11 27 20 Vol. 42 No. 17

THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 42, NO. 17 | NOVEMBER 27, 2020

LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON

Kathy and John Rathbun, members of Corpus Christi Parish in Lawrence, have been married for 45 years as of July 18. Earlier this year, both of them were diagnosed with COVID, and from July 8 to Aug. 9, John was a patient at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. While there, he kept track of every single member of the medical staff who cared for him, a list that includes 66 nurses as well as doctors and physical therapists.

John Rathbun is

COUNTING HIS BLESSINGS — LITERALLY

BY MARC AND JULIE ANDERSON

L

AWRENCE — It’s not about him.

At least that’s how John Rathbun, a member of Corpus Christi Parish in Lawrence, reflects upon his recent medical ordeal.

His saga started in late June.

After attending his grandson’s first Communion, John lay down for a nap. Several hours later, he was still in bed.

When his wife Kathy called their son’s house, she learned he, too, was in bed.

Within a few days, John, Kathy and their son all tested positive for COVID, but John’s condition deteriorated rapidly.

“I was really tired at first, and then the cough set in, and then my oxygen started to drop,” John said. “I actually went to the hospital. I went to the emergency room, and they treated me, and my oxygen went back up, and they sent me home.”

Three days later, though, John’s oxygenation levels fell below 70%. Kathy drove him to Lawrence Memorial Hospital. John was whisked away in a wheelchair. Staff said they’d call her when they had more news.

Later, John learned someone had called Kathy and told her he’d require a ventilator.

“I lost it,” she said. “I hung up the phone, and I fell apart.”

As a first grade teacher at Corpus Christi Grade School, Kathy said her summers usually meant she has a lot of time to herself. This summer was different. “[John’s] supposed to be gone when I’m home in the summer,” she said, “but he’s been home the whole time because he’s working from home.”

And it’s been an adjustment.

But then, she got the call from the hospital.

“I said, ‘God, I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean it.

I want him home,’” she said.

Four hours after John arrived at the hospital, pulmonologist Dr. Mitchell Tener told him he’d probably be there a while but would not require a ventilator. Tener’s assessment later proved accurate. Thirty-five days later, John returned home.

Both John and Kathy credit John’s recovery to two major factors — prayer and the excellent >> See “RECOVERED” on page 10

No Leaven next week

Giving hope

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, there will be no Leaven next week. The next issue will be Dec. 11.

Former pro football player volunteers at center that gives youth a faith-based place to spend time.

Page 7

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ARCHBISHOP

NOVEMBER 27, 2O2O | THELEAVEN.ORG

Give thanks even in the midst of a pandemic

L

ike so many other experiences during this year, Thanksgiving 2020 is very different from previous celebrations of this national holiday.

Many families this year will not gather as they normally have done for decades because of health concerns related to the coronavirus.

While Thanksgiving is a civic holiday, not a Catholic holy day, its roots are profoundly Christian. Gratitude is at the heart of our Catholic spirituality. The very word “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving.” Our eucharistic prayer reminds us that we are called always and everywhere to give thanks.

Gratitude is the natural disposition of the heart of the Christian, because we realize that our life, our health, our abilities, our talents, our opportunities, our families, our friendships, our material possessions and so much more are all God’s gifts.

Having had the experience of being afflicted

by COVID-19, I marvel and give thanks for the immune system God has designed into our bodies that protects us from so many physical threats. I desire to be like the one leper of the Gospel who returns to give thanks to Jesus for the gift of healing.

With everyone else, I am thrilled with the likely prospect of the availability very soon of a vaccine. We should all be profoundly grateful for all who have worked so hard in our government and in the scientific community to make this a

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN reality more quickly than most thought possible.

Once again, we must give God thanks for giving human beings the gifts and talents that equip us to make such discoveries.

At the same time, I share the concern of our governmental leaders and public health officials at the recent rise in COVID cases. While most will recover from the virus, we know that too many will not.

With over 250,000 citizens of the United States having died with COVID, we must do our best to minimize the spread of this vicious virus.

There is a legitimate concern about the possibility of overwhelming our hospitals and available medical personnel, making it impossible for them to care properly not only for COVID cases, but also all those with other serious health conditions I am grateful to our priests and parishioners for all that you have done to make the public celebration of Masses as safe as possible. In these final weeks of 2020, I

ask all of us to recommit ourselves to observing the safety protocols for the celebration of the Eucharist. It is important that we continue to social distance, wear masks and sanitize our churches prior to each celebration of Mass.

I encourage again those who feel sick or manifesting any possible symptoms of the virus not to participate in the Eucharist. If, because of age or other physical infirmities, you are at high risk, please be prudent and take advantage of television or livestream celebrations of Mass.

The moral obligation to attend Mass continues to be suspended in order not to place any unnecessary pressure on those who are most vulnerable to the virus.

I realize that the wearing of masks is controversial for some and there are conflicting scientific opinions. Nevertheless, even if you do not believe in the efficacy of masks protecting you from COVID, I ask you to follow our protocols that include the request to wear masks while in church.

I ask you to make this sacrifice out of charity for fellow parishioners.

Help us avoid pub-

Popcorn ceiling removed, or repaired Ceiling and walls painted 30 years experience

lic health authorities requesting the closing again of our churches. Of course, if you have health conditions that preclude wearing a mask, our protocols allow for such exceptions.

I want to do everything possible to keep our churches open and the reception of the Eucharist available, especially during the Advent and Christmas seasons. Your cooperation is crucial and greatly appreciated.

With vaccines on the horizon and more people having recovered from the virus now being immune, there is good reason to hope that the public health situation will improve significantly during the coming months.

Let us persevere in our commitment to work for the common good and to protect the public health of our communities.

There are always many reasons to be grateful. Giving thanks is in our Christian DNA. Let us give God thanks for his abundant blessings, especially the gift of his Son, Jesus, who is Our Lord and King. Jesus promises to be with us through all the struggles of this world and he has given us the sure and certain hope of sharing in his eternal life.

I miss my mother this Thanksgiving, but what a consolation to know that she is now experiencing life in that new and eternal Jerusalem, where there is no more pain, mourning or death.

Let us give thanks, always and everywhere, even in the midst of a pandemic.

Marlene (Uhlenhake) and Harold “Bud” Rome, members of Holy Spirit Parish, Overland Park, celebrated their 50th we d d i n g anniversary on Nov. 21.

The couple was married on Nov. 21, 1970, at Immaculate Conception Church, Celina, Ohio, by the bride’s uncle, Father Leonard Sudhoff. Their children are: Nikki Henning and Tony Rome. They also have six grandchildren. They celebrated this summer with a vacation in Michigan.

Marie and Bill Clark, members of St. Paul Parish, Olathe, will celebrate their 50th wedding a n n ive r sary on Nov. 28. The couple was married at St. Francis Xavier Parish, Mayetta, by Father Ed Hays. They have two sons: Bill Clark and Tom Clark. They also have two grandsons. A celebration will be at a later date.

Darlene

and

Dave

Shaver, members of Sacred H e a r t of Jesus Church, Emporia, will celebrate their 50th we d d i n g anniversary with a card shower hosted by their children — Lisa Cawley, Laurie Whitehurst and Amanda Ogorzolka — and their spouses and eight grandchildren. The couple was married on Nov. 28, 1970, at St. Mary Church, Garden City, by Father Edmund Weigel, CPPS. They will celebrate with a dinner with their family on Dec. 5.

ANNIVERSARY submissions POLICY: The Leaven prints 50, 60, 65 and 70th anniversary notices. They are for parishioners in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Email notices to: todd.habiger@theleaven.org.

Call Jerry at (913) 206-1144

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LOCAL NEWS

NOVEMBER 27, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

3

THERE AND BACK AGAIN Familiar face returns to lead the stewardship office, CFNEK

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

Bill Maloney became executive director of the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas and the director of the archdiocesan office of stewardship and development on Oct. 30.

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — No one has to tell Bill Maloney how to find the archbishop’s office in the chancery. As Yankees great Yogi Berra said, for him it’s “déjà vu all over again.”

On Oct. 30, Maloney became executive director of the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas and the director of the archdiocesan office of stewardship and development. He succeeded the retiring Lesle Knop. They will work together during a two-month transition period.

Maloney served as associate director of the archdiocesan office of stewardship and development from 2003 to 2006.

“I see a lot of new faces and some friendly familiar faces as well [in the chancery],” said Maloney.

Maloney and his wife Patrice have three adult children. They’ve been members of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Overland Park since 1990.

Church and family have been at the very center of Maloney’s life from the very beginning. He’s a cradle Catholic, born and raised in Joliet, Illinois.

He was educated entirely in Catholic schools: Holy Family Parish School, Joliet Catholic High School and Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

“

“

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

I SEE STEWARDSHIP AS BEING ALL ABOUT GRATITUDE. GRATITUDE ON AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL FOR ALL THE GIFTS GOD HAS GIVEN US AND SHARING THOSE GIFTS WITH OTHERS. BILL MALONEY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION OF NORTHEAST KANSAS AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE ARCHDIOCESAN OFFICE OF STEWARDSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT

Maloney graduated from Creighton in 1988 with a bachelor of science in business administration and finance.

He also met his wife Patrice at Creighton. She grew up in St. Agnes Parish and is a graduate of Bishop Miege High School, both in Roeland Park.

Perhaps it was destiny for Maloney to work at the archdiocese. After all, his own father is his role model.

“My dad was what I call a good steward at our parish [while I was growing up],” said Maloney. “He was a great leader there and worked tirelessly for the parish, serving on committees. As

a young person, I would work in the kitchen at the annual Holy Family ham dinner. From that point, I just looked forward to being involved in my parish.

I always looked at the parish as my home.

“Once we moved to Kansas City, opportunity presented itself shortly after we joined Queen of the Holy Rosary to become active in the school. I remember the day well when I got the call, after filling out a form at school, inviting me to work at its annual Las Vegas Night.”

Ever since then, Maloney’s service to the church has been a series of invitations to get involved.

“My faith means a lot to me,” he said. “It’s an important part of our family’s life. I know it’s the truth and what we should be doing. I feel good going to work every day. I tell people what I do in my free time is also what I do for my career. If I’m not working for the church for a living, you’ll find me doing something for my parish.”

When the Maloney family moved to Overland Park, Bill Maloney first worked for UMB Bank. Next, he worked for the archdiocese and then briefly as director of advancement for Bishop Miege. Next, he spent 16 years with the Steier Group based in Omaha, which manages parish and diocesan capital campaigns.

“Part of me always wanted to do that at home,” he said. “It’s like sharing a gift. . . . And I wanted to share the joy

President Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann

Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799) Published weekly September through May, excepting the Friday the week after Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Christmas; biweekly June through August. Address communications to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Phone: (913) 721-1570; fax: (913) 721-5276; or e-mail at: sub@theleaven.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109.

For change of address, provide old and new address and parish. Subscriptions $21/year. Periodicals postage paid at Kansas City, KS 66109.

Production Manager Todd Habiger todd.habiger@theleaven.org

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

Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

of giving and the joy of the work that is done in a stewardship and development office in my own community.”

The opportunity to share this gift came about when he learned Knop would retire in late 2020. It was the right job and the right time for Maloney.

In his new role in the archdiocese, Maloney will lead the ongoing work of the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas and the archdiocesan office of stewardship and development.

The foundation (CFNEK) is the long-term funding vehicle for the parishes, schools and ministries of the archdiocese. It’s the home of many endowment funds and a place where individuals can make planned gifts for the long-term needs of the archdiocese.

The largest function of the office of stewardship and development is to execute the archbishop’s annual Call to Share stewardship program to fund the operations of the institutions and ministries of the archdiocese.

“I see stewardship as being all about gratitude,” said Maloney. “Gratitude on an individual level for all the gifts God has given us and sharing those gifts with others.”

“And stewardship in our parishes,” he added, “is about hospitality: welcoming people, forming them in faith and prayer, and then reaching out to others via hospitality, prayer, formation and service.”

Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita.mcsorley@theleaven.org

Advertising Coordinator Beth Blankenship beth.blankenship@theleaven.org

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

4

LOCAL NEWS

NOVEMBER 27, 2O2O | THELEAVEN.ORG

‘Blessed to be part of the solution’

By Katie Peterson Special to the Leaven

K

ANSAS CITY, Mo. — One hundred sixty-six.

That’s how many donated cars Midway Auto Parts, Inc., here have worked on and sold for auction or for parts since it began partnering with Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas and Catholic Charities of Kansas CitySt. Joseph for the Cars4KC program in the summer of 2019.

“We’ve been involved with Catholic Charities for going on the past five years,” explained Ryan Falco, Midway Auto co-partner. But when this program opportunity came along, it just “made sense for us.”

“When we found out Catholic Charities had this . . . going on with [Cars4KC],” Falco said, “we felt that we could get more money for the vehicles — which would, in turn, give more money to all the good that Catholic Charities does in northeast Kansas and Missouri.”

The fundamentals of the program are simple: Instead of trading in or trying to sell a car they no longer need, donors contact Cars4KC. Midway Auto arranges for the collection of the car they want to donate, then handles the repair and the sale of it. Profits from that sale go straight to Catholic Charities.

Cars4KC was first established by Catholic Charities in 2000 as a way for community members to donate unwanted vehicles to be auctioned off or sold for parts. And since 2000, 3,500 cars have been donated and sold.

When the program first began, said Theresa Gaul, Cars4KC program coordinator, Catholic Charities partnered with IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions) to work on the donated cars. But the amount of money coming back to Catholic Charities was low because of the hidden fees that come with working with a national company.

Switching to partnering with Midway Auto changed all that.

“The owners of Midway Auto are donors [to Catholic Charities], and

PHOTO COURTESY OF MIDWAY AUTO PARTS, INC.

Larry Pentlin, left, and Phil Goss of Midway Auto Parts, Inc., in Kansas City, Missouri, pose with some of the company’s trucks. Midway has been partnering with Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas and Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph for the Cars4KC program since the summer of 2019. they wanted to be more involved, so they reached out and wanted to see if they could help us,” Gaul said. “Midway Auto has been very clear with us to let us know what’s happening and costs associated.”

“They’ve been a great partner for us, and it helps that their owners (members of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood) are part of the Catholic community,” she said. “It has been wonderful for them to be able to support us in this way.”

Falco said he feels a bigger return for Catholic Charities is Midway Auto’s primary contribution to the program.

“Where they were sending their charity cars to before, it was an auctiontype facility where people like me go

to get these cars,” Falco said. “We felt with all of our different businesses — because we own car lots, but we also own salvage yards — that we would be able to give them a higher return on the vehicles, which would trickle down to them getting more money to help out people.”

Gaul said Midway Auto makes the process easy for Catholic Charities and the donor.

“Midway Auto does a lot of the heavy lifting,” Gaul said. “It is a really easy way to make an impact for Catholic Charities. The process is pretty painless.”

To donate a car, donors need only visit the website at: cars4kc.com and fill out the form. From there, Midway

Auto will contact the donor to schedule the pick up of the vehicle and provide the donor with a tax deduction receipt.

From there, Falco said 100% of the proceeds go back to Catholic Charities.

“We feel completely blessed that we have this opportunity to work with Catholic Charities,” Falco said. “We’re very proud of what the whole Catholic Charities crew is doing and what they’re achieving, so it’s a really special place for us to be involved in.

“It’s an honor to be handling the vehicles for Catholic Charities, but more importantly, making a difference in their directives and the programs that they’re working on currently. We’re very blessed to be part of the solution and part of the help.”

Join the Benedictine monks of Atchison for Advent this year

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

A

TCHISON — Christians are a people of hope, and it is right to ask, “From where does our hope come?”

That question will be addressed in depth in “The Dawn from on High: An Advent Experience,” a retreat-in-place from Dec. 11-13, with materials through Advent and beyond.

The retreat, which participants do in their own homes, is being offered by the monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison.

In this retreat, the participants will be awakened to the great event proclaimed in the New Testament’s Canticle of Zechariah and carried by Our Lady: “In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Lk 1:78-79).

On the abbey’s website, the monks say that the question about hope confronts each of us in every aspect of our lives: our relationships, our work, our

civic life and life as part of the church.

Advent is the church’s New Year, and it’s an opportunity to ponder this question and rediscover what we are made for and how we can hope.

“The days of Advent are like a quiet knocking at the door of our smothered souls,” wrote Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, “inviting us to undertake the risk

of stepping forward toward God’s mysterious presence which alone can make us free.”

The monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey invite Catholics to join them in this free experience by registering online at: Kansasmonks.org/advent2020.

All registered retreatants will receive “A Guide to the Advent Season”

in the mail to help them delve deeper into this liturgical season. There will be live conferences during the Advent retreat-in-place, which will be hosted on the monks’ channel at YouTube. com. In the YouTube search engine, type: KansasMonks, then subscribe to receive alerts when it goes live.

LOCAL NEWS

NOVEMBER 27, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

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MSGR. CHARLES MCGLINN | 1942 -2020

They served you; will you help them?

HE WAS, AT HEART, A SERVANT

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

K LEAVEN FILE PHOTO

Msgr. Charles McGlinn died on Nov. 20 from diabetes complications. He was the longtime pastor of Curé of Ars Parish, Leawood. He also served as vicar general for the archdiocese.

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — If you wanted to call him “monsignor,” you could.

Msgr. Charles McGlinn didn’t mind.

Most of the time, however, everybody called him “Father Charles” or “Father Charlie.”

The humility suited him. After all, he was, at heart, a servant.

“His greatest desire was to serve people and bring them closer to Christ,” said longtime friend Msgr.

Thomas Tank, pastor of Ascension Parish in Overland Park. “His greatest joy was celebrating the Eucharist.”

Indeed. Despite his infirmities, Msgr. McGlinn celebrated Mass at Ascension Parish until two months before he died.

Msgr. Charles “Charlie” Douglas McGlinn, 78, died in his sleep due to complications from diabetes on Nov. 20 at the Ascension Parish rectory.

He was born on Jan. 1, 1942, in Leavenworth, the second of six sons of John and Margaret Mary (Gillespie) McGlinn. The family belonged to the Old Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Parish. Charlie went to Immaculate Conception Grade School and Immaculata High School, graduating in 1959.

There were early hints of a priestly vocation. As a boy, he witnessed a boy being hit by a car. As he lay dying, Charlie prayed over the boy and gave him an emergency baptism.

Perhaps his greatest vocational influence was his pastor, Msgr. Alexander Harvey. Charlie served Mass for him and the cleric was a frequent family dinner guest.

“They formed a great trust and friendship,” said brother Patrick McGlinn.

In 1959, Charlie entered St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy and master of arts degree in religious education, graduating in 1967. While there, he first met archdiocesan seminarian Thomas Tank.

Father McGlinn was ordained a priest by Archbishop Edward J.

Hunkeler on May 27, 1967, at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kansas. His first assignment was at the cathedral with his seminary classmate, Father Tank, with whom he was ordained.

“He was a wonderful person who loved life and loved people,” said Msgr. Tank. “He had a real passion for the poor and, particularly, for remedying injustices. There are a tremendous number of people he helped over the years.”

His love for Scripture was displayed in the classes he taught through most of his 53-year priesthood, perhaps the root of what was called his “tremendous vision.”

Above all, he was the expression of Christ’s compassion in his ministry, said Msgr. Tank.

Father John Riley, archdiocesan chancellor, knew Msgr. McGlinn while growing up in Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Overland Park.

“We just loved Monsignor (McGlinn),” said Father Riley. “He was always so upbeat. He was a great preacher and such a joyful witness to the faith, an inspiration to young and old alike.

“He was well respected by his brother priests. They would seek out his wise counsel on any number of issues . . . and he was a good confessor. Priests would seek his spiritual guidance as well. He was a priests’ priest.”

Msgr. McGlinn was a great storyteller, joke teller and practical joker.

He was a hit at priest gatherings.

“He’d tell wonderful jokes that would just have us busting a gut, because he was so good at it,” said Father Riley. “We’d start this chant ‘Char-lie, Char-lie, Char-lie’ until he got up and told some jokes.”

“The problem with his jokes is that he’d start laughing before he finished them,” said Msgr. Tank.

A little over two years after he arrived, Archbishop Emeritus James P. Keleher chose Msgr. McGlinn and Msgr. Tank to be his two vicars general. Their contrasting styles — and debates — helped him tremendously.

Msgr. McGlinn had another talent: acclimating foreign priests to Kansas. The archbishop sent him

Pastoral assignments • 1967: Associate pastor at Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kansas • 1969: Associate pastor at Our Lady & St. Rose Parish, Kansas City, Kansas • 1973: Pastor at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Kansas City, Kansas • 1979: Sabbatical for studies at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. • 1980: Archdiocesan director of religious education • 1981: Temporary administrator of Sacred Heart Parish in Leavenworth • 1981: Pastor of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Overland Park • 1986: Pastor of Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood • 1995: Vicar general for personnel • 2005: Named monsignor, Prelate of Honor of His Holiness • 2009: Retired as vicar general • 2015: Retired as pastor of Curé of Ars Parish • 2018: Senior parochial vicar in residence at the Church of the Ascension in Overland Park

so many priests that Curé of Ars became known as IHOP: the International House of Priests.

“Msgr. Charles was excellent,” said Archbishop Keleher. “He was able to help and support people. People loved him. [I hoped] any priest with him would see and catch that beautiful talent themselves.”

For more than 25 years, Msgr.

McGlinn would end his homilies by saying, “I have a little prayer for you.”

He published his “Poem Prayers” in little booklets and later, in 2015, a book. He donated the proceeds to the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos orphanage in Miacatlán, Mexico.

Msgr. McGlinn was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his five brothers: John, Jim, Mike, Patrick and Don. A memorial vigil Mass was held on Nov. 24. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann was the main celebrant at the funeral Mass on Nov. 25 at the Church of the Ascension. Burial was at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Leavenworth.

Donations in Msgr. McGlinn’s name may be made to Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas.

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Like the average layperson, members of religious orders grow old and get sick, or develop disabilities. And like the average layperson, they need care and support.

But unlike the average layperson, they do not have the traditional resources to fall back on. They gave all to serve God and the people of God. On the weekend of Dec. 12-13, Catholics of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas will have the opportunity to help members of religious orders who have served them by participating in the national collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious.

The fund helps hundreds of religious orders care for aging members — some 30,000 senior religious Sisters, Brothers and priests.

Last year, archdiocesan Catholics donated $111,829 to the collection. This year, the Servants of Mary Ministers to the Sick (Sisters, Servants of Mary) in Kansas City, Kansas, and the Benedictine monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison, received a combined total of $162,334 in financial support from the Retirement Fund for Religious.

But why is there a collection?

The fund for religious was established to address the serious lack of retirement savings among U.S. religious communities.

For many years, because religious served for low wages that did not include retirement benefits — no 401(k) plans and no pensions — now their communities face a critical shortage in retirement savings.

Another factor is that retired religious outnumber wage-earning members. Religious age 70 and older outnumber those younger than 70 by nearly three to one.

There are 28,418 men and women religious age 70 and older in the United States. In 2019, the average annual cost for their care was about $47,000 per person; skilled care averaged $72,000 per person.

Of the 531 religious communities that provided data to the National Religious Retirement Office, only 29 are adequately funded for retirement. Each community is responsible for the care and support of its members, not dioceses or parishes.

It’s easy to see that many religious communities, especially the smaller ones, are being hammered by the cost of caring for elderly members due to a lack of financial resources and personnel.

Funds from the collection may be applied toward immediate expenses, such as medications or nursing care, or invested for future eldercare needs. Funding is also allocated for improved health care delivery and planning for long-term retirement needs. Recently, an online webinar offered professional guidance on adapting care protocols to address issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During these trying times, we know the best way to support senior religious is to continue helping their communities address retirement and eldercare challenges,” said Presentation Sister Stephanie Still, NRRO executive director. “Our grateful prayer is with all whose love and generosity sustain this mission.”

For more information, visit the website at: retiredreligious.org.

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FAMILY LIFE

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NOVEMBER 27, 2O2O | THELEAVEN.ORG

Be merciful with our fumbling, failures and fears, Lord

ord, we’re tired. Overwhelmed.

Anxious. Uncertain.

This year has brought massive changes to our families. Work, school, church — all of it looks different now.

Our kids are struggling to understand, accept and adapt. We’re struggling, too.

How can we help our families when we need support for ourselves? How can we teach our kids to pray when we’re wrestling with faith right now, too? Where do we start when everything feels like it’s unraveling around us?

Here is one answer you gave us: “He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.’

He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test’” (Lk 11:1-4).

Each line of Scripture can speak to us today, Lord. Open our hearts to hear your word.

“He was praying in a certain place.”

Remind us that our circumstances and

LAURA KELLY FANUCCI Fanucci is a mother, writer and director of a project on vocation at the Collegeville Institute in Collegeville, Minnesota. She is the author of several books, and blogs at: www.motheringspirit. com.

contexts don’t have to be barriers to prayer.

Keep drawing us to you in our own particular places, just as you would leave behind the chaos and crisis of the crowds to pray alone.

“Lord, teach us to pray.”

Humble our hearts to ask you to teach us.

When we don’t know what to do or where to go, nudge us to ask for help. Let us be open to receive and willing to learn. Comfort us to remember we aren’t alone, that we all need your grace and guidance to keep going.

“When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.”

Help us to start simply. To begin each day and each prayer by calling out to you.

To praise your name and put you first. To

remember that we are your beloved children. To hope in your

goodness, trust in your promise and surrender to your ways.

“Give us each day our daily bread.”

Let us see all the

goodness of life — even time and food — as gifts from you. Let us ask for enough for today, and trust that tomorrow will take care of itself. Let us be open to receive you: in sacraments, in Scripture and in sustenance for our bodies and minds. Let us pray not just for ourselves and our families, but for all who are in need.

“Forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us.”

Guide us to confession and forgiveness.

Be merciful with our fumbling, failures and fears. Help us to forgive ourselves, our families and all those we struggle to love.

Guide our feet to the path of your healing, and teach us to work and serve each day in the light of your love.

“Do not subject us to the final test.”

Have mercy on us.

Protect us. Stay with us through the end.

Bring us back each day to these holy words. Help us teach them to our children, to pray them when we are at home and when we are away.

Most of all, Lord, be present to us wherever we are — as parents, guardians, grandparents, godparents and all who love, teach or raise young people in today’s tumultuous world. May we trust that we and the children we love are always in your care, that your peace is always only a prayer away.

Solution on page 13 “COPYRIGHT © BY CLIFF LEITCH, THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE REFERENCE SITE, WWW.CHRISTIANBIBLEREFERENCE.ORG. USED BY PERMISSION.”

LOCAL NEWS

NOVEMBER 27, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

7

‘I only wish I had something like this,’ says former LA Charger

By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org

K

W

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JOE CORY

James Holt listens as a young woman shares her view on a Bible verse during a meeting at The Hope Center in Kansas City, Missouri, on Nov. 11.

“

ANSAS CITY, Mo. — Life wasn’t always easy for James Holt, a parishioner at Holy Trinity in Lenexa and volunteer at The Hope Center here.

“I grew up in a little town in Oklahoma,” he said. “I grew up in the notso-desirable part of town.”

But Holt worked hard and earned a spot on the University of Kansas football team from 2005-08, during which time he played on the university’s 2008 Orange Bowl team.

Then his talent took him even further — to a spot on the Los Angeles Chargers.

Now retired from the sport, Holt is helping kids experiencing similar challenges he faced growing up, spending one evening a week after work volunteering at The Hope Center.

“I only wish I had something like this that provides not only a safe place,” he said, “but a place that shows [kids] that they can thrive, even though there’s certain circumstances that are around them.”

The Hope Center is a nondenominational faith-based ministry in the east urban side of Kansas City, Missouri.

It offers various programs for youth and adults, including a charter school, medical clinic, developmental youth programs, a men’s support group, family trauma counseling and emergency food services, said CEO Marvin Daniels.

Volunteers like Holt help the center run smoothly.

“Having volunteers like James who identify culturally, socially and psychologically is critical to the work The Hope Center KC does in our community,” said Daniels.

“Our mission of providing asset-based developmental opportunities for our community to flourish is attainable with both staff and volunteers who are relatable,” he added.

Holt’s volunteer work includes hanging out with high school aged kids, eating dinner with them and helping lead educational activities, which

“ HAVING VOLUNTEERS LIKE JAMES WHO IDENTIFY CULTURALLY, SOCIALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY IS CRITICAL TO THE WORK THE HOPE CENTER KC DOES IN OUR COMMUNITY. MARVIN DANIELS CEO OF THE HOPE CENTER

often focus on Scripture.

“It’s incredible how much these kids know the Bible,” said Holt. “These kids really know the stories and the mes-

Sister Rita Robl, ASC

ICHITA — Sister Rita Robl, ASC, who spent her life teaching and helping others on their spiritual quest, died Nov. 15 at the Wichita Center here. She was 90 years old and had been a professed member of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ for 72 years.

Sister Rita was vibrant and full of wisdom and viewed life’s challenges as opportunities to explore God’s work in progress.

She was born during the Great Depression on Aug. 19, 1930, on a small wheat farm in Ellinwood. At her home baptism, her mother draped her crib with wet towels to assist her breathing during choking dust storms that swept the region. She had a simple, poor, but happy upbringing, and attended a one-room schoolhouse before transferring to a Catholic school in a neighboring town.

She attended the Adorers’ Sacred Heart Academy boarding school in Wichita and entered the convent in 1946. She made final vows in July 1953.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Kansas Newman College in 1957, and a master’s from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.

Sister Rita taught upper grades in Kansas at All Saints in Wichita (19491955); St. Nicholas in Kinsley (19551960); St. Patrick in Plains (1960-1963); and St. Ann in Olmitz (19631964). She was principal at St. Eugene in Oklahoma City (1964-1972) and Sacred Heart in Emporia (1972-1983).

In 1983, she opened Centro Sangre de Cristo spirituality center in Carlsbad, New Mexico, while studying spiritual direction in the summer in Pecos. The center was forced to close and she returned to Wichita, where she eventually opened Acuto Center for Renewal at Kansas Newman College and later at the Wichita Center.

Her last venture was the Great Plains Earth Institute, which she founded in 1997 and ran until her retirement in 2008.

sages behind it, [and we help them] understand it and how they can apply it to everyday life. “[We] help them become better leaders in their community, as well as the world.”

For Holt, it’s important to give kids a safe, faith-based place to hang out, especially during a time when Kansas City has experienced considerable violence.

“It’s pretty easy for these kids to fall into that and give up hope,” he said.

“The structures that they have here and the volunteers that come in are totally awesome.

“It gives them that chance. They want to learn and they want to be better.”

Kids who come to The Hope Center learn Christian values that they can apply to their daily lives.

“They don’t always get that in the

day in and day out of their life,” said Holt. “It’s a good place for them to come in and have role models.”

Daniels said The Hope Center’s work is crucial to give young people in Kansas City hope for a bright future.

“There are enough negative images presented to them,” he said. “When volunteers like James show up, students have the opportunity to see a picture of their future selves.”

Holt looks forward to The Hope Center’s continued growth and expanded presence in Kansas City.

“I know they have bigger ambitions to do a lot more for the community,” he said. “I’ll be excited to see that unfold as time goes on.”

To donate, to volunteer or for more information about The Hope Center, visit the website at: hopecenterkc.org.

Statement Father Stephen Lamping, OFM, a member of the Franciscan Friars Province of St. John the Baptist (Ohio) who died in 1995, has been the subject of substantiated allegations of abuse of a minor by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and the Franciscan Province. Father Lamping’s name was published on the archdiocesan list of substantiated allegations in 2018.

The archdiocese first received an allegation about Father Lamping in 2005, stemming from abuse alleged during his tenure at St. Joseph in Olpe, where he served from 1951-1957.

At the time the abuse was reported, Father Lamping was deceased.

Lamping had previously served at St. Catherine in Emporia from 1941-1951.

In 2018, the archdiocese received an allegation of abuse stemming from Lamping’s time at St. Catherine Parish. During the recent investigation into this credible abuse allegation received in 2018, the archdiocese learned that another allegation had been received previously by the

Diocese of Wichita and the Province in 2002.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann encourages anyone harmed by Father Lamping to contact both law enforcement and the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. The archdiocese cares about survivors of abuse and works toward atonement in addressing credible abuse allegations. The archdiocesan victim care advocate will accompany victim/survivors through the archdiocesan process.

To report allegations of abuse, contact the Kansas Protection Report Center at (800) 922-5330. If there is immediate danger or someone is injured, call local law enforcement as well.

If the suspected abuse or misconduct involves an archdiocesan cleric, employee or volunteer, please also contact the confidential report line at (913) 647-3051 or go online to: www.archkck.org/reportabuse. The archdiocese takes very seriously its obligation to address any allegation of abuse or misconduct by church personnel.

ADVENT WEEK 1

SEEKING THE FACE OF GOD? LOOK AROUND YOU

CNS PHOTO/BRIAN SNYDER, REUTERS

Sandra Cruz of Chelsea, Massachusetts, waits for a ride with her daughter after picking up free groceries from a food pantry July 22. This year has been a grim and sobering time for many.

By Mike Nelson Catholic News Service

H

ow many of you, when asked, “How are you doing?,” have replied, “I’m just waiting for this year to end”?

We have experienced in 2020 a pandemic like none we have ever seen, political turmoil like none we have ever seen, an economic shutdown like . . . you get the picture. For many of us, 2021 can’t come soon enough.

For those of us who are Catholic, the new year comes a few weeks earlier — the new liturgical year, that is, starting with Advent, a season of desire.

And rarely have many of us desired the breath of fresh air that a new year can bring.

But even this new season and new year does not begin without grim and sobering reminders of how far from God many of us are.

“Why do you let us wander, O Lord, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?” laments Isaiah in the first reading of the First Sunday of Advent (Is 63:17). “Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful; all of us have become like unclean people” (Is 64:4b5a).

This, then, is a call to repentance — to “straighten up and fly right,” in the words of an old Nat King Cole song. Or as Scripture frequently suggests, “Make straight [your] paths,” words proclaimed

by John the Baptist in three of the four Gospels.

Today’s Gospel reading from St. Mark suggests this is best done sooner than later.

“You do not know when the Lord of the house is coming,” Jesus tells his disciples (Mk 13:35). “Be watchful.”

Jesus’ words are spoken shortly before he and his disciples head for Jerusalem where Jesus knows what awaits him. His disciples do not, of course; nor do we know what awaits us in the months and years ahead.

And after this year, many of us are afraid to ask. Yet go forward we must.

And we will, for God always offers us the chance to atone and correct our course.

“Give us new life,” says the psalmist, “and we will call upon your name” (Ps 80:19).

But to acknowledge where we have fallen short and who is really in charge requires humility on our part. Such humility is more abundant, it seems, in times of uncertainty and desperation.

Isaiah understands this. “Yet, Lord, you are our father,” he says. “We are the clay and you the potter: We are all the work of your hand” (Is 64:7).

Right before this, though, Isaiah says something else to God, a lamentation that invites our reflection on how to

CNS PHOTO/CHAZ MUTH

Father Mark R. Searles, a resident priest at St. Thomas More Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania, wears a mask while giving Communion to a parishioner following an Oct. 2 Mass celebrated in the parish parking lot. 2020 has been a year of challenges and difficulties.

CNS PHOTO/LISA JOHNSTON, ST LOUIS REVIEW

A lit candle is seen on an Advent wreath. Advent, a season of joyful expectation before Christmas, begins Nov. 29 this year. “straighten out” our lives, and our world: “You have hidden your face from us and have delivered us up to our crimes” (Is 64:6b).

God has hidden his face from us?

Really?

Many years ago, at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, I participated in a workshop in which the presenter asked us (ordered us, actually) to move all the chairs in the room out of the way (several hundred of them), close our eyes and walk (with care) around the room until we encountered (bumped into) another person.

At that point, we were to ask that person, “Are you God in hiding?”

The answer, of course, was yes. The point was for us to realize that we are all creations of God and that we are called to be the loving, caring face of God to one another to build and nourish the kingdom of God on earth.

Like Isaiah, many of us have lamented, “Lord, you have hidden your face from us.” But if God created us all in his image and likeness, should we not seek the face of God among those already in our midst? And be the face of God to others?

“Rouse your power,” pleads the responsorial psalm, “and come to save us. . . . Let us see your face, and we shall be saved” (Ps 80:3-4).

That sounds like a call to pay closer

attention to what already is in our midst: the face of God, present in our lives, serving us and calling us to serve one another. That suggests hope, if we let God’s love — personified in Christ Jesus — shine from us.

St. Paul expands on that promise in the second reading. “You were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge . . . so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift,” he tells the people of Corinth (1 Cor 1:5-7).

Moreover, Paul reminds his listeners: “God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor 3:9).

These are words of comfort we need to hear in these challenging times. But we also need Jesus’ poignant reminder that we cannot wait for God to do all the work.

“Be alert!” says Jesus to his disciples.

“You do not know when the time will come. . . . May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping” (Mk 13:33-37).

If we desire the Lord in our lives, let us act accordingly — in this and in every new year.

CNS PHOTO/OSWALDO RIVAS, REUTERS

A woman holds a cellphone with an image of Mary during an Aug. 14, 2018, pilgrimage in Leon, Nicaragua, to demand an end to violence in the country.

ADVENT WEEK 2

PREPARE THE (DIGITAL) WAY OF THE LORD

By John Grosso Catholic News Service

M

ultiple times in the past few months, when discussing the horrors of this year, a friend has half-jokingly said, “If Jesus is going to come back, now would be a great time!”

In a year that has seen a pandemic, a societal reckoning with systemic racism and many natural disasters, it’s not a stretch to think about the second coming.

Although it does not appear that the world is ending yet, this weekend’s readings serve as a reminder that Jesus will be coming back. We are extolled to prepare the way of the Lord, and we are given the example of John the Baptist, the voice crying out in the wilderness.

As we approach the halfway point of Advent, we are likely busy with our preparations for a Christmas that will look different this year.

How do we manage all of that? How can we be the voice crying out in the wilderness when we can’t even leave our homes? Put simply: What can we do to prepare this Advent?

The answer: We take to the (digital) streets.

At the start of this pandemic, people flooded social media as a way to connect with others and to occupy their time. In March, social media became a place to rally around our first responders and essential workers, to start fun trends and learn how to bake bread or make whipped coffee.

But as society realized we were in

CNS PHOTO/GREGORY A. SHEMITZ

Prison chaplain Sister Michelle Bremer, a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, chats with female inmates following a Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Robert J. Coyle of Rockville Centre, New York, at the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Yaphank, New York. Advent is a season for conversion, a hopeful, forward-looking period that keeps spiritual growth top of mind. this for the long haul, our discourse on social media began to deteriorate into partisan bickering at its best and poisonous, threatening rhetoric at its worst.

Catholics are not only not exempt from this, but in my experience, have been some of the worst offenders of it. That, coupled with the practice of “doomscrolling” (scrolling before bed obsessively on social media and bracing for bad news), has led many to abandon social media entirely.

But this Advent, when there is no public square to gather in, we are being

called to enter back into that social media world and prepare the way of the Lord.

Perhaps you are reading this article to find out the specific Advent “things” you can do digitally.

I could easily list the many ways you can enter into this season online: You could participate in a digital rosary, attend a prayer group on Zoom or sign up for eucharistic adoration in one of the late night hours when no one is there.

You can make your creche the centerpiece of your Christmas decorations instead of your tree, you might even try

a “reverse Advent calendar” for Catholic Charities. You can do all these things — and they would be fulfilling and an important way to prepare for Christmas.

But when looking ahead at the readings for this Second Week of Advent, one can’t help but be struck by the exhortation to go and prepare the way of the Lord.

I can think of no place that needs that more than social media.

We start by changing the way we react and talk to one another on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and beyond.

Remember the person on the other end of that comment is in fact, a person, with a family, with dreams, with fears.

Assume good intentions instead of acting on the impulse to attack. The best way we can prepare for Christ’s coming is by making the only space we can gather in as safe and loving as possible.

We must start there, because people are watching.

Catholics can and should be the model for welcoming behavior on social media, but right now, we aren’t. Instead, the secular world looks at how we treat each other online and snickers at our alleged hypocrisy.

If we do nothing else this Advent, we are being told, loud and clear: “In the desert prepare the way of the Lord!

Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!” This year, that highway is digital and that desert is Facebook. Let us prepare for Christmas by showing the world, who is watching now more than ever, what it means to be a Christian.

We can do better, and there is no time like this Advent to try.

10

LOCAL NEWS

NOVEMBER 27, 2O2O | THELEAVEN.ORG

Recovered COVID patient shares his story to honor theirs >> Continued from page 1 medical care he received. If there’s one message he’d like to spread this holiday season, it’s one of gratitude.

“It’s not about me,” he said. “It’s about all the people who cared for me.”

And he means that.

In fact, John kept track of every single person he interacted with during his hospital stay, which lasted from July 8 to Aug. 9.

Keeping track of people’s names is not something people typically do, but when asked about it, John said simply, “I’m an old salesman, and I always want to keep track of people’s names.”

John’s list of nurses includes 66 names. Then, there’s the three pulmonologists as well as physical and occupational therapists, making a total of more than 70 individuals who tended to him.

“They didn’t just keep track of my blood pressure and take my temperature. It was all the little, small kindnesses they did,” he said. “I can look at the list and tell you something about each one of them and something they did for me.”

For example, Tiffany heard him coughing uncontrollably one night.

“I couldn’t stop,” he recalled. “She came in my room, and it was about 10 o’clock at night. She said, ‘John, I can’t give you any more cough medicine. I can’t give you any more pills for the cough. You’ve had enough. You’re at your limit. I have these little candies, and I’m two months pregnant. I use the candies to fight through morning sickness. Maybe they’ll help you.”

Tiffany left the room, leaving him a few candies.

“I put one in my mouth, and something happened.

It soothed my throat,” he said.

The next morning, Tiffany noted that John hadn’t

coughed much after that.

“She handed me the tin of candies, and said, ‘I can get some more later. You keep these.’”

Then there was LaShon.

One day, she instructed him to put his feet up in a recliner and hand her his cellphone, saying she’d return in an hour.

“She came back in an hour, gave me my phone, and then she pulls out this lotion. She pulls the socks off my feet, and she begins to rub my feet with this lotion. . . . It made me feel relaxed — and what a kind thing to do!” he said.

The acts of kindness, John said, kept piling up. And while he said thank you often, a suggestion of his former pastor Father Mick Mulvany prompted him to do more. “[Father Mick] said, ‘You should let people know how great your experience was and how wonderful the people treated you,’” said John. “‘They’d like to know that.’”

So, on Oct. 6, John wrote a letter to the hospital, thanking the staff for the excellent care he received during his lengthy hospital stay, enclosing the list of every single doctor, nurse and therapist who treated him.

It should come as no surprise that one of John’s favorite Scripture passages is about the leper who returned to Jesus and thanked the Lord for his healing.

Now, even though he’s been interviewed at least three times by different media outlets, John continues to direct the discussion to praise of his medical team.

“I don’t want it to be about me,” he said. “I say this all the time — just jokingly — that I’m the numbskull that got sick and landed on their doorstep and lived to tell about it.

“And now I get to share their story.”

LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON

Kathy Rathbun looks over the notes she kept while her husband John was hospitalized with COVID. Since she could not visit him while he was hospitalized, she took notes on every piece of information that the hospital gave her on John’s progress.

NOVEMBER 27, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

NATION

Food banks do their best to help families have a hearty Thanksgiving meal

P

ATERSON, N.J. (CNS) — Going hungry is bad enough at any time, but at Thanksgiving, a holiday built around enjoying the fruits of a bountiful harvest, being hungry can be extra troublesome.

Agencies such as Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Paterson are teaming up in creative ways with other agencies to make sure the growing number of families and individuals showing up at their doors are fed during the holiday season holidays.

Since the coronavirus pandemic hit in March, thousands more people are asking for food, said Scott Milliken, CEO of Catholic Charities in the Paterson Diocese.

He said 1 million people in New Jersey don’t have enough food and the number continues to grow as people remain unemployed or have seen their incomes drop because they no long work full time.

Catholic Charities has partnered with the Community Foodbank of New Jersey to assist the surge of people seeking assistance in the weeks leading to Thanksgiving.

Carlos Roldan, food pantries director for Catholic Charities in Paterson, said the agency is helping more people than ever. Many of the people he is seeing have never visited a food pantry before.

The agency’s three pantries helped 5,000 to 7,000 people in an average month before the pandemic. Since March, however, the sites have seen a 500% increase in clients.

Overall, more than 1 million pounds of food and more than $2 million in funding for rent, payments and emergency needs have been distributed, Milliken said.

The trend in New Jersey parallels that occurring nationwide. Pantries and food distribution programs are reporting record numbers of people lined up, some of whom have waited for hours to receive boxes or bags of food.

CNS PHOTO/COURTESY CATHOLIC CHARITIES, DIOCESE OF PATERSON

“Ms. Virginia” receives an oven-roasted chicken Nov. 12, a day devoted to giving turkeys, chickens and bags of food and prepared meals to those in need by the father English Food Pantry of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Paterson, N.J., working with the Community Foodbank of New Jersey.

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Venice, Florida, has distributed $20 gift cards to people in addition to traditional food boxes to meet the growing need.

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops reported an 80% increase in demand for food during the pandemic.

In the Diocese of San Diego, Catholic Charities saw its distribution of farm-to-family food boxes at

25 locations in Imperial County increase from 1,400 in June to 3,000 in the fall.

And between March 30 and Oct. 31, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of San Antonio’s food distribution soared to 756,000 pounds as the average number of people served per week grew from 305 to 6,498.

11

#iGiveCatholic Giving Day set for Dec. 1

N

EW ORLEANS (CNS) — The sixth annual #iGiveCatholic Giving Day, which will benefit nearly 2,500 Catholic organizations in the United States, takes place Dec. 1 this year. “#iGiveCatholic offers communities across the country an opportunity to participate in #GivingTuesday in a way that specifically supports and celebrates Catholic parishes, schools and nonprofit ministries,” said Cory J. Howat, president of the #iGive Catholic organization, which is based in New Orleans.

“Since we launched this initiative five years ago, we have seen tremendous growth in the number of participants and the amount of funds raised,” he said in a news release announcing this year’s Giving Day. “We hope to exceed that once again this year.”

The #iGiveCatholic website, www. igivecatholic.org, has information about the dioceses, parishes, schools and nonprofit ministries participating in this year’s campaign. Those interested in donating may search the website by diocese, organization name or cause — religion, education, poverty and hunger, etc.

Anyone can participate in #iGive Catholic by visiting the website and making a minimum $25 online donation to their preferred institution or organization Dec. 1.

“In addition, offline gifts in any amount are welcome and appreciated and may be sent directly to the participating organizations,” the news release said.

Leading up to Dec. 1, #iGive Catholic launched an advanced Giving Day phase Nov. 16 to accept donations.

This early giving period continues through Nov. 30.

Organizers of #iGiveCatholicGiving Day see it as a kick-off to the charitable season, and it “brings the Catholic community together to give thanks and give back on #GivingTuesday,” the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States.

10th Covenant House Sleep Out raised funds for increased needs

W

ASHINGTON (CNS) — This year, when many fundraisers became virtual events due to COVID-19 restrictions, Covenant House Sleep Out went hybrid.

The Nov. 19 event was dubbed a virtual sleep out this year, but thousands across the country also slept outside to raise awareness and funds for homeless youths helped by Covenant House programs across the United States, Canada and Central America.

“We’re not pretending to be homeless . . . but we are in prayerful solidarity with young people facing homelessness across the hemisphere,” Kevin Ryan, Covenant House President and CEO, said the day before the event.

Ryan, who slept outside in New York City, said his wife planned to sleep in a church parking lot and many were sleeping on the floor in their homes or in backyards or on front porches. This year, the event didn’t have the big group

gatherings such as last year’s sleep out at Yankee Stadium.

But the message was still the same.

“The idea is to have a night in solidarity,” Ryan told Catholic News Service.

The event, now in its 10th year, always a week before Thanksgiving, has raised more than $80 million in the past decade for the organization, founded under Catholic leadership in 1972, that offers food, shelter and employment training programs for about 74,000 young people each year.

It currently provides care for more than 2,100 youths in its 31 homes across the country and in Canada and Central America.

Teams signed up with Covenant House and got involved in fundraising efforts and were encouraged to take part in online sessions where they could hear directly from young people involved in the program. A team from The Catholic University of America joined the event, including the university’s president, John Garvey, who slept outside in Washington.

CNS PHOTO/PATRICK G. RYAN, THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA

John Garvey, president of The Catholic University of America in Washington, takes part in the Covenant House Sleep Out Nov. 19, amid the coronavirus pandemic. The annual event raises money and awareness for homeless youths in Covenant House programs in the United States, Canada and Central America.

CLASSIFIEDS

12 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 livein and live-out assistants in our five residential homes. If interested, contact Jamie Henderson, community leader, by email at: jamie@larcheks.org.

Are you a fun, exciting, dynamic lead toddler teacher looking to make a difference? We know that there are a lot of early childhood teacher positions. You owe it to yourself to see what makes us different! You will be treated as a professional teacher, not a day care worker.

Our lead teachers create and implement their own lesson plans. These lessons can be tailored or adjusted as needed for the students. Our management team is here to help you. They will ensure you have the proper training, curricular resources, classroom supplies, coaching or whatever you need to be successful in your classroom. Our owner is on-site every day to support our staff and our families.

She takes great pride in creating a fun, supportive work environment for our team. You will have scheduled planning time (lead teachers), lunch and bathroom breaks. You will have paid professional development each year. Many courses are offered online so you can take them at your convenience. You will earn 10 paid time-off days per year (full-time employees). You will also have six paid holidays.

In addition, our school is closed Dec. 24 - Jan. 1 each year.

This is additional paid time off for our full-time employees to spend with their families. You will qualify for medical, dental and vision benefits after 30 days (full-time employees). Bring your child to work with you. We offer child care discounts for our full-time teachers. We offer tuition reimbursement for teachers to pursue their Child Development associate’s degree. We believe in and follow the Kansas Department of Health and Environment licensing requirements and the Goddard quality assurance standards. We take pride in the quality of care we provide for our families by doing the right thing. The owners are Ascension parishioners. Send resume to: olathe2ks@goddardschools.com, attention: Janice Kennedy.

Full-time assistant teachers - With multiple locations in Johnson County, Special Beginnings Early Learning Center provides high quality child care in a safe, loving Christian environment. With a balanced curriculum of pre-academics and the right environment, we believe we are providing the children the foundation to be successful in life. We are looking for full-time assistant teachers for all ages who have an excellent work ethic, a heart for children and a willingness to learn more about early childhood education. Experience and/or education is a plus, but we will train the right candidate. Duties include supervising and ensuring the safety and well-being of the children at all times; following predetermined curriculum and daily schedule; decorating the class and keeping classrooms clean and orderly; creating and filling out daily reports for each child; communicating with parents; meeting children’s basic needs (diapers, bottles, etc). Must be patient and able to respond to difficult situations calmly; have good interpersonal skills with coworkers, parents and children; and be able to lift 25 pounds on a regular basis. There are opportunities for career advancement. Salary range is $9.50 - 11.50 per hour. For more information or to apply, call Carolyn Andruss at (913) 894-0131, option 3.

Career opportunity - Due to the growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are looking for professional men who are interested in helping fellow Catholics with their faith, family and finances. This is a full-time career opportunity that will allow you to be your own boss and a respected professional member of the community. If you or someone you know is self-motivated, good with time management and has a desire to succeed, this might be the opening you’ve been looking for. Benefits include unlimited professional income potential, flexibility, quality training program and incentive award trips such as Rome, Hawaii and Ireland. There are openings in northeast Kansas and western Missouri. If you want to serve your community, strengthen the church and change the world, call John Mahon at our regional office at (785) 408-8800 or toll free at (855) 356-4849.

Groundskeeping position - Catholic Cemeteries is seeking an individual for a full-time groundskeeping position, hours Monday through Saturday. This position requires heavy lifting. Must be physically fit; experience operating construction equipment or being mechanically inclined would be a plus. Must be a fast learner and flexible on hours. Interested individuals should contact Matt Wirtz at (913) 972-2952 or you may send a resume to: svallejo@cathcemks.org.

Part-time or full-time help - The Garden Store in the River Market is looking for part- or full-time help. Flexible hours. No garden experience required. Please call (816) 842-3651 and ask for Debi.

Assistant for New Roots for Refugees program - Catholic Charities is looking for a part-time assistant for our New Roots for Refugees program. You will support day-to-day programming that serves refugee populations in the KC area through the New Roots for Refugees program: a program helping refugees start their own small businesses growing and selling organically grown produce. Visit: catholiccharitiesks.org/careers/ and scroll down to “Job Opportunities” and then click on “Assistant, New Roots for Refugee program” to learn more about this opportunity.

Caregivers needed - Daughters & Company, a non- medical, companion care provider is looking for several compassionate caregivers to provide assistance to ambulatory seniors in their home at this time. We provide light housekeeping, light meal preparation, organizational assistance, care management and occasional transportation services for our clients. Caregivers need to have reliable transportation and a cellphone for communication. We typically employ on a part-time basis, but will strive to match up hours desired per week. Please contact Laurie or Gary at (913) 341-2500, or send resume to: ghamilton@daughters online.com if you would like to become part of an excellent caregiving team.

Service technician - Are you a retiree who is looking for part-time work? We are looking for someone who is mechanically skilled and is handy with small equipment.

Our local, small, family-owned company needs technicians with a positive attitude, time management skills, dependable, self-motivated, results-oriented and, above all, adaptable. This team member would be trainable with exceptional relationship building skills. Electrical knowledge is a plus. Some regional travel is required so dependable transportation is a must. Please send your resume to: Yourcareer101@gmail.com.

Employment opportunity - Catholic Cemeteries is seeking a friendly, energetic, detail-oriented person for a fulltime receptionist position with our organization. Must be professional and extremely organized. The ideal candidate will have experience with MS Word, Excel and the ability to handle multiple phone lines. Spanish speaking is a plus.

Required hours are 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday - Friday.

Interested individuals should contact Kayla at (913) 3447505 or send a resume to: kardon@cathcemks.org.

Building maintenance - St. Joseph Church in Shawnee is interviewing for an additional building maintenance person. This is a full-time position with benefits. The perfect candidate will have a working knowledge of HVAC, painting, electrical, plumbing, yard work, snow removal, custodial and problem solving. If you have at least four of these qualifications, call Joe Keehn at (913) 200-2639. Willing to train the right person.

Drivers and aides - Assisted Transportation is now hiring safe drivers and aides to transport students with special needs in Johnson, Wyandotte and Clay County, Missouri, in company vans. Drivers earn $14 - $16 per hour. Aides earn $12 per hour. Part-time and full-time schedules available. CDL not required. Retirees encouraged to apply.

Make a difference in your community by helping those in need. Call (913) 521-4955 for more information. EEO Parish life coordinator - Church of the Ascension in Overland Park is seeking a full-time parish life coordinator. The qualified candidate will have strong organizational and communication skills with a commitment to promoting the spirituality of stewardship. A role description is available on request. For further information, contact Father Tom Tank at: frtom@kcascension.org or Sharon Weems at: sweems@kcascension.org.

Youth minister and confirmation coordinator - St. Ann Church in Prairie Village has an immediate opening for a Christ-centered, innovative and passionate individual to serve as youth minister and confirmation coordinator. The primary responsibility of the youth minister will be to engage the parish’s middle school youth (fifth - eighth grade) and form them into intentional disciples of Jesus Christ.

As confirmation coordinator, this individual will instruct seventh- and eighth-graders at both St. Ann School and St. Ann School of Religion in their Catholic faith; communicate with candidates, sponsors and parents about their responsibilities; and coordinate the confirmation liturgy under the direction of the pastor. The youth minister and confirmation coordinator is an approximately 30 hour per week position and is eligible for a full range of benefits provided through the archdiocese. Those individuals interested in the position should email a cover letter and resume highlighting their qualifications to Father Craig Maxim at: frcraig@stannpv.org.

Parish and community outreach coordinator - Make an impact as a parish and community outreach coordinator. You will assist in the implementation of an effective outreach program with a focus on parishes and schools within the 21 counties of the archdiocese. Visit: catholic charitiesks.org/careers/ and scroll down to “View Job Openings” to learn more about this opportunity!

SERVICES Tree Trimming Licensed and insured Free estimates/10 years experience Call Tony at (913) 620-6063

NOVEMBER 27, 2O2O | THELEAVEN.ORG

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.teresakiddlaw.com. Please do not wait until life seems hopeless before getting good quality legal advice that may solve your financial stress.

Handyman - Furloughed railroader just trying to keep the bills paid for my little family. I advertised here as Father and Son Home Exteriors and Remodeling for 13 years before working for the railroad last year. I can do all carpentry, windows, doors, trim, siding and decks. I can paint, sheetrock and love to do tile. Just about any project you have around your home, I can do. No project too big or too small. Just give me a call at (913) 709-7230 and ask for Josh.

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.

Cleaning lady - Reasonable rates; references provided.

Call (913) 209-9234.

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.

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.

Video help - Do you need help capturing audio or video of treasured family stories, creating a 2020 digital holiday card or digitizing existing media? We can preserve stories that matter and create shareable content. Contact Recollection Agency.com or call (816) 514-5146 for schedule and rates.

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!

Call or text Kathi at (816) 809-7739 Email: imagewellness2@gmail.com Memory quilts - Preserve your memories in a keepsake quality quilt, pillows, etc. Custom designed from your Tshirt collection, baby clothes, sports memorabilia, neckties . . . Quilted Memories. (913) 649-2704.

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.

CAREGIVING Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management, and transportation for seniors in their home, assisted living or nursing facilities.

We also provide respite care for main caregivers needing some personal time. Call Daughters & Company at (913) 341-2500 and speak with Laurie, Pat or Gary.

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.

HOME IMPROVEMENT 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.

Popcorn texture removed and apply knockdown texture Renew your walls with a fresh coat of quality paint!

Cracks repaired.

Fully insured, serving Kansas for 27 years Call or text Jerry at (913) 206-1144.

Concrete construction - Tear out and replace stamped, stained or colored patios and drives. Retaining walls, footings, poured-in-place safe rooms, excavation and hauling. Asphalt drives and lots. Fully insured; references. Call Dan at (913) 207-4371 or send an email to: dandeeconst@aol.com.

Local handyman - Painting int. and ext., wood rot, power washing, staining, masonry (chimney repair, patios) 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.

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.

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.

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

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

Wanted to buy - If you have an extra car you don’t know what to do with, give us a call. We are a cash buyer. Call Mark at (913) 980-4905.

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

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

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 - Three plots overlooking the lake at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Kansas City, Kansas. Each space $3900. If interested, call or text Jan at (913) 593-1854.

For sale - Handicap-accessible van. 2018 Toyota Sienna van with in-floor ramp and passengers’ transfer seat. 8000 miles and well taken care of. Please call (785) 273-4160.

REAL ESTATE 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.

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.

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 CASH FOR YOUR HOME (913) 980-4905 Any condition in the metro area Mark Edmondson - local parishioner http:/www.buykcproperty.com

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

CALENDAR

NOVEMBER 27, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

HOG & GROG RAFFLE Our Lady of Unity School 2910 Strong Ave., Kansas City, Kansas Nov. 28 - Dec. 11 at noon

Take a chance on winning a football autographed by Chiefs Super Bowl champion and Pro-Bowler Dustin Colquitt! The winner will be announced via Facebook following the Chiefs game on Dec. 13. The cost is $10 per ticket or $25 for three tickets. Google “Hog and Grog raffle” for details on how to purchase tickets online, or send a check to Our Lady of Unity Catholic School, 2646 S. 34th St., Kansas City, KS 66106. Make check payable to Our Lady of Unity School and write “Hog & Grog” in the memo line.

‘ORA ET LABORA’ RETREAT FOR HIGH SCHOOL/COLLEGE STUDENTS Christ’s Peace House of Prayer 22131 Meagher Rd., Easton

Christ’s Peace House of Prayer has openings for applicants to participate in an “Ora et Labora” retreat, designed for high school and college students who are looking for a fun and unique way to fulfill community service hours or simply have a new experience. There is no charge for this retreat. Masks and social distancing are implemented at this time.

Invite friends and schedule a date for a prayer and working retreat designed to your needs.

Contact us if interested at (913) 773-8255 or by email at: info@christspeace.com.

TAIZE FOR NOVEMBER Precious Blood Renewal Center Online presentation Nov. 5 - Dec. 2

Join the Precious Blood Renewal Center team for a prayer service in the Taize style.

This is an online event. This month as we pray, we will remember those we have lost this year. Taize prayer is a sung, ecumenical community prayer that uses chant melodies and

simple accompaniment along with moments of silence in a meditative atmosphere to allow the finger of God to touch one’s soul. You can connect with Precious Blood Renewal Center for the Taize prayer videos the following ways: via their website at: pbrenewalcenter.org or on facebook.com/preciousbloodrenewalcenter/.

The video is recorded and can be viewed from Nov. 5 to Dec. 2.

‘ADVENT SILENT RETREAT WITH JOHN THE BAPTIST’ Christ’s Peace House of Prayer 22131 Meagher Rd., Easton Dec. 4 - 6

The retreat begins at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 4 and ends at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 6. Come prepare your hearts for the coming of the Lord this Advent as we look to St. John the Baptist to show us how to prepare the way. This is a silent retreat. There will be conferences, eucharistic adoration, Mass, confession, and time for private prayer, reflection and walking. The cost for cabins/courtyard rooms is $170 single/$250 couple or $100 for single guest rooms, meals included. To attend, send an email to: info@christspeace.com or call (913) 773-8255.

‘STATIONS OF THE NATIVITY: MEDITATIONS ON THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST’ Church of the Ascension 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.

Join us for the first Stations of the Nativity. This hourlong Advent service is for everyone: children, adults and families. From the First Station (the angel appears to Zechariah) to the Fourteenth Station (the Holy Family journeys from Egypt back home to Bethlehem), the Gospel passage and reflective music tells the story of the Incarnation, helping us better understand the wonder

of God becoming flesh for our sake. Please wear your mask, and social distancing guidelines will be followed.

‘THE DAWN FROM ON HIGH: AN ADVENT EXPERIENCE’ Dec. 11-13 Presented online by the monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey, Atchison

In this retreat, participants will be awakened to the great event proclaimed in the New Testament Canticle of Zechariah and carried by Our Lady: “In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Lk 1:78-79). The monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey invite Catholics to join them in this free experience by registering online at: Kansasmonks.org/advent2020. All registered retreatants will receive in the mail “A Guide to the Advent Season.” The event will be hosted on the monks’ channel at YouTube. com. In the YouTube search engine, type: KansasMonks, then subscribe to receive alerts when it goes live.

JANUARY RETREAT FOR PLANNING AND REFLECTION Christ’s Peace House of Prayer 22131 Meagher Rd., Easton Jan. 8 - 10

The retreat begins at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 8 and ends at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 10. Set aside this time to focus on spiritual growth, create growth goals for various roles, devise steps to reach goals and write a vision statement for the year. The structure of the retreat will allow ample time for you to do work on your plan. We will be providing resources and ideas to incorporate in your plan. There will be time to brainstorm and share our plans with others as well as time to meet with a spiritual director if you prefer to speak on an

13 individual basis. There will be private time for prayer/reflection, daily eucharistic adoration and praying the Liturgy of the Hours.

Confession and Mass at the local parish will also be available. The suggested donation for cabins/courtyard rooms is $170 single/$250 couple or $100 for single guest rooms; meals included. To attend, send an email to: info@ christspeace.com or call (913) 773-8255.

KANSAS MASS, MARCH AND RALLY FOR LIFE Jan 21 From the Topeka Performing Arts Center to the state Capitol Mass at 10:30 a.m.; March at noon

All are invited to join in the March for Life from the Topeka Performing Arts Center to the state Capitol for the Kansans for Life Rally at the Capitol steps. Stay tuned for more detailed information and the live- stream links.

Visit the website at: www.archkck.org/prolife for updated information and details on the day’s event. The 10:30 a.m. Mass with the Kansas bishops will be livestreamed.

Crossword solution

14

COLUMNISTS

Make your faith an open book

DAILY READINGS FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT Nov. 29 FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT Is 63: 16b-17, 19b; 64: 2-7 Ps 80: 2-3, 15-16, 18-19 1 Cor 1: 3-9 Mk 13: 33-37 Nov. 30 ANDREW, APOSTLE Rom 10: 9-18 Ps 19: 8-11 Mt 4: 18-22 Dec. 1 Tuesday Is 11: 1-10 Ps 72: 7-8, 12-13, 17 Lk 10: 21-24 Dec. 2 Is 25: 6-10a Ps 23: 1-6 Mt 15: 29-37 Dec. 3 Francis Xavier, priest Is 26: 1-6 Ps 118: 1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a Mt 7: 21, 24-27 Dec. 4 John Damascene, priest, doctor of the church Is 29: 17-24 Ps 27: 1, 4, 13-14 Mt 9: 27-31 Dec. 5 Saturday Is 30: 19-21, 23-26 Ps 147: 1-6 Mt 9:35 – 10:1, 5a, 6-8 SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT Dec. 6 SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT Is 40: 1-5, 9-11 Ps 85: 9-14 2 Pt 3: 8-14 Mk 1: 1-8 Dec. 7 Ambrose, bishop, doctor of the church Is 35: 1-10 Ps 85: 9ab-14 Lk 5: 17-26 Dec. 8 THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Gn 3: 9-15, 20 Ps 98: 1-4 Eph 1: 3-6, 11-12 Lk 1: 26-38 Dec. 9 Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin Is 40: 25-31 Ps 103: 1-4, 8, 10 Mt 11: 28-30 Dec. 10 Our Lady of Loreto Is 41: 13-20 Ps 145: 1, 9-13b Mt 11: 11-15 Dec. 11 Damasus I, pope Is 48: 17-19 Ps 1: 1-4, 6 Mt 11: 16-19 Dec. 12 OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE Zec 2: 14-17 (Ps) Jdt 13: 18bc, 19 Lk 1: 26-38

T

ired of 2020?

Looking for a cheap way for you and your loved ones to get away from it all? Well, try this: Read. A. Book.

With the holiday season now upon us and our Christmas gift list staring us in the face, who honestly wants to go out and shop in person, especially with COVID-19 cases spiking and the flu waiting in the wings? Well, have I got a suggestion for you: Buy. A. Book.

If you don’t know where to start hunting down gift books with a religious flavor, let me recommend a few of my recent favorites.

If the pandemic has you complaining, “The Way of Gratitude: Readings for a Joyful Life” (Orbis Books, 2017; 224 pgs.; $18) can remedy that. Its 46 short entries from a wide variety of writers — from Father Henri Nouwen to J.K. Rowling to e.e. cummings — will shift your focus from all that’s been missing

O

NOVEMBER 27, 2O2O | THELEAVEN.ORG

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.

these past months to the many miracles that you’ve been blind to.

For those who want to explore the Bible on a deeper level, you can’t go wrong with “Abba Isn’t Daddy and Other Biblical Surprises” (Ave Maria Press, 2019; 180 pgs.; $16.95). This book is written for “people in the pews,” as its subtitle suggests: “What Catholics Really Need to Know about Scripture

Study.” Author William L. Burton, OFM, explores, among other topics, where and when the Bible was created, the origins of the Lord’s Prayer and whether “Christ” is Jesus’ last name. It’s interesting, educational . . . and yes, surprising.

If you’ve saved money from not going out to eat or to the movies, then you might want to splurge on “Vatican Museums: 100 Works Not to be Missed” (Paulist Press, 2019; 485 pgs.; $99.95, but often much cheaper online). This almost 10-pound, coffee table book is loaded with lavish photos with

plenty of close-up shots of the works, as well as explanations as to why they are so important.

It’s almost as wonderful as actually seeing these pieces in person . . . and there’s no crowds to fight!

If you want to create your own artistic masterpieces, however, then the Printery House (www.printeryhouse. org) in Conception, Missouri, can help you out with some adult coloring books. Two of those are “The Advent Coloring Calendar” and “Words of Faith,” both $11.99. These books are wonderful for de-stressing and quiet meditation as well.

A very entertaining and spiritually uplifting book has this great title: “Jesus Wears Socks with Sandals” (Twenty-Third Publications, 2020; 118 pgs.; $14.95)

by S. James Meyer. The author, a permanent deacon in the Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin, will amuse and inspire you with his “41 Stories of Human-

ity Being Ridiculously Lovable.” Deacon Meyer had me at the title, as well as with memorable chapter headings like “Go, Mennonite Guy!,” “Jesus Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and “The Body of Christ is a Ham Sandwich.”

A perennial favorite is “Three Minutes a Day,” published by The Christophers. The latest in this series of daily meditations is Volume 55. Each entry is only a page long and includes a story, Scripture passage and short prayer. Copies are $10 on the website at: www.christophers. org. Click on the “Shop” button for not only the current volume but older ones as well.

Why do books make the perfect gift? Charles W. Eliot explains: “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors; and the most patient of teachers.”

And they’re easy to wrap, too!

Advent invites us to a new spiritual beginning

ur shared experience of the pandemic of 2020 will not be forgotten easily.

Despite remarkable human advances in medicine and technology, the world was caught off guard by the sudden, rapid spread of a novel and lethal virus.

“Could this really be happening?” was the question, spoken or unspoken, in minds and hearts as COVID19 brought daily life to a jarring halt. In its trail, the virus leaves unprecedented fear, uncertainty, hardship, suffering and death.

And as this unforgettable year draws to a close, we hope cautiously for a return to “normal,” even as our sense of what makes for normal daily life evolves from moment to moment.

Our common longing

,

JEM SULLIVAN Sullivan is a professor at The Catholic University of America.

to return to normal life grows stronger while the economic, health and social impacts of the pandemic continue to be felt everywhere.

Would that the world be made anew!

On this First Sunday of Advent, the church invites us to make a new spiritual beginning in a new liturgical year.

In the first reading, Isaiah entreats God to “return for the sake of your servants.” On behalf of Israel, the prophet acknowledges that the people have fallen short of their exalted vocation to live in covenant relationship with God. Their blind indifference to God is part of the sinful human condition.

Yet the prophet is filled with hope as he prays, “yet, O Lord, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands.”

Time and time again, the word of God

reminds us that the faithfulness of God knows no limits. God remains faithful to us despite our small and big infidelities. St. Paul comforts the Corinthian Christians with this liberating truth when he writes: “God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

One of the many ways we can remain faithful to God is by being spiritually alert.

When we persevere in prayer and in good works, we remain alert to the love and active presence of God in our lives and become more aware of the needs of our neighbors. Faithfulness to God means that I remain watchful of habits of thinking and patterns of acting that are contrary to love.

In the Gospel, Jesus urges his disciples in

clear, stark words: “Be watchful! Be alert!”

As we leave behind one liturgical year and enter into the Advent season, Jesus, who comes as light into this world’s darkness, walks with us on our spiritual journey to Christmas.

In a spirit of interior alertness, I hear Jesus’ invitation to remember with humble gratitude the many ways in which God is at work in my life and in the world, especially in these challenging times.

We cannot leave behind the anxieties, fears and turmoil of the past year. But as a new liturgical year begins this Advent, the word of God empowers us anew with divine grace that opens our hearts and minds to the renewing power of the Holy Spirit as we pray in Advent hope, “Speak to me, Lord.”

Faith requires risks, helping others, pope says at Mass VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Being faithful to God means taking the risk of setting aside one’s own needs and plans in order to serve others, Pope Francis said, celebrating Mass for the World Day of the Poor.

“Today, in these times of uncertainty, in these times of instability, let us not waste our lives thinking

only of ourselves, indifferent to others or deluding ourselves into thinking, ‘peace and security!’” the pope said in his homily Nov. 15.

Everyone is invited to “look reality in the face and to avoid the infection of indifference,” he said. The Mass was celebrated in St. Peter’s Basilica in the presence of about 100 people, who were

representing those around the world who face poverty, as well as volunteers and benefactors who assist them.

Because of ongoing restrictions meant to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, the Mass was not open to the public and was livestreamed on Vatican news channels.

COLUMNISTS

NOVEMBER 27, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

15

The promise, and ethics, of the coming COVID vaccines

R

ecently, many people have been reaching out with questions about vaccines.

So, I thought it would be helpful to mention some of the most common ones and try to provide some answers.

MAKING SENSE OF BIOETHICS

Are there sound medical reasons to oppose vaccination?

There can be, but vaccines typically provide a path toward individual protection and herd immunity that involves less burden and risk than becoming infected with a disease.

Today’s childhood vaccination schedule protects against more than a dozen different diseases. Some individuals, though, may need to decline vaccines if they have a compromised immune system or an allergy to one of the ingredients.

When a vaccine is determined to be safe and effective, it will often make sense for healthy individuals to choose, on their own initiative, to get immunized.

Are vaccines safe?

The safety profile of vaccines is typically verified by extensive clinical trials involving more than 30,000 participants.

Doctrine of the Faith has noted, however, that when vaccines have been produced this way, it is morally permissible to receive them. When equivalent alternative vaccines that don’t rely on such cell lines are available, however, those should clearly be the preferred option.

FATHER TAD PACHOLCZYK Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk is a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, and serves as the director of education at the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia.

Even after successful safety testing, children or adults can develop symptoms or problems, apparently from an inoculation they received. When the problem is further investigated, it may turn out to be a separate health issue unrelated to vaccination.

Still, vaccines are not a zero-risk proposal and, on rare occasions, adverse events do occur. No medical intervention is ever completely risk-free.

The risk of complications or side effects from vaccines, being reasonably low overall, can be deemed acceptable when compared to the prospect of complications that may arise

from the disease itself.

For generations, some of those complications included family members living in an iron lung after being ravaged by polio, married individuals rendered infertile from mumps, and infants dying due to whooping cough.

Recent generations have been shielded from these types of devastating outcomes through the availability of vaccines.

Are there ethical reasons not to receive vaccines?

Certain concerns of conscience arise when cell lines derived from abortions are used in the development and production of vaccines.

Vaccines should not be manufactured in this way, and pharmaceutical companies should not make use of these fetal cell lines.

The Vatican’s Congregation for the

Call or stop by to learn about the options of advanced planning, and pick up your FREE Personal Arrangement guide.

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Why wouldn’t it be wrong to receive a vaccine made from aborted fetal cell lines?

No moral evil is committed by those who get inoculated with vaccines made from problematic cell lines; rather, those who originally exploited aborted children for their cells, or established pharmaceutical company policies that rely on the abortionderived cells, commit moral evils.

The one receiving the vaccine has no causal connection to these wrongful decisions made previously by others, and the end user cannot be held culpable for their wrongdoing.

Even so, the Vatican emphasizes that when we receive vaccines manufactured in this way, we should take steps to register our disagreement and call on pharmaceutical companies to reformulate

their vaccines using alternative and ethically acceptable cell sources.

Fortunately, none of the 2020-21 flu vaccines use aborted fetal material, a common concern as the winter season draws near.

However, even if they did, it would be ethically permissible to receive the vaccine as an end user, as explained.

If a vaccine for COVID-19 becomes available, would we be obliged as Christians and as citizens to take it to defeat the spread of the virus?

Each person must evaluate his or her individual situation and make a good prudential judgment regarding the benefit-to-burden ratio when accepting a COVID-19 vaccine.

For example, health care workers who have not been exposed to COVID-19 should seriously consider the benefits of getting vaccinated, and their workplace may even require it.

The elderly and other vulnerable populations should carefully consider the benefits as well. For younger individuals with very low chances of detrimental outcomes there may be less urgency, particularly if they do

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What about the new technologies behind RNA vaccines which have never been used before in humans?

The criteria for vaccine safety and efficacy are generally well-established and won’t differ fundamentally for a COVID-19 RNA vaccine when compared to other more standard types of vaccines.

In light of the various studies that have already been done in animals, and presupposing rigorous human clinical trials, it should soon become clear whether mRNA vaccines are as safe and effective as other vaccines.

These kinds of questions about vaccinations and human health merit attention, as they manifest an important desire both for sound scientific information and ethical clarity.

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16

SCRIPTURE

NOVEMBER 27, 2O2O | THELEAVEN.ORG

Prodigal’s father demonstrates the Father’s love for us

By Catherine Upchurch Special to The Leaven

“W

e believe in a God of second chances” is a common way of speaking about God’s ability to allow us to make mistakes, to let us sin and repent.

But there is another saying that also comes to mind: “Fool (or offend) me once, shame on you. Fool (or offend) me twice, shame on me.”

Surely, twice is not as far as we can go.

The Bible tells us that God is not nearly so miserly.

W h e n Jesus was instructing his followers about EMBRACING THE the need to be forgiving, Peter must have begun to OF understand that he was being called to be generous. We can almost imagine his excitement when he approached his teacher and said, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” (Mt 18:21).

The number seven was associated with the notion of completeness or perfection, so Peter was basically saying, “See, I get it. I need to offer forgiveness completely! Right?”

But Jesus has a more radical idea altogether (Verse 22): “I say to you, not seven times but 77 times.” (Some translations read: “70 times seven times”). The point is that Jesus is saying forgiveness is to be offered without any limits.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus illustrates his meaning in the parable of the unforgiving servant (18:23-35).

Here we have a servant in danger of being sold into slavery to settle a large debt he owes to his master.

This servant pleads for mercy and receives it, along with a complete forgiveness of his debt.

One would think the mercy shown to him would be passed along, but the opposite occurs. The forgiven servant seeks out a man who owes him money that cannot be paid, and instead of passing on the forgiveness, he has the man jailed.

Jesus offers another parable to illustrate that the kingdom of God is characterized by forgiveness. Most of us might know this as the parable of the prodigal son (Lk 15:11-32), a name not assigned by the Bible’s writers but by book editors centuries later. Both

KINGDOM GOD

the common title and the story have become so familiar to us that we might miss something very special here.

The word “prodigal” means “wasteful,” yes, and that surely applies to the younger son who wastes his inheritance. He is brazen enough to ask for it before the death of his father, foolish enough to spend it recklessly, and desperate enough to imagine he could come back home and simply be a servant.

The older son is also prodigal to a degree. He does not ask for his inheritance or lead a scandalous lifestyle, but when the younger son returns, the older son is resentful and jealous.

He wastes the opportunity to be welcoming, to celebrate with his family and to experience the joy that comes with offering forgiveness.

To be prodigal, however, is also to be extravagant or to be lavish. The father in the parable is surely lavish in the party he throws upon his son’s return. More importantly, the father is extravagant (prodigal) with his forgiveness of one son and his encouragement of the other.

One son has shamed him by a life of depravity, and the other son has shamed him by refusing to attend the party. But the father is not nearly as concerned about what the neighbors think as he is about his children.

The rather obvious lesson is that God is continually and lavishly forgiving of us. In the kingdom of God that has begun in our midst, we are being shaped by these experiences of divine mercy. If we are going to be at home in God’s kingdom, we are being invited to become radical in our desire and ability to forgive and humble in our recognition of the mercy we receive.

Catherine Upchurch is the general editor of the Little Rock Catholic Study Bible. She writes from Fort Smith, Arkansas.

“The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Pompeo Girolamo Batoni is at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The story of the prodigal son is one of the most well known parables in the Bible. The story is one of second chances and forgiveness.

Turnabout “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.” (Col 3:12-13)

Questions for reflection or discussion: 1. In your experience, why is forgiving another person sometimes so difficult? And is receiving forgiveness also difficult at times?

2. In the parable of the unforgiving servant (Mt 18:23-35), refusing to forgive a debt has dire consequences.

What emotional and spiritual scars build up in us, or in any person, who is unforgiving?

3. The passage in Col 3:12-13 includes forgiveness as a necessary piece of clothing for every Christian. If this is so, why do you think forgiveness is sometimes seen as a weakness?

4. Who models for you the mercy of God?

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