05 3 19 Vol. 40 No. 36

THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 40, NO. 36 | MAY 3, 2019

DIAMONDS ARE A COACH’S BEST FRIEND

Bishop Ward baseball field renamed after longtime coach

By Olivia Martin olivia.martin@theleaven.org

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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — It’s rare to find a coach who can claim 10 state titles, four single-season state records and a 45-game winning streak in his career. Or a 352-135-1 overall coaching record.

And it’s nearly impossible to find one person who can claim all of the above.

But Dennis Hurla can.

Hurla is the former head baseball coach for the Bishop Ward High School Cyclones, a matter-offact man whose personality and 20-year coaching career have become integral to the fabric of the Ward baseball program.

In fact, Hurla is so much a part of Ward that the school has decided to rename its baseball diamond in Kansas City, Kansas, after him.

On April 12, the Dennis Hurla Diamond was officially dedicated before a game against the St. James Academy Thunder, with Hurla throwing out the first pitch before the game.

More than winning It’s clear Hurla’s coaching success is astounding. And for those who know him, the honor of Ward naming the diamond after him was overdue.

“He deserves this honor,” said Zach Mark, a Church of the Ascension, Overland Park, parishioner.

Referring to Hurla’s coaching method, he added, “It’s more than winning state championships; it’s instilling personal discipline, integrity [and] doing things the right way on and off the field.

“I think that’s key to his enormous success he’s had over the years coaching baseball.”

Mike Beaven, the athletic director at Ward, agreed.

“His building of character in his young men, I think, stands out the most,” he said. “Everything he did in his approach to the game relays over to >> See “COACH” on page 11

LEAVEN PHOTO BY DOUG HESSE

Former Bishop Ward baseball coach Dennis Hurla throws out the first pitch in a game between Ward and St. James Academy on April 12 at the newly christened Dennis Hurla Diamond, home field of the Bishop Ward Cyclones in Kansas City, Kansas.

INTRODUCING DEACON HAGANEY

The Leaven continues its series introducing the archdiocese to the six men who will be ordained priests this year. This week features Deacon Colin Haganey.

Page 16

ABORTION RULING PANNED

Archbishop Naumann and the bishops of Kansas decried a Kansas Supreme Court ruling that said Kansans have a right to an abortion.

Page 3

MAY 3, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

ARCHBISHOP

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Where the culture panders, the church challenges

n the aftermath of the decision not to admit into one of our parochial elementary schools a child of a same-sex married couple who attend a Protestant church, I met with the parents of the child, as well as several other individuals, who had concerns about this decision.

During these conversations, the issue was raised about the impact of this controversy upon students in our Catholic schools and schools of religion who experience same-sex attraction.

The question was posed: Will these students feel welcome in our schools?

Many young people do not understand the reasons for the church’s countercultural teaching regarding homosexual activity and related issues pertaining to sexual morality. It is for this purpose that I write this open letter to the young people of the Archdiocese.

Dear young people, God loves you! Jesus desires friendship with you. The church values and respects you. God has entrusted to each of you special gifts. The church needs your talents, your insights and your youthful energy!

I am also convinced that you need the church. Despite the weaknesses and personal failures of some of her bishops and priests, the church is under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and has been given the gift of wisdom to inform her moral teachings.

Moreover, we all need the sacramental life through which we uniquely encounter the risen Lord and receive his love, healing and mercy. We also all need companions to accompany and encourage us in our efforts to live our faith and to develop virtue. We need to be part of a community where love for God is celebrated and holiness is nurtured and encouraged.

We also all need to love and to be loved.

We all desire and need friendship. We were not created to live in isolation. No man or woman is an island. Friendship is as essential to our well-being as oxygen, food and water. Life is dreary and difficult if we do not have others with whom to share our joys and sorrows.

One of the most beautiful gifts that God gave to humanity was marriage — the special, unique, faithful

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN and permanent love of a husband and wife.

God created within us a longing for sexual intimacy — to give physical expression to our desire to give ourselves totally to another.

However, this physical expression of the union of a man and a woman can only be authentic within marriage.

In marriage, a man and a woman make a public pledge to a life of faithful, fruitful and forever love.

Moreover, through the physical expression of their total love for each other, God gives married couples the incredible privilege of being his instruments in creating a new human life.

Healthy marriages provide the optimum environment for children to grow and thrive. It is a great blessing for children to have a father who loves their mother and a mother who loves their father and who together love and sacrifice for the good of their children.

No family is perfect.

Not everyone has the opportunity to grow up in a home with both of their biological parents.

I grew up in a singleparent family. I have nothing but admiration for single parents who labor heroically to provide the best for their children. However, most single parents will acknowledge how much they would love to have in their home the assistance of a supportive spouse.

When we use something very beautiful and holy for a purpose other than that for which it was designed, we can damage and destroy its beauty. If we use a fine china plate for a Frisbee, we will most likely shatter its delicate beauty. Or if we use a well-crafted violin as a tennis racket, we will ruin the violin and not do very well in our tennis match.

When we use beautiful things for purposes that

they were not intended, the result is disastrous.

Sexual intimacy outside of marriage is using something beautiful for a purpose for which it was not designed. It is spiritually, emotionally and physically harmful to both persons. It is sinful to use one of God’s most precious gifts in a manner he did not intend.

It is not possible for us to simply redefine the meaning of sexual intimacy. By design, sexual intercourse emotionally bonds a man and a woman. When we walk away from a relationship in which we have physically communicated that we give ourselves totally to the other, it creates emotional wounds. Promiscuous sexual activity is also physically harmful. Many young adults today are afflicted with sexually transmitted diseases.

When a pregnancy occurs outside of marriage, it places the child at much greater risk to abortion. It creates a crisis for both the mother and father of the newly conceived child. It also means that the child will be born into a less-than-optimal environment for his or her growth and development.

The cultural encouragement for young people to use contraception to prevent pregnancy is a false solution. Contraception does nothing to protect young people from the emotional, physical and spiritual harmful effects of sexual activity. It actually encourages young people to be sexually active. The research conducted even by the abortion industry reveals that many seeking abortions were actually using contraceptives.

A couple of years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court redefined marriage, asserting that samesex couples had a right to marriage. While the Supreme Court does have the authority to interpret our Constitution and thus determine public policy for civil society, it is powerless to redefine the nature of marriage that was

instituted by God. Experiencing samesex attraction is not sinful. In fact, in the journey to maturity, many experience confusion about sexual attractions. If you are experiencing same-sex attraction, it is wise to share this reality with your parents and other adults whom you respect and trust.

Many with assistance discover that the experience of same-sex attraction is transitory.

However, if the experience of same-sex attraction persists in your life, it is not wise spiritually, morally, emotionally and physically to act upon your impulses.

Experiencing samesex attraction does not mean that you are doomed to a life of loneliness. Do not believe the cultural lie that sexual intimacy is essential for happiness.

Do not confuse sexual pleasure with abiding joy.

The absence of sexual activity does not prevent one from living a full and rewarding life.

You can relish the joy of incredible friendships through which you seek to support and encourage each other in a life of service and virtue.

You can experience inner peace and deep satisfaction that comes from using your gifts and talents to make our culture and society better.

You are coming of age in a sexualized culture. You are the target of a billion-dollar industry that wants to get you addicted to viewing pornography that offers you experiences of momentary pleasure but leaves you with enduring feelings of emptiness and regret.

Our culture promotes the false notion that all forms of consensual sexual expression are good. If sexual freedom was the key to happiness, we should be the most content society in human history. In reality, depression is at epidemic levels in our nation.

Many of our political and cultural leaders believe that young people are helpless and incapable of controlling and directing their sexual desires. Many believe you are not able to live the virtue of chastity.

Throughout human history, living a virtuous life has been challenging. Jesus never promised his disciples an easy life.

However, Our Lord did tell them his yoke is easy and his burden

Archbishop Naumann May 3 Kansas finance directors Mass — chancery chapel May 4 Knights of Columbus banquet May 5 St. Rose Philippine Duchesne outdoor shrine Mass May 6 Kansas Catholic Conference meeting

May 7 Administrative Team meeting Confirmation for Christ the King and Our Lady & St. Rose — Christ the King, Kansas City, Kan. May 8 Villa St. Francis Faith in Bloom luncheon — Olathe Conference Center USCCB Administrative Committee conference call Confirmation — Sacred Heart, Shawnee May 9 St. James Academy baccalaureate Mass St. James Academy graduation — Johnson County Community College gymnasium

is light — not because what he asked of them was not difficult, but because Jesus promised to assist them.

Chastity is worth the effort because, when we discipline our passions and use them according to God’s design, we discover the pathway to authentic and enduring joy.

We also have the great consolation of knowing God loves us and extends his mercy to us, even when we fail in our pursuit of virtue.

Jesus came to redeem us, to save us from the enslavements that our sins impose upon us. God’s love for us is greater than our sins and imperfections. Jesus came not to leave us in our sins, but to rescue us and redeem us with his divine mercy.

Our sexual longings are an icon of the intensity of God’s love for us and his desire to share his life with us. Our culture has turned this icon of God’s love into an idol. Even though we are surrounded by contrary

May 10 Benedictine College baccalaureate Mass May 11 Running with the Cows half-marathon and 5K — Bucyrus Donnelly College graduation ceremony May 12 Mass — Mother of Good Counsel, St. Louis May 13 Catholic Charities Golf Classic luncheon “Shepherd’s Voice” recording Pastoral Council meeting May 14 Atchison regional priests meeting — St. Joseph, Nortonville Ethics Council meeting May 15 Presbyteral Council meeting Quarterly newer priests vespers and dinner

Archbishop Keleher May 8 Confirmation — Sacred Heart, Shawnee

evidence, our society wants us to believe that indulging our sexual passions will make us happy.

Our culture often panders to young people, telling you what they think you want to hear and failing to share with you the inevitable negative consequences of a misguided sexual freedom. The church loves and respects you too much to fail to speak the truth about the beauty of authentic love and the dangers of its counterfeits.

Know that you were made for greatness. The Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, the Creator of the Cosmos desires friendship with you.

Jesus promises those who choose not to take the easy path, but rather to follow him in the way of heroic love, abundant life in this world and eternal life with him and all the saints.

Choose to pursue chastity and virtue!

Choose authentic love!

Choose Jesus!

MAY 3, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

Kansas bishops denounce Kansas Supreme Court’s ‘shocking’ abortion ruling

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

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OPEKA — The Kansas Supreme Court’s ruling on April 26 discovering a “right to abortion” in the 150-plus-yearold Kansas Constitution was called “shocking” and “an exercise in creative writing” by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

The state high court’s 6-1 ruling in Hodes & Nauser v. Derek Schmidt comes after a two-year deliberation of an appeal of a Kansas Court of Appeals ruling.

A temporary injunction against the 2015 law that prohibited dismemberment abortions, also known as the dilation and evacuation abortion procedure, had been appealed. The Kansas Court of Appeals, however, split 7-7 on its ruling, leaving upheld a lower court’s temporary injunction against the implementation of the law. After another appeal, the case then went to the state’s high court.

Governor Sam Brownback — who hailed it at the time as a significant piece of pro-life legislation — signed SB 95, also known as “The Kansas Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act.” The law never took effect because of legal challenges.

Abortion providers Herbert C. Hodes, M.D., and Traci Lynn Nauser, M.D., of the Center for Women’s Health at 4840 College Blvd., Overland Park, were the plaintiffs in the case.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who defended the state law, said, “the far-reaching implications of the court’s decision are breathtaking.”

Further, he said, “Wholly uninhibited by traditional judicial restraint, the court’s sweeping and voluminous language foreshadows an everexpanding role for Kansas courts in public policy questions that . . . were reserved for Kansans to settle through the democratic process.”

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LEAVEN PHOTO BY LORI WOOD HABIGER

The Kansas Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that the state constitution includes a right to an abortion. The bishops of Kansas have spoken out against the ruling.

The bishops of Kansas called the ruling “a grotesque caricature of emancipation.”

“There is no way to sanitize the barbaric procedure defended by the court,” said Chuck Weber, the executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference, quoting from the bishops’ statement. “The issue under review — live dismemberment abortion — is a most excruciating death.

The nonanesthetized severing of a living child’s arms and legs and subsequent removal of the body is beyond our comprehension. Legally disguised as health care, this procedure kills an average of twelve children each week in Kansas.”

The state’s high court majority based its ruling on an interpretation of Section 1 of the Kansas Constitutional Bill of Rights, which holds that all persons are “possessed of equal and inalienable natural rights, among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

In a press release, the court “concluded the drafters and ratifiers meant for Section 1 to protect every person’s right to personal autono-

my,” and, further, “this right to personal autonomy is fundamental and governmental regulation of abortion is constitutional only if it passes a test of strict scrutiny. Passing this test requires a compelling governmental interest and government action that is narrowly tailored to that interest.”

“The court’s claim of a right to abortion lying hidden in the Kansas Constitution for more than 150 years is absurd,” said Archbishop Naumann.

The court’s ruling cannot be appealed, so the only way it can be overturned is with an amendment to the Kansas Constitution.

“The immediate priority for all Kansans concerned with protecting the lives of unborn children, as well as pregnant women, from an unscrupulous abortion industry is to pass a state constitutional amendment aimed at making it impossible for future courts to contort the Kansas Constitution in an effort to claim it contains a right to abortion,” said Archbishop Naumann.

The nonanesthetized severing of a living child’s arms and legs and subsequent removal of the body is beyond our comprehension. Legally disguised as health care, this procedure kills an average of twelve children each week in Kansas.

The Kansas Supreme Court decision eliminates Kansas citizens’ right to pass sensible abortion regulations, including bans on Down syndrome eugenic abortions, sex-selection abortions or even partial-birth abortions.

As Catholics and Americans, we hold individual freedom to be one of our most President

Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann

Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799)

STATEMENT

Archbishop calls abortion ruling ‘absurd’

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Destruction of life is not a legitimate exercise of liberty, says KCC

ar from empowering or advancing the status of women, the April 26 ruling by the Kansas Supreme Court is a grotesque caricature of emancipation. The discovery of a right to abortion in the 150-plus-year-old constitution promotes a merciless culture of death by belittling and trivializing the fundamental value and sacredness of each child and each mother.

There is no way to sanitize the barbaric procedure defended by the court. The issue under review—live dismemberment abortion — is a most excruciating death.

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Editor Rev. Mark Goldasich, stl frmark.goldasich@theleaven.org

cherished gifts from God. This gift of liberty, however, is not an absolute, despotic power, but a tool for the pursuit of the common good and the development of each human person to her and his fullest potential. The wanton destruction of any human life, unique and irreplaceable, is not a legitimate exercise of liberty, but its worst degradation and perversion.

The Catholic bishops of Kansas and Catholics in the pew cannot and will not allow this attack on human life to stand.

We join like-minded Kansans in prayer and we seek the most prudent and expeditious path forward toward adopting a state constitutional amendment to protect our babies and their mothers.

Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita.mcsorley@theleaven.org

Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

Reporter Olivia Martin olivia.martin@theleaven.org

Production Manager Todd Habiger todd.habiger@theleaven.org

Advertising Coordinator Beth Blankenship beth.blankenship@theleaven.org

Social Media Editor Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org

adly, while the Kansas Supreme Court’s claim to discover a right to abortion in the Kansas Constitution is not surprising, considering the composition of the court, it is nevertheless shocking. The April 26 decision is just the most recent example of an effort to change the very nature of our government. Similar to the U.S. Supreme Court Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions in 1973, the Hodes & Nauser v. Schmidt decision is an example of imperial courts usurping the role of duly elected representatives to decide public policy on key social issues.

The court’s claim of a right to abortion lying hidden in the Kansas Constitution for more than 150 years is absurd. The court’s ruling is more an exercise in creative writing than a serious effort to examine the constitutionality of a statute restricting dismemberment abortions.

Ironically, the court cites the section of the Kansas Constitution that affirms clearly a right to life, not a right to destroy human life. With the advancements of embryology and ultrasound technology providing a window into the womb, the scientific evidence affirming the humanity of the unborn child is even stronger than in 1973. The court’s decision has no basis in law or science.

As the movie “Unplanned” — which depicts the true story of Abby Johnson’s conversion from a former Planned Parenthood clinic director to pro-life advocate — makes clear, abortion is no friend to women. Abortion providers prey on women at a time of great vulnerability to make a choice that not only kills their child but inflicts deep scars on the hearts of mothers. For women and men who have participated in the abortion of a child, I encourage you to contact the Project Rachel Ministry at (913) 621-2199 or online at: projectrachelkc@archkck.org to assist you in finding healing and peace.

The immediate priority for all Kansans concerned with protecting the lives of unborn children, as well as pregnant women, from an unscrupulous abortion industry is to pass a state constitutional amendment aimed at making it impossible for future courts to contort the Kansas Constitution in an effort to claim it contains a right to abortion. I urge Catholics to join with thousands of other concerned Kansans to work for the passage of a constitutional amendment to correct the grave error of the Kansas Supreme Court’s ruling.

Eventually, Kansans who do not wish to be ruled by a judicial oligarchy must also reform the selection process for judges that masquerades as nonpartisan, while producing judicial candidates who appear intent on imposing an ideology that was not in the minds of those who wrote the Kansas Constitution, nor is consistent today with the values of most Kansans.

Published weekly September through May, excepting the Friday the week after Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Christmas; biweekly June through August. Address communications to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Phone: (913) 721-1570; fax: (913) 721-5276; or e-mail at: sub@theleaven.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. For change of address, provide old and new address and parish. Subscriptions $21/year. Periodicals postage paid at Kansas City, KS 66109.

MAY 3, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

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‘Dignity Project’ series open to all

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

O LEAVEN PHOTO BY DOUG HESSE

Three rugby players from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park played international rugby last summer. Pictured from left are: freshmen Nicholas Jurczak and Brock Kluempers, Coach Tim Kluempers and senior Brooks Tate.

International experience helps Aquinas rugby players excel in 2019

By Todd Habiger todd.habiger@theleaven.org

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VERLAND PARK — As the St. Thomas Aquinas High School rugby team here makes a push for its 12th state championship in the next few weeks, three players can look back on their experience last summer as the building blocks for this season.

In the summer of 2018, senior Brooks Tate played for Team USA’s under 17 team in Ireland, while freshmen Nicholas Jurczak and Brock Kluempers toured with Team USA’s under 15 team in Canada.

Aquinas head rugby coach Tim Kluempers said the boys’ summer experience has showed on the field this season.

“They are more confident in their game,” he said. “They played at a higher level [internationally], so most of the games feel a little slower, which allows them to react quicker than most players.”

Kluempers said that in addition to elevating their own gameplay, the boys’ experience has helped them elevate their teammates also.

“They know how to play well with others and make their teammates succeed instead of them always trying to make things happen,” he said.

As for the boys themselves, they loved the opportunity to compete with some of the best players in the world.

“My experience was amazing,” said Brock. “Everyone was committed to winning. Everyone knew their craft and how to use it.”

The boys said the experience was eye-opening in terms of skill level and pace of play.

“I never knew the ball could travel that fast,” said Nicholas. “Everyone

“

“THEY ARE MORE CONFIDENT IN THEIR GAME. THEY PLAYED AT A HIGHER LEVEL [INTERNATIONALLY], SO MOST OF THE GAMES FEEL A LITTLE SLOWER, WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO REACT QUICKER THAN MOST PLAYERS.” knows how to use their skills. [International play] is more tactical.”

“Most teams here will just crash the ball,” he continued. “In higher levels, it’s skills and tactics. You have to move the ball and figure out what the defense does.”

Brooks agreed.

“It was pretty tough,” he said. “This was a different skill level. But playing for the U.S. team, everyone was better.

It made me work hard to keep up.”

Brock said that, although the practices were tough, by the end of the tour, he could see the improvement in his game.

“I was able to improve my skills as far as running, tacking, passing and just seeing the field,” he said.

Nicholas likewise said that the experience was worth it.

“I learned that I was able to compete at the highest levels,” he said. “I just have to put in the work.”

Although the order of the day was competition, the three boys said that the camaraderie between competing teams after the games was something special.

After each game, the opponents would get together for a meal to share game as well as life experiences.

“It was interesting to see how people lived differently,” said Brooks.

“They ate different food. They do different things. Each team we played was from a different province. Some teams were made up of farm kids.

Others were city kids.”

Kluempers describes each of his players as hard workers with a deep knowledge of the game.

Kluempers says Brooks is the strong, silent type, but he’s also one of the leaders on the field.

“Brooks doesn’t talk much, but he’s a very loyal teammate that makes sure his teammates are taken care of,” Kluempers said. “He’s a leader by his actions. He’s an intelligent kid that just loves to go out and play.

Kluempers, in turn, said Nicholas is a quarterback type who always knows where everyone is supposed to be and what their role is.

“He’s a good tackler. Very athletic.

Very fast. He’s a thinker and a good passer,” Kluempers said. “[Nicholas] makes a lot of decisions on the fly and directs players around to get them in the right position.”

As for his son Brock, Kluempers says he’s a cerebral player with great knowledge of the game.

“Brock has been playing and been around rugby his whole life and he just loves the game. He’s got really good skills and knows the game well.

When things are going crazy on the field, he helps get the boys organized,” Kluempers said.

Aquinas will challenge for the Kansas state rugby championship on May 11 in Lawrence and then will compete in nationals in Salt Lake City May 17-19.

VERLAND PARK — Do you wish you were better prepared to defend human life and the church’s teaching regarding the same?

In late April, Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park began a series of halfhour presentations by prominent Catholic speakers from the archdiocese about the dignity of human life.

The series is called “The Dignity Project,” and presentations begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday evenings. There is no cost to attend.

The purpose of the series is to help Catholics form their consciences to counter current trends in culture that would denigrate the dignity of human life. The goal is that each participant would hear his or her own particular call to action in these presentations and move forward to defend and advance the dignity and value of human life through one or more of these avenues.

Although the series has already begun, everyone is welcome to attend some or all of the remaining sessions: • May 7: “The Image of Divine Love: Man, Woman and the Dignity of Marriage,” by Sebastian D’Amico • May 14: “Marital Fruitfulness: Infertility, Foster Care and Adoption,” by Elizabeth Kirk • May 21: “Protecting Families,” by Sam Meier • May 28: “Real Healthcare,” by Dr. Laurie Heap, MD, NFPMC • June 4: “Presenting the Pro-Life Message in a Pro-Choice World,” by Joe Heschmeyer

Tom and Judy (Morgan) Murray, members of St. Francis de Sales Parish, Lansing, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on May 10. The couple was married on May 10, 1969, at Immaculate Conception Church, Leavenworth. Their children are: Chad Murray, Leavenworth, and Tara Kuntz, Basehor. They also have two grandchildren.

Mary and Paul Becker, members of St. Mary Parish, Purcell, will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on May 5.

The couple was married on May 5, 1954, at St. Joseph Church, Atchison. Their children are: Kenny Becker, Bill Becker, Linda Henry, Carol Brown, Margaret Blevins, Larry Becker, Teresa Heimann and Jim Becker.

They also have 27 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.

MAY 3, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

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Saint Paul’s Outreach to young adults lauded at fundraiser

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

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VERLAND PARK — If you want to know how Saint Paul’s Outreach has been doing in the Greater Kansas City area, you need only turn to the Gospel of Matthew: “By their fruits you will know them”(7:16).

The fruits have been good indeed, said Matt Karr, regional director of SPO Kansas City.

Karr was one of the speakers at the group’s 2019 citywide prayer breakfast, held April 11 at Marriott Kansas City in Overland Park. More than 500 people attended the event.

“We have a process to help young people and invite them into a relationship with Christ and into a relationship with other peers who have found a relationship with Christ,” said Karr. “And when we do that, we see incredible fruit.”

SPO is a ministry in the spirit of St. John Paul II’s new evangelization that seeks to engage young adults on college campuses and young professionals with the message of Jesus through “relational evangelism.”

“We’re in our sixth year of full-time ministry in the Kansas City area, and we have been able to look [back] and see the fruit that the Lord has brought,” said Karr.

That bounty includes seven people who have chosen or are discerning vocations as priests or religious, eight who entered the Catholic Church through SPO, and 22 married couples who met through the ministry.

Harder to quantify, but no less significant, are the many students who have been encouraged to enter into a relationship with Jesus through an SPO missionary at the three educational institutions where they are active: Benedictine College in Atchison, Johnson County Community College in Overland Park and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

The outreach has 157 missionaries on 46 college campuses in the United States, said Joe D’Amato, development officer for SPO Kansas City.

The local chapter has 24 full-time staff (21 missionaries) active on the three campuses and with young professional adults in the Kansas City area. The 21 missionaries are formed into 11 households according to gender.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY LORI WOOD HABIGER

Msgr. Thomas Tank, pastor of the Church of the Ascension in Overland Park, accepts his Saint Paul 2019 New Evangelization Award from Matt Karr, regional director of St. Paul’s Outreach, at a breakfast held April 11 at Marriott Kansas City in Overland Park.

The event began with a Mass celebrated by Abbot James Albers, OSB, of St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison. He was once the SPO chaplain at Benedictine College. The homily was given

by Msgr. Stuart Swetland, president of Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas.

In his homily, Msgr. Swetland observed that the breakfast, held after the Mass, had three purposes: to celebrate the work of SPO, to honor two priests who have assisted SPO and embody the spirit of the new evangelization, and to raise funds to support the ministry.

Gordy DeMarais, founder of the ministry, illustrated the need for SPO on college campuses.

“We had an opportunity to participate in a study of the landscape of Catholic campus ministry across the country with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops,” he said.

The study found only 10% of Catholics

on campus attend Mass on Sunday, only 40% are involved in some activity outside of Mass, and even those active Catholics are struggling with significant issues that impact their faith.

Karr concluded his remarks by presenting the Saint Paul 2019 New Evangelization Award to two pastors from the Greater Kansas City area.

“We desire to promote the new evangelization, and we want to give this award to highlight people in our community who can serve as an example to each of us in our work in evangelizing our city and region,” said Karr.

The two recipients were Father Don Farnan, pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Kansas City, Missouri, and Msgr. Thomas Tank, pastor of Church of the Ascension in Overland Park.

In accepting his award, Father Farnan thanked SPO, and quoted Pope Francis: “Let us be a church that steps

out of itself. Let us go to those who do not attend Mass, who have become indifferent, disappointed or even hurt by us.”

In accepting his award, Msgr. Tank honored his parishioners.

“I said I don’t want to be recognized, but I’d like Ascension Parish to be recognized,” said Msgr. Tank. “Ascension Parish is really the context within which I am able to experience and share my ministry.

“It’s really Ascension Parish in [which] I find such a dynamic group of people who want to share their faith, wanting to share their relationship.”

The goal of the local SPO chapter was to raise $180,000, said D’Amato. About $130,000 of that was raised through table sponsorships at the breakfast.

The local chapter hoped to raise the additional $50,000 during the breakfast appeal.

MAY 3, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

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A mother’s life is one of surrender and openness

ach year during the month of May, we celebrate our mothers. We honor their role in our life and the gift of life itself we received through them.

Although parenthood is something shared by both the father and the mother, writes St. John Paul II in his encyclical “Mulieris Dignitatem” (on the dignity and vocation of women), “Motherhood involves a special communion with the mystery of life,” and the woman bears the most demanding part (18).

Motherhood is a call to surrender one’s body to the creation and nurture of life — not just for a few hours or nine months, but for years to come.

As a man, I cannot relate to what it means to surrender one’s body to the mystery of life as a woman does. But I know from personal experience the blessings of a mother’s love. I remember my mother and her constant care and attention to my needs and the needs of my siblings.

I remember her embraces, her welcoming me home or holding me when I was hurt. As I child, when I was in trouble, I would go to my mother for forgiveness,

JOHN BOSIO John Bosio is a former marriage and family therapist, director of religious education and diocesan family life coordinator. He is a member of the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers.

hoping my father would not find out.

The openness of a mother’s embrace, said Pope Francis in his 2019 New Year’s Day address, is the antidote to today’s miseries in the world. A mother’s embrace gives love and care, forgives, reassures, consoles and heals. This is what the world needs today.

To all of us, Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the perfect example of motherhood. Jordan Peterson, a Canadian psychology professor who has become a sensation with our younger generation, says in one of

his YouTube videos that reclaiming respect for maternity is an essential project for modern society. Although he is a not a Christian believer, he points to Mary as an archetype of motherhood: “Mary is the archetype of a woman who answers yes voluntarily to life, knowing full well what that means.”

Accepting moth-

erhood is accepting self-sacrifice. St. Oscar Romero described the sacrifice that mothers make as a form of martyrdom.

In my opinion, this is particularly true for those mothers who are caring for their family alone: single mothers.

Alone they shoulder the responsibility of providing for their children’s needs.

A single mother who was interviewed by America magazine said that single motherhood means “you never get a break, you never rest or are able to take a step back.”

Unfortunately, single mothers often feel like second-class citizens in our pews. Single mothers — whether widows, separated/divorced or unwed — are a group of people who often feel out of place in our parishes.

They feel like outsiders in a church that values so much intact families. Among these single mothers, the most uncomfortable are the unwed mothers, according to a survey conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.

In this month of May, let’s become aware and express our support for all the mothers, including single mothers, in our community.

I encourage you to become consciously aware of the single mothers in your neighborhood and your parish.

Reach out to them and help them feel connected and welcomed.

Offer help and support, such as giving them a break by watching their children, or, if you can,

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Question for reflection: How many single mothers do you know? What can you do to show your support for them?

help them find jobs that provide for their family.

In an article by Kaya Oakes in America magazine, titled “How the Catholic Church can help single mothers,” she provides some suggestions for what all of us can do.

She writes that we must acknowledge the single parents in our parish: Greet them, talk to them, pray for them and offer help — emotional, practical and spiritual support.

For most single mothers, child care is the No. 1 priority. If you are involved in planning parish activities, see that free child care is always provided.

Encourage your parish to offer support groups for single parents, a place where they can feel recognized and accepted as members of the parish community.

Mary, mother of Jesus, pray for all mothers.

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MAY 3, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

7

FINISHING LENT STRONG

Lent is always a busy time in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and this year was no exception. These photos show some of the variety of events that happened as Lent gave way to the celebration of Christ’s resurrection.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY LORI WOOD HABIGER

s FOR LIFE

s

Nick Gasper, left, Ron McMillian and Fred Randolph, all members of Holy Angels Parish in Basehor, take part in 40 Days for Life outside an abortion clinic in Overland Park. The event ran for the entirety of Lent in a nationwide effort to end abortion.

RETIRED

Father Peter Jaramillo receives a big hug from Sister Carmela Sanz of the Sisters, Servants of Mary at a March 31 ceremony celebrating his retirement as an Army chaplain colonel. Sister Fatima Muñoz, left, looks on.

t ADORATION

Topeka Hayden High School student Kyra Baldwin addresses fellow students about her experiences with eucharistic adoration and its importance in her life right before Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann led the devotion at the school.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY DOUG HESSE

s

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

KEYNOTE

Author Colleen Carroll Campbell delivers her keynote address at the Kansas City Catholic Women’s Conference April 13 at Church of the Ascension in Overland Park. Campbell was one of two keynote speakers, along with author Sonja Corbitt.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

Seven tips for new Catholics, from one convert to another

I

“

By Nathan Schneider

came to the Easter Vigil this year just as the bonfire outside the church was starting. The pews inside were all taken by then, but I found a wide enough windowsill near the front with a wall between me and most of the action.

What I could see, closer up than most, was the joy, beautiful joy, and maybe some well-contained terror of the nearly two dozen catechumens entering our communion that night. I attend a university parish, and so most were college-aged; with them, I remembered when I came into the church that way, too, 16 years earlier.

I remembered the years that followed. Everyone’s sojourn is different but, for me, the Easter Vigil was more a beginning than an end. Finding a place in this vast and ancient church was not easy, but it has been a trial of grace, one in which the parts that were once the hardest became easier, even light and liberating.

On Easter morning, I woke up with a handful of aphorisms in mind that might be of use to someone new to this church, from one who has been there, too — not always easily, but gratefully.

Pray constantly You may be more primed for prayer right now than most of us, but the eagerness can wear off. Even then, St. Paul does not let us off the hook from praying without ceasing. Prayer is the start of an honest Christian life.

What makes the Catholic Church catholic . . . is its ability to hold together diverse cultures and diverse ways of being Christian. This is a feature, not a bug.

Memorize prayers. People don’t memorize much anymore — can you even remember a phone number? — but the effort here is worth it. Aim for 10. Some of those can be the same in multiple languages, even ones you cannot speak. Some obvious ones, some not; some short, some long; some joyful, some penitential. Add some hymns to that as well. Then recite them to God and yourself whenever you can, when you are walking or waiting or sitting on the toilet, with the kind of foolish devotion that is sanity in God’s eyes.

Also, pray your own words. Catholics can be bad at this. We rely so much on official liturgies that we do not practice speaking with God ourselves. Do it alone, with friends and in public. Make sure that if someone needs you to pray with them for what they need in that moment, you know how.

I start with prayer because, trust me, you are going to need it.

The church is a creature of the Fall I became a Catholic while the Boston Globe sex abuse revelations were coming out. If you are coming

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

Prayer is the start of an honest Christian life. Pray your own words. Catholics can be bad at this. We rely so much on official liturgies that we do not practice speaking with God ourselves.

in now, you know what I’m talking about. You could only become a Catholic in this period of scandal if you understand the Fall already (or have your rosary over your eyes).

You have probably seen painful disappointment among those who were raised to think the church is perfect.

Many of them have left upon discovering, so viscerally, that it is not.

The church, as Pope Francis put it, is a “hospital for sinners.” Being a Catholic, including a Catholic priest, does not make anyone good. You will see lots and lots of evidence of this.

Christianity is a way of declaring we want to be more worthy of what we know we will never deserve in this life. It is a commitment to strive after holiness and to help others do the same. Have no illusions. Hospitals are full of sick people.

Still, there are living saints among us in this church. They are not perfect either, but they can be really good.

Find them, accept their peccadilloes, learn from them and walk away if you need to. You will probably find them in places you least expect.

There are many churches in one What makes the Catholic Church catholic — that is, universal — is its ability to hold together diverse cultures and diverse ways of being Christian. This is a feature, not a bug.

It is a beautiful variety: Explore it, across time and geography. Among them all, find the communities and charisms that call you, that suit your talents and challenge your shortcomings. You might find your calling in the church, for instance, through a particular religious order or through a lay movement or through a way of praying or a way of serving. Make sure it is a path that is in full communion with the Catholic whole, of course, but do not be scared away by simpletons who think there is only one kind of true Catholic.

When you find your place and your people, do not forget about the rest. If you feel at home in a certain small group, go to Mass with people of many groups. If one church seems

to speak your language, go from time to time to one where a different language is spoken.

Through our small-c catholicism, God teaches us about God. Sometimes, God comes to us as familiar and tender, but God is also the truth that feels strange and foreign while being no less true.

Honor different paths, in the church and in yourself As you find your place in the church, also be prepared to honor the ways of others. If you feel tempted to denounce some order or path within the church, consider what purposes it serves. Consider how it travels to people and places where your path does not go. Recognize that we are interdependent. Jesuits need Franciscans! Readers of the National Catholic Reporter could learn a thing or two from First Things.

One reason for this kind of forbearance is that you never know how your life will redirect your calling.

During my early years as a Catholic, my place was among renouncers — Cistercians, first, and then radical war resisters. Those callings, however, have not fit well with the way

“

Be Catholic in public. Not you to be more than your to yourself and the wo made more huma

At the Easter Vigil April 20 at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kansas, the archdiocese welcomed some new Catholics into the church. irregularity out through Herculean introspection and rationalization. It didn’t work. I did not really integrate my faith into my sense of self — long after entering the church officially, mind you — until being forced to present as Catholic quite vocally and uncomfortably in the world.

Know the poor

I feel called to be a parent of small children more recently. I have had to find other saints, other ways of being.

In years past, I might have looked at myself today and scoffed at my tepid moderation-in-most-things.

Get ready for that. Have mercy on yourself, and let yourself evolve among the many ways of being a Christian. This church holds them together as one.

Argue in charity When some Christian communities encounter disagreement, they schism on a dime. Catholics don’t do that. This means we have to create spaces where debate and argument can persist without tearing us apart.

That is why, for instance, Catholics invented universities, at least in Europe. Perhaps it is also why the church did not invent the internet.

We are a family, and families need to argue so the truth can come through. Some of the greatest saints — people now portrayed as benign servants of Rome — were courageous reformers in their time, challenging received beliefs and entrenched power. But a family argument only turns out well when we remember we are a family. Remember, Catholics believe that we are going to be stuck together for eternity.

This is not a private faith It is fashionable nowadays for people to think and talk about faith as a private matter, as something solely between themselves and the divine, as a quiet way to begin the day or a personal journey that is nobody else’s business.

This is foreign to the Catholic outlook. If Jesus had kept to himself, there would have been no cross. He promised to be among us when we gather.

He knew that we need each other. You

will see. Your prayer life will deepen when your Christian community life is honest and vibrant. Sometimes our interior faith carries us more, and sometimes the community carries us more, but one cannot stand on one foot for too long without losing balance.

Be Catholic in public. Not just Catholic — God made you to be more than your piety. Present yourself, to yourself and the world, as a human being made more human by your faith.

I spent years embarrassed by my Catholic identity — as the dodgy disciples in the Gospel narratives foreshadow. My ambition was to sort this

At least since Constantine’s conquest of Rome in the year 312, Catholicism has had a respectability problem.

Religion needs to have a relationship with power to inhabit this fallen world, but that means people can use religion as a means to power as well. Doing so can even be for the good.

Catholicism in the United States, for example, has been an important vehicle for helping immigrant communities into the middle class. A downside of that legacy, however, is how it can lead people to conflate Catholicism and classism.

Christ and the prophets speak with one voice: God dwells among the poor.

We must know the poor because we are the poor. Even the most privileged among us have poverty in our souls, and we forget this when we blind ourselves to the crucifixions happening all around us. Some people hide from these in mansions and private jets. Some hide in addictions and endless therapies.

Some hide in social justice proclamations, which can be as effective as riches in masking the lived reality of poverty.

I should get off my own soapbox at this point. I do not have a litmus test to offer or even a definition, but you should know it when you see it: Even while enjoying the splendors and wonders of this church, know the poor.

Finally, welcome! Christ is risen.

Reprinted from America (April 22, 2019) with permission of America Press, Inc., 2019. All rights reserved. For subscription information, call 1-800-6279533 or visit www.americamagazine.org.

“

t just Catholic—God made r piety. Present yourself, orld, as a human being an by your faith.

CNS PHOTO/LUCY NICHOLSON, REUTERS

In this file photo, a child lines up to receive free back-to-school supplies in Los Angeles. God dwells among the poor. We must know the poor because we are the poor.

MAY 3, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

10

New service provides opportunities for those with special needs

By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org

L

ENEXA — “Where I going?”

That was the question Jack Farnsworth, a 19-year-old with Down syndrome, often asked during his junior and senior years of high school.

The question first arose when Jack’s twin brother Nick started talking about college. As a typical teenager, Nick was planning for life beyond high school.

Jack’s needs, however, were different.

According to Carol Farnsworth, the boys’ mother, the question became a running theme in the Farnsworth household, and only increased in frequency as time went on.

“It really tugged at my heart,” said Carol. “We realized he didn’t have a plan after high school.”

As Carol started researching options, she found long waiting lists at many adult day service providers in the area where Jack could further develop his skills and maybe find work. So, Carol created her own solution — and enlisted the help of everyone she knew.

Known as Happy Hearts Working — an organization founded by the Farnsworth family, Debbie Polys and countless others — the nonprofit is a licensed community service provider with a vision of providing “an enriching Christian day service program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.” The organization is committed to creating job, volunteer and skill-building opportunities for associates to lead a purposeful, joyful life shared with others.

Happy Hearts is funded by a combination of Medicaid, private pay and charitable donations. In addition to providing day services at its Bonner Springs headquarters, the organization partners with area businesses like hair salons and schools to identify volunteer, internship and employment opportunities.

Jack, as the organization’s first associate, has enjoyed a range of opportunities:

LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON

Jack Farnsworth displays his staff lanyard from Holy Trinity School in Lenexa. Jack also has duties at Catholic Charities and St. James Academy, Lenexa.

He has received traditional day services, volunteered through Catholic Charities, and been employed by Holy Trinity School and St. James Academy, both in Lenexa. At the grade school, his responsibilities included duties in the lunch room and library; at the high school, he managed the Spirit Shop.

According to school officials, Jack’s employment has been a win-win situation.

“Having Jack Farnsworth at Holy Trinity is such a blessing and a win-win for all who are involved,” said Liz Minks, the assistant principal at Holy Trinity.

“Throughout his time in the lunch room and the library, he has brought an example of genuine, pure joy wherever he goes,” she continued. “He brings out the best in kids of all ages. It is so evi-

dent that he has already transformed the community.”

Minks said the students and faculty have been so touched by Jack that they have raised money for Happy Hearts — the sixth-graders alone raised more than $1,600 through a readathon.

Kelly Kinnan, a school librarian, said Jack’s joy blesses the entire school community.

“He can make any task fun,” she said.

“When he alphabetizes the books, he cheers himself on!

“He loves to be around the kids as much as they love to see him!”

According to Shane Rapp, the principal of St. James Academy, Jack’s work has been invaluable.

“Having Jack at St. James has been a great way to live our mission, while

For more information about Happy Hearts Working or to sign up for its golf tournament on May 6, go online to: www.happyheartsworking.org.

The tournament will start at 1 p.m. at Dub’s Dread Golf Club, 12601 Hollingsworth Rd., Kansas City, Kansas.

also providing a valuable service to our school. Seeing him in the office a couple times a week has brightened people’s days, and he has helped us get some work done in our Spirit Shop that we’ve been wanting to do for a while,” he said.

What does Jack think of his newfound purpose?

“I like my jobs,” Jack said, grinning as held up his staff lanyards.

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LOCAL NEWS

11

Coach Hurla incorporated faith into his baseball team >> Continued from page 1 how you can approach your life.”

Mark graduated from Ward in 2006 and played baseball for Hurla all four years. Each year, they won the state championship. Now an attorney in Mission, Mark can see how playing for Hurla has impacted his work ethic. “[He taught us] to approach one thing at a time,” said Mark. “For me, that’s one client, one case at a time and not trying to get too far ahead of myself.”

Hurla was also a notable supporter of his players’ academic performance.

“The thing he got across to us was that professional baseball may or may not be in the cards, but we would always have our education,” said Mark.

“That was something to be valued and work toward.”

Faith education was always in the foreground for Hurla as well.

“During the baseball season, we would go to Mass as a team every Friday morning,” said Mark. The players even took turns as altar servers.

And for Hurla, coaching at Ward provided him an occasion to grow in his own faith.

“Coming to Bishop Ward reignited a lot of activities and beliefs in me that . . . had become dormant,” said Hurla.

“Being there every day was an opportunity to re-engage and pass that along to the players.”

Honor of the award, history of field One thing that has made this honor particularly touching for Hurla is the history of the diamond itself.

“The field has been there since the 1940s,” said Hurla, “[and] I had a little slice of it for 20 years. It’s a humbling honor to be a small part of that tradition and history.”

Even baseball great Satchel Paige, a Negro League baseball and Major League baseball pitcher, said Hurla, once played a game at Ward’s 14th Street diamond — a crown jewel in its history.

“Just to be associated with that field and its history is really exciting to me,” said Hurla. “I’m really grateful for that.”

Though his time coaching baseball at Ward has ended, Hurla does not intend to give up the sport quite yet.

He has been helping to start a college baseball program at Kansas Christian College in Overland Park, which will launch this coming fall with Hurla as the assistant coach and his son Tony as the head coach.

Fundamentally, Hurla said, the people he has met through the years have been his favorite part of coaching — especially at Ward.

“It was just a great experience,” he said. “It really enriched my life.

“I’m glad I was a part of it.”

LEAVEN PHOTO BY DOUG HESSE

Members of the Bishop Ward baseball team stand for the national anthem before the start of their first game on the newly named Dennis Hurla Diamond.

MAY 3, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

CLASSIFIEDS

EMPLOYMENT Director of music - Good Shepherd Parish in Shawnee seeks a full-time director of music. We seek an accomplished musician with an appreciation of and experience in a wide variety of liturgical music. The candidate should have a deep knowledge of liturgy, the liturgical year and a strong sense of appropriate music selections for various liturgies, including funerals and weddings.

The position requires expertise in vocal technique and choral conducting experience. Proficiency with keyboard accompaniment (piano) is required as is the ability to work with and coordinate volunteer instrumentalists. A desire to work with our growing Hispanic community is essential. The position is immediately available, but start dates are negotiable. For further consideration, please email a cover letter and resume to Father Kent O’Connor at: frkent@gsshawnee.org. Video links to performances/ celebrations where you are demonstrating your skills are appreciated.

Executive director of institutional advancement Saint Thomas Aquinas High School (Overland Park) is seeking an executive director of institutional advancement with a proven track record to serve as the chief development officer for the school. The director reports to the president in direct consultation with the board of trustees. S/He is responsible for securing financial support to advance the mission of the school, including overseeing a comprehensive fundraising and alumni relations program. This includes, but is not limited to, furthering the development of the annual fund; cultivating and securing major and planned gifts; promotion and marketing effort; and other stewardship opportunities. The ideal candidate will have at least five years of not-for-profit experience, a willingness to quickly grow to understand a Catholic educational environment and a proven ability to work with a diverse community. Interested candidates should send a letter of interest and resume to: Dr. Bill Ford, President, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, 11411 Pflumm Road, Overland Park, KS 66215 or via email at: wpford@stasaints.net Director of development and marketing - Resurrection Catholic School at the Cathedral in Kansas City, Kan., is seeking a talented and ambitious individual to serve as its director of development and marketing. This is a part-time position in which the director reports to the principal and works in collaboration with the board of trustees. Responsibilities for this position include: overseeing and growing two annual established fund raisers; grant writing; maintaining and expanding individual and business donor relationships to include a planned gifts strategy; and develop and execute a school marketing and social media plan. The ideal candidate will have for-profit and not-for-profit experience. A track record of sales and marketing success is preferred. Interested candidates should email a letter of interest and resume no later than April 30 to Lynda Higgins at: lhiggins@rcskck.org.

Housekeeping position - Prairie Star Ranch is seeking a dedicated and diligent staff member for its housekeeping team. This position performs a variety of cleaning tasks in order to ensure a clean and hospitable retreat environment. Staff can expect 10-15 hours of work per week and will be working with a team of housekeeping and non-housekeeping staff. A complete job description, application and information are available on the archdiocese’s website at: www.archkck.org/jobs. Interested individuals should submit their application as soon as possible by email to: psr@archkck.org.

Executive director - EMBRACE (Enriching Many By Reaching All in Catholic Education) in Overland Park is seeking an executive director to raise funds and partner closely with schools to help meet the needs of students with special needs. Experience in a nonprofit leadership role with demonstrated skills in fundraising and a connection to the mission is desired. To apply, visit our current searches at: morancompany.com or contact: laurie@morancompany.com for questions.

Special education teacher - Bishop Miege High School is seeking a full-time special education teacher for the 2019-20 school year. The ideal candidate would have Kansas licensure and three years’ experience in a SPED program and be able to work in collaboration with a team to increase services provided to students on support plans. Send a letter of interest and resume to: mjaksa@bishopmiege.com.

Teachers - Holy Rosary Wea Catholic School is hiring a sixth-grade teacher and a music teacher for the 201920 school year. Interested applicants should apply at: www.archkckcs.org and should email resume to: info@ qhrwea.org.

Caregiver - Reliable caregiver needed who is knowledgeable in handling a variety of emergency situations and is adept at meal preparation, grocery shopping, running errands, assisting in the maintenance of a household and developing strong rapport with client.

Nanny needed - Seeking a nanny to look after a 3month-old child for four days a week from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Call (316) 259-8051 with references.

Administrator - The Saint Paul’s Outreach Kansas City regional center is looking for a full-time administrator.

Duties include: assisting the regional director; budget planning and oversight; some program and development administration, etc. Email: celia.noffke@spo.org for a full job description. If interested, email a resume to: celia. noffke@spo.org by May 15.

Spanish teacher - St. Ann School in Prairie Village is seeking a kindergarten - eighth-grade Spanish teacher for the 2019-20 school year. Interested applicants should complete the teacher application process online at: www.archkckcs.org and email a resume to Sue Carter at: scarter@stannpv.org.

Professional services in curriculum and instruction The Kansas City-St. Joseph diocesan school office seeks professional services in curriculum and instruction within our K – 12 schools. These contracted services would provide leadership and vision in the ongoing, planning, development, review and direction of diocesan curriculum and instruction. The term of the contract will be one year, from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020, with an optional renewal each year. The contract will be awarded to the individual or entity that best demonstrates the ability to provide leadership for various responsibilities.

English/language arts teacher - St. Thomas Aquinas High School is seeking to fill a full-time teaching position in the English/language arts for the 2019-20 school year.

Interested candidates must be able to secure a Kansas teacher license. To apply, forward a letter of application and resume to Dr. Bill Ford., President, St. Thomas Aquinas High School, 11411 Pflumm Rd., Overland Park, KS 66215, or email to: wpford@stasaints.net.

Special education teacher - Holy Spirit School in Overland Park is seeking a special education teacher for the 2019-20 school year. Experience with students with Down syndrome and/or sign language would be a plus. This is a full-time position for a Kansas-licensed educator with a love for all God’s children. If interested, contact Michele Watson at: mwatson@hscatholic.org for more information.

Director of Christian formation and evangelization St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood is seeking a director for our Christian formation and evangelization department. This director will collaborate with the pastor, DRE and youth ministers to formulate and execute a comprehensive plan of evangelization. This will include pre-evangelization, outreach, invitation, RCIA and faith formation with a goal of making intentional disciples. The preferred candidate will be a prayerful, practicing Catholic with experience in management. Vital to this position are excellent administration, organization and communication skills, plus the interpersonal skills and personality necessary to motivate staff and a team of volunteers. The candidate must be articulate and confident in matters of faith with an obvious passion for evangelization. A master’s degree in religious education, religious studies or theology is preferred but we will accept a candidate with a bachelor’s degree who has management or leadership skills. For additional details and a complete job description, go online to: www.stmichaelcp.org, click on “Our Parish,” and scroll down and click on the tab “Employment Opportunities.”

Counselor - Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri, is accepting applications for an FTE position in the school counseling department. Applicants must hold a master’s degree in school counseling or related counseling degrees and must be (or be eligible to be) certified/licensed as a counselor in Missouri. Counselors are responsible for assisting the academic, personal and social needs of their students. The ideal candidate should be open to conversations of faith as related to decision making; be open to participating actively in the pastoral life of the school; and be involved in the co-curricular life of the school. Interested persons should send a resume or curriculum vitae to Mr. Chris Bosco, assistant principal for student life, at: cbosco@rockhursths. edu or 9301 State Line Rd., Kansas City, MO 64114 and fill out the job application online at: rockhursths.edu, click on”About Us,” then click on “Job Opportunities” for a full job description and to apply.

Executive administrative assistant - St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood has an immediate opening for this position in the parish office. Job duties include: assisting the pastor and parish administrator with meeting schedules; correspondence and other clerical matters; maintaining the parish membership database; scheduling rooms; and managing the parish calendar. Applicants for this position must have very strong computer skills, including extensive experience with Microsoft Word and Excel; working knowledge of database management software; and have an aptitude for working with office equipment such as multiline phone systems, copiers, etc. The successful applicant will be very detail oriented and self-directed; will possess strong organizational, communication and interpersonal skills; and be a willing team player. This is a permanent, full-time position and includes the archdiocesan benefits package. Salary will be commensurate with experience. For additional details and a complete job description, go to: www.stmichaelcp.org, click on “Our Parish,” and scroll down and click on the tab “Employment Opportunities.”

12

Mini-storage facility manager - Shawnee/Lenexa area.

30 - 35 hrs/week. Job tasks include helping customers with storage needs; following up on sales prospects; collecting payments; monthly billings; collecting delinquencies; keeping the site in good shape; and frequent property walks. Manager must have a pleasant disposition, good telephone skills and be comfortable using a computer. Other responsibilities include light maintenance which includes cleaning units; sweeping; mopping; changing light bulbs; and cleaning the office.

Great opportunity for retired person or couple. Send inquiries to PO Box 860049, Shawnee, KS 66286. Members, St. Joseph Parish.

STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 579-1835.

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

Caregivers - Daughters & Company is looking for several compassionate caregivers to provide assistance to ambulatory 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 Pat or Murray at (913) 341-2500, or contact Gary at (913) 787-4123 if you want to become part of an excellent caregiving team.

NELSON CREATION’S L.L.C. Home makeovers, kitchen, bath. All interior and exterior remodeling and repairs.

Family owned, experienced, licensed and insured.

Member St. Joseph, Shawnee. Kirk Nelson.

(913) 927-5240; nelsport@everestkc.net

HOME IMPROVEMENT DRC Construction We’ll get the job done right the first time.

Windows - Doors - Decks - Siding Repair or replace, we will work with you to solve your problems. Choose us for any window, door, siding or deck project and be glad you did.

Everything is guaranteed 100% (913) 461-4052 www.windowservicesoverlandpark.com drcconswindows@gmail.com Helping Hand Handy Man - Semi-retired handyman can help with your ‘to do list,’ small and medium projects around your house. Also electrical; ceiling fans, light fixtures, outlet and switches. Most deck and shed repairs, power washing restaining and painting. No yard work.

Member of Prince of Peace, Olathe. Call Mark Coleman at (913) 526-4490.

Swalms organizing - downsizing - cleanout service - Reduce clutter – Any space organized. Shelving built on-site. Items hauled for recycling and donations. 20 years exp.; insured. Call Tillar at (913) 375-9115. WWW. SWALMSORGANIZING.COM. Sheetrock repaired - We can repair your ceilings and walls and can retexture with popcorn or knockdown ceilings. We can repainat old yellowed ceiling. Interior painting for 24 years with no mess!! Call Jerry at (913) 206-1144.

EL SOL Y LA TIERRA *Commercial & residential * Lawn renovation *Mowing * Clean-up and hauling * Dirt grading/installation * Landscape design * Free estimates Hablamos y escribimos Ingles!! www.elsolylatierra.com Call Lupe at (816) 935-0176 Local handyman - Painting int. and ext., wood rot, power washing, staining, masonry (chimney repair, patio’s) gutter cleaning, water heaters, junk removal, lawn mowing, window cleaning, honey - do list and more!!

Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913)927-4118.

Interior painting - Renew your ceiling and walls with a fresh coat of paint. Replace drywall or plaster repaired with no mess!! 25 years experience. Call anytime. Jerry (913) 206-1144.

Masonry work - Quality new or repair work. Brick, block and chimney/fireplace repair. Insured; second-generation bricklayer. Member of St. Paul Parish, Olathe. Call (913) 829-4336.

The Drywall Doctor, Inc. – A unique solution to your drywall problems! We fix all types of ceiling and wall damage — from water stains and stress cracks to texture repairs and skim coating. We provide professional, timely repairs and leave the job site clean! Lead-certified and insured! Serving the metro since 1997. Call (913) 768-6655.

Speedy Guzman Moving and delivery Licensed and insured Anytime (816) 935-0176 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.

Rusty Dandy Painting, Inc. – We have been coloring your world for 40 years. Your home will be treated as if it were our own. Old cabinets will be made to look like new. Dingy walls and ceilings will be made beautiful.

Woodwork will glow. Lead-certified and insured. Call (913) 341-9125.

SERVICES Tree Trimming Tree Trimming/Landscaping Insured/References Free Estimates/Local Parishioner Tony (913) 620-6063 Win disability benefits - Disabled and no longer able to work? Get help winning Social Security disability benefits.

Free consultation. Eight years’ experience. No fee unless you win. Call (785) 331-6452 or send an email to: montemace2000@yahoo.com or visit montemacedisability.com.

8 to Your IdealWeight Get Real, Get Healthy, Get Empowered.

Release your weight and restore your power in 8 weeks!

Certified coach: kathioppold.8toyouridealweight.com.

Custom countertops - Laminates installed within five days.

Cambria, granite and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058.

Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.

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.

Bankruptcy consultation - If debts are overwhelming you, seek hope and help from compassionate, experienced Catholic attorney, Teresa Kidd. For a free consultation, call (913) 422-0610; send an email to: tkidd@kc.rr.com; or visit the website at: www.teresakiddlawyer.com. Please do not wait until life seems hopeless before getting good quality legal advice that may solve your financial stress.

Doll dresses - First Communion dresses for American Girl dolls or any 18” dolls. To include dress, veil, shoes, tights, and cross necklace for $35. Call (913) 345-9498 or send an email to: wwelch4@kc.rr.com to order. The dress is on display at Trinity House, 6731 W. 119th St., Overland Park, KS. MEDICARE - Just starting the process? Or would you like to review your current coverage? Local, licensed, independent and experienced Medicare advisor. Holy Cross Parishioner.

Will shop your current rate or answer your Medicare questions. Contact Rhonda at (913) 579-3349.

Rodman Lawn Care Lawn mowing, aeration, verticutting, mulching, Hedge trimming, leaf removal, gutter cleaning Fully insured and free estimates John Rodman (913) 548-3002 Decked Out in KC - www.WEFIXDECKS.com. We repair, power wash and seal concrete drives, walkways, pool decks and more. Call Brian at (913) 952-5965.

HARCO Exteriors LLC Your Kansas City fencing specialists Family owned and operated (913) 815-4817 www.harcoexteriorsllc.com

WANTED TO BUY Will buy firearms and related accessories - One or a whole collection. Honest evaluation and top prices paid.

Contact Tom at (913) 238-2473. Member of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee.

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

Wanted to buy - Old cars or hot rods. Uncompleted project cars in any condition, with or without titles. Cash buyer. Call (913) 980-3559. >> Classifieds continue on page 15

MAY 3, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

CALENDAR ‘ALL THINGS UKRAINAN’ Strawberry Hill Museum 720 N. 4th St., Kansas City, Kansas May, Saturdays and Sundays from noon - 5 p.m.

There will be an exhibit of “All Things Ukrainan” included in the museum’s guided tour.

Ukrainian life will be displayed via photographs, woodwork, paintings, pottery and an assortment of crafts from the Ukraine. For more information, go online to the museum’s website at: Strawberryhillmuseum.org.

DAUGHTERS OF ISABELLA LITTLE FLOWER CIRCLE Mater Dei-Assumption Church 204 S.W. 8th Ave., Topeka May 11 at 10 a.m.

We will have a Mary’s Holy Hour. If anyone knows of a member or family in need of the circle’s prayers, call Theresa Smith-Lawton at (785) 640-640-1403. If you are interested or would like more information about the Daughters of Isabella, call Cindy Keen at (785) 228-9863.

GREATER KANSAS CITY ROSARY RALLY Church of the Ascension 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park May 12 from 3 - 4:15 p.m.

RUMMAGE SALE Holy Family Parish 513 Ohio Ave., Kansas City, Kansas May 3 from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

May 4 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

There will be furniture, toys, home decor, holiday items, kitchenware and much more.

POLKA DANCE Father Dolan Knights of Columbus Hall 11221 Johnson Dr., Shawnee May 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Join us in honoring Our Blessed Mother (and Our Lady of Fatima) on Mother’s Day. We will pray the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries followed by Benediction and the opportunity for attendees to enroll in the brown scapular. For driving instructions or future dates for the Kansas City monthly holy rosary rallies, visit the website at: www.rosaryrallieskc.org.

FEAST OF ST. ISIDORE AND ST. MARIA Christ’s Peace House of Prayer 22131 Meagher Rd., Easton May 15 at 11 a.m.

The day will begin with Mass. Bring a container with seed and soil to be placed at the altar for blessing. Following Mass there will be a procession to the Sts. Isidore and Maria Shrine. After praying the Litany of St. Isidore, lunch will be served in the main building.

The Brian McCarty Band, with special guest premier accordionist David Austin, will be playing for the dance. The cost is $10 at the door. Polish sausage sandwiches, chips, sauerkraut, beer and soda will be available for purchase. Proceeds will go the priest and seminarian fund.

BLISTERS FOR SISTERS St. Thomas More Parish 11822 Holmes, Kansas City, Missouri May 4 at 9 a.m.

Join the Serrans from Kansas and Missouri to recognize and honor the religious women in the Kansas City area for all their ministries.

There will be a walk, Mass and lunch. For more information and to register, go online to: www. serrakcmo.org, go to “Activities,” click on “Blisters for Sisters” and register there.

CINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATION St. Patrick Parish 1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas May 5 from 2 - 10 p.m.

There will be homemade Mexican food and drinks. There will also be a Mariachi band, folk dancing and more. The cost for tickets is $15 for adults and $10 for children. Proceeds will help sustain and enhance St. Patrick Parish.

PRAIRIE STAR RANCH FAMILY DAY Prairie Star Ranch 1124 California Rd., Williamsburg May 5 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Prairie Star is hosting a day for families to step away and enter into a time of prayer, adventure and outdoor activities. The experience will end with Mass in the St. Kateri Chapel. For detail and registration information, visit the website at: www.archkck.org/ ranch or call (785) 746-5693.

RETREAT ON THE RESURRECTION Christ’s Peace House of Prayer 22131 Meagher Rd., Easton May 10 - 12

The retreat will begin May 10 at 6 p.m. with supper. There will be two talks and several lectio divina sessions. Eucharistic adoration will be held daily. There will be Mass at the local parish. The cost is $170 for individuals and $250 for couples. If interested, call (913) 773-8255 or send an email to: info@ christspeace.com.

tact with her. The mother receives love, care and the spiritual, material and emotional support she needs. There is a need for new Gabriel Angels. Come hear what being a volunteer entails. Contact Ann Marie Alvey online at: director@gabriel projeckc.com or call (913) 621-2199.

‘WE REMEMBER THEM: HOW REMEMBRANCE AND RITUAL HEAL OUR GRIEF’ Prince of Peace Parish (Sister Mary Thomas Parish Hall) 16000 W. 143rd St., Olathe May 23 at 7 p.m.

Join the members of the Prince of Peace bereavement ministry in this supportive group gathering. The evening will feature speaker Brent Doster, family support coordinator at Villa St. Francis, Olathe. He will lead a discussion on the importance of remembrance and ritual and how these acts of memorialization contribute to healthy grieving. For more information, call Doster at (913) 747-0276.

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formation, go online to: www.archkck.org/ specialneeds or contact Tom Racunas by email at: tracunas@archkck.org or call (913) 647-3054.

BEGINNING EXPERIENCE - A WEEKEND AWAY FOR A LIFETIME OF CHANGE Precious Blood Renewal Center 2120 St. Gaspar Way, Liberty, Missouri

This is a weekend for those who are suffering the loss of a love relationship and may feel left out by their church, uneasy around married friends and unsure of themselves.

The weekend is a chance to deal with the process of grief and turn it into a new beginning. For more information, visit the website at: www.beginningexperiencekc.org; send an email to: register.bekc@gmail.com; or call Michelle at (913) 709-3779.

PRAYER AND ACTION SUMMER MISSION TRIP Seneca

Prayer and Action 2019 will be hosted by Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Seneca. This is a youth mission trip program. It is a low-cost experience and provides service to people in their own communities. Students spend the week in a place free of distraction in order to foster faith and inspire charity. The program is organized through individual parish youth ministers. If you are interested, contact your parish youth minister. If you do not have a youth minister, contact Jody O’Rourke by email at: jorourke@archkck.org. For more information, visit the website at: www.arch kck.org/prayerandactionkc.

PINTS WITH A PRIEST Twister Grill and Bar 13100 Kansas Ave., Bonner Springs May 24 at 7 p.m.

Join the office of deaf ministry for its annual Pints with a Priest event. Father Christopher Klusman will be presenting theology of the body, part two. Share an evening of fun, socializing and prayer.

HEALING MASS Curé of Ars (Father Burak Room) 9405 Mission Rd., Leawood May 16 at 7:30 p.m.

A Mass with prayers for healing, sponsored by archdiocesan charismatic prayer groups, will be held. Father Justin Hamilton will preside.

For more information, call (913) 649-2026.

‘BRIDGES TO CONTEMPLATIVE LIVING WITH THOMAS MERTON AND OTHER SAGES’ Sophia Spirituality Center 751 S. 8th St., Atchison May 16 from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.

Various selections from spiritual writers will be used to awaken insight and wisdom for the journey toward spiritual transformation and a more peace-filled life. Sisters from the Sophia Spirituality Center will facilitate the session.

MEMORIAL LITURGY Curé of Ars 9405 Mission Rd., Leawood May 18 at 8 a.m.

There will be a memorial liturgy for deceased loved ones followed by a grief support meeting in the Father Burak Room. The topic will be: “Ten Commandments of Grief.” For more information, call (913) 649-2026.

THE GABRIEL PROJECT Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish (bride’s room in the basement) 7023 W. 71st St., Overland Park May 21 at 7 p.m.

The Gabriel Project is a ministry of the archdiocesan pro-life office providing help for pregnant women in need. Trained volunteers called “Gabriel Angels” are assigned to a mother when she calls for help and are responsible for ongoing con-

BENEFIT TRAIL RIDE Melvern Lake (Eisenhower Park) Osage City, Kansas May 31 - June 1

Registration is May 1, 6 - 9 p.m. or June 1 from 7 - 8:30 a.m. Horseback riding will be from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Non-riders are welcome to join us for dinner and music at 6 p.m. The cost for dinner is $10 for adults; $5 for kids ages 6 - 12; and free for kids under 5. Proceeds go the parish building fund for St. Patrick Parish in Scranton. For more information, call Lori Mock at (785) 6407262 or Rhonda Stark at (785) 633-3046.

GARAGE SALE Holy Spirit Parish 11300 W. 103rd St., Overland Park May 31 from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

June 1 from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

There will be furniture, kitchen wares, clothing, baby items, toys, games, holiday items, books, art, home decor and more.

Come shop and visit with friends. Net proceeds from the sale will benefit Holy Spirit School and the youth ministry’s trip to Steubenville.

CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD Sts. Peter and Paul Parish 411 Pioneer, Seneca June 6 - 9 and 20 - 23

This is adult formation for level 2, part 1, summer intensive. For more information or to register, call Angie Hammes at (785) 294-0442 or send an email to: angie mhammes@gmail.com.

FAMILY SPECIAL-NEEDS SUMMER CAMP Prairie Star Ranch 1124 California Rd., Williamsburg June 28 - 30

This is a summer camp for families who have a loved one with special needs. For more in-

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS GRADE SCHOOL SUMMER CAMPS St. Thomas Aquinas High School 11411 Pflumm Rd., Overland Park June and July

Registration and further information is available online at: www.stasaints.net/summer camps. For more information, call (913) 3192416 or send an email to: btriggs@stasaints. net.

CATHOLIC HEART WORKCAMP Kansas City area July 8 - 11

Do you need your house painted, inside or out? Or need your yard cleaned up? Do you need any minor home repairs? Contact the Kansas City managers online at: chwc.kc@ gmail.com or call (402) 306-9043. Leave a message and someone will return your call.

DIVORCED: CALLED TO LOVE AGAIN Church of the Ascension (St. Luke Room) 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park 2nd and 4th Sundays from 7 - 8:30 p.m.

What’s next after divorce/annulment? Join us for a formation series on the gift of self, which helps us fulfill the call to love again.

Various topics will be discussed. Visit our Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/ giftofself143 or send an email to: calledto love143@gmail.com.

CALENDAR submissions CALENDAR submissions DEADLINE: Noon, Thursday, 10 days before the desired publication date.

INCLUDE: time and date of event; street address; description of event.

SEND SUBMISSIONS TO: blankenship@theleaven.org.

beth.

MAY 3, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

COMMENTARY THIRD WEEK OF EASTER May 5 THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER Acts 5: 27-32, 40b-41 Ps 30: 2, 4-6, 11-13 Rv 5: 11-14 Jn 21: 1-19 May 6 Monday Acts 6: 8-15 Ps 119: 23-24, 26-27, 29-30 Jn 6: 22-29 May 7 Tuesday Acts 7:51 – 8:1a Ps 31: 3cd-4, 6ab, 7b, 8a, 17, 21ab Jn 6: 30-35 May 8 Wednesday Acts 8: 1b-8 Ps 66: 1-3a, 4-7a Jn 6: 35-40 May 9 Thursday Acts 8: 26-40 Ps 66: 8-9, 16-17, 20 Jn 6: 44-51 May 10 Damian de Veuster, priest Acts 9: 1-20 Ps 117: 1b-2 Jn 6: 52-59 May 11 Saturday Acts 9: 31-42 Ps 116: 12-17 Jn 6: 60-69

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don’t suppose you ever totally outgrow it.

This particular malady strikes hard at this time of year.

It goes by a variety of names, but the most popular is “senioritis,” defined as a condition “characterized by a decline in motivation or performance.”

According to the website — www.educationworld.com — symptoms include (but are not limited to): • Mild to moderate cases of staring out the window • Homework fatigue • Inflammation of the whining gland • Acute mediocrity • Excessive tardiness • Classroom intolerance • Excessive hallway wandering • Existential malaise Uh-oh. I’m not feeling so good right now. If you substitute “work” for “homework” and “workplace” for “classroom,” I’ve got all the symptoms!

But don’t worry! It’s nothing that a swift kick and the upcoming biweekly schedule of The Leaven can’t cure.

May is typically a busy month all around with lots of extra activities.

Sometimes, in an effort

J

We can work it out MARK MY WORDS

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

to cope, our minds tend to go on vacation, long before our official one.

Perhaps that’s why Pope Pius XII added the optional memorial to St. Joseph the Worker on May 1 to the church calendar in 1955. Ostensibly, it was to counteract secular May Day celebrations of the worker, popular in Communist countries. I bet another reason was as an antidote to the endemic senioritis outbreaks in May. Whenever I’m tempted to gold brick the rest of this month, I call to mind this little story: Once there was a

wealthy man who wanted to do good. One day, he noticed the miserable conditions in which a poor carpenter lived.

The man called the carpenter and commissioned him to build a beautiful house. He said, “I want this to be an ideal cottage. Use only the best materials, employ only the best workmen and spare no expense!”

The man then left on a journey and hoped the house would be finished when he returned.

The carpenter saw this as a great opportunity for shoddiness. He skimped on materials, hired inferior workers, covered mistakes with paint and cut corners wherever he could.

When the rich man returned, the carpenter brought him the keys and said, “I’ve followed your

instructions and built your house as you told me to.”

“I’m glad,” said the rich man, who handed the keys back to the builder. “Here are the keys. They are yours. I had you build this house for yourself. You and your family are to live in it as my gift.”

In the years that followed, the carpenter never ceased to regret the way he’d cheated himself. “Had I only known that I was building this house for myself,” he said, “how differently I would have gone about the task.” (Found in “Stories and Parables for Preachers and Teachers,”

by Paul J. Wharton.)

St. Joseph the carpenter would appreciate the point of this story.

Whenever we don’t do our best work, the person that we’re cheating is ourselves. And, of course, “work” doesn’t only refer to our schoolwork or our job. We also work at being a good parent, good spouse, good child, good sibling, good neighbor, good friend and good citizen.

Becoming a good Christian is work as well.

Saint Paul sometimes used athletic images to get the point across. For

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example, he writes: “Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it” (1 Cor 9: 24b-27a).

And, perhaps as a warning against senioritis, he writes: “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith” (2 Tm 4:7).

If your motivation is flagging and you’re tempted to chuck it all in anticipation of summer, press on instead. Perhaps we can draw inspiration from St. Joseph the Worker and say often the opening prayer on his feast day: “O God, Creator of all things, who laid down for the human race the law of work, graciously grant that by the example of St. Joseph and under his patronage we may complete the works you set us to do and attain the rewards you promise.”

Suddenly, those three more weekly issues of The Leaven before the summer don’t seem so daunting.

Isn’t it funny how that all works out?

Apostles heal in the power of Jesus’ name

ean Valjean, the released convict in the novel “Les Misérables,” proclaims his name, in contrast to the number that his jailors had given him: 24601.

He makes it clear that a name is more than a label to keep track of someone. It captures the person’s essence. It is a means to establish a relationship with that person. Our identity is bound up with our name.

This comes out very clearly in Sunday’s first reading, Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41. In interrogating Peter and the apostles about Jesus, the high priest avoids uttering the name of Jesus.

He says, “stop teaching in that name” and “bring this man’s blood

IN THE BEGINNING

FATHER MIKE STUBBS Father Stubbs is the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University.

upon us.” But he never mentions the name “Jesus.”

It is almost as though

POPE FRANCIS

saying Jesus’ name would summon Jesus into their presence. And that is something that the high priest clearly does not want.

Peter and the other apostles have been proclaiming the good news about Jesus. The Holy Spirit has been working miracles to corroborate their testimony: “Yet more than ever,

The scales of justice cannot solve everything, especially when it comes to stopping a cycle of evil vengeance, Pope Francis said.

“Evil knows revenge and if it is not halted, it risks spreading, suffocating the whole world,” he said April 24 during his weekly general audience.

Christians must forgive and love others even beyond what is due to stop the cycle of evil and to start things anew, he told thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square, which was still decorated with bright yellow, red and other colorful flowers from his Easter celebrations.

believers in the Lord, great numbers of men and women were added to them. Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them. A large number of people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered, bringing the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits, and they were all cured” (Acts 5:14-16).

These miracles take place on the strength of Jesus’ name. As Peter says to the crippled man who was begging: “I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give to you; in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk”

(Acts 3:6).

This is why the high priest and the Sanhedrin seek to prevent Peter and the apostles from proclaiming the name of Jesus.

They see the growing popularity of the apostles and the increase in believers. They view this as a threat to their own power and authority.

That is why they haul Peter and the apostles into the court.

Nonetheless, Peter responds, “We must obey God rather than men.”

And Sunday’s reading concludes with: “So, they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.”

Pope Francis continued his audience talks about the Lord’s Prayer by looking at how people ask God to “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

The use of the word “trespasses” in the original Greek of the Gospel means “being in debt,” so this part of the prayer recognizes how much people are in debt to God, especially for the gift of life and his infinite love and mercy, the pope said.

The so-called “‘self-made man’ doesn’t exist in the church,” he said, because Christians recognize the divine gifts and graces bestowed on them and the “beneficial conditions in life” they received from others.

— CNS

MAY 3, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

CLASSIFIEDS >> Continued from page 12

REAL ESTATE CASH FOR YOUR HOME (913) 980-4905 Any condition in the metro area Mark Edmondson - local parishioner http://www.buykcproperty.com We buy houses and whole estates - We are local and family-owned, and will make you a fair cash offer. We buy houses in any condition. No fees or commissions and can close on the date of your choice. Selling your house as is never felt so good. Jon & Stacy Bichelmeyer (913) 599-5000.

Whole Estates Need to sell a home and everything in it?

We buy it all at once in as-is condition.

Call (816) 444-1950 or send an email to: www.wholeestates.com.

Caretaker for seniors - Have experience and enjoy helping seniors. Will also run errands, etc. Call Patty at (913) 499-1469.

Just like family - Let me care for your loved ones in their homes. I have many years of experience. Looking for night-shift coverage, some days. Great price, great references. Experienced with hospice care. Call Ophelia at (913) 579-7276.

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 - Two side-by-side crypts; tier B, 13 and 15, located in the St. Joseph Chapel at Mount Calvary Cemetery, the only two left in the chapel. Call (913) 269-6176 for pricing.

WE SELL HOMES - Looking to sell? This is a seller’s market.

Call for a free consultation detailing the steps to selling your home. Ask about our 39-day sales guarantee. Mention this ad for a special offer. Call Jim Blaufuss, Re/Max Realty Suburban, at (913) 226-7442. Jimblaufuss@remax.net

For sale - Two spaces at Resurrection Cemetery in Mausoleum, St. John Corridor. Reasonable rate. Call (913) 894-2448.

For sale - Double glass-front niche at Resurrection Cemetery, Holy Family section, tier C, niche 3. Make an offer.

Call (913) 558-0723.

CAREGIVING

For sale - One plot in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Lot number 46C, space 7 in the Garden of Everlasting Life. Asking $1000. If interested, call Judy at (913) 523-6993.

Looking for assisted living at home? - Before you move, call us and explore our in-home care options.

We specialize in helping families live safely at home while saving thousands of dollars per year. Call today for more information or to request a FREE home care planning guide. Benefits of Home - Senior Care, www. benefitsofhome.com or call (913) 422-1591.

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.

For sale - Two adjoining plots at Mount Olivet Cemetery in the Crucifixion area, close to the road. Original cost $1825 per lot. Will sell both lots for $2500 or separately for $1250 each. Call Lesley at (913) 908-2162.

For sale - Two spaces at Resurrection Cemetery in Mausoleum, St. John Corridor. Reasonable rate. Call (913) 894-2448.

For sale - Two plots for sale at Mt. Calvary in Topeka. Plot 62, east and west, under a tree. Asking $1500. If interested, call Sue at (573) 348-3432.

WERE YOU MARRIED IN 1969?

Archdiocesan 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration Church of the Nativity/Leawood, KS June 2, 2019 at 2 p.m.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann

invites couples celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary in 2019 to a Golden Anniversary Mass in their honor with reception following.

To receive your invitation from Archbishop Naumann, please call the Marriage & Family Life Office at (913) 647-0345

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MAY 3, 2019 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

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Long, winding road leads to priesthood just the same

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

PERSONALLY SPEAKING

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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — There’s no such thing as a “typical” path for a man discerning his vocation to the priesthood.

“There are a lot of common threads to guys’ vocations . . . but when you really drill down into it, every guy has a unique story toward the priesthood,” said Deacon Colin Adian Haganey.

“With a lot of priests that I know,” he continued, “you look at their family and say, ‘Him? That was the one [God] picked?’”

Deacon Haganey is one of those “Him?” guys.

“I don’t have your run-of-the-mill vocation story,” he said.

Deacon Haganey, 29, is one of five children of Charlie and Jennifer Haganey, now members of St. Patrick Parish in Kansas City, Kansas. His father is a manager at a Walgreens pharmacy and his mother is a homemaker. Over the years, the couple has owned small businesses.

His parents are cradle Catholics — sort of.

“My dad was baptized as a kid because his great-aunt, a [Benedictine] nun, insisted, but his family never practiced,” he said. “My mom’s family practiced the faith until she was about 14 and then they fell away. By the time I came around, neither of them was practicing their faith.”

Consequently, Deacon Haganey grew up with a family life devoid of the Catholic faith.

His mother was, however, a spiritual wanderer. Strangely, the Dalai Lama played a role in her return to the Catholic faith.

“She actually started to practice Buddhism for a while,” he said. “But she read a quote by the Dalai Lama: ‘If you can’t find any truth in the religion you grew up in, you won’t find any in Buddhism.’

“That got her looking at the church again and, ultimately, she found out that there was a whole lot of truth in the Catholic Church. I think that kind of sparked her into going back.”

What got the whole family going to a Catholic parish was the infamous “jelly jar incident.”

One Saturday, his parents put then15-year-old Haganey in charge of his younger siblings, as well as keeping the house clean, while they worked at their small business.

“I kept the house particularly clean because I wanted to go out with friends in the evening,” he said.

About 15 minutes before his parents were to return, Haganey heard a tremendous “crash” in the kitchen. One of his sisters had caused a shelf in the refrigerator to fall and a jar of jelly had broken all over the kitchen floor, making a sharp and sticky mess.

Much yelling and scrapping ensued and, suffice it to say that by the time his parents got home, Haganey’s sister couldn’t wait to tattle.

Instead of the grounding he expected, Haganey was told by his mother that the whole clan was going to Mass the next morning at St. Patrick Church.

“I wasn’t too keen on it at first because it conflicted with my [Kansas City] Chiefs-watching schedule.

But after a couple of months I came around,” said Deacon Haganey.

The pastor, Msgr. Michael Mullen,

LEAVEN PHOTO BY LORI WOOD HABIGER

Deacon Colin Adian Haganey is pictured on May 19, 2018, at Holy Trinity Church in Lenexa when he was ordained a transitional deacon. He will be ordained a priest on May 25 at Church of the Ascension in Overland Park.

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“NOT KNOWING ME FROM ANYBODY ELSE AT THE DINNER, [FATHER PATRICK SULLIVAN] ASKED ME IF I’D EVER THOUGHT OF BECOMING A PRIEST. THAT GOT ME THINKING PRETTY HARD ABOUT IT ALMOST OVERNIGHT.”

set a good example as a “happy, joyful priest” that inspired him, he added, which encouraged him to become more involved in parish activities.

In March 2006, when he was 16, Haganey was at a parish dinner when he met a young seminarian — the future Father Patrick Sullivan.

“Not knowing me from anybody else at the dinner, he asked me if I’d ever thought of becoming a priest,” he said. “That got me thinking pretty hard about it almost overnight.”

In June, he told Msgr. Mullen that he wanted to be a priest.

The seasoned pastor played it pretty chill.

“Well, I think your baptism is a

good first step to take, and we can go on from there,” Msgr. Mullen told him.

That’s right — the kid who hadn’t even been baptized wanted to be a priest.

The young Haganey and his brothers and sisters were all baptized on July 22, 2006. His parents had their marriage convalidated, and Haganey and his father even celebrated their first holy Communion and confirmation together.

After high school graduation, he was admitted to Conception Seminary at Conception, Missouri, and attended for two years. He dropped out for three years due to feelings of uncertainty. But his desire to continue to discern a vocation to the priesthood stayed with him, and he returned to Conception. His certainty matured at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis.

He was ordained a deacon on May 19, 2018, at Holy Trinity Church in Lenexa. He will be ordained a priest

by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann on May 25 at the Church of the Ascension in Overland Park.

Deacon Haganey’s advice to young men thinking about the priesthood is Nike-esque: Just do it.

“If you’re thinking about going to seminary, just do it,” he said. “The absolute worst-case scenario is that you aren’t called to be a priest, but you spent a year or two working on yourself as a person and working on your spiritual life. You’ll be a better man, husband or father because of it.”

Name: Deacon Colin Adian Haganey Age: 29 Born: Leavenworth Raised: Leavenworth Parents: Charlie and Jennifer Siblings: Avery, Phoebe, Katherine and Chandler Current home parish: St. Patrick Parish, Kansas City, Kansas Education: • Lansing High School, 2008 • Conception Seminary at Conception, Missouri; Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, 2015 • Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, Master of Divinity, 2019 Favorite TV, Netflix, YouTube or other show: Mostly sports Tech I can’t live without: My PC Favorite musical style/band/performer: I have eclectic tastes, but I listen most to the Turnpike Troubadours.

My most notable encounter with the famous/infamous: When Cardinal Timothy Dolan visited the seminary, he gave me $100 to fill up his car and told me to keep the change. I noticed an empty bag of Twizzlers on his seat, so I bought and left a bag of Twizzlers, a soda, water and his change on the seat.

The rector told me Cardinal Dolan’s reaction: “Tell that deacon when I come into my kingdom, his reward will be great.”

Most inspirational Christian(s) I’ve ever met: Only through his writings — Pope Benedict XVI Favorite saint: St. Maximilian Kolbe, because he’s a great example of sacrificial love and holiness.

Favorite devotion: The rosary. It’s the favorite of the saints.

Book to recommend: “Five Loaves and Two Fish,” by Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan Favorite food: Chick-fil-A Least favorite food: Onions and mushrooms Favorite childhood toy: My teddy bear, “Brown Bear.”

Favorite place: Arrowhead Stadium Dream vacation: Home for a week Worst job I’ve ever had: Waiter at Applebee’s Best job I’ve ever had: Overnight manager at a CVS pharmacy Hobbies/things I like to do: Watching sports, playing cards Guilty pleasure: Sleeping in late My hidden talent/party trick: Being able to talk a lot My final four saints: St. John Paul II, Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, St. Nicholas and St. Sebastian Best advice I’ve received seeking my vocation: Father Samuel Russell said, “I don’t want you discerning until March.” Rather than stressing daily, live the life of a seminarian August to March, and then bring up the question of going on. The answer will be clearer then rather than if you are anxious about it every day.

What I’m looking forward to: Not having to search for a Mass while on vacation — because I’ll be the one celebrating the Mass.