximately 61 students in K5th grades taught by nine teachers. Applicants for principal must be practicing Catholics, understand the mission of Catholic schools, and have or be eligible for Kansas licensure in educational leadership. Please apply online at: www.archkckcs.org and send resume and credentials to: Superintendent Dr. Vince Cascone, Catholic schools office, via email to: vcascone@archkckcs.org. For specific questions regarding the school or parish, please contact Father Carter Zielinski at: czielinski@archkck.org.

Director of campus ministry - St. James Academy is looking for an experienced director of campus ministry for the 2023-24 school year who will work to implement the school’s vision for faith and mission. The ideal candidate would be an individual who is prayerful, faithful to the teachings of the magisterium of the Catholic Church, trained in Catholic youth ministry and possesses a degree in ministry or theology. We are looking for an individual who will offer gifts in leadership, organization, communication, ministry and spirituality and who finds joy in working with young people and adults. Interested candidates should email a resume and cover letter to Debbie Nearmyer, vice president of faith and mission, at: dnearmyer@sjakeepingfaith.org.

Full-time educators - Are you a caring, compassionate educator looking to make a lasting, positive impact on the lives of young students? Have you been searching for a place where family and community take center stage? We’re looking for full-time teachers to join our team of long-serving, dedicated professionals who spend their days sparking learning and creating joy. Christ the King Early Education Center is looking for a fun, energetic individual to care for and teach our early learners the word of God and to prepare them for preschool. Must have formal child care experience. Must be a team player. If you’re ready to move into a career that makes a difference, and you consider yourself a natural, empathetic leader, have work experience and/or educational background in ECE (CDA or higher preferred), are a strong verbal and written communicator, can physically complete the tasks necessary to care for small children, and agree with and can deliver on our mission to provide exceptional care and learning with compassion and heart, then you’re the type of person we are looking for. At Christ the King Early Education Center, our mission is to invoke a passion for lifelong learning and light a fire toward a loving God while building a strong relationship with friends, families and the community we live in. Core values: compassion, tools for success in life, knowledge, ethics, environment and a child’s belief in a loving God. Perks and benefits: health plan, prescription plan, dental plan, eye plan, health savings or FSA, dependent care FSA, life insurance, 401(k) matched up to 4% annually, Tria Health coverage, paid sick and vacation and paid holidays, birthday and work anniversary gifts; fun, entertaining environment; supportive and helpful parents of our clients. Job types: full time. Salary from $14 - $16 per hour. Schedule: four 10-hour days, Monday-Friday Education: High school or equivalent (required); Experience: teaching: one year (required). Work location: 5973 S.W. 25th St., Topeka, KS 66614. Contact information: Ctkeec@gmail.com, or (785) 272-2999.

Job fair - St. Joseph Early Education Center will be having a job fair on Feb. 25 from 9 a.m. - noon. We are looking for interested and dedicated individuals who would be willing to work with infants in our center. Salary is competitive with the field and benefits are outstanding. Anyone wishing to interview should come to our center at 11525 Johnson Drive in Shawnee. Please have a resume of your experiences. If you have any questions, call Ms. Theresa or Ms. Susan (center director and assistant director) at (913) 248-4588.

Spanish teacher - St. James Academy is seeking a full-time Spanish teacher for the 2023-24 school year. Ideal candidates will be practicing Catholics with a passion for evangelization and discipleship who are licensed, experienced, secondary Spanish teachers. Those interested should apply at: archkck.org/catholicschools/employment/teacherapplication-page/ and send a cover letter and resume to the St. James principal, Dr. Shane Rapp, at: srapp@ sjakeepingfaith.org.

Janitorial assistant - Queen of the Holy Rosary-Wea is seeking a janitorial assistant. This is a full-time position. Work hours are flexible and can be negotiated with the employee’s supervisor. Basic duties include general cleaning of the church, school and adoration chapel. For a full job description or to apply for this position, please visit: archkck.org/jobs.

Elementary assistant - Our Lady’s Montessori School is seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated Catholic to serve as an assistant in an elementary classroom. We are looking for someone who has a deep love for God and a deep love for children. Experience with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is preferable but not required. All employees are expected to fully support the teachings of the Catholic Church. In order to request an application, please submit a cover letter and a resume to: jwallace@olmskc.org.

Part-time educators - Are you a caring, compassionate educator looking to make a lasting, positive impact on the lives of young students? Have you been searching for a place where family and community take center stage? We’re looking for part-time teachers to join our team of long-serving, dedicated professionals who spend their days sparking learning and creating joy.

Christ the King Early Education Center is looking for a fun, energetic individual to care for and teach our early learners the word of God and to prepare them for preschool. Must have formal child care experience. Must be a team player. If you’re ready to move into a career that makes a difference, and you consider yourself a natural, empathetic leader, have work experience and/or educational background in ECE (CDA or higher preferred), are a strong verbal and written communicator, can physically complete the tasks necessary to care for small children, and agree with and can deliver on our mission to provide exceptional care and learning with compassion and heart, then you’re the type of person we are looking for. At Christ the King Early Education Center, our mission is to invoke a passion for lifelong learning and light a fire toward a loving God while building a strong relationship with friends, families, and the community we live in. Core values: compassion, tools for success in life, knowledge, ethics, environment, and a child’s belief in a loving God. Salary: from $12 per hour up to $15. Schedule: after school and/or 12-week summer camp; Monday to Friday. Experience: one year of child care (required); license/certification in first aid (preferred); and CPR certification (preferred). Work location: 5973 S.W. 25th St., Topeka, KS 66614. Contact information: Ctkeec@gmail. com or (785) 272-2999.

Director of development - The Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) transforms the lives of children and their families by providing access to education for atrisk students at the lowest poverty levels. The director of development is a full-time position reporting to the executive director, responsible for cultivating and securing contributions from donors to meet annual fundraising goals. To see a full job description or to apply, please visit: https://archkck.org/jobs.

Principal - Our Lady’s Montessori School is seeking to hire a principal with a knowledge of Montessori education and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Qualities must include a love for the Catholic faith and children, and be willing to collaborate with the SOLT Sisters to help the Catholic identity and the SOLT charism of the school thrive. Qualifications we are looking for: experience in formation of children; management of faculty; organizational and leadership skills; and excellent written and verbal communication skills. To request an application, submit a cover letter and a resume to: jwallace@olmskc.org.

Extended day care position - Holy Spirit Catholic School in Overland Park is seeking an enthusiastic person to be the group leader in our after-school care program. This well-established program runs from 3 - 5:45 p.m. each school day. We are looking for a faith-filled, responsible, organized and creative person. Applicants should have knowledge of child development and be able to implement age-appropriate activities. The ability to communicate clearly with children, colleagues and parents is most important in order to foster positive relationships. Applicants must attend Virtus training, ongoing childcare training and be at least 18 years old. Contact Tessa Piscitello at (913) 492-2582 or email: tpiscitello@hs catholic.org for more information.

Early childhood educators – With multiple locations in Johnson County, Special Beginnings Early Learning Center provides high quality child care in a safe, loving Christian environment. Our classrooms are full, and we are looking to add to our amazing team. We are looking for both full-time and part-time teachers for all ages of children. If you have an excellent work ethic, a heart for children and a willingness to learn more about early childhood education, we would love to meet you. For more information or to apply, call Carolyn Andruss at (913) 894-0131, ext. 102. Staff job openings - Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, has the following staff job openings available: Director of Development and vice president of business affairs/CEO chief financial officer. Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/ careers.

Elementary lead - Our Lady’s Montessori School is seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated Catholic, AMI trained 6 - 12, to lead our upper elementary classroom ages 9 - 12. We are looking for someone who has a deep love for God and a deep love for learning. Experience with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is preferable but not required. All employees are expected to fully support the teachings of the Catholic Church. In order to request an application, please submit a cover letter and a resume to: jwallace@olmskc.org.

Administrative assistant for the office of marriage and family life and the office of children’s catechesis - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking to fill a full-time position of administrative assistant that serves the office of marriage and family life and the office of children’s catechesis. This position will be based upon a work week of 40 hours per week and is located at the chancery office. To see a full job description or to apply for this position, please visit: https://archkck.org/jobs.

Administrative assistant – St. Joseph Early Education Center in Shawnee is seeking a full-time administrative assistant. Interested individuals should email cover letter and resume to Melissa Thomas at: mthomas@stjoeshawnee.org. For more information, you can call (913) 631-0800.

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

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

After-school care provider - St. Michael the Archangel School is looking for a part-time after-school care provider. Monday through Friday, 3:30 - 6 p.m., on days school is in session. Duties include gathering students when school is out; planning activities for students in program; monitoring and assisting children while in program; releasing to parent or guardian at the end of the day; and picking up the space at the end of the day. Must work well with children and parents. Email your resume to the principal, Diana Tate, to apply: diana.tate@stmichaelcp.org.

Drivers and aides - Assisted Transportation is now hiring safe drivers and aides to transport students with special needs in Johnson, Wyandotte and Clay County, Missouri, in company vans. Drivers earn $14 - $16 per hour. Aides earn $12 per hour. Part-time and full-time schedules available. CDL not required. Retirees encouraged to apply. Make a difference in your community by helping those in need. Call (913) 5214955 for more information. EEO.

Faculty and adjunct faculty job openings - Donnelly College, Kansas City, Kansas, a Catholic college offering higher education for those who may not otherwise be served. Faculty job openings include: Nursing school and professor of philosophy. Adjunct faculty job openings: biology, clinical nursing supervisor, information systems coordinator and math. Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/careers

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Popcorn ceiling texture removal Interior painting Call Jerry at (913) 206-1144. 30 years’ experience. Member St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee. Local handyman - Painting int. and ext., wood rot, masonry (chimney repair), gutter cleaning (gutter covers), dryer vent cleaning, sump pump (replace, add new), windows, doors (interior and exterior) honey-do list, window cleaning and more! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118.

HOME REMODELING & MAINTENANCE

Kitchens, baths, interior & exterior work Licensed & insured - Shawnee & Lenexa area. 913-927-5240 or: dknelson2001@gmail.com

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.

EL SOL Y LA TIERRA

*COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL

*LAWN RENOVATION *MOWING

*CLEANUP AND HAULING

*DIRT GRADING/INSTALLATION

*LANDSCAPE DESIGN* FREE ESTIMATES

HABLAMOS Y ESCRIBIMOS INGLES!! CALL LUPE AT (816) 252-1391

Painting - Diamond Painting, (913) 648-4933, Residential/Commercial, Exterior/interior, Free Estimate, Affordable, Decks, DiamondPaintKc.com. KCMO/ Overland Park Metropolitan area.

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) 5791835. Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.

Thanks, everyone, for a great last year - This year, I am targeting kitchen/bathroom and basement remodeling, from start to finish. Also decks, covered decks, porches, sunrooms and room additions! We also do a ton of tile, ceiling retexturing and flooring. Full exterior painting, staining and wood rot. We are also offering design consultations which are free with signed contract. If you’re not sure we do it, just call. From my family to yours, thank you for supporting my small business. Please call Josh at (913) 709-7230.

>> Classifieds continue on page 13

FEBRUARY

PILGRIMAGE

Pilgrimage to Medjugorje - May 10 - 18 or May 20 - 28, 2023. The cost is $2500 per person, which includes airfare, bus transportation, accommodations, two meals per day and daily local guides. Hosted by visionary Mirjana Loldo. For details, call Grace Legaspi at (913) 449-1806.

SERVICES

Memory quilts - Preserve your memories in a keepsake quality quilt, pillows, etc. Custom designed from your T-shirt collection, baby clothes, sports memorabilia, neckties . . . Quilted Memories. (913) 649-2704. WELLERBEEF.COM - Local, Catholic, family farm. No antibiotics/hormones. Grass-fed and Traditional. Starter pack to a whole cow. Free delivery in the Kansas City area. We pay the butcher’s processing fees. Currently taking order and making deliveries.

ACT Prep - Founded by a Bishop Miege graduate, Pathway Prep has helped over 250 students during the last four years improve their scores. In-person or virtual sessions available. For more information, visit: pathwayprepkc.com and contact Alex Pint at (913) 991-8217 or: alex@pathwayprepkc.com.

Custom countertops - Laminates installed within 5 days. Cambria, granite and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.

Catholic counseling - For individuals, couples, families, adolescents and young adults. Sam Meier, MA, LPC. Call (913) 952-2267 or book an appointment at: StillwatersKC.com, in-person or Telehealth.

Faith-based counseling to cope with life concerns - Kansas City area. Call Mary Vorsten, licensed clinical professional counselor, at (913) 909-2002.

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

CAREGIVING

Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management, and transportation for seniors in their home, assisted living or nursing facilities. We also provide respite care for main caregivers needing some personal time. Call Daughters & Company at (913) 341-2500 and speak with Laurie, Pat or Gary.

Saint Rita Home Care - Compassionate care in the comfort of home. We serve people in Miami and southern Johnson counties. Kansas state licensed, nonmedical home care agency. Contact us today for supportive care at: www.saintritahc.com.

Retired nurse - Looking for home-care position. Will do companion care, light housekeeping, some cooking, short-term care and hospice care. Call (913) 602-1289.

Family member with dementia or need help at home? - We specialize in helping seniors live SAFELY at home, where they want to live! We also offer free dementia training and resources for families and caregivers. Benefits of Home - Senior Care, www. Benefitsofhome.com or call (913) 422-1591.

REAL ESTATE

WE WANT TO BUY YOUR HOUSE - There are so many new companies in town advertising to buy houses. But we’re the only ones that have been here and we’re local Holy Trinity parishioners. I will give you a fair price on any conditions you are up against. Call Mark Edmondson. (913) 980-4905.

We buy houses and whole estates - We are local and family owned, and will make you a fair cash offer. We buy houses in any condition. No fees or commissions and can close on the date of your choice. Selling your house has never felt so good. Jon & Stacy Bichelmeyer (913) 599-5000.

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 - Side-by-side plots at Mount Calvary Cemetery, Topeka. Prime location in Four Evangelist, west road side. Asking $4200; conveyance fee included. Call or text Joyce at (785) 250-3010.

CLASSIFIEDS

For sale - Two plots at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Kansas City, Kansas. Section 4, lot 48, flat marker only. Price: $4200 plus $200 for the conveyance fee. Call Rita at (913) 707-4507.

For sale - Two crypts in the Resurrection mausoleum, Prince of Peace Chapel, section D1, crypts 9 and 11 (adjacent to each other), top row. Price for two crypts is $15,450 (includes interment fee and lettering); asking $14,000 but willing to negotiate. Call Mike at (913) 957-8601 or Barb at (913) 244-7793.

WANTED TO BUY

$$PAYING CASH MONEY$$

For military items, pocket and wristwatches, American coins, old buttons, lanterns, spurs, silver flatware, crocks, pocketknives, oil lamps, lanterns, Southwest items/jewelry. Most old items considered. Call Patricia today at (913) 980-4905. Wanted to buy - Antique/vintage jewelry, paintings, pottery, sterling, etc. Single pieces or estate. Renee Maderak, (913) 475-7393. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.

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.

DAILY READINGS

SEVENTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME

Feb. 19

SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Believe it: A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins

Idid everything to avoid it.

I powered down my computer, iPhone and tablet. I made a vow not to join the other 113 million viewers of the Super Bowl nor attend any watch parties.

MARK MY WORDS

Feb.

It’s not that I wasn’t interested in the game; in fact, just the opposite. I was too interested, too emotionally bound up with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Feb. 21

Peter Damian, bishop, doctor of the church Sir 2: 1-11

Ps 37: 3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40 Mk 9: 30-37

Feb. 22 ASH WEDNESDAY Jl 2: 12-18

Feb. 23

Thursday Dt 30: 15-20

Feb. 24

Friday Is 58: 1-9a

Ps 51: 3-6a, 18-19

Mt 9: 14-15

Feb. 25

Saturday Is 58: 9b-14

Ps 86: 1-6 Lk 5: 27-32

The older I get, the less I can take the stress of the “big game,” especially when “my team” is playing. Instead, I wanted to create a cocoon of silence.

It’s a lot harder than you think. While I could shut out the external stimuli, I couldn’t quiet my mind to keep from wondering how things were going.

And then, it happened. The first boom of a firework. Did I really hear that? In no time at all, more booms. I leapt out of my chair and rushed to open my front

FATHER MARK GOLDASICH

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

door. The air was filled with car horns honking, people yelling and fireworks popping. I didn’t have to ask why as I rushed to turn on the TV. Sure enough, the Chiefs had won in their usual fashion: coming from behind and going ahead with just seconds to spare! I’m sure that had I watched the game live,

my heart wouldn’t have been able to take it.

Now that I knew the final score, however, I devoured all the postgame interviews, watched and rewatched the game’s highlights and savored the Chiefs’ victory.

While I know I shouldn’t get so tied up with a team or the big game, I can’t help myself. But when I know the final score, I can watch with a calm and joyful spirit.

I remember a story about some seminarians who played basketball at a nearby public school. An old Black

janitor would patiently sit in the corner reading, waiting for the seminarians to finish so he could lock up.

One seminarian approached the janitor and asked what he was reading. He held up his Bible and said, “The Book of Revelation.” Knowing how complex that book is, the seminarian asked, “Do you understand it?!?”

“Yes,” the man replied.

“Really?” said the seminarian skeptically. “Well, what does it mean?”

With a humble smile, the janitor answered quietly, “It means that Jesus is gonna win.”

(Adapted from a story by Bernard Travaieille in “Illustrations Unlimited,” edited by James. S. Hewett.)

As we prepare to enter the season of Lent next week, the champion Chiefs have much to teach us. First, it takes teamwork if we’re going to be suc-

cessful. Knowing that we’re not alone in our Lenten prayer, fasting and almsgiving — but united with Catholics worldwide — can give us strength and hope.

Second, to be “good at Lent” takes practice. That’s why our “season” lasts 40 days, to give us time to build our spiritual muscles.

Third, it takes determination to not give up but play the whole game, right up to the end. Even when things get tough and it looks like a lost cause, persevere.

Fourth, manage the clock well. Make time daily for your Lenten resolutions.

Finally, trust the “coaches”: the Scriptures, the saints, spiritual writers, and Lenten devotions and activities.

Let’s enter this Lent with confidence because we already know that in the “big game” against sin and spiritual laziness, “Jesus is gonna win!”

Let Lent remind you of what our mission really means

Honestly, I didn’t mean to hurl a grenade into the congregation.

It was during my homily for Ash Wednesday in 2008 — my first one as a deacon. The 8 a.m. Mass was packed with several hundred people who wanted to get ashes before heading to work.

PELAGIA THE PENITENT

Date unknown

In the fourth century, St. Pelagia was honored in Antioch as a virgin martyr. In the Middle Ages, a legend grew up around a penitent, who was given her name. This St. Pelagia inspired Christians as an enchanting icon of repentance. The story comes from St. John Chrysostom, who once told of an actress, famous for her glamour and notorious for her wickedness. She had suddenly repented, was baptized and became a hermit. A bishop said to have encountered Pelagia used her example to call his brother bishops to repent: “What a reproach to us, seeing that we have not taken pains to make ourselves pleasing to God nearly as much as this prostitute . . . has taken pains to please men.”

As I was preaching about ways to make Lent meaningful, I asked the people in the pews to do something more than just giving up chocolate. For example, pray more. Pray for someone you don’t know. Maybe pray for someone you don’t even like. “This Lent,” I said, “love your enemies and pray for your persecutors” (Mt 5:44).

Then, without realizing it, I pulled

DEACON GREG KANDRA

As if on cue, hundreds of people gasped. There was a low murmur from the pews, an uneasy squirm. “What?”

“Huh?” “But . . . really?”

Clearly, I had touched a nerve. A few people mentioned it after Mass. “I don’t know about that, Deacon,” one woman said, as she tightened her scarf and headed out into the cold. “You’re asking a lot. I’m not that holy.”

I reassured her. “This wasn’t my idea. It’s in the Gospel!”

breath away.

“Love your enemies,” Jesus tells his followers in Matthew’s Gospel, “pray for those who persecute you.” That means even the most evil and ruthless.

the pin and tossed out this explosive question: “When was the last time anyone here prayed for Osama bin Laden?”

That woke them up.

And now this week, at this gateway to Lent, this particular Gospel arrives to challenge and provoke. We once again hear what we don’t want to hear — that bold command is so shocking that if you really think about what it means, and what it implies, it can take your

No doubt about it — this reading packs a punch. It’s almost custom-made for Christians who really want to rend their hearts for Lent. It makes us remember once again that this coming season isn’t supposed to be easy — that it’s part of what early Christians called “The Way,” and it remains fundamental to who we are, what we believe, how we live. It calls on us to live like Jesus — to love the unlovable, even those who hate us, scorn us, persecute us.

Encountering this Gospel at this moment,

we quickly realize that walking “The Way” is difficult, with rocks that make us stumble and hills that seem impossible to climb. But we know something else: It is worth the journey. As we step away from Ordinary Time and into the extraordinary time of these coming 40 days — working our way toward Calvary and beyond that, the empty tomb — we can’t help but feel a sudden jolt. Listen closely to Christ’s words this Sunday. This could be our mission statement. Love. Pray. Give. Turn your cheek. And then, keep on going. We Christians have been doing that for 2,000 years. Lent can help us remember what our mission means — and what being a follower of Christ truly entails.

Never stop growing in sport or spirit, pope tells amateur athletes

VATICAN

Speaking to members of the “Sport in Vaticano” Association Feb. 9, the pope asked the athletes to be examples of teamwork and collaboration. “Sports are a metaphor for life,” he

said, and “healthy competition can contribute to making one’s spirit mature.”

The association sponsors competitions between Vatican employees representing different departments. The group met with the pope to mark 50 years since it first organized a sporting competition in the Vatican in 1972.

Pope Francis explained that athletes must develop a passion for

their sport to prevent competition from become “corrupted” by various interests. He also asked the athletes to become “disciples” of their sport and to never become stagnant in their training.

“The true sportsman always seeks to learn, to grow, to improve and this requires discipline,” he said. “Discipline then allows everyone to play their part, and for the team to best express itself as a whole.”

Deacon Greg Kandra is an award-winning author and journalist, and creator of the blog “The Deacon’s Bench.” He serves in the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York.

CITY (CNS) — The training, discipline and motivation needed even by amateur athletes are also tools for spiritual growth, Pope Francis said.

Kansas bishops identify goals for legislative session

Advocating public policies at the Kansas statehouse on behalf of the Catholic Church is a rough and tumble endeavor.

These policy positions flow from our Catholic faith, and are then prioritized by the Kansas bishops who recently sat down and met with leaders from both major political parties.

Here are some issues and policies in 2023 being pursued by the Kansas Catholic Conference (KCC), the public policy arm of the Catholic bishops of Kansas.

In wake of the “Value Them Both” amendment defeat that would have provided protection from the predatory

CHURCH AND STATE

others who aid women facing an unplanned pregnancy.

abortion industry, be assured that we will not abandon moms and babies. The KCC is advocating policies designed to strengthen pregnancy resource centers, maternity homes and

African American women are dying within a year after they give birth at rates three-tofour times higher than other populations. The KCC supports legislation investigating why this is happening and what can be done about it.

Financial stress is a common theme in the breakdown of married couples and families. Thousands of working Kansans living paycheck to paycheck turn to payday loans when an unanticipated expense hits home. These loans come with exorbitant fees and interest rates. Borrowing $500 for four months costs an average of $600 — or $1,100 total! Borrowers often then find themselves unable to escape a debt trap. Payday loan reform legislation advocated by the KCC seeks to preserve the industry’s existence while making loans fair and affordable.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: “Parents have the

first responsibility for the education of their children” (2223).

Catholics can be rightfully proud of our educational heritage whereby parents have had opportunities to match their children’s needs with the right teacher or school — be that a public school, a Catholic school or at home.

The Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program in Kansas is opening new doors of educational opportunity for thousands of families and students and the KCC will continue our advocacy in this arena.

Catholic clergy abuse of children in years past is a bitter stain on the church. Innocence lost is an unspeakable

tragedy. The Catholic Church in Kansas asked the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to take an unbiased look at past mistakes and current practices. The KBI’s recent report confirms the Catholic Church has greatly increased its vigilance on many levels.

We commend the courageous victims who have stepped forward with their stories. There is no time limitation on when the Catholic Church will offer services and support to clergy abuse victims. We ask that any changes to current law in Kansas prioritize survivors, while still embracing the basic principles of fairness, justice and due process.

Challenging diagnosis sends mother on an unexpected journey

For several weeks now, the themes in the readings and Gospels at Mass are all centered around ways that we are called to show love to our sisters and brothers around us.

It can all be summed up in the commandment that Jesus gave us: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

But why? In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us that when we love our neighbor as ourselves, we are loving Jesus himself.

How can this be? We are all members of the body of Christ. We are all made in the image and likeness of God.

LEARNING TO LOVE LIKE HIM

are so many amazing opportunities in our archdiocese, parishes and communities.

You have to find what you are passionate about, skilled at and enjoy doing.

ones at home.” We cannot begin to love others in the world if we don’t first learn to love the ones in our home and our families.

Charities in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, is a night with Kelly Mantoan.

Christ is in each of us, so when we selflessly love our neighbor, we

are showing our love for God, which also fulfills the greatest commandment — to love God with all your heart, soul and mind.

This is essential for us as Christians to become the best version of ourselves. But how do we do this? There

Assisting the poor and homeless, helping mothers and families in difficult pregnancy situations, volunteering for prison ministry, visiting the sick and the dying — all of these are ways that Jesus tells us to love one another.

A great place to start is at home. In her speech “Love Begins at Home,” St. Teresa of Kolkata said, “Love begins by taking care of the closest ones — the

There are so many challenges and struggles that families are facing in today’s world. If you find yourself struggling to know how to love your family, I encourage you to seek help. There are people and resources out there that want to help bring love and healing into our families.

A great opportunity that the special-needs ministry is offering, in partnership with the deaf and disability ministry of Catholic

She is a wife and mother. Her world was flipped upside down when she learned that her son was given a challenging diagnosis. Kelly will be speaking about her journey and being able to find joy in being a special-needs mom. This is a wonderful opportunity for families to come together, spend time together and find support to help them learn to better love one another.

For more information, please contact me by email at: jruoff@ archkck.org.

Amid your usual Lenten practices, don’t fail to actually repent

February is the month of celebrating love.

Stores have been gearing up for Valentine’s Day for weeks. Red and pink, hearts and chocolate — it is impossible to miss the array of goodies available to express your feelings for another person on this holiday. Just one week after Valentine’s Day, we begin Lent.

Ash Wednesday falls on Feb. 22 this year. I always have high hopes for Lent — the unofficial season of (New Year do-over) resolutions for Catholics — as an opportunity for a spiritual mini-makeover.

Specifically, we are offered these weeks

ALONG THE WAY

preceding Easter to enter into a spirit of repentance and self-discipline. So, we carefully plan out what we can do without — or what extra we can take on — for the six

weeks of Lent.

Do we need to be more intentional in our prayer life? Do we spend less time on social media? Or maybe we just live six weeks with no sweets in our day?

While all of these are good practices of self-discipline, it is possible to miss the act of repentance.

Repentance comes from the Greek word “metanoia,” meaning “to change your mind.” The Hebrew version of this word is “tshuva,” meaning “to return.”

Considered together, this can seem like conflicting definitions — to change your mind should mean a new direction versus something you have experienced.

However, taken in the context of our journey of faith, this is the perfect combination as we ponder Lent.

When we consider “metanoia” to be a transformation or conversion, we recognize the value of creating space for the ongoing process. More than

a turning away from things unhealthy or unholy, faithful repentance requires an intentional turning toward God. We recognize the need to imitate Christ’s detachment from this world to focus on the kingdom of God.

Jesus had no misconceptions about the value of possessions, the misuse of time or the attachment to unhealthy habits. But he chose to guide in ministry 12 men that lived all of these very human desires.

In calling each of his disciples, Jesus saw the potential of their hearts to a greater love. He didn’t call them for what they were, but what he knew they

could become with his guidance. Their response was a moment of “metanoia,” a decision to change their plans and the immediate directions of their lives.

In accepting Christ’s invitation, they had no idea where their “yes’” would ultimately lead them. Scripture reflects their very human struggles with repentance and self-discipline, yet they continued to return to him.

In accepting his invitation, they learned a love beyond flowers and candy — a love that ultimately carried a cross to death. This Lent, may you experience return to Christ and a deeper conversion of love.

CHUCK WEBER

Chuck Weber is the executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference.

JOSHUA RUOFF

Joshua Ruoff is the lead consultant for the archdiocesan special-needs ministry. He can be reached by email at: jruoff@ archkck.org.

EMILY LOPEZ

Emily Lopez is the lead consultant for adult evangelization.

HOT WHEELS

Ghanaian priest gets vehicle necessary to continue ministry at home

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

ATCHISON — No doubt you’ve seen plenty of pickup truck commercials on television — ones with manly men like firefighters, loggers and construction workers hauling big loads over rugged roads and rough terrain in their trusty trucks.

Maybe it’s time they added a Catholic priest — one like Father Hughes Sundeme.

Sometime soon, Father Sundeme will be powering his way across the savannahs of north-central Ghana, West Africa, in his gray 2022 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off Road pickup. He’ll be bringing sacramental succor and temporal assistance to his far-flung flock in the Archdiocese of Tamale.

It sure beats that worn-out ’97 Buick he used to drive around Atchison.

The story of how Father Sundeme arrived in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas in the first place, and the how and why he got the truck, are a lot like a drive across the savannahs of Ghana.

It may take a while, but we’ll get there.

The Archdiocese of Tamale is 7,059 square miles of grassy plains and scrub, a little smaller than New Jersey. It’s a poor, rural area with 70% of the population engaged in subsistence farming. It has mostly dirt roads.

“It is sometimes impossible to minister in the rainy season without a [vehicle],” said Father Sundeme. “The area experiences heavy rainfall, especially during the rainy season. Sometimes no pastoral work is done because of the lack of means of transport.”

Muslims are about 84% of the population. Those who follow traditional African religions are 21.3% and Christians are 13.7% — and of those, Catholics are just 2 %.

The scattered Catholic flock is served by priests traveling the long distances on bad roads to mission stations.

“A means of transport also helps provide social services to the entire community,” said Father Sundeme. “There are times priests use their cars as ambulances to carry sick people or pregnant women to delivery centers or hospitals.”

Father Sundeme, 44, has been a priest of the Archdiocese of Tamale for eight years. With the permission of his archbishop, he traveled to Kansas in December 2017 to study for a master’s degree in business administration at Benedictine College in Atchison.

“As part of my scholarship of study, [St. Benedict’s Abbey] offered me boarding and lodging, and the college offered me tuition,” said Father Sundeme. “That was an experience for me, but I loved it. I did everything [the monks] did — except I am not a monk.”

Since Father Jeremy Heppler, OSB, the pastor of St. Benedict Parish, didn’t have an associate, Father Sundeme helped out with weekend Masses there.

Father Sundeme became friends with associate professor Christi Adams and her husband Brian, and professor David Harris and his wife Jacki. Adams had gone on a mission trip to Ghana in 2016.

“I graduated in May 2019,” said Father Sundeme. “So, I thought I was going

back. Doctor Harris and Doctor Adams asked me what they could do to help me in my ministry back home”

In a single word: transportation.

“At the time, he didn’t have much money at all,” said David Harris. “He knew he’d need a truck to handle the rough terrain and roads. He stated in a humble way that this would probably be the vehicle he’d have for the rest of his life. It struck us as a real need.”

But time was needed to raise money to buy the truck.

“Fortunately, I also told my archbishop from Ghana of the need, after my studies, to have pastoral experience in the United States, and also to help raise some funds for the means of transport,” said Father Sundeme.

Archbishop Philip Naameh in Ghana was willing, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann was happy to have Father Sundeme serve here. He was named

administrator of St. Ann Parish in Effingham, St. Mary Parish in Purcell and St. Louis Parish in Good Intent in 2019.

While Father Sundeme was saving every penny he could for his truck, the Harris family and a few others organized a multifamily garage sale in the summer of 2021 that raised about $3,000.

Then, Jill Thorne, a St. Ann parishioner, was contacted by her friends Christi Adams and Jacki Harris. They explained Father Sundeme’s plight to her. Thorne talked to St. Ann parishioners, and the Knights of Columbus sent a letter to the three parishes asking for help. Parishioners responded, donating $21,000 by December 2022.

Then, Luke Harris, 14, an eighth grade student at St. Benedict School in Atchison, and a son of David and Jacki Harris, decided to get his school involved.

Luke is a member of the Servant Leaders, which is like a student council. The Servant Leaders held a bake sale in May 2022, and a “non-school-uniform day” this past September. Between both fundraisers they collected about $1,300, which was presented to Father Sundeme in January 2023.

Little brother helped, too.

“My younger son John is 11,” said David Harris. “He and a good friend share the same birthday in August. For their party, they asked everybody to just bring some money to donate for the same effort.”

With his own savings and the money raised by his friends and parishioners, Father Sundeme was able to buy the Toyota Tacoma.

“Toyota is highly recommended as an ideal means of transport for the terrain in my part of the archdiocese, where the roads are virtually laden with potholes,” said Father Sundeme. “This is a [vehicle] for all seasons, as it is very reliable, robust, tough and stable on the rugged roads. It has higher clearance. There are also available spare parts. And mechanics are familiar with Toyotas.”

Nonstandard but necessary features like a cattle guard for the front, step bars and a trifold hard cover for the bed were added. And there were also sales tax, dealer fees, insurance, property tax, title and registration costs.

Father Sundeme now has his truck — but no money to ship it back to Ghana. And that will be very expensive.

The clock, moreover, is ticking.

“My visa expires next June 2024,” he said.

And that’s if his archbishop doesn’t ask him to head back earlier.

So where does all this leave Father Sundeme?

Well, his saga continues.

Suffice it to say that if you’re looking for him, you might just find him back at the drawing board.

COURTESY PHOTO

From left, Capri Koechner, Audrey Hill and Luke Harris, eighth graders at St. Benedict School in Atchison, present Father Hughes Sundeme a check of $1,200 to help him buy a truck that he will use in his ministry in Ghana.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JD BENNING

Father Hughes Sundeme poses with his new truck in front of St. Benedict Church in Atchison. The priest will return to his home country of Ghana soon and the truck will help him navigate the rough terrain that he will encounter as he brings the word of God to the people.