02-18-11 Vol. 32 No. 27

www.theleaven.com | Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas | Vol. 32, No. 27 february 18, 2011

Who murdered the family budget?

By Joe Bollig Leaven staff

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Who murdered the family budget? It’s not who you think.

Usually, it’s not the big things that bleed families’ financial health, said Matthew Seba. It’s a lot of little things: the death of a thousand cuts.

“It’s not the hundreds of thousands of dollars of mistakes people make that get them into trouble,” said Seba, a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie.

“It’s the $40 thing here and the $60 thing there,” he continued. “[They] go into Wal-Mart with the intention to buy X, Y and Z, and leave with the whole alphabet.

Instead of spending $50, [they] spend $300.”

If that goes on long enough, there will be a day of reckoning, and that individual will reap what he or she sows.

Seba knows, because that was his life before he and his wife April learned how to bring their earning, saving and spending in line with their Catholic faith.

Now, the Sebas help teach other families how to get back onto

a solid financial footing by offering a 13-week class called Financial Peace University, which was developed by financial guru Dave Ramsey. They began another session at Sacred Heart on Feb. 6.

Even at a time of economic distress, Americans are better off — relatively speaking — than most generations before them. Why, then, do so many of us have financial anxieties? Why the load of personal debt?

An answer can be found in the way we think about “affording.”

“Our grandparents borrowed very, very little,” said Seba. “Our parents borrowed a little more, and our generation seems to borrow for everything.

Homes, cars — you can finance a rototiller now. Before all this [credit] was available, you had to save and pay for things. Today, being able to afford something means something different than it used to.”

If our attitudes about credit, saving, spending and priorities seem a l l out of

Under one roof

For 30 years, Xavier Elementary School in Leavenworth has operated out of three buildings. That’s all about to change.

3

whack, it may be because we haven’t done these things according to God’s will, he continued. It’s about good stewardship.

“We are called to give,” said Seba. “If we are good stewards with what God has blessed us with, as the giving opportunities present themselves in our lives, we will be better equipped to do God’s work with that financial blessing. Being good stewards of what [God] presents us with — and it’s all His stuff — allows us to live our Christian faith.”

There is a strong connection between our Christian faith and the way we use our material goods, said Bill Scholl, archdiocesan consultant for social justice.

Turn to “Planning” on page 15

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Resources People can turn to a variety of resources for practical ways to get their finances under control and to bring their spending in line with God’s will. Some are explicitly Catholic; others are not.

One Catholic resource is Veritas Financial Ministries (www.veritasfinancialministries. com). It is the creation of Phil Lenahan, who wrote the book “7 Steps to Becoming Financially Free: A Catholic Guide to Managing Your Money.”

Another is the book “Faith Finances,” by Thomas Zordani.

He also has a Web site at: www. faithfinances.net.

Still another resource is Financial Peace University, a course offered by Dave Ramsey, an evangelical Protestant. His Web site is: www.daveramsey. com. He offers financial advice on his nationally syndicated radio program, “The Dave Ramsey Show.”

Fish fry notice

Because of space constraints, The Leaven does not list Lenten fish fries in the calendar during Lent. However, a full page of archdiocesan fish fries will appear — all ready to be clipped and saved — in the March 4 edition of The Leaven. Fish fry notices should be e-mailed to: todd@theleaven.com. The deadline is Feb. 25. Keep notices to less than 40 words.

Please do not include full menus.

2 archbishop

THE LEAVEN • february 18, 2011

THE LEAVEN • february 18, 2011

SECOND FRONT PAGE 3

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS

“I

All together now

Jesus understood our need to hear words of forgiveness

ronic that I would see your request to share a positive experience one has had regarding confession. It had been well over 20 years since I had been to confession, even though I had raised both children as Catholics, even attending parochial schools. I had been an on-again, off-again Catholic for the past 10 years oftentimes turning to my religion in times of trouble or religious holidays.

ing me. We talked and I cried and he was wonderful. I told him how unhappy I have been — about how scared I was at the thought of losing my parents or my children, and how I wanted to make sure I was going to go to heaven. I felt blessed, clean, renewed and assured and safe to take Communion finally.

“I feel confident that I am saved and proud of myself for just going to confession. I have encouraged others to try it.”

The preceding was one of the responses to the invitation in The Leaven to share a recent experience of receiving the sacrament of penance. Actually, several of the responses received were “A few weeks ago, before the Christsimilar to this one, written by individumas holiday, I had als who had not been driven by my parish to the sacrament for church 10 minutes ‘The Shepherd’s Voice’ many years. All of before noon Mass. them had similar exprogramming notes Confession was going periences of relief and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann’s on prior to Mass. great interior peace radio program on KEXS 1090 AM However, time was following their recepairs at 10 a.m. on Sunday and is running out, as Mass tion of the sacrament. repeated at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday was to begin. A paBeginning March and 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. rishioner announced 16, the Wednesday that Father would during the first full hear confessions after Mass for those week of Lent, from 6 to 7 p.m. — and who wanted to go. I had decided that on every Lenten Wednesday thereafter it would be good if I went to confession — priests throughout the Archdiocese rather than assuming God forgave my will be in their confessionals for those many sins. desiring to receive the sacrament. The “Nervous is hardly adequate to sacrament of penance will be available describe how I was feeling, standing in in all of the churches of the archdiocese line to make my confession. And many at the same time, except in some cases times over, I stopped from slipping out where a single priest is pastor for multhe front door of the church. It was tiple parishes. In those instances, the my turn and I remember feeling sick pastor will publicize at which church to my stomach turning the doorknob the sacrament will be available for each of the confessional. ‘Bless me, Father, Wednesday of Lent. In essence, it will for I have sinned.’ I remembered those be possible to receive the sacrament words from childhood — ‘Father, it has of penance at any of our churches on been many years since my last confesLenten Wednesdays. sion.’ Father wanted to know about I am grateful to our priests for their how long it had been, and I told him, willingness to adjust parish schedules Well over 20 years,’ and during my 55 in order to make this common time years of life, I had probably committed for confession available in all of our most of the seven deadly sins, which churches. It is my earnest prayer that, made Father laugh, immediately relaxbecause of this special initiative, many

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who have not been to confession for several years will have an experience similar to the one articulated at the beginning of this article.

Moreover, it is my hope that this initiative will motivate all of us to reflect upon how well and how frequently we take advantage of the gift of the sacrament of penance. Unfortunately, during recent years, in general Catholics have gone less frequently to confession.

From all that I can observe, this decline in the frequency of confession does not correspond to a decline of sin.

I am convinced that, for the spiritual renewal of the church, we need to rediscover the importance and power of this sacrament. Going to confession is tough! It requires that we make a good examination of conscience, recognizing and acknowledging the presence of sin in our lives. It means saying our sins aloud in the presence of another human being.

Some object: “Why do I need to confess my sins to a priest? Why can’t I go directly to God?” Of course, we can and should confess our sins directly to God. There is no limitation on God’s grace and his power to forgive us.

During his earthly ministry, Jesus frequently forgave sins. It was his conferral of the forgiveness of sins that in large part precipitated the conflict with the Pharisees. Jesus empowered the apostles, on Easter night, to continue his ministry of mercy: “[Jesus] breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained’” (Jn 20: 22-23).

Jesus gave the church the sacrament of penance not because he needs us to confess our sins, but because he understood so well our humanity. Jesus understood our need to confess aloud our sins and, even more importantly, to hear the words of forgiveness spoken by one whom he empowered to be his human instrument in continuing his ministry of mercy.

For the next several weeks, I will devote these columns to reflections on various aspects of the sacrament of penance. I urge every member of the Archdiocese to pray and reflect in the coming weeks on the beauty and the importance of this sacrament. There is

Archbishop Naumann’s

Xavier Elementary consolidates campuses under one roof

weekly calendar

Feb. 18 Meetings with seminarians — KenrickGlennon Seminary, St. Louis Feb. 21 Confirmation — Holy Name, Kansas City, Kan. Feb. 22 Mass for feast of Chair of Peter — Cathedral of St. Peter, Kansas City, Kan. Administrative Team meeting Priests Personnel meeting Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas meeting Feb. 23 St. Lawrence Catholic Campus meeting Confirmation — Sacred Heart, Gardner Feb. 24 Mass and dinner with Topeka Serra Club Feb. 25 Clergy conference on the ministry of the confessor and Project Rachel with Msgr. Mike Mannion

Feb. 26 Mass and pastoral visit — St. JosephSt. Lawrence at St. Joseph Parish Feb. 27 Mass and pastoral visit — St. JosephSt. Lawrence at Easton Mass for Jr. High Youth — Prairie Star Ranch, Williamsburg Feb. 28 Confirmation — St. Matthew, Topeka no more powerful tool that Jesus has given to aid us in the ongoing conversion of our hearts and in our growth in holiness.

Find us online @ www.theleaven.com

By Kara Hansen Leaven staff

LEAVENWORTH – When Xavier Elementary School here moves to its newly renovated building and opens for classes the first time this August, the experience will be a downright luxury for many families.

For 30 years, Xavier has operated out of three separate buildings for kindergarten through eighth grade.

Add in a student at the preschool — in another building still — and the drop-off and pickup for families could get a little hairy.

“The response from parents has been very positive,” said Barb Ferrara, president of Leavenworth Regional Catholic Schools (LRCS).

“Many parents are very excited for all their children to be together in one building, and they are thrilled with the prospect of one drop-off and one pickup.”

When the Catholic churches of Leavenworth combined each of their parish schools 30 years ago to become Xavier Elementary, none of the individual buildings was big enough to house all the students in kindergarten through eighth grade. In an attempt to use what they already had available, buildings at each parish were used to house several grade levels.

But it became clear through a twoyear process that the system was far from ideal. Building maintenance, utility bills and administrative staff were three times what they would need to be if all nine grade levels were housed together.

“It has always been in our strategic plan to identify the needs that are present, and it became very clear that if we were to consolidate the buildings into one school, we would save money and resources, and we could be a better steward of what we do have,” said Ferrara.

Though original plans by the LRCS board of trustees called for staying at one of the existing school sites and building an addition, or demolishing and building a new school on an existing site, n o n e of the spaces was large enough

The former Muncie School building in Leavenworth will be the new home to Xavier Elementary School next fall. The school has operated out of three different buildings the past 30 years.

to meet the school’s needs. But a former Leavenworth public elementary school was for sale — and fit a lot of Xavier’s needs.

“It’s the former Muncie School building, which sits on 16 acres of land at Hughes and Muncie Road, behind the University of Saint Mary,” said Ferrara.

The Steier Group of Omaha, Neb., a national fundraising and development group, was hired by LRCS to conduct a feasibility study and help lead a capital campaign.

“The feasibility study we did in August of 2010 showed a positive response to the idea of purchasing and renovating this school building,” said T.J. Isaaces, campaign manager for the Steier Group.

With approval from the archdiocese — and plans to give the building a markedly Catholic identity — the building was purchased in the summer of 2010 and a full-blown $3.5 million capital campaign is underway.

Currently, LRCS has 265 students enrolled from kindergarten through eighth grades.

Future plans for the new Xavier Elementary allow for growth, with enrollment capabilities of up to 410 students.

Though the new space creates many opportunities for growth down the road at Xavier, archdiocesan superintendent of schools Kathy O’Hara said the benefit of housing all grade levels together would be immediate.

“I believe that the educational experience of the students at Xavier will be greatly enhanced by the consolidation into a single facility. Research shows that the traditional Kto-8th-grade-in-one-facility model of Catholic schools leads to greater student academic achievement and emotional and spiritual development, in addition to saving financial resources,” said O’Hara.

“The fewer transitions from building to building that students have to make allows for less disruption in the academic program and, thus, allows them to move between grade levels without unnecessary repetition and review,” she said.

“Also, having all the school community together allows for greater collaboration among teachers, and this results in better communication about student learning and other needs,” she added.

Plans include the building of a gymnasium

Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799)

Editor Reverend Mark Goldasich, stl frmark@theleaven.com

Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com

Advertising Representative Jennifer Siebes jennifer@theleaven.com

President Most Reverend Joseph F. Naumann

Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita@theleaven.com

Production Manager Todd Habiger todd@theleaven.com

Reporter Kara Hansen kara@theleaven.com

with locker rooms, a commons area for students, and a new cafeteria with a warming kitchen. Renovations will include creating a chapel and enhancing the building’s exterior with a new sign and cross. Additional renovations will be made to classrooms and a media center.

“Several of our school parents are contractors and have offered to provide electrical services and painting to us at cost, as well as electrical fixtures. It’s really exciting to see people coming together and pitching in,” said Ferrara.

The capital campaign is entitled “For the Next 150 Years: A Campaign for Catholic Education in Leavenworth County.” The campaign will kick off in area parishes this month, following the end of the Archbishop’s Call to Share, and will continue for three years. Already, $1 million has been raised toward the future plans.

“I am delighted that the Leavenworth Regional Catholic community is supporting this initiative because it will strengthen the already high quality Catholic education available there,” said O’Hara. “The community should be commended for its dedication to Catholic schools and for its effort in this campaign.”

Published weekly September through May, excepting the Friday the week after Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Christmas; biweekly June through August. Address communications to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Phone: (913) 7211570; fax: (913) 721-5276; or e-mail at: sub@theleaven.com.

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4 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • february 18, 2011

THE LEAVEN • february 18, 2011

The future of monastic life

By Laurie Ghigliotti ATCHISON — Ninety-two Benedictine Sisters from around the country gathered here at Mount St. Scholastica in late January for a conference, entitled “United in Hope,” to examine the past, present and future of monastic life in the United States.

Sisters from three federations and one congregation spent the weekend “futuring,” or looking to the future of Benedictine monastic life. (The Mount has become a sort of hub for Benedictine communities around the country, thanks to its size and the community’s ability and willingness to accommodate large numbers of visitors.)

At the same time, the participants — all under 55 years of age — considered how that future might mirror the experiences of the Benedictine women who first founded monasteries in this country, and how both might fit into the wider context of their centuries-old tradition.

Sister Bridget Dickason, one of the organizers of the conference and a member of the community at the Mount, belongs to this group of Benedictines who came of age and entered the order after Vatican II. “We’re the future of Benedictine life, and we all want to be fostering the same Benedictine heritage, “ she said.

Three federation presidents and a congregation prioress general attended the conference. Together they expressed optimism for the future and discussed what Benedictine monasticism has to offer American society at large, in addition to its service to the community.

Sister Glenna Smith, president of the Federation of St. Scholastica, thought the communal lifestyle itself — the countercultural quality of monastic life — was a contribution.

“It seems to me that community life is the essence of Benedictine life,” she said. “We are a living model of strangers living together in peace and harmony.”

Despite dwindling numbers, all four leaders agreed that, although communities may die out, others will come into being as part of the cycle of life — in short, the Benedictine charism will live on.

“We have no fear about the sustaining of the charism,” said Sister Glenna.

Sister Ephrem Hollerman, associate professor of theology at the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University in Minnesota, addressed the group on the topic of the history of Benedictine women in the United States. Many of the women gathered in the Dooley Center noted the similarities in their experiences with those of their predecessors.

The first Benedictine Sisters to arrive on American soil experienced a culture and a society much different from what they had known in Europe. They were

Diaconate ordination has a been a long time in the making

By Kara Hansen Leaven staff

KANSAS City, Kan. — Traveling to the Holy Land was the perfect way to wind up diaconate formation for Stuart HolDeacon land.

“It was my profile first trip there, and it was an extraordinary experience, being in the land where Jesus lived, taught, died and rose again,” said Holland.

Holland traveled with other Catholics from the archdiocese in January. While in the Holy Land, Holland found some more inspiration for his future role.

“On that trip, the person of John the Baptist really caught my eye,” he said. “His mission was to point to Jesus; to de-

Special to The Leaven

LOCAL NEWS 5

crease, so Jesus could increase.

And that really excites me — to point the way to Jesus and live a life of service as a deacon.”

Holland’s ordination to the diaconate has been a long time in the making. Holland made four retreats in the 1990s to discern the possibility of becoming a permanent deacon.

There was one small problem, though. There was no diaconate program in the archdiocese.

“Each time I went to discern the possibility of becoming a deacon, I felt a ‘yes,’ but we didn’t have the diaconate here,” said Holland. “I had no inkling that was even going to happen in the archdiocese until I saw it introduced in The Leaven six years ago. I was thrilled.”

Profile

Name: Stuart Holland Parish: Holy Trinity, Lenexa Age: 54 Family members and ages: wife, Marsha; children: Valerie, 34; Jeremy, 31; Katie, 29; Amy, 25.

Occupation: Director of Christian formation at Holy Trinity Something people might be surprised to learn about me: That I am related to several clergy and religious: Deacon Nick Blaha — soon to be ordained a priest — and Father Tony Lickteig, both in the archdiocese. In addition, I have a cousin, Mother Gemma, who is a nun in the order of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, and an uncle (Fred Dinges) who is a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Galveston-Houston.

Favorite saint: Francis of Assisi has been my favorite saint for a long time because of his pursuit of living Gospel poverty in the way that God called him personally, his living that out with great joy, and his great humility expressed through his relationship with all of creation.

Favorite book (nonreligious): “The Source,” by James A Michener

Prison chaplain finds diaconate ‘a natural step to take’

By Kara Hansen Leaven staff

Photo courtesy of Mount St. Scholastica

Sister Nancy Rose Gucwa (left) of the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Clyde, Mo., and Sisters Susan Barber (center) and Elaine Fischer, Benedictine Sisters of Atchison, applaud at the opening of the “United in Hope” conference that examined the past, present and future of monastic life in the United States. forced to adapt because the stable and confined monastic model didn’t work here, said Sister Ephrem.

Those foundresses, she continued, were challenged to create a new expression of an “Old World” Benedictine tradition, just as Benedictine Sisters are being challenged to adapt to changing times today.

During small group discussions, the Sisters discussed in greater detail the challenges facing monastic communities today: logistics, culture, the perceptions of young women about religious life, and technological advances, among others.

The original mission of the Benedictine Sisters coming to America from Europe was to spread the Benedictine order and to teach immigrant children.

Today, Benedictines can be found serving the community in many areas: as teachers, nurses, professors, social workers, counselors, etc.

Sister Molly Brockwell, who teaches religion at Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, Kan., said she enjoyed the conference and the opportunity to reflect on the history and future of the order.

“In the tradition that we live — 1500 years of Benedictine tradition — we do value community and sharing everything in common,” she said. “There is such a need in our world for this witness. Our presence is so essential. We

can be a light to American culture.”

Sister Molly believes that Sisters balancing their lives will always be a challenge.

“Yet, the reality is, we have to support ourselves and extend ourselves in our ministry,” she said.

Sister Elaine Fischer concurred.

“The challenge is how do we respond to the culture while still living our prayer life,” she said.

Echoing the message that Abbot Jerome Kodell of Subiaco Abbey in Arkansas once brought to the Sisters, liturgist Sister Susan Barber said, “If monasticism is to go on, we need to be mystics, in the sense that we need to be contemplatives looking for the presence of God.” “We want women to come join us in this life from a conviction that this is a good and holy life,” said Sister Molly.

Sister Susan expressed the longing of the community to share its life with younger women. She said she treasures the fact that community life crosses generations.

“Intergenerational relationships are so rich,” she said. “We have the opportunity to live with and work with and love a variety of people.”

Sister Elaine believes that monastic life could well be different as time passes, but some things will never change.

“We will still be truly seeking God in work and prayer and with each other,”

she said.

A spirit of peace about the future was evident in the women at the gathering.

There was no big public relations blitz discussed — no aggressive marketing plan — to recruit young Sisters or deal with future challenges.

“We are waiting for the future,” Sister Susan said. “I was struck that we don’t need clarity. What we need is trust.”

Sisters Molly, Elaine and Barbara all voiced their gratitude for their opportunity to be part of the Benedictine community.

“One of the things that continues to amaze me is how overwhelmed I feel at how much my [fellow] Sisters love me,” Sister Molly said. “I am just bowled over by their love.”

Her personal search for God, coupled with the awareness that she could not do it alone, brought Sister Elaine to the Mount.

“My life is so much richer than what I expected,” she said.

These Sisters of Atchison’s Mount St. Scholastica, like their leaders, have no fear of the future. While there is always hope for more women to join them in their life of prayer and work, there is trust that God will continue to draw women to their community as he drew them.

When those women arrive, they will be warmly welcomed.

“My dad did prison ministry for 17 years with hard-core felons in Lansing,” explains Porfidio “Ray” Delgado, a candidate the permaDeacon for nent diaconate. profile In his father’s final years, Delgado accompanied him on his visits and was blown away by what he experienced there.

“At the time, I was in my 20s or 30s and wasn’t really sure about going with my dad,” said Delgado. “But I did it because he was getting on in years and my mom asked if I would go with him.

“When I went, I noticed a real connection there and saw the Holy Spirit working in the men’s lives and in my dad’s life in a powerful way.”

Following in his father’s footsteps, Delgado has been

doing prison ministry at the Topeka Detention Center for the past three years. He serves there as one of six chaplains, the only Catholic.

“There’s such a need there, it’s unbelievable,” said Delgado. “Once people know I’m a Catholic, they seem to pop up all over. There are some truly repentant and prayerful people who are incarcerated.”

Deciding to become a deacon was not so much a decision as a lifestyle for Delgado.

“It seemed like a natural step to take,” said Delgado.

“My wife and I have been involved in different aspects of parish life and service over the years and becoming a deacon seemed to be a continuation of that service.”

After ordination to the diaconate in April, Delgado looks forward to continuing his role as chaplain at the detention center, while taking on new

Profile

Name: Porfidio Raymond “Ray” Delgado Parish: Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Topeka Age: 67 Family members and ages: wife, Dolores (“Lola”); daughter, Sheri Renee; son-in-law, Matt; two grandsons Occupation: Retired federal service and Kansas Army National Guard as chief warrant officer 4 Favorite food: Mexican What I’m looking forward to most about being a deacon: Visiting and serving, especially the sick, incarcerated and the homebound.

Something people might be surprised to learn about me: I enjoy playing chess.

Favorite saint: St. Raymond. Mom once told me she prayed to St. Raymond for a healthy son. That son was me.

If I could visit a period of church history, it would be: Around 250 A.D. Favorite book (nonreligious): “Of Human Bondage,” by W. Somerset Maugham Hobby: Reading, especially history ways to serve as a deacon.

“In our study, we read about how the first deacons in the church were often used to help

take the load off the apostles, so the apostles could primarily preach and teach, while the deacons helped serve the poor,

oppressed, and marginalized,” said Delgado. “That’s what I’m looking forward to doing.”

Sister Carol Ann Petersen chosen Zonta 2011 Woman of Achievement KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Sister Carol Ann Petersen, OSB, has been presented with the 2011 Woman of Achievement Award from the Zonta International chapters in metropolitan Kansas City.

It was given at the Amelia Earhart Luncheon on Jan. 22 in recognition of her work in leading the Keeler Women’s Center in Kansas City, Kan. Zonta, of which Earhart was a member, is a global organization that seeks to advance the status of women worldwide by improving the legal, political, economic, educational, health and status of women through service and advocacy.

Among its many activities, the aviament Award is given to a woman in the tion connection is maintained through metropolitan area who has made a difthe fellowships given annually ference in the lives of women to women pursuing graduate through her profession or in studies in aerospace science or community service. The comengineering. mittee of six women, from the Sister Carol Ann is the foundthree active metro area Zonta er and director of the Keeler clubs, recognized that the misWomen’s Center, which is sponsion of Sister Carol Ann and sored by the Benedictine Sisters the Keeler Women’s Center — of Mount St. Scholastica, Atchithat of empowering women in son. the urban core of Kansas City According to Dawna Ad- Sister Carol Ann through education, advocacy, Petersen ams-Davis, who presented the personal and spiritual developaward, “The Zonta Woman of Achievement — was a perfect match.”

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Sister Carol Ann was grateful to be recognized by such an important organization.

“Zonta International is known for their work with women, especially in the area of education and advocacy.

Past recipients include women who are well known in the Kansas City area for their work in advancing the cause of women,” she said. “It is an honor to receive such a prestigious award by an organization whose mission so closely parallels Keeler Women’s Center’s mission of empowering women.”

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6 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • february 18, 2011

THE LEAVEN • february 18, 2011

Annual appeal dollars support ministry to deaf community

By Pat Richey

Many years ago when our children were small, our family was attending the Old Settlers celebration in Olathe.

While cradling the baby in my arms, holding the hand of our toddler and attempting to shepherd our other two, I noticed my shoe was untied. At the same moment, my deaf f r i e n d walked up. She saw my predicament and immediately knelt before me to tie my shoe. She was completely focused on helping me. It seemed as if nothing was more important at that moment except to serve me. I was deeply moved and humbled.

During my 30 years of working with the deaf, they have exemplified the true meaning of being the servant to others.

In the past, the majority of deaf had no affiliation to church. The reasons are many and diverse. Deafness was seen as an illness and a handicap. The Catholic Church was not accessible to our deaf brothers and sisters. The faith was not passed down, sacraments were not received, and the knowledge of being members of God’s family was lost.

I am happy to say that our understanding of deafness as a language — and, more importantly, as a culture — has grown. Methods of communicating and teaching have improved. Most importantly, we now realize working with the deaf, not for them, is key to success. Doors once closed are opening. Donations to the Archbishop’s Call to Share make the faith accessible to our deaf community.

The familiar image of Jesus, the ser-

Political warming: Conference encouraged by Topeka climate change

By Joe Bollig

Special to The Leaven

Leaven staff

Leaven photo by Susan McSpadden

Thanks to the Archbishop’s Call to Share, signed and interpreted liturgies are available in the archdiocese, as well as a score of other services to help the deaf feel more a part of the church. vant, washing the feet of Peter is my favorite. I try to keep this image before me at all times. Working with the deaf has made it easy.

These are some of the services made possible through your generous donation to the Archbishop’s Call to Share: Assist persons deaf or hard of hearing in realizing God’s presence in their lives through: • Signed and interpreted liturgies • Sacramental preparation

• Annual retreats • Arranging for interpreters for holy occasions – baptisms, weddings, funerals, and other events when requested Provide ongoing educational opportunities through: • Adult religious education • Bible study groups • RCIA • Religious education for students attending the Kansas School for the Deaf in Olathe

• Assistance to teachers and/or parents of deaf students involved in parish programs Provide support and assistance through: • Pastoral visitation to homes • Support and referral services • Visits to the sick, shut-ins, and hospitalized • Awareness programs about deafness • Interpreter workshop

TOPEKA — Spring may not be here just yet, but the sun is shining a little brighter on pro-life causes this legislative session.

The reason for the metaphorical brightness could be summed up in three words: a new governor.

In sharp contrast to his predecessors, Gov. Sam Brownback has made the prolife cause part of his administration’s agenda.

“I call on the Legislature,” he said at the pro-life rally at the Capitol Jan. 21, “to bring to my desk legislation that protects the unborn, establishing a culture of life in Kansas. We must support the dignity of every human being, whether that person is unemployed, undereducated, or unborn.”

The possibilities for the 2011 legislative session, therefore, are very encouraging said Michael Schuttloffel, executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference. The passage of pro-life legislation has long been a top goal of the conference.

“It’s a new session with a new governor, and he is very strongly pro-life,” said Schuttloffel. “This opens up a lot of opportunities that many pro-life Kansans have been waiting for for a very long time.”

Although most Kansans are pro-life to some degree, pro-life legislative efforts have always been a tough, uphill slog.

“In the past, we’ve always had to aim low, essentially because, instead of having to pass bills with a simple majority, we’ve always had to shoot for veto-proof majorities, because any prolife bill we passed was guaranteed to be vetoed,” he said.

Gov. Mark Parkinson vetoed a bill regulating late-term abortions in April 2010. His predecessor, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, vetoed pro-life legislation in 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2008.

Legislative update “That was just too high a bar to get anything passed,” said Schuttloffel.

“That’s gone now. The governor will sign pro-life legislation that gets to him.

All we have to do is get a simple majority, which opens up the door to strong, pro-life legislation.”

Schuttloffel is by no means complacent, however.

“The situation in the Kansas Senate is still very iffy,” he said. “The Kansas House is very strong on the life issues, so we will get pro-life legislation through the House with no problem.”

“The Kansas Senate, on the other hand, has been and will continue, we fear, to be a problem,” he continued.

“There has not even been a hearing on pro-life bills in the Senate for several years. We can’t get a vote through regular orders on the Senate side, and we have to pass bills through the House and use procedural tactics to force a vote on the Senate side. It’s not clear to us that we’d even have a majority on some of the stronger pro-life bills in the Senate.”

The first important pro-life bill supported by the conference is HB 2035, the Abortion Reporting Accuracy and Parental Rights Act, which was introduced by Rep. Lance Kinzer (R-Olathe).

“It consists of, for the most part, bills that had been passed sometimes up to three times, only to be vetoed by Governor Sebelius or Governor Parkinson.”

The bill has 11 key provisions. One requires the disclosure of a specific medical diagnosis to justify a late-term abortion on a viable, unborn baby. Another provision requires parental consent, rather than just parental notifica-

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Sam Brownback’s election as governor of Kansas has changed the political landscape for the pro-life movement. tion, in certain cases.

Other legislation being looked at by the conference includes funding for the Sen. Stan Clark Pregnancy Maintenance Initiative for women in crisis pregnancies, laws regarding fetal pain, and abortion clinic inspection and licensing.

“This is a largely unregulated industry in many important respects,” said Schuttloffel of the clinics. “We think it is common sense to prevent what happened in [Doctor Kermit Gosnell’s clinic in] Philadelphia from happening here. People resist [this] commonsense legislation that wouldn’t even be debated with any other medical procedure.”

Probably the most contentious issue of the 2011 session will be the state budget. Brownback wants to cut more than $700 million. In a Dec. 21, 2010, letter to the governor-elect, Schuttloffel expressed the conference’s concerns about the effect the cuts would have on the poor.

“Our concern is always that the budget not be balanced on the backs of the most vulnerable,” said Schuttloffel. “People who are unable to help themselves have become dependent on state assistance for some of their critical needs.”

There are a lot of good programs that serve good purposes, said Schuttloffel.

What the conference wants is for legislators to protect the most vulnerable.

“We don’t claim to be budget experts who can tell the legislators that this program needs to be funded at this level, and that one needs to be funded at that level,” he said.

“Instead, we want to make them aware of the moral implications of their decisions, and that not all cuts are equal and all programs equally critical,” he continued. “At the end of the day, we realize the budget needs to be balanced, and different people have different ideas on how to do it. But those who are most in need must be taken care of.”

The conference also hopes that progress can be made this session in regard to repealing the death penalty. Parkinson wrote the current death penalty law in the 1990s while he was a legislator.

“We felt like we’ve made good progress on this issue,” said Schuttloffel.

“Last year, the state Senate came within one vote of passing legislation that would have repealed the death penalty.

We haven’t had a vote in the House on this issue recently, so I expect people will start thinking about what we can do to move the ball forward in the House.”

The conference is also interested in promoting educational choice. The bishops of Kansas believe parents should be free to send their children to schools that suit their needs and provide for greater opportunities.

“In recent years, the bishops have expressed a preference for some sort of tax-credit legislation,” Schuttloffel said, “where individuals and corporations would be able to make tax-deductable donations to scholarship organizations, which then could provide scholarships to Catholic schools.”

On Feb. 7, the Catholic bishops of Kansas met with Brownback and leaders in both houses of the Kansas Legislature. On Feb. 8, the bishops celebrated Mass for Catholic legislators, followed by a breakfast.

Upcoming blood drives

Catholic high schools, like Bishop Miege, schedule blood drives annually, but many this year have been snowed out. Here, Mike Morris gives blood during Miege’s 2005 blood drive.

Feb. 24 3 - 7 p.m.

Holy Spirit Church Martha & Mary Room 11300 W. 103rd St. Overland Park

Power

March 4 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Bishop Ward High School gym 708 N. 18th St. Kansas City, Kan.

in the

blood

W

March 28 Noon - 6:30 p.m.

Church of the Nativity Parish Hall 3800 W. 119th St. Leawood

By Jill Ragar Esfeld

hat’s your type?

Mine is A+. I know because I’m a blood donor.

It’s not easy for me to give blood. I’m not a big fan of needles and so I find the process a little uncomfortable.

But I’ve got a trick that helps me get through it.

I start saying a rosary as soon as I lie down to have my blood drawn. I pray for the person whose life I will be saving, and the process is always finished before I am.

I like the sorrowful mysteries for this occasion; they remind me that, as a Catholic, I am called to imitate Christ, to share in his sacrifice, to be Eucharist to others.

What better way to do this than to give the gift of life to a complete stranger?

“That’s the satisfaction people get from donating blood,” said St. Ann, Prairie Village, parishioner Maureen O’Sullivan, director of recruiting for the Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City.

“They may never know who the recipient of their blood is, but they can be guaranteed that every bit of blood we collect goes to help people in our community.”

The Community Blood Center often partners with archdiocesan parishes and high schools to organize blood drives.

“The Blood Center is a local organization that supplies blood to 70 hospitals in both Kansas and Missouri,” explained Stann Tate, director of marketing. “When you give to the Community Blood Center, you’re helping a patient in our local area.”

The Blood Center has a constant need for donations because blood only has a shelf life of 42 days. And supplies are running desperately low this winter.

“This weather has the potential to be devastating to the blood supply,” O’Sullivan said when a recent blizzard hit the Midwest. “It’s hard to encourage people to come out and donate.

“They’re afraid of needles — they have a lot of things that prevent them — and this is just one more thing that prevents them from coming out.”

“Just one or two days of bad weather really negatively impacts the blood supply,” agreed Tate. “The primary thing we need blood for is to give it to hospitals so they can do those transfusions and help patients sustain life.”

Critical to life, there is no substitute for human blood. It can’t be manufactured.

The only source is donations from generous people taking the time to give.

“Each unit of blood has the potential to help at least two people,” said O’Sullivan.

“It’s divided into red cells and platelets and then plasma. The plasma can be used for a lot of different things — for trauma, for burn victims. We also provide plasma for pharmaceutical use.”

March 28 1 - 7 p.m.

St. Joseph Church Knights of Columbus Hall 11221 Johnson Drive Shawnee

Another great need — platelets Another important donation opportunity is donating platelets. The Community Blood Center has a great need for donors because platelets have a shelf life of only five days.

Cancer and trauma patients need platelets. Platelet donations take place at neighborhood donation centers. To find out more about donating platelets, visit the Web site at: www. savealifenow.org (click on “Apheresis – Automated Blood Collection”).

In Kansas, you can start donating blood when you’re 16 years old, and highschool students are conscious of their obligation. Twenty percent of the blood collected in the community and at mobile blood drives comes from high schools.

“High school students are great at giving back,” said Tate. “When you talk about today’s kids, they’re the millennial generation and they want to make their community a better place.”

“If you get those kids donating on a regular basis, they will become lifelong donors,” agreed O’Sullivan. “We rely heavily on them to help us meet the need of the local hospitals.”

Unfortunately, this harsh winter has meant many school closings and, as a result, the cancellation of several highschool blood drives.

“A lot of the schools have been closed — particularly in the outlying areas,” said O’Sullivan. “Our metro schools might be closed for one or two days, but oftentimes schools in remote areas are closed for a week. And those are lost opportunities for us to collect blood.”

To make up for high-school drives that never took place, the local need for blood donations is critical. That means that right now, in our community, we each have an opportunity to be Christlike — to imitate his act of love by sharing our own life without expectation of return.

“If you’ve never considered donating blood, please consider donating now,” said O’Sullivan. “Winter storms like we’ve had this year have the potential to wipe out the blood supply in the community.

“And nobody wants to think about their child, their parents, their sibling or their spouse being in the hospital and needing blood and it not being there,” she added.

“Everyone,” she continued, “has the opportunity to make a difference.

“It only takes an hour to save a life.”

April 11 2 - 7 p.m.

Curé of Ars Church Father Burak Room 9401 Mission Road Leawood April 28 3 - 7 p.m.

St. Agnes Church Parish Center 5250 Mission Road Roeland Park

Giving takes less than an hour • 2-5 minutes — You’ll go to the registration desk, present your photo ID and state that you’re ready to give a life-saving donation of blood.

• 5-10 minutes — You’ll be given a clipboard with some paperwork, called a history form, which you’ll fill out privately.

• 5-10 minutes — You’ll go into a private history booth where you’ll be given a mini-physical. Your pulse, blood pressure, core temperature and hemoglobin level are checked.

• 10-15 minutes — You’ll be shown to one of several cots where you’ll lie down and your life-saving blood will be drawn.

• 5-10 minutes — You’ll sit down and enjoy a cup of juice and some cookies or crackers.

A cholesterol reading is done on every unit of blood. After you donate, you can go online to: www.savealifenow. org. The Community Blood Center has a program where you can sign in and get your health results after each donation.

You can track that over time. You can print the information and take it to your doctor. You also can earn points for donating and turn them in for prizes.

The Community Blood Center recommends preparing your body for your donation by eating well and drinking plenty of fluids. After you’ve given your donation, be sure to eat good meals and drink plenty of fluids because your body is building that blood back up.

You can give blood every 56 days.

What type of blood is needed?

Why I Give How do you go from being a sporadic blood donor to an advocate who counts the days until the next opportunity to give?

I know.

First, you stand by helplessly while a pediatrician examines your very sick child and then looks up at you and says, “This is life-threatening.”

Next, you learn from infectious disease specialists at Children’s Mercy Hospital that there’s only one known treatment for your child’s illness; something you can’t even pronounce —intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).

Then you watch as this miraculous fluid flows into your child’s feverish, rash-covered body, and makes him well.

This was my experience 15 years ago when my son John was diagnosed with mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome (Kawasaki disease), a rare form of vasculitis that, if left untreated, can cause severe coronary artery aneurysms.

During John’s recovery, I researched IVIG and learned that it is made from plasma, the second component extracted from whole blood donations. I was shocked to discover that it takes as many as two thousand blood donations to make one unit of IVIG. It took two units to cure John.

I was overwhelmed by the thought of so many people, who would never know

John and Jill Esfeld

my son, giving unselfishly to save his life. I couldn’t think of a more perfect example of Christ-like giving.

After that, I started donating blood with a very different attitude, determined to pay back that generosity.

I put a chart on our refrigerator that said “John’s IVIG payback.” Below those words were 4,000 little squares. After each donation, I colored in a square with a red marker.

When John turned 16, the age at which you can start donating blood in Kansas, I handed him the marker and I said, “Now you can help.”

He gave at his first opportunity, a blood drive at his high school, and has

been a loyal donor ever since — along with his sister, his father and me.

To pay back those 4,000 donations, we not only have to give blood ourselves, but we have to convince others to do it, too.

And so I beg you with all my heart to call now and make an appointment, get online now and sign up for the nearest blood drive — no matter how inconvenient it may seem or how uncomfortable it may make you.

Do it not just because you can save a life, but because the life you save may be your own.

Or better still, your child’s.

O- is the universal donor and so that is the type the Blood Center runs low on. At the writing of this article, it had only a halfday supply. Hospitals need O- on hand for trauma because, if patients’ blood types are unknown, they can immediately be transfused with O-.

O+ is also needed because 85 percent of the population can accept O+ blood.

Common types of blood like A+ are needed because there are many patients with them. Less common blood types like AB- are needed because there are fewer donors to give them.

Stann Tate, Community Blood Center’s director of marketing, says simply, “The most important type of blood we need is the one that’s not on the shelf.”

Blood has many uses beyond life-saving transfusions. The following list of uses for the components of blood makes it clear how important blood donations are: • Platelets are used to treat leukemia and cancer patients in order to aid clotting and control bleeding from treatments.

• Red blood cells are used in surgery in order to bring much needed oxygen during an operation or to replenish rich red blood cell levels in anemia patients.

• Cryoprecipitate is sometimes extracted from plasma and used to help hemophilia patients with clotting deficiencies.

• Plasma proteins are used to treat a multitude of illnesses, such as: albumin, for kidney and liver disease; gamma globulin, for measles and hepatitis; and Factor VIII, for hemophilia.

April 29 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

St. James Academy gym 24505 Prairie Star Parkway Lenexa March 23 2 - 7 p.m.

Good Shepherd Church Parish Center 12800 W. 75th St. Shawnee June 13 2 - 7 p.m.

Queen of The Holy Rosary Father Zawacki Center - Social

Hall, Lower Level 7023 W. 71st St. Overland Park June 13 2 - 7 p.m.

Prince of Peace Church Parish Hall 16000 W. 143rd St. Olathe June 20 12:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Church of the Nativity Parish Hall 3800 W. 119th St. Leawood

10 nation

THE LEAVEN • february 18, 2011

THE LEAVEN • february 18, 2011

Tucson shooting spree prompts renewed debate on gun-control DETROIT (CNS) — Avid outdoorsman and hunter Father Joe Classen, associate pastor at Holy Spirit Parish in Maryland Heights, Mo., has a permit to carry a concealed weapon. “I rarely ever conceal and carry, but sometimes if I’m in a very bad area, I do take protection,” he said.

“I tell people all life is sacred, including mine.” A few states away, Father Theodore Parker said he knows he has the constitutional right to own a gun, but can’t see any reason why he would. The pastor of two inner-city Detroit parishes said, “The real purpose of a gun in our culture is violence.” And there’s just too much of that, he contends. One point on which both priests agree is that personal responsibility is mandatory for those who possess firearms. The shooting rampage at U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ Jan. 8 community meeting in Tucson, Ariz., has renewed debate on gun control. Activists cite New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s report that investigators bought semi-automatic weapons without undergoing criminal background checks at a Phoenix gun show two weeks after the Tucson shooting. They are using the gun show example as a way to try to pressure President Barack Obama to weigh in on whether he plans to seek stricter gun control. So far he hasn’t addressed the issue. While bishops across the nation have decried the violence, few have recently addressed the issue of gun control.

New civil union law in Illinois could harm religious freedom CHICAGO (CNS) — Illinois’ new law legalizing civil unions and giving them the same status as marriages in the state has the “potential for a serious conflict with religious liberty,” according to the state’s Catholic bishops. Gov. Pat Quinn signed the legislation into law Jan. 31 in Chicago, making Illinois the sixth state to permit same-sex marriage. The others are New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa and Vermont. The District of Columbia also has legalized same-sex marriages.

Called the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act, the legislation is instead likely to “offer little protection in the context of litigation religious institutions may soon encounter in relation to charitable services, adoption and foster care,” said a statement from the Illinois Catholic Conference, issued after the Jan. 13 Senate passage of the legislation. “We hope these issues will be seriously evaluated by policymakers in the coming months and that additional conscience protections will be afforded,” it added.

Don’t balance state budgets on the backs of the poor

Irish chaplains demand urgent reforms of penal system

By Nancy Frazier O’Brien

By Sarah MacDonald

Catholic News Service

Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Catholic bishops around the country are reminding state legislatures and their fellow citizens that the nation’s budgetary problems are not over and must not be resolved on the backs of the poor.

“In the devastation of shrinking city and state budgets across the country, all face excruciating choices,” said the Massachusetts bishops in one of the most recent statements, issued Feb. 9.

“But we caution that while the temptation to turn away from the growing social needs confronting our cities and towns may seem attractive . . . our capacity to move beyond the many complex problems we face today depends on our willingness to overcome that temptation.”

The heads of Massachusetts’ four Catholic dioceses said their statement, titled “Standing in Solidarity With All,” involved a pledge and a plea.

“Our pledge is that we will do all we can as bishops to enable institutions — parishes, Catholic Charities, health care facilities and schools — to continue to do their best in extending help to our neighbors in need,” they said. “Our plea is that in the decisions facing our elected officials, and in the discussions and actions of all citizens, there be preserved, for the sake of human dignity, a special place and regard for the vulnerable.”

That pledge and plea were being made across the country by bishops or their representatives in statements and testimony about states’ efforts to balance their budgets.

Many echoed the message delivered

by Jennifer Allmon, associate director of the Texas Catholic Conference, in Feb. 2 testimony before the Senate Finance Committee on behalf of the state’s 15 active Catholic bishops: “The charitable community in Texas does not have the capacity to absorb the needs created” by state budget cuts.

DUBLIN (CNS) — Ireland’s prison chaplains demanded that the government take an urgent look at its penal policies following the publication of a critical report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, which blasted conditions in the country’s prisons.

Welcoming the report, which found evidence of degrading, dangerous and hazardous conditions in several prisons, Father Ciaran Enright, head chaplain, blamed a lack of political will for the failure to improve conditions, which he said had “steadily worsened in recent years.”

Speaking on behalf of the country’s 27 priests, religious and laypeople who work as chaplains in 14 prisons, Father Enright repeated their call for an overhaul of penal policy, which has led to “chronic overcrowding” in the prison system. He said it was critical that alternatives to jailing for less serious crimes be reviewed.

“People working in the prison system in Ireland have been crying out for change for so long,” he said. “If we can’t treat prisoners with basic human dignity, we have no hope of changing their lives for the better — and that can only be in everyone’s interests.”

The committee’s report also highlighted problems relating to gang violence and drug use, particularly in Mountjoy Prison in Dublin, as well as a lack of training for personnel. It also cited problems in Cork Prison and in some psychiatric hospitals.

The findings are based on research conducted by nine members of a factfinding team that visited six prisons, eight local police stations and four hospitals treating patients with mental health or disabilities in January and February 2010.

Highlighting the level of overcrowding in most prisons, the chaplains noted that the average number of prisoners in Irish jails had increased from 3,191 in 2006 to 5,456 in 2010. In some cases, they found that inmates did not have a bed or even a mattress on which to sleep.

CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz, Long Island Catholic

WOMEN PROCESS WITH GIFTS DURING MASS — Quyen Bui, foreground, and Tiana Le process with the gifts during a Mass for Catholics of Vietnamese heritage at Sts. Cyril & Methodius Church in Deer Park, N.Y., Feb. 6. Worshippers marked the Vietnamese New Year — the Year of the Cat — during the weekly liturgy and at a post-Mass party in the church auditorium.

‘Now not the time’ to resume deportations of Haitians

By Patricia Zapor

Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) — A year after the Department of Homeland Security stopped deportations to Haiti for humanitarian reasons, the agency is being urged back off its recent resumption of deportations on the grounds that civil unrest, cholera and slow earthquake recovery make Haiti too dangerous.

“Now is not the time to resume deportations to Haiti, nor would it be morally or politically appropriate to do so in the foreseeable future,” wrote representatives of two U.S. Catholic organizations to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

In a separate action, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, a part of the Organization of American States, warned that the deportees, most of whom are removed from the United States because of their criminal records, would be sent to detention centers in Haiti that are overcrowded and where “the lack of drinking water and adequate sanitation or toilets could facilitate the transmission of cholera, tuberculosis, and other diseases.”

The bishops’ letter noted that one of the first 27 deportees sent from the United States Jan. 20 is reported to have already died from cholera contracted

upon his return.

Homeland Security has announced its intention to deport 700 Haitians by the end of the year, said Coadjutor Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles, chairman of the migration committee of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., chairman of Catholic Relief Services.

“Yet a cholera outbreak has killed over 3,600 Haitians and infected more than 400,000. Reconstruction continues at a slow pace, with hundreds of thousands still living in tent cities,” they said in their letter. “And the ongoing dispute over the Nov. 28 presidential elections has exacted a significant toll not only on the political apparatus of the country but also on the Haitian psyche, resulting in violent protests.

“To compound these issues, Haiti’s jails, in which the Haitian government routinely holds deportees and which are notorious for the inhumane treatment of detainees, are now rife with cholera,” they added.

One deportee “reportedly has died of cholera contracted in a Haitian jail and another deportee is seriously ill. To continue deportations in the face of such conditions would represent a knowing disregard for the life and dignity of the Haitians scheduled for deportation.”

CNS photo/Paul Haring

MORSE KEYBOARD ON DISPLAY — A Morse keyboard perforator is seen Feb. 10 during the opening of a Vatican Museums exhibit celebrating the 80th anniversary of Vatican Radio.

Cardinal urges African voters to elect leaders with heart

By Mwansa Pintu

Catholic News Service LUSAKA, Zambia (CNS) — Cardinal Medardo Mazombwe called on people in Africa to elect leaders who can bring about meaningful development to the continent and act in the best interests of the people they represent.

In a Feb. 9 interview in Lusaka, the Zambian capital, Cardinal Mazombwe said people should not only choose leaders who will merely govern but look for candidates who care for others and who can deliver just and sustainable development for all people.

His comments came as 25 African nations prepare for local, legislative and presidential elections in 2011.

In addition to Zambia, elections will be in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Gambia, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

“As we go for elections this year, let us look at those people who are capable of delivering materials that are going to help us develop to some significant

October 3-11, 2011

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degree,” the 79-year-old cardinal said.

“We don’t only need people who are capable but people that have a heart for humanity because God created us to have life and to have it in abundance,” he added. “Anybody who destroys life has got no share in our development.”

A vocal advocate of debt relief for poor countries and human rights, the retired archbishop of Lusaka said the use of Africa’s abundant natural resources must benefit all people.

Cardinal Mazombwe also urged people to participate in the elections and to do so peacefully.

“When God created us, he said it was good. Therefore, each one of us has a minimum degree of goodness and we should not dehumanize one another but treat everyone with respect,” he explained.

Cardinal Mazombwe also called on the media to uphold high standards of ethics and professionalism in their coverage of campaigns in order to uphold unity on the continent.

Meanwhile, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Johnnie Carson said the formation of coalition governments should not become an excuse for rewarding losers of presidential elections in Africa.

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New commission proposed to help Christians in India ROME (CNS) — The Catholic Church in India is asking the federal government to launch a new commission that could help improve conditions of Christians in India.

“We want the government to be aware of the marginalization of Christians in terms of poverty, land ownership and education,” the All Indian Christian Council told the Vatican missionary news agency Fides Feb. 9. The proposal is supported

by Archbishop Vincent Concessao of Delhi and other Christian leaders. The commission would be modeled after the 2006 Sachar Commission, which reported on the status of Muslims in India, and would keep track of the numbers, social conditions and problems facing Christians in India. The Sachar Commission was the first of its kind and suggested ways for improving the conditions of Muslims in India by providing equal opportunities for housing, employment and education.

Christians in India have long experienced discrimination and persecution, including a series of attacks in 2008 against Christian prayer halls.

Pope cannot be organ donor, Vatican official says VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As a cardinal, Pope Benedict XVI was a card-carrying organ donor. But the card became invalid when he became pope, according to his personal secretary. The issue arose when a German doctor recently began promoting organ donation by citing the pope’s enlistment in the organ-donor program more than 30 years ago. The Vatican asked the doctor to stop using the pope as an example, and the pope’s secretary, Msgr.

Georg Ganswein, explained the reasons in a letter. “While it is true that the pope has an organ donor card, it is also true that, contrary to some public affirmations, the card issued in the 1970s became ipso facto invalid with Cardinal Ratzinger’s election to the papacy,” the letter said, according to Vatican Radio. Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry, told reporters that the most evident reason a pope could not donate organs was that, in a sense, “his body belongs to the whole church.” He said the church’s tradition that a pope’s body be buried intact also reflected the possibility of future veneration. “That takes nothing away from the validity and the beauty of donating one’s organs,” the archbishop added. Other Vatican sources said church officials were worried that the publicity in Germany about the 83-year-old pope as an organ donor might create “unrealistic expectations” when the pope dies.

12 CLASSIFIEDS Employment Library/media specialist and college counselor - Notre Dame de Sion High School, Kansas City, Mo., is seeking qualified applicants to fill this position. For a complete job description and application materials, visit the Web site at: www.ndsion.edu/ about_sion/employment_opportunities.cfml.

Retirement/disability specialist – The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking an experienced individual to support the human resources department in the retirement plan, 403(b) plan and disability insurance. Duties include: maintaining accurate records in database; communicating with insurance carriers and actuaries; preparing and disseminating reports from database and vendor Web sites; and preparing retirement documents. Ideal candidate will be a practicing Catholic in good standing; have strong written and verbal communication skills; demonstrated attention to detail; experience working in a multifunctional database; strong mathematical aptitude; and 3 - 5 years administrative experience, preferably in a human resources setting.

Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field preferred. A complete job description, application and benefits information are available on the Web site at: www.archkck.org/employment.

Individuals may submit cover letter, resume, and application, via e-mail, to: kthomas@archkck.org, or mail to: Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, Human Resources - Search, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Application deadline is Feb. 25.

Director of music - Holy Trinity Parish, Lenexa, is seeking a full-time director of music to begin July 15. Candidates should have a music degree, be proficient in organ and piano, and possess strong interpersonal skills. Experience in church music preferred.

For information or to apply, contact Dr. Paula Neihouse at (913) 895-0682 or send an e-mail to her at: pneihouse@htlenexa.org.

Work from home - Telephone appointment setting for Medicare insurance agent. Typically from 3 - 6 p.m., Mon. - Fri. Must have unlimited calling plan.

Contact Bill, Senior Market Advisors of KC, at (913) 636-7686.

Call center representatives – We are looking for telephone professionals seeking top pay and benefits. Prior phone experience preferred. We are growing and need quality people to grow with us.

Prior benefits administration experience preferred.

To apply, visit the Web site at: www.cobraguard.net (click on “jobs” tab at bottom of page) or forward your resume, via e-mail, to: HR@cobraguard.net. EOE Job fair - The St. Joseph Early Education Center, 11525 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, will hold a job fair from 9 a.m. - noon on Feb. 19. Positions include: a nurse, and infant/toddler and preschool staff. To set an appointment, call Ms. Theresa or Ms. Susan at (913) 6310004. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Financial representative - Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding financial representatives in the Kansas City and Emporia areas. This position is ideal for a determined, high-energy, high-expectation, professional, selfdisciplined, independent individual desiring to serve others, yet earn a better-than-average income. We provide top-rated financial products to our members and their families and will provide excellent benefits and training. For information or an interview, contact John A. Mahon, 307 Dakota, Holton KS 66436; or call (785) 364-5450.

Services Tutoring - Available for grades K - 12 in various subjects, as well as test preparation. For information, call (913) 206-2151 or send an e-mail to: Klmamuric@ yahoo.com.

Semi-retired arborist - Available for tree and shrub trimming. Call Bob at (913) 231- 6460.

Concrete Work

Any type of repair and new work Driveways, Walks, Patios Member of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish

Harvey M. Kascht (913) 262-1555

THE LEAVEN • FEBRUARY 18, 2011 Counseling - Topeka Marriage and family, child, teen, personal Shunga Creek Mental Health

Call Ken Zweig, LSCSW at (785) 969-5308.

Husband and wife cleaning team - Reasonable rates; references provided. Call (913) 940-2959.

Machine quilting by Lyn - I also do T-shirt, photo, and memorial quilts. Official Hobbs distributor.

Located in Overland Park. Call Lyn at (913) 492-8877.

Bankruptcy - When debt becomes overwhelming, seek professional help. Experienced, compassionate Catholic attorney Teresa Kidd. For a confidential, no obligation consultation, call (913) 422-0610; or send an e-mail to: tkidd@kc.rr.com.

Tree service - Pruning trees for optimal growth and beauty and removal of hazardous limbs or problem trees. Free consultation and bid. Safe, insured, professional. Cristofer Estrada, Green Solutions of KC, (913) 378-5872. www.GreenSolutionsKC.com.

Medical supplies and equipment - Home from the hospital and needing supplies and equipment? KC Home Medical Supply has what you need. Come see our retail store, or call Ed at (913) 385-2020.

Caregiving Housekeeper/companion/elder care - Retired nurse with over 25 years experience is seeking a fulltime care position. Days/nights/weekends. Will consider outside the metro area or a live-in position as well. Rates negotiable. Call (913) 579-5276.

Caregiver - Catholic lady with over 30 years experience has part-time availability for elderly care.

Excellent references. Johnson County area. Call (913) 579-8914.

Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management, and transportation to the elderly and disabled in home, assisted living and 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, Sara or Gary.

Looking for high quality home care? Whether you’re looking to introduce care for your family or simply looking to improve your current home care quality, we can help. Our unique approach to home care has earned us a 99% client satisfaction rating among the 1,000-plus families we have assisted. We are family-owned and based in Lenexa. Call Benefits of Home-Senior Care at (913) 422-1591 or visit our Web site at: www.benefitsofhome.com.

Home Improvement Brack Home Repair - Call Dan when you need it done! Carpentry, drywall, plumbing, electrical, painting, tile, wood-rot and much more. No project too big or small. For free estimate, call (913) 219-5388 or visit the Web site at: brackhomerepair.com. Insured; senior discount available. Philippians 4:13.

Clutter getting you down? Organize, fix, assemble, clean . . . we do it all! For a free consultation, call your professional organizing handyman, Kevin Hogan, M Ed, today at (913) 271-5055. Insured; references. Visit the Web site at: www.koatindustries.com.

Clutter problems? Embarrassing garage, basement, attic or any room? Let me help you get organized! Items sorted, grouped, boxed and labeled; areas clean when finished. Great references and insured. Twenty years experience! Handyman repairs also available. To view “before” and “after” pictures, visit my Web site at: www.swalms.com. Tillar Swalm (913) 375-9115.

Interior and exterior painting and wallpaper removal - 30-plus years experience. Quality work; excellent references; reasonable rates. Senior discount. Member of St. Ann Parish, Prairie Village. Call Joe at (913) 620-5776.

Contact Lenses • Eye Glasses

McBratney Optical Boutique Fred McBratney - Owner 7702 Parallel • Kansas City, Kan. • (913) 299-6001

THE LEAVEN • FEBRUARY 18, 2011 Adept Home Improvements Where quality still counts!

Basement finishing, Kitchens and baths, Electrical and plumbing, Licensed and insured.

(913) 599-7998 Interior painting, tiling, kitchen, bath and basement remodeling – 20 years experience. Excellent references. Quality work at a reasonable price.

Call Rob at (913) 206-4524.

Carpet direct – We cut out the middle man and bring the showroom to you! The best place to see your flooring is in your own home or office. Save 40 - 80% on carpet and hard surfaces. Residential and commercial. For a free estimate, call Amanda at (913) 742-4003.

The Drywall Doctor, Inc. - A unique solution to your drywall problems! We fix all types of ceiling and wall damage — from water stains and stress cracks to texture repairs and skim coating. We provide professional, timely repairs and leave the job site clean!

Lead-certified and insured! Serving the metro since 1997. Call (913) 768-6655.

Woodbright - A very affordable alternative to refinishing, refacing or replacing stained cabinets and woodwork. The average kitchen only costs $500. 18 years experience. Call Woodbright at (913) 940-3020.

Roof repair or replace – Insurance work welcome. Free inspection. Quality work; reasonable rates. Call (913) 206-4524.

Custom countertops - Laminates installed within 5 days. Cambria, granite, and solid surface.

Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.

STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Call for free estimates. Cell: (913) 579-1835; phone: (913) 491-5837; e-mail: smokey cabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.

EL SOL Y LA TIERRA *Commercial & residential * Lawn renovation* Mowing * Clean-up and hauling * Dirt grading/installation * Landscape design * Free estimates Hablamos y escribimos Ingles!!

Call Lupe at (816) 252-3376 Thanks to all my customers for a great fall!

We’re looking for indoor work. We can do bathroom, kitchen, and basement remodeling. Includes floors, cabinets, doors, windows, sheetrock, painting, and wood rot. You name it – we can do it; just ask. We’re reasonably priced and fully insured. Call Josh at (913) 709-7230.

Electrician - Free estimates; reasonable rates.

JoCo and south KC metro. Call Pat at (913) 963-9896.

Vacation Ireland roundabout tour - April 26 - May 9, 2011. Fully escorted by Irishman Gerry Buckley. Limited space available. For details, call (913) 648-1560 or send an e-mail to: gerry@completetrav.com.

Colorado ski vacation - Winter Park. 2 BR, sleeps 6. Fully furnished, fireplace, rec. center with pool & hot tub. Bus to ski area. $125/night; $700/ week. Call Joe Frederick at (913) 385-5589.

Ski cabin in Winter Park, Colo. – 2 BR, 1 BA, on free ski shuttle route. $110/night. Call (913) 642-3027.

To view, visit the Web site at: www.tillmancabin.com.

Colorado ski vacation - Winter Park. 2 BR, sleeps 6. Fully furnished, fireplace, rec. center with pool & hot tub. Bus to ski area. $125/night; $700/ week. Call Joe Frederick at (913) 385-5589.

Real Estate Westwood home FSBO - 3 BR, 2-1/2 BA ranch.

Low utilities; well-insulated; dry, partially fin. bsmt.; lots of storage; fenced backyard; hardwood floors.

SME school district; near St. Agnes Parish and Bishop Miege High School. $169,500. Call (913) 432-2287.

Price reduced!! Winchester land - 40 acres: 10 timber, 30 prairie grass; two ponds with good fishing; good deer and turkey hunting; located 1-1/2 miles off highway; beautiful building site; excellent schools; only 40 miles from Kansas City. For information, call (913) 683-4488 or (913) 362-3024.

Wanted to buy Will buy firearms and related accessories One or a whole collection. Honest evaluation and top prices paid. Contact Tom at (913) 238-2473. Member of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee. ***WANTED*** I buy coins, older watches, silverware, slot machines, old rifles and shotguns, stoneware crocks and jugs, old furniture from basement or attic.

Call Chris at (913) 593-7507 or (913) 642-8269

Misc.

Donate a vehicle. Make a difference. Donate your vehicle to Catholic Charities to support those in need. Your tax-deductible donation of a vehicle helps children and families served by Catholic Charities and is an environmentally wise way to recycle your vehicle. Cars for KC Kids is a partnership between Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas and Catholic Charities of Kansas City - St. Joseph. Call 1 (866) 430-9499 or visit the Web site at: www.cars4kckids.com.

For Sale Residential lifts - Buy/sell/trade. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. Recycled and new equipment. Member of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Leawood. Call Silver Cross KC at (913) 327-5557.

American Girl-type solid wood doll furniture - Heirloom quality, handmade, built to last a lifetime.

In-home showroom. Custom orders welcome. Call John Hember at (913) 631-4060. Member of St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.

For sale - One space, without marker, in Hope Lawn Crypt at Resurrection Cemetery, Lenexa. Originally purchased in 1990. Lot 20, section D, space 3.

Asking price is $3000. Call Peggy Langenbach at (816) 645-2890.

For sale - Mausoleum burial crypt at Resurrection Cemetery, Lenexa. For details, call (913) 9093738.

To purchase a classified ad:

Send an e-mail to: jennifer@theleaven. com, or call (913) 647-0327. The cost is $16 per column inch, five lines or less. Each additional line is $1.50. Classified ads will also be posted online at The Leaven’s Web site: www.theleaven.com, at no additional charge.

Elmer Rottinghaus

6420 Parallel, KCK Life • Home• Auto Commercial

334-2222

Feb. 19

The Shawnee Knights of Columbus will host a polka dance on Feb. 19 in their hall located at 11221 Johnson Drive. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The cost of $10 includes sausage and sauerkraut sandwiches and beverages. Music provided by the Brian McCarty Polka Band.

For information or to reserve a table, contact Dan Nicks at (913) 631-4633.

St. John Catholic Club, 414 Barnett, Kansas City, Kan., will host a bowl-a-thon from noon - 9 p.m. on Feb. 19. A suggested donation of $20 for three games is appreciated. Proceeds will be used to upgrade equipment. All ages are welcome. To register, call (913) 371-9690.

Good Shepherd Church, 12800 W. 75th St., Shawnee, will host a shopper’s showcase from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Feb. 19 in the parish hall. A variety of products — including jewelry, handbags and accessories, health and beauty products, home décor, gourmet foods, casual wear and more — will be available for purchase. There will also be a tearoom serving treats and specialty coffees and teas.

A memorial liturgy for deceased loved ones will be held at 8 a.m. on Feb. 19 at Curé of Ars Church, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. The bereavement ministry will have its monthly meeting following Mass in the Father Burak Room. The topic will be: “An Unexpected Journey.” For information, call (913) 649-2026.

Father Tom Hesse will celebrate the archdiocesan monthly pro-life Mass at 8 a.m. on Feb. 19 at Sts. Cyril & Methodius Church, 44 N. Mill, Kansas City, Kan., followed by a rosary procession to an abortion clinic four blocks away. Eucharistic adoration is available for those not processing; Benediction concludes services at 9:45 a.m.

Marillac Center, 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth, will offer a one-day workshop, entitled “God Is an ‘Active Player’: Ten Techniques to Achieve Healing and Illumination,” presented by Richard Johnson, Ph.D., a nationally recognized speaker and author. It will run from 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 19. The registration fee is $45 if received by Feb. 11; $55 if received after. Lunch is included.

Scholarships are available. To register, call (913) 758-6552; send an e-mail to: retreats@scls.org; or visit the Web site at: www.MarillacCenter.org.

21

The University of Saint Mary will host its annual Lincoln Event, featuring “An Evening with Mrs. Lincoln,” on Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. in Xavier Theatre on the Leavenworth campus, 4100 S. 4th St. Admission is free; open to the public.

The Lincoln Event is made possible by Country Club Bank of Leavenworth and Lansing.

23 Church of the Ascension, 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park, will host Addictions 101 at 7 p.m. on Feb. 23 in the AFF 1 and 2 rooms. For information, contact Jean at (913) 681-3348 or send an e-mail to her at: jhinman@ kcascension.org.

24

The Serra Club of Topeka will sponsor a night with the archbishop on Feb. 24. The evening will begin with 5:30 p.m. Mass at Assumption, 204 S.W. 8th St., followed by dinner at the Ramada Inn, 420 S.E. 6th Ave. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will speak about the new liturgical changes. The Serra Club will honor Topeka area priests. The cost is $25. For reservations, call (785) 2663758.

The Keeler Women’s Center will offer “Eating Like a Diabetic Even if You Aren’t One,” a nutrition presentation offered in conjunction with K-State Extension Services, from 9:30 - 11 a.m. on Feb. 24 at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the Web site at: www. mountosb.org/kwc.

The Christian widow and widowers group of Topeka will host a soup supper at 5 p.m. on Feb. 24 in the formation room at Most Pure Heart of Mary Church, 1800 S.W. Stone. There is no cost to attend.

25-27

Does it seem that you and your spouse are often going in different directions? A Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend may be just the thing to get your relationship realigned. The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend will be held from Feb. 25 - 27 at Savior Pastoral Center, 12601 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kan. For information or to register, call Ralph and Jan Lewis at (913) 400-7173 in Kansas City; Kyle and Denise Mead at (785) 357-5000 in Topeka; Ray and Barb Diedel at (785) 843-9274 in Lawrence; or visit the Web site at: www.neksme.org.

26

The Knights of Columbus of Sacred Heart Parish, 2646 S. 34th St., Kansas City, Kan., will host a Texas hold’em tournament and chili dinner at 6 p.m. on Feb. 26. A suggested donation of $30 per person is appreciated.

For information, call (913) 963-9095.

Father Mitchel Zimmerman, archdiocesan vocation director, will host a “Venite et Videte” (“Come and See”) retreat for young men in grades 9 - 11 on Feb. 26 from 1 - 7:30 p.m. at Savior Pastoral Center, 12601 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kan. Come enjoy some sports, inspiring talks, question-and-answer time, prayer, pizza and small group discussion. The cost is $10. For information or to register, visit the Web site at: www.kckvocations.com, or call (913) 647-0303.

Queen of the Holy Rosary Church, 7023 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, will host a ladies brunch from 9 a.m. - noon on Feb. 26. There will be a presentation, entitled “Does God Want You To Fast?”

The cost is $12. For information or to RSVP, call Patty at (913) 384-4644.

Mater Dei Parish, Topeka, will host a casino night on Feb. 26 at Rossiter Hall, 204 S.W. 8th St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; gaming runs from 7 - 10 p.m. A suggested donation of $20 per person is appreciated.

27

The Daughters of Isabella, Little Flower Circle No. 503, will meet at

1 p.m. on Feb. 27 at Rossiter Hall, 204 S.W. 8th, Topeka. Social time will follow the meeting.

St. Bede Parish, Kelly, will host its annual pancake breakfast from 7 a.m.

- noon on Feb. 27. Freewill offerings will be collected.

28

The Keeler Women’s Center will offer “Spending Wiser While Living on a Budget,” a financial presentation by Chiquita Miller of the K-State Extension, at 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Space is limited; reservations are required. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the Web site at: www.mountosb. org/kwc.

Benedictine College, Atchison, will offer “Fighting Poverty by Bringing Christ to the City,” a presentation by Dr. Jonathan Reyes, president of Denver Catholic Charities, from 8 - 9 p.m. on Feb. 28 in the Westerman Hall Auditorium, located at 1020 N. 2nd St. This event is open to the public and free of charge. For information, send an e-mail to Father Brendan Rolling at: brolling@benedictine.edu or visit the Web site at: www.benedictine. edu/ministry.

1

Mar.

Sophia Center, 751 S. 8th St., Atchison, will host a one-day retreat, entitled “Can You Drink This Cup?” (inspired by Henri Nouwen’s book of the same title) from 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. on March 1. Sister Marcia Ziska, OSB, will lead the day of reflection exploring the spiritual horizons posed by Jesus’ question. The cost is $50. For information or to register, call (913) 360-6151 or visit the Web site at: www.mountosb.org/ sophia.html.

2

“Getting it All Together: Life Skills for Women,” a life skills and job readiness workshop presented by Deb Foster, will be offered from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. on March 2 at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. This program is designed for women seeking entry-level positions or for women who have had a hard time finding and keeping a job. Lunch is included; reservations are required. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the Web site at: www.mountosb.org/kwc.

5

Sacred Heart-St. Joseph Parish, Topeka, will host its inaugural German Fasching Mardi Gras on March 5. The evening will include Mass, a German buffet, a polka dance, a silent auction, and raffles. For information, visit the Web site at: www.sacredheartstjosephcatholic.org.

Father Mitchel Zimmerman, archdiocesan vocation director, will host a “Venite et Videte” (“Come and See”) retreat for young men in grades 6 - 8 on March 5 from 2 - 8:30 p.m. at Savior Pastoral Center, 12601 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kan. Come enjoy some sports, inspiring talks, question-and-answer time, prayer, pizza and small group discussion. The cost is $10. For information or to register, visit the Web site at: www.kckvocations.com, or call (913) 647-0303.

St. James Academy and the School of Faith will sponsor a conference and

CALENDAR 13

Mass for the sick and suffering from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. on March 5 at St. James Academy, 24505 Prairie Star Pkwy., Lenexa. There will be veneration of the first-class relic of St. Padre Pio’s blood. The cost of $25 includes lunch.

For information or to register, call (913) 254-4200 or visit the Web sites at: www. sjakeepingfaith.org or www.schooloffaith .com.

Queen of the Holy Rosary, 7023 W. 71st St., Overland Park, will host a Mardi Gras dinner dance on March 5. Music will be provided by the Harvest Moon Band. The cost of $20 includes dinner and beverages. For information or to RSVP, call Patty at (913) 384-4644.

Blessed Sacrament Parish, Kansas City, Kan., will host a Mardi Gras dinner on March 5 in the Blessed Sacrament Family Center, 2215 Parallel Pkwy..

Gumbo, jambalaya, and red beans and rice will be served from 3 - 9 p.m. There will be games and activities for all ages from 3 - 7 p.m. The cost is $7 per person.

6

St. Joseph Church, 11311 Johnson Dr., Shawnee, will host its annual St. Joseph table and pasta dinner on March 6 in McDevitt Hall. Father Mike Hawken will bless the table at 8:30 a.m.

Viewing will be from 8:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Home-baked breads, cookies, pies and cakes, along with candies, fruit, wine, floral arrangements and religious articles will be available for purchase. A pasta dinner will be served from 11 a.m.

- 3 p.m. Freewill donations will be accepted. Proceeds will benefit the needy of the parish. For information, call Christine Marion at (913) 268-6677.

Misc.

Take time this Lent to refresh your prayer life and renew your relationship with Jesus Christ! The Ignatian Spirituality Center of Kansas City, 1001 E. 52nd St., Kansas City, Mo., will offer a Lenten guided prayer program, beginning the week of March 5. Participants will pray daily with selected Scripture, then meet weekly for discussions. Space is limited. The cost is $30; scholarships are available. For information or application materials, visit the Web site at: www.ignatiancenterkc.org; call (816) 523-5115, ext. 214; or send an e-mail to: jblumeyer@sfx-kc.org.

El Centro, Inc., will offer classes in financial literacy, home improvement, and home buyer education. The classes are free and open to the public. All classes are held at 650 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Participants are asked to preregister. For dates and times of classes, call (913) 677-0100.

The Singles of Nativity, for all singles 35 and better, welcomes newcomers to its weekly Bible study on Sundays at 9 a.m. in the Nativity conference room, 119th & Mission Rd., Leawood, followed by 11 a.m. Mass. For information, send an e-mail to Randall Stevenson at: gael wynn@yahoo.com.

Calendar items must be received nine days before the publication date. E-mail submissions are preferred; send to: jennifer@ theleaven.com. Submissions may be mailed to: 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109.

14 COMMENTARY

THE LEAVEN • february 18, 2011

THE LEAVEN • february 18, 2011

Planning is the key to getting finances under control

Mark my words

Catholic Press Association Award Winner 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

Quote Week

of the

Investigators discovered bloodstained furniture and blankets, broken equipment, and bags and jars of fetal parts. The clinic stank of urine from cats that roamed freely.

See story on page 16

Y

Clearly, I can see the error of my ways

ou can’t work for a newspaper and not be humble. That’s because each week you get hundreds of opportunities to embarrass yourself — through typos, factual errors, or mangled sentences and headlines — before thousands and thousands of people.

Hey, it happens, even to us here at The Leaven. And it’s rare if some astute reader doesn’t catch it. For example, in the issue that came out the Friday after Thanksgiving, I’d typed in a headline that read: “Catholic spirituality, parishes are tools in addition treatment.” No, it wasn’t a story about people who are math impaired.

The word should have been “addiction.”

It got by my eyes . . . and the eyes of several staff members. Even the spell-checker was no help, as “addition” is a valid word, just not the right one in this case.

Naturally, there’s more. In that same issue, a story on the back page had this headline: “Spiritual mentors help’s Catholic’s deepen their faith.” Ouch!

Honestly, I caught that one and could have sworn that I corrected it on the computer. Obviously, I was mistaken. I blame both of these errors (and another one that apparently readers didn’t catch in a caption on that same back page) on the fact that my mind was a bit unfocused, thinking no doubt about the Thanksgiving break instead.

Things could always be worse, however, as this Paul Harvey tidbit from South Africa shows: Pastor A.J. Jones wanted to sell a TV set and ran a classified ad in a Pretoria newspaper. As first printed it said: “The Rev. A.J. Jones has a color TV set for sale.

Telephone 555-1313 after 7 p.m. and ask for Mrs. Donnelley who lives with him, cheap.”

The next day, the newspaper printed this correction: We regret any embarrassment caused to Rev. Jones by a typo-

graphical error in yesterday’s editions. It should have read, “The Rev. A.J. Jones has a color TV set for sale, cheap. Telephone 555-1313 and ask for Mrs. Donnelley who lives with him after 7 p.m.”

The next day, the paper said: The Rev. A.J. Jones informs us he has received several annoying phone calls because of an incorrect advertisement in yesterday’s paper. It should have read, “The Rev. A.J. Jones has color TV set for sale. Cheap.

Telephone 555-1313 and ask for Mrs. Donnelley who loves with him.”

One day later: “Please take note that I, the Rev. Jones, have no TV set for sale. I have smashed it. I have not been carrying on with Mrs. Donnelley. She was until yesterday my housekeeper.”

The next day: “WANTED - a housekeeper. Telephone Rev. A.J. Jones, 555-1313. Usual housekeeping duties, good pay, love in.” (Found in “Nelson’s Complete Book of Stories, Illustrations & Quotes,” by Robert J. Morgan.)

Oh how easy for such a “mistake fest” to happen! I wish that celebrating Catholic Press Month meant that we could brag about having publications that were error-free. Despite our best intentions, there’s likely something in every issue that slips by us. Perhaps if we produced the paper in a soundproof bunker, we’d get perfection. But a typical deadline day at The Leaven has ringing phones, dropin visitors, scores of focus-robbing minor interruptions, shouted questions and an-

swers, and often just good old-fashioned end-of-the-day fatigue. It’s only by God’s grace that we get the paper out on time.

My prayer each week is that mistakes in the paper might be few . . . and minor.

I draw comfort from the fact that there’s no shortage of other journalists who mess up from time to time. Here are some examples from the Web site alphadictionary.com: • Grandmother of Eight Makes Hole in One • If Strike Isn’t Settled Quickly, It May Last A While • Iraqi Head Seeks Arms • Kicking Baby Considered To Be Healthy • Teacher Strikes Idle Kids • Two Convicts Evade Noose, Jury Hung • Two Sisters Reunite After Eighteen Years At Checkout Counter • Two Soviet Ships Collide — One Dies • Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge • Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges • New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group • Kids Make Nutritious Snacks • Man Is Fatally Slain • Miners Refuse to Work after Death And, if these headlines keep up, this last one might actually be a blessing: Nicaragua Sets Goal to Wipe Out Literacy.

As we continue through this Catholic Press Month, the staff here at The Leaven recommits itself to producing the best paper possible for our readers. We’ll strive to keep our errors, especially those pesky typos, to a bare minimum.

As a sign of good faith, I’ve proofreaded my column this wek with special car. It’s such a good feling to putt another error-free issue of the paper too bed.

(Forgive me!)

second thoughts on the second reading The seventh week of ordinary time Feb. 20 seventh sunday in ordinary time Lv 19: 1-2, 17-18; Ps 103: 1-4, 8, 10, 12-13; 1 Cor 3: 16-23; Mt 5: 38-48 Feb. 21 Peter Damian, bishop, doctor Sir 1: 1-10; Ps 93: 1-2, 5; Mk 9: 14-29 Feb. 22 THE CHAIR OF PETER, APOSTLE 1 Pt 5: 1-4; Ps 23: 1-3a, 4-6; Mt 16: 13-19 Feb. 23 Polycarp, bishop, martyr Sir 4: 11-19; Ps 119: 154, 171-172, 174-175; Mk 9: 38-40 Feb. 24 Thursday Sir 5: 1-8; Ps 1: 1-4, 6; Mk 9: 41-50 Feb. 25 Friday Sir 6: 5-17; Ps 119: 12, 16, 18, 27, 34-35; Mk 10: 1-12 Feb, 26 Saturday Sir 17: 1-15; Ps 103: 13-18; Mk 10: 13-16

“D

Paul proposes alternative to O.T. vision

o you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?” (1 Cor 6:19).

Remember hearing these words when you were growing up? Or perhaps you heard them in this translation: “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?”

St. Paul wrote these words as part of an exhortation against sexual immorality. They became a favorite of adults encouraging chastity among adoseventh sunday lescents, to warn in ordinary time them about the 1 Cor 3: 16-23 perils of dating.

These words of St. Paul echo a verse in Sunday’s second reading: “Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” St. Paul draws upon the image of God’s temple in this case as well. Once again, he presents it in the form of a rhetorical question, not a simple statement: “Do you not know?”

On the other hand, the metaphor in this Sunday’s reading appears in a completely different context. Instead of describing the bodies of Christian believers, St. Paul is engaging in a discussion of the Christian community. He maintains that God’s presence in the

community makes it a temple. Because it is a temple, the community, by definition, is holy.

We also find this metaphor of the Christian community as God’s temple in other places in the New Testament.

Consider these examples: “Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Eph 2:21-22).

“Like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pt 2:5).

Most probably, St. Paul wrote his letters to the Corinthians during the 50s. That means that the temple in Jerusalem was still standing, since it was not destroyed until the year 70.

The existence of the Jerusalem temple imparts an added significance to the

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metaphor of the temple, which we should not overlook.

The Old Testament, especially in the writings of the Deuteronomic tradition, consistently focuses attention on the Jerusalem temple to the exclusion of all others. The Judahite kings wished to create a religious monopoly centered in Jerusalem, their political capital.

Toward that end, they closed down temples in other cities. Instead, they promoted the one temple in Jerusalem.

They believed that this policy would increase their political power and tighten their control over the country.

On the other hand, by describing the Christian community in Corinth as a temple, St. Paul was proposing an alternative to the Old Testament vision.

God would dwell not only in Jerusalem, but also in Corinth. God would dwell not only in a building, but also among his people.

St. Paul’s metaphor opens us to the possibility of seeing God not confined to a single city, but pervading the entire world. God will be present wherever his people take him.

Father Mike Stubbs is the senior parochial vicar of Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University.

Continued from page 1 “When you become a disciple of Christ, it transforms you, so the Gospel will permeate into every aspect of your life,” said Scholl. “Considering that most of us spend the majority of our day pursuing economic endeavors, the Gospel will permeate into that part of our lives. Being a Catholic of integrity, you will have to ask: ‘How does the Gospel inform this aspect of my life?’”

Seba offered a number of suggestions drawn from his personal experience and from teaching Financial Peace University.

• Stop using credit cards • Begin to budget • Pay off your debts and stay out of debt • Save to make major purchases • Prioritize your expenditures, and pay necessities first.

“One of the things you can do is called ‘the four walls,’” said Seba. “You pay the necessities first — food, shelter, transportation, clothing and utilities — before anything else is purchased. By doing that, you’ll save yourself a lot of hassles in overspending.”

It’s also important that husbands and wives be fully informed about and share equally in the management of the family finances.

“As Christians, that’s not what we got married to do — for one person to carry all the burden of the finances and the other to not be a part of that,” he said.

“We are called as Christians to share the

Stuff is OK . . . to a point So, what about all our stuff? Is it OK to own stuff?

Sure it is, but only if we put things in the proper perspective, said Bill Scholl, archdiocesan consultant for social justice.

“We can’t understand our stuff unless we look at it in light of heaven,” he said.

“Our faith calls us to look at our property and see it as a gift from God.” The Scriptures have a lot to say about money, possessions, giving, and work.

For example, one of the principles is that everything actually belongs to God: “Think! The heavens, even the highest heavens, belong to the Lord your God as well as the earth and everything on it” (Dt 10:14).

It’s the church’s teaching that wealth — indeed, all our

“We’re called to look at these things as not owning them absolutely, but owning them for a time, with the expectation that we’ll do all we can to use these gifts to improve our lives, the lives of our loved ones, our church, and our fellow man.”

”

Bill Scholl, archdiocesan consultant for social justice material possessions — has to be seen in the context

burdens together, whether it’s sickness or finances.”

Usually the problem is not a lack of money, but a lack of planning. And, Seba said, a lack of understanding that — in

of our eternal destiny, said Scholl.

For example, in paragraph 22 of the 1891 encyclical “Rerum Novarum” (on capital and labor) Pope Leo XIII wrote: “The things of the earth cannot be understood or valued aright without taking into consideration the life to come, the life that will know no death,” and “God has not created us for the perishable and transitory things of earth, but for things heavenly and everlasting.”

Likewise, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that each Christian is supposed to become a “steward of Providence” (no. 2404).

“As Catholics, we are all called to become ‘stewards of Providence,’” said Scholl.

“Providence is just the sum total of God’s destiny for us,

addition to the spending — we must also save and give.

“Most people [who come to the class] make enough money to change and fix their lives, and to turn to the positive,”

particularly considering all the gifts and talents — and even the challenges — he gives us.”

“We’re called to look at these things as not owning them absolutely, but owning them for a time,” he continued, “with the expectation that we’ll do all we can to use these gifts to improve our lives, the lives of our loved ones, our church, and our fellow man.”

Our consumer culture teaches us that happiness comes from having, but our Catholic faith teaches us that happiness is being.

“Becoming intentional about how we manage our finances is an important step in empowering you to ‘be’ — to be a better disciple and servant of God,” said Scholl.

said Seba. “I really haven’t encountered anyone who is in such dire straits that they are in such a sad situation [that they can’t be helped].”

16 Life isues

THE LEAVEN • february 18, 2011

Houses of horror

Abortion clinic ‘horrors’ show need for licensing, activists say

By Joe Bollig Leaven staff

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — It was a drug raid — not an action by the state or city health department — that closed the infamous Philadelphia “House of Horrors” abortion clinic.

After receiving tips about illegal drug sales, agents from the FBI and the Philadelphia district attorney’s office raided the Women’s Medical Society, owned

by Dr. Kermit B. Gosnell.

When the search team entered the clinic on Feb. 18, 2010, they discovered conditions later described as “filthy, deplorable, disgusting, very unsanitary, very outdated,” and “horrendous.”

They discovered bloodstained furniture and blankets, broken equipment, and bags and jars of fetal parts. The clinic stank of urine from cats that roamed freely.

Further investigations by a grand jury revealed even more. Women died, and so did babies.

“This case is about a doctor who killed babies and endangered women,” said the grand jury report, released in January. “[Gosnell] regularly and illegally delivered live, viable, babies in the third trimester of pregnancy — and then murdered these newborns by severing their spinal cords with scissors.”

Worse yet, the clinic had operated this way for years. State and city health agencies had received complaints, but didn’t take action until Gosnell’s clinic made the headlines. Gosnell and staff members face murder and other charges.

For some in Kansas City, Kan., the case brings back bad memories of another filthy, dangerous abortion clinic.

Like the Philadelphia clinic, it, too, continued to operate in the face of official indifference and permissiveness, until a police investigation and subsequent complaints resulted in shocking headlines.

On Sept. 18, 2003, Det. William Howard and another officer of the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department were called to investigate a theft reported by Dr. Krishna Rajanna at his Affordable Medicine Clinic.

They didn’t find evidence of a theft, but they found lots of filth.

“There were dirty dishes in the sink and on the tabletop, trash everywhere, and roaches crawling across the coun-

Pro-lifers gather outside an abortion clinic in Kansas City, Kan., to pray the rosary. Unsafe and unsanitary working conditions inside many abortion clinics nationwide have led to calls for greater abortion clinic licensing. tertops, with a smell of a stench in the room,” Howard testified in 2005 before a committee of the Kansas Legislature.

“Frankly, I was reluctant to sit down.”

Among other things, there was evidence of rodent infestation, dried blood on the floor, clutter, and fetal parts stored in Styrofoam cups next to food in a freezer.

Howard was so concerned about what he found that he contacted thenWyandotte County District Attorney Nick Tomasic, along with a clinic worker turned whistle-blower. Tomasic determined no laws had been broken, but he gave Howard contact information for three agencies.

One of the agencies Howard called was the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts. He was met with indifference. The KSBHA knew about Rajanna. They’d issued $1,000 fines twice: in 2000, for improperly dispensing prescriptions; in 2001, for failing to give a blood test.

In early 2004, a pro-life activist made a complaint about Rajanna’s clinic to the KSBHA, but little seemed to happen. However, in April 2004, then-Kansas Attorney General Phil Kline began to press Kansas legislators to pass laws regulating abortion clinics. The Kansas Legislature passed clinic licensing bills in 2003 and 2005.

Despite their veto by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, the legislation and the harsh publicity that followed drew the attention of the KSBHA, and it took action

Spring 2011 Confirmation Dates Archbishop Naumann Feb. 9 7 p.m.

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Cathedral of St. Peter, Kansas City, Kan. Holy Name, Kansas City, Kan. Sacred Heart, Gardner St. Matthew, Topeka St. Patrick, Kansas City, Kan. St. Pius X, Mission St. Agnes, Roeland Park Leavenworth parishes St. Ann, Hiawatha St. Joseph, Shawnee St. Catherine and Didde Campus Center, Emporia Sacred Heart, Shawnee St. Paul, Olathe Queen of the Holy Rosary, Wea Holy Trinity, Lenexa Holy Cross, Overland Park Prince of Peace, Olathe

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Prince of Peace, Olathe Ascension, Overland Park Ascension, Overland Park St. Michael the Archangel, Leawood All Saints, Kansas City, Kan. Our Lady of Guadalupe, Topeka Curé of Ars, Leawood

Archbishop Keleher March 13 2 p.m.

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against Rajanna in March 2005. That month, a KSBHA inspector visited the clinic twice and found numerous problems. The board temporarily suspended Rajanna’s license, and then revoked it on June 11, 2005.

These “House of Horrors” abortion clinics are not isolated examples, according to Kathy Ostrowski, state legislative director for Kansans for Life.

“It’s something we’ve heard about for a long, long time,” she said. “This is not an aberration.”

In the past, Kansas abortionists have had all kinds of problems, including inadequate facilities and equipment, poor management of drugs, bad record keeping, and poor training of clinic staff.

Many of the doctors had checkered pasts and were not specialists in obstetrics and gynecology.

“Down the street from Krishna Rajanna’s clinic was the Aid for Women’s Clinic, which had decades of problems,” said Ostrowski. “This is the clinic that had Doctor [Ann] Krisin Neuhaus working for them, who became the rubberstamp abortionist for abortionist Doctor [George] Tiller, after her practice went belly up in Lawrence, and she had lots of problems.”

Despite actions by the KSBHA, Ostrowski believes that stronger clinic inspection and licensure laws are still needed in Kansas. The current laws and regulations are inadequate, she said.

“Currently, we only have three abor-

St. Ann, Effingham, and St. Louis, Good Intent Atchison parishes St. Leo, Horton; St. Mary, Purcell Curé of Ars, Leawood Holy Trinity, Lenexa Church of the Nativity, Leawood Holy Spirit, Overland Park St. Michael, Leawood Blessed Sacrament (Hispanics), Kansas City, Kan.

tion clinics in the state, all of them in the northeast,” she said.

Planned Parenthood is licensed by the state as an ambulatory surgical center under a state statute, said Ostrowski. It’s supposed to be inspected every three years by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The other two clinics are defined as doctors’ offices and fall under KSBHA agency rules. These clinics are supposed to be inspected every two years, and have to meet minimum safety and sanitation standards.

The problem with the KSBHA is that it’s not proactive and does not do surprise inspections, said Ostrowski.

Moreover, it does not share information about its inspection methods or the results of an inspection — whether or not, for example, deficiencies were found and addressed. Finally, its rules do not have the same effect as state statutes.

“The acting director [of KSBHA] told me as a representative of Kansans for Life, the clinics have been inspected twice, but there’s no public access [to those records],” said Ostrowski. “The only times when things go public is when there is a formal disciplinary action — not an agreement. If there’s a formal disciplinary action, it becomes a matter of public record, but it takes a long time to get to that stage.”

The public does, however, have access to records of KDHE clinic inspections, she said.

“In 2005, Planned Parenthood [clinic] had terrible deficiencies all over the place, and Kansans for Life exposed them,” said Ostrowski. “In 2008, they seemed to have done an adequate job in meeting inspections.”

Three years, however, is a long time, and problems could develop, she said.

Sen. Mary Pilcher Cook (R-Shawnee) thinks the political climate has changed to the point where a truly meaningful abortion clinic licensing bill can be passed.

“This year, it’s going to be different,” she said. “Now we have a governor who embraces [pro-life values]. He can see how important it is to enforce the rule of law. . . . We only need a simple majority in each chamber for [a pro-life bill] to become law.”

Pilcher-Cook said she hopes to soon introduce abortion clinic licensing legislation. It will contain elements similar to bills vetoed by Sebelius.

June 10 7 p.m.

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St. Mary-St. Anthony (Hispanics) Kansas City, Kan. Curé of Ars, Leawood

Abbot Barnabas Senecal, OSB

Feb. 13 7 p.m.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Topeka Feb. 27 2 p.m.

Most Pure Heart of Mary, Topeka March 6 2 p.m.

Sacred Heart, Emporia March 10 7 p.m.

Christ the King, Topeka March 13 10:30 a.m. Sacred Heart-St. Joseph, Topeka March 27 2 p.m.

St. Ann, Prairie Village April 3 2 p.m.

Christ the King, Blessed Sacrament,

and Our Lady and St. Rose, Kansas City, Kan. April 6 7 p.m.

St. John the Evangelist, Lawrence April 10 1:30 p.m. Mater Dei, Topeka April 13 7 p.m. Our Lady of Unity, Kansas City, Kan. April 27 7 p.m.

Queen of the Holy Rosary,

Overland Park April 30 5 p.m.

St. Francis de Sales, Lansing May 18 7 p.m.

Good Shepherd, Shawnee