03 31 21 Vol. 44 No. 31

MEMORY LANE

Shawnee parish blessing takes pastor, archbishop back in time

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

SHAWNEE — It was kind of like “Back to the Future” for Father Patrick Sullivan, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish here.

He was concelebrating the Mass on March 19 at which Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann blessed and dedicated the newly “enhanced” interior of the church.

The strong sense of déjà vu came from Father Sullivan being right there when Archbishop Naumann blessed and dedicated the new church on Nov. 20, 2005. The pastor then was Father Craig Maxim.

“Father Maxim did an amazing job with this entire facility, including the church,” said Father Sullivan. “I went to the dedication of the church because I was on break from the seminary.

“I just remember being amazed at this beautiful, new, crisp church. I really liked it. It felt welcoming. Something about it drew me. I had no idea that I’d someday be pastor. I’d only been in [the] seminary one year. I didn’t even know I’d be ordained, let alone what parish I’d go to five years later.”

Archbishop Naumann also took a stroll down memory lane.

“It makes me feel old [to be here], because I was here for the dedication of the church some 18 years ago,” said the archbishop in his homily. “Thank you for all you’ve accomplished. It’s truly spectacular and

HOLY SATURDAY

As we head into Holy Week, the Easter Vigil invites newcomers into one of the most dramatic and symbolic liturgies of the year.

>>> See story on pages 8-9

Interior enhancement features

• The main aisle from the baptistry to the altar, terminating at the tabernacle, received new tile with a black border on each side. There are seven diamond-shaped inserts symbolizing the seven sacraments. The sanctuary floor and steps received new tile. A new tabernacle and back altar will be installed by April.

• New stainedglass windows in the wall above the altar were created by Lynchburg Stained Glass in Virginia. They surround the circular window of Christ brought from the original church in Bonner Springs.

• Much creative use of paint is featured throughout the church — the narthex (gathering space) as well as the sanctuary. Norm Dahlor of Westwood painted the sanctuary wall a deep yellow with metallic gold fleck paint. Flanking the refurbished large crucifix are two white-gray, marble-looking pilasters that run floor to ceiling created by the technique of faux paint. This same effect is in the narthex. The ceiling above the altar is painted a deep blue symbolizing the night sky, with gold stars.

• The altar and ambo are a cream-colored marble and red oak. The soon-to-be-installed back altar by Ian Byrne will match them.

THORNS OF DOUBT

During his wife’s long illness, Doug Fencl began to view the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary in an entirely different way.

>>> See story on page 7

LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann blessed and dedicated the renovated Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Shawnee on March 19.

>> See “FUTURE” on page 4

>> Continues on page 4

Through history, the church has shared its truth through its art

One of my favorite events in the archdiocese is Benedictine College’s annual Symposium on Transforming Culture. This year’s theme was: The Power of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist as a Source of Cultural Transformation. The theme was chosen in part to support the National Pastoral Initiative for Eucharistic Revival sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

I was privileged to celebrate Mass for the symposium participants and to attend the closing keynote address by Elizabeth Lev, who is a member of both Duquesne University’s Italian Campus and the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome faculties. I highly recommend Professor Lev’s book: “How Catholic Art Saved the Faith: The Triumph of Beauty and Truth in Counter-Reformation

Art.”

We are fortunate to live at a time when the Bible is very accessible to us. We should all read and pray over the Bible, especially the Gospels. The Bible is not meant to be speed read. We should pray over it slowly, meditating on the word of God and reflecting upon its meaning for our life.

However, for most of the history of Christianity, most people could not read or pray over the Bible. The vast majority of Christians were not able to read the Bible because it was not translated into their native language and, besides, they were illiterate. We are very blessed to live at a moment in Christian history when the Bible is

very available to us.

Throughout its history, the church has used art to communicate the truths of our faith. Beauty remains an important way that not only instructs us in the truths of our faith but also inspires us to embrace God’s incredible love revealed through Jesus.

One of the most striking features of our cathedral — the Cathedral of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles — is its beautiful windows. I encourage you to make a pilgrimage to the cathedral during daylight hours, especially on a bright sunny day, to enjoy the splendor of the windows. If you are unable to come to the cathedral, please visit the cathedral website where you can gaze upon photos of the windows.

I encourage you to meditate especially on the windows that adorn the sanctuary of the cathedral. There are seven windows. As you view the windows from the pews, the three on the right depict three events from the Book of Genesis. The windows portray the three figures of the Old Testament that are remembered

in the first eucharistic prayer for Mass.

The first window on the far right portrays Abel offering a sacrifice to God. Abel was a rancher — a keeper of the flocks. Genesis describes Abel’s offering as “one of the best firstlings of his flock.” The Bible also states that “the Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering” (Gn 4:4).

The next window on the right renders God’s angel preventing Abraham from sacrificing his beloved son Isaac (Gn 22: 1-18). Isaac was more precious to Abraham than his own life. This entire episode seems incredible to us today. However, in the pagan culture of Abraham’s era, human sacrifice, particularly the sacrifice of children, was common.

The next window on the right, closest to the center, portrays Melchizedek, a mysterious priest and king of Salem, who blesses Abraham and offers him bread and wine (Gn 14: 18-20).

The three windows on the left feature the presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple; the multiplication of the loaves of bread and fish with which Jesus fed the crowd of 5,000; and the Last Supper. The center window is the crucifixion of Jesus on Calvary

that is made present to us at each celebration of the Eucharist. If you understand what is portrayed and symbolized in all of the cathedral sanctuary windows, you will have an excellent grasp of what transpires on every Catholic altar during the celebration of Mass.

I am very hopeful about the impact of the National Eucharistic Revival initiative upon the people of our archdiocese. Our evangelization office has a beautiful website with both formation and prayer resources to foster growth in love for the gift of the Eucharist. Lee McMahon, a member of our evangelization team, has also produced a podcast entitled “New Manna,” featuring interviews with priests, deacons and laity reflecting on the beauty and the power of the Eucharist.

The National Eucharistic Revival website also offers a wealth of resources. It provides a weekly meditation guide that could be used for prayer anywhere, but especially as a help for time spent in eucharistic adoration. The website describes the reason and purpose for the Eucharistic Revival initiative with these words:

“Our world is hurting. We all need healing, yet many of us are separated from the very source of our strength. Jesus Christ invites us to return to the source and summit of our faith in the celebration of the Eucharist. The National Eucharistic Revival is a movement to restore understanding and devotion to this great mystery here in the United States by helping

ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN’S CALENDAR

April 1 Mass with deacon candidates, aspirants and their wives — Savior Pastoral Center

Abbot’s Table — Overland Park Convention Center

April 2

Palm Sunday — Cathedral of St. Peter, Kansas City, Kansas

April 4

Chrism Mass — Savior

April 5

St. Lawrence board meeting — St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center, Lawrence

April 6

Religious Alliance Against Pornography board meeting

Holy Thursday Mass — Cathedral

April 7

Good Friday service — Cathedral

us renew our worship of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.”

If we understand what Our Lord offers to us at each and every Eucharist, how can our hearts not be filled with gratitude? The Creator of the Cosmos, the Second Person of the Triune God, the Lord of lords and King of kings makes himself present to us. Jesus, the Bread of Life, desires to feed us with his essence — his flesh and blood. What else could be more important to us than receiving Our Lord in holy Communion? What could prevent us from spending time in adoration and prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament?

I encourage you during Holy Week to participate in your parish Triduum liturgies — the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday; the celebration of the Passion of the Lord

on Good Friday; and the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night. Of course, you are most welcome to participate in any of the Triduum liturgies at the Cathedral of St. Peter.

I am praying that this time of National Eucharistic Revival will be the catalyst to deepen our wonder and awe at the great gift of the Eucharist. May we open our hearts to the miracle of grace that transpires at every celebration of the Mass! May we take advantage of the opportunity to adore and pray before our eucharistic Lord in our churches and adoration chapels! May we experience what St. John Paul described as “eucharistic amazement,” allowing our hearts to be transformed by the real presence of Jesus so that we can be instruments of transforming the world with his love alive within us!

Day of Prayer in Atonement for Those Harmed by Sexual Abuse

April 26 at 7:00 PM

All of the faithful are invited to join Archbishop Naumann for Mass on our Archdiocesan

Wednesday,

reception following Holy Angels Church, Basehor, KS

‘IT’S TRAGIC’

Diocesan officials call mass shooting at school ‘sad, shocking’

By Katie Peterson OSV News

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (OSV

News) — Officials of the Nashville Diocese called news of a morning mass shooting and loss of life at a private Christian school in the city heartbreaking and “deeply sad and shocking.”

Six individuals, including three children and school head Katherine Koonce, were fatally shot during the mid-morning hours March 27, at The Covenant School in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville. The private, Christian school educates students in preschool through sixth grade and was founded as a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church.

The shooter, identified as 28-year-old Audrey E. Hale, carried out the attack armed with a semiautomatic handgun and two short barrel, magazine-fed military-style semiautomatic weapons, including a foldable carbine and an “AR-pistol” with ammunition designed for the close combat needs of the U.S. military’s M4 carbine rifle.

Hale died following interactions with officers who had immediately responded to the scene.

According to Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Chief John Drake, the shooter had attended Covenant “at one point.” Hale identified as transgender, he said, adding that police had found detailed maps about the school, along with a manifesto, created by Hale prior to the shooting.

“My heart breaks with news of the school shooting at The Covenant School this morning,” Bishop J. Mark Spalding of Nashville said in a statement posted to social media. “Let us pray for the victims, their families and the Covenant Presbyterian community.”

Representatives from the Diocese of Knoxville responded to the post saying, “Our prayers are with the victims, their families and the people of Nashville.”

Bishop Spalding celebrated the 5:30 p.m. Mass March 27 at the Cathedral of the Incarnation to pray for the victims of the shooting and the school.

“The news of the shooting and loss of lives at The Covenant School this morning is deeply sad and shocking,” Brian Cooper, chancellor and chief operating officer, said in a diocesan statement. “It is a painful reminder that these horrific events can happen at any time. Our own city is not immune to this violence. Across Middle Tennessee, our churches and schools continue to be vigilant as we focus on the safety and security of parishioners, students, faculty, and staff. It is a top priority.”

The Nashville school shooting is the latest of many that have plagued schools around the nation in the last several years and is even more reason why the Diocese of Nashville and the Catholic Schools Office remains vigilant to the safety protocols and practices put in place at the 16 diocesan

schools and three independent Catholic schools, diocesan officials said.

Rebecca Hammel, superintendent of schools for the diocese, added in the statement that the diocese has “in place mandatory training for our faculty, staff, and administration” that “was established several years ago.”

The Covenant School shooting prompted a lockdown at all of the diocese’s Catholic schools in Davidson County, Hammel said, noting, “All of our schools work with local authorities on a regular basis and the police departments are very good to our schools in that they will typically call our schools to let them know that something of this magnitude is happening, and then they respond with lockdowns and taking whatever precautions are necessary on campus. That certainly unfolded today.”

“This tragic event gives us all pause

to reevaluate our own protocols and to ensure that our children’s safety remains the top priority for us at all times,” she added. “It’s the core of our decision-making and the basis of what we do every given day.”

Father Ed Steiner, pastor of St. Philip the Apostle Church in Franklin, south of Nashville, posted a message to the parish Facebook page as he announced an evening rosary would be prayed for the victims at the church the night of the shooting with a dedicated Mass intention for the victims planned for the 9 a.m. Mass March 28.

In his post, Father Steiner said a local police captain conducted active shooter training “for our staff, our ushers, our ministry leads and anyone who was interested in the training. We took the training seriously, but there was an element of the training being only for a hypothetical situation. ‘Now, with another school shooting just a few miles away . . . such an event is no longer hypothetical.”

“Those who were killed are clearly victims, but their parents and families are victims as well,” he continued. “Additionally, all those in the school building and the parents and families of those in the building will suffer trauma for many years to come. Many First Responders will have been traumatized as well. All of these children and adults need our most earnest prayer.”

“We will ask many questions in the days to come, especially why

this happened,” Father Steiner concluded in the post. “But for now, our hearts, concerns, and prayers are with the victims.”

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee released a statement on Twitter assuring citizens he was closely “monitoring the tragic situation at Covenant,” and the Tennessee Department of Safety and Tennessee Highway Patrol was assisting local law enforcement and first responders “at the scene.”

“As we continue to respond, please join us in praying for the school, congregation, and Nashville community,” he said.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper also released a statement on Twitter: “In a tragic morning, Nashville joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting. My heart goes out to the families of the victims. Our entire city stands with you. As facts continue to emerge, I thank our first responders and medical professionals.”

The Diocese of Nashville and the Catholic Schools Office encouraged all to keep the victims in their prayers.

“They are our colleagues. We know people there and we’re saddened that they’re not only experiencing this but that their lives are changed forever because of this senseless act,” Hammel said. “We grieve with the community. As a private school in this city, we are engaged with fellow private school leaders and we care for one another, so this hits all of us deeply.”

OSV NEWS PHOTO/METROPOLITAN NASHVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

Police officers arrive at the Covenant School on the grounds of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee, after reports of a shooting at the school March 27. At least six were killed — three adults and three children — police reported.

IT’S SO HARD TO EVEN FIND THE WORDS BECAUSE IT’S TRAGIC, IT’S SENSELESS, IT’S A LOSS OF INNOCENT LIFE.

REBECCA HAMMEL SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS FOR THE NASHVILLE DIOCESE

Future arrives in style at Sacred Heart, Shawnee

>> Continued from page 1

beautiful. And I’m glad to know that the One Faith campaign rebate the parish received was the seed money to get this project started.”

Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, originally in Bonner Springs, lost its 1920 church to an arson fire in 1996. The parish worshiped at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kansas, until the new school, at the southeast corner of Johnson Drive and Monticello Road, was completed in 2000. The school’s multipurpose center became the temporary church until the present church was built.

But by no means were things done and over back then.

“It was always the intention of the parish and the pastor at that time that at some future date they would enhance the worship space,” said Father Sullivan, pastor since July 2015.

And that future date has arrived in style.

The recent interior enhancement brought more color, warmth and style to the church in a myriad of ways. (See sidebar.)

“It turned out spectacular,” said Ernie Straub, chairman and CEO of Straub Construction and general contractor of the work. “The space has a calming effect. The colors work so well. The focus is on the altar and the tabernacle.”

“We were fortunate to [have been chosen to build] the church in 2005,” continued Straub. “My wife Susan and I have been members of the parish since 1997. Our firm does nothing but purpose-driven work — churches, schools and higher education.”

His firm also built the parish middle school as well.

The designer for the project was Chris Castrop.

“He does a lot of church interior design,” said Straub, “and really understands all the parts and pieces that make a holy sanctuary.”

The $1.4 million interior enhancement project began on Sept. 6, 2022, and

Church enhancements

>> Continued from page 1

• Extensive use of wood trim was made throughout the sanctuary and narthex. The custom wood trim was created by former parishioner Dave Gill of Overland Park. Ian Byrne of Byrne Custom Woodworking created a curved Communion rail with an opening before the altar.

• The space formerly occupied off to the side by the tabernacle has been converted to a eucharistic alcove where sacred vessels are placed for use during Mass.

• Although steps lead to the altar, there is an accessibility ramp, behind the back altar, which is all but unseen from the pews.

• A stained-glass window of the Sacred Heart of Jesus will be later installed above the baptismal font.

• The statue niches were redesigned with a curvature of the back walls. The walls are painted a deep blue to contrast with the white of the Italian marble statues — one of St. Joseph holding the Infant Jesus, and another of the Blessed Virgin Mary as depicted on the Miraculous Medal.

• New lighting has been installed throughout the church interior and narthex, including new chandeliers, pendant lights and LED lights. New speakers were also installed.

was completed this March 10. During the six-month project, the parish gathered for Mass once again in the school’s multipurpose room. The eucharistic adoration chapel was temporarily relocated to the church basement.

Student services coordinator honored with Crystal Apple

By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org

TOPEKA — Teachers are no strangers to apples. But the one Tricia Morgan received here on March 9 was anything but ordinary — it was made of crystal!

Shawn Knight and Danielle Norwood, co-hosts of the “Morning Majic Show” on Topeka’s KMAJ 107.7, presented Morgan with the Crystal Apple Award for March. Morgan serves as the student services coordinator at Christ the King School in Topeka. She received the honor as the result of a nomination submitted to the radio station by Michelle Shump on behalf of her daughters: Allie, a fourth grader, and Avery, a kindergartner.

In addition to the Crystal Apple, Morgan was featured online and onair. She also received a prize package from Prairie Band Casino and Resort in Mayetta and qualifies for consideration as the grand prize winner at the end of the year. The winner’s school receives a donation of $1,000.

In their letter, Michelle and Allie Shump, who listen to the radio station while riding to school, wrote: “There is no one with a bigger heart than Mrs. Morgan at Christ the King Elementary School in Topeka. . . . Mrs. Morgan is someone that always has a smile on her face and is willing to lend a hand whenever and wherever it is needed. She has a lot on her plate as she works with many different children through-

out the day, but she manages to balance everything and always does it with a smile on her face. She definitely has a kids-first approach, as she strives to find the best environment for students and has been especially supportive to our family over the past several years. Mrs. Morgan takes the time to listen to parents and their needs and works tirelessly to make sure every student is successful with their academic goals.”

Principal Relynn Reynoso agreed, writing later: “Tricia will go the extra mile to make sure a student’s needs are

being met and does it with compassion. It is obvious she enjoys her job and is always willing to help out wherever needed. It is truly a vocation for her!”

Later, while recalling the presentation, Morgan said she found herself “somewhat emotional” and that “it was all so very sweet.”

“I was so very surprised,” she said. “What an honor. . . . I’m very humbled by this experience, and I want to share this apple with everyone — that is, all of the teachers and families [at Christ the King].”

• The entry from the narthex to the church interior received yellow paint with gold flecks, and wood trim with curved tops. A hospitality desk was also installed. The narthex windowsills were replaced with quartz.

• The bathrooms were remodeled as well.

Pamala and Douglas Swail, members of Curé of Ars Parish, Leawood, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on April 1. The couple was married on April 1, 1963, at the Church of Christ, Quantico Marine Corps Officers School, Virginia. The marriage was again blessed March 25, 2015, at Curé of Ars by Father Richard Story. Their children are: Stephanie Chiles, Leawood; Jennifer Walsh, Leawood; and Timothy Swail, Miromar Lakes, Florida. They also have seven grandchildren and three great-grandsons.

SOLUTION

COURTESY PHOTO

Tricia Morgan, the student services coordinator at Christ the King School in Topeka, holds two of the prizes she received in conjunction with the Crystal Apple Award while posing with members of the Shump family (Michelle, fourth grader Allie, and kindergartner Avery) who nominated her for the award. On either end are Shawn Knight and Danielle Norwood, co-hosts of “The Morning Majic Show” on Topeka’s Majic 107.7.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE

Father Patrick Sullivan, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, Shawnee, chats with parishioners following the blessing and dedication Mass of the renovated church.

GOOD EATS

Emporia parishioner’s creation promotes healthier choices for youth

By Catherine Halbmaier Special to The Leaven

EMPORIA — Healthier eating choices are made every day here at Sacred Heart School thanks to the efforts of Chef Michael Garahan.

Garahan, founder of the Chefs Mikey and Bev Like It! Healthier Choices food program and a member of Sacred Heart Parish, has been promoting a healthier diet in schools for over a decade.

As part of the Healthier Choices program, Garahan sells a blank comic book for kids. This allows students to create their own comics with the Chefs Mikey and Bev characters. A revised version of the book is awaiting approval to be sold on Amazon.

“In 2006, I discovered there were no comic books for chefs,” said Garahan. “So, I created my first mascot, Chef Mikey, and had an artist draw the cover. Teaching with comics promotes project-based learning, and that’s what we do in a simple way.”

In addition to comic books, Garahan’s program features demonstrations in schools. He began this practice with the help of Vitamix in 2013.

“In 2013, Vitamix was offering 50 free Vitamix blenders to chefs who would use them in the schools for demonstrations. The offer was to members of the American Culinary Federation, like myself. I was one of the 50 chefs in the U.S. to receive one,” said Garahan.

Garahan recognized that demonstrations would not be enough.

“You can’t just give one demonstration and have behavior change in the students,” said Garahan. “Over time, you get to know the people, they continue to come in — that’s when behavior change is made.

“The CDC reports kids need 50 hours on nutrition education a year to make any kind of change. They only get eight. So here’s a way, a simple way, to get the kid to learn. Kids are given a book and then they educate themselves.”

Garahan’s combination of hands-on learning and interactive comic books allows students to learn about healthier

choices both in and out of the classroom. But Garahan has ambitious plans for the future of the program.

“It’s used all over the country,” said Garahan. “We would like to be able to connect our comic strip to a program in federal schools. We sell books, we get that quantified, and then we can use that to move on to the next thing.”

This passion for healthier eating has been with Garahan since a young age.

At 4 years old, he began cooking with his mother.

“After that, I didn’t have to decide what I wanted to do,” said Garahan.

Now, Garahan cooks healthy meals with his wife.

“My wife and I, we practice what we preach,” said Garahan. “We’ve got a freezer in the back. We put all food trimmings in the freezer and then transport them to our compost pile in

our backyard. We make our own kombucha, our own sauerkraut. These foods really help the gut microbiome.”

From his personal to his professional life, Garahan, who is also a fourth-degree Knight of Columbus in the Sacred Heart council, is passionate about spreading his healthier lifestyle message.

Curtis Simons, interim principal of Sacred Heart School in Emporia, lauded the chef’s program for its outcomes at the school.

“Chef Mikey has been promoting and facilitating this program for five years in the Emporia area. Our families definitely benefit from this food program, and they are making healthier choices,” said Simons.

The Healthier Choices program is utilized in schools all over the country, and Garahan does not plan to stop any time soon.

“My primary goal is the social cause of increasing the consumption of healthier choice food,” said Garahan. “When I face God, he’s gonna say, you know, ‘Why did you give up?

‘”No, I didn’t give up. I’m not giving up. My goal is to get one, two, 10 kids to eat better. That’s what we do and we just keep trying to get better at it.”

LEAVEN PHOTO BY KENNY RODRIGUEZ

Third graders Max Danler, left, and Lucas Tajchman await Chef Michael Garahan’s freshly made smoothie.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY KENNY RODRIGUEZ

Sacred Heart kindergartner Carlos Rascon awaits his serving from Chef Garahan.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY KENNY RODRIGUEZ

Sacred Heart fourth grader Samantha Tajchman assists Chef Garahan with pouring a smoothie. Garahan, founder of the Chefs Mikey and Bev Like It! Healthier Choices food program, has been promoting healthier menus in schools for over a decade.

Garahan sells a blank comic book for kids. This allows students to create their own comics with the Chefs Mikey and Bev characters.

When people discover I have a master’s degree in children’s literature, they tend to corner me with one impossible question: “What books should I let my kids read?”

These are primarily loving, caring parents with the best of intentions. They’ve been hearing, however, that most of today’s popular Young Adult (YA) novels include immoral characters, inappropriate situations or gratuitous vice, and they are looking for some Catholic literary guru to pronounce the “safe” YA titles that won’t corrupt young readers through subtle seductions.

As a parent and an author, I do sympathize and I am quick to point out that some Catholic-specific YA literature resources do exist. The Catholic Writer’s Guild has its YA “seal of approval” list; more than a dozen curated blogs (such as Catholic Teen Books) likewise have indie titles to recommend; and, of course, Our Sunday Visitor has options for young readers, too.

Parents should be warned, however, that — without discrediting those resources — such exclusively Catholic options will never fully address their concerns nor best serve the children who will, inevitably, become adults. Preventing them from choosing

CHRISTINA EBERLE

books on their own may then prove to have been a grave disservice to their growth, maturity and judgment.

Instead of asking which books we should PERMIT our children to read, parents would do well to wonder: “How can I help my kids better discern what to read, themselves?”

When I was a teenager, one of the best things my dad ever did for me was to read the same books I’d brought home and then discuss them with me. He’d listen to my thoughts and share his own, casually pointing out what he found good and bad, positive and pernicious. He was curious before he was critical and, in this way, he subtly validated my ability to choose books while also teaching me to hone my standards.

My dad would never

disparage my preferences outright, only critiquing stories after he’d read them and never belittling my own thoughts. As a prolific and more experienced reader, he helped me

to interpret the subtler elements that I didn’t yet have the maturity to decipher on my own. I knew how to read, of course — but my father taught me how to see what I was reading, in fullness.

When parents are too quick to negatively judge a book based solely on form, not content, children aren’t being taught to judge rightly or well. Worse, when we dismiss our reader’s preferences outright, we too may miss out on something that shines with the beauty, goodness and truth we want them to encounter.

I know a parent who rejected Kelly Barnhill’s fantasy novel “The Girl Who Drank

the Moon” because the back cover copy mentioned magic and therefore could only be a gateway to the occult. (Tolkien and Lewis sob from their graves!) Another parent frowned upon Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novels “Boxers and Saints,” believing them to be “low art” that mocked the Catholic Church — the tragic irony being that Barnhill and Lang are both faithful Catholics and award-winning authors. They’re quite brilliant at presenting timeless Gospel truths in richly poetic ways, but — much like Jesus’ parables — the truth is folded within the storytelling: You must unwrap the prose before you can receive it.

So, my advice to concerned parents is to take a breath, and then take a page out of my dad’s book: Read along with your young readers. If you haven’t the time for that, you can still encourage them to discuss what they’re reading. What’s it about? Who’s their favorite character and why? How do they think the story will end?

A parent’s genuine interest will mean the world to them, and their passion and questions will be met with insight and guidance. This is how we leave the door open for future conversations where, over time, our young readers will know how to recognize wheat from chaff.

‘What should I let my kids read?’: Guiding our young readers

Christina Eberle earned her Master of Arts in children’s literature in 2010. Her young adult fantasy novel “Brio” (published under her pen name “Chris Cross” in February 2022) is available on Amazon.

Whether you are still reading aloud to your child, or just shuttling them back and forth to the library, taking an interest in what your child reads is the way to make sure you’re keeping the doors of conversation about their reading habits open.

MY ADVICE TO CONCERNED PARENTS IS TO TAKE A BREATH, AND THEN TAKE A PAGE OUT OF MY DAD’S BOOK: READ ALONG WITH YOUR YOUNG READERS.

Wife’s death shook his faith; her example fortified it THE THORNS OF DOUBT

By Doug Fencl Special to The Leaven

It wasn’t until I recently lost my wife of 43 years to cancer that I began to plumb the heart-wrenching depths of the rosary’s sorrowful mysteries — I had evolved from an observer of the mysteries to a participant, getting a taste of the brutal weight of Christ’s suffering. The mystery in which I could most relate was the crowning of thorns.

Before the loss of my wife, my contemplation of the mystery centered on the humiliation and degradation suffered by Jesus as he was reviled and mocked, viewed as a delusional fraud who thought himself a king.

But it was during my wife’s prolonged illness that I began to regard the mystery in a different way, through the eyes of Mary and the apostles, resulting in an aspect of the mystery I had never considered: doubt. In my case, a deleterious doubt that was insidiously undermining my faith during my wife’s illness and subsequent death.

I was thoroughly awed by my wife’s steadfast Catholic faith, courage and strength as I watched her, day by agonizing day, slowly deteriorate, her attention always on others, not herself. I, on the other hand, began to be consumed by a crippling fear in which my self-constructed notion of the future was being unexpectedly ripped apart — my reality being turned on its head.

The fear I felt slowly galvanized into doubt, a doubt in which I began to question the existence of a sovereign God who would allow this travesty to happen to such a wonderful person. In my mind, it was cruel and senseless, completely contrary to what I had hoped for our remaining years together.

It was during this time that I began to reflect on the crowning of thorns — a shocking event that turned an expected promising future for the followers of Jesus into an unforeseen nightmare. We must remember that Mary was told by an angel that her son would be “great” and sit on the throne of David. The apostles believed him to be the Messiah, the anointed one designated by God, a king that would rule a realm that would last forever, the apostles James and John even vying for special positions of prestige once Jesus began his kingly rule.

Then, all these expectations were horrifyingly shattered as they witnessed the brutal and farcical spectacle

SCHEDULE AT THE CATHEDRAL

I WAS THOROUGHLY AWED BY MY WIFE’S STEADFAST CATHOLIC FAITH, COURAGE AND STRENGTH AS I WATCHED HER, DAY BY AGONIZING DAY, SLOWLY DETERIORATE, HER ATTENTION ALWAYS ON OTHERS, NOT HERSELF.

in which Jesus was dressed like a king: clothed in a purple robe, a reed placed in his hand as a scepter, then crowned with lacerating thorns. The man who would be king was being mocked and viewed by the crowd as a pathetic fool and misguided egotist.

To the followers of Jesus, this appalling scene was completely antithetical to the reality they had envisioned; instead of a king’s gold crown, here were thorns that gashed and debased — the height of irony.

Many of the apostles reacted like myself — first fear, then doubt. The apostle Thomas going so far as to demand the manual probing of the resurrected Jesus’ wounds before believing that the bloody catastrophe had somehow resulted in an unimaginable ending.

Mary, on the other hand, always steadfast, fully entered into Jesus’ suffering, pondered the incongruity of it, yet still trusting in the benevolent ultimacy of God’s reality rather than her own. Then the Resurrection, the unexpected, the imponderable twist that transformed what seemed humanly senseless into something miraculously sensible.

As I sat at my wife’s hospital bedside during those last days, it was obvious that she was totally confident in the miraculously sensible, trusting and serene, while I struggled with the seeming senselessness of it all. The reality was that my wife was leaving this world, and regrettably, there was nothing I could do to stop it. Faced with this painful eventuality, I had to ask myself: How would my wife want me to continue without her?

I soon realized that there were two

choices and only two. I could collapse in on myself, insist on my own sensible reality, and devolve into resentment and anger, becoming a poison to those I loved and a painful disappointment to the memory of my wife.

Or I could try and emulate the Blessed Mother and accept the imponderable, believing in the ultimacy of God’s reality. Trust that the crown of thorns would somehow, beyond what the sensible could imagine, be transformed into gold, and that her crucified son, an accused impostor, be transfigured into the promised Messiah.

I chose what my wife had chosen, lived and died by — Mary’s hope and trust over and against the doubt that would surely have led to me becoming the veritable pathetic fool and misguided egotist.

My wife’s last words were: “All will be well.” I cling to those words, hoping that someday I will be blessed enough to see her again.

To think otherwise would be a crown of thorns too heavy to bear.

Doug Fencl is a parishioner of Church of the Ascension in Overland Park.

By David Gibson Catholic News Service

EASTER VIGIL LEADS US

With living light, we begin at Easter

sense when standing with others around the Easter Vigil fire that we are doing just what our Christian forbears did.

message that Christ’s followers are bearers of his light is demonstrated remarkably.

Did you know that a blazing fire marks the start of the church’s great Easter Vigil Mass? One recent Easter eve, with the fire’s flames lighting up the nightfall outside our parish church, a woman standing near me turned to ask, “What is happening?” Not a bad question, I would say.

Ever since young adulthood, I always have looked forward to the Easter Vigil. I call the vigil “great” because it so compellingly recapitulates the biblical history of God’s saving action, while celebrating the resurrection’s meaning both for Christ and for us.

The vigil is great, too, in its powerful use of symbols to proclaim Easter’s arrival. The church’s worship, after all, speaks not only to the mind but to the eyes, ears, heart and other human senses.

Light is a key liturgical symbol, particularly at Easter. For Christians, fire and light always symbolized Christ. I relish the

This fire is unique, though, and it is meant to spread. Indeed, it spreads as the vigil’s opening service of light unfolds.

During this part of the vigil, a new paschal (Easter) candle appears and is lit directly from the vigil fire. That action speaks louder than words, showing that the paschal candle will not simply decorate the church’s altar but that it will stand there as a sign of Christ the light.

Not incidentally, a small candle given to each person baptized in this church during the year ahead will be lit from the paschal candle, an action making clear that in baptism we all receive Christ’s light.

Those gathered around the Easter Vigil fire usually hold small unlit candles. Ultimately, the paschal candle’s flame will get passed on and move from taper to taper until all are ablaze. A multitude of burning candles then will light up the somewhat darkened interior of the church — light it up with Christ!

Through all these visible actions, the

For Christians, Christ is light. The “Exsultet,” a song many centuries old heard once a year in the church during the Easter Vigil, drives the message home.

Announcing Christ as dawn’s light, the “Exsultet” describes him as the “morning star who never sets.” At Easter, “coming back from death’s domain,” Christ sheds “his peaceful light on humanity,” it concludes.

Light — whether for the eyes, heart or mind — enables human beings to meet the continual challenge of knowing which way to go, where to turn.

The benefits of light, though, are not solely personal. In the light, we see others and can recognize what they might welcome from us.

On Easter, the church celebrates Christ the light, shouting out in the “Exsultet”:

“Be glad, let earth be glad, as glory floods her, ablaze with light from her eternal king; let all corners of the earth be glad, knowing an end to gloom and darkness.”

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann stands with the newly lit paschal candle at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kansas, at the beginning of the Easter Vigil. For Christians, fire and light always symbolized

The fire that begins Mass is meant to spread. Those small unlit candles. Ultimately, the paschal candle’s taper until all are ablaze.

OUT OF THE DARKNESS

A symbolic taste of an unseen future of hope

By Daniel S. Mulhall Catholic News Service

The symbols of Easter are rich in meaning. When we enter churches for worship at Easter, we find white flowers in full bloom, sometimes even in places where the ground is still frozen and covered with snow. It is the other end of the austerity and the symbols of emptiness we see during Lent.

Darkness is chased from every nook and corner. Water flows freely, often bringing the sounds of running streams into the worship experience. Color is everywhere. All of these symbols are meant to shout out the good news that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead and that death has once and for all been conquered.

They are symbols of a transcendence we know of but don’t always physically see. It unequivocally signals the death of a certain existence and the rising of a new type of life.

In the Gospel of John, while teaching a man named Nicodemus about the kingdom of God, Jesus proclaimed, “I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit” (3:5). He continues, “What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit” (3:6).

The death of a certain type of life so we can have a new one is a key part of Jesus’ teaching and is reflected in the stories of Christ raising people from the dead.

The story of the raising of Lazarus in Chapter 11 of John’s Gospel is a foretaste of Jesus’ own physical death and resurrection. Like Jesus, Lazarus would lie in a tomb for days, and then, “the dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, ‘Untie him and let him go’” (11:4).

At Easter, symbols remind us of this transcendence to a new life as children of God. Through baptism, Jesus claims us as his own and away from the world of sin. For Christians, the act of baptism, ever so present in the Easter Vigil, begins a new life, a new risen self.

EasterWe see this in the catechumens baptized at the Easter Vigil. As they are plunged under the water (or water is poured over their heads), these men and women give witness to the power of the sacrament. Through this action, they accept a new life.

As St. Paul wrote in the Letter to the Galatians: “I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me” (2:20).

Through symbols, we get an understanding of the divine, of what awaits us.

One of the most powerful Easter symbols and actions comes in the form of light. At the Easter Vigil, the new fire is lit to symbolize that Christ, the light of the world, is with us. The light of the world was not extinguished by physical death.

During the liturgy, light is quickly transferred from the fire pit to an enormous Easter candle that signifies the presence of Christ in our midst. The light from the fire is slowly shared until all members of the community have a piece of this new light of Christ in their hands.

We grasp its meaning at the Easter Vigil when we see the entire church go from darkness to light, one candle at a time — the light of Christ spreading from person to person, filling our hearts and setting them on fire anew.

Admittedly, the symbolic value of the passing of the light is most powerful at the Easter Vigil, when all is dark. But we still light candles on Easter morning to acknowledge that Jesus is risen, and we will be, too, someday.

Customs have developed over the centuries to signify this new life. Some buy new clothes (or hats) to demonstrate leaving old lives behind. Some dye eggs from plain white to a colorful new hue, an extremely powerful symbol of new life. We decorate our homes and church with blooming flowers to celebrate the new life that is returning to the world following the death brought on by winter. All of these are potent symbols of the resurrected Christ.

Unfortunately, at times, symbols can lose their power as people lose touch with the symbol’s meaning. An Easter bonnet can become a statement of pride and status instead of a proclamation of becoming a new person. But how have we become new people in ways that others can’t see?

Fortunately, at Easter, we have a chance to explore how the experience

Food for thought

What do Christians celebrate at Easter? And what does the risen Christ signify in our time?

“The message that Christians bring to the world is this: Jesus, love incarnate, died on the cross for our sins, but God the Father raised him and made him the Lord of life and death.

In Jesus, love has triumphed over hatred, mercy over sinfulness, goodness over evil, truth over falsehood, life over death,” said Pope Francis in his 2014 “Urbi et Orbi” Easter blessing at St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

When we celebrate the risen Lord, what we say to the world, the pope said, is that “in every human situation — marked by frailty, sin and death — the good news is no mere matter of words but a testimony to unconditional and faithful love: It is about leaving ourselves behind and encountering others, being close to those crushed by life’s troubles, sharing with the needy, standing at the side of the sick, elderly and the outcast.”

of Lent, the power of repentance and renewal, can help us recommit to a new life as Christians. We have the opportunity, with Christ, to rise again.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER symbolized Christ.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

Those gathered around the Easter Vigil fire usually hold candle’s flame will get passed on and move from taper to

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

Father Michael Hawken, pastor of Church of the Nativity in Leawood, shares the fire from the Easter candle until all members of the community share in this new light of Christ.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE

Catechumens joining the church are baptized at the Easter Vigil. As water is poured over their heads, these men and women give witness to the power of the sacrament. Through this action, they accept a new life.

Hartford investigating possible eucharistic miracle

THOMASTON, Conn. (OSV News) — The Archdiocese of Hartford is investigating a possible eucharistic miracle after Communion hosts, distributed by a lay minister, seemingly multiplied during a March 5 liturgy at St. Thomas Church in Thomaston, where Blessed Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, had once served as pastor.

Celebrant Father Joseph Crowley, pastor of the merged St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish of which the church is a part, described the incident in a March 12 homily livestreamed on YouTube as “one of those moments where God showed up in a very powerful, powerful way.”

Vatican envoy warns UN General Assembly racism mutating and ‘reemerging’ globally

UNITED NATIONS (OSV News) — The “distorted” thought that one person is better than another goes against Catholic teachings and flies in the face of universal principles laid out in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Holy See’s United Nations envoy told a U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York.

The theme of the March 21 meeting at U.N. headquarters was the urgency of combating racism and racial discrimination, 75 years after the adoption of that declaration by the U.N. General Assembly.

Quoting from that international declaration, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia told the U.N. meeting that racism hinged “upon the distorted belief that one person is superior to another, standing in stark contrast with the fundamental

Pope accepts bishop’s resignation over errors in handling abuse

OSNABRUECK, Germany (OSV News) — The vice president of the German bishops’ conference, Bishop Franz-Josef Bode, has become the first Catholic bishop in Germany to resign in connection with the abuse scandal. The Vatican announced March 25 the pope had accepted his resignation. Bishop Bode resigned over “errors made in the handling of clergy sexual abuse cases,” KNA agency reported.

principle that ‘all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.’”

Despite the commitment of the international community to eradicate it, racism was continuing “to reemerge,” warned Archbishop Caccia, the Vatican’s Permanent U.N. Observer. “It is as if it were ‘a virus that quickly mutates and, instead of disappearing, goes into hiding, and lurks in waiting,’” the archbishop told the U.N. meeting, quoting again — this time from Pope Francis’ 2020 encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti.” He appealed to the world’s governments to enact legislation that addressed “overt racism,” and to promote “a culture of encounter, solidarity and authentic human fraternity”

Vatican official asks Catholics to give to Good Friday collection

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches, has written to bishops around the world asking them to urge their people to generously support the traditional Good Friday collection for the Holy Land. Customarily, 65% of the funds collected goes to the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land, which ministers to Christians throughout the Middle East and is responsible for most of the shrines connected with the life of Jesus. The remaining 35% of the collection goes to the Dicastery for Eastern Churches and funds seminaries, advanced education for priests and nuns and Catholic schools in the Middle East.

David Elliott, associate director of communications for the Archdiocese of Hartford, told OSV News that the archdiocesan judicial vicar, Father George S. Mukuka, “has been looking into the possibility of a eucharistic miracle” at the parish. Following the investigation, Elliott said, the judicial vicar will prepare a report for Hartford Archbishop Leonard P. Blair, “who will make a determination from there” regarding the event’s supernatural nature.

The chapel in the crypt of Rome’s Basilica of St. Bartholomew is seen shortly before the new memorial to 20th and 21st century martyrs was inaugurated there March 23.

Memorial to modern Christian martyrs opens in Rome

ROME (CNS) — Amid the remains of a pagan temple on an island in the Tiber River hangs a red chasuble worn by St. Oscar Romero of San Salvador. Nearby there is a relic of Blessed Stanley Rother, an Oklahoma priest shot in Guatemala in 1981, and a jagged rock used by the Polish security police officers who murdered Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko in 1984.

Imprisoned Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez appears unexpectedly on Nicaraguan television March 24, more than six weeks after refusing to head into exile and being sentenced to 26 years behind bars.

Bishop Álvarez proved alive as he appears in staged TV interview

MANAGUA (OSV News) — Imprisoned Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez appeared unexpectedly on Nicaraguan television March 24, more than six weeks after refusing to head into exile and being sentenced to 26 years behind bars. Pale, gaunt and dressed in blue, Bishop Álvarez was reunited with his brother and sister for a meal at the La Modelo prison, where he has been held since hastily being convicted in a secret trial of conspiracy for “undermining national integrity” and spreading false information. The appearance followed weeks of Catholic leaders and human rights groups demanding proof of life — with the last photos of Álvarez dating back to a Jan. 10 court date.

In 2002 St. John Paul II recognized the Basilica of St. Bartholomew on Tiber Island in Rome as a shrine to the “new martyrs” of the 20th century. Shortly afterward, the Italian government began an archaeological exploration of the crypt under the church and discovered the remains of a temple dated to the third century before Christ and dedicated to Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine.

The Community of Sant’Egidio, which cares for the basilica and the shrine, hosted an event March 23 to dedicate a new exposition space among the ruins in the crypt as a museum and memorial to the new martyrs of both the 20th and 21st centuries. The inauguration took place on the eve of St. Romero’s feast day.

Sainthood causes of six advance

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has advanced the sainthood causes of five women and a priest. The pope March 23 signed decrees recognizing that each of the six candidates heroically lived the Christian virtues. Among the causes that were advanced were those of two laywomen: Maria Domenica Lazzeri, an Italian who lived 18151848; and Teresa Enríquez de Alvarado, a Spaniard, who was born sometime around 1456 and died in 1529.

in order to “effectively” counter what he said were racial prejudices existing at an even “deeper level . . . embedded in all aspects of society.”

OSV NEWS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Vatican’s permanent observer to the United Nations, is pictured in a March 24, 2022, photo. The “distorted” thought that one person is better than another goes against Catholic teaching and flies in the face of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the archbishop told a U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York March 21.

Bishop

Franz-Josef Bode

OSV NEWS SCREENSHOT/CANAL 4 NICARAGUA

CNS PHOTO/CINDY WOODEN

HOLY FAMILY SILENT AUCTION

Online

Now through April 2 at 8 p.m.

Welcome to the second annual silent auction for Holy Family Church in Kansas City, Kansas, on Strawberry Hill. The auction site is open for bid and purchase. The link to sign on to the online auction site is: www.32auctions.com/HolyFamilyChurch

KCK23. All items may be picked up at the church or school. Arrangements may be made by calling (913) 396-1563 or by sending an email to Sandy Cannon at: csandys angels@aol.com.

TABLES FOR TWO: AN EVENING OF MARRIAGE

ENRICHMENT

Precious Blood Renewal Center

2120 St. Gaspar Way, Liberty, Missouri

April 1 from 6 - 9 p.m.

This is an evening out for married and engaged couples who want to deepen their relationships. We will serve you a five-course meal with wine in a subdued atmosphere and guide you through a oneon-one discussion. Relaxed, romantic and enriching. Seating is limited. To register, go online to: www.pbrenewalcenter.org or call (816) 415-3745.

‘JUSTICE FOR ALL’ WORKSHOP

Holy Spirit Parish (St. Isidore Room)

11300 W. 103rd St., Overland Park

April 3 at 5:30 p.m.

Join us in welcoming representatives for the Justice For All ministry, a grassroots mission that teaches how a pro-life person can start a conversation with a pro-choice advocate and make the discussion productive. Participants will also learn how to respond to the common pro-choice arguments, all within the context of being good ambassadors for Christ. Join in JFA’s mission of changing hearts and saving lives through conversations with your friends and neighbors. For more information about Justice for All, go online to: www. JFAweb.org. To register, contact Michon Quick by email at: misshawnee63@gmail. com or call (913) 207-1382.

PASCAL TRIDUUM AT THE ABBEY

Conception Abbey

37174 State Hwy. VV, Conception, Missouri

April 6 - 9

Join the monastic and seminary community for the most sacred and exciting holy days of the year. Rich liturgies, daily retreat talks, time for silence and a joyous Easter Vigil celebration will all be part of these days at the abbey. For retreat

listings, go online to: www.conceptionabbey. org/guests, scroll down to “Upcoming Retreats” then to April 6 for registration information.

IGNATIAN WEEKEND: HABITS OF FREEDOM

Ignatian Spirituality Center of Kansas City

April 15 from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Come spend a day to learn ways to choose God throughout your day. Father Chris Collins, SJ, will offer practical tools to help you develop a habit of daily discernment that will lead to inner calm. This day will include time for reflection and faith sharing, in addition to Father Collins’ inspiring talks. For more information, visit the website at: www.ignatiancenterkc.org/events and scroll down to “Ignatian Weekend 2023” or call Stephanie Hudson at (816) 381-9168.

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.

WORKSHOP ON ESTATE PLANNING

Good Shepherd Parish

12800 W. 75th St., Shawnee

April 18 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Get your questions answered by a Catholic estate planning attorney about providing for your family and making your wishes known with wills and trusts. RSVP online to: stewdev@archkck.org or call (913) 647-0365.

PANCAKE MENUDO BREAKFAST

St. John the Evangelist Parish

2910 Strong Ave., Kansas City, Kansas

April 23 from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

The menu offers: large Menudo bowl for $10; small Menudo bowl for $5; or three pancakes, sausage links and scrambled eggs for $6. The breakfast also includes tortillas, coffee and juice. The event is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus Unity Council 709. To-go orders are available.

PROMOTING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

Corpus Christi Parish

6001 Bob Billings Pkwy., Lawrence

April 24 at 6:30 p.m.

Corpus Christi’s Fully Alive ministry and the Douglas County Interfaith Mental Health Outreach team invite adults and middle/high school youth to join us. The speaker will talk about dating and relationship violence that is a pattern of coercive and abusive tactics employed by one person in a relationship to gain power and control over another person. Relationship violence can impact anyone, regardless of their age, race, religion, gender, education or socioeconomic status. Learn that prevention is possible through this violence prevention program that teaches safe and healthy relationship skills, engages influential adults and peers, disrupts pathways to relationship violence and creates protective, safe communities. For more information, go online to: bemorelikeclaire.org.

SUDS & SCHOLARSHIPS 2023

Boulevard Brewing Company

2501 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, Missouri

April 24 from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Join us for our annual Suds & Duds benefit for the students of Holy Name of Jesus School, the smallest Catholic school in Wyandotte County, where 95% of our students rely on scholarships to attend. Your support will provide life-changing scholarships for students in need. Learn more and purchase tickets online at: one.bidpal.net/ holyname23/welcome.

CATHOLIC ADVISORS NETWORK

CrossFirst Bank

11440 Tomahawk Creek Pkwy., Leawood

April 25 from 5:30 - 7 p.m.

Attorneys, financial planners, accountants, wealth managers and insurance consultants are invited to an evening of networking, hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer. There will be a presentation and discussion on the Secure Act 2.0 by Casey Connealy of Gaughan and Connealy.

‘ST. JOHN CLIMACUS: ASCENDING TO MERCY’

Christ’s Peace House of Prayer

22131 Meager Rd., Easton

April 28 - 30

The retreat will begin at 5:30 p.m. on April 28 and end at 4:30 p.m. on April 30.

In St. John Climacus’ “The Ladder of Divine Ascent,” the ascetic life is portrayed as a ladder we must ascend, each step being a virtue to be acquired or a vice to be surrendered. Its 30 steps reflect the hidden life of Christ himself. Let us come ready to climb,

ready to surrender ourselves and our all to Jesus’ merciful heart. There are conferences, eucharistic adoration, Mass, confession, and time for private prayer, reflection and walking. Cabins/courtyard rooms: $170 single/$250 couple; or single guest rooms: $100 (meals included). To attend, fill out the Individual retreat form online at: ChristsPeace.com or call (913) 773-8255.

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.

SEASONS OF HOPE

Sts. Peter and Paul Parish

411 Pioneer St., Seneca Sundays at 5 pm.

Anyone dealing with the loss of a loved one is welcome to join the Seasons of Hope grief group. For further information, contact Roger Becker at (785) 364-6393.

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.

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS

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

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

EMPLOYMENT

Preschool assistant teachers - Nativity Day School is looking for preschool assistant teachers for the 2023-24 school year. Part time, 25-30 hours per week. Hours may be 7:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. or 12:30 - 6 p.m. Must have at least one year of experience working with young children, be able to pass a satisfactory background check, Virtus trained, CPR and first-aid certified, and understand the mission of Catholic schools. Please contact: Alison.davis@ kcnativity.org.

Co-director of youth ministry - Church of the Ascension, a parish of 3,300 families in Overland Park, is looking for a creative, energetic and dedicated individual who desires to witness, serve and form teens and their families. The successful applicant will work with another youth minister and with a volunteer core team to envision, plan and execute a youth ministry strategy in accord with the church’s schema for youth formation and in collaboration with the pastor’s vision for youth engagement. Applicants should be Catholics, well-formed in the faith and faithful to the magisterial teaching of the church. A degree in youth ministry, catechesis, theology or related fields is preferred. Pastoral experience in youth ministry will be considered. Youth ministers are salaried, exempt employees, and working some evening and weekend hours will be required. Hiring will be contingent upon a clean background check and completing the necessary child and youth protection screenings and formation. Qualified applicants should contact Dr. William O’Leary, Pastoral Associate for Youth Faith Formation, at: woleary@kcascension.org. Applications will be accepted through May 8.

Director of marriage and family life - St. John Paul II Parish, Overland Park, is seeking a director of marriage and family life. Rooted in the Christian anthropology of St. John Paul II, the director of marriage and family life is tasked with forming and supporting parish families in their pursuit of authentic discipleship by ministering to them at major sacramental moments, as well as helping to guide their high school-aged youth into young adulthood. Primary responsibilities include: develop and execute mentoring and accompaniment initiatives for engaged couples, newlyweds and parents seeking baptism for their children. Primary responsibilities also include: oversee and run the ongoing formation of high school youth; develop ministry to single, young adults; plan and facilitate communal events for families; collaborate with parish staff on events and outings for the parish youth; participate in parish life at St. John Paul II. For full job description and instructions to apply, visit our website at: www.jp2kc.org/employmentopportunities.

School enrollment specialist - St. Patrick School in Kansas City, Kansas, has an immediate opening for a bilingual (English/Spanish or English/Chin), full-time, benefit-eligible person. This position works directly with the principal and provides confidential administrative support; oversees enrollment needs, student records and student reporting; manages FACTS tuition system and assists with CEF scholarship applications. Hours are 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. during the school year with flexible summer hours, coordinated with the principal. Interested applicants are asked to send a cover letter and resume to: tconrad@stpatrickkck. org.

Career opportunities - St. Teresa’s Academy is a Catholic, accredited college preparatory high school in Kansas City, Missouri. St. Teresa’s Academy educates young women to think critically, encourages them through Catholic values to love the dear neighbor without distinction and empowers them to change the world. We have several career opportunities available, including Spanish, French, science and theology teachers. We are also seeking dance coaches and an accountant. We offer a terrific benefits package, including: 403(b) retirement savings plan with school match up to 5% each pay period; generous 50% discount on tuition for daughters of full-time staff members; medical, dental and vision FSA/HSA plans; life and voluntary life; short-term and long-term disability; critical illness; and, of course, the wonderful paid time off enjoyed by school employees! Please view all of the details about our openings and apply on our website: stteresasacademy.org/about-sta/employment/. St. Teresa’s Academy is an equal opportunity employer. Groundskeeper - Savior Pastoral Center is currently seeking a groundskeeper. This position is responsible for the upkeep of the outdoor grounds and landscaping. Some responsibilities would include mowing, weeding, and trimming the grass and trees. This position may also perform other custodial tasks inside the center as needed. This is a seasonal fulltime position. To learn more about this position or to apply, visit: archkck.org/jobs.

Building attendant - The Savior Pastoral Center is currently seeking 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.

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.

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

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.

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

Care and outreach coordinator - St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood is seeking a care and outreach coordinator. Responsibilities include compassionate coordination of care ministries and outreach efforts such as extraordinary ministers of holy Communion to the sick and homebound; funeral planning; grief support; divorce support; difficult circumstances, etc. Must be a practicing Catholic with a servant’s heart and have excellent interpersonal and communications skills. This is a full-time, ministerial position with some weekend and evening hours. For a full job description, visit: stmichaelcp. org/employment. To apply, email: denise.greene@ stmichaelcp.org or call (913) 402-3984.

Director for early childhood education - St. Therese Parish in North Kansas City, Missouri, is seeking a director to manage its early childhood center’s day-to-day operation and provide supervision, encouragement and guidance for staff. The director will ensure that all guidelines and criteria of Missouri child care licensing and NAEYC accreditation are followed. This position is full time, benefit-eligible based on 30 hours per week. To see full job description and apply, go to: www.kcsj catholic.org, scroll down to the bottom and go to “Quick links” and click on “Employment opportunities.”

Catholic elementary school principal - Christ the King School in Kansas City, Kansas, is seeking an individual with demonstrated skill in spiritual, academic and advancement leadership, and experience in the classical liberal arts for the 2023-24 school year. Familiarity with Spanish is a plus. Christ the King School has approximately 216 students in K - 8th grades and 20 preschoolers taught by 19 teachers. Applicants for principal must be practicing Catholics, understand the mission of Catholic schools, and have or be eligible for Kansas licensure in education leadership. Please apply at: www.archkck.org. Call (913) 3361550 with questions.

Music and liturgy coordinator - St. Pius X Parish in Mission is seeking a music liturgy coordinator responsible for coordinating the schedules of cantors, choirs and accompanists. The coordinator needs a good knowledge and understanding of Catholic liturgy and traditions, helping build and form the liturgical music culture of the parish. The position includes planning and developing the full liturgical cycle, including Sunday and Holy Day liturgies and other major parish celebrations. The coordinator is expected to assist liturgical teams and committees. Responsibilities include: maintains the parish liturgical music collection; order music as needed; manage the parish copyright and licensing programs; serve as a resource to clergy, religious education/formation staff and catechists in selecting music and planning liturgies and prayer services. Contact search committee c/o: lwagner@ spxmission.org to submit your resume.

Coordinator of youth ministry and confirmation

- Corpus Christi Parish in Lawrence is seeking a dynamic and enthusiastic individual to fulfill the fulltime role of coordinator of youth ministry and confirmation. This person will be responsible for creating and implementing, administering and evaluating a high school and middle school ministry including sacramental preparation for confirmation. This role will collaborate with the pastor, parish and school staff and parents, as well as the archdiocesan youth ministry office. This ministry will require work during evenings and on weekends. The candidate must be an active Roman Catholic with a deep faith in Christ, rooted in the work of God and the Catholic tradition, and a model of a moral life for our youth. Salary based on experience. For a full job description, visit: cccparish.org and click on “Our Parish,” then scroll down to and click on “Employment Opportunities.” Interested applicants should send a cover letter and resume to Father Jerry Volz at: frjerry@cccparish.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.

Catholic elementary school secretary - St. Ann School in Prairie Village is seeking a full-time front office secretary for the 2023-24 school year. This position provides daily support to families, faculty and students performing various tasks. Applicant must possess strong written and verbal communication skills, be detail-oriented, have the ability to manage multiple projects and should have experience using Microsoft programs. Benefits included. Send references, resume and cover letter to Susie Lutz at: susielutz@stannpv.org.

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.

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.

Head boys basketball coach - Bishop Miege High School is seeking a head boys basketball coach for the 2023-24 school year. Contact Joe Schramp, athletic director, at: jschramp@bishopmiege.com or call (913) 222-5802.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Maintenance technician - Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood is looking for a full-time maintenance technician with a strong work ethic. We prefer a candidate with knowledge in groundskeeping and general maintenance. This position also includes setting up for events. A maintenance technician is a thorough professional with attention to detail. The ideal candidate will be able to work autonomously and responsibly. Candidate needs to be able to lift 50 pounds and work off a ladder or lift. All employees are required to be Virtus trained and background checked. This position may include some weekend and evenings as needed. Competitive pay including benefits, vacation/sick time, and 401(k) with match. Interested candidates should send a resume to the facilities director at: matt.rocca@cureofars.com.

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. Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/careers

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.

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.

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.

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.

Stylists needed - Are you addicted to the TV show “Say Yes to the Dress”? Are you self-motivated, love fashion and enjoy helping people look their best? If so, we want to talk to you! Sincerely Susan, a unique destination shop boutique is a warehouse environment where clients come in by appointment only. You must have a sense of style and a great personality to be able to interact with our “moms.” Hours are flexible. Must be willing to work a minimum of one evening per week and weekends. Must be able to stand and walk on concrete for long periods of time and reach overhead to pull gowns. Previous retail experience preferred, but not necessary. Hourly rate is based on experience. If interested, call (913) 730-8840.

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.

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.

>> Classifieds continue on page 13

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.

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.

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.

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@arch kckcs.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.

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.

Staff job openings - Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, has the following staff job openings available: Block Scholars Program coordinator; Director of Development and Vice President of business affairs/ CFO Chief Financial Officer. Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/careers.

HOME IMPROVEMENT

Interior painting

Interior painting specialist. 20 years’ experience. Call Jerry at (913) 206-1144. Member St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.

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

DRC Construction

We’ll get the job done right the first time. Windows - Doors - Decks - Siding Repair or replace, we will work with you to solve your problems. Choose us for any window, door, siding or deck project and you’ll be glad you did. Everything is guaranteed 100% www.windowservicesoverlandpark.com drcconstructionwindows@gmail.com (913) 461-4052

Haus to home remodeling - Let’s give that room a nice face-lift! Specializing in affordable room remodeling. From small projects to bathrooms and basements. We have lots of other services, too: tile, paint, carpentry, wood rot, decks, drywall, etc. Free estimates. For photos of our projects and to find out more about our company, visit us at: Haustohomekc.com or call (913) 544-7352.

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.

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.

Local handyman - Painting int. and ext., wood rot, mason repair), gutter cleaning (gutter covers), dryer vent cleaning, sump pump (replace, add new), windows, doors (interior and exterior) honey-do list, window cleaning and more! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118.

FOR SALE

Residential lifts - New and recycled. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. St. Michael’s parishioners. KC Lift & Elevator at (913) 327-5557. (Formerly Silver Cross - KC).

For sale - One plot at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Lansing. Located in section 19, row 5, space 57. Current value is $2095, asking $1900 including transfer fee. If interested, call Terry at (913) 488-6856.

For sale - One plot at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Kansas City, Kansas. Located in lot 36, section A, space 4, flat marker only. Price $1700 plus $200 conveyance fee. Price: $1700 plus $200 conveyance fee. Call Michele at (913) 269-4813.

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.

SERVICES

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. 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.

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.

SAINT RITA HOME CARE

State Licensed Home Care Agency

www.saintritahc.com

913-229-4267

rmargush@ saintritahc.com

Member of Prince of Peace, Olathe

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.

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.

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.

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. 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.

WANTED TO BUY

Wanted to buy - Antique/vintage jewelry, paintings, pottery, sterling, etc. Single pieces or estate. Renee , (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.

PILGRIMAGE

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

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 companion work. Light housekeeping, some cooking and laundry, short-term care and hospice care. Prefers Johnson/Wyandotte County area. Can cover 24/7. Call (913) 602-1289. Family member with dementia or need help at home? - We specialize in helping seniors live SAFELY at home, where they want to live! We also offer free dementia training and resources for families and caregivers. Benefits of Home - Senior Care, www. Benefitsofhome.com or call (913) 422-1591.

REAL ESTATE

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

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

DAILY READINGS

HOLY WEEK

April 2

PALM SUNDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD

Mt 21: 1-11

Is 50: 4-7

Ps 22: 8-9, 17-18, 19-20, 23-24

Phil 2: 6-11

Mt 26:14 – 27:66

April 3

St. Anthony, please help me find my patience

Wait for it.

April 4

Tuesday of Holy Week Is 49: 1-6

Ps 71: 1-4a, 5-6ab, 15, 17

Jn 13: 21-33, 36-38

April 5

Wednesday of Holy Week

Is 50: 4-9a

Ps 69: 8-10, 21-22, 31, 33-34

Mt 26: 14-25

April 6

HOLY THURSDAY OF THE LORD’S SUPPER

Thursday of Holy Week

Ex 12: 1-8, 11-14

Like every other priest, I’ve heard a lot of confessions during Lent. Whenever an adult comes to receive the sacrament, those three words — “wait for it” — come to mind. About 90% of the time, I’m not disappointed. The sin that is most often confessed (at least to me) is: “I’m so impatient.”

It’s so common because we live in a pressure-cooker world. There are too many demands and so little time to get everything accomplished. As our todo lists get longer, our patience gets shorter and that usually leads to explosions of anger, often directed at people we love the most.

One trigger to impatience for many people — me included — is driving. From people not using turn signals to hitting every red light imaginable

FATHER

MARK GOLDASICH

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

when running late, there seems to be no shortage of situations that cause us to blow our tops.

Although I’m far from being an expert at patience, I’ve found some things that help me cope with the inevitable frustrations of life . . . at least some of the time. Here are a few:

• Put yourself in the

MARK MY WORDS

shoes of the person making you impatient. For example, if someone is driving slowly, I remember the times I headed to an unfamiliar location, especially at night. I seemed to creep along then, searching for the right street to turn on or squinting to locate the correct house address. As I expected people to chill out for me, I should extend the same courtesy to others.

• Leave 15 minutes earlier. It’s amazing how much better people drive when I have this “time cushion” to get where I’m going.

• Laugh. There’s a story about a man whose car stalled at a busy intersection just as the light turned green. All his efforts to start the engine failed and a chorus of honking horns from the cars behind made a tense situation worse. The poor guy finally got out of his car and approached the first driver behind him.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, “but I can’t seem to get my car started. If you’ll go up there and give it a try, I’ll stay here and blow your horn for you!” (Adapted from “Illustrations Unlimited,” edited by James S. Hewett.)

• Accept what you can’t change. Take a deep breath and see the situation as an opportunity to pray.

• Stop multitasking.

Adopt the Latin motto: “Age quod agis.” It means “do what you’re doing,” that is, focus on one thing at a time.

• Get comfortable

with being uncomfortable.

The church will give you plenty of practice on this last point, beginning with Palm Sunday when you’ll stand for the Gospel and hear the words: “The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.” Spoiler alert: It’s a long one! There are many advantages to being patient, among them: You’ll be a better listener; have an easier time learning new skills; make wiser decisions; practice kindness and make others feel comfortable; and live a more peaceful, less stressful life.

By the way, I wrote this column days ago, but didn’t send it to The Leaven staff until the last minute. I wanted to give them the chance to “wait for it” and practice patience. I’m sure that they won’t thank me because they know it’s just the kind of thoughtful guy I am!

April 7 FRIDAY OF THE PASSION OF THE LORD (Good Friday)

Passion happened not only for us — but because of us

If you’re like many Catholics in parishes around the country, you aren’t just in church.

6: 3-11

Ps 118: 1-2, 16-17, 22-23

Mt 28: 1-10

GERTRUDE THE GREAT 1256-1302

Born in Germany’s Thuringia state, this virgin was entrusted at the age of 5 to the Cistercian nuns at Saxony’s Helfta Abbey, where she was educated and became a nun. At 25, she had a mystical “conversion” and thereafter lived a contemplative life. Her experiences are included in “Revelations of Gertrude and Mechtilde.” Gertrude also was among the first to promote devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1738, Pope Clement XII decreed that the feast of this important medieval mystic be celebrated throughout the Western church.

The Gospel takes us to another time and place, transported to Jerusalem, where what begins on a dusty road will end on a rocky hill, and we are a part of everything that happens. We have palms in our hands and roles to play. We turn from a joyful crowd into an angry mob, all in a matter of moments.

We are outside the city gates, crying, “Hosanna!” as Jesus passes through on the back of a donkey.

We are reclining at a table at the Last Supper, asking if we are the betrayers.

We are standing beneath Pilate’s balcony,

DEACON GREG KANDRA

calling for Barabbas, and screaming of the Messiah, “Crucify him!”

This is the only Sunday in the church

calendar that is like this, when the Gospel is proclaimed not just by a priest or deacon, but everyone at Mass, with multiple voices playing different parts in the Gospel. That shows us as the people we are, and places us right in the middle of things — not just spectators or listeners, but participants.

I think this is what we need. We need to hear what happened and understand how devoted followers of Jesus can turn against him — as all of us do, time and time again, when we give in to our weakness and selfishness and sin.

The church gives us this Palm Sunday liturgy to remind us that Christ’s passion happened not only for

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christians must not be afraid of being judged or condemned for bearing witness to the gifts and love they receive from God, Pope Francis said. Before praying the Angelus with some 25,000 visitors gathered in St. Peter’s Square March 19, the pope reflected on the day’s Gospel reading from St. John in which Jesus gives sight to a blind man on

us, but because of us. It’s dramatic and devastating and necessary.

I’ve called this week “Seven Days that Shook the World.” We shouldn’t take them for granted. We shouldn’t see this Sunday as simply an interval leading up to Easter. Because there is so much more.

During Holy Week, remember what it is all about. Remember what was happening in Galilee 2,000 years ago. Imagine what it must have been like for the people; for the apostles. And, especially, for Jesus as each day brought him closer to Calvary.

Holy Week shouldn’t be just another week in our lives. We shouldn’t let it be.

So, this year, as the week begins, let’s remember the people

the Sabbath. The pope compared the reactions to the healing from the blind man’s neighbors and parents, who refuse to accept the miracle when questioned by the Pharisees out of fear of retribution, to that of the blind man himself who after being healed calls Jesus a prophet. Whereas others have “closed hearts” before Jesus’ miracle due to fear or skepticism, the blind man, said the pope, “is not afraid of what the others will say” because he has

we are.

Remember where we find ourselves during the liturgy, listening to that Gospel, in the middle of the story, shaking our palms and raising our voices — actors in one of the defining events of the Greatest Story Ever Told. Time will stand still. Bread — and hearts — will be broken. A lamb will be slaughtered. Blood will be shed.

Remember all that. But remember something else, too.

This is just the beginning. The story isn’t over. Palm Sunday indicts our brokenness even as it promises redemption.

This week, remember that. And remember to carry the spirit of Palm Sunday Mass out into the world.

pope says

been healed in both body and spirit by Jesus. “When Jesus heals us, he gives us dignity,” said the pope. Jesus “freed him and gave him sight without asking anything from him, not even a thank you, and he bears witness to that.”

The pope encouraged the visitors gathered in St. Peter’s Square to ask themselves if they, like the blind man, know how to see the gifts and love they receive from God.

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.

Do not be afraid to be a witness to God’s love,

Join me in praying for awe and wonder for this year’s confirmandi

During the middle of March, I was able to go to Chicago for a few days to visit my parents with three of our six children.

As is usually the case, this was a road trip. Between our four schedules, we found it necessary to drive home through the night. After a few hours of driving, my eyes were getting tired and we needed to pull off the highway to switch drivers.

My three young adult children were in absolute awe of the number of stars in the beautiful night sky. I, too, was in awe of the night sky, but also of

FROM THE SUPER

that brief moment in which I was able to share it with Emma, Nathaniel and Jacob. So simple. So beautiful. Such a gift.

Wonder and awe are gifts of the Holy Spirit, also referred to as “fear of the Lord.” In the words of Pope Francis, this does not mean that we should be afraid of God but that we should acknowledge “how small we are before God and of his love, and that our good lies in humble,

respectful and trustful self-abandonment into his hands.”

Psychologist Ethan Kross defines “awe” as “the wonder we feel when we encounter something powerful that we can’t easily explain.”

In his article, “Why You Need to Protect Your Sense of Wonder,” David Fessell states: “Often the things which bring us awe have an element of vastness and complexity.”

Fessell goes on to explain how one experimental group, when asked to draw pictures of themselves, literally drew themselves smaller in size after having an awe-inspiring

experience. Such an effect has been termed “unselfing.”

This unselfing helps to draw us out of ourselves and toward others. It inspires us to be more generous and compassionate. Indeed, wonder and awe are truly gifts.

As I visit schools, I speak with the eighth grade students and discuss confirmation. Please join me in praying for our eighth graders, and for all of our students, the prayer the archbishop prays during the sacrament of confirmation so that they may receive all of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including wonder and awe:

“All-powerful God, Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by water and the Holy Spirit you freed your sons and daughters from sin and gave them new life. Send your Holy Spirit upon them to be their helper and guide. Give them the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of right judgment and courage, the spirit of knowledge and reverence. Fill them with the spirit of wonder and awe in your presence. We ask this through Christ our Lord.” Amen!

Ask if your family is eligible for a Catholic school scholarship from CEF

One of the things that makes the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas so successful is the generosity of the people it serves. This is evident in how much support Catholic ministries receive from individuals, Catholic families and Catholicowned businesses.

Many might not know the impact that has been made by people who have donated to the Catholic Education Foundation in its 25 year history.

During this time, over 22,000 scholarships have been awarded to children needing financial assistance. These awards have totaled approximately

CEF CENTERED

VINCENT ANCH

$25 million. All of the scholarship recipients have come from families that qualify for federal assistance programs like the Free

and Reduced Lunch program. This means that they qualify under or just above federal poverty guidelines. Most, if not all, would not have been able to attend a Catholic school without CEF scholarships.

CEF is currently providing over 1,741 students with scholarships totaling over $4 million.

Our schools would look a lot different if these students would no longer be able to attend a Catholic school. In fact, without CEF scholarships some Catholic schools in the archdiocese would have to close.

One can only imagine the impact that this would have on families who would like their children to be able to receive a high-quality education in a safe, faith-filled environment.

CEF’s goal is to increase the number of scholarships and the amount awarded next school year. Our schools are currently accepting scholarship requests from families. Most of these scholarships will

be provided by CEF through the schools.

These scholarships are not tied to academics or sports. They are simply financial assistance scholarships.

Many families aren’t aware of these scholarships but could greatly benefit from them. We encourage parents to contact their schools and inquire about scholarships. Parents might be surprised by what is available to them. I hope enrollment grows again next year and for many years to come. If that is to happen, CEF will have to provide more scholarships. CEF is dedicated to raising every dollar that is needed to meet each year’s scholarship demand. We won’t quit!

CEF is a unique organization. Many dioceses around the country don’t have a CEF. This is a key reason why school enrollment in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is higher than the national average. We are very fortunate that we have so many kind Catholics in the archdiocese who make sacrifices to provide the gift of a Catholic education to children in need.

Over the next 25 years, thousands of children will need scholarships in order to attend one of our proud Catholic schools. CEF will still be here to provide these scholarships. Parents just need to ask.

Christ’s sacrifice literally bought back meaning for our lives

To be human is to be broken. We know this physically, emotionally and spiritually.

As we age, our bodies break down. In relationships with other imperfect humans, we cannot avoid the pain of emotional brokenness. The very existence of sin in this world assures each person an obstacle to spiritual connection with God. We cannot escape the inevitability of damage in our human experience.

Brokenness is on full display throughout the passion of Christ. During Holy Week, we watch the quick descent of the

ALONG THE WAY

Son of God, from entering Jerusalem as a revered rabbi to his humiliating crucifixion and burial in a borrowed tomb. As a man, Jesus makes no

attempt to avoid or hide his brokenness. He accepts his Father’s will. His body is broken and exposed; he is shamed and humiliated . . . all for you.

Without the gift of Christ’s death, your life would have no purpose. You would be doomed to live and die in sin; no amount

of good will or care for others would change your fate. Hope would not exist, your only happiness found in the vain pursuit of temporal pleasure. The sin of Adam and Eve would indelibly mark your soul with no regard to your free will.

It’s almost inconceivable to consider this reality. We had no chance. Our relationship with God had been severed through our lack of trust in his love. And that was it — game over.

There was only one thing that could save us, and it was the very thing that we had selfishly turned against: love. The care of a Father who is love.

God as love could not abandon us; it was against everything he is. Instead, he sent his Son to redeem us.

In Latin, the word “redimere” is the root for “redeem.” “Redimere” is a combination of “re” (meaning “back”) and “emere” (meaning “buy”). The suffering and death of Christ literally bought back meaning for our lives. We are redeemed in hope, love, joy and faith through the brokenness of God’s own Son.

We deserve none of this. Faith cannot be earned because we are not deserving of God’s grace. He created us in love for love. No amount of anything we

do can balance what he has done and given for us.

However, our response can build or destroy loving relationships, with God and others. In our brokenness, do we choose to love? Do we choose trust in God’s love as first in our lives?

May Christ’s passion be an experience of trust and hope in his great love.

Vince Anch is the executive director of the Catholic Education Foundation.

VINCE CASCONE

Vince Cascone is the superintendent of archdiocesan schools.

EMILY LOPEZ

Emily Lopez is the lead consultant for adult evangelization.

Join Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann online in reflecting on the tremendous gift of the passion of Jesus as told in John’s Gospel at: archkck.org/oe/ lenten-reflections.

LIVING THE WORD OF GOD

Lent is a busy time in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, but it is filled with more than the traditional Stations, confessions and Friday fish fries. The Holy Family School of Faith, for example, held a retreat at Savior Pastoral Center March 24-25 (right). And Archbishop Naumann took the opportunity of the solemnity of the Annunciation to bless some expectant parents (below). Finally, simple acts of kindness, as illustrated by KCK’s Christ the King Knights of Columbus (bottom) brightened the penitential season.

s START IT UP

Mike Scherschligt, the founder and executive director of the Holy Family School of Faith, gives a talk on the opening night of the School of Faith’s Novo Retreat March 24-26 at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kansas. After his talk, Scherschligt led participants in a rosary. The retreat featured talks, a Mass and a Holy Hour, along with personal, recreational and social time.

s BLESSING LIFE

At the Mass celebrating the solemnity of the Annunciation, when the Angel Gabriel visited the Virgin Mary to ask her to be the mother of Jesus, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann offered a special blessing to expectant parents at the Church of the Nativity in Leawood on March 26.

t DINNER TIME

From left, Jeannie Lynch, Terry Byers, Jim Lynch, Don Wolf, Mary Wolf and Adam Byers prepare to enjoy a nice Italian meal at the Wolfs’ home following Mass at Christ the King Church in Kansas City, Kansas. Don Wolf, a career photographer, was an occasional freelance contributor to The Leaven over the years, including being part of a multiple award-winning special issue. It was a rough January for Wolf, a member of Christ the King — during which he was hospitalized three times. His wife Mary also battled an illness in January. To brighten what had been some dreary days, the Knights of Columbus Marian Council 3768 decided to treat the couple to a dinner at their home.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

LEAVEN

PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE