03 17 23 Vol. 44 No. 29

YOUNG ARTISTS DISPLAY THEIR TALENTS AT ART EXHIBIT

Left, Felicity West, a senior at Maur Hill-Mount Academy in Atchison, shows off her award-winning Superintendent’s Choice painting “Sacrificial Lamb.” The painting also won Popular Choice.

Below, William Sullivan, a St. Thomas Aquinas, Overland Park, student, participates in an interactive art activity held during the event as his art teacher, Chelsie Kane, looks on. The students’ instructions were to use their breath — like the Holy Spirit — to create art.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Sometimes a picture is worth more than a thousand words, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann knows it.

Years ago, while he was in residence at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis, he had occasion to celebrate Masses and preach homilies. Not everyone appreciated his homilies — but everyone did appreciate the stunning art on the basilica’s walls and ceiling.

“I’d tell people if you’re not getting anything out of the homily, just look up,” said Archbishop Naumann. “You’ll find

something to inspire you and to inform.”

Art is one of the ways the church has evangelized people through the ages until today, he told students, teachers, principals and archdiocesan staff during an awards presentation on March 3 during the Archbishop’s Invitational High School Art Exhibit at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kansas.

The theme this year, developed with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ threeyear program of national Eucharistic Revival in mind, was: “Eucharist. May We Never Lose Our Wonder.”

>> See “EUCHARIST” on page 4

Award Recipients 2023

• Sofie Hyde, Bishop Miege senior, took Archbishop’s Choice with her piece “Hands of Salvation.”

• Felicity West, Maur Hill-Mount Academy senior, took Superintendent’s Choice and Popular Choice with her work “Sacrificial Lamb.”

• Charlie Rziha, Maur Hill-Mount Academy sophomore, took a Juror’s Choice with his piece “Redeemed.”

• Sophia Werkowitch, St. Thomas Aquinas senior, took two Juror’s Choice awards for “In Persona Christi” and “Sacrifice of Love.”

• Ella Zysk, St. James Academy sophomore, won a Juror’s Choice for “Reach.”

• Grace Kissell, sophomore at St. James Academy, won a Juror’s Choice for “The Ultimate Sacrifice.”

STORY BY JOE BOLLIG / PHOTOS BY KATHRYN WHITE

Let Lent attune the ears of your heart to the voice of the Lord

Lent is a time when we are invited to ramp up our prayer. We are called during these weeks to spend more time in prayer — in conversation with Jesus. The Lord is interested in our lives, just as he was with his first disciples.

In our prayer, we should praise God for his goodness, thank him for his blessings, ask him for his mercy and intercede for our needs and the needs of those we love. However, during prayer, we should not do all the talking. At the Transfiguration, the heavenly Father instructed Peter, James and John to listen to Jesus!

During seminary formation, we were given the opportunity to experience an aspect of pastoral ministry each year. One year, we participated in prison ministry. A group of us were assigned to visit weekly St. Louis County Prison. We were part of the prison chaplaincy. The inmates could request the opportunity to meet with us.

On one occasion, a prisoner holding a

ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN

Twinkie came into my office for a conversation. He sat down and immediately began telling me about all of the injustices, all of the terrible experiences and all of the adversities in his life. He had this special ability to go from describing one experience to the next without ever taking a breath.

He talked for more than 20 minutes without ever pausing. I had not said a word. I thought to myself: “If he just takes a bite of that Twinkie, I might have an opportunity to say something.”

Sometimes, I think that is how Our Lord

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS

feels during our prayers. He is interested in everything about our lives. He desires for us to share with him all that is happening — the good and the bad, the ugly and the beautiful, the ordinary and the extraordinary.

However, for our prayer to be a true conversation, then we must also seek to listen to what Jesus is attempting to communicate to us.

Our Lord is constantly attempting to reveal himself to us through the everyday events of our lives. Part of our prayer should be asking Jesus: “Lord, what is it that you have been attempting to say to me through all of the events, the encounters, the experiences and

the conversations of the day?”

We should read a short section of the Gospel every day. However, we should not read the Gospels like we read a newspaper, a magazine or a novel. We are not just reading for information. We should read the Gospel with an expectation that Our Lord wants to say something to us that applies to the unique circumstances of our lives.

Some days, Our Lord wants to give us a glimpse of his glory by providing us with experiences of beauty and inspiration. Some days, Jesus is attempting to comfort us and strengthen us as we experience the cross in our lives.

Jesus does not promise us that we will never suffer or experience adversity. However, Our Lord does assure us that we will never be alone. He will be with us through it all.

This Lent, let us try to increase our ability to listen to Our Lord. To do this, we have to block out the noise of the world. Our churches and eucharistic

ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN’S CALENDAR

March 19

Mass and blessing — Sacred Heart, Shawnee

March 20

Catholic Education Foundation board meeting — Holy Name Church, Kansas City, Kansas

March 21

Confirmation — Curé of Ars, Leawood

March 22

Presbyteral Council meeting — chancery

Confirmation — Holy Name, Kansas City, Kansas

March 23

Adoration and lunch — St. James Academy, Lenexa

Confirmation — Holy Cross, Overland Park

March 24

School of Faith retreat Mass — Savior Pastoral Center, Kansas City, Kansas

March 25

Rural Catholic Youth Conference opening Mass — Prairie Star Ranch, Williamsburg

Symposium on transforming culture — Benedictine College, Atchison

adoration chapels are excellent places to retreat from the world and to allow ourselves to listen for God’s voice in our hearts.

This Lent, I encourage you to attempt to

attune the ears of your heart to the voice of the Lord. God wants to let us know that we, too, are his beloved sons and daughters. Let us learn to listen better to God this Lent.

JUNIOR AGRICULTURE LOAN OFFICER POSITION

Exchange Bank & Trust which is the “Oldest Bank in Kansas” is seeking a full-time ag loan officer who will make and service loans of any type directly or indirectly related to agriculture and keeps abreast of agricultural loan trends. The primary markets served include Atchison, Leavenworth, Doniphan and Wyandotte counties in Kansas and Buchanan and Platte County in Missouri. We prefer a candidate with an agriculture background. The position would be located in Atchison, Kansas, which has a primary and secondary Catholic school system as well as Benedictine College. Benefits include competitive compensation, generous bonus potential, health insurance, 401(k) and profit sharing. Salary will be based on experience.

For more information or to apply, email resume to: bhawk@myexchangebank.com.

Confessions can be heard at any archdiocesan parish from 6-7 p.m. on Wednesdays during Lent.

Radio campaign invites listeners back to the sacrament

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — In the film “Bruce Almighty,” a desperate Bruce Nolan (comedian Jim Carrey) calls out to God as he drives through the night.

“OK, God, you want me to talk to you? Talk back,” he says. “Tell me what’s going on. What should I do? Give me a signal. Send me a sign.”

A lighted construction traffic message board flashes “CAUTION AHEAD.”

A truck, full of road signs saying “STOP” and “WRONG WAY,” pulls in front of him. Bruce only grows more frustrated until . . . well, you’ll have to watch the movie for the rest of the story.

The point being made to Bruce (and us) was this: God does send us messages and signs, but we can be too preoccupied to notice them.

For Lent this year, Catholics all over the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas are literally getting a message from God over their radios.

On more than eight commercial radio stations in the Greater Kansas City area and nine Catholic Radio Network stations, listeners will hear 30second radio commercials in English and Spanish at various times inviting them to receive the sacrament of reconciliation (also known as confession and penance) at any archdiocesan parish 6-7 p.m. on Wednesdays during Lent.

The radio campaign began on Feb. 25 and will end on April 5.

Just a small clarification. The voice

in the commercial is not God’s — it’s that of Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann. He’s relaying to us God’s message about the healing power of Jesus through the sacrament.

The archdiocese began its Lenten penance initiative in 2011. Although the campaign utilized a variety of means to communicate its message during the first few years, the initiative now relies exclusively on terrestrial (AM and FM non-satellite) radio.

“Archbishop Naumann and the [priests] council asked themselves how they could make the sacrament more available to people,” said Deacon Bill

Scholl. “[The ad campaign] was a way of inviting Catholics to go to confession in an intentional way. We wanted to reach out to people who weren’t necessarily in the habit of going. Archbishop Naumann is a big believer in welcoming people home.”

The commercials will be heard on eight stations but aired on three or four stations a week on a rotating basis, said Mike Parsons, owner of Dash Media of Lenexa, who handled the commercial purchases and scheduling for the archdiocese.

On Saturdays and Sundays, the commercials run from 9 or 10 a.m. to 3 or 4

p.m. On Mondays through Tuesdays, they run from 6 a.m. through 7 p.m., and on Wednesdays, they run from 6 a.m. through 7 p.m. They do not air on Thursdays and Fridays.

The commercial stations cover a large part of the archdiocese.

“The signals will go out about 75 miles from the tower downtown, almost to Atchison and Topeka, and south almost to Fort Scott,” said Parsons. “It covers a lot of the populated areas: Lawrence, Leavenworth, Wyandotte and Johnson counties. It leaves some holes in northeast Kansas that are hard to reach, but we can’t reach everything.”

On the Catholic Radio Network, the commercials are aired free as a service to the archdiocese by the network’s three AM and six smaller FM translator stations.

Local AM and FM radio stations are effective means of getting the message out, according to Parsons.

“With local radio, you can listen in your car, but you can also get it digitally,” he said. “People can also listen to radio on their desktop or mobile phone with an app, which is kind of nice. The impression levels (the number of people reached with a single message) you’d get on local radio are higher than on Pandora or Spotify.”

The stations that run the commercials have a mix of formats: classic rock, country, news talk, top 40 or adult contemporary, and Spanish language. They reach a lot of different listener demographics, although the mix skews slightly to a male audience, said Parsons.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

On more than eight commercial radio stations in the Greater Kansas City area and nine Catholic Radio Network stations, listeners can hear 30-second radio commercials in English and Spanish — the English voiced by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann — inviting them to receive the sacrament of reconciliation at any archdiocesan parish 6-7 p.m. on Wednesdays during Lent.

READY FOR LAUNCH

Morning Glory Estate Sales seeks to offer a Catholic touch

By Jill Ragar Esfeld jill.esfeld@theleaven.org

OVERLAND PARK — There’s a new game in town for Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. This month it launched Morning Glory Estate Sales.

The name is a nod to the Blessed Mother and to the flower as a symbol of trust.

The new venture will provide clients an experienced and professional estate liquidation service as they downsize their own homes or deal with the property of loved ones who have died.

The cost of the service is competitive but with one important difference.

“The norm in the [estate sale] industry is about 40 percent to the service. So, the client would get 60 percent,” said manager Ginger Jackson. “But what’s different about us is all the funds that we make will go back into Catholic Charities.

“So, it will be a nonprofit for us, but the client will make money.”

Funds will be used to support more than 30 programs designed to stabilize and strengthen individuals and families throughout 21 counties of northeast Kansas.

“After the success of TurnStyles thrift stores,” said Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas president and CEO Lauren Solidum, “we knew we needed to invest in ourselves to generate more funds to support our various ministries and further supplement the generosity of our donors.”

Nearly two years ago, Catholic Charities internally launched a social enterprise incubator, encouraging staff to submit innovative and practical ideas.

“There’s such a great wealth of knowledge and commitment to those we serve within our teams,” explained Solidum. “This was an opportunity to engage them, tap into their areas of expertise and invite them to share ideas that would align with our mission strategy.”

One of those ideas was developed into a business plan for Morning Glory. Jackson, who was hired last October to launch the business, has more than 20 years of experience dealing with

antiques, retail and consignment sales, home staging and online auctions.

She’s excited to help people with their estate liquidation needs, whatever they might be, starting with a free in-home consultation.

“It’s an emotional experience for them,” said Jackson. “So, we go in and basically hold their hands . . . and walk them through the process.

“We definitely respect their items because no matter what it is, it tells a story, the history of their life.”

The estate sales team will always approach the process with the philosophy of Catholic Charities at the forefront.

“Our purpose will be to animate the Gospel of Jesus Christ, giving them peace of mind,” said Jackson.

Morning Glory will handle the entire estate sales process, from presale organization and pricing to final staging, sale and post-sale home cleanout.

Items that can’t be sold are often disposed of by other estate sale companies, but Morning Glory has more avenues to repurpose items through the TurnStyles thrift stores as well as the

About Morning Glory

Morning Glory Estate Sales will provide an experienced and professional estate liquidation service to clients living within Johnson County, with the intent to expand the enterprise’s service area in the near future.

If you are interested in learning more about Morning Glory Estate Sales or would like to schedule a free in-home consultation, contact Ginger Jackson by email at: gjackson@catholiccharitiesks.org or call (913) 433-2081.

refugee program and family support centers.

“There are places we can put items that will be helpful to other people,” said Jackson. “That has a positive and lasting impact on the community.

“Anything we can repurpose, we will.”

As Morning Glory Estate Sales launches this month, the enterprise is focusing on Johnson County only, but eventually it hopes to grow to serve the entire 21-county area of Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas.

The top priority in growing the enterprise is always to give clients peace of mind and approach the process with compassion.

I think that’s reflected in the name,” said Jackson. “They’re going to trust us, I hope.”

Eucharist was the theme of student artwork contest

>> Continued from page 1

There were 36 art pieces on display produced by 31 students from five Catholic high schools: St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park; St. James Academy in Lenexa; Maur Hill-Mount Academy in Atchison; Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park; and Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, Kansas.

The artworks were displayed in a hallway on the northwest side of the Savior Pastoral Center main chapel. Some were for sale and, before the day was over, were purchased.

The annual exhibition was sponsored by the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas, the Catholic Fine Arts Council and the archdiocesan school office.

Six students won eight awards (See sidebar). Each student who won an award received a $100 prize. The judges were: Father Gerard Alba, Julie Flanagan, Laney Haake and Barb Muzik.

The highest award — Archbishop’s Choice — was won by Sofie Hyde, a senior at Bishop Miege.

Her work, “Hands of Salvation,” features a shackled hand in darkness, closed in a fist, reaching toward an open, beckoning hand in light surrounded by a stylized, sunlike radiance.

“In our art class, we must have an overall theme,” she said. “I chose duality. I chose to portray duality when it comes to religion, how someone can feel sometimes that they are not worthy of God’s grace and love. That is why the shackled hand is hesitant. But Jesus still reaches out with an open hand. I wanted to portray the struggles I’ve felt being accepted by Jesus.”

The next highest award — Superintendent’s Choice — was won by Felicity West, a senior at Maur Hill-Mount Academy.

Her piece, “Sacrificial Lamb,” also won Popular Choice. It shows a close-up of the face of a brutalized, crucified Christ. The background is black and gray. Small,

almost splinter-like cross-shaped objects are in the background. Half of Jesus’ face is totally black while the other is in light. His eyes are closed, and his face is still, almost calm. The mark of the Roman soldier’s spear is clearly on the left side of his chest.

“I often draw my inspiration from other artists,” said West. “This one was inspired by Fritz Leotis’ ‘The Passion.’ I took his painting and made it my own — it’s not a copy. I used his [piece] as a base. I like to involve emotional colors into my designs. They are emotional the way they are painted.”

The only other student to win two awards was Sophia Werkowitch, a sophomore from St. Thomas Aquinas.

She won two Juror’s Choice awards for her works “In Persona Christi” and “Sacrifice of Love.” The former shows the hand of a priest, with the stigmata, reaching forward to offer the Eucharist. The later shows a hand, the background black, offering a realistic and wounded human heart that is bleeding. A child’s hand reaches up from below

to cup the bottom of the heart in a kind of embrace.

“In ‘Sacrifice of Love,’ I did it completely without a reference, so it definitely took a long time working on it,” said Werkowitch. “The heart is supposed to [symbolize] the Eucharist, [Jesus’] heart bleeding — his blood. It shows Jesus’ hand holding his heart to a childlike hand to signify childlike wonder.

“In ‘Persona Christi,’ the priest’s hand has the stigmata to show the priest acts as a body for Christ in the giving of the Eucharist.”

The event began with a light breakfast accompanied with music by the Bishop Miege Mixed Wind Ensemble.

It was followed by a welcome by archdiocesan associate superintendent of schools Allison Carney; a blessing and comments by Archbishop Naumann; an interactive art activity by Julie Flanagan; the awards presentation; and final remarks and a prayer by Archbishop Naumann.

Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas will launch Morning Glory Estate Sales this month. The new venture will provide clients an experienced and professional estate liquidation service.

IT’S AN EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR THEM. SO, WE GO IN AND BASICALLY HOLD THEIR HANDS . . . AND WALK THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS. WE DEFINITELY RESPECT THEIR ITEMS BECAUSE NO MATTER WHAT IT IS, IT TELLS A STORY, THE HISTORY OF THEIR LIFE.”

GINGER JACKSON MORNING GLORY MANAGER

Miege journalist singled out for state award

By Claire Wicker Special to The Leaven

ROELAND PARK — As the students took their seats for halftime at the boys basketball game between Bishop Miege High School here and St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Overland Park, Miege senior Alena Gillespie prepared from her front-row seat to cover the upcoming story for the school newspaper.

She discovered, instead, that she was the story. She had won the Kansas Student Journalist of the Year award.

Each year, the Kansas Scholastic Press Association (KSPA) holds a contest for student journalists. The competition is split between 1-2A, 3-4A and 5-6A schools, with one of those three winners named the overall winner.

Gillespie’s victory was the first time in 29 years that a student outside of 5-6A received the all-around award.

“When I first submitted my portfolio, I was comparing them to past winners and I was thinking, ‘Does mine compare, could mine win?’ and then it did,” Gillespie said. “I did not expect it to win the whole Journalist of the Year, but I maybe thought there was a chance for the 3-4A.”

During halftime on Feb. 21, KSPA executive director Eric Thomas surprised Gillespie with her award. According to Miege journalism teacher Sarah McCambridge, it took extensive coordination between herself, Gillespie’s mother and Gillespie’s friends to keep the surprise.

“When they said my name, I was shocked,” Gillespie said. “I didn’t think it would be announced at a basketball game, but when I saw Mr. Thomas walking in, I thought it might actually be happening.”

Since starting high school, Gillespie has been involved with the journalism department. She took journalism her freshman year and joined The Miegian, the student-run newspaper, and eventually became web editor-in-chief her senior year.

“The story that stands out to me about Alena [comes from] her freshman year; we were sheltering in place and she found out she was on staff while we were in lockdown,” McCambridge said. “I was sending out emails

because that summer there were some different camps, and I sent it hoping my editors would go.

“I was just so impressed because I got an email back from this little freshman saying, ‘I’m going to this one and this one and this one.’”

According to Gillespie, these camps, along with other workshops and conventions, have helped her improve her journalistic skills. These skills benefited her when creating her portfolio, which included creating a website with her resume, a personal narrative about her journalism experience and nine different categories.

“It took a lot of hours to make my portfolio,” Gillespie said. “In the end, I felt like it was all worth it because it was a lot of work.”

These categories covered various fields of journalism, ranging from

writing and reporting to commitment to diversity. While not all nine categories were required, Gillespie completed them all, which may have set her apart from other contestants.

“Maybe just me taking the time to fill out the categories even if they weren’t something that was easy — like commitment to diversity, which made me think about how we apply that in our journalism program and how we fulfill that during newspaper class — helped me to win,” Gillespie said.

According to Miege principal Maureen Engen, something that stood out about Gillespie was her ability to highlight a diverse group of students.

“Her stories are representative of every athlete, every academic and every person that does something outside school,” Engen said. “She is a quiet team builder, and I thought that is

Church of the Nativity in Leawood held a training event at the parish hall on Feb. 20 that has life-saving potential. The Leawood Fire Department trained more than 100 parishioners in the life-saving act of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The firemen, volunteering their time, explained to participants that trained civilians are vital when it comes to positive outcomes in emergencies when CPR is needed. The event was organized by Nativity parishioner Kim White. She and daughter Kristen Halpin shared White’s personal story of survival after Halpin performed CPR on her mother during a cardiac emergency before first responders arrived.

somebody so great and so humble.”

Gillespie, who is a member of St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee, will be attending St. Louis University next fall and plans to study speech pathology. Although she will not be pursuing journalism, she plans to use the skills she has learned and the $1,250 scholarship from her award toward college. Her portfolio will be advancing to nationals this spring at the National Scholastic Press Association/Journalism Education Association convention in San Francisco.

“I feel like journalism has even helped me with life skills like how to communicate with others, how to be clear with that communication, how to stay organized and how to make sure tasks are in the right order,” Gillespie said.

KU Med conducting Alzheimer research

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Could healthy eating have an effect on Alzheimer’s disease?

You could help find the answer. The University of Kansas Medical Center’s Alzheimer Disease Research Center (ADRC) would like to enroll individuals with mild or moderate Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers in a 12-week nutritional study looking at either a heart-healthy diet or a ketogenic diet.

The Therapeutic Diets in Alzheimer’s Disease — or TDAD study — is looking for individuals who are age 50-90 and have very mild to mild Alzheimer’s disease.

If you are interested, send an email to Jessica at: Kkali17@kumc.edu or call (913) 588-0555 and press option 1 for questions or to set a time to participate in an eligibility screening by phone.

PHOTO BY KATE PEDROTTI

Kansas Scholastic Press Association executive director Eric Thomas surprised Bishop Miege High School senior Alena Gillespie with an award for Kansas Student Journalist of the Year on Feb. 21.

PHOTO BY JOHN CAULFIELD

In Lent, let’s learn what it means to be companions

Ask any teenager anxious about where they’ll sit in the cafeteria for lunch. Ask any widow or widower learning to cook for one. Ask a grandparent planning a holiday feast, a parent volunteering to host the team banquet, or anyone taking a headcount for how many friends are staying for dinner.

The people we eat with matter.

An often-overlooked term, the word “companion” has surprising roots which translate roughly into “the one with whom we eat bread” (“panis” means bread in Latin). More than a matching volume in a set, a soulmate or a seatmate on the plane, companions are “bread fellows.” The people with whom we share food and drink each day.

Jesus modeled companionship for us in unorthodox ways. He ate with enemies and sinners, unexpected guests and unwanted outcasts. Plenty of his meals were shared with family and friends, but he also fed thousands who followed him, those hungry for his word and for the bread that would sustain them as they listened. He talked about thorny subjects, controversial questions and theological truths over bread and wine. He ate at high feasts, lavish banquets, roadside meals and a last supper that

LAURA KELLY FANUCCI

left us a lasting gift.

Jesus taught us everything about becoming companions. How fitting that he chose food and drink to be the ultimate sacrament of his presence. Communion is what we crave, and companionship is how we share it.

Whenever we sit down to a meal — with family or friends, co-workers or strangers — there is God in our midst, again and always. We can glimpse God in the breaking of the bread, the basic fact of having food to eat and the grace of conversation: the abundance of what we share.

Full disclosure: Despite these lovely theological truths, I must confess that dinner is my least favorite time of day. Everyone is tired, blood sugar runs low and so much remains

to be done before bed. One of my Lenten practices has thus become simply sitting at the table instead of leaping up to start the dishes and get the evening’s housework underway. It matters that I am present to my children, sharing conversation and food, learning what it means to be companions in this stage of life. Perhaps we all have room to grow in our companionship. Could we become more mindful or grateful of those with whom we break bread each night?

Could we add another chair to the table and invite someone who might be lonely? Could we change our habits of consumption to eat more simply so that others may simply eat?

When spouses exchange wedding vows, they are promising to become companions in every sense of the word. Usually, married couples end up eating more meals with their spouse than anyone else. But even this sacred encounter can quickly become mundane. We may take for granted the ones with

whom we share our daily bread.

But with Jesus, food even became forgiveness. Sitting with Peter on the lakeshore after a breakfast he’d cooked for the friend who denied him, the risen Christ gave his closest companion the chance to repent and return. This Lent offers us the same: an opportunity to set aside grudges and share a meal, or the invitation to return to the sacraments after a long time away from God’s companionship.

On the winding journey of Lent, we are

like the disciples on the road to Emmaus. The way of companionship means discovering again and again the presence of God revealed to us in the breaking of the bread, both in the sacrament of the Eucharist and the everyday holy of our ordinary meals. Christ is our ultimate companion, and his compassion can animate our own. May the Bread of Life teach us, through each meal we bless in his name, how to become bread for others.

Laura Kelly Fanucci is an author, speaker and founder of Mothering Spirit, an online gathering place on parenting and spirituality.

The people we eat with matter. Jesus modeled companionship for us in unorthodox ways. He ate with enemies and sinners, unexpected guests and unwanted outcasts. Plenty of his meals were shared with family and friends, but he also fed thousands who followed him.

WALKING THE HOLY PATH TO CALVARY

By Therese Horvat Special to The Leaven

ords of an old spiritual pose a soul-searching question to consider this Lent: “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?”

Making the Stations of the Cross is a prayerful opportunity to walk the holy path to Calvary with Jesus and to relive his passion, death and resurrection. This spiritual pilgrimage draws us into the mystery of Jesus’ self-giving sacrifice and God’s merciful love.

Not an easy journey

Accomplishing this salvific role wasn’t easy for Jesus. He knew that suffering would be part of his life story. He tells his apostles that he will suffer greatly and be killed (Mt 16:21).

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Our Lord asks the Father to let this cup pass from him. But then, Jesus affirms that he will do the Father’s will and not his own. And the story unfolds.

The people opt to free Barabbas, a notorious prisoner, and instead choose crucifixion for Jesus. They mock Jesus, spit on him, crown him with thorns, make him walk the

Whill of Calvary in front of God and country and his mother Mary and some faithful followers. They strip him of his garments after he falls three times. And then, they nail him to the cross, crucifying him and letting him die. All acts prayerfully commemorated in different Stations of the Cross.

On Good Friday of the 2000 Holy Year, while leading the Stations of the Cross, Pope John Paul II said, “The moment that Jesus of Nazareth took up the cross in order to carry it to Calvary marked a turning point in the history of the cross. The symbol of a shameful death, reserved for the lowest classes, the cross becomes a key. From now on, with the help of this key, man will open the door of the deepest mystery of God. Through Christ’s acceptance of the cross, the instrument of his own self-emptying, men [and women] will come to know that God is love. Love without limits.”

With the Stations of the Cross, we journey with Jesus one step closer to the fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation. In our brokenness, failures, sinfulness and human imperfections, we recognize that we have a role in the drama of Christ’s passion. Jesus suffered and died painfully and willingly for each one of us. He did this to atone for our sins, failures and missteps. This should make walking the holy path to Calvary all the more real and personal. This should make us want to be among those who accompany Jesus on the way to the cross.

In the Sixth Station, pictured here at Most Pure Heart of Mary Church in Topeka, Veronica emerges from the bystanders and wipes Jesus’ face. While this account is legendary and not documented in Scripture, the story is very moving. Wiping away the blood, sweat and grime, Veronica performs an act of mercy that has echoed through the ages.

CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ

A parishioner portrays Jesus during a reenactment of the Stations of the Cross at St. John of God Church in Central Islip, New York, on Good Friday, April 15, 2022.

Companions on the journey

There are brave, valiant, compassionate, reluctant and unexpected persons identified in Scripture and/or the Stations of the Cross as accompanying Jesus on his journey to Calvary and immediately following.

As recounted in the Fourth Station, Jesus meets Mary, his mother. Simeon had prophesied that a sword would pierce her heart in many ways (Lk 2:35), but could Mary even begin to fathom the extent of the agony leading to the cross?

On the path to Calvary, Mary is a sorrowful mother. She witnesses the scorn her son endures. She must suffer intensely with Jesus on this journey. She may not understand how this fits into God’s plan, but she remains a faithful disciple as she follows in her son’s footsteps physically one last time.

Others extend compassion to Jesus on the path to Calvary. Just as many were drawn to him during his three-year ministry, Jesus attracts followers as he struggles up the hill.

Simon of Cyrene may have been “pressed” into service, but he clearly rises to the occasion and responds to the call to help Jesus carry his cross. Both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI describe Simon’s experience as a grace and gift. Pope John Paul notes that carrying the cross with a convict could be considered an act offensive to the dignity of a free man.

Yet, from the perspective of redemption, Simon has a share in the Son of God’s work of salvation. He gives Jesus some relief just as we are called to do by helping others bear their crosses and in their times of need, even when it is not convenient for us.

A microcosm of his ministry

Throughout his ministry, Jesus seems to attract and serve a somewhat motley cast of characters. It’s almost as if he encounters a microcosm of them on the road to Calvary. In meeting and reaching out to people, he respects and elevates their dignity just as he did in his life and interactions. He makes each person he meets feel special — because in the eyes of God, they and we are. And consistent with his message after washing the feet of his apostles, Jesus also allows others to serve him on his journey to the cross.

In the Sixth Station, Veronica emerges from the bystanders and wipes Jesus’ face. While this account is legendary and not documented in Scripture, the story is very moving. Wiping away the blood, sweat and grime, Veronica performs an act of mercy. Her kindness is rewarded with the image of Jesus’ face that remains imprinted on the cloth. Acts of love do not pass away — they make lasting imprints on the hearts of other people, said Pope John Paul II on Good Friday 2000.

In his book, “Conspiracy of Compassion,” Father Joe Nassal, CPPS, tells of a woman he befriended in his parish ministry. Her son had been killed in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. Even with the passage of time, the woman suffered from this loss. However, she and her husband “drew upon their suffering to help others who experienced the death of a loved one” (page 24).

A few years later, Father Joe’s brother Ed died by suicide in the basement of their parents’ home. Upon learning this, the woman and her husband drove 300 miles to be with Father Joe and his family the morning after Ed’s death. They didn’t stay long. They didn’t have to. The couple ushered in what Father Joe calls a “conspiracy

STATION V

There are many unexpected persons identified in Scripture as accompanying Jesus on his journey to Calvary — like Simon. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI describe Simon’s experience as a grace and gift. It’s beautifully rendered here in this station from St. John the Baptist Parish in Kansas City, Kansas.

of compassion” — like Mary, Simon and Veronica on the way to Calvary.

So, too, every act of kindness, compassion and love allows us to radiate Christ in the world and leave imprints on the hearts of those we encounter. The final lines of “Radiating Christ,” a prayer-poem by St. John Henry Newman, conveys this message:

“Let me thus praise You in the way in which You love best: by shining on those around me. Let me preach You without preaching, not by words but by my example, by the catching force, the sympathetic influence of what I do, the evident fullness of the love my heart bears for You. Amen.”

Mercy, forgiveness abound

The Eighth Station commemorates a group of women of Jerusalem who are weeping for Jesus. Earlier in the Gospels and aware of the city’s coming destruction, Jesus weeps over the city. On the path to Calvary, he tells the women not to weep for him but for their children as they face the challenging days ahead.

While the traditional Way of the Cross doesn’t call special attention to the good thief (Lk 23:40-43), the biblical Stations of the Cross introduced by Pope John Paul II include this incredible experience of divine mercy. Crucified next to Jesus, the good thief defends Our Lord from the taunts of the unrepentant man hanging nearby on another cross. The good thief requests and receives forgiveness and the promise of paradise.

Last year during Lent, The Leaven featured an article based on this biblical account. One of the persons interviewed

STATION IV

In the Fourth Station, shown here from St. Joseph Church in Wathena, Jesus meets Mary, his mother. Simeon had prophesied that a sword would pierce her heart in many ways (Lk 2:35).

reflected, “With Jesus, I always have the opportunity for forgiveness. When things look impossible, Jesus makes them

STATION XIII

Actors re-enact the removal of Christ’s body from mother. Pope John Paul II writes that the Gospels conveying her feelings.

STATION VIII

The Eighth Station commemorates a group of women Church, Burlington. On the path to Calvary, Jesus

possible. He gives the good thief direct knowledge that not tomorrow, not the next day, but that today, he will be with Jesus in paradise. The good thief dies in peace.” God’s mercy truly abounds.

John’s Gospel (19:25-27) tells us that the people closest to Jesus stand at the foot of the cross to the bitter end: Jesus’ mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, Mary Magdalene, and the beloved

disciple himself. In his words to the beloved disciple – “Behold, your mother” –Jesus professes Mary’s significance and intermediary role as mother of all of us. When darkness descends and Jesus

Eucharist perpetuates Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection

The night before he dies, Jesus gifts us with the Eucharist, the sacrament we receive each time we celebrate Mass. He breaks bread, blesses the wine – speaks of giving the apostles his body and blood – as he will do sacrificially the very next day, the day of his passion and death.

We believe the institution of the Eucharist perpetuates the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until Christ comes again. The Eucharist is a living, grace-filled memorial of Christ’s death and resurrection: a sacrifice of love and a pledge of future glory (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1323).

As we pray in different Memorial Acclamations following the consecration of the Mass:

• We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.

• When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.

• Save us, Savior of the world, for by your Cross and Resurrection, you have set us free.

saving grace; rejoice that God’s love is boundless; and realize that remaining steadfast in the company of Jesus holds the promise of salvation.

commends his spirit and dies, some onlookers unexpectedly offer their perspectives. Luke describes the centurion who glorifies God and proclaims, “This man was innocent beyond doubt” (23:47). In Matthew’s account, the centurion and men with him acknowledge, “Truly, this was the Son of God” (27:54). Even in his death on Calvary, Jesus evangelizes and transforms people’s lives.

The Thirteenth Station commemorates Jesus being taken down from the cross. Traditionally, he is then placed in the arms of his mother — the poignant scene that’s been memorialized as the Pietà. Pope John Paul II writes that the Gospels say nothing of what Mary felt at that moment — that maybe the evangelists wanted to respect her grief and her memories, or they weren’t capable of conveying her feelings.

The Fourteenth Station portrays Joseph of Arimathea who boldly steps forward to accept the body of Jesus for burial. He agrees to bury him honorably in a new tomb. Nicodemus brings an abundant supply of myrrh and aloes with which to anoint Jesus.

‘Were you there?’

What’s as curious as who walks the path to Calvary with Jesus or interacts with him is who isn’t mentioned as accompanying him. Who’s not there? Would we have been there? Would we have had the commitment and courage to be on the record and on the front line as followers of Jesus in the face of opposition by the Romans, the Jewish leaders and seemingly popular opinion?

Returning to the old spiritual, we can ask ourselves, “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” This question should indeed cause us to wonder — wonder at the awe and mystery of God’s

From the sorrow and ignominy of the Way of the Cross, God’s loving mercy shines through. Love begets love in the Stations of the Cross. Good people step forward out of their concern and with compassion.

We believe that this love does not end on Calvary. If anything, love overflows and inundates the world in the sacrificial offering of Jesus on the cross. The good news of salvation rings through and true on Easter Sunday. We may be in Lent now, but the story of salvation goes well beyond these 40 days to Jesus’ resurrection and then to the solemnity of Pentecost and then on to eternity.

The Stations of the Cross became more complete with Pope John Paul II’s addition of the Resurrection as the Fifteenth Station. Beyond the ignominy of the walk to Calvary and his death on the cross, Jesus rises from the dead and conquers sin and death with divine love and mercy.

With and in Christ we, too, can rise from the depth of what ails our weakened humanity and strive to live as Jesus did in our interactions with others, in our spiritual life, in our work for justice. We can radiate the face and voice and hands of Jesus in the world. We must be his face and voice and hands to be true to the legacy of the cross and the promise of the Resurrection.

What’s important is that we remain open to accepting God’s loving mercy. His saving, amazing grace is always there for us in the Eucharist, in the sacrament of reconciliation, through the Spirit who guides us and in the loving presence of other people.

Content based on the Lenten Day of Reflection Horvat gave recently through Marillac Center, the retreat and spirituality center of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth.

from the cross during the Stations of the Cross at World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia, July 18, 2008. Traditionally, he is then placed in the arms of his say nothing of what Mary felt at that moment — that maybe the evangelists wanted to respect her grief and her memories, or they weren’t capable of

CNS PHOTO/MICK TSIKAS, REUTERS

women of Jerusalem who are weeping for Jesus, shown here in a station from St. Francis Xavier Jesus tells the women not to weep for him but for their children as they face the challenging days ahead.

Gathering before execution called spiritual work of mercy

By Glenda Meekins OSV News

RAIFORD, Fla. (OSV News) — At 5:45 p.m. Feb. 23, 15 minutes prior to the time Donald David Dillbeck would die via lethal injection at Florida State Prison, a crowd began to sing.

“When the way grows drear, Precious Lord, linger near. When my life is almost gone,” they sang. “Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home.”

Among those in the crowd, nearly 60 were parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Daytona Beach. The crowd included veteran opponents of the death penalty who have been to Raiford before, young middle school students from Lourdes Academy there for the first time and those who lost relatives at the hands of violent criminals.

Father Phil Egitto, Our Lady of Lourdes pastor, led his contingent in this spiritual work of mercy — praying for the dead, dying and those afflicted by acts of violence, especially the victims of criminals. This is a sad pilgrimage he has made for decades.

The group hoped that through their singing and praying outside the prison walls, Dillbeck, 59, would understand he was cherished, even as the state of Florida administered a lethal injection into his veins.

Dillbeck was sentenced to death March 15, 1991, after being convicted of killing a woman in a Tallahassee mall parking lot in 1990 after escaping from prison, where he was serving a life sentence for killing a sheriff’s deputy in 1979.

“We have gathered here tonight in prayerful response to acts of hatred and violence in our society. We gather not just as a Christian group, but in union with many groups throughout the state and country who are also holding prayer vigils on this day and time. We are all gathered in the name of God, who is love, here with us,” Father Egitto prayed. “We strive to be instruments of healing and love . . . instruments of true justice. Let us respond in prayer and in deed.”

In the prayers of the faithful, he asked for intercessions for Dillbeck’s victims and all those of other crimes — that the Lord might provide healing for their wounds.

“Our church is very much pro-life,” he continued. “Very often people don’t focus on all life. I think it’s really important to provide the balance — that people need to understand that all life is sacred from conception to natural death.” He noted many Catholics understand that abortion is wrong, but some “think it’s OK to kill people for killing people. And it’s not OK.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person.” (2267)

Among the death penalty opponents was 13-year-old Nashalie, an eighth grader at Lourdes Academy. She said her faith brought her there.

“I’m here standing up for what I believe in, even if it’s just in this little way with my family, friends and teachers around me. In another way, it’s kind of frightening. It’s kind of nerve-racking,”

she told the Florida Catholic Orlando, the diocesan news outlet. “Killing is killing. I carry that with me no matter what happens.”

Since 1973, 30 death-row inmates in Florida have been exonerated, more than in any other state.

One exoneree, Herman Lindsey, spent three years on death row before a unanimous jury declared there was never enough evidence to convict him, let alone put him to death. Released in 2009, Lindsey speaks annually to Our Lady of Lourdes students.

“He may not realize it, but he’s made a difference,” said religion teacher Nancy Sturm. Her grandson and others who heard Lindsey speak years ago are still passionate opponents of capital punishment.

“The youth is our future,” said Lindsey. “That is why I find it important to speak out.”

Another death penalty opponent at the prison was Karen Delisle, whose sister, Patty Ann, was murdered. “A day like this just makes you think — No. 6 — ‘Thou shalt not kill,’” she said of the Sixth Commandment.

“So, we’re going to kill somebody because they killed somebody. Where is the wisdom in that? And for the families of the murder victim, this is all just reigniting their trauma,” she said, recalling her experience in a courtroom 41 years ago when facing a final verdict on her sister’s case. “We need to be life-giving, not life-taking.”

Those singing and praying outside the prison were invited to ring a large bell brought to the event as a symbol of solidarity in opposing the death penalty. When it is rung, witnesses have testified they can hear the sound within the death chamber. Delisle took her turn and rang the bell hard.

After Dillbeck was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. the group grew silent. Many stared at the exit where witnesses to the execution came out to board vans and return to the parking lot. Among those with eyes glued to the exit was Father Fred Ruse, a retired Orlando diocesan priest. He is shocked by the speed of the

process — 11 minutes.

“What does that say about us? We have perfected death,” he noted.

Father Ruse spent five years visiting “Ricky” Sanchez-Velasco on death row and accompanied him to his death in 2002, singing hymns and praising God for his great love and mercy in his cell. Then in the death chamber, he said, “the two of us fixed our sight on each other during that moment, not to be distracted from what is and always will be of the kingdom of God.”

“Every time I arrive at [Florida State Prison] for an execution, I am transported back to my time with Ricky,” he told a friend days later. “It is uncomfortable, but also very rich. That was a gift to serve that way and come to know him and witness who he was and what was going on deep within him.”

On Feb. 22, there were 300 people

listed on death row in Florida, including 297 men and three women. At 6:13 p.m. Feb. 23, that number was reduced to 299.

SOLUTION

Donald David Dillbeck

OSV NEWS PHOTO/GLENDA MEEKINS, FLORIDA CATHOLIC

Parishioners of Our Lady of Lourdes in Daytona Beach, Florida, pray outside the Florida State Prison in Raiford Feb. 23, the day Donald Dillbeck was executed by lethal injection.

OSV NEWS PHOTO/GLENDA MEEKINS, FLORIDA CATHOLIC

A student from Lourdes Academy Catholic School in Daytona Beach, Florida, stands for life in front of the Florida State Prison in Raiford Feb. 23.

MATER DEI PARISH

IRISH FEST 2023

Evergy Plaza

630 S. Kansas Ave., Topeka

March 18 at 10 a.m.

This is a free event and begins with a 5K fun run and continues with authentic Irish food (Patty’s Pockets, bangers and mash, and Irish stew), a beer garden, whiskey tasting, games, live music and Irish dancing. For more information about the activities and to register for the 5K, visit the website at: www.TopekaIrishFest.com.

BEREAVEMENT MEETING

Curé of Ars Parish

3700 W. 119th St., Leawood

March 18 after the 8 a.m. Mass

The bereavement ministry at Curé of Ars will have a grief support meeting after the 8 a.m. Mass. For more information, call (913) 649-2026.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST

St. Patrick Parish (center)

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

March 19 from 8 - 11 a.m.

The Knights of Columbus Bicentennial Council 6781 breakfast includes pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, and biscuits and gravy. Coffee and juice are included. The cost is a freewill donation.

LENTEN PARISH MISSION

Immaculate Conception Parish

711 N. 5th St., Leavenworth

March 19 at 3 p.m.

The retreat presenter is David Kauffman, a singer/composer and founder of Good For the Soul Music. His message and music will help us connect the sacred to the ordinary in our lives. This event is free. For more information, call (913) 682-3953.

BACH CONCERT

Holy Angels Parish

14438 Leavenworth Rd., Basehor

March 19 at 3 p.m.

Dr. Douglas O’Neill, director of formation in sacred music and liturgy at Christ the King School in Kansas City, Kansas, will perform works to include selections from “Orgelbüchlein,” “Concerto in C after Vivaldi,” as well as the “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.”

DAUGHTERS OF ISABELLA

LITTLE FLOWER CIRCLE

St. Stanislaus Parish

701 Main, Rossville

March 19 at 9 a.m.

There will be corporate Communion at Mass. A breakfast will follow for Daughter of Isabella members and their guests.

If anyone knows of a member or family member of the Daughters of Isabella in need of the circle’s prayers, call Diana Ortiz at (785) 554-4256 or chancellor Gen Orozco at (785) 213-0374.

‘DEFENDING THE DIGNITY OF THE INNOCENT AND THE GUILTY: THE CHALLENGE OF BUILDING A TRUE CULTURE OF LIFE’

Benedictine College

1020 N. 2nd St., Atchison

March 19 at 6:30 p.m.

Tricia Worrell, who strives to promote human dignity, will be the speaker. Join us as she shares about her role as director of prison and jail ministry for the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan, striving to provide restorative justice and advocate for an end to the death penalty. For more information, send an email to: mdoyle@benedictine. edu.

ANNUAL LENTEN RETREAT

Holy Angels Parish

15408 Leavenworth Rd., Basehor

March 20 - 23 at 7 p.m.

The retreat will be led by Father Daniel Nash, Canon of Klosterneuburg. The theme of the retreat will be: “The Instruments of Christ’s Passion.” For more details, go to the Holy Angels website at: holyangelsbasehor.org.

CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERT

St. Ann Parish

7231 Mission Rd., Prairie Village

March 21 at 7 p.m.

The concert, “Stabat Mater” by G.B. Pergolesi, will be performed by local artists: Joanna Ruszala, soprano; Kelly Birch, alto; and Piotr Wisniewski, piano. The text, sung in Latin, narrates the story of Jesus Christ’s passion as seen through his mother’s eyes.

ESTATE PLANNING WORKSHOP

Holy Trinity Parish

501 E. Chippewa, Paola

March 21 from 6 - 7 p.m.

Provide for your heirs and protect your assets from taxes and fees at death with the right estate plan. Learn from a Catholic licensed estate planning attorney. RSVP online to: stewdev@archkck.org or call (913) 647-0365.

WOMEN EMBRACING AGING

Keeler Womens Center

759 Vermont Ave., Suite 100-B, Kansas City, Kansas

March 21 from 2 - 3:30 p.m.

Interested in a support group for women who want to explore aging? Share your experiences, wisdom and unexplored changes aging is bringing into your life.

DINING TO DONATE

Jasper’s Restaurant

1201 W. 103rd St., Kansas City, Missouri

March 22 from noon - 3 p.m. and from 5 - 9:30 p.m.

Jasper’s will once again donate 20% of all lunch and dinner sales to benefit the works of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Reservations are encouraged. Contact Jasper’s by calling at (816) 941-6600 or go online to: jasperskc.com.

MEDITATIVE PRAYER WITH THE SHROUD OF TURIN

St. Ann Parish

7231 Mission Rd., Prairie Village

March 23 at 7 p.m.

Dr. Mark Zia, professor of sacred theology at Benedictine College, will share how meditating on the Shroud of Turin can help us to grow in eucharistic amazement.

HEARTACHE TO HEALING

Church of the Ascension Parish

9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park

March 24 at 7 p.m.

Join us for Stations of the Cross at the church. If you would like to sit with the group, look for us in the narthex between 6:45 - 6:55 p.m. After Stations, we will go to The Peanut at 12663 Metcalf Ave. for conversation and fun. Join us on your Lenten journey, making friends and sharing your faith. For more information and to RSVP, email Laura at: khaeus1@hotmail. com; Heather at: hmbimpens@gmail.com; or Damon at: daon452@yahoo.com. Your RSVP is appreciated, but not necessary.

DISCOVERY DAY FOR TEACHERS: LEARN ABOUT TEACHING IN ARCHDIOCESAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

Hayden High School

401 S.W. Gage Blvd., Topeka

March 25 from 9 - 11 a.m.

Stop by to learn about benefits, tuition remission, teacher autonomy, faith-based curriculum, faith formation, job openings and more! Registration is not required but is encouraged. Go online to: www.survey monkey.com/r/HKMJTC8.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS SUMMER CAMPS

St. Thomas Aquinas High School

11311 Pflumm Rd., Overland Park

May - August

A variety of camps will give students entering grades K - 8 the chance to discover their potential in sports and other activities. Registration and more information are available online at: www.stasaints. net/summercamps. Call (913) 319-2416 for questions or send an email to: btriggs@ stasaints.net.

TRIVIA-BINGO NIGHT

George Meyn Community Center

126th and State Ave., Bonner Springs

March 25 at 6 p.m.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and games begin at 7 p.m. Help support Christ the King Parish and School in Kansas City, Kansas, by attending a fun evening of trivia and bingo! $50 per person; open bar. Learn more and sign up online at: CTKKCKS.org.

PARISH MISSION

Queen of the Holy Rosary - Wea

22779 Metcalf Ave., Bucyrus

March 26 at 3 p.m.

March 27, 28, 29, 30 at 6:30 p.m.

The parish mission will be given by Redemptorist priest Father Steve Rehrauer from Tucson, Arizona. He will lead the program “Rekindle Our Faith.” This is a one-ofa-kind experience to encounter Our Lord Jesus Christ and develop a more personal relationship with him. Come experience faith-filled inspirational talks along with community prayer and music. For more information go online to: https://qhrwea. church/parishmission.

DIVINE MERCY FAMILY DAY

Divine Mercy Parish

555 W. Main St., Gardner

April 16 from 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

There will be food, games, inflatables and other fun. There will be a Holy Hour from 2 - 3 p.m. For more information or to buy tickets, go online to: www.divinemercy ks.org/divine-mercy-sunday-family-day.

WOMEN’S CONFERENCE ON HEALING AND FORGIVENESS

Holy Trinity Parish

13615 W. 92nd St., Lenexa

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

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

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

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS

DEADLINE: Noon, Thursday, eight days before the desired publication date.

SEND SUBMISSIONS TO: beth. blankenship@theleaven.org.

Concrete Work

Any type of repair and new work Driveways, Walks, Patios

Member of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish Harvey M. Kascht (913) 262-1555 Call or text 913-621-2199

EMPLOYMENT

Occupational therapist - Nativity Parish School in Leawood is seeking an occupational therapist for the 2023-24 school year. Applicants should apply online through the archdiocesan website at: archkckcs.org and scroll down to “Job Openings” and email principal Luke Jennison at: luke.jennison@kcnativity.org.

Teacher openings - Bishop Miege High School has the following teacher openings for the 2023-24 school year: AP chemistry, English and math. Send letter of interest and resume to Maureen Engen at: mengen@bishopmiege.com.

Fifth grade teacher - Nativity Parish School in Leawood is seeking a fifth grade teacher for the 2023-24 school year. Applicants should apply online through the archdiocesan website at: archkckcs.org and scroll down to “Job Openings” and email principal Luke Jennison at: luke.jennison@kcnativity.org.

Administrative assistant - Curé of Ars is a thriving, vibrant parish, looking to add a detail-oriented staff member to support and enhance the children’s school of religion program and sacramental preparation. The ideal candidate will be proficient at using Google Suite and/or Microsoft Office products to organize and format data from various systems. Additionally, this team member will work closely with the school of religion coordinator to conduct occasional weeknight and weekend events. This position requires a minimum of 30 hours per week and includes benefits while offering some schedule flexibility. Must have good communication skills and be a practicing Catholic. If interested, mail Bernadette with a cover letter and resume to: bernadettemyers@cureofars.com.

Middle school ELA teacher - Nativity Parish School in Leawood is seeking a middle school ELA teacher for the 2023-24 school year. Applicants should apply online through the archdiocesan website at: archkckcs.org and scroll down to “Job Openings” and email principal Luke Jennison at: luke.jennison@ kcnativity.org.

Field service technician - Are you a self-motivated individual looking for something new and different?

We are a locally owned business currently seeking candidates for a position to service and repair small scientific equipment. This position requires travel within a 4-state area to colleges, hospitals, laboratories and other institutions. The successful candidate will have an aptitude for fine mechanics, the ability to analyze, evaluate and assess complex components and small parts. They will also need good communication, time management and customer service skills. Reliable transportation is a must and travel expenses are paid by the company. Hours are flexible depending on customer needs. Please send resume to: techneeded23@gmail.com.

Administrative specialist - Sacred Heart Parish in Shawnee is looking for an administrative specialist. This full-time position (30 - 35 hours per week) will be responsible for a variety of administrative functions such as data management, bookkeeping, miscellaneous duties and archdiocesan reporting. This position provides direct support to the pastor, finance and facilities. For a full job description and to apply, go online to: www.shoj.org/employment-opportunities.

Third grade teacher - Nativity Parish School in Leawood is seeking a third grade teacher for the 2023-24 school year. Applicants should apply online through the archdiocesan website at: archkckcs.org and scroll down to “Job Openings” and email principal Luke Jennison at: luke.jennison@kcnativity.org.

Director of early education center – St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee is seeking a full-time director for the early education center. Qualified candidate should have a strong Catholic faith and love for children.

Requirements for this position include a bachelor’s degree in academic studies or in child development/ early childhood education, with one year as a program director in a licensed facility. This position is responsible for the operations of the center and ensuring regulatory and legal compliance with applicable federal, state and local regulations. This position supervises all associates working at the assigned center to ensure implementation of age appropriate curriculum; ongoing monitoring of children’s development; recruitment and enrollment; family development plans; and family participation and satisfaction. Interested individuals should email resume and cover letter to Melissa Thomas at: mthomas@stjoeshawnee.org. For more information, call (913) 631-0800.

Building attendant - The Savior Pastoral Center is currently looking for a building attendant. This position is an on-site, live-in staff member who provides hospitality, security, maintenance and custodial services at Savior Pastoral Center. This position will work in the evening and on weekends. To learn more about this position or to apply, visit: archkck.org/jobs.

Kindergarten teacher - Nativity Parish School in Leawood is seeking a kindergarten teacher for the 2023-24 school year. Applicants should apply online through the archdiocesan website at: archkckcs.org and scroll down to “Job Openings” and email principal Luke Jennison at: luke.jennison@kcnativity.org.

First grade teacher - Nativity Parish School in Leawood is seeking a first grade teacher for the 2023-24 school year. Applicants should apply online through the archdiocesan website at: archkckcs.org and scroll down to “Job Openings” and email principal Luke Jennison at: luke.jennison@kcnativity.org.

Music director - Divine Mercy Parish in Gardner, Kansas is seeking a music director. The position is part time (up to 20 hours per week). Piano and organ experience are preferred. Will be responsible for managing all aspects of the pastor’s direction. For more information or to send your resume, please contact Maria Lopeman at (913) 856-7781 or email: parish@ divinemercyks.org.

Development manager and volunteer coordinator - Bishop Sullivan Center, KCMO, is seeking both a full-time development manager and volunteer coordinator. Inspired by Christian faith, Bishop Sullivan Center shows God’s love to people in financial hardship by providing food, help in finding jobs and other aid. Beyond material assistance, Bishop Sullivan Center strives to build relationships between those who live in poverty and those who do not, promoting mutual understanding and affirming the dignity of all. For job description/additional information/to apply: m.carlstedt@bishopsullivan.org or (816) 231-2971.

Administrative specialist - Sacred Heart Parish in Shawnee is seeking to fill a full-time position (30 - 35 hours per week) for an administrative specialist that will serve missionary discipleship efforts and the parish front office. This position will handle a wide range of office administration tasks. If you have a heart for living mission, an eye for detail, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and Microsoft Office Suite knowledge, we encourage you to apply at our website at: shoj.org/employment-opportunities.

Administrative assistant - The office of the tribunal is seeking a qualified candidate to fill a full-time administrative assistant position. This position would be responsible for handling all day-to-day office duties. Prior experience working in a professional office environment with a minimum of three years of experience is preferred. To learn more about this opportunity or to apply, visit the website at: archkck.org/jobs.

Part-time receptionist - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking a part-time receptionist for the chancery office. This position is responsible for operating the main switchboard, receiving all calls and visitors to the chancery, sorting mail and other clerical duties as assigned. To apply for this position, visit the website at: archkck.org/jobs.

Part-time chiropractic assistant - Are you a stay-athome mom looking to get back into the workforce? Semiretired looking for a part-time gig? College student looking to pick up some extra bucks? We are a busy chiropractic office in NW Olathe (K-10 and Ridgeview Rd.) looking for a part-time assistant. The job is 18 - 20 hours per week plus one - two Saturdays a month (8 a.m. - 1 p.m.), with the possibility of covering additional hours as needed. $13 per hour plus bonuses. Job duties include answering phones, scheduling and checking in patients, insurance, assisting with patient therapies, etc. If you are professional, friendly, hardworking and would like to help others, our office may be the place for you! Must have great phone and computer skills. We will train on patient therapies. Ridgeview Chiropractic at 17775 W. 106th St., Olathe, KS 66061. Please email resume to Dr. Craig Koshlap at: drk@ridgeviewchiropractic.com or fax to (913) 890-7372.

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

Food program manager - The position will entail preparing menus and meals for the St. Joseph Early Education Center, ordering necessities and recordkeeping for filling out forms to be submitted for our lunch program (CACFP). State guidelines and regulations are to be followed. Please call (913) 248-4585 if you are interested in the position.

Victim care advocate - The victim care advocate works in collaboration with the archdiocesan report investigator and the office for protection and care to accompany victims/survivors. The incumbent is responsible for providing support to and identifying resources for victims and their families, including managing treatment services and other care and resources for immediate and long-term needs. This is a safety-sensitive position, exercising a high degree of discretion, trust and confidence. To learn more about this position or to apply, please visit: https://archkck. org/jobs.

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

Network administrator - Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa is seeking a network administrator. This person will oversee Holy Trinity’s computer network to ensure proper maintenance and security. This includes identifying network and computer system needs, overseeing installation of new hardware and software, and using employee feedback to isolate and resolve issues. This position provides support to Holy Trinity Parish staff, Holy Trinity School (K - 8) and the Holy Trinity Early Education Center. A detailed position description and list of required qualifications can be found at: www.htlenexa.org/jobopenings. Interested parties should submit a cover letter and resume to parish administrator Laura Weber at: lweber@htlenexa.org.

Part-time companions needed - Perfect job for any kindhearted, energetic person wanting to be a team player in a small growing family company. Must have reliable transportation. Job entails driving clients to appointments and running errands. The person must be personable, able to talk, do puzzles, play cards and entertain. We are not a hands-on caregiving company. Some clients may be standby assist. Driving around metro area may be required. Trip charge or mileage also given. Drug, background checks are mandatory. Call Jen at (913) 530-1795. Clarkson Companion Care. Extended day care position - Holy Spirit Catholic School in Overland Park is seeking an enthusiastic person to be the group leader in our after-school care program. This well-established program runs from 3 - 5:45 p.m. each school day. We are looking for a faith-filled, responsible, organized and creative person. Applicants should have knowledge of child development and be able to implement age-appropriate activities. The ability to communicate clearly with children, colleagues and parents is most important in order to foster positive relationships. Applicants must attend Virtus training, ongoing childcare training and be at least 18 years old. Contact Tessa Piscitello at (913) 492-2582 or email: tpiscitello@ hscatholic.org for more information.

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

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

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

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

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.

Teacher - St. Joseph Early Education Center in Shawnee is seeking a teacher for a full-time three-yearolds room. The salary is competitive. Benefits include medical, dental and vision insurance. If you are interested, call (913) 631-0004 or email: mthomas@ stjoeshawnee.org to set up an interview with Melissa Thomas.

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

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

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

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

>> Classifieds continue on page 13

>> 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) 5214955 for more information. EEO.

Staff job openings - Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, has the following staff job openings available: Director of Development and Vice President of business affairs/CFO Chief Financial Officer. Find job descriptions and details at: 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.

Stylists needed - Are you addicted to the TV show “Say Yes to the Dress”? Are you self-motivated, love fashion and enjoy helping people look their best? If so, we want to talk to you! Sincerely Susan, a unique destination shop boutique is a warehouse environment where clients come in by appointment only. You must have a sense of style and a great personality to be able to interact with our “moms.” Hours are flexible. Must be willing to work a minimum of one evening per week and weekends. Must be able to stand and walk on concrete for long periods of time and reach overhead to pull gowns. Previous retail experience preferred, but not necessary. Hourly rate is based on experience. If interested, call (913) 7308840.

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

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Popcorn ceiling texture removal

Interior painting

Call Jerry at (913) 206-1144. 30 years’ experience.

Member St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.

Local handyman - Painting int. and ext., wood rot, masonry (chimney repair), gutter cleaning (gutter covers), dryer vent cleaning, sump pump (replace, add new), windows, doors (interior and exterior) honey-do list, window cleaning and more! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 9274118.

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.

HOME REMODELING & MAINTENANCE

Kitchens, baths, interior & exterior work

Licensed & insured - Shawnee & Lenexa area. (913) 927-5240 or: dknelson2001@gmail.com

STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 5791835. Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.

PILGRIMAGE

Pilgrimage to Medjugorje - May 10 - 18 2023. The cost is $2500 per person, which includes airfare, bus transportation, accommodations, two meals per day and daily local guides. Hosted by visionary Mirjana Loldo. For details, call Grace Legaspi at (913) 4491806.

SERVICES

Dietitian - Improve health, blood pressure, weight and overall better health. Can work with clients by email or in-person appointment. Call (816) 590-5029 or email: ajkeeg@gmail.com.

Tutoring - for K - Adult. Sessions are fun and meaningful. For more information please call Kathleen at (913) 206-2151 or email: Klmamuric@yahoo.com.

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

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.

Quality remodeling - Renovates kitchens and bathrooms; tile work; countertops; drywall; custom cabinetry. Quality work. Call or text (913) 206-4524 or (913) 938-7597; email: robaprince@aol.com; or visit the website at: aprkansascity.com.

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

Quality painting - Interior, exterior painting and wood rot repair. Quality workmanship. Insured. Call (913) 206-4524; email: robaprince@aol.com; or visit the website at: aprkansascity.com.

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

WELLERBEEF.COM - Local, Catholic, family farm. No antibiotics/hormones. Grass-fed and Traditional. Starter pack to a whole cow. Free delivery in the Kansas City area. We pay the butcher’s processing fees. Currently taking order and making deliveries.

Tutorial services - Remedial to gifted. 25 years’ experience. Doctoral degree. Call (913) 387-4044.

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

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

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).

Free - Cute and spunky male and female Yorkshire Terrier puppies in need of a new home. They make wonderful and great companions. If interested, contact: universalintercon108@gmail.com.

For sale - One plot at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Kansas City, Kansas. Located in lot 36, section A, space 4, flat marker only.

For sale - Two plots at Resurrection Cemetery in Lenexa. Located in the Ascension Garden, plots 73C4 and 74D1. Asking $2500 each. Call (816) 838-7404 or email: tdjburt@gmail.com.

For sale - Double, indoor, glass-fronted niche in the main corridor of Holy Trinity Mausoleum of Mount Calvary Cemetery, Topeka. Current value $8,800. Selling for $7000 OBO. Call (316) 304-2839.

For sale - Tandem crypts at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Kansas City, Kansas. Crypt 144A and 144B located in the patio IV, tier G. Retail price is $10,010; selling price is $7500. The conveyance fee will be paid by the seller. Call Angela at (816) 863-2630.

WANTED TO BUY

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

Wanted to buy - Do you have a car or truck that you need to get rid of? If you do, CALL ME!

I’m a cash buyer. We’re Holy Trinity parishioners. My name is Mark. (913) 980-4905.

Will buy firearms and related accessories - One or a whole collection. Honest evaluation and top prices paid. Contact Tom at (913) 238-2473. Member of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee.

$$PAYING CASH MONEY$$

For military items, pocket and wristwatches, American coins, old buttons, lanterns, spurs, silver flatware, crocks, pocketknives, oil lamps, lanterns, Southwest items/jewelry. Most old items considered. Call Patricia today at (913) 980-4905.

CAREGIVING

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

Saint Rita Home Care - Compassionate care in the comfort of home. We serve people in Miami and south Johnson counties. Kansas state licensed, non-medical home care agency. Contact us today for supportive care at: www.saintritahc.com; rmargush@ saintritahc.com; or (913) 229-4267.

Retired nurse - Looking for home-care position. Will do companion care, short-term care, hospice care positions as well as light housekeeping and cooking. Willing to go to Gladstone and the Northland.

Caring companion - I am a certified nursing assistant with ten-plus years experience with stroke, Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. I assist with personal care services and offer non-emergency medical transportation. Call (913) 558-9061.

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

REAL ESTATE

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

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

MISCELLANEOUS

St. Patrick Parish Lent dinners - St. Patrick Parish at 1066 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas, on Fridays in Lent from 4:30 - 7 p.m. in the parish center. Cod, catfish and fried shrimp are $14; boiled shrimp is $15. Drive-thru and carryout are available. Call (913) 5150621 for more information.

Classified Advertising

The Leaven reaches approximately 50,000 subscribers. Cost is $20 for the first five lines, $1.50 per line thereafter.

To purchase a Leaven classified ad, email: beth.blankenship@theleaven.org

DAILY READINGS

FOURTH WEEK OF LENT

March 19

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

1 Sm 16: 1b, 6-7, 10-13a

Ps 23: 1-6

Eph 5: 8-14

Jn 9: 1-41

March 20

JOSEPH, SPOUSE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

2 Sm 7: 4-5a, 12-14a, 16

Ps 89: 2-5, 27, 29

Rom 4: 13, 16-18, 22

Mt 1: 6, 18-21, 24a

March 21

Tuesday

Ez 47: 1-9, 12

Ps 46: 2-3, 5-6, 8-9

Jn 5: 1-16

March 22

Wednesday Is 49: 8-15

Ps 145: 8-9, 13c-14, 17-18

Jn 5: 17-30

March 23

Turibius of Mogrovejo

Ex 32: 7-14

Ps 106: 19-23

Jn 5: 31-47

March 24

Friday

Wis 2: 1a, 12-22

Ps 34: 17-21, 23

Jn 7: 1-2, 10, 25-30

March 25

THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD

Is 7: 10-14; 8: 10

Ps 40: 7-11

Heb 10: 4-10

Lk 1: 26-38

Here’s how to get to your happy place

“Are ya happy?”

The question caught me by surprise. It was asked during lunch this past summer by a college friend that I hadn’t seen for almost 30 years. Wow, talk about getting right to the heart of things.

I said, “Yeah, I am,” and went on to describe some of the many reasons for my answer. But it’s a question I keep mulling over.

Last week, I wrote about trifectas and once again, we have another: this time, dealing with happiness. This coming Fourth Sunday of Lent, for example, is known in Latin as Laetare (“rejoice”) Sunday. While some may feel we’re rejoicing because Lent is half over, the real reason is our disciplines of prayer, fasting and almsgiving are making us ever more aware of the salvation, the freedom, that the Lord is giving to us.

FATHER MARK GOLDASICH

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

Secondly, spring starts on March 20, signaling that the gray and cold days of winter are losing their grip on our weather and our spirits. Hooray!

Lastly, March 20 is also the U.N. International Day of Happiness, encouraging us to “create a happier and kinder world together by adopting simple, dai-

MARK MY WORDS

ly practices.” This year’s theme is: Be Mindful. Be Grateful. Be Kind. Couldn’t the world use a shot of happiness? It’s heartwarming to know that all 193 U.N. member states “have adopted a resolution calling for happiness to be given a greater priority.” Even better, this special day notes a worldwide shift in attitudes as “people are now recognizing that ‘progress’ should be about increasing human happiness and well-being, not just growing the economy.” How can you find happiness? This story

provides a valuable lesson:

A well-to-do woman complained to her psychiatrist that she felt her whole life was empty, devoid of meaning. Surprisingly, the doctor called over the elderly woman who cleaned the office and said to his patient, “I’m going to ask Mary here to tell you how she found happiness. All I want you to do is listen.”

Mary leaned against her broom and said, “Well, my husband died of malaria and three months later, my only child was killed by a car. I had nobody, nothing left. I couldn’t sleep, eat or smile.

“Then one evening, a kitten followed me home from work. I felt sorry for it. Because it was cold, I let the kitten in and got it some milk. After licking the bowl clean, the kitten purred and rubbed against my leg and, for the first time in months, I smiled.

“I thought: If helping

a kitten made me smile, maybe doing something for people would do the same. So, the next day, I baked some biscuits for an ailing neighbor. From then on, every day, I did something nice for someone. It made me so happy to see them happy.

“Today, I don’t know of anybody who sleeps and eats better than I do. I’ve found happiness by giving it to others.”

Hearing the story, the patient was brought to tears and realized that the beauty of life doesn’t depend on how happy you are, but on how happy others can be because of you. (Story adapted from “Seeking Happiness,” found in Meir Liraz’s “Top 100 Motivational Stories.”)

Of course, Jesus said it much more succinctly, “The Son of Man has not come to be served but to serve.”

So, for a truly happy — blessed — life, go and do the same.

The Lord goes looking for us when we’ve been tossed aside

In the middle of the long Gospel about Jesus healing the man born blind from birth, we hear powerful words about light and darkness. We’re reminded how Jesus, “the light of the world,” banishes the dark. He then does that — literally — through this remarkable miracle, bringing sight to a man who has never seen.

JOSEPH First century

The husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the legal father of Jesus according to Jewish law, Joseph is a model of humility and obedience to God’s will. He followed God’s instructions, given by angels in dreams, and took the pregnant Mary into his home as his wife, protected her and Jesus from the child’s birth in Bethlehem through the family’s sojourn in Egypt, and provided for them as a carpenter in Nazareth. This feast, which was celebrated locally as early as the ninth century, became a universal feast in the 16th century. Pope Pius IX named Joseph patron of the universal church in 1870; he is also the patron saint of carpenters, the dying and workers.

But I think there’s another kind of light in this passage and it’s something we might easily miss because it is mentioned almost in passing. Jesus doesn’t just heal the man and move on, no. He follows up. He comes back.

After he has been given sight, the formerly blind man is utterly alone, rejected by his community,

DEACON GREG KANDRA

his religious leaders, his family. He’s been thrown out into the streets. The man who was scorned when he was blind is scorned again, even after he’s

been given his sight. The world just wants to write him off.

The only one who doesn’t is Jesus.

In what may be the only instance like this in the Gospels, Jesus goes to seek out someone he has healed. And we come to realize that this man has been given more than just sight — he has been given consolation and affirmation. Christ gives him reassurance. He gives him a new life, and hope.

It’s really a remarkable encounter. It tells us that amid all that happens to us, God does not forget us.

As we turn the corner into the last weeks of Lent, that may be something we all need to hear. On this Gaudete Sunday, these readings — and this

episode of healing — remind us that there is, literally, light at the end of the tunnel. Our time of penance, penitence and prayer is nearing an end.

And we have a companion on the journey. Jesus is with us, through everything. He is there for anyone who struggles or suffers. Anyone who is rejected, mocked, dismissed. He is there for the outcast and the isolated.

He is there for those who feel they have been thrown out. And to them, and to us all, Christ offers this ongoing miracle: light! Brilliant, bewildering light. The light of compassion and mercy and hope.

And in that light, we see what we have never seen before. We see

that we are not alone. Jesus’ treatment of the man he healed is a lesson that says we are not abandoned. The Lord goes looking for us when we have been tossed aside.

The message this Sunday is one of abiding hope. It is a message to anyone who has ever felt alone or unloved. To anyone who has ever felt abandoned or betrayed or left out. This week, take time to think about that blind man who saw and believed, but was rejected by the world. Jesus didn’t just let him go. The Son of Man went looking for him, and found him. He let him know he mattered. God feels that way about every one of us. He remembers us, especially when we feel most forgotten.

To be Christian is to share God’s love, pope says at audience

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The mission to spread the Gospel message of God’s love and of salvation in Christ is entrusted to all the baptized who are called to work together and never set out alone, Pope Francis said.

The “ecclesial” dimension of evangelization “is binding and guarantees the authenticity of Christian proclamation,” the pope said at his weekly general audience March

8 in St. Peter’s Square, the first audience held outdoors in 2023.

At the end of the audience, Pope Francis noted the day’s celebration of International Women’s Day, thanking women “for their commitment to building a more humane society through their ability to grasp reality with a creative gaze and tender heart. This is a privilege only of women.”

The pope not only offered “a special blessing for all the women in

the square,” but asked the crowd to join him in “a round of applause for women. They deserve it!”

Continuing his series of audience talks about evangelization, Pope Francis said the support and confirmation of the church in mission work is necessary “because the temptation of proceeding alone is always lurking, especially when the path becomes impassable, and we feel the burden of the commitment.”

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

To better our service to the food insecure, we asked for their help

In 2022, we had an astounding 25,000 additional visits to our food pantries over the previous year. We are on par for that or more as the number of individuals served seeking food through our pantries continues to increase.

One of the ways we have responded to this growing food insecurity is to recognize that feedback from those that we serve is critical.

The purpose of our food pantries, located within each Family Support Center, is to provide free, culturally and dietarily appropriate food as a supplemental resource for families in need. Perhaps what sets us apart is how we do it. Each pantry is

INSIDE CATHOLIC CHARITIES

of best practices gathered through Catholic Charities USA and the families we serve.

food, diapers, hygiene products and supplies during times of crisis.

Client surveys were conducted at all eight food pantries during the months of October and November 2022.

Of the 667 clients that participated in the survey, we found:

• 95% of respondents said that food received from Catholic Charities makes a significant difference in their ability to afford food.

went without food an entire day (or more) due to lack of money to purchase food.

• 41% of respondents reported dietary restrictions, diabetes, allergies, etc.

• Meat, dairy and produce are the hardest for families to acquire and the most sought after.

pantry based on the geographical area and population of people that it serves

• providing individuals and families with more information/ recipes on building balanced meals on a budget and ways to stretch proteins

set up as client-choice, operating like a grocery store where the shopper chooses the food items that they need. This change to our original food pantry operations was a result

As a part of our continued desire to hear the voices of those we serve, we created a food pantry work group to build on existing food pantry structures and relieve barriers in order to provide families nutritional, supplemental

• 66% of respondents were unable to afford balanced meals, often snacking or purchasing lower-cost fast-food options.

• 72% of respondents reduced food intake due to lack of money to purchase food.

• 35% of respondents

The information has been extremely helpful, and will be instrumental in determining how we serve moving forward. Some of the changes we plan to implement include:

• adjusting our hours of operation to be more conducive to the work schedules of those that we serve

• modifying the diversity of the food

• increasing education to families on the eligibility of the Supplemental Food and Nutrition Program (SNAP) as a temporary resource to increase the amount of food within the home

• developing more meat, dairy and produce sourcing relationships I am grateful to our staff for their continued commitment to serve, and for our clients who took the time to provide sound feedback.

As we prepare for World Youth Day, please send us your intentions

DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU

This is one of my favorite quotes from St. John Paul II from World Youth Day in 1993. While I was not in attendance, I have heard many vocation stories that have come from that experience. That time of pilgrimage confirmed many young men’s and women’s vocations.

In July of this year, the archdiocese will be taking 90 pilgrims to

Lisbon, Portugal, for World Youth Day 2023. We will not be alone; there will be hundreds of thousands — if not a

couple million — from all over the world. It will be a time of prayer and discernment for many, but also a time of gathering with the bigger church on an international platform.

In Toronto in 2002, the last international WYD at which he was

present, St. John Paul II told the 800,000 pilgrims who gathered with him, “When, back in 1985, I wanted to start the World Youth Days, I imagined a powerful moment in which the young people of the world could meet Christ, who is eternally young, and could learn from him how to be bearers of the Gospel to other young people.”

That was my first World Youth Day. It was such a powerful experience for me and for everyone there. My very first time ever seeing Pope John Paul II brought what I call “Holy Ghost bumps” to my whole body, as

well as tears to my eyes. I could feel my heart pounding within my chest at the incredible opportunity I had been given.

The evening and morning of the vigil brought a lot of rain. I remember sitting under a poncho with our other group leader wondering why we were there sitting in the mud and muck.

As Pope John Paul II arrived, I witnessed what I would call a miracle of the sun similar to Fatima, as the wind and sun dried out the grounds on which we were sleeping. That was the Holy Spirit at work, putting to rest all

the doubt I had about why we were there.

St. John Paul II left an incredible legacy for the young people with his institution of World Youth Day.

Pope Benedict XVI continued and Pope Francis continues this gathering. As many of us in the archdiocese prepare for this amazing pilgrimage, I ask you to keep us, and World Youth Day, wrapped in prayer. We do not want to go empty-handed either. Please send us your intentions and we will pray for them during our pilgrimage. Send intentions online to: youth2@archkck.org.

Refusing to abandon moms and babies to abortion industry

Laws are like sausages — better not to see them being made. Having spent many an hour in the cutting room of our family’s custom butcher business, this analogy is hard to accept.

As the 2023 Kansas legislative session lurches forward, key issues and divisions are coming into greater focus.

Our Lady of Fatima visionary Sister Lucia dos Santos said: “The final battle between the Lord and the kingdom of Satan will be about marriage and the family.” We witness this collision firsthand in the corrosive anti-family agenda being imposed upon Kansans and are

CHURCH AND STATE

girls and women. This ensures fairness and safety for all participants. It is not, in any way, “hate” or an attack on anybody.

is the protection of the health, safety and privacy of individuals in areas like athletics; prisons or other detention facilities; domestic violence centers; sexual assault crisis centers; and more.

In these and other debates surrounding human sexuality, our challenge is maintaining charity in the face of vicious lies. We should acknowledge and pray for the suffering many are experiencing due to their sexual confusion.

of women seeking an abortion. The dangerous abortion pill protocol is now being dispensed in greater numbers via telemedicine. This hurts women and destroys human life.

The legislative response by the Kansas Catholic Conference is this: We will not abandon moms and babies to the abortion industry. If Kansans cannot protect women and their preborn babies legally, we redirect our efforts.

are performed on women from Missouri.)

Proposals to incentivize more private donations to PRCs (SB96) and the creation of the Kansas Alternatives to Abortion Program (HB2429) are two legislative steps being taken to offer women true choice when facing an unplanned pregnancy.

compelled to respond.

The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act (HB 2238) ensures biological girls and women would only compete in athletics against other

Another measure supported by the Kansas Catholic Conference is the Women’s Bill of Rights (SB 180). The bill places into law the clear distinction between the sexes. The objective

As predicted, defeat of the “Value Them Both” amendment is ushering in a dark new era. Kansas is growing as an abortion destination of the Midwest. Abortion clinics statewide are reporting record numbers

Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRCs) on the front lines of the struggle for life deserve our support. Missouri dedicates more than $8 million a year toward direct support of PRCs.

(Unsettling truth: Half of all Kansas abortions

The abortion industry and their allies in the secular press are working hard to create a false narrative painting PRCs as “fake clinics” — or worse. I invite you to learn more about PRCs online at: www.HelpingKansas Women.org.

St. Joseph, defender of the Holy Family, pray for us!

“It is Jesus that you seek when you dream of happiness; he is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you.”

— St. John Paul II

LAUREN SOLIDUM

Lauren Solidum is the executive director of Catholic Charities.

RICK CHEEK

Rick Cheek is the consultant for the office of evangelization and Catholic formation of youth.

CHUCK WEBER

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

From the time I was very small, I’ve always needed to know “the plan.” My mother relishes in telling a revealing story about me from when I was 6. We had been collecting things in “hundreds” to learn our numbers.

I was apparently very eager to share my prize collection of 100 precious whatevers (I can’t remember now what they were).

But my second grade teacher was known for having a more flexible approach to her classroom calendar. Time and again, she delayed our presentations. Finally, I couldn’t take it any longer. I stormed out to the car after dismissal, slammed the door and said, “We didn’t get to it . . . AGAIN!”

I’m able to be a bit more patient, not being 6 anymore, but I still don’t like the in-between times, those intervening hours of waiting. It’s

especially difficult when I feel like I don’t know what’s coming or what to expect.

Many people face such trials, when the interstitial spaces of life creep outward like vines, taking up more real estate than they ought to occupy. Staring at a screen at an airport looking for an update for a delayed flight, waiting for a diagnosis, standing by for a judge’s decision, biding time until a new appointment or role comes up . . .

And where is God in the in-between times? So often, it seems like he’s forgotten us. In the in-between times, God can seem reluctant to let us in on what he sees and intends. He’s left us behind, or at least it so often feels.

And yet, our God is not a God of only origins and destinations. Our God is allpowerful, all-present. He is not absent from the in-between; in fact, he is the very God of in-between.

What else does Jesus’ life show us than that the Father has put even waiting to work in his loving plan? The Son, eternally begotten by the Father, waited for the right moment to be conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He waited for 30 years, hidden in Nazareth, to begin the preaching of the reign of God. He waited to be recognized as the Messiah. He waited for his disciples to understand his teaching. He waited the long night, as Pontius Pilate and King Herod

determined whether or not to put him to death.

And he waited — the whole world waited — on Holy Saturday for his glorious resurrection from the dead.

The Word, the beloved Son of the Father, is present in the in-between. He lived the long waiting of our human estate. And he remains present with us now, waiting. The in-between is filled with his presence — a fact we see as soon as we stop cursing the in-between.

In fact, our human condition on this side of eternity is one long in-between. Our hearts were not made for this world, they were made for the next, where tears and night and death are no longer. To live a Christian life is to remember always

that we are not there yet, that we await the blessed hope of the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Ti 2:13).

Lent is a powerful expression of Christian life because it is this more than anything else: a declaration that we live in the in-between. We spend these solemn days trying to rid our lives of the things that hold us back, those things that prevent us from abandoning our own plans and throwing ourselves into his reckless love.

We weren’t made for the in-between, which is why it can be so daunting and terrible. But God is not missing from the inbetween; he is its very Lord and master.

The in-between times are the most difficult

FATHER PATRICK BRISCOE

Father Patrick Briscoe, OP, is editor of Our Sunday Visitor, where this piece first appeared. Follow him on Twitter @Patrick MaryOP.

Where is God in the in-between times? So often, it seems like he’s forgotten us. In the in-between times, God can seem reluctant to let us in on what he sees and intends.