THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 41, NO. 40 | JUNE 5, 2020
‘WE WALK BY FAITH’
Father Travis Mecum stands before the gathered congregation at his ordination ceremony. His first assignment will be as associate pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa.
Father Anthony Mersmann declares his intention to Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann to become a priest. His first assignment will be as associate pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park.
Seated before Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann on May 23 at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kansas, Deacons Travis Mecum and Anthony Mersmann prepare to become priests for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
Even a pandemic couldn’t stop the ordinations of two to the priesthood Story by Joe Bollig Photos by Jay Soldner
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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Cathedral of St. Peter here was absolutely packed on May 23 for the ordination of Father Travis Mecum and Father Anthony Mersmann to the priesthood. Not with people. Social distancing and a limit on the number of people present were still in force because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the paucity of people in the pews, however, the cathedral was absolutely packed — with joy, happiness, celebration and prayer. “Your ordination occurs at this strange moment when our nation and world are contending with this COVID-19 pandemic,” said Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann in a prerecorded homily offered for later listening because of the shortened liturgy. “It has altered many of the externals of the ordination liturgy: the number of people present, social distancing, the wearing of masks required, the music and the lack of congregational singing, the number of priests able to be present to welcome you into the presbyterate.” “However,” he continued, “it has not been able to contaminate the essential component of the liturgy — the coming of the Holy Spirit anew into your hearts, powering both of you to share in the priesthood of Jesus and become shepherds after the example of our Lord.” >> Continued on page 8
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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s The Leaven goes to press this Tuesday evening, events are unfolding fast. But for Archbishop Naumann’s thoughts on the death of George Floyd and the ensuing riots, as well as the response of other U.S. bishops, see inside.
JUNE 5, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
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‘I share the outrage,’ but violence creates new injustices
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ith our entire nation, I was deeply saddened by the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. He died as a result of injuries inflicted by a police officer while other police passively watched. Sadly, this despicable abuse of power came shortly after videotape evidence revealed that Ahmaud Arbery, another African-American, was killed in Georgia by a father and son vigilante team who claimed to be making a citizen’s arrest. Racism is not a thing of the past. It is a real and present danger that must be addressed. As members of the church, we cannot remain indifferent and silent in the face of such injustice. If we do, we risk “the land of the free and the home of the brave” becoming unrecognizable when some Americans are being deprived of their human dignity and their right to due process. Our commitment to respect for human life and to uphold the dignity of the human person does not allow us to turn a blind eye to these atrocities. I share the outrage against this grave injustice and support the necessity of passionate, peaceful protests. At the same time,
COMING TO YOU LIVE Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will be livestreaming daily Mass, Monday through Saturday, at 8:30 a.m. from his Facebook page. His Sunday Mass, at 10 a.m., is livestreamed from www.archkck.org.
LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN I deplore those who exploit this tragedy by violent riots, looting of neighborhood businesses and destruction of property. These senseless and self-serving actions result in creating new victims of injustice. Sadly, they tarnish legitimate protests and serve to distract attention from addressing the underlying problem of racial injustice. Racism is a grave moral evil. It is an injustice to those who are its victims and it is an insult to God. When any member of the human family is disrespected, much less has their fundamental right to life threatened, we insult the God who created them in his divine image and for whom Jesus gave his life on Calvary. As Catholics, we are
called to honor God by striving to purge our own hearts from all racial bigotry and actively working to eradicate all forms of racism from our society. We honor God when we uphold the dignity of each and every human being. We also need to pray for our police, the vast majority of whom serve our community with integrity and dedication. Their work has been made much more difficult because of the reprehensible actions of a few. In the priestly prayer of Jesus for his disciples in the Chapter 17 of St. John’s Gospel, Jesus prays “that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they may be in us, that the world may believe you sent me” (v. 21). Jesus prays for unity among his disciples so that the world will come to believe in the Gospel. It is the ability of Jesus to unite people
of different races, ethnicities, ages, sexes, and socioeconomic groups that compels the world to take notice of the Gospel. We see this gift of unity in the Pentecost event. At the time of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, because of the Jewish holiday, there were people from all over the world in Jerusalem. When the apostles began to preach, everyone heard and understood them in their native language. I have often coveted this gift of being able to speak in one’s own language and yet be understood by others in their native tongues. If many received this charism, it could put Rosetta Stone and other foreign language
learning programs out of business. Pentecost is the reversal of the disunity caused by sin that is epitomized by the story in the Book of Genesis that described the building of the tower of Babel. The tower was a symbol of human pride and arrogance. Its construction was an effort to pierce heaven with human ingenuity and industry. This sin of pride resulted in the division symbolized by the discord created by the multiplication of many languages resulting in chaos and confusion. Jesus came to reverse this disunity. The unity of the church is essential in her mission to make disciples.
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At the heart of the Gospel is this respect for the dignity of every human person because we are fashioned in the divine image. In the Gospel, Jesus sheds his blood on Calvary for every human being, revealing the worth God has placed on each human life. Our disregard or disrespect for any human being is an affront to God who has given each of us an inestimable worth. Jesus proclaims the dignity of every human person no matter their race, ethnicity, economic worth, physical or mental capacity, sex, level of education or social status. Positively, it is the ability of Jesus to unite a diverse community of believers that compels the world to take notice of the Gospel. As Catholics, it is not sufficient for us to refrain from racial bigotry and discrimination; we are called to engage in efforts to eliminate racial injustice within our society and to promote policies that respect the dignity of each and every member of our community. We must labor to make Our Lord’s prayer for the church a reality — namely, that we may be one as the Father and Son are one so that the world will believe in Jesus and his Gospel.
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JUNE 5, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG
US BISHOPS
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Bishops around U.S. express sorrow over Floyd killing, racism By Rhina Guidos Catholic News Service
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ASHINGTON (CNS) — Even as the United States still finds itself grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, outrage, grief and anger over the latest killing of an unarmed black man outweighed caution as hundreds of thousands turned out nationwide to protest and many of the country’s Catholic bishops joined the calls for justice. “The outrage around the death of George Floyd is understandable and justice must be served,” said Denver Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila in a May 30 statement referencing the killing of the 46-year-old Floyd, whose last moments of life were recorded on a widely disseminated video showing a white police officer in Minneapolis pushing down on his neck with his knee May 25. Floyd was later pronounced dead. Four officers from the Minneapolis Police Department were fired May 26, including Derek Chauvin, with whom Floyd pleaded, “Please, I can’t breathe,” as he held him down. Chauvin is facing third-degree murder and seconddegree manslaughter charges. “What did we expect when we learned that in Minneapolis, a city often hailed as a model of inclusivity, the price of a black life is a counterfeit $20 bill?” said Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago, in a May 31 statement saying he had spent the last few nights watching the protests “in great personal pain as the pent-up anger of our people caught fire across our country.” Floyd was apprehended by the group of officers after a deli worker called 911 saying he had paid with a counterfeit $20 bill. Cardinal Cupich said he’s watched as “the city where I was born, the cities where I have lived, the city I pastor now, catch embers from the city where I was educated,” and then he watched them “burn.” “Was I horrified at the violence? Yes. But was I surprised? No,” he said. Though protests were largely peaceful, small groups within the demonstrating masses have burned cars, broken into and looted businesses in cities such as Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York and Washington — all which now have put curfews into place. But in some localities, such as Coral Gables, Florida, and Flint, Michigan, authorities have dialogued and even prayed with protesters. On May 30, police officers in Coral Gables kneeled down with heads bowed and joined protesters, observing several minutes of silence, the amount of time reports say that Floyd spent under Chauvin’s knee. The same day, Sheriff Chris Swanson from Flint Township approached a mass of protesters, telling them he was putting down his weapons and is seen on video telling them: “The only reason we’re here is to make sure that you got a voice — that’s it.” Then they asked him to walk with them and he did. But in other places, such as the environs of the White House, cars were burned, businesses were vandalized,
CNS PHOTO/LUCAS JACKSON, REUTERS
Terrence Floyd, the brother of George Floyd, reacts at a makeshift memorial at the spot where he was taken into custody in Minneapolis June 1. Demonstrations continue after a white police officer was caught on a bystander’s video May 25 pressing his knee into the neck of George Floyd, an African American, who later died at a hospital. and authorities used tear gas on protesters. “The looting, vandalism and violence we are witnessing in Minneapolis and throughout our nation dishonors the legacy of Mr. Floyd and further complicates a tragic situation,” said Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Virginia, across the Potomac from Washington. They were calls echoed by Floyd’s brother Terrence, who said on a national television show that the violence was “overshadowing what is going on because [his brother] was about peace. . . . [This is] destructive unity. That’s not what he was about.” Others said the tragic situation was being used for a variety of reasons and was a warning signal. “COVID-19, the murder of George Floyd, the needless deaths of so many people of color, the shameless exploitation of social division for personal gratification or political gain — these are apocalyptic events that are not meant simply to scare us — to take our breath away — but to warn us of serious trouble on the horizon as well as the true meaning of the peril that is already among us,” said Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, New Jersey, in his Pentecost homily May 31. “We desperately need to breathe, so that we can recognize that the efforts by people of great power to divide us are diametrically opposed to the plan God has for this world,” he said. Also referencing the pandemic in his Pentecost homily, Washington’s Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory said the incident has served to reveal “the virus of racism among us once again even as we continue to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.”
President Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann
Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799)
CNS PHOTO/DAVE HRBACEK, THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
Father Paul Jarvis and other parishioners of St. Bridget Parish in Minneapolis pray May 31. Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago said, “What did we expect when we learned that in Minneapolis, a city often hailed as a model of inclusivity, the price of a black life is a counterfeit $20 bill?” Denver’s Archbishop Aquila reminded Catholics to keep church teaching in mind, not political preferences, when it comes to the killing. “The Catholic Church has always promoted a culture of life, but too often our society has lost its sense of the dignity of every human being from the time of conception until natural death,” he said. “Every Catholic has a responsibility to promote the dignity of life at every level of life. Too many have made their god their ideology, political party, or the color of their skin, and not the gospel of life and the dignity of every human being.” The archbishop added: “I encourage the faithful of the archdiocese to examine
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our consciences on how we promote a culture of life on all levels, to pray for the conversion of hearts of those who promote racism, to pray that our society may return to a culture of life, and finally and most importantly, to pray for the repose of the soul of George Floyd, for his family in their loss, and that justice may be served in his case.” In the Diocese of El Paso, Texas, Bishop Mark J. Seitz, who last year wrote a pastoral letter on racism, gathered with priests from his diocese and carrying a “Black Lives Matter” sign kneeled in silence for eight minutes, the time Floyd was said to have spent under the officer’s knee before becoming unconscious and later dying.
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JUNE 5, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
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WHY CATHOLICS CAN’T SING — AT LEAST FOR NOW LEAVEN PHOTO BY DOUG HESSE
Mary Jo Mahoney, director of music and liturgy at St. Pius X Parish in Mission, demonstrates how droplets are released in the air during singing.
Singing restricted to stop spread of virus, protect parishioners By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Music has been at the heart of Mary Jo Mahoney’s life for decades. She spent her grade school days at the former St. Pius X School in Mission and was taught by Benedictine Sisters, who encouraged her to get involved in the choir. Music became her passion, and she went on to study choral conducting and music education. She now works as the director of music and liturgy at St. Pius X Parish. So, when Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann released guidelines on the reopening of public Masses amid COVID-19, and it was clear that congregational singing would not be allowed, Mahoney was heartbroken. “It was the most painful thing to see,” she said. “It’s just disheartening because that is something I think is so key to our whole celebration of Mass.” But Mahoney is confident the temporary protocol is necessary for the safety of congregants based on the evidence she’s seen. One tragic example illustrates how easily coronavirus is spread by group singing. In early March, before the symptoms and communicability of the virus were widely understood, a choir member — with only minor cold-like symptoms but who later tested positive for COVID-19 — attended a choir practice in Mount Vernon, Washington. During that practice, 52 of the 60 other choir members were infected
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“ALL OF IT IS BEING DONE WITH AN EYE TOWARDS KEEPING US SAFE DURING THIS TIME OF PANDEMIC.” and later grew ill, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Two people died as a result. The severity of the situation prompted experts in the singing and performing arts community to meet virtually to discuss what needs to be done to reduce the spread of COVID-19. In a YouTube presentation entitled “A Conversation: What Do Science and Data Say About the Near Term Future of Singing,” Dr. Lucinda Halstead, president of the Performing Arts Medical Association, concluded that singing in a group is not safe unless there is a vaccine and a 95% effective treatment for the virus. It was no surprise, then, to Michael Podrebarac, archdiocesan consultant for liturgy and sacramental life, that Archbishop Naumann directed his flock to temporarily stop congregational singing from the very start of reinstating public Masses. Research has indicated that COVID19, as is the case with similar viruses, spreads largely through tiny droplets released into the air through human breath, said Podrebarac, which is why people are also being asked to wear
masks at church. “What’s invisible to the naked eye,” he said, “is really significant when you think about the amount of droplets that are released during a cough or sneeze. “There is an elevated number of these droplets released into the air when we sing.” But not all Catholics are convinced the decision to suspend singing is the right one, said Podrebarac. The virus is a new one, and its properties and the way it is spread are not always clearly understood. “One can find a doctor or a group of individuals that will support just about any perspective we can imagine with the coronavirus,” he said. “Everybody can easily come up with their own set of ‘experts.’ “I don’t think it’s because people don’t want to do what is right.” Instead, said Podrebarac, he sees a church that is hurting and “longing for some kind of return to normal.” “There are people who love to sing at Mass,” he continued. “And the music is an integral part of their experience for participation in worship. “Because that’s not possible now, it can cause quite a bit of a strain on the mind and the heart.” It is just human nature, he added, to prefer an explanation that requires less drastic measures than those that have been required. “So, when we hear alternative explanations to possible risks of spread, in all sincerity, we want to believe whatever makes the situation as minimally threatening as possible,” he added. Podrebarac, who has a passion for
cantoring at Mass, empathizes with the pain people feel from not being able to worship the way they are used to. “Singing elevates our human speech in a way that no other medium does,” said Podrebarac. “It brings a certain delight, a certain emotion [and] a certain solemnity, as the Second Vatican Council taught. “All of these things are brought to human speech through singing and can’t be achieved in any other way. “It’s an unsettling sound, this lack of singing.” Although Mass is much quieter at St. Pius X these days, a church known for enthusiastic singers, Mahoney has been inspired by her fellow parishioners who have made the best of the situation. “I’m just amazed at how people have taken to respecting the wearing of the masks and staying after [Mass] to help wipe down the pews,” she said. “It’s new protocol, but people have stepped right into it.” Mahoney looks forward to the future when the St. Pius X community can gather together fully. “As the restrictions are lifted,” she said, “I see that soon we’ll be singing again.” Podrebarac agreed, and he encouraged Catholics to be patient until then. “All of this is being done right now so that we can have access to the sacraments,” he said. “All of it is being done with an eye toward keeping us safe during this time of pandemic. “And we’ll get back to where we want to be.”
JUNE 5, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
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Dorothy Day retreat set for June 12-14 EASTON — Christ’s Peace House of Prayer here will host a retreat on social justice with Dorothy Day from 5:30 p.m. on June 12 to 4:30 p.m. on June 14. The retreat will delve into the teachings of Dorothy Day and her deep conviction for social justice. Learn how this journalist’s conversion propelled her to found the Catholic Worker movement and advocate for the poor. There will be conferences, eucharistic adoration, Mass, confession, and time for private prayer, reflection and walking. Cost for a single cabin/courtyard room is $170 or $250 for a couple. Single guest rooms are $100. Meals are included. To attend, send an email to: info@ christspeace.com or call (913) 773-8255.
Aquinas to host grade school summer camps
PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIO GARCIA
Julio Garcia, a member of St. Paul Parish, Olathe (center in white), is a traveling nurse who has gone to the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic to work in the intensive care unit of St. John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, New York.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
Traveling nurse helps out in the Big Apple By Jill Ragar Esfeld jill.esfeld@theleaven.org
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LATHE — In early March, Julio Garcia, a member of St. Paul Parish here, was planning his wedding. He and his fiancee were to be married on June 6, and were expecting almost 400 guests. It was the happiest time of his life. Two months later, the wedding was canceled and Garcia was headed to New York, the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, to work in intensive care. A traveling nurse and member of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Garcia felt an obligation to help those most in need during this crisis. But the decision to go to St. John’s Riverside Hospital in Yonkers, New York, wasn’t easy. “I’ll be honest,” he said. “There was a night I couldn’t sleep. I was anxious, I was nervous. “But I’ve been doing ICU now for three years. And I just felt if they needed help, especially in an ICU setting, I wanted to help out. “So I went.” Garcia’s mother contacted St. Paul Church and asked for a blessing for her son, which pastor Father Michael Hermes was happy to give. Before he left for New York, Garcia’s mother gave him a rosary; it would become a treasured means of getting him through the hardships ahead. What he found in New York were brave, resilient people overwhelmed with heartbreaking realities.
At St. John’s, specialty wards had been turned into coronavirus units, and operating rooms converted into ICUs — but both were inadequately equipped for critical care. “Some of these nurses were working in other specialties,” said Garcia. “In one week, they had to get a crash course in ICU and then care for ICU patients. “Normally, the ICU nurses have two patients to one nurse; some of these nurses were taking five criticalcare patients.” Needless to say, he was greeted with open arms. “They’ve been so welcoming,” said Garcia. “They’ve been so nice, so thankful. They needed the help and so they really appreciate everybody that came.” Garcia’s purpose was to relieve the workload, but he found just being a good listener was almost as important as being trained in critical care. “A lot of these nurses have been carrying weight on their chests,” he said. “They’ve been seeing patients, cheering for them, and sometimes — when the outcome’s sad — they need to be able to talk, to cry, to let it out somehow. “I just listen to them. I feel that’s my main role, just supporting nurses, relieving them and just letting them vent emotionally.” Because he is fluent in Spanish, and Yonkers is a Hispanic neighborhood, Garcia has become a resource for communicating with families and friends of COVID-19 patients. “That is a sad thing,” he said. “Unfortunately, [visitation] is really limited and sometimes these patients do pass away without there being any
family in the room. “And we have to call families and tell them their relative has passed away. It is really hard. “It can be emotionally draining.” Garcia said the hardest aspect of his journey is missing his family and home. But prayer has helped him remain positive. “To be away from my family, to see people dying — it’s definitely made me pray more,” he said. “My mom gave me this rosary, and I’ll be honest, I haven’t prayed a rosary in over a year,” he continued. “But I’ve started to do that now. “I’ve gotten so comfortable and so fortunate to have all these blessings that I kind of forget to be thankful and to pray about them. “This experience has definitely made my faith stronger.” As the country reopens, Garcia shares a fear common among health professionals that there will be a second wave of coronavirus. “That’s definitely something everybody at the hospital talks about,” he said. The best way to show our gratitude to health providers is to do everything in our power to keep that from happening. “Practice social distancing,” said Garcia. “Wear face masks, especially around people who are vulnerable. “I think that’s what everybody at hospitals wants — especially now that they’re going to open the country back up. “Be safe and be smart.” Garcia looks forward to coming home soon — and, in 2021, making new plans for his wedding.
OVERLAND PARK — During July through early August, St. Thomas Aquinas High School here will be providing a variety of summer camps for students entering grades K through 8th to explore. Summer camps give students the chance to discover their potential in both sports and other activities. Registration and further information are available online at: www.stasaints. net/summercamps. For questions, call the athletic office at (913) 319-2416 or send an email to: btriggs@stasaints.net.
Blood drive set for June 10 SHAWNEE — St. Joseph Parish here will host a blood drive from 1 to 7 p.m. on June 10 at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 11221 Johnson Drive. The number of donors is limited, and appointments are required; walk-ins will not be accepted. To make an appointment, contact Virginia Wiedel by email at: vrwiedel@sbcglobal.net, or call (913) 268-3874. Please wear a face mask to your donation. If you do not have one, you will be provided with one upon your arrival. Regarding COVID-19, do not donate if: • You are experiencing a fever or other symptoms of COVID-19 (cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing) • You have had close contact with someone diagnosed with or suspected of having COVID-19 in the last 14 days • You have been diagnosed or suspected of having COVID-19 until 28 days after your illness has resolved.
Veterans section planned for Topeka cemetery TOPEKA — Catholic Cemeteries of Northeast Kansas has announced plans for a veterans section and memorial monument in Mt. Calvary Cemetery here. The newly designated Veterans Garden will initially offer 250 or more spaces for burial of veterans and their spouses. The section will feature white marble memorial headstones similar to those in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virgina. The veterans section will be located in the area southwest of Holy Trinity Mausoleum in the cemetery. A central monument and possibly a memorial wall will designate this area as the Veterans Garden. For more information, call the Topeka Catholic Cemeteries office at (785) 2720820; send an email to: information@ cathcemks.org; or visit the website at: www.cathcemks.org.
JUNE 5, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
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TALK2ME
Program tackles teenage suicide by opening lines of communication By Jill Ragar Esfeld jill.esfeld@theleaven.org
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EAWOOD — Church of the Nativity parishioner Elise DiCarlo was a big believer in discussing the tough stuff. She talked openly with her teenage son Jacob about depression and thoughts of suicide. She begged him to reach out to someone if he ever felt that way. “Promise me you’ll tell your truth,” she said. A doctor, DiCarlo was well aware that teen suicide is a grave reality. And she knew it was an important subject to broach with her children. But she didn’t really think it would ever affect Jacob. “My son was the perfect kid on paper, a 4.0 varsity athlete,” she said. Then she got a call from his school counselor. Jacob was having “dark thoughts,” said the counselor. And remembering the talk he’d had with his mother, Jacob said he knew he needed to get help before those thoughts caused him to do something drastic. “He did everything he was supposed to do,” said DiCarlo. “I talked to my kid and, instead of hurting himself, he went and talked to a counselor at school.” In the end, Jacob got the help he needed to start addressing his depression. And DiCarlo was more than glad that she had explained to him how to ask for that help should he ever need it. But she wanted to do more. And she knew just who to turn to for help. “I asked my son, ‘Would you share this?’” she said. “‘If it would save one life, would it be worth it?’ “‘I’m in,’” he said.” Only a short time later, DiCarlo attended a prayer service for a teen who had committed suicide. It was during that service that she was inspired to write the plan for Talk2Me, an accountability program that empowers teens to help other teens. Talk2Me urges teens to fill out cards naming two “safe people” they can call any time — night or day — if they need to talk. Teens involved in the program communicate and agree to be there for one another. They make a commitment to check in on one another. They’re also taught coping and problem-solving skills. “They say it’s 40 minutes between the time a person thinks about [hurting themselves] and takes action,” said DiCarlo. “So, we want to get in there at seven or eight minutes and get them thinking differently. “We give them things to do that move their body and move their mind.” As part of the training, Jacob presents
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Participating in a Talk2Me virtual run are Jackie George McMahon, left, and Dr. Elise Marie DiCarlo, founder of Talk2Me. The virtual runs were part of Talk2Me’s plan to get teenagers outside during the pandemic, as isolation increases the risk of teen suicide. his own story, so teens see firsthand that mental crises can be resolved. “It makes me feel really good to know I am helping a lot of people with the hardship I went through,” he said. The program got off the ground last September. By spring, it had plans for presentations in many schools. Then COVID-19 struck. “This isolation is just crippling for these teens,” said DiCarlo of the pandemic. And, of course, that isolation just increases the risk of teen suicide. Talk2Me’s solution was the creation of free 5K virtual runs, which draw teens to its website and Facebook page, and also get them outside and engaged in activity. The first two runs were a great success. “All they had to do was go outside,” said DiCarlo. “Walk or run a 5K, tell us [on the website] and we gave them a gift card. “We just wanted to show that we care and make sure people get out.” DiCarlo looks forward to getting the Talk2Me program into schools again next year. But for now, she said, “We’ll just reach the kids however we can, meet them wherever they are.”
Get involved. Get help You can find out more about the Talk2Me program online at: www.talk2me.com, or by going to its Facebook page: Talk 2 Me — A Program of Hope. If you’d like to get involved, contact DiCarlo at: elisemarie@talk-2me.com.
Run with Talk2Me “Talk 2 Me: A Program of Hope Empowering Teens to Connect, Heal and Thrive” is hosting a 5K run/walk. Donations raised will provide for programs that help Kansas City-area teenagers struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide. Nov. 29 at 9 a.m. Rockhurst High School 9301 State Line Rd., Kansas City, Missouri Sign up online at: www.talk-2me.com
Mental health helplines • Johnson County Mental Health Center 24/7 crisis line: (913) 2680156
• Wyandotte County Behavior Health Network: general questions and answers: (913) 328-4600; 24/7 crisis line: (913) 788-4200 • Disaster stress hotline: 1 (800) 985-5990 • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1 (800) 273-8255 • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline: 1 (800) 662-HELP (4357)
Facts about teen suicide Teen suicide continues to rise in Kansas and Missouri. It is the leading cause of death for 10- to 17-year-olds. One in six high school students reported “seriously considering suicide.” Having safe people to talk to about suicidal thoughts and feelings of depression is a proven method that not only deters death but can put the struggling youth on a path to mental health and a thriving future. The current COVID-19 restrictions and uncertainty exacerbate feelings of isolation, depression and anxiety.
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JUNE 5, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS Timothy and Joyce Murphy, members of Church of the Nativity Parish, Leawood, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on June 11. The couple was married at St. James Church in Ludlow, Kentucky, by Father Leo Egbring. Their children are: Pamela, Christy (deceased), Robin and Todd. They also have eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. A family celebration is planned for later in June. Charlotte (Lee) and Edward Mehrer Jr., members of St. Ann Parish, Prairie Village, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on June 18. The couple was married at St. Elizabeth Church in Kansas City, Missouri. Their children are: Stephen Mehrer, Kathy Miller, Michael Mehrer, Mark Mehrer and Christy Schoenfeld. They also have 14 grandchildren. The couple will celebrate with a family dinner. Terry and Rita Kopp, members of Curé of Ars Parish, Leawood, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on June 6. The couple was married June 6, 1970, at St. Francis Xavier Church in Kansas City Missouri. Their children are: Anthony, Katherine, Jeffrey, Gregory, Courtney, Shelly and Sean. They also have 11 grandchildren.
Thomas and Lynette (Oswald) Glotzb a c h , members of Christ the King Parish, To p e k a , will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on June 6. The couple was married on June 6, 1970, at Most Pure Heart Church, Topeka. They are planning a family cruise at a later date. Their children are: Kris, Cindy and Becky. They also have three granddaughters. Norm
and Mary K. Coakley, members of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish, Overland Park, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on June 18. The couple was married on June 18, 1960, at St. Therese Church, Kansas City, Missouri, by Father Donald Redmond, OSB, the bride’s brother. Their children are: Virginia Williams, Kathryn Alexander, Loraine Guadagnano, Thomas Coakley and Mary Miles. They also have 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Bette and Randy Monson, members of Church of the Nativity Parish, Leawood, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on June 6. The couple was married on June 6, 1970, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Rapid City, South Dakota. They are planning a trip to Disney World in 2021. Their children are: Amy Haney and Kyle Monson. They also have five grandchildren.
Larry and Pat (Faubion) Maiorano, members of Holy Trinity Parish, Lenexa, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on June 6. The couple was married on June 6, 1970, at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Auburn, New York. They have one daughter, Gina Maiorano McIntyre in Portland, Oregon. The couple plans to celebrate with a trip to Washington, D.C., next year. Maxine (Steinlage) and Stan Wiechert Jr., members of Christ the King Parish, To p e k a , will celebrate their 50th anniversary on June 20. The couple was married June 20, 1970, at Assumption Church, Topeka. Their children are Lisa Hockenberry and Julie Anderson. They also have 11 grandchildren. Harold and Mary Lou Fernau, members of Queen of Holy Rosary Parish, Overland Park, will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary on June 18. The couple was married on June 18, 1955, at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Butte, Nebraska. A celebration is planned for a later date. Their children are: Debbie Olsen, Barbara Fernau (deceased), Lisa Cauthon and Mary Fernau. They also have six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
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Ada (Mondero) and Eugene “Gene” Yo u n g , m e m bers of St. Francis de Sales Parish, Lansing, plan to celebrate t h e i r 70th wedding anniversary on June 7. The couple was married June 3, 1950, at St. Francis de Sales. Their children are: David Young, Michael Young, Ann Hoins and Tom Young. They also have 10 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. Edwin “Ed” and Donna (Cline) Bryan, members of St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Onaga, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on June 13 with a family lunch and then an open reception from 2-4 p.m. The couple was married on June 13, 1970, at St. Vincent by Father Richard Etzel. They have two children — Edana Phillips and Tiffany Ronnebaum — 9 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. Russell and Virginia Mueller, members of Curé of Ars Parish, Leawood, will celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary on June 19. The couple was married June 19, 1950, at St. Peter Cathedral in Belleville, Illinois. Their children are: Diane Fouraker, Camdenton, Missouri; Linda Slagle, Marietta, Georgia; and Beth Eppler. They also have six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Father Anthony Mersmann chats with his parents Walt and Martha before his ordination ceremony begins.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s ordination ceremony was limited to immediate family. The sparse crowd watches as the ordinands enter.
Tim Chik and Simon Scholl livestream the Anthony Mersmann.
>> Continued from page 1
Simpler is good Father Scott Wallisch, archdiocesan co-director of seminarians, was one of eight priests present (including the archbishop). He couldn’t help but remember his own ordination at the cathedral in 2010. “One of the things that stuck out to me, in my own ordination, was a point where the men are presented to the bishop,” said Father Wallisch. “The bishop says he accepts them for ordination and everybody says, ‘Thanks be to God,’ and begins clapping. The [ordinands] are encouraged to turn around and see everyone who’s supporting them. I felt very supported by everyone there, standing room only. “I was disappointed for them that they didn’t have that same sort of experience. But I noticed that those of us who were there were applauding much longer than usual, just to let them know on behalf of everyone that we were proud of them and excited for their priesthood.” Each ordinand was allowed only 10 guests, so the many people who wanted to attend had to mitigate their frustrations by watching the liturgy on livestream. “There is nothing that can alleviate our frustrations and disappointments [over not attending] save the love and grace of the Lord,” said Michael Podrebarac, archdiocesan consultant for liturgy and sacramental life, who cantored at the Mass. “So, I would simply say attach yourselves to the rites as they happen, whether in prayerful remembrance or by following the livestream. “Offer your sacrifices and sufferings to the Lord for the sake of souls — that’s what it’s all about. And do not lose hope. As St. Julian of Norwich counseled, ‘All shall be well.’”
Families supported new priests Family members present included some siblings and parents: Gary and Clara Mecum, who attend Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park; and Walter and Martha Mersmann, who attend Holy Family Parish in Eudora. “I was glad I was wearing a mask because I was bawling
Travis Mecum and Anthony Mersmann prostrate themselves before the altar during the Litany of the Saints. like a baby,” admitted Walt. When Father Mersmann was growing up, Walt would occasionally ask him what he wanted to do with his life. The future priest would usually name two choices. “The first thing out of his mouth was always something different, but it was always followed by, ‘or maybe become a priest,’” said Walt. “It was very wonderful,” said Martha. “I felt very happy for him. And I was glad that the
time finally came for him to be ordained because he anticipated it for a long time.” Ruth Finnegan, one of Father Mersmann’s sisters, was equally proud, and prays for her brother’s success. “[I hope] that he will continue to be given the grace and strength to do well and continue to grow in his pursuit of the truth,” said Finnegan, from Atchison. “I really hope that he can continue to love the Lord and share that with people he encounters.”
Molly Pratt, another of Father Mersmann’s sisters, was moved when her brother’s hands were anointed. “What stood out to me during the ordination was the focus on the hands of the new priests being blessed and watching him participate in the consecration for the first time,” said Pratt, a member of Holy Family Parish in Eudora. “It was a powerful moment,” she continued. “I realized that he isn’t a different person. He’s
still my brother I’ve always known, but his hands are now capable of something miraculous through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Julie Fields, one of Father Mecum’s sisters, confessed she had “a vision of him running down a dirt road in Olmitz” as a little boy even as she was watching him be ordained now as a man. “I loved it when Archbishop Naumann said that one of the blessings of being a bishop was that he got to be the first one
e ordination of Fathers Travis Mecum and
Archbishop Naumann incenses the altar during the ordination Mass of the two men to the priesthood.
Archbishop Naumann presents Father Mecum with his chalice during the ordination ceremony.
Father Mersmann offers his first blessing as a priest to Archbishop Naumann.
Father Mecum distributes Communion for the first time as a priest to Vince Dietrich. blessed by the new priest,” said Fields, from Rochester, Minnesota. “That sent chills down my spine.” Shari Weber, from Merriam, watched her uncle Father Mecum’s ordination via livestream to limit her exposure. He brings many qualities to the priesthood, she said. “He’s an excellent listener,” she said. “His faith is amazing. If you’re going through something that makes you question God or anything in your life,
he’s very confident in what he believes and that is very reassuring. He gives advice based on faith.”
A torch is passed Jayson Molnar, a boyhood friend of Father Mecum, noticed something interesting about the vocational story of Father Mecum and Father Mersmann. Father Mersmann’s vocation was influenced by Jared
Cheek, and Father Mecum’s vocation was influenced by Matthew “Matty” Molnar, Jayson’s brother. Both Cheek and Matty Molnar were friends and seminarians at the University of St. Mary of the Lake Mundelein Seminary in Chicago and died in a car accident in September 2005. “I’ve lost my entire family,” said Molnar. “When [Father Mecum] was up there, I was incredibly emotional. . . . I was really touched, and I honestly
felt my family was there with him.” “Matty’s dream was to be a priest,” his brother continued, “and I feel he had a big hand in [Father Mecum] taking his journey. There wasn’t a long conversation we’ve had in the past four or five years where Matty’s name didn’t come up.” “One zealous priest,” said Archbishop Naumann during the ordination, “can change thousands of lives and will serve the church for decades to come.”
On May 23, the archdiocese welcomed two. Father Mecum has been appointed associate pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa, and Father Mersmann has been appointed associate pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park and chaplain at Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, Kansas.
JUNE 5, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG
FAMILY LIFE
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No person is nonessential in God’s eyes
here are many terms that have become part of our vocabulary since the arrival of the COVID-19 virus. One term is “nonessential.” This term became necessary as our civil TOOLS FOR authoriFAMILIES ties tried Growing as to sort out Disciples of who should Jesus shelter in place in order to reduce the daily contact of people in order to slow the rate of infections in our society. Essential workers were police, firefighters and medical personnel, among others, who must report to work. Words and language are important and necessary in our daily life. However, words can also have unintended consequences if the meaning is misunderstood. An interview with the parents of one family with several children is a case in point. Both parents worked at nonessential jobs and now had to shelter in place, leaving them temporarily unemployed. They still had bills and rent to pay and children to feed, and
wondered how they would get through. They understood that their jobs were nonessential in this time of crisis. My question is: What do our children think when they hear their parents’ work described as “nonessential”? How do we look at ourselves if we are one of the nonessential workers
who have to shelter in place? Do we begin to doubt our worth? No person is nonessential in the eyes of our heavenly Father. If we begin to doubt our worth, all we need to do is to stop and meditate in front of the crucifix. We are, each one, so essential that Jesus took on our flesh and willingly gave his
life on the cross to prove the extent of God’s love. We need to speak these words in our homes. No job — whether it be a cook, an office worker or one who waits on tables — is without its own dignity. No job is too menial. Each member of our family, very young or elderly, is essential.
They bring their God-given gifts. A small baby who smiles and coos at our words brings joy. A grandparent’s gift of playing Go Fish with young children affirms the child’s worth. Here are little ways to affirm one another this week: • Be sure to thank the person who prepares each meal. Simple grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup taste even better when prepared with love. • Celebrate birthdays, baptismal anniversaries and patron saint days as a way to call attention to each person’s importance to the family. Create a sign to hang on the refrigerator door that says “Star of the Day or Week” and place their picture on the sign. • Have fun each day by sharing a joke from a corny joke book during dinner. • When praying before bedtime, speak to God about one endearing quality or one source of joy each person brought to the family that day. Spouses should offer this prayer for each other and then move on to other family members. You can discover other ways to shout out the importance of each family member.
JUNE 5, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG
NATION
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Knights ‘praying for years’ for McGivney beatification By Kurt Jensen Catholic News Service
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ASHINGTON (CNS) — Father Michael McGivney, the founder of the Knights of Columbus, may be an ideal prospective saint for the current age, said Carl A. Anderson, supreme knight of the international fraternal order. “We’ve been praying for years for this to occur, and finally this day has arrived,” he told Catholic News Service May 27. First, he’s a pro-life hero. The miracle recognized by the Vatican paving the way for his beatification occurred in 2015 and involved a U.S. baby, still in utero, with a life-threatening condition that, under most circumstances, could have led to an abortion. He was found to be healed after his family prayed to Father McGivney. “The Vatican likes to be the one to discuss more details than that,” Anderson said. The Vatican announced early May 27 that Pope Francis, who met with the board of directors of the Knights of Columbus in February, had signed the decree recognizing the miracle through the intercession of Father McGivney. Once he is beatified, he will be given the title “Blessed.” Father McGivney (1852-1890), ordained a priest for what is now the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut, founded the Knights of Columbus at St. Mary Church in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1882. The fraternal order for Catholic men has become the largest lay Catholic organization in the world
CNS FILE PHOTO
Pope Francis has approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of Father Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, clearing the way for his beatification. Father McGivney is pictured in an undated portrait. with 2 million members and sponsors and a wide range of educational, charitable and religious activities. The initial work on his sainthood cause began in 1982 on the Knights’ centenary. His cause was formally opened in Hartford in 1997, and he was given the title “Servant of God.” In March 2008, the Catholic Church recognized the priest heroically lived the Christian virtues, so he was given the title “Venerable.” His beatification ceremony will be held in Connecticut sometime this fall
— like all other events, scheduling is uncertain because of the COVID-19 pandemic — “and sometime after that, we’ll be looking for another miracle,” Anderson said. Generally, two miracles attributed to the candidate’s intercession are required for sainthood — one for beatification and the second for canonization. Father McGivney, who will be the first American parish priest to be beatified and has long been a hero of working-class Catholics, can be viewed as a martyr of a pandemic. When he died from pneumonia complications at age 38 in 1890, it was during an outbreak of influenza known as the Russian flu in Thomaston, Connecticut. Some recent evidence, according to the Knights, indicates the outbreak may have been the result of a coronavirus. Anderson praised Father McGivney’s modesty and “dedication to charity and unity and the way he embodied the good Samaritan” after founding the Knights of Columbus, originally a service organization to help widows and orphans, in New Haven. At the time, Father McGivney, the son of Irish immigrants, who was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, was an assistant pastor at St. Mary Parish. He is buried in New Haven. “Father McGivney did not want to be the leader of the Knights of Columbus,” Anderson observed. “He was at first the group’s secretary and then the chaplain.” Further, Father McGivney’s legacy also includes “the empowerment of the laity” through service projects, Anderson said. “His work anticipated the Second Vatican Council. He created a universal call to holiness that gave the
laity a way to be more faithful Catholics. He provided a mechanism for them to go into society and make a difference.” The priest’s great foresight of involving the laity as leadership of the Knights also was cited by Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori, who is supreme chaplain of the fraternal order. “In that, I think he looks like a forecast of the Second Vatican Council, which indeed provided for a much larger role for the laity in the life of the church, in shaping a just society,” he told the Catholic Review, Baltimore’s archdiocesan media outlet. Archbishop Lori also said Father McGivney was a visionary leader in creating the Knights organization as a life insurance company, because the priest saw the need to help families left destitute when the breadwinner died, as often happened in the 19th century. “But he also saw the need, even more importantly, for men and their families to deepen their commitment to the faith, their knowledge of the faith and their participation in the faith,” the archbishop said. “So, he made the Knights a tremendous avenue for the spiritual growth of Catholic men and their families.” He called Father McGivney a model parish priest who “knew his people” and “he loved them.” “He enjoyed being with his people. He provided opportunities for spiritual growth, but also for families and parishioners to come together. He loved the poor and the outcast. He preached convincingly and beautifully,” said Archbishop Lori.
Court rejects appeals to lift restrictions on congregation size By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service
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ASHINGTON (CNS) — A divided Supreme Court May 29 chose not to intervene in an emergency appeal by a church in Southern California to lift COVID-19 restrictions that limit congregation sizes. The justices responded just before midnight with a 5-4 vote in the case filed May 26 by South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista, California, near San Diego. The church had argued that California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s reopening orders violated the Constitution because they placed fewer restrictions on some secular businesses than they did on houses of worship. The church wanted to hold its regular services Sunday, May 31, on Pentecost. Currently, the state’s restrictions limit church attendance to 100 attendees or 25% of the church capacity, whichever is lower. “The precise question of when restrictions on particular social activities should be lifted during the pandemic is a dynamic and fact-intensive matter subject to reasonable disagreement,” wrote Chief Justice John Roberts in an opinion concurring with the unsigned ruling. In his five-paragraph opinion, Roberts stressed these guidelines appear “consistent with the free exercise clause of the First Amendment.” “Similar or more severe restrictions apply to comparable secular gatherings,
CNS PHOTO/OCTAVIO DURAN
Franciscan friars pray at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Butler, N.J., April 11, 2020. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected appeals to lift restrictions limiting congregation sizes May 29 during the coronavirus pandemic. including lectures, concerts, movie showings, spectator sports and theatrical performances, where large groups of people gather in close proximity for extended periods of time,” he wrote. He also said the state’s order “exempts or treats more leniently only dissimilar activities, such as operating grocery stores, banks and laundromats, in which people neither congregate in large groups nor remain in close proximity for extended periods.” The chief justice also noted that COVID-19 has killed thousands of people in California and more than
100,000 in the United States with still “no known cure, no effective treatment and no vaccine.” He also noted people “may be infected but asymptomatic” and could unknowingly infect others. The state’s order restricting crowd sizes, he said, was a means to “address this extraordinary health emergency.” A three-page dissent written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, argued that restrictions on the number of participants at church services did violate the Constitution. Kavanaugh argued that businesses
that are not subject to size restrictions, such as supermarkets, restaurants, hair salons and cannabis dispensaries, are comparable to gatherings at houses of worship. “The church and its congregants simply want to be treated equally,” he wrote, adding that California “trusts its residents and any number of businesses to adhere to proper social distancing and hygiene practices.” Richard Garnett, law school professor at the University of Notre Dame and director of the university’s Program on Church, State and Society, said the court’s decision shows how “it can be challenging to identify discrimination or unequal treatment.” “It is well established that governments and officials may not discriminate against religious activities, even when it is regulating in the interest of the public good. Religious freedom is not absolute, and it is subject to limits, but regulations may not single out religious exercise for disapproval or disadvantage,” he said. In a statement, Garnett said arguments about equality and discrimination involve the question: “compared to what?” And in this case, the justices disagreed about what kinds of activities church services should be compared to for public health purposes. Kavanaugh said the same rules for stores should apply to churches, and the court’s majority said the same restrictions on churches also are applied to gatherings like concerts, movie showings, spectator sports and theatrical performances.
JUNE 5, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG
WORLD
Churches worldwide try to balance religious freedom, battling coronavirus
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People practicing social distancing are seen in the pews at a church in Zurich, Switzerland, May 31, after the country relaxed restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. t Orthodox Christians pray during a service in the chapel of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow on June 2.
CNS PHOTO/ARND WIEGMANNI, REUTERS
By Bronwen Dachs Catholic News Service
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rom Zimbabwe, where churches are closed and data costs make attending Mass online prohibitively expensive for most Catholics, to Australia, where churchgoers successfully petitioned authorities to allow places of worship the same number of people as bars, churches are reopening cautiously amid widespread controversy. Across the world, churches are trying to balance observing religious freedom with protecting people’s health. “Some people feel churches should be opened” in Zimbabwe, which is under a strict lockdown, said Yvonne Fildah Takawira-Matwaya, who chairs the bishops’ justice and peace commission. “Because data is very expensive, most people are not able to catch live-streaming of Masses,” she said. Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, Zimbabwe was in economic crisis, and more than half of its 15 million people needed food aid. In Australia, Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney started a petition urging the state government of New South Wales to allow places of worship the same number of people as bars, and churches received permission to admit up to 50 people at services beginning June 1. The coronavirus lockdown was necessary but “came at a cost — not only to the economy, but also to the spiritual and mental health of our people,” Archbishop Fisher said. In the United Kingdom, some bishops have criticized a government policy to place churches in the same high-risk category of public places as pubs, restaurants and theaters, which will not be allowed to reopen until after July 4. Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster said May 31 it was “time to move to the phased opening of our churches.” In Switzerland, churches launched a petition to observe the “human right to freedom of religion” as services remained forbidden until early June. In Germany, the bishops’ conference said the widely criticized ban on religious services was necessary, reported the Catholic news agency KNA. “A church that endangers life and health betrays its own mission,” said Father Hans Langendoerfer, secretary of the German bishops’ conference, noting that “like all freedoms, the freedom of religion is tied to responsibility.” In Italy and Vatican City, Masses with more than a few worshippers resumed May 18 after a 10-week suspension, but are subject to strict health protocols. Pope Francis celebrated the feast
CNS PHOTO/MAXIM SHEMETOV, REUTERS
CNS PHOTO/RUPAK DE CHOWDHURI, REUTERS
A man wearing a protective mask prays inside a church in Kolkata, India, June 1. Many countries have relaxed restrictions on public gatherings recently. of Pentecost May 31 with a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica attended by about 50 people. At midday, he greeted hundreds of people wearing masks and respecting social distance in St. Peter’s Square. He greeted the crowd from the papal study window in the Apostolic Palace for the first time since the beginning of March. Across Europe, most churches have opened with varying restrictions, reported KNA. But in Luxembourg, where most coronavirus restrictions have been relaxed, church services are still suspended. “I think the government couldn’t care less about us. It disappoints me and makes me angry,” said Cardinal
Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg. Poland was one of the first European countries to allow public church services to start again, with limited congregations as early as April 20. People older than 65, those with COVID-19 symptoms and people “with a fear of infection” can continue to stay home, but everyone else should return, Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz of Warsaw said as a dispensation allowing Catholics to stay away from Mass was canceled May 29. In Hungary, Cardinal Peter Erdo of Esztergom-Budapest urged Catholics to “embark on their mission with a new impetus” when he reopened the Esztergom basilica May 31.
Hungary reopened its borders with Serbia, Slovakia, Romania, Slovenia and Austria at the end of May. In the German city of Frankfurt, health authorities urged churches to register the names of all who attend services after more than 100 COVID19 infections were linked to a Baptist service where contact tracing proved difficult. In Canada, it could be a year or longer before churches start welcoming large numbers of parishioners. Edmonton Archbishop Richard Smith said there is no “normal” lurking around the corner for churches, and it may take the development of a vaccine before a return to full public Masses. In the Caribbean, the Diocese of St. George’s in Grenada resumed public Masses in late May. Bishop Clyde Harvey said he was “very proud” of how the churches were implementing safety rules. “In Grenada, a congregation is not a congregation of faceless people; although people have on masks, you recognize them behind the mask,” he said, according to the Trinidad-based Catholic News. Masks combined with social distancing “is a bit uncanny, but you get used to it,” Bishop Harvey said. In the East African country of Tanzania, churches never shut, and thousands of people have been attending Masses across the country. Unlike neighboring Rwanda and Uganda, which imposed strict lockdowns, Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli said churches and mosques needed to remain open as a spiritual refuge during the pandemic.
JUNE 5, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG
CLASSIFIEDS EMPLOYMENT Community live-in assistants - L’Arche Heartland of Overland Park serves adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities in day program support services and in residential services. We are seeking assistants who are looking for a unique opportunity in a faith-based organization. We are in immediate need of live-in assistants and potential live-out assistants to work in our day program serving 30 adults. We have a recycling program and community activities. Our core members participate in distributing for Meals on Wheels and Rise Against Hunger. They also attend community events such as the library, movies, bowling and going to parks. We also have a need for live-in and live-out assistants in our five residential homes. If interested, contact Jamie Henderson, community leader, by email at: jamie@larcheks.org. Caregivers needed - Caregivers needed for 42-year-old MS patient, M - F, 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. Requires use of lift to bathroom, meal prep and assistance eating and drinking. Medicaid payment of $10.98 per hour. Call (913) 2912465. Leave message. Career opportunity – Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding a financial representative in the Kansas City, Kansas, and Missouri metro areas, St. Joseph, Mo., and Maryville, Mo. This is ideal for a determined, high energy, high expectation, professional, self-disciplined, independent individual, who desires to serve others yet earn a better than average income. We provide top-rated financial products to our members and their families, and will provide excellent benefits and training. This is a full-time position. For more information or an interview, please contact John A. Mahon, General Agent, 1275 S.W. Topeka Blvd., Topeka, KS 66612; call (855) 356-4849; or email: mahonagencymail2@kofc.org. Principal - St. Thomas More Parish seeks a principal committed to Catholic education with strong leadership, communication and motivational skills. The position will begin on July 1, 2020. More information and application can be found at the following link: careers.hireology. com/thecatholicdioceseofkansascitystjoseph, and then scroll down to: St. Thomas More School. Music teacher - St. Ann School in Prairie Village is seeking a music teacher for the 2020–21 school year. This applicant should be eager to work with pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students and lead programs such as the Fall Production, Christmas programs and Spring Fling. This candidate will also work closely with our parish liturgy and music director for all-school Masses and prayer services. Interested applicants should complete the teacher application process online at: www.arch kckcs.org and email a resume to principal Liz Minks at: lminks@stannpv.org. Director of youth ministry - Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Olathe, is seeking a dynamic, Catholic youth minister for its community. To see the full job description and to apply, go to: www.popolathe.org/jobs. Office assistant - Looking for a fulfilling job where you’re a part of a successful, growing, small company? Seeking a dependable, detail-oriented, adaptable, self-motivated and customer-focused individual with excellent communication skills for an office assistant position with an established local company. Individual will perform a wide variety of tasks, including invoicing, customer service, receiving/shipping, vendor relations, product ordering and collections. Computer skills are a must; QuickBooks knowledge is a plus. Please send resume to: Yourcareer101@gmail.com. Part-time accountant - Advice & Aid Pregnancy Centers is looking for an accountant (15 - 20 hours per month). Candidates must be dedicated to the pro-life belief and the dignity, sanctity and worth of every human life and agree with our vision, mission, statement of faith and core values. Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in accounting and have proficiency with Excel and QuickBooks. Nonprofit experience is a plus. Please email resume and cover letter to: rtisdale@ adviceandaid.com or mail to Ruth Tisdale, P.O. Box 7123, Shawnee Mission, KS 66207. No calls please. Music director - Divine Mercy Parish in Gardner is seeking a music director with specialized credentials in music and a thorough understanding of Roman Catholic liturgy. The music director should have experience in providing musical leadership during liturgies, preferably keyboard or piano. Effective functioning of this ministry requires, in particular, that the music director is a person of prayer, is sensitive spiritually and has an active worship life. This position is part time (10 - 12 hours per week). Please submit resume to: sarah@divinemercyks.org. Teacher - Xavier Catholic School in Leavenworth is seeking full-time elementary and part-time physical education teachers for the 2020-21 school year. Interested candidates, please send an email to: principal.xavier@ leavenworthcatholicschool.org for more information.
Experience Sips for Scholarships - On Sunday, July 26, from 5 - 8 p.m. at the Boulevard Brewery, 2501 Southwest Blvd., Kansas City, Missouri. 100% of proceeds go to need-based scholarships for students to attend Resurrection Catholic School (KCK). Sponsorships are on sale NOW. Tickets go on sale in June. For more information, to purchase a sponsorship or make a donation, go online to: rcskck.org or call (913) 371-8101.
Executive director - The Diocese of Salina is accepting resumes for the position of Catholic Charities executive director. The executive director oversees and manages all activities related to the ministries of Catholic Charities. As the leader, strategic planning and execution of the vision/mission are a top priority. This role includes oversight for the daily operation; 15 - 20 programs; grants; marketing; fundraising; visibility in 31 counties; and the utilization of a support team of 25 in three locations within the diocese. The position reports to the chancellor for the diocese and works closely with the Catholic Charities board of directors. The position requirements are: BS in business administration or social services-related fields of study preferred; a minimum or five-plus years of nonprofit leadership experience, with budget, fundraising, asset and supervisory management; strongly prefer experience with delivering services to those most in need. Preference will be given to those applicants with a work history related to the social mission/teachings of the Catholic faith. Excellent verbal and written communication skills needed for this collaboration with other nonprofits, parish/clergy and visibility in the 31 counties served by the diocese. To request a full job description or to ask questions about this opportunity, please email Kim Hoelting, HR director, at: kim.hoelting @salinadiocese.org. EOE. Director of faith formation - St. John Parish in Lawrence is seeking a full-time director of faith formation. This person would develop, articulate and administer a vision and direction for parish faith formation programs. He/she would oversee all faith formation programs and evaluate their effectiveness; develop/implement ideas and programs that would be available for parishioners from womb to tomb. Ideal candidate will be a bilingual (English/Spanish) practicing Catholic who holds a degree in catechesis or theology and/or has equivalent work experience relating to faith formation. This person would also have strong knowledge of Catholicism; inter-cultural competence in ministry; strong interpersonal skills; proven organizational and leadership skills; and computer/technology competencies. Two to four years of parish ministry experience preferred. For a full job description and requirements, go online to: www. sjevangelist.com. This position is eligible for the archdiocesan benefits package with a start date of July 20. Position open until filled. Please send cover letter and resume to Father John at: frjohn@saintjohns.net (subject line: DFF), or mail to: St. John Parish, Attn: Father John, 1229 Vermont St., Lawrence KS 66044. Board members - Santa Marta, Johnson County’s premier life-care community sponsored by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, is actively seeking board members for the term beginning January 2021. The board meets during the business day six times a year, and each board member also serves on a committee that meets six to twelve times a year. We are seeking applicants who have experience serving on a board and a concern for our senior citizens. In particular, we are seeking at this time expertise in marketing, business management, law, finance and information technology. Those who wish to be considered for appointment to the board are encouraged to submit a letter of interest, resume or details of relevant experience and home parish to Heidi Abeln at: habeln@santamartaretirement.com by July 31, 2020. Any questions regarding the application process can also be emailed to this address, and a current board member will reply. Be sure to include your phone number and mailing address. Additional information about Santa Marta can be viewed at: www.santamartaretirement. com. Director of institutional advancement - Rockhurst High School seeks an experienced development professional to serve as director of institutional advancement. The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, with a minimum of eight years of development experience; excellent communication, organization and leadership skills; a strategic approach to problem solving; a basic knowledge of planned giving; and an understanding and valuing of the mission of Rockhurst High School as both a Jesuit and a Catholic secondary school. The director will report directly to the president, as well as oversee the advancement office with direct supervisory role over advancement personnel. The application deadline is June 15. Additional detailed information is available at: www.rockhursths.edu, or by emailing: presidentsoffice@rockhursths.edu. STREAM/PBL coordinator - Resurrection School is seeking a full-time STREAM/PBL coordinator for the 2020-21 school year. Responsibilities include: collaborating with teachers and students to plan PBL activities; staff training; development of community resources; designing a PBL/STREAM maker space; and communication for the program through parent communication and a social media presence. The coordinator will lead the school’s efforts in becoming STEM-accredited. Candidates must hold a current Kansas teaching license and have experience working in education. Interested applicants should complete the teacher application process online at: www.archkckcs.org. For more information, please contact Lynda Higgins at: lhiggins@rcskck.org or (913) 371-8101. Teacher - St. Gregory the Great School in Marysville is seeking a full-time fourth-grade teacher for the upcoming 2020-21 school year. Interested applicants should complete the teacher application process online at: www.archkckcs.org. Questions may be directed to Karen Farrell at (785) 562-2831 or send an email to: kfarrell@ stgregorychurch.org.
Administrative assistant - St. Patrick Church has an opening for a full-time, benefit-eligible, administrative assistant for the church offices at 1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas. This job involves general office duties requiring experience with Microsoft Excel, Word and basic database skills. Professional customer service, organizational skills and the ability to multitask are important. Monday - Friday daytime hours, some days until 6 p.m., half-days on Fridays. Bilingual expertise is a plus, but not required. Submit a resume and cover letter with required hourly pay to Patty Dickinson at: pdickinson@ stpatrickkck.org. Equipment operators and laborers needed - Local asphalt pavement maintenance contractor with 60 years of experience is looking for dependable, professional workers. We have a need for equipment operators and laborers. A Class A CDL with a current medical card is a plus. Please call (913) 441-2555. EOE. Part-time accounting staff - The Corpus Christi Catholic Community seeks to hire part-time accounting staff. This position entails data entry; receivable; payables; QuickBook entries; reconciliations of bank and loan accounts; and other tasks as needed. Salary commensurate with expertise and experience. For a complete position description and to apply, visit: cccparish.org/ joblisting. Service technician - Would you like to be part of the success of a small, growing, local company? Seeking individuals looking for flexible part-time work maintaining and repairing small equipment for our established family company. Service is completed at customers’ locations and electrical knowledge is a plus. Position involves regional travel with 50% overnight stays; some lightweight lifting and walking; dependable transportation is a must. Positive attitude, dependability, time management and self-motivation skills, as well as being quality- and customer-oriented, are required. We need go-getters willing and ready to work! Please send resume to: Yourcareer101@gmail.com. Chief financial officer - The Diocese of Salina is accepting resumes for the position of chief financial officer. The CFO directs and oversees all financial activities for a very busy organization. The scope of work has oversight of 86 Catholic parishes; Catholic Charities; the Salina chancery finance office; and 15 schools covering 31 counties in Kansas. This role is responsible for monthly financial reporting; providing expert analysis of reports and data; audits; internal controls; asset management; and advising the bishop in financial matters. The position requirements are: bachelor’s in business administration or finance (MBA and/or CPA desired); a minimum of 10 years of accounting experience in financial analysis and budgeting; ability to strike a balance between managing the day-to-day finance function and strategic planning and implementation. Health care contract experience preferred; excellent verbal and written communication skills; experience/knowledge of Catholic organization, nonprofits, parish and clergy strongly preferred. To request a full job description or to ask questions about this opportunity, please email Kim Hoelting, HR director, at: kim.hoelting@salinadiocese.org. EOE. Reading coordinator - Resurrection School is seeking a K-8 part-time reading coordinator for the 2020-21 school year. Candidates must hold a current Kansas teaching license, have experience providing reading intervention and a commitment to providing both students and teachers with reading support. Reading specialist, special education, and/or ESOL endorsements are preferred. This could be combined with an interventionist position to become full time. Interested applicants should complete the teacher application process online at: www. archkckcs.org. For more information, please contact Lynda Higgins at: lhiggins@rcskck.org or (913) 371-8101.
HOME IMPROVEMENT 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. 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. 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. NELSON CREATIONS Affordable home remodeling: Kitchens, baths, basements and room additions. All interior and exterior work. Honest, dependable, experienced and family owned. Licensed and insured. Member St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee. (913) 927-5240 or nelsport@everestkc.net
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Popcorn texture removal specialist. Renew your walls with a fresh coat of quality paint! Sheetrock and plaster repair Fully insured, serving Kansas for 27 years Call or text Jerry at (913) 206-1144. Concrete construction - Tear out and replace amped, 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. 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 Painting - Diamond Painting, (913) 648-4933, Residential/Commercial, Exterior/interior, Free Estimate, Affordable, Decks, DiamondPaintKc.com, Kcmo/Overland Park Metropolitan area. 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 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 Handyman - Furloughed railroader trying to keep the bills paid for my family. I advertised here as Father and Son Home Exteriors and Remodeling for 13 years previously. I can do carpentry, windows, doors, trim, siding and decks. Also paint, sheetrock and tiling. No project too big or too small. Give me a call and ask for Josh at (913) 709-7230. Speedy Guzman Moving and delivery Licensed and insured Anytime (816) 935-0176 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. Garage Door Repair New Garage Doors Platinum Amarr dealer, Elite Home Advisor top rating. Call Joe, mention The Leaven discount. A Total Door (913) 236-6440. House cleaning - A range of services provided — from housecleaning to organizing closets, rooms and garages, move-in and move-out cleaning, as well as hoarder projects. 15 years’ experience. Professional, energetic and dependable. Call Joni at (913) 206-4403.
8 to Your IdealWeight Get Real, Get Healthy, Get Empowered Take back your power and release weight, fatigue and joint pain without hunger or cravings! http://8toyouridealweight.com/coach/kathi/ Imagewellness2@gmail.com Memory quilts - Preserve your memories in a keepsake quality quilt, pillows, etc. Custom designed from your T-shirt collection, baby clothes, sports memorabilia, neckties . . . Quilted Memories. (913) 649-2704. Mike Hammer local moving - A full-service mover. Packing, pianos, rental truck load/unload, storage container load/unload and in-home moving. No job too small. Serving JoCo since 1987. St. Joseph, Shawnee, parishioner. Call Mike at (913) 927-4347 or send an email to: mike@mikehammermoving.com. Faith-based counseling to cope with life concerns - Kansas City area. Call Mary Vorsten, licensed clinical professional counselor, at (913) 909-2002. 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. >> Classifieds continue on page 15
JUNE 5, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG
COMMENTARY
Dad wouldn’t want me to be sad
TENTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME June 7 THE MOST HOLY TRINITY Ex 34: 4b-6, 8-9 (Ps) Dn 3: 52-55 2 Cor 13: 11-13 Jn 3: 16-18 June 8 Monday 1 Kgs 17: 1-6 Ps 121: 1b-8 Mt 5: 1-12 June 9 Ephrem, deacon, doctor of the church 1 Kgs 17: 7-16 Ps 4: 2-5, 7b-8 Mt 5: 13-16 June 10 Wednesday 1 Kgs 18: 20-39 Ps 16: 1b-2a, 4-5, 8, 11 Mt 5: 17-19 June 11 Barnabas, apostle Acts 11: 21b-26; 13: 1-3 Ps 98: 1-6 Mt 5: 20-26 June 12 Friday 1 Kgs 19: 9a, 11-16 Ps 27: 7-9c, 13-14 Mt 5: 27-32 June 13 Anthony of Padua, priest, doctor of the church 1 Kgs 19: 19-21 Ps 16: 1b-2b, 5, 7-10 Mt 5: 33-37 ELEVENTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME June 14 THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (Corpus Christi) Dt 8: 2-3, 14b-16a Ps 147: 12-15, 19-20 1 Cor 10: 16-17 Jn 6: 51-58 June 15 Monday 1 Kgs 21: 1-16 Ps 5: 2-3b, 4b-7 Mt 5: 38-42 June 16 Tuesday 1 Kgs 2: 17-29 Ps 51: 3-6b, 11, 16 Mt 5: 43-48 June 17 Wednesday 2 Kgs 2: 1, 6-14 Ps 31: 20-21, 24 Mt 6: 1-6, 16-18 June 18 Thursday Sir 48: 1-14 Ps 97: 1-7 Mt 6: 7-15 June 19 THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS Dt 7: 6-11 Ps 103: 1-4, 8, 10 1 Jn 4: 7-16 Mt 11: 25-30 June 20 The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2 Chr 24: 17-25 Ps 89: 4-5, 29-34 Lk 2: 41-51
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A
falafel? Wait, what?!? I was talking with a friend on the phone about Father’s Day when the above words were spoken. I burst out laughing. Eventually, I choked out these words, “No, not falafel. I said, ‘I feel awful!’” The exchange reminded me of my dad, who was a fan of what are now called “Dad jokes.” This is one of his favorites: He once answered the phone as a kid and the person on the other end asked for one of his brothers. Dad replied, “He’s eatin’.” The person on the other end said, “Hezitin? Is that his nickname?” To which Dad replied, “No, I said, ‘He’s. Eatin’.’” And then Dad would laugh and laugh until he got tears in his eyes. Now, I bet I heard that story about a thousand times — and I’d guess he told it another several thousand times to others — but he laughed just as hard with each telling. And I’m sure I rolled my eyes an equal number of times. My dad, Carl, will be gone 39 years this
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.
September. And, with Father’s Day a couple of weeks away, he’s been on my mind. He reminds me a lot of the father described in this story: A family was planning a month’s vacation in California. At the last minute, the father’s work responsibilities prevented him from going. Mom insisted that she could handle all the arrangements as well as the driving. It was decided that she and the kids would go ahead with the trip. Dad got out the maps and together they planned the route and where the
family would stop each night. A couple of weeks after the family departed, the father finished his extra work and decided to join the family. So, he flew out to a city in California without telling them or calling them. Then he took a taxi out to the county highway that, according to his travel plan, his family should be driving down later that day. The taxi dropped him off on the side of the road, and the dad stood there waiting. Within the hour, when he saw the family car coming, he stuck out his thumb like a hitchhiker. Mom and the kids drove right past him. One of the kids, though, shouted, “Hey, wasn’t that Dad that we just passed?” Mom screeched to a stop,
backed up to the hitchhiker and the family shared a joyful reunion. Later, a reporter from the local paper interviewed the man and asked why he would do such a crazy thing. He responded, “After I die, I want my kids to be able to say, ‘Dad sure was fun, wasn’t he?’” (Story found in Medard Laz’s “Love Adds A Little Chocolate.”) My dad was fun. Oh, certainly, he was other things as well: a loving husband and father; active in his Catholic faith; a hard worker, putting in 32 years on the assembly line at General Motors; the letter writer to me whenever I was away at school; and “Mr. Fixit” in his spare time for family and friends. But, overall, he was fun. And that fun was expressed not only in laughter, but in song. From making up silly songs with nonsensical words to whistling to joining his friends to croon, Dad always seemed to carry a song in his heart. So, why in the world, would Father’s Day make me feel awful? Naturally, I still miss him, but that’s not the reason. I feel awful because I can’t remember a single
card or gift that I gave my dad for Father’s Day . . . except for my prayers. And, knowing Dad, that was enough. This Father’s Day, put prayer at the top of your gift list. Here’s one written by Pope John XXIII: St. Joseph, guardian of Jesus and husband of Mary, you passed your life in loving fulfillment of duty. You supported the holy family of Nazareth with the work of your hands. Kindly protect all fathers who trustingly come to you. You know their aspirations, their hardships, their hopes. They look to you because they know you will understand and protect them. You, too, knew trial, labor and weariness. But amid the worries of life, your soul was full of deep peace and sang out in true joy . . . Assure those you protect that they do not labor alone. Teach them to find Jesus near them and to watch over their families faithfully. Amen. And, on June 21, if you hear someone singing at Mount Calvary Cemetery in KCK, it‘s just my little belated gift to a fun dad.
God introduces himself to the Hebrews through Moses
M
oses grew up in Egypt, a land where many gods were worshiped. In many cases, they were personified elements of nature. For example, the sun, whose rays shed light on the earth, was identified as the god Ra. Similarly, Nut was the goddess of the night; Sobek, the god of the Nile River; and Horus, the god of the sky. In contrast to these, the people of Israel were to worship only one God, who spoke to Moses in the burning bush, who was revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai and who gave Moses the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments. Moses learns the
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.
proper name of the one God, a name we believe was pronounced something like “Yahweh.”(Out of respect for God’s
name, people were reluctant to utter it, so the exact pronunciation is uncertain. Whenever you see “Lord” written out all in capital letters in the Old Testament, that is the English translation of God’s proper name.) In Sunday’s first reading — Ex 34:4b-6, 8-9 — God’s proper name appears five times.
POPE FRANCIS Pope Francis assured Catholics in China that the universal church shared their hopes and supported them during hardship. He also asked all Catholics to pray for their brothers and sisters in China, as the church celebrated the feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians, on May 24. Because Chinese Catholics have a particularly strong devotion to Our Lady, Help of Christians, Pope Bene-
Moses has an encounter with God, an encounter in which he gains insight into God’s nature, “the Lord, the Lord, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity.” By learning that there is the one God, in place of the many gods of Egypt, the people of Israel were taking the first step in their understanding of God. Through their relationship with God, they would further develop that understanding. God was the one who would guide them through the desert to the Promised Land of Canaan. God would lead them through their lives by means of the Law of Moses and, above all, by means of the Ten Commandments. God would
not be an impersonal and distant overlord, but someone who would be closely involved in their lives. Through Jesus Christ, we gain a further insight into God’s nature. We believe in one God, who is made up of three persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. On Sunday, we celebrate this mystery of the Holy Trinity. Along with Jews and Muslims, we profess a belief in one God, as the creed we recite at Mass affirms, “I believe in one God.” But as Christians, we go a step further. We acknowledge Jesus Christ as the Son of God. We open our hearts to their Holy Spirit, whom they send to sanctify us, and through us, the world.
dict XVI in 2007 established the May 24 feast as a world day of prayer for the church in China. After praying the “Regina Coeli” May 24, Pope Francis asked that people pray to Our Lady so that Catholics in China would be “strong in the faith and steadfast in fraternal union, joyous witnesses, promoters of charity and brotherly hope, and good citizens.” Expressing his “great and sincere affection,” Pope Francis said he wanted to assure all Catholics in China “that the universal church, of which you are an integral part, shares your hopes and supports you in your trials of life.” — CNS
JUNE 5, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG
CLASSIFIEDS >> Continued from page 13 Cleaning lady - Reasonable rates; references provided. Call (913) 940-2959. 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.
REAL ESTATE Home for sale - Three bedroom ranch, one-and-a-half bath, two-car garage home in nice area of Overland Park. Appointment only. Call (816) 916-1769. 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. Rental properties - Getting into this kind of investment can be scary. How about if you could have access to a seasoned investor after the sale as a consultant? I am selling some of my investments that are in the KCMO area that you might be interested in. I am not a realtor, but I have owned these properties for a long time. Call (785) 883-2936, leave me your contact information and I will return your call within 24 hours.
WANTED TO BUY Wanted to buy - Antique/vintage jewelry, paintings, pottery, sterling, etc. Single pieces or estate. Renee Maderak, (913) 475-7393. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee. 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 - Old cars or hot rods. Uncompleted project cars in any condition, with or without titles. Cash buyer. Call (913) 980-3559.
FOR SALE Residential lifts - New and recycled. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. St. Michael’s parishioners. KC Lift & Elevator at (913) 327-5557. (Formerly Silver Cross - KC) For sale - Double lawn crypt at Resurrection Cemetery in Lenexa, Garden of Hope section, double lawn crypt, lot 78 C, space 4. Conveyance fee included. $7500. Call Lou at (512) 294-2869.
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CORPUS CHRISTI WITH ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN
CAREGIVING 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.benefits ofhome.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.
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING The Leaven reaches approximately 50,000 subscribers. Cost is $20 for the first five lines, $1.50 per line thereafter. To purchase a Leaven classified ad, email The Leaven at: beth.blankenship@theleaven.org. The appearance of advertising in The Leaven is not an endorsement by either the newspaper or the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. The Leaven attempts to screen advertisers and copy, but is not responsible for claims and representations made in advertisements.
SUNDAY, JUNE 14 CATHEDRAL OF ST. PETER, KANSAS CITY, KS Mass for the Solemnity at 10 a.m. Procession of the Eucharist around the Cathedral Square with Benediction following Mass Seating for Mass will be limited based on present restrictions in place for large gatherings. Facemasks are required for participants during Mass and the Procession, and proper social distancing will be carefully observed.
Announcement Joseph A. Butler & Son Funeral Home has re-opened as
is affiliated with Warren-McElwain Mortuary, Lawrence, KS “Locally Owned and Operated Since 1904”
1844 Minnesota Ave. Kansas City, Kansas 913-371-7000 “Dignified and Affordable Without Compromise”
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JUNE 5, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
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THE HANDS OF CHRIST Local doctor, nurse rely on Christ’s example of service for courage By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org
K
ANSAS C I T Y , Kan. — For husband and wife medical couple Carlos and Jennifer Pacheco, there’s no hiding from the COVID-19 virus. They’re fighting it on the front lines. And the fight is more than a little scary. “I have prayed more during the past few months than I have in my entire life,” said 28-year-old Jennifer Pacheco, a charge nurse in the Intensive Care Unit at Providence Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. She is seven months pregnant. Husband Carlos Pacheco, 32, is chief resident at the University of Missouri-Kansas City/Truman Medical Center family medicine residency. “I am constantly asking God to protect my unborn child, to protect my husband and to protect my family,” she said. The couple, who married last year, are members of St. John the Baptist Parish in Kansas City, Kansas. They plan to soon join St. Patrick Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, where they both grew up. Carlos and Jennifer both graduated from Bishop Ward High School, but four years apart — he in 2006; she in 2010. They didn’t know each other at school but knew each other’s families. “I finally got to meet Carlos at a Bishop Ward football game in 2012,” said Jennifer. “He had coached my brother Andrew the previous seasons and came back to watch a game that year. I just happened to stand next to him throughout the game . . . and the rest is history. “I was just accepted into nursing school,” she continued, “and he was starting his medical school journey. So, we didn’t start dating for a while after we met, but we always kept in touch.” They married, started their work at different medical facilities and began their family. Jennifer is due to deliver their first child in early July. Like everyone else, the couple heard how a new virus emerged in China and how it later spread to Italy and other places around the world. “You never expect something like this to happen so close to home,” said Jennifer. “I think it finally hit me when I was placed in a two-week quarantine after caring for the first COVID-19 positive patient I encountered. It was early and the nation wasn’t fully aware
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PACHECO FAMILY
Carlos and Jennifer Pacheco, members of St. John the Baptist Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, with their dogs Jack and Bella, are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic as medical professionals. Jennifer — who is pregnant and due in early July — has taken extra precautions to protect their unborn child.
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“I CANNOT CONTROL WHO HAS THE VIRUS. . . . WHAT I CAN CONTROL IS HOW I PERFORM MY ROLE AS A PHYSICIAN. AND IF I LEAN ON THE GIFTS OF SERVICE AND LOVE . . . THEN I CAN BE AT PEACE WITH THE SITUATION.” of the whole array of symptoms people could have. This particular [asymptomatic] patient didn’t necessarily scream COVID-19.” Carlos was monitored by his hospital and continued to
work. Jennifer was quarantined from March 10-24 and never tested positive. “It was mentally pretty rough,” she said. “There was a lot we didn’t know, and I was pretty scared that I was going
to start having symptoms throughout the first week. It was all over the news and I knew [the ICU] was shorthanded with so many people out on quarantine from just one particular case. It was pretty consuming.” As scary as it can be to work in medicine during a pandemic, it’s what they signed up for when they decided to become doctors and nurses, said Carlos. Fear and uncertainty are part of the package. “Early on,” said Carlos, “there was a lot of uncertainty regarding what doctors should be doing to test and treat patients, what kind of personal protection equipment we should wear, what to tell patients, how to
keep our families safe and so on. “With time, that has gotten better as more information comes out. But we still don’t have all the answers and we’re just trying to do our best with what we know.” Jennifer returned to work at the end of her quarantine. For a while, the trickle continued. But in early April, the pandemic tsunami hit. “The one memory I won’t ever forget is on one particular Friday in the ICU,” said Jennifer. “We had a few patients who had tested positive, which we expected, but that particular day things just exploded. We had to shuffle COVID-19 negative ICU patients to different parts of the hospital. We couldn’t keep up with the number of patients needing ventilators. “It really hit me that particular day that things were as bad as we saw on the news, and this was going to affect our county more than we thought.” Jennifer’s co-workers decided to move her to a “clean” ICU with no COVID-19 positive patients, to protect her and her unborn child. It has been a difficult time. But thanks to their Catholic faith, they’re getting through it. “I was called to medicine because of my desire to serve others,” said Carlos. “My faith teaches me that Jesus was a loving servant,” he added. “So, I approach my profession in that way. I know that if I focus on serving the patient as if they were my own family, then I will have done some good in my life. “This has also carried me through the COVID-19 crisis,” he continued. “I cannot control who has the virus, if I will get it, if my family will get it, or if my patients will die from it. What I can control is how I perform my role as a physician. “And if I lean on the gifts of service and love . . . then I can be at peace with the situation.” Faith and the perspective of gratitude keep her going, said Jennifer. “I remind myself that the people who are suffering are why I’m in this profession and I change my mindset,” said Jennifer. “I’m healthy and need to be grateful. “Granted, I’ve had many tearful drives home from work, and moments asking God why we are going through this. But I return to the hospital knowing I was meant to do this. “God granted me the compassion and the skills needed to do my job,” she added, “and I need to do make sure I’m doing my best. “Maintaining a positive outlook and knowing that I’m doing all I can during this crisis is keeping me going.”