august 2022
Welcoming
Inside
2 The Assumption of
Mary: August 15 The Promises of the Lord Fulfilled in the Blessed Virgin
3 Much Will Be Required of the Person Entrusted with Much
4 Queen’s Gardens:
Observations of a Longtime Parishioner
6 The Faith Journey of St. Genesius
7 Meet Parishioner Bill
Dalton Reflecting on the Joys of Faith and Sharing Christ With Others
7023 W. 71st Street Overland Park, KS 66204 www.queenoftheholyrosary.org
Grace Denson Trainor,
Our New Director of Religious Education Exploring the World Through a Catholic Lens
T
hough new to the area and the parish, our Director of Religious Education, Grace Denson Trainor, is eager to make the Queen of the Holy Rosary faith community home. As a recent graduate of Benedictine University, Grace came to our parish knowing that she wanted to use her gifts and talents to serve Catholic families and youth. Grace has been involved in faith formation and youth ministry throughout middle school, high school, and college. Her great experiences showed her that this was a path she wanted to follow. “I decided that this was something I really wanted to do,” Grace says. “I want to help form kids in the faith and give them a safe place to explore the world and ideas from a Catholic lens.” Grace Denson Trainor and her After working with Denise Godinez to learn the husband, Daniel Trainor ins and outs of the School of Religion and planning the calendar for the coming year, Grace officially stepped into the role on July 1. Grace met with catechists and parent volunteers over the summer, working out the details for Religious Education and Youth Ministry. She became familiar with what the parish has historically done and what changes were made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I think it’s going to be a great year of building community and coming back around to what we once knew as normal,” Grace says. “We’ll be reinstating a lot that has been lost and getting back to face-to-face. We want to make sure that we’re having all of the events that are so necessary for kids to know Christ and come alive in their faith.” continued on page 5
Queen of the Holy Rosary C at h o l i c C h u r c h
The Assumption of Mary: August 15
The Promises of the Lord Fulfilled in the Blessed Virgin
C
an a pile of bones really be that exciting? Every year, tens of thousands of pilgrims visit St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, eager to glimpse the spot in which the alleged bones of St. Peter, our first pope, remain to this day. The relics of saints have been venerated throughout the ages in every corner of the world — yet, the bones of the very first Christian, the Mystical Rose, are nowhere to be found. When it comes to the day, manner or year of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s death, nothing is certain. No account is given in Scripture. The Church turns instead to Tradition for an answer. Since the birth of the Church, no Marian relics have ever been venerated — nor can they ever be — because her body was assumed, or taken up, into heaven. There exist, therefore, no remains of the Blessed Virgin’s body on this earth. She lives, right now, body and soul, in heavenly glory. Although the particular dogma of the Assumption cannot be found in the writings of Scripture, if we look at many other writings by the early Christians, it is clear that the Church has always held this dogma to be true. Even more, though there is no statement of fact in the Bible itself that Mary was assumed body and soul, the truths that we do know about Mary from Scripture simply serve to back up the reality that she was assumed into heaven. She gave herself wholly to the Lord and followed His will for her life, perfectly, to the end. The Assumption of Mary reveals that the promises of the Lord — including the resurrection of the body — were fulfilled in Mary. She shared most intimately in the life, death and resurrection of her Son, and was free from original sin and its effects — including corruption of the body at death. Therefore, it was no surprise when, in 1950, Pope Pius XII declared infallibly the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a dogma of the Catholic faith with these words: “The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her
2
earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory” (Munificentissimus Deus, 44). The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is observed on the liturgical calendar as a solemnity — of higher importance than a feast — and is a Holy Day of Obligation. On Aug. 15, this wonderful celebration is accompanied by great hope in the resurrection of the body and everlasting union with God in heaven.
A Letter From Our Pastor
Much Will Be Required of the Person Entrusted with Much
Dear Parishioners,
N
o matter your situation in life, chances are there is someone out there who has more than you. Too often we may hesitate to follow stewardship as a way of life because we are waiting for someone more blessed than we are to show us the way. You may be aware that the Scripture readings we hear at each Mass are part of a three-year cycle. In general, the Gospel passages in Cycle A are from Matthew: Cycle B is principally Mark; and Cycle C, the year we are now in, is primarily from Luke. John is mixed in and especially used during Lent. We are in what might be called a “Luke year.” As we hear the Gospels from Luke, we need to be acutely aware of the stewardship messages found there. In one recent Gospel passage from Luke, Jesus uses a parable to remind us of an important stewardship lesson. He precedes the parable by reminding us all, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions” (Luke 12:15). You and I both know that God does not judge us based upon what we may have accumulated during our lifetimes, but based upon how we lived those lives, and especially how we used those gifts — those possessions. The parable focuses on a “rich man” who builds larger grain bins to store his abundant harvests. God calls the man a fool and reminds him that growing rich for himself is not as important as growing rich in the sight of God. The very next week (the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time), Luke again tells us how Jesus warns and cautions His disciples — “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be” (Luke 12:34). The Lord warns them that they do not know what day or what hour He will return and summarizes it all with another important insight into what is expected of us — “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more” (Luke 12:48). You see, we are not “off the hook” if someone else has more gifts but fails to use them well. Stewardship
demands that each of us use our gifts, and each of us is gifted whether we want to admit it or not, to serve God and others. Luke’s implied stewardship messages come full circle in the Gospel reading on Aug. 21 — “For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (Luke 13:30). That admonition from the Lord has always seemed a bit confusing. It more or less says that to be first, we need to be last, and if we are first, we may be last. I think perhaps all of these messages, including the first and last one, are cautions to us that we cannot be complacent and we cannot take salvation and holiness for granted. We need to work on them. We are not measured by our possessions; God indeed does expect a lot of us, no matter how small or extensive our gifts may be. Regardless of how holy we may strive to be, it is God who will judge; it is by His grace that we will be saved. Amid all these magnificent stewardship messages, we celebrate the Assumption of our Blessed Mother on Aug. 15 — “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant” (Luke 1:46-48). God bless you all! Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. William Bruning Pastor
3
Queen of the Holy Rosary C at h o l i c C h u r c h
Queen’s G
Observations of a Lo
T
he Grounds Beautification team has been very busy the past few months. There are many new additions to the landscape of Queen of the Holy Rosary. It feels uplifting and very welcoming to see a flower garden or planter, no matter which door of the church you enter, or what path you take to get to the church or office. In addition, there are the St. Joseph and St. Francis gardens, and many others, that are filled with varieties of God’s beautiful creations. An impressive work is the Guadalupe Garden, with the colorful flowers and plants, which is located at the northeast corner by the ramp that leads to the front doors of the church. It is also the perfect place to sit on the nearby bench and take a moment to pray or meditate while enjoying all the beauty surrounding the statue of Our Lady. You will also enjoy walking alongside the gardens on the north sidewalk next to the church. Turn the corner, go up the stairs, and have a seat at the bistro table under the tree, in the St. Joseph Garden, left of the patio. On your way back, take in the beautiful flowers in the St. Francis Garden, which borders the patio, and don’t forget to look at all the smaller gardens in the front of the church, and along the south side. As you take all of this in and reflect on the diversity of the flowers, you can’t help feeling the magnificence of God’s creativity and how much He loves us all.
It feels uplifting and very welcoming to see a flower garden or planter, no
matter which door of the church you enter, or what path you take to get to the church or office. In addition, there are the St. Joseph and St. Francis gardens, and many others, that are filled with varieties of God’s beautiful creations.
4
Gardens:
ongtime Parishioner
Welcoming Grace Denson Trainor Grace’s experience has shown her that strong faith formation and youth leaders who care about their students while modeling an active faith life will leave a lasting impact on the youth. When Grace was involved in youth ministry, her youth ministry leader was someone who inspired her to pursue that work herself. Grace hopes to pass this enthusiasm on to the students with whom she works at Queen of the Holy Rosary. “Good faith formation is essential to creating the next generation of Catholics who are motivated to be the change that our world needs,” Grace says. “They’ll be able to stand up for their faith without hesitation or feeling like they need to justify themselves because they know the truth and want to share it.” The program that Grace will coordinate includes the School of Religion for kindergarten through eighth grade, sacramental preparation for secondgraders receiving their First Communion and seventh
continued from front cover
and eighth-graders receiving Confirmation, and the Youth Ministry. The School of Religion will begin on Sunday, Sept. 18, and meets at 10:15 a.m. Volunteers are needed to serve as catechists and aides and to help with Youth Ministry and events throughout the year.
If you would like to learn more about the
School of Religion, sacramental preparation, and Youth Ministry, or to volunteer,
please contact Grace Denson Trainor at grace@qhr-opks.org or 913-722-2206.
5
Queen of the Holy Rosary C at h o l i c C h u r c h
B
The Faith Journey of St. Genesius
eing a performer and a comedian may sound like a fun way to make a living. St. Genesius, an outstanding actor, playwright and comedian in late Imperial Rome, certainly did have some fun for a while. But his career and life came to an abrupt end when his work ultimately led him to Christ. Genesius was a comedian of some renown, but in the fourth century, Christians were often discouraged from becoming actors because ancient Roman comedy was highly sexual, crude and offensive. In the year 303, Emperor Diocletian launched what would be the last great Roman persecution against the Christian Church. So, Genesius used the persecution as an opportunity to write a comedy about Christianity. He thought it might attract the attention of the Emperor, increase his fame, and make him some money in the process. Genesius approached leaders of the Christian community in Rome and presented himself as a catechumen seeking Baptism. He was then invited into a period of instruction in the faith, in order to learn the beliefs of the Christians. He was particularly taken by the idea of Baptism. But at the time, he had no plans to convert to the faith — it was all just a part of his plan to research new material to use for his comedy. But a strange thing happened to Genesius as he began to work on his play, which was to be a comedy on Baptism. As Genesius began teaching the other actors about Baptism, he began to believe, and a desire to be baptized grew within his heart.
6
The opening night of the play was a great success, with Emperor Diocletian in attendance. But at some point during the play, the Holy Spirit touched Genesius. He was no longer acting. “You fools, I wish to die a Christian,” Genesius said. When the other actors asked him why, he said, “All my life I have been a fugitive, and only today have I found God.” Everyone, especially Emperor Diocletian, laughed as Genesius spoke. Genesius, standing in a pulpit designed to look like the goddess Venus, began to preach to the audience. He told the crowd how he once hated Christians and enjoyed insulting them. He told the crowd how he deserted his own family as a child because they were Christians. From there, Genesius addressed Diocletian, stating that he wrote the play to mock Christians, but had been converted on the spot during the course of the play, by the power of the Holy Spirit. “I now know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the true God, the Light, the Truth and the Mercy of all who have received His gift of Baptism,” Genesius said. “O great Emperor, believe in these mysteries! I will teach you, and you will know the Lord Jesus Christ is the true God.” Diocletian was furious and stopped the play, having the troupe arrested and beaten, while Genesius was condemned to torture. Through all of his sufferings, he continued to confess that Jesus was God. When this failed to break his spirit, Diocletian ordered Genesius be beheaded. His final words were, “Our Lord Jesus Christ is God and we shall have life in His name.” St. Genesius is the patron of comedians and actors. His feast day is Aug. 25.
Meet Parishioner Bill Dalton
Reflecting on the Joys of Faith and Sharing Christ With Others
W
hen Bill Dalton’s grandmother resided in a nursing home during her final years, he was the one who ensured she received the Eucharist on a regular basis. “I went over there to make sure she got to the Catholic Communion service every Sunday,” Bill says. He visited his grandmother every day for the last three and a half years of her life, taking her Communion and sharing the Mass readings. Even after she passed away, Bill continued to assist with the services at the nursing home, making sure the residents received God through His Bill Dalton received a Rosary when he attended his mother’s funeral. Word and the Eucharist. He has been Since then, he has held a devotion to the Blessed Mother. doing so now for the better part of 20 “He was coming to our services but couldn’t receive the years, never missing a Sunday, even Eucharist because he wasn’t Catholic,” Bill says. when bad weather or sickness hit, and only stopping for a Going through RCIA as a sponsor was rewarding year during the pandemic. for Bill. As a godparent and sponsor to some younger “It’s been a passion of mine to take the Word and the members in the faith already, Bill found the new expeEucharist to people who can’t get out and get it on their rience informative. own,” he says. “They can’t drive or get out at all. There are “You can go do a lot of things, but when you see how people there that need this. It lets people know they’re cared the spirit can work through people, it’s an amazing thing,” about. A lot of people there don’t have living relatives or he says. people who come and visit them.” Knowing that Bill serves those in nursing homes, many Bill recently encountered a man in the nursing home who asked if Bill would baptize him. Bill ultimately spon- wouldn’t guess he used to have a phobia of hospitals and nursing homes. But he notes the importance of being with sored the man through our parish’s RCIA process, and he people in their needs, accompanying and praying with them. was welcomed into the Church at Easter this past April. continued on back cover
“It’s been a passion of mine to take the Word and the Eucharist to people who can’t get out and get it on their own. They can’t drive or get out at all. There are people there that need this. It lets people know they’re cared about.” — Bill Dalton
7
Queen of the Holy Rosary C at h o l i c C h u r c h
7023 W. 71st Street Overland Park, Kansas 66204 (913) 432-4616 | www.queenoftheholyrosary.org
Parishioner Bill Dalton
continued from page 7
“The devil runs the hallways in all those places when it’s near the end of life,” he says. “It’s important to get together and pray with them and worship.” When our parish reopened following the pandemic shutdown, Bill recognized some were hesitant to return to Mass, afraid of being exposed to COVID-19. Responding to this need, Bill began visiting with parishioners and bringing them Communion. He did this for six months and says it helped some feel more comfortable with returning to Mass. Bill has attended our parish for 26 years and has served as an usher for the last 16 years. Working as a bartender for over 35 years, Bill often used to work on Sundays and rarely went to Mass. He returned to the faith shortly after his mother died, having asked himself what he needed to do to change things around in his life. At her funeral, Bill received a rosary and began praying it.
“I have had a special daily devotional to the Blessed Mother every day since,” Bill says, recalling that he prayed the Rosary at least 12 times a day during the height of the pandemic. “The Blessed Mother is always good at listening, passing the word along to her Son. It’s a good thing.” Bill has turned to his faith during many difficult times in his life, including the deaths of his sister and father. When his father had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, Bill started attending daily Mass around the same time, in order to lean on God. “He pulled me through again,” Bill says. “Going to daily Mass was a game-changer and it still is. I used to go to bed at 8 a.m. when I worked in the bar, now I get up at 7 a.m. and go to church at 8 every morning. My life kind of took a flip flop. It’s all for the good — for my good and, as they say, for the good of all His Holy Church.”
WEEKEND MASS
Saturday: 4:00 p.m. | Sunday: 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m.
DAILY MASS
Monday - Friday: 8:15 a.m.| First Saturday: 8:15 a.m.