THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 43, NO. 29 | MARCH 4, 2022
FLEEING WAR
CNS PHOTO/BRYAN WOOLSTON, REUTERS
A Ukrainian family carries belongings after crossing over the border in Medyka, Poland, on Feb. 25 after Russia launched a massive military operation against Ukraine. The Permanent Council of the Polish bishops’ conference met Feb. 25 and urged Poles to “open for our sisters and brothers from Ukraine homes, hostels, diocesan, parish, retreat houses and all places where help can be provided to people in need.” One U.N. official called the exodus from Ukraine to be the largest number of people displaced in Europe in the shortest amount of time since World War II.
Volunteers team up with agencies to evacuate Ukrainians By Anli Serfontein Catholic News Service
for a few days for safety, as I am heavily pregnant,” she said. “An hour and a half later, the bombs started falling.” ERLIN (CNS) — As half a She later continued her journey to million Ukrainians crossed Posnan, where her uncle, who lives in the borders into neighboring Denmark, came to meet her. countries to flee the war, the Lviv is the largest city in Western European Ukrainian dias- Ukraine and, before 1939, was part of pora and ordinary citizens Poland. German newspaturned out to welcome and pers reported that Polish Pope visits Russian help transport, feed and volunteers have been drivembassy to make house them. ing all the way to Lviv to the case for peace. The main destination pick up Ukrainians and Story on page 3 for many fleeing has been transport them into Poland. Poland, where many arThe last weekend in Febrived in Medyka, the main road and rail ruary, people waited an average of 24 border crossing from Ukraine. hours at the border to cross into Poland. After a 30-hour journey, Katerina Even before the Russian invasion Kosar told a Handelsblatt reporter: “I began, officials estimated 1.5 million barely got out, but my family, friends Ukrainians had left for Poland since and neighbors are stuck in bomb shel- 2014, when Russia annexed the Crimea. ters.” She fled with her daughter Diana Don Bosco International, which and the family pet. She said she left represents Salesian religious orders to Kharkiv at 4 a.m. Feb. 24. >> See “POLAND” on page 7 “My husband told me to go to Lviv
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CNS PHOTO/GLEB GARANICH, REUTERS
A Ukrainian soldier walks along a trench at a position on the front line near the city of Novoluhanske in the Donetsk region of Ukraine on Feb. 22. Two days later, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a wide-ranging attack on cities across Ukraine.
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ARCHBISHOP
MARCH 4, 2O22 | THELEAVEN.ORG
May these weeks of Lent deepen our gratitude for the gift of faith
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lease pray for the people of Ukraine as well as for wisdom for world leaders to protect the rights of sovereign nations from being victims of unjust aggression by a neighboring state seeking to expand borders and power. This current threat to world peace coming on the heels of the tragic consequences of the COVID pandemic has made us more aware of the fragility of life as well as our own vulnerability to many forces that are beyond our control. Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season always challenge us to reflect upon what is the foundation for our hope. Ash Wednesday reminds us that the world as we know it is passing away. Only our relationship with God endures, and it is the victory of Jesus over sin and death that must be the source of our hope. The church requirements for fast and abstinence are very minimal; it is therefore even more important that we observe them conscientiously. The church requires Catholics: 1) on all the Fridays of Lent to abstain from meat for those over the age of 14; and 2) to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday for those age 18 thru 59. It is important that we unite with our fellow Catholics for these minimal common penitential practices. I encourage every member of the archdiocese to make some additional personal commitments for prayer and fasting. Many Catholics commit to participating in daily Mass as often as possible through Lent. Others commit to the daily praying of the
LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN rosary; daily meditation on the Bible, particularly the Gospels; a weekly hour of eucharistic adoration; a weekly praying of the Stations of the Cross; or some other additional practice of prayer throughout the Lenten season. It is also a good practice to fast additional days throughout Lent from food in general, or particular types of food. Fasting is not restricted just to food. It could also include fasting from television, streaming, Facebook, the internet, video games, sports, Netflix, etc. I encourage you to reflect upon what or to whom do you turn when you feel stressed, anxious or just seeking comfort. What do you prefer doing rather than spending additional time in prayer? This is a good means to identify idols in your life — namely, attachments to things, experiences, pleasures or relationships that you have allowed to become more important than spending time with God. We cannot really appreciate the importance of Jesus as our redeemer and savior, if we do not recognize the presence of sin in our lives. If we do not perceive ourselves to
be a sinner, then we have no need for Jesus, no need for a redeemer. If we do not already have the habit of doing a daily examination of conscience, Lent is the perfect time to initiate this practice. Typically, an examination of conscience begins with a reflection on all the blessings of the day, allowing ourselves to grow in gratitude for God’s abundant gifts. Next, we need to prayerfully ponder how we responded to God’s graces and our failure to bring his love and the hope of his Gospel to others. Where have we failed to be an instrument of God’s love to those in our families, friends, co-workers, etc.? Pondering these questions will help us recognize the idols in our lives. What are our unhealthy attachments or even addictions? Receiving the sacrament of reconciliation or penance during Lent is a must for a devout Catholic. Sacramental confession is an amazing grace that Our Lord offers to us through his church. When we approach Our Lord with sincerity, humility, honesty and faith in this sacrament, it allows God to free us from our sins and penetrate our hearts with the joy that comes from experiencing his unconditional love. A serious Catholic
should take advantage monthly of the sacrament of reconciliation. If this is not part of your spiritual routine, Lent is the perfect moment to begin to utilize this amazing tool for transformation and growth in happiness and holiness. Lent is also a great time to focus on the key relationships in our lives. For husbands and wives, it is a moment to invite the Holy Spirit to reveal to you how you can love your spouse more completely. For parents, Lent is a great opportunity to deepen your relationships with your children by spending more time with them and discerning opportunities for giving them encouragement as well as areas where you need to challenge them in the development of virtue. Beyond the family, we need to ask Our Lord to help us recognize opportunities to bring God’s love and the joy of his Gospel to friends, neighbors and co-workers. For some of us, we may be experiencing the cross in our lives. Our cross can be physical suffering resulting from illness or age. It can also be emotional suffering that comes from broken relationships. Lent is a special time to unite our suffering with that of the crucified Jesus. Lent is a great time to read prayerfully one or more of the Passion narratives, allowing the depth of God’s love to penetrate our hearts. This Lent, I will be offering a weekly podcast reflecting on the Chapter 6 of St. John’s Gospel, the great catechesis of Jesus on the Eucharist and his identity as the bread of life.
ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN’S CALENDAR March 4 CFNEK Archbishop High School Art Invitational awards reception — Savior Pastoral Center March 5 Men Under Construction Mass — Church of the Ascension, Overland Park Closing of Lenten retreat Mass — Annunciation, Frankfort March 6 Rite of Election Western Region (Topeka) — Most Pure Heart of Mary, Topeka Rite of Election Eastern Region (Johnson County) — Prince of Peace, Olathe March 7 “Shepherd’s Voice” recording — chancery Archdiocesan Finance Council board meeting — chancery Confirmation — Holy Spirit, Overland Park March 8 Eucharistic adoration, Bishop Ward High School — Cathedral of St. Peter, Kansas City, Kansas U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Pro-Life Committee meeting Ethics Council meeting — chancery March 9 Confirmation — Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Topeka March 10 Kenrick-Glennon Seminary Formation Committee meeting — St. Louis Kenrick-Glennon Seminary board meeting — St. Louis Rector’s reception — Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, St. Louis March 11-12 Conception board of regents meeting — Conception Abbey, Conception, Missouri
I hope these reflections will be another opportunity for spiritual growth and a preparation for the three-year pastoral initiative in the United States beginning this June to renew and deepen in the hearts of all Catholics amazement and awe for the miracle of Our Lord’s
real presence in the Eucharist. I pray this Lent may be a great time of grace for each and every member of the archdiocese. May these special weeks deepen our love for Jesus and our gratitude for the gift of our Catholic faith.
WAR IN UKRAINE
MARCH 4, 2022 | THELEAVEN.ORG
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PAPAL PLEAS FOR PEACE
Even if unheeded, Pope Francis continues tradition By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
Ending conflict requires dialogue; Vatican ready to help, cardinal says
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By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service
V CNS PHOTO/GREGORIO BORGIA, POOL VIA REUTERS
Pope Francis exchanges gifts with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a private audience at the Vatican Feb. 8, 2020.
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ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis knows his appeals for an end to the war in Ukraine carry little weight with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but he also knows he has an obligation to continue speaking out and rallying others to join him in praying for peace. In April 2021 — 10 months before Putin invaded Ukraine — the pope expressed his concerns about a buildup of Russian troops on the Ukrainian border and an escalation in the fighting between Ukrainian and Russian-backed separatists in Eastern Ukraine. He did the same in December, in January and repeatedly in February as it seemed Putin was serious about launching an offensive. Emphasizing the seriousness of his concern, Pope Francis did not summon the Russian ambassador to the Holy See, but instead went in person to the embassy Feb. 25. One week before Putin launched the invasion, Pope Francis told members of the Congregation for Eastern Churches — including Eastern Catholic leaders from Ukraine, Iraq, Syria and Ethiopia — that too often “the warnings of both popes and men and women of goodwill are unheard.” Humanity, he said, seems to have “an attachment to war, and this is tragic.” Still, Pope Francis noted, modern popes, beginning with Pope Benedict XV before World War I, have tried to appeal to consciences and to warn of the “useless slaughter” and the unforeseen consequences of going to war. The pope also spoke of St. John Paul II’s pleas to avoid the war in Iraq. Those pleas in early 2003 involved much more than public appeals. He sent Cardinal Pio Laghi to Washington to meet with President George W. Bush, and he sent Cardinal Roger Etchegaray to Baghdad to meet with President Saddam Hussein. The United States and its coalition partners launched their attack three weeks later. Papal appeals for peace and dialogue always look first to the impact violence and war will have on civilians, especially the elderly and children. In military calculations, they are “collateral damage,” but as Pope Francis noted Feb. 27, they are always the first victims of conflict. The advent of atomic and nuclear weapons at the end of World War II changed papal discourse about international conflicts and is one reason why the war in Ukraine has shocked so many people in Europe and beyond. Leading prayers for peace Feb. 25, the first day of the Russian offensive against Ukraine, Andrea Riccardi, a historian and founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio, said the conflict “seems to me the biggest war on European soil since 1945, at least for the size of the country it involves and for the fact that it involves a superpower.”
“ WE CAN NO LONGER THINK OF WAR AS A SOLUTION BECAUSE ITS RISKS WILL PROBABLY ALWAYS BE GREATER THAN ITS SUPPOSED BENEFITS. POPE FRANCIS IN “FRATELLI TUTTI”
Putin said Feb. 27 that he had put his nuclear forces onto a higher state of alert. The most thorough papal examination of the folly of war to date is “Pacem in Terris,” published in 1963 by St. John XXIII. Although it was an encyclical, it was addressed to all people of good will and not just Catholics, and it tried to address people’s hopes and fears at the height of the Cold War and in the wake of the Cuban missile crisis. The pope called for international and interreligious cooperation in
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the promotion of world peace, emphasizing the importance of human rights and dignity. Last June, the Vatican publishing house released “Peace on Earth: Fraternity is Possible,” a collection of Pope Francis’ words and speeches on the importance of praying and working for peace. In the final chapter, written specifically for the book, he moved closer than any previous pope had done to adopting a stance of total nonviolence. Already in “Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship,” he questioned whether in modern warfare any conflict could be judged a “just war” because proportionality and the protection of civilians seem to be difficult if not impossible to guarantee. “We can no longer think of war as a solution because its risks will probably always be greater than its supposed benefits,” one of the main criteria of just-war theory, he wrote in the document. “In view of this, it is very difficult nowadays to invoke the rational criteria elaborated in earlier centuries to speak of the possibility of a ‘just war.’ Never again war!”
How to help Ukraine
ASHINGTON (CNS) — Various Catholic agencies are collecting donations to aid with the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, as people flee to escape Russian bombing and shelling. Here are some places to donate. This list is not exhaustive. The international Caritas confederation is collecting funds to help Caritas Ukraine. In the United States, that is through Catholic Relief Services at: support.crs.org/donate/ donate-ukraine. Two pontifical agencies also are taking donations for Ukraine: Catholic Near East Welfare Association at: cnewa.org/campaigns/ukraine/, and Aid to the Church in Need at: www.churchinneed.org/. The Knights of Columbus launched the Ukraine Solidarity Fund, and donations can be made online at: kofc.org/secure/en/donate/ukraine.html. Donations can also be made to Jesuit Refugee Service online at: www.jrsusa.org to support the agency’s work in Europe “to accompany, serve and advocate for those forced to flee from war and conflict.”
President Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann
Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799) Published weekly September through May, excepting the Friday the week after Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Christmas; biweekly June through August. Address communications to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Phone: (913) 721-1570; fax: (913) 7215276; or email at: sub@theleaven.org. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. For change of address, provide old and new address and parish. Subscriptions $23/year. Periodicals postage paid at Kansas City, KS 66109.
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ATICAN CITY — The Vatican is ready to facilitate negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state. “The only reasonable and constructive way to settle differences is through dialogue, as Pope Francis never tires of r e p e a t i n g ,” he said. “The Holy See, which in recent years has followed the events in Cardinal Pietro Ukraine conParolin, Vatican secretary of state stantly, discreetly and with great attention, offering its willingness to facilitate dialogue with Russia, is always ready to help the parties to resume that path,” said the cardinal. In a joint interview with four Italian newspapers Feb. 28, Cardinal Parolin said, “Although what we feared and hoped would not happen has happened — the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine — I am convinced that there is always room for negotiation. It is never too late!” He reiterated the same appeal he said Pope Francis made during his visit to the Russian ambassador to the Holy See Feb. 25: “Stop the fighting and return to negotiations.” “First and foremost, the military attack, the tragic consequences of which we have all already witnessed, must be stopped immediately,” the cardinal said. “Communication and listening to each other is necessary in order to fully know and understand the reasons of others,” he said. “When people stop communicating and listening sincerely to each other, they look at each other with suspicion and end up exchanging only mutual accusations.” He said, “this mutual deafness” has led to open conflict.
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LOCAL NEWS
MARCH 4, 2O22 | THELEAVEN.ORG
New grant funds outreach in three areas of marriage ministry By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org
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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — As the old song goes, “Love makes the world go round,” but bold initiatives for marriage ministry require funding. And here is some good news: New funding has arrived. Three new marriage-strengthening initiatives will be launched in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas thanks to a $50,000 matching grant given to implement the national pastoral framework for marriage and family life ministry. The three initiatives, funded by the grant, will be ministries of the archdiocesan office of marriage and family life. The grant monies come from the Catholic Marriage Initiatives Fund, which was established by Catholic philanthropists who want to support the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops program as outlined in the document, “Called to the Joy of Love: A Pastoral Framework for Marriage and Family Life Ministry.” “For the application process, [the archdiocese] had to come up with three projects out of 27 different ministry areas to implement over a two-to-fouryear period,” said Brad DuPont, consultant with the archdiocesan office of marriage and family life. “We’re doing a three-year project.” To meet the conditions of the matching grant, $10,000 will be raised the first year, $20,000 the second year and another $20,000 the third year. The total monies for the three programs will be $100,000. The grant cannot be used for funding or expanding existing programs, said Libby DuPont, consultant for the archdiocesan office of marriage and family life. It’s “new money for new programs,” she said. The first program is called the First Five Initiative. In this program, the archdiocese will partner with six to eight parishes
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Three new marriage-strengthening initiatives will be launched in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas thanks to a $50,000 matching grant it received to implement the national pastoral framework for marriage and family life ministry. to recruit newly married couples, defined as those married less than five years. The couples will first be invited to an introductory dinner/date night series, then a weekend immersion retreat and finally to a follow-up skills course offered in partnership with the local marriage apostolate EverMore In Love. Not all couples will go through the entire program. But those who do will be fully trained to be volunteer Marriage Missionaries in their parish, able to help their parish to repeat the cycle with new couples for the next year. The program will expand to an additional six to eight parishes each year. The second program is Life-Giving Wounds.
The office of marriage and family life will oversee the founding of a chapter of the ministry Life-Giving Wounds in the archdiocese. The ministry helps adult children heal from wounds caused by the divorce of their parents. In year one, the grant monies will pay for an event to raise awareness, with the goal of recruiting volunteers interested in establishing a chapter. In year two, ministry leaders will be trained, and the first retreat will be conducted. The third program is marriage enrichment in Spanish. The archdiocesan Hispanic ministry office asked for help to establish a program of marriage enrichment, specifically for marriage skills, in Spanish. The first year will be used to train
bilingual couples in the EverMore in Love skills course. These three programs were chosen, said the DuPonts, because they provide meaningful outreach in areas now lacking and are sustainable after the grant monies are used. The programs will help achieve one of the goals set out by the archdiocesan pastoral plan, or mutually shared vision, of helping all parishes establish a comprehensive marriage ministry. For information about the three programs, contact Brad DuPont at (913) 647-0301, or send an email either to Brad DuPont at: bdupont@archkck. org, or to Libby DuPont at: ldupont@ archkck.org.
In a time of high turnover, Santa Marta veterans stay the course By Steve Wujek Special to The Leaven
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LATHE — It’s hard to go a day without reading a news story about “The Great Resignation” and the number of Americans who are voluntarily leaving their jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of 3.95 million workers resigned from their jobs in 2021 — the highest average ever recorded. All the talk about a volatile and active job market also begs the question: What about the workforce and people who have remained in their positions for 5 to 10 years or more? Here in the Kansas City area, there is a shining example of associates who have longevity and found purpose in their careers. At Santa Marta senior living community in Olathe, 79 team members have been serving in their roles for more than five years and 31 have been with the community for more than 10 years. “This is a special community where professionals find fulfillment and success in their vocations to support the lives of seniors,” said Santa Marta executive director Chet Surmaczewicz,
PHOTO COURTESY OF SANTA MARTA SENIOR LIVING COMMUNITY
A few of Santa Marta’s long-tenured associates are pictured in this photo. They are, from left: Bobby McClure (2007, maintenance), Mike Czaplewski (2008, chef), Edgar Hernandez (2007, kitchen), Gina Zwickel (2008, director of operations), Chet Surmaczewicz (2009, executive director) and Roberto Melgar (2007, maintenance operations manager). who joined the community in 2009. “We put a tremendous amount of effort and love in taking care of all the people at our community — both our residents and our team members.”
This year, Santa Marta will be celebrating 15 years as a community that enables seniors to live full and active lives. Having a large number of tenured associates has created a stable
and comforting environment where lives and careers thrive. “I started as a housekeeper the year Santa Marta opened,” said Mulu Pelelu. “This community has been a blessing for me. We are one big family, and everyone works together.” “I don’t ever want to leave this place,” said CNA Kelsela Jini. “After spending 13 years of my career here, you really get to know the residents. Whether someone is celebrating or needs comfort, we all rally around each other. This is a very caring community.” Santa Marta has planned special activities to celebrate National Employee Appreciation Day on March 4 to recognize and honor all team members — especially those who have been with the community since it opened in 2007. “We treat this day as if it’s a holiday,” said Surmaczewicz. “From the day we opened, we understood that maintaining a caring, compassionate and supportive culture was important. We have never wavered from that commitment. The dedication of our team members to make this a great place to live and work is so wonderful to witness.”
LOCAL NEWS
MARCH 4, 2022 | THELEAVEN.ORG
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Area seniors warn others to proceed slowly on social media By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
harmful to young women who may believe that is how they are supposed to look.” Hill said seeing people debunk influencer accounts by showing how they use Photoshop to manipulate their photos is refreshing. She believes that knowledge can be helpful for all young people. And faith, she said, also has a hand in making the digital world a more positive place. “Faith can play a huge part in how you portray and respect yourself as an individual. . . . Faith teaches us to respect and love our bodies,” she said. Hill encourages young girls to be themselves online and recognize their own beauty.
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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Life’s messes are swept under the rug in the digital world of Instagram, according to three archdiocesan high school students here. Celebrities, influencers and ordinary people pick and choose the photos and videos they share on the social media app, carefully orchestrating how their lives appear to the individuals scrolling behind the screen. “People can depict their lives to [be] literally whatever they want,” said Anna Bartkoski, a senior at St. James Academy in Lenexa. “So, comparison is really easy to fall into,” she said. “Perfect pictures are really hard to look at when you’re not feeling the best about yourself.” According to documents obtained by the Wall Street Journal in September 2021, a three year study by Facebook, Instagram’s parent company, found that the social media app has harmful effects on many of its users, particularly teenage girls. Its offerings often leave them struggling with mental health issues. Three young, local Catholics shared their experiences with the app, which boasts more than one billion users.
Measuring up Lizzie Weixeldorfer started using Instagram in sixth grade. “I was into club sports,” she said, “so all of my teammates were creating these group chats on social media.” Her parents allowed her to download the app so she didn’t miss out on the conversations among her friends. Weixeldorfer is now a senior at Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park and still uses Instagram primarily as a communication tool. “I like to be connected to my friends and family,” she said. “I like seeing different accomplishments made by the people in my life. “I do still fangirl a little bit over some of my favorite movie stars.” Weixeldorfer said one adverse effect of the platform is the insecurities it often brings about among young people. “More often than we think,
Overcoming the downfalls
Photos clockwise: Anna Bartkoski, center, is surrounded by friends at Camp Tekakwitha at Prairie Star Ranch in Williamsburg in a photo shared to Instagram. n Lizzie Weixeldorfer poses for a photo for her Instagram account. n Abby Hill, right, and Ama Wheeler snap a picture for social media at the annual Ward Walk at Bishop Ward’s Dorney Field in Kansas City, Kansas. those are a result from cyberbullying and negative commentary [online],” she said. Hurtful comments, she explained, are often “not even [from] people you know, like your peers. This can be happening with anonymous people, too, which is the craziest part.” Weixeldorfer said checking the app can become a mindless habit. She spends around two to three hours a day on the app. “I’m scrolling through looking at what my friends are doing [and] what they’re saying,” she said. Although she hasn’t personally experienced significant problems on social media, she knows people who have. “I’ve had friends and other peers who’ve tried way too hard to appear a certain way online,” she said, “and who idolize influencers whose jobs are to literally look pretty in front of a camera. “I can see how it would be
harmful for a young girl to come across a model’s page and have the desire to ultimately look like one of them instead of being themselves.” Weixeldorfer encourages young people to grow in confidence before venturing into the social media world. “You have to have the mindset that God made you in his own image, his own likeness,” she said, “and you are who you are. “If you go into all these different apps knowing that, I think it helps you take what you see [with] a grain of salt.”
‘Super-addicting’ Abby Hill, a senior at Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, Kansas, was 11 years old when she created her Instagram account. “I use Instagram for communication with my friends and family,” she said. “I also use Instagram to keep up with
trends — whether it’s inspiration for outfits, hair, etc.” Hill said the app keeps her updated on world news and current social issues. Spending anywhere from one to five hours daily on Instagram, she’s experienced its positive and negative features. “Some of the negative parts of Instagram circle around influencers that embellish their lives — whether it’s about the preferred body [type], a lavish lifestyle [or] flaunting success,” she said. Hill said apps like Instagram are “super-addicting.” “There are so many different kinds of posts that are posted to Instagram every day,” she explained, “which means Instagram never gets boring.” And when it comes to celebrity accounts, the content is often fine-tuned. “Many influencers post unrealistic ‘ideal’ body pictures,” said Hill, “which can be very
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Bartkoski started using Instagram in seventh grade. “I think it’s fun to see different life updates from people I haven’t talked to in a while, and see what people are up to,” she said. “There’s a lot of people who I used to know from middle school that I stay in touch with.” A few years ago, Bartkoski noticed she was spending too much time on the app. “I think the more you use it, the more impactful it becomes in your life,” she said. So, she set a time limit on her phone that allows her to stay on social media for just 30 minutes every day. “These social media platforms are created to keep you on them as long as they can,” she said. “Setting timers and screen time limits can definitely help.” When it comes to the studies on Instagram’s harmful effects on teen girls, Bartkoski isn’t surprised. “I think a downfall is that people get to depict what they want their lives to look like,” she said. “So often, that [becomes] people making their lives look perfect when they’re actually not.” Bartkoski encourages other young people to set time limits on their phones so they don’t spend all their free time online. “I also think really reinforcing the fact that your dignity comes from God and not from what other people think and say is really important,” she said.
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LOCAL NEWS
MARCH 4, 2O22 | THELEAVEN.ORG
Catholic Cemeteries initiative integrates practical, pastoral care By Therese Horvat Special to The Leaven
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ersons making end-oflife pre-arrangements have the added advantage of making both their funeral plans and their cemetery plans all at one time with Catholic Cemeteries of Northeast Kansas. Using the “Catholic Circle of Protection” concept, Catholic Cemeteries family service advisers familiarize families with the steps, services and merchandise required from the time immediately following a person’s death through and after the final committal. Bryan Alonzo, director of sales and marketing, said this concept (see graphic) provides an important framework for understanding as people preplan end-of-life arrangements. Through its comprehensive services, Catholic Cemeteries can meet many of the needs identified in collaboration with funeral home partners and local parishes. “Similar to how persons preplan cemetery arrangements with us, they can now complete all of their funeral arrangements with our team as well,” said Sharon Vallejo, Catholic Cemeteries president. “Benefits include convenience, guaranteed pricing, ease for the family at their time of loss and helping ensure an individual’s wishes are met upon the person’s death.” To provide these comprehensive services, Catholic Cemeteries offers a funeral insurance plan available through Forethought Life Insurance Company. Alonzo said that the archdiocesan ministry has offered this particular plan for about two
years with an overwhelmingly positive response from the Catholic community about the ease of the whole process. Alonzo emphasized that this is not a traditional term, whole life or universal life policy. “Funeral insurance covers one-time, short-term expenses,” he said. “This funeral insurance pays out directly to the funeral home immediately upon death to cover these expenses as opposed to waiting on a traditional life policy that could take months to settle.” He added that the funeral insurance plan does not require a
physical exam; it is guaranteed to be issued to any applicant. “The plan guarantees the funeral prices, a real plus as industry costs change rapidly due to inflation and material and labor expenses,” said Alonzo. “The plan is also protected from the Medicaid spend-down.” The funeral insurance plan guarantees prices for those services selected by the family that are provided by the funeral home. This may include a professional services fee, transfer and transport of the deceased, embalming, dressing/casketing of the body,
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cremation fee (if applicable), hearse, limos, casket, and the use of funeral home facilities and staff for the visitation, funeral and committal service. Catholic Cemeteries offers one-, three-, five- and 10-year payment plans for the funeral insurance. The one-year payment plan is interest free. Interest rates vary for the other plans based on a person’s age. “There are no markups for these services,” said Alonzo. “Our families will receive rates identical to those offered by any of our funeral home partners.” Vallejo said that Catholic
ACROSS 1 Confuse 6 Vermin 11 Possessive pronoun 14 Terrible 15 Mystify 16 Tribe of Israel 17 Kid 18 Jack __ 19 Boxer Muhammad 20 Children’s game 22 Serving of corn 23 Whack 24 American Cancer Society (abbr.) 27 Gold, frankincense and __ 29 Cut of beef 30 Gawk 32 Cow interjection 33 Old Testament city 34 Sporty car brand 36 __ goes before destruction 38 Is 41 __ of the Good Samaritan 43 Smeared 45 Goddess 46 Book after Daniel 48 Analyze syntactically 49 The patience of __ 50 Pester 52 Hold
53 56 58 59 60 61 63 64 66 70 71 72 73 74 75
Cemeteries is partnering with several funeral homes to offer this convenient service. Partners include: Porter Funeral Homes and Crematory (Kansas City, Kansas, and Lenexa); Skradski Funeral Home, Kansas City, Kansas; Kansas City Funeral Directors, Kansas City, Kansas; Muehlebach Funeral Care, Kansas City, Missouri; Brennan-Mathena Funeral Home, Topeka; Dove Cremations & Funerals, Topeka; Parker-Price Cremations, Funerals & Receptions, Topeka; and Penwell-Gabel Cremations, Funerals & Receptions, Topeka. Similar to most funeral home staff members, Catholic Cemeteries family service advisers are licensed insurance providers in the state of Kansas. They train alongside funeral home partners to be able to serve knowledgeably and efficiently as an extension of their offerings. The family service advisers can assist families with funeral price comparisons, enrollment in the funeral insurance plan, and preplanning and arranging services offered directly through Catholic Cemeteries. The latter include space in the cemetery, mausoleum or columbarium; interment or inurnment; the vault or outer burial container; and the monument or memorial. To make an appointment to discuss funeral and cemetery plans with a family service adviser, call (913) 371-4040 or send an email to: information@cath cemks.org. A meeting to discuss both pre-arrangements will take approximately two hours; one hour to add funeral plan arrangements to pre-existing cemetery plans.
A witch lived here Scarf Terminal abbr. Mother of Jesus Respiratory disease Uproar Central Intelligence Agency Infra’s opposite Jewish scripture Antlered animal Guide “__ ho!” (nautical term) Compass point Animal NT church leader
DOWN 1 Flying rodent 2 Female sheep 3 Farming club (abr.) 4 Throw out 5 Shine 6 Old-fashioned Dads 7 Roman Empire sovereign 8 Wife of Abraham 9 Despot 10 Primed 11 Potato state 12 Bird claw 13 Sharpshoot 21 Exercise place 23 West by north
24 Biblical Greek word for love 25 Chocolate tree 26 Cowboy boot projections 28 Lassos 29 Truss (2 wds.) 31 Epoch 33 Admiral (abbr.) 35 Detest 37 Son of Abraham 38 Concur 39 Start over 40 Swelling 42 Throw 44 Parent 47 Secures 49 __ to the World 51 The Creator 53 Master of ceremonies 54 Nabs 55 Duck 56 I am the __ and the Omega 57 A tenth part 60 Explosive igniter 62 Christmas song 64 Sandwich 65 Creative work 67 Really cool 68 Average (abbr.) 69 She Solution on page 10
MARCH 4, 2022 | THELEAVEN.ORG
WAR IN UKRAINE
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Russian Catholics grieving, angered after Ukraine invasion By Jonathan Luxmoore Catholic News Service
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ARSAW, Poland (CNS) — Catholics in Russia have been left “grieving, angered and bewildered” by their country’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the church’s spokesman, who also warned that citizens would face harsh economic consequences from the conflict. Father Kirill Gorbunov, spokesman for the Russian bishops’ conference, said many Catholics are angry “and don’t know where to direct this anger — some are turning it on God, on the church, on the Russian government and on the world.” “While some Catholics are reacting as if none of this affects them, some discussion groups formed as part of the church’s synodal process have now come together for mutual support in the current state of grief, anger and bewilderment,” said Father Gorbunov, who is also vicar general of the Moscow-based Mother of God Archdiocese. “It’s obvious this situation will have very, very severe consequences for the well-being of citizens here,” he said. “Our most important task as priests is to remind people of the church’s teaching on war and peace. But we must also be very attentive to the most vulnerable — the elderly, sick and poor — and act as counselors, helping people react in a meaningful, prayerful way which leads to integrity rather than madness.” Detachments from Russia’s invasion force, amassed in border regions since last fall, attacked Ukraine in the early hours of Feb. 24, triggering harsh resistance from Ukraine’s 200,000strong armed forces and a huge refugee exodus, as well as sharp fall in Russian currency, the ruble. On March 1, Russian troops continued to pound Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, and a 40-mile column of Russian tanks and vehicles was reported to be within 20 miles of Kyiv. In a Feb. 24 pastoral message, Russia’s five-member bishops’ conference said it was “deeply shocked” that war had erupted “despite huge efforts at reconciliation,” and the bishops backed the pope’s appeal for March 2, Ash Wednesday, to be marked by “intense prayer and fasting for the sake of saving human lives.” They also asked priests to celebrate
PHOTO 168348495 / KIEV CATHEDRAL © YURPORADA | DREAMSTIME.COM
At press time, reports from Ukraine’s Vatican embassy said recent intelligence suggested that Russian forces were preparing to target cultural and religious landmarks in Kyiv like this UNESCO World Heritage site, the Cathedral of St. Sophia, begun in the 11th century and holy to all Slavic peoples. Masses “for the preservation of peace and justice” and called on fellow Christians “to resist lies and hatred, and be a source of reconciliation.” “This confrontation brings death and destruction and threatens the security of the entire world,” the bishops said. “The peoples of our countries are united not only by a common history, but also by a great common suffering that befell us in the past because of the madness of war,” the bishops continued. “Let our contemporaries know they will have to give a strict account for the military actions they have taken. The course of coming centuries largely depends on their current decisions.” As the war progressed, Russian Catholic churches held peace prayer vigils. The Saratov-based St. Clement Diocese began a nine-day adoration of the Blessed Sacrament March 1. Moscow Archbishop Paolo Pezzi, president of the bishops’ conference, circulated a “prayer for peace and
fatherland,” to be read at Masses. It calls for Catholics to “be able to see a common future,” while also shunning “lies that destroy the world.” Father Gorbunov told CNS Russia’s bishops had based their message on the church’s dogmatic constitution, “Lumen Gentium,” and were “expressing church teaching, not just their own opinion.” “We’ll see if they wish to expand on this in coming days, but I personally think things are changed not by statements, but by the change of heart people experience during prayer, thinking and talking,” he said. “In normal everyday life, people don’t always understand what’s going on. But when they start to pray, they understand the terror, find compassion and see the necessity of doing something.” “Like many ordinary people, I’m no expert in predictions — the decisionmakers will get what they deserve, and I hope it won’t be the worst-case scenario for either Ukraine or our country,” he added.
CNS PHOTO/EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA, REUTERS
A woman holds a peace sign during a protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Moscow Feb. 27.
Poland, Germany prepare to receive even more refugees >> Continued from page 1 European institutions, tweeted photos that showed Slovak Salesians had transported 50 children in a bus from a care center in Lviv, in collaboration with the Ukrainian police and Salesians in Ukraine. “They will be placed in Slovakian families,” said a spokesman. The Salesians are known for helping poor and troubled children, and another tweet said the bus that transported the children would return to Ukraine “with humanitarian help, donated by Don Bosco partners and families of Slovakia.” On Feb. 26, the Polish State Railways announced that anyone with a Ukrainian passport could use the trains for free, and it was sending more trains to Przemysl and Medyka. The following day, Germany’s national railway announced that any Ukrainian refugee
could travel for free. Many German volunteers traveled to the German-Polish border or as far as the Ukrainian-Polish border to bring
Ukrainians to Germany. “I’ve just dropped some people, and am now returning for another trip,” a volunteer who did not want his name
mentioned texted Catholic News Service. Some of the volunteers are Russians based in Berlin, working alongside their Ukrainian and German friends. Eva-Maria Welskop-Deffaa of Caritas Germany said Feb. 27 her agency was “preparing to receive the refugees who are increasingly heading west.” European Union leaders agreed to give Ukrainian refugees one-year residency permits. Gernot Kraus of Caritas Internationalis said 34 of the agency’s 37 centers in Ukraine were still providing aid to people there, and the agency expects a million Ukrainians to cross into Poland alone. On Feb. 28, Caritas in the Archdiocese of Berlin said it was creating structures to coordinate all the offers of aid, because they expect an influx of refugees in early March.
God will bless those who mourn, bu The blessings of mourning By Father Richard R. Andre, CSP Catholic News Service
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CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ, LONG ISLAND CATHOLIC
Father Sean Magaldi elevates the host as he celebrates an All Souls’ Day Mass at St. Patrick Parish cemetery in Smithtown, New York. As Catholics, we are challenged to respond to loss in a way that offers support, hope and strength to those who mourn.
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illions of people across the world are dead from a pandemic. Millions more have suffered economic devastation. Social systems that seemed stable now feel precarious. This is a worldwide collective experience of sorrow, combined with billions of families experiencing a sharper, more personal grief. How do we cope with such loss? Since Jesus seems to base his beatitudes on the first 11 verses of Isaiah 61, it’s likely “they who mourn” in Mt 5:4 refers most specifically to “those who mourn in Zion” after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian Empire in the early sixth century BC. But surely we can apply this particular beatitude more broadly. I still remember the Rev. Greg Osterberg preaching on a winter day nearly 30 years ago: “A beatitude is an attitude about how to be.” It initially sounds a bit silly, but there’s great wisdom there. In this second beatitude, Jesus may be speaking about the spiritual practices — or attitudes — that we can employ when facing the inevitable losses in our lives. From the mourning in my own life, plus from journeying with others through the grieving process, I offer the following advice on developing an “attitude of beatitude” toward loss. • Feel what you feel. If we embrace the grieving process, we will eventually find comfort. If we ignore it or shortcircuit it, we will not. We may have days of overwhelming sadness when we think we should feel better; on other days, we may feel OK and think that we should feel worse. Often, the conscious parts of our brains are not the parts most in touch with our spiritual needs. Emotions — even the ones that make us uncomfortable — are God-given gifts. When we “lean in” to these difficult emotions, we better attend to the inexpressible groanings that the Holy Spirit offers to God on our behalf (Rom 8). • Welcome the gift of hindsight. It was only after my mother died that I realized she was the person who most deeply cared about such trivial events in my life as having a dental filling replaced. After my father’s death, I suddenly recognized that he was the main anchor tying me to my beloved hometown. There is no need to punish ourselves for not recognizing all the blessings as we received them. No matter how actively we cultivate a spirit of gratitude in our lives, some gifts only become apparent in hindsight. There is consolation in realizing that there is always more for which to be grateful. • Assist others who grieve. There are ways to help even the most private people in their mourning. If a neighbor loses a loved one, perhaps we can offer to housesit during the visitation hours at the funeral home, and perhaps we can do some light housekeeping while we’re there. Perhaps we can serve as a greeter or an extraordinary minister of holy Communion at the funerals that take place at our parishes. When a parishioner suffers a loss of some kind, I often offer to grab coffee
ONE BEARS WHAT WAS LOVELY IN THE PAST — NOT AS A THORN BUT AS A PRECIOUS GIFT DEEP WITHIN, A HIDDEN TREASURE OF WHICH ONE CAN ALWAYS BE CERTAIN. DIETRICH BONHOEFFER THEOLOGIAN
CNS PHOTO/RALPH TEDY EROL, REUTERS
A Haitian migrant who was flown out of Texas by U.S. authorities is seen outside of Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sept. 23, 2021. or tea with them a month afterward and check in on how they’re doing. • Cling to hope. There is a phrase that we use a lot in the funeral prayers of the church: “the sure and certain hope.” No matter the loss we have experienced, life for us and our loved ones has not ended; it has merely changed. If we ever question the existence of life after death, perhaps recalling our connection with a loved one who has died will reassure us that death cannot be the end of the relationship. If I ever feel that my emotions are limiting my ability to hope, I take those emotions to prayer with Ps 139: “You understand my thoughts from afar. . . . From
your presence, where can I flee? . . . My very self you know.” The theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “There is nothing that can replace the absence of someone dear to us, and one should not even attempt to do so. One must simply hold out and endure it. At first, that sounds very hard, but at the same time, it is also a great comfort. For to the extent the emptiness truly remains unfilled, one remains connected to the other person through it. “It is wrong to say that God fills the emptiness. God in no way fills it but much more leaves it precisely unfilled and thus helps us preserve — even in
pain — the authentic relationship. Furthermore, the more beautiful and full the remembrances, the more difficult the separation. “But gratitude transforms the torment of memory into silent joy. One bears what was lovely in the past — not as a thorn but as a precious gift deep within, a hidden treasure of which one can always be certain.” We can only speculate on what forms of comfort we will receive in heaven in accordance with Jesus’ promise in Mt 5:4. However, we can hold on to the sure and certain hope that when God destroys “the veil that veils all people” and “wipe(s) away the tears from all faces” (Is 25:7-8), it will be a comfort beyond our imagining. Paulist Father Richard R. Andre is an associate pastor at St. Austin Parish in Austin, Texas. His homilies can be found at: bit.ly/RichThoughts.
ut the comforting can start with us
CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING
Virginia Tech students mourn during a candlelight vigil April 17, 2007, in the wake of the shootings at the university in Blacksburg, Virginia. If we embrace the grieving process, we will eventually find comfort.
How do we comfort those who mourn?
By Mike Nelson Catholic News Service
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lessed are they who mourn,” Jesus tells us in the second beatitude delivered at his Sermon on the Mount, “for they will be comforted” (Mt 5:4). So what is comfort? And who offers that comfort? As a parish music and liturgy director for the past 35 years, my wife was frequently the one who met with grieving family members or friends to plan the funeral or memorial Mass for a departed loved one. But for her, this portion of her ministry involved much more than suggesting appropriate choices for music and Scripture readings. It involved presence. As one who herself had experienced the loss of parents, a sibling and other relatives and friends, she understood the importance of being physically present to family members and friends who were in various stages of their own grieving process. By meeting with them, or speaking with them on the phone, she not only learned more about the departed as well as the family and friends left behind; she built a connection — a trust, really — with these family members. A connection that told them, “Someone cares about you, someone feels your pain, someone is here to walk with you, give you hope and help you move forward.”
A mourning angel sits at a cemetery in Olomouc, Moravia, Czech Republic. Mourning is different for everyone. Catholics are called to offer support and strength to those who mourn. In some cases, the family had been away from church for some time and were, to put it bluntly, clueless about what could and couldn’t be done at a funeral Mass. But for my wife, this was a chance not only to educate but, in a very real sense, to evangelize — not by browbeating them about why they hadn’t been coming to church, but to remind them that they were always welcome in the house of the Lord who is always present in their lives. By learning more about what mattered
to these individuals, my wife was better able to serve their needs, by being what all who serve this church are called to be: the loving face of God, and the gentle hands of Jesus who helps to raise the lowly, heal the brokenhearted and, yes, comfort those who mourn. Her efforts were reflected in the numerous thank-you cards, calls and letters she received from the family of the deceased in the days after the Mass. Many of the messages spoke of the comfort and peace that those attending experienced from the Mass.
And many of these people returned on All Souls’ Day when our parish held an annual “Mass of Remembrance” to honor those who had died during the previous 12 months. This liturgy, coordinated by my wife, involved the assistance of dedicated parishioners who created the environment, facilitated the lighting of candles in memory of the departed and hosted a reception after Mass in the parish hall. Such service is addressed in the bereavement ministry training that many dioceses offer for clergy, religious and lay ministers who serve in their parishes, schools and hospitals. Often coordinated through the diocesan Catholic Cemeteries office, this training addresses how the local community can best serve the needs of those who mourn — to be the blessing, the presence, the comfort of which Jesus speaks in his Sermon on the Mount. We know, too, that mourning “loss” does not simply refer to the death of a loved one. It can also mean the loss of a job, or a business, or time spent with family and friends, or good health — a reality that the coronavirus pandemic has driven home quite vividly the past two years. As Catholics, we are challenged to respond to loss in a way that offers support, hope and strength to those who mourn. We do that by being as present to those who mourn in our midst as Jesus was that day in Galilee.
MARCH 4, 2022 | THELEAVEN.ORG
WORLD
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El Salvador charges former president in 1989 murders of Jesuits
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EXICO CITY (CNS) — Prosecutors in El Salvador have brought charges against a former president for the murders of six Jesuits in 1989, a crime carried out by soldiers during a brutal civil war in the Central American country. Former President Alfredo Cristiani and 12 others — mostly former soldiers — were charged with involvement in the slayings of the six Jesuits, their housekeeper and the housekeeper’s teenage daughter at their residence on the campus of the Jesuit-run José Simeón Cañas Central American University in San Salvador. Salvadoran Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado announced the charges Feb. 25, saying his office “is determined to bring to court those responsible for this unfortunate and tragic event that occurred during the armed conflict.” He added that the attorney general’s office “is promoting the search for the truth, the search for justice, reparation for the victims and that these kinds of unfortunate actions will not be repeated.” The charges against Cristiani and the other suspects apparently include murder, terrorism and conspiracy, according to The Associated Press. Cristiani, who has a degree in business administration from Jesuit-run Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., has denied any involvement in the Nov. 16, 1989, murders of the Jesuits. He served as president from 1989 to 1994. Attempts at obtaining justice in El Salvador for the case of the slain Jesuits have proven impossible at times. But in January, the country’s supreme court ordered a reopening of the case into the slayings, ruling favorably on a petition from the attorney general.
CNS PHOTO/JOSE CABEZAS, REUTERS
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein places flowers beneath plaques commemorating the six Jesuit priests and two employees killed in 1989, at the Central American University in San Salvador, El Salvador, Nov. 16, 2017. Two former soldiers were convicted in 1993 for their roles in the crimes, but were subsequently released after an amnesty was approved later that year. One of the soldiers, Col. Guillermo Benavides, was reincarcerated in 2016 after the amnesty was declared unconstitutional. Another former soldier, Col. Inocente Orlando Montano, was convicted by a Spanish court in 2020 for five of the murders — five of the Jesuits
were Spaniards — and sentenced to 133 years and four months in prison. The court called the crime an act of “state terrorism,” in which the top military leadership and then-president participated. Almudena Bernabeu, the lead prosecutor who pursued the case for 12 years, told Catholic News Service after the trial that Cristiani “was actively protecting the soldiers and covering up evidence.”
Caritas seeks funds as millions of acres burn in Argentina
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UENOS AIRES, Argentina (CNS) — Caritas Argentina has asked for donations as it responds to devastating wildfires in the country’s northeast, an ecological disaster church officials attribute to environmental degradation. Fires in the province of Corrientes had charred nearly 2 million acres of land for grazing and agriculture, along with wetlands in Iberá National Park and Iberá Wetlands, according to Argentine media. The fires came as the region suffers intense heat and drought, which has dragged on for more than two years. “Who is responsible for so much destruction and who is responsible for the delay in the response?” Caritas asked in a Feb. 24 statement. “It makes our blood boil knowing that many of these situations could be avoided if we were more careful in environmental preservation and in forecasting the investment of public funds for effective firefighting.” “We are part of the whole of a people who are pained to see brothers who abandon their homes, lose their belongings, and see what is sown and worked in the fields burn. We are also overwhelmed by sadness and impotence when we see animals, species and ecosystems de-
CNS PHOTO/SEBASTIAN TOBA, REUTERS
A firefighter battles a wildfire in Corrientes, Argentina, Feb. 15. stroyed by fire: The ecological emergency is added to the humanitarian emergency.” Caritas agencies in the Diocese of Santo Tomé and the Archdiocese of Corrientes have organized collections and offered assistance to impacted populations. The region is known for growing rice, citrus and yerba mate, an infusion popular with Argentines. Fires have burned in Corrientes and parts of neighboring Misiones province throughout February, though recent rainfall offered some
relief amid temperatures topping 100 degrees. The Archdiocese of Corrientes organized a tour of its patroness, Our Lady of Itatí, to the hardest-hit areas, including parishes, firehalls and hospitals. “Due to the deep Marian devotion of the people of Corrientes, the Virgin’s visits will try in some way to make their children feel the protection of the tender mother, bringing her closer to those places where the fires are not ceasing,” said a statement from the archdiocese.
Jesuit Father Andreu Oliva, rector of Central American University, told the media outlet El Faro in February: “The participation of former President Cristiani, like that of the rest of the defendants, must be clarified in the judicial process in El Salvador.” He added that the university “is interested in knowing the truth, in a trial carried out with all the guarantees of due process, no matter who turns out to be responsible” for the crimes.
Bishops back call for conference on Lebanon ROME (CNS) — Catholic leaders from Europe, the United States and Canada called on their governments to support Lebanese Cardinal Bechara Rai’s appeal for an international conference to protect Lebanon. In a joint statement issued March 1, the leaders said such a conference must find guarantees that uphold Lebanon’s “independence, sovereignty and neutrality”; safeguard Lebanese citizens’ right to free and fair elections; and help establish “good governance, honesty, transparency, and accountability in the service of Lebanon’s people.” “We support the Holy See’s continued efforts to seek peace in Lebanon,” the bishops said, adding that they prayed the recent visit of the Vatican’s foreign minister would bear fruit.
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MARCH 4, 2022 | THELEAVEN.ORG
PARISH MISSION Curé of Ars Parish 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood March 6, 7 and 8 from 6:30 - 7:45 p.m.
Father Tom Donaldson, a Redemptorist priest for 45 years with a master’s degree in addiction studies, actively works with people who are dealing with addiction issues. He will be presenting the mission. All are welcome to join us in the church to hear the three-night presentation.
‘LENT: PREPARING FOR THE UNEXPECTED CHANGES’ Keeler Women’s Center 759 Vermont Ave., Suite 100-B, Kansas City, Kansas March 9 from 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Join us for this time apart to look at how Jesus’ followers, during his life and after, faced unexpected changes in the future they imagined and how in today’s uncertain times, we can look to their examples of how to cope with the unexpected changes we are facing in our world and our faith. Space is limited. To register, call (913) 689-9375.
‘EASING INTO CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER’ Good Shepherd Parish 12800 W. 75th St., Shawnee March 9 - April 27 at 7 p.m.
Join us to explore the four stages of prayer that lead to contemplation. We will be reading together “The Armchair Mystic” by Father Mark Thibodeaux, SJ, and praying his suggested exercises to help cultivate a deeper relationship with Our Lord. The cost is $35 (book not included). For more information and to register, go online to: www.ignatiancenterkc. org/events and scroll down to “Easing into Contemplative Prayer.”
NUN RUN SPRING BREAK ’22 Church of the Nativity 3800 W. 119th St., Leawood March 11 - 18
Together with a minivan and an open heart full of adventure, participants will road trip to visit three area convents to experience some of the different charisms in which the Lord reveals himself. The dates of the trip are March 11 - 18. The cost is $50 per student. For more details and to register, go online to: www.kcnativity.org/vocations. Send questions via email to: Meghan McCormick, Nativity’s youth campus director, at: mmccormick@kcnativity.org.
MATER DEI PARISH IRISH FEST Evergy Plaza 630 S. Kansas Ave. March 12 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
The day begins with the 5K FunRun and continues with authentic Irish food (Patty’s Pockets, banger and mash, and Irish stew), a beer garden, games, live music and Irish dancing. The Topeka St.
Patrick’s Day parade starts at noon in the downtown area.
ANNUAL CLEANUP OF MAUSOLEUMS Gate of Heaven Cemetery 126th and Parallel, Kansas City, Kansas Resurrection Cemetery 83rd and Quivira Rd., Lenexa Mt. Calvary Cemetery 801 S.W. Westchester Rd., Topeka March 15
Catholic Cemetery staff will remove all decorations from mausoleum areas to minimize clutter and facilitate mausoleum maintenance. This annual cleanup helps maintain the beauty and safety of the mausoleums. Cemetery personnel immediately remove any decoration that is taped, glued or wired to crypt or columbarium fronts to prevent stains or damage. For more information, call (913) 371-4040 or send an email to: information@cathcemks.org.
‘HEALING THE DIVORCED HEART’ DIVORCE SUPPORT GROUP St. Michael the Archangel Parish (Gabriel Room) 14251 Nall Ave., Leawood March 16 at 7 p.m.
We who have experienced divorce understand, as perhaps few others can. We too were sad, lonely, scared and angry, but we have found that with God, time and the support of others, healing is possible. For more information, go online to: www.stmichaelcp.org/divorce-support.
JOY OF MUSIC CONCERT Visitation Parish 5141 Main St., Kansas City, Missouri March 20 at 3 p.m.
The 9th annual Joy of Music concert will be like none other. Rich organ music, lovely harp melodies, heavenly handbells and . . . dinosaurs?! Come find out what your favorite prehistoric animals sound like on the organ. Not a fan of Triassic reptiles? There is still something for you. Come and delight in the unusual combination of handbells and harp.
RUNNIN’ WITH THE REVS GAME Bishop Miege High School 5041 Reinhardt Dr., Roeland Park March 21 at 7 p.m.
All are invited to cheer on their favorite priest or student player. The priests will be teamed up with eighth-grade and high school students from our Catholic schools in an exciting game of basketball. Donations will benefit archdiocesan seminarians.
DIVORCE SUPPORT: CALLED TO LOVE AGAIN Church of the Ascension (St. John Room) March 24 at 6:30
This ministry offers divorced individuals a place to grow their faith and learn
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how to find God’s call for a future relationship. We offer a small group setting led by facilitators who have experienced divorce and successfully remarried. We will laugh, pray and learn together about the beauty of our church’s teachings on healing, theology of the body, annulment, dating and more. Get on our mailing list to stay connected for information about meetings and other news. Contact Katie and Mike Palitto by email at: called tolove143@gmail.com. Find us on Facebook: @giftofself143.
RETIREMENT PLANNING WORKSHOP St. Francis de Sales Parish (Robert Martz Hall) 900 Ida St., Lansing March 24 from 6 - 7 p.m.
All western region parishioners of the archdiocese are invited to hear from St. Francis de Sales parishioner and certified financial planner Jeannine Edmonds. Refreshments will be served. Take-home resources will be provided. Nothing will be sold. Register at (913) 647-0365 or send an email to: stewdev@archkck.org.
LIVE STATIONS OF THE CROSS Prince of Peace Parish (football field) 16000 W. 143rd St., Olathe March 25 at 7 p.m.
Families from the school, EEC, youth group, school of religious education and the parish will be playing roles in the Stations of the Cross. They will come up with their own costumes and sit at their station as Father Gregory Hammes walks each Station. There will be torches and luminaries lighting the way. Stations will also take place inside the church for those
who are unable to come outside.
STOP, LOOK AND LISTEN Conception Abbey 37174 State Hwy VV, Conception, Missouri March 25 - 27
Join in this retreat (available both in-person and online) with reflections: reflect on how to stop, as resting in the Lord; how to look, as sharpening our faith-vision; and how to listen, as fine-tuning our faith-hearing in our daily lives. See how to practice mindfulness and awareness of God’s presence. For more information, go online to: www. conceptionabbey.org/guests/ or send an email to: guests@conception.edu.
KNIGHTS OF MALTA ANNUAL MASS FOR THE SICK Curé of Ars Parish 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood March 26 at 10 a.m.
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and Bishop James V. Johnston will concelebrate Mass with anointing of the sick and ritual blessing of the sick, in the manner done at Lourdes, France. Mass will be preceded by the opportunity to receive the sacrament of reconciliation from 9 - 9:45 a.m. Those who are sick, suffering, chronically ill — and their caregivers — are encouraged to attend. All those attending will receive prayer cards and Lourdes water to take home. A short reception will be held after the Mass. Send the names of those who wish to receive the sacrament of anointing of the sick by email to: maltakansascity@gmail.com or contact Doug Rivard at (913) 620-1759.
Join Us for the 24rd Annual Joint Diocesan Healing Mass and Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 26, 2022 at Curé of Ars Church, 94th and Mission Rd., Leawood, Kansas Celebrant will be Bishop Johnston Homilist will be Archbishop Naumann The anointing of the sick in both dioceses will be administered to Catholics whose health is seriously impaired by illness or old age. All are invited to participate. The ceremony will follow the Lourdes pilgrimage format. Among those who may be anointed, the ritual mentions, in particular: • Those undergoing a surgery whenever serious illness is the reason • Elderly people when they have become noticeably weakened even if no serious illness is present • Sick children if they have sufficient use of reason to be strengthened by the sacrament. We are asking those who wish to receive the sacrament at Mass, to register by email: maltakansascity@gmail.com or 816-298-5600 and leave your name. This service is being held under the auspices of the Order of Malta, whose service to the Church is founded on the caring of the sick and the poor.
Name cards are made for those receiving the sacrament.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation will also be available to participants at 9 a.m.
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12 EMPLOYMENT Nonmedical caregivers - Saint Rita Home Care is hiring nonmedical caregivers for seniors. Seeking compassionate individuals to fill all shifts. Call or text Renee Margush at (913) 229-4267. Full-time lead teacher for pre-K - Prince of Peace Early Education Center is seeking a year-round, full-time, lead teacher in our pre-K classroom who has a love for children and a background in early childhood (education and/or experience required). Job duties include: care and supervision of children at all times; face-to-face parent communication; closing and cleaning procedures; and creating and implementing lesson plans and activities. We offer competitive wages based on education level and experience. You may find the application on our website: popolathe.org/early-education-center. Catholic elementary school principal – St. Benedict’s School in Atchison is seeking an individual with demonstrated skill in spiritual and instructional leadership, as well as advancement in Catholic schools, for the 202223 school year. St. Benedict’s has approximately 162 students in K-8th grades and 35 preschoolers taught by 15 teachers. Applicants for principal must be practicing Catholics, understand the mission of Catholic schools, and have or be eligible for Kansas licensure in educational leadership. Please apply online at: www.arch kckcs.org and send resume and credentials to: Superintendent Dr. Vince Cascone, Catholic schools office, via email to: vcascone@archkckcs.org. Deadline for applications is March 18. Full-time lead teacher - Prince of Peace Early Education Center is seeking a year-round, full-time, lead teacher in our two-and-a-half year olds classroom who has a love for children and a background in early childhood (education and/or experience required). Job duties include: care and supervision of children at all times; face-to-face parent communication; closing and cleaning procedures; and creating and implementing lesson plans and activities. We offer competitive wages based on education level and experience. This position will be available for training in May and teaching at the end of May. You may find the application on our website at: popolathe.org/early-education-center. Coordinator of youth ministry and confirmation Corpus Christi Church in Lawrence is seeking a dynamic and enthusiastic individual to fill the full-time role of coordinator of youth ministry and confirmation. This person will be responsible for creating and implementing, administering and evaluating a high school and middle school ministry including sacramental preparation for confirmation. Ministry nights will include mostly evenings and weekends. He or she will collaborate with the pastor, parish, school staff and parents, as well as the archdiocesan youth ministry. Salary based on experience. You must be an active Roman Catholic, with a deep faith in Christ, rooted in the word of God and the Catholic tradition, and a model of a moral life for our youth. For a full job description go to: cccparish.org/ our-parish/ and scroll down and click on “Employment Opportunities.” Please send cover letter and resume to Father Jerry Volz at: frjerry@cccparish.org by April 8. Part-time teacher in our after-school care program - Prince of Peace Early Education Center is seeking a year-round, part-time teacher in our after-school care program who has a love for children and a background in early childhood (education and/or experience preferred). Job duties include: care and supervision of children at all times; face-to-face parent communication; closing and cleaning procedures; and implementing activities. We offer competitive wages based on education level and experience You may find the application on our website: popolathe.org/early-education-center. Part-time accountant - Catholic Cemeteries of Northeast Kansas is hiring a part-time accountant. The ideal candidate must be a detail-oriented problem-solver. Primary job responsibilities: Prepare monthly bank reconciliations; create and post journal entries; review and analyze financial statements for accuracy; prepare and distribute financial statements to management; review balance sheet and financial reporting; maintain the fixed asset system, updating for new assets and any other changes; assist and coordinate with auditors in preparation of the annual audit; and other duties or projects that arise. Required qualifications: bachelor’s degree in accounting; minimum of three years’ relevant work experience; excellent written and oral communication skills; experience with creating and using financial statements, working knowledge of balance sheets and P & L, and preparation of monthly cash forecast; and intermediate to advanced Excel skills. Preferred qualifications: CPA; Sage accounting system knowledge; and experience working with nonprofits. This is a part-time, exempt position with a schedule of 20-24 hours per week. Compensation is based on education and experience. To apply, please send your resume to: svallejo@cathcemks.org. Co-assistant director - Holy Trinity Early Education Center in Lenexa is accepting applications for an assistant director. Applicants must meet KDHE requirements for a director of a center for 100 children. Previous classroom and administrative experience are preferred, but we will consider a passionate early educator who is interested in advancing his or her career from the classroom to administration. For a complete job description, contact Mary Kay Scanlon at: mscanlon@htlenexa.org.
Elementary school principal - John Paul II School in Overland Park is seeking an individual with demonstrated skill in spiritual, academic and advancement leadership for the 2022-23 school year. John Paul II has approximately 150 students in K - 8th grades and 56 preschoolers taught by 23 teachers. Applicants for principal must be practicing Catholics, understand the mission of Catholic schools, and have or be eligible for Kansas licensure in educational leadership. Please apply online at: www.archkckcs.org and send resume and credentials to Superintendent Dr. Vince Cascone, Catholic schools office, via email to: vcascone@arch kckcs.org. Deadline for applications is March 18. Part-time assistant teacher for preschool classrooms - Prince of Peace Early Education Center is seeking a year-round, part-time assistant teacher in our preschool classrooms who has a love for children and a background in early childhood (education and/or experience preferred). Job duties include: care and supervision of children at all times; face-to-face parent communication; closing and cleaning procedures; and implementing activities. We offer competitive wages based on education level and experience. You may find the application on our website at: popolathe.org/early-education-center. Campus minister - Rockhurst University seeks a dynamic, faith-filled team member to serve as campus minister for retreats and spiritual development (CMRSD). The CMRSD, a 12-month position, is largely responsible for retreats and the introduction to and immersion of students in Ignatian spirituality. Additionally, the position plays an essential role in the pastoral care and accompaniment of students and in support of Rockhurst’s Catholic liturgies. Learn more and apply at: https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/ jobs/. Scroll until you find “Campus Minister for Retreats and Spiritual Development.” School president - Cristo Rey Kansas City is a Catholic college and career preparatory school founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The school educates students of diverse backgrounds to realize their God-given potential and prepares them for values-centered lives and careers that contribute to the well-being of our global society. Cristo Rey is seeking qualified candidates for the position of president. The president serves as chief executive officer of Cristo Rey High School with authority for decisions affecting the overall organization and operation of the institution. To see the full position description and/ or apply: https://themorancompany.applytojob.com/ and click on “President.” Coordinator of Hispanic ministries - Good Shepherd Parish in Shawnee is looking to hire a coordinator of Hispanic ministries. This person should be someone who can connect and inspire the Hispanic community as well as the broader parish. The position will involve, but not be limited to, planning and organizing events; the development and implementation of programs; being the initial contact for those seeking sacraments and other services of the parish. Administrative responsibilities are also part of the coordinator’s position. This person should be bilingual (Spanish/English) and able to work with a diverse Hispanic and non-Hispanic community. Hours are flexible and negotiable. Send email and resume to: frkent@gsshawnee.org. New student director - This is a full-time position of leadership to assist in the effective implementation of the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center playbook by developing and managing the success of our student recruitment with an annual goal of 1,500 members. The director must have a strong desire and natural ability to welcome outsiders and create experiences of encounter on a secular university campus. Please send resume and cover letter to: scretors@kucatholic.org. Biology teacher - Bishop Miege HS has a teacher openings for biology for the 2022-23 school year. Send letter of interest and resume to Mariann Jaksa at: mjaksa@ bishopmiege.com. Math Hub director - Bishop Miege is seeking a Math Hub director for the 2022-23 school year. The director will coordinate all aspects of the Math Hub to align with the goals of the Bishop Miege STREAM program to include a climate of students demonstrating math competencies in problem solving, group collaboration, independent research and interactions with STREAM professionals. The director will teach two math classes as needed. The ideal candidate will possess a current Kansas teaching license with mathematics endorsement and minimum 3 years’ teaching experience. Interested applicants should complete the teacher application process at: www.archkckcs.org. For more information, please contact principal Maureen Engen at: mengen@bishopmiege.com. Marketing and enrollment consultant – Catholic schools office - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is accepting applications for a full-time consultant for marketing and enrollment management for the Catholic schools office. This position is responsible for assisting Catholic schools in the archdiocese with branding, core value development, and marketing, recruitment and retention strategies. The ideal candidate will be a practicing Catholic in good standing, possess a bachelor’s degree in marketing, sales, communication or related field, and have a minimum of three years of experience in marketing, social media and sales. To apply, go online to: www.archkck.org/jobs. Position open until filled. Anticipated start date is July 1, 2022.
Sales associate - Well-established, independently owned sales and marketing company, selling a perishable food product portfolio to the local grocery industry, is seeking a part-time, with possibility for full-time, sales representative to market to our retail customer base. No cold calling. Previous experience in the retail perishable food environment either with a grocery retailer or manufacturer representative a plus. College degree is preferred but not mandatory. Outgoing personality with strong interpersonal and organizational skills required. Flexible schedule with daytime, weekday hours only and no holidays. Competitive compensation based on experience. This is not a commission-based position. Mileage allowance with paid time off. Tremendous growth opportunity for the right candidate. Please email your resume to: joe@jpatrickmarketing.com. Elementary music teacher - Holy Rosary Wea School is seeking a certified music teacher for the 2022-23 school year. The ability to play piano/organ is a plus! Interested applicants should send a resume/cover letter to principal Nick Antista at: nantista@qhrwea.org. Campus minister - This is a full-time position with the Good Company apostolate at the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center with the aim of creating a culture of encounter with Jesus Christ and his Gospel as well as intentional relationships with other students at the center. Must have a strong desire and natural ability to welcome outsiders and create experiences of encounter on a secular university campus. Please send resume and cover letter to: nlabrie@kucatholic.org. Stylists - Are you addicted to the TV show “Say Yes to the Dress”? Are you self-motivated, love fashion and enjoy helping people look their best? If so, we want to talk to you! Sincerely Susan, a unique destination shop that specializes in dresses for mothers of the bride/ groom and galas is looking for part-time stylists. Our boutique is a warehouse environment where clients come in by appointment only. You must have a sense of style and a great personality to be able to interact with your “Moms.” Hours are flexible. Must be willing to work a minimum of one evening per week and weekends. Must be able to stand and walk on concrete for long periods of time and reach overhead to pull gowns. Previous retail experience preferred, but not necessary. Hourly rate is based on experience. If interested, call (913) 730-8840. Caregiver needed - Adorable elderly couple needs assistance with dinner, minor errands and medication preparation weekends and two evenings a week. Very flexible. Please call (913) 748-7502. Part-time administrative assistant for in-house counsel - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking qualified candidates to fill the position of administrative assistant for our in-house legal counsel. Part-time flexible schedule working approximately 20 hours per week. Qualified applicants must have experience with office and document management; correspondence; must be proficient using the Microsoft Suite of office products including Word, Excel and Power Point, internet, and the ability to learn other software and online systems as required; must be a practicing Catholic in good standing and an active and faithful steward in their parish. Previous experience working in a legal office is preferred but not required. The successful candidate must also have a valid driver’s license and the ability to pick up and deliver documents to various courthouses and offices. To apply, please visit: www.archkck.org/jobs. Position open until filled. Join the Santa Marta team - Santa Marta is recognized as a premier senior living community in Olathe. You will make a positive difference when you join the Santa Marta team. We are looking for part-time servers. Responsibilities include: serving meals to residents in a professional and hospitable manner in either independent living or health care neighborhoods; respectful interaction and communication with residents and coworkers is required; work with a team in a professional manner within dining and other departments; use proper food handling and cleaning techniques; setup and clean the dining rooms after each dining session. Part-time servers are normally scheduled for three to five shifts per week (evening from 4 - 8 p.m. and weekend breakfast, lunch and dinner shifts). Pay is $10 - $11 hourly rate depending upon relevant experience. Parttime associates earn paid time off for hours worked. Thank you for your interest in joining the Santa Marta team. Check out Santa Marta at: https:www.facebook. com/SantaMartaRetirement/. Parish coordinator - St. John Parish and School seeks a part-time parish coordinator. The parish coordinator will be responsible for the efficient use of parish facilities and managing supportive services. Candidates with one - three years of work experience and bilingual (English/Spanish) are preferred. Please see full job description and requirements at: www.sjevangelist.com. Position will be open until filled. Please send cover letter and resume to Father John Cousins at: frjohn@ sjevangelist.com or mail to 1229 Vermont St., Lawrence, KS 66044. School counselor - Holy Spirit Catholic School is currently seeking a school counselor. Applicants must hold a current Kansas counseling license. Previous experience working in an elementary school is preferred. To apply go to: archkck.org/catholicschools/employment/ and click on school counselor application. You may also send a letter of interest along with a copy of your resume to: Michele Watson at: mwatson@hscatholic.org.
MARCH 4, 2O22 | THELEAVEN.ORG Caregiver needed - Adorable elderly couple needs assistance with dinner, minor errands and medication preparation weekends and two evenings a week. Very flexible. Please call (913) 748-7502. Faith formation director - The St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center faith formation director is a full-time position charged with overseeing the intellectual development of our students. Mastery of the interplay between faith and culture and an ability to teach it winsomely to any audience is required. The director must love meeting new people, spending time with students, and be a strong communicator and collaborator. Please send resume and cover letter to: frmitchel@gmail.com. Staff job openings - Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, has the following staff job openings available: admissions counselor, ADN specialist, financial aid director, nursing intake coordinator and comptroller. Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/ careers. Live-in or live-out caregivers (assistants) - Looking for purposeful volunteer or paid work? Live-in or liveout caregivers (assistants) needed for all shifts with adults with intellectual disabilities. L’Arche Heartland has five residential group homes that house a max of five individuals, located in old Overland Park. Duties include but are not exclusive to: be responsible for the overall growth and direction of the home; foster appropriate relationships between all members of the home; foster positive and supportive relationships with families and professionals; attend community nights and other community events. Qualifications: a person who has lived or worked in a community with persons with disabilities preferred. A person with good organizational skills; good communication skills; and the ability to deal with conflict objectively. Have a valid driver’s license and a high school diploma or equivalent. Pass all required background checks; pass required pre-employment readiness evaluation. All training provided after hire: CPR/first aid; medication administration; rights and responsibilities — abuse, neglect and exploitation; emergency preparedness and documentation. Hourly pay for live-out assistants dependent on experience: range from $13.50-$15/hour. Perks for full-time employees: eight paid holidays; flexible hours available; health, dental, vision insurance benefits (premiums paid by L’Arche Heartland), 401(k) and PTO. Email letter of inquiry, contact information and experience to: heartland@larcheks.org. Faculty/adjunct faculty positions available - Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, a Catholic college offering higher education for those who may not otherwise be served, has the following faculty job openings: English instructor, information systems faculty coordinator. Adjunct faculty job openings include: sociology, biology and clinical nursing. Find job descriptions and details on: www.donnelly.edu/careers. Caregivers - Daughters & Company is looking for several compassionate caregivers to provide assistance to seniors in their home, assisted living or in a skilled nursing facility. We provide light housekeeping/light meal preparation, organizational assistance, care management and occasional transportation services for our clients. We need caregivers with reliable transportation and a cellphone for communication. A CNA background is helpful, though not mandatory. We typically employ on a part-time basis, but will strive to match up hours desired. Contact Gary or Laurie at (913) 341-2500 if you want to become part of an excellent caregiving team. Teacher - Holy Spirit School is seeking a certified math teacher or someone with a Kansas substitute license with the ability to teach geometry to a small group of advanced placement students. The current teacher will be on maternity leave from March – May 2022. The hours for this position are Monday – Friday, 6:45 – 7:40 a.m. Please contact Michele Watson at: mwatson@ hscatholic.org if you are interested in learning more about this position. Early childhood educators – With multiple locations in Johnson County, Special Beginnings Early Learning Center provides high quality child care in a safe, loving Christian environment. Our classrooms are full, and we are looking to add to our amazing team. We are looking for both full-time and part-time teachers for all ages of children. If you have an excellent work ethic, a heart for children and a willingness to learn more about early childhood education, we would love to meet you. For more information or to apply, call Carolyn Andruss at (913) 894-0131, ext. 102. Financial representatives - Knights of Columbus has full-time openings in northeast Kansas and western Missouri for full-time financial representatives. Ideal for determined, disciplined, professional, high-expectation individual desiring to serve others. We work exclusively with the families of brother Knights and Catholic gentlemen who are eligible to join the Knights. We have established territories where agents devote their working day to the needs of the members in their assigned councils. Excellent, multi-tiered training and benefits are provided, allowing the successful field agent to earn a professional level income. This is a career opportunity that may be the right fit at the right time for you, or possibly for someone you know. For further information, contact John A. Mahon, general agent, at (785) 4088800 or email: john.mahon@kofc.org. >> Classifieds continue on page 13
MARCH 4, 2022 | THELEAVEN.ORG >> Continued from page 12 Drivers and aides - Assisted Transportation is now hiring safe drivers and aides to transport students with special needs in Johnson, Wyandotte and Clay County, Missouri, in company vans. Drivers earn $14 - $16 per hour. Aides earn $12 per hour. Part-time and full-time schedules available. CDL not required. Retirees encouraged to apply. Make a difference in your community by helping those in need. Call (913) 521-4955 for more information. EEO Math teacher - The students at Holy Spirit School need a terrific math teacher able to help them learn pre-algebra and algebra. Their current teacher will be on maternity leave from March – May 2022. So, if you have a Kansas certification or a Kansas substitute license with this mathematical ability, we would love to talk with YOU! This position will be Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Please contact Michele Watson at: mwatson@ hscatholic.org if you are interested in learning more about this position. Marketing and communications manager - The Catholic Education Foundation is seeking an experienced professional for its marketing and communications manager position. The manager will design content and manage production and performance of web, digital, video and direct response materials to benefit fund-raising, stewardship and outreach efforts. The ideal candidate will have a college degree or equivalent experience; at least 3-5 years working in marketing and communications; be a strong written and verbal communicator; have exceptional relationship building and organizational skills; and be a Catholic in good standing. This exciting position offers a competitive salary and benefits, professional development opportunities and the benefits of a faith-based working environment. To apply, send cover letter and resume to cefsupport@ archkck.org.
SERVICES ACT Prep - Founded by a Bishop Miege graduate, Pathway Prep has helped over 250 students during the last four years improve their scores. In-person or virtual sessions available. For more information, visit: path wayprepkc.com and contact Alex Pint at (913) 991-8217 or: alex@pathwayprepkc.com.
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Mike Hammer local moving - A full-service mover. Packing, pianos, rental truck load/unload, storage container load/unload, and in-home moving. No job too small. Serving JoCo since 1987. St. Joseph, Shawnee, parishioner. Call Mike at (913) 927-4347 or send an email to: mike@mikehammermoving.com.
Local Handyman - Painting int. and ext., wood rot, masonry (chimney repair), gutter cleaning (gutter covers), dryer vent cleaning, sump pump (replace, add new), windows, doors (interior and exterior) honey-do list and more! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118.
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.
DRC Construction We’ll get the job done right the first time. Windows - Doors - Decks - Siding Repair or replace, we will work with you to solve your problems. Choose us for any window, door, siding or deck project and be glad you did. Everything is guaranteed 100% (913) 461-4052 www.windowservicesoverlandpark.com drcconswindows@gmail.com
INTERIOR PAINTING Update your ceilings and walls and repair cracks. Serving Johnson County for more than 30 years. Call Jerry (913) 206-1144. Memory quilts - Preserve your memories in a keepsake quality quilt, pillows, etc. Custom designed from your T-shirt collection, baby clothes, sports memorabilia, neckties . . . Quilted Memories. (913) 649-2704.
HOME IMPROVEMENT Thank you to all my clients last year! - We had to take my ad out for a few months to catch up. This year, we are looking for more deck jobs, exterior wood rot and house painting jobs. We are also looking for larger interior jobs to include full kitchen remodels, cabinet refinishing, as well as bathroom remodels and basement finishing. Call Josh at (913) 709-7230. Popcorn ceiling texture removal Interior wall painting specialist. Jerry at (913) 206-1144. 30 years’ experience. Member St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.
REAL ESTATE WE WANT TO BUY YOUR HOUSE - There are so many new companies in town advertising to buy houses. But we’re the only ones that have been here and we’re local Holy Trinity parishioners. I will give you a fair price on any conditions you are up against. Call Mark Edmondson. (913) 980-4905. We buy houses and whole estates - We are local and family owned, and will make you a fair cash offer. We buy houses in any condition. No fees or commissions and can close on the date of your choice. Selling your house as is never felt so good. Jon & Stacy Bichelmeyer (913) 599-5000.
CAREGIVING
Concrete construction - Tear out and replace stamped, stained or colored patios and drives. Retaining walls, footings, poured-in-place safe rooms, excavation and hauling. Asphalt drives and lots. Fully insured; references. Call Dan at (913) 207-4371 or send an email to: dandeeconst@aol.com.
Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management, and transportation for seniors in their home, assisted living or nursing facilities. We also provide respite care for main caregivers needing some personal time. Call Daughters & Company at (913) 341-2500 and speak with Laurie, Pat or Gary.
STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 579-1835. Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.
Family member with dementia or need help at home? - We specialize in helping seniors live SAFELY at home, where they want to live! We also offer free dementia training and resources for families and caregivers. Benefits of Home - Senior Care, www. Benefitsofhome.com or call (913) 422-1591.
FOR SALE Residential lifts - New and recycled. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. St. Michael’s parishioners. KC Lift & Elevator at (913) 327-5557. (Formerly Silver Cross - KC) For sale - Double crypt at Resurrection Cemetery inside the Beautiful Queen of Heaven mausoleum and chapel; tier A-1, crypt 111. Beautiful finished wood exterior on lower level. Today’s value is $16,000. Asking $9500. Call (816) 215-2000. For sale - Four plots at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Great location! Lot 354, section 3, plots 5,6,7 and 8. Asking $2200 each; will pay transfer fee. Call (913) 721-1351. For sale - Double lawn crypt at Resurrection Cemetery in Lenexa, Garden of Hope section, double lawn crypt, lot 78 C, space 4. Conveyance fee included. $7500. Call Lou at (512) 656-1801. For sale - Four plots at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. GREAT LOCATION. Lot 354, section 3; lots 5,6,7 and 8. Asking $2200 each; will pay transfer fee. Call (913) 721-1351. For sale - Double crypt inside Holy Trinity Mausoleum, Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Topeka. In glass front, corridor one, pier E, number 5. Today’s price $8790; asking $7500. Contact (316) 304-2839.
WANTED TO BUY Wanted to buy - Do you have a car or truck that you need to get rid of? If you do, CALL ME! I’m a cash buyer. We’re Holy Trinity parishioners. My name is Mark. (913) 980-4905. Wanted to buy - Antique/vintage jewelry, paintings, pottery, sterling, etc. Single pieces or estate. Renee Maderak, (913) 475-7393. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee. Will buy firearms and related accessories - One a whole collection. Honest evaluation and top prices paid. Contact Tom at (913) 238-2473. Member of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee. Wanted to buy - Cemetery plot in section 2 of Mount Calvary Cemetery. Call Frank at (404) 542-7860 or (678) 464-3023, or email: FCooper316@gmail.com.
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COLUMNISTS
DAILY READINGS FIRST WEEK OF LENT March 6 FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT Dt 26: 4-10 Ps 91: 1-2, 10-15 Rom 10: 8-13 Lk 4: 1-13 March 7 Perpetua and Felicity; martyrs Lv 19: 1-2, 11-18 Ps 19: 8-10, 15 Mt 25: 31-46 March 8 John of God, religious Is 55: 10-11 Ps 34: 4-7, 16-19 Mt 6: 7-15 March 9 Frances of Rome, religious Jon 3: 1-10 Ps 51: 3-4, 12-13, 18-19 Lk 11: 29-32 March 10 Thursday Est C: 12, 14-16, 23-25 Ps 138: 1-3, 7c-8 Mt 7: 7-12 March 11 Friday Ez 18: 21-28 Ps 130: 1-8 Mt 5: 20-26 March 18 Saturday Dt 26: 16-19 Ps 119: 1-2, 4-5, 7-8 Mt 5: 43-48
Perpetua and Felicity died 203 Martyrs in Carthage, now in Tunisia, these young women — the noblewoman Perpetua and the slave Felicity — were among five catechumens who, after refusing to worship the Roman emperor, were arrested and condemned to be thrown to wild beasts. They were baptized in prison, where Felicity also gave birth to a daughter. In the Carthage arena, they were attacked by a beast, which did not kill them, so their throats were cut by a gladiator.
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MARCH 4, 2O22 | THELEAVEN.ORG
When will they — and we — ever learn?
he other night as I got ready for bed, I was hit by a wave of emotion. My mind and heart kept turning over the war in Ukraine. While I was safe and comfortable, with a roof over my head and a soft bed to sleep in, people on the other side of the world were not as lucky. Far from a normal life, people in Ukraine were fleeing from the fighting, crouched in bunkers for safety or actively engaged in the defense of their country. While folks in the United States were complaining about increasing gas or grocery prices, many in Ukraine were wondering if they’d have food for another day or even live to see it. I shared the sentiments of Pope Francis who said, “With our hearts aching for what is happening in Ukraine, let us not forget wars in other parts of the world, such as in Yemen, Syria, Ethiopia. . . . I repeat: May weapons be silenced!
MARK MY WORDS
FATHER MARK GOLDASICH Father Mark is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989.
God is with peacemakers, not with those who use violence.” I can’t stop thinking about this little story, told by Irene Laure: One day, a little boy asked his parents, “How do wars break out? How are they declared?” The father, who was very learned in economic matters, started talking about wheat, oil and all the things that divide the world. The mother, however, thought that their
son was far too young to understand such things. She said, “Let me explain it.” As she began to speak, the father grew angry, and a huge argument broke out between the parents. “Stop! Stop!” cried the little boy. “Now I know how wars begin.” (Story adapted from one in Anthony Castle’s “A Treasure of Quips, Quotes & Anecdotes for Preachers and Teachers.”) Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve noticed several people taking a break from Facebook and other forms of social media — not just for Lent, but for good. Some have told me that
they’re tired of all the negativity there. It seems to me that over the last few years, there’s been a definite uptick in the disrespect people have shown one another, particularly online. The common-sense filters once used in social interactions have been replaced by an attitude of “anything goes.” Perhaps some of the blame is the anonymity of social media. Regardless, it all boils down to bullying, plain and simple. And honestly, nobody likes a bully . . . even the bully, who is dealing with deeper issues than he or she wants to face. The tragic effects of bullying in schools have been well documented, but there are plenty of adult bullies as well. If we can’t respect one another on an individual level, it’s no surprise that nationally and internationally, leaders and countries can bully those perceived as weak or different. As Christians, we
can’t allow it to go on. Watching what we say and how we say it online as well as challenging with love and respect those who bully others on social media are small solutions. Internationally, I don’t know how to deal with leaders and countries that bully others. The only suggestions I can offer are prayer and action. Prayer for wisdom and humility in the leaders of the world to pursue the common good, and prayers for those affected by wartime violence. And then, action. Financially supporting charities, like those on page 3, who deal directly with victims of war is especially appropriate during Lent. The refrain from Pete Seeger’s haunting 1955 song “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” continues to challenge us: “When will they — and we — ever learn?” Apparently, (sigh) not yet.
Begin this Lent with God’s question to Adam: “Where are you?”
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he author of the Book of Genesis offers an intriguing detail in the story of the fall of Adam and Eve. Soon after they ate of the forbidden fruit and realized the consequences of their disobedience, Adam and Eve hid from God among the trees in the garden. Then, in his first words to Adam after the fall, God asked him: “Where are you?” Did God not know where Adam and Eve were in the same garden that God had created? Was God simply asking for their physical location, as when we look for GPS directions?
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JEM SULLIVAN Sullivan is a professor at The Catholic University of America.
Or was the question, “Where are you?” meant to point to the fundamental spiritual state of Adam and Eve, now alienated from their Creator by a
sinful choice to refuse friendship with God? On this First Sunday of Lent, perhaps God’s question to Adam, “Where are you?” is a good place to begin our spiritual journey. We might ask ourselves: “Where am I spiritually?”; “What really counts in my life?”; “Does my relationship with God inform my decisions, thoughts and actions?”
Taking stock of our spiritual state at the start of Lent reveals the attitudes, things and relationships that keep us away from God. We turn in repentance and trust in God’s mercy that cleanses from sin and frees us to live a new life of grace as disciples of Jesus. In the Gospel, the temptations Jesus faces in the desert unmask the things that can keep us from God. The psalmist points to attitudes of humility and confident trust in God that we seek to grow in this Lent. Our Lenten practices strengthen us to face daily temptations to self-love, harsh judgment of others and
the tendency to place ourselves, rather than God, at the center of life. The psalmist praises God’s work: “Because he clings to me, I will deliver him; I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in distress; I will deliver him and glorify him.” Only God is God. We are not God! Lent is a graced time when we set things right in our relationship with God and our neighbor. By putting God first, we grow in the trust of a disciple of Jesus as we pray, “Speak to me, Lord.”
Alliance between young, old must be renewed, pope says VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The elderly, who are often cast aside, are a treasure trove of wisdom that can help one discover the true meaning of life rather than be consumed by the unrealistic goal of remaining forever young, Pope Francis said. “Youth is beautiful, but eternal youth is a very dangerous illusion,” the pope said Feb. 23 during his Wednesday general audience. “Being old is just as important — and beautiful — as
being young. Let us remember this. The alliance between generations, which restores all ages of life to what is human, is our lost gift, and we must get it back. It must be found, in this culture of waste and in this culture of productivity,” he said. The day’s audience talk was the first of a new series dedicated to the meaning and value of old age. Noting that “there have never been so many of us in human history,” the 85-year-old
pope said that now more than ever, the elderly face an increasing “risk of being discarded.” “The elderly are often seen as ‘a burden,’” he said. “In the dramatic first phase of the pandemic, it was they who paid the highest price. They were already the weakest and most neglected group: We did not look at them too much when they were alive, we did not even see them die.”
COLUMNISTS
MARCH 4, 2022 | THELEAVEN.ORG
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have heard a common theme repeated a few times in the daily rosary meditations from the School of Faith (to subscribe, go online to: www.schooloffaith. com). Dr. Mike Scherschligt talks about the role of emotions along with the role of the intellect. In a recent rosary podcast he stated, “Thinking should rule our lives. Feelings are meant to be good servants. Left in charge, feelings are very bad masters.” To be clear, feelings are, of course, not bad. In number 1764 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it states: “The passions are natural components of the human psyche; they
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Can we talk? The importance of civil discourse FROM THE SUPER
VINCE CASCONE Vince Cascone is the superintendent of archdiocesan schools.
form the passageway and ensure the connection between the life of the senses and the life of the mind. Our Lord called man’s heart the source from which the passions spring.” However, acting purely from
our emotions and in the absence of logic and reason will surely lead to poor decisions and, in fact, ineffective conversations with others. The political landscape, along with the challenges of a serious pandemic and the overall polarization of opinions on a myriad of issues, have contributed to high emotions on all
sides of most any topic. One result of this with very serious consequences has been the lack of civil discourse. One need only look at the current “cancel culture,” “safe spaces” and the shouting down of people with different opinions from one’s own on college campuses, and the use of playground insults being thrown around freely among those who disagree. Some people have become so averse to the opinions and thoughts of others that they merely want to share their viewpoints and perspectives without having to endure even one word in opposition from another person. In addition to ignoring the dignity and
value of others, doing this prevents us from examining our perspectives more deeply and, potentially, recognizing fault in our own thinking and the possibility of learning from the other person. Author Eric Overby writes: “In order to think through things clearly, we need other opinions and viewpoints in order to navigate into the nuance. We need civil debate to present opposing viewpoints and point out our blind spots. We need the ability to speak freely and civilly to one another.” Our Catholic schools strive to show our students the truth, beauty and goodness of the world which God created and to share the
message of our Creator with others. We want our students to learn and understand their faith and to have their faith guide their words and actions. We want our students to be examples for others of how to respect those with opinions that differ from their own while, at the same time, standing firm in their beliefs. Then, when they find themselves in emotionally charged conversations, they will have a wealth of knowledge and information to inform their words. They will be able to effectively share the truth, beauty and goodness of the Gospel, even when confronted with the social and political challenges of our time.
Nothing draws us closer to the Father than to follow Jesus’ example
W
hen I heard the U.S. bishops were launching an initiative to foster “eucharistic amazement” in the church, I was at first overjoyed and then at once convicted. Since my time at Thomas Aquinas College when I had a profound conversion experience, I have been in wonder at what a great gift Jesus makes of himself in the Eucharist. After college, this wonder was put to the test when I had a job downtown that allowed me to go to Mass over my lunch hour. It didn’t leave me
DO UNTO OTHERS
DEACON BILL SCHOLL Deacon Scholl is the archdiocesan consultant for social justice. You can email him at: socialjustice@ archkck.org.
much time to eat and I had to walk. But as I walked, I thought to myself, “If I had just spent my
lunch with the mayor, the governor, or even the president, how content I would be with my time spent; and yet, I just spent my lunch with someone even more significant: God himself in the presence of the king of the universe.” The life of faith requires us to engage our
imagination in this intentional gaze into the weird wonder of such an intimate friendship with God that is fleshed out in communion. How much happier we Catholics would be if we took time to be amazed by the Eucharist. However, I then recalled something Pope Benedict taught in the encyclical, “Deus Caritas Est” (“God is Love”). He wrote: “A Eucharist that does not pass over into concrete acts of love is intrinsically fragmented.” I feel so special to put God on my tongue, but do I receive without giving? And during those dry spells
when I feel less than amazed, is it because I am keeping the mercy of God all to myself? “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36). Nothing draws us closer to the heart of God the Father than when we follow the example of his Son and practice works of mercy. The opposite can also be true: When we are stingy with mercy or fail to stop thinking of ourselves for a moment so we can help others, we drift away from the grace of our baptism. I know for me at least, it is all too easy to get caught up so much in the business of life that I leave no
margins for meeting Christ in others. So, this Lent and this year as we take time to appreciate the marvelous action of Christ in the Mass, let us resolve that God comes into us so that we may go out as missionaries of mercy. Currently, our office is discerning with Catholic Charities how we can equip Catholics to grow as disciples of Jesus by concrete expressions of his way of mercy. So, as we look up Christ in the real presence of the Eucharist, let us bring this amazement to perfection by sharing the mercy through concrete acts of love.
LOCAL NEWS
MARCH 4, 2022 | THELEAVEN.ORG
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‘I think God just puts opportunities in front of me’
his week, Katie Frandsen takes Leaven readers inside her ministry as a volunteer for Leavenworth Attainable Housing.
who came to a food kitchen/community meal. We found that 9% were actually homeless and 17% were temporarily staying with friends or relatives. But most concerning was that nearly 60% of people with housing pay 50% or more on rent and, for the majority, it does not include utilities. So, the cost of maintaining a residence is a huge burden. And those individuals living paycheck to paycheck can be one medical bill or car repair from eviction. The other big hurdle to finding housing is saving enough for first and last month’s rent and utility deposits. We want to provide safe housing for 30% of income to include utilities. And then, offer wraparound services like financial planning and health care to help them be successful.
Q.
What is your title and where do you minister?
A.
I’m a volunteer for Leavenworth Attainable Housing, a nonprofit addressing low-inc o m e housing assistance. I am on the corporate board and the larger advisory board.
Q.
Q. Please describe your ministry
What do you wish everybody knew about your ministry?
A. Attainable Housing is a very new
Again, the urgency we feel. People are really looking for safe housing and a supportive community.
and what you do in this role.
A.
501(c)(3), addressing the issue of housing in Leavenworth. I had been working as an intake counselor at the Interfaith Community of Hope homeless shelter for several years. But when Sister Vickie Perkins, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth, retired from the shelter to really address housing and homelessness, I decided to follow her. So, my role with Attainable Housing is developing. Right now, I do pretty much anything Sister Vickie asks or needs. Our first project is to rehab a small shotgun house built in 1900. It needs a lot of work. We hope to house an individual or small family. To paraphrase Mother Teresa, if you can’t house a hundred people, house just one.
Q.
How would you describe how that fits into the larger mission of the Catholic Church?
A.
An important mission of the church is to care for the members of Christ’s mystical body. It’s all about the corporal works of mercy, which give us a model of how we should treat one another — always seeing Christ in the other and treating one another as Christ would treat them. As St. Francis de Sales says, “Live Jesus.” We are all called to do something. And this is the place I find myself. I think God just puts opportunities in front of me and it’s my job to say “yes” when I recognize the offer — this time, to shelter the homeless.
Q. Is this what you set out to do
in life?
A.
Not homelessness precisely, but helping people has always just come naturally.
Q.
If not, what road led you to this place?
A.
I learned from my mom that we are responsible to help other people. I remember her work at Catholic Charities in Salt Lake City where I was born and
Q.
Why does the world need more of what you do, especially right now?
A.
So many people are struggling and everyone deserves a safe place to live and raise a family. That’s a pro-life issue.
Q.
What have you learned about people in this job?
A.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
Katie Frandsen is a volunteer for Leavenworth Attainable Housing. She is on the corporate board and the larger advisory board. raised. I remember her going to sit with a friend who was being treated with radiation for cancer. I remember her spending time reading to a friend who was blind. Then, when I was in high school, there was an opportunity to work as a Red Cross volunteer at the VA hospital. I loved this and it eventually led me to a degree and a 40-year career as a nurse. I worked a lot of my career in mental health and acute psychiatry, which has helped enormously as I’ve worked with the homeless at the shelter in Leavenworth. Also, I recently became an associate of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, a process which reinforced a natural impulse to serve the poor along with the Sisters.
Q.
Did you collect some skills from other jobs along the way that have proved surprisingly applicable? If so, explain. Were these skills particularly helpful for the pandemic and your recent work in mental health?
A.
Sure, all my assessment skills as a nurse helped me. I also worked for 15 years as an infection control nurse,
working with infectious disease physicians. This all helped because I understood what we were doing and why in terms of the pandemic.
Q. What would the average Cath-
olic be most surprised to learn about your job?
A.
Maybe just the constant sense of urgency we feel to get people stably housed.
So many people are willing to help if given the opportunity. People really are good. For example, we need new windows in the house and a contractor I know agreed to install them at a huge savings for us, just because I was talking to him about the project and he was presented with the opportunity. And he said “yes.”
Q.
What have you learned about yourself?
A.
I’ve learned that I can change gears and adapt to new challenges, that I really like working on a board with other people passionate about the same issue, and that I don’t mind the many meetings because they really are leading us to our goal.
Q.
Q.
How has it changed the way you view your identity as a Catholic?
A. Our goal is to secure and devel-
I don’t think it has. Doing good is Catholic and biblical. St. James says, “Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead.” I think it’s what we are all called to do.
Who does your ministry primarily serve? op affordable housing for individuals and families in Leavenworth. So, we serve people who are homeless or unstably housed. But who is that really? Maybe a little background will help. The United States has always measured housing affordability in terms of percentage of income, with 30% the indicator of affordability. Keeping costs below 30% helps ensure that households have enough money to pay for other costs like utilities and food. We recently did a survey of low-income individuals
A.
Katie Frandsen has been a member of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lansing since 2011. A widow since 2005, she and her husband raised two children — son David and his wife Dawn, who live in Iowa, and daughter Liz, who lives with her husband Mark and Frandsen’s two grandsons, Aaron and Wyatt, in Lansing.