july 2021
Meet Our New Communications Director
ANNIE BARNE Y
Inside
Connecting with Our Parish in Her Exciting New Role
2 Getting to Know
“Summertime” Saints
3 What Is the Real
Purpose of Our Lives?
4 Celebrating the
Sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation
6 What Does “Red,
White, and Blue” Mean to You?
7 Meet Parishioners Kane
and Kathryn Romp: Living the Faith and Stewardship as a Family
7023 W. 71st Street Overland Park, KS 66204 www.queenoftheholyrosary.org
Annie Barney is our new parish Communications Director.
T
he typical first day on a job is usually fairly quiet, with tasks devoted to setting up a workstation, being introduced to fellow employees, and learning the way around the building. Annie Barney, our new parish Communications Director, did not have that kind of a first day. “I got to jump right in,” she says of her first day on May 1. On that day, she began working with the livestream for the 4 p.m. Vigil Mass, making sure it was properly recorded for broadcast Sunday morning, then working on the May Crowning ceremony and Confirmation. “I was there on the first day learning our system and the best practices for it,” Annie says. “During the first two weeks, I was mainly learning the livestream and getting insight about the behind-the-scenes work to make meaningful faith experiences for the people here and at home.” Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish is Annie’s home parish, and she joined the parish staff at the right time in her life. While she had stayed at home for several years when her children were younger, she felt it was the right time to return to work now that they are older and attending John Paul II School. In her position, she will be handling all messages and communications sent to parishioners and, when needed, to the wider community. She will be taking care of Mass livestreams, as well as other spiritual events, managing the parish website, and maintaining the parish’s social media presence. continued on back cover
Queen of the Holy Rosary C at h o l i c C h u r c h
Getting to Know
“Summertime” Saints S
St. Christopher
St. Joseph of Cupertino
St. Brendan the Navigator
St. Adjutor of Vernon
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chool is out, and summer is now in full swing. The days are longer, warmer, and filled with plenty of fun summertime activities. This summer, as we take family vacations, gather with friends and loved ones for barbecues, spend time by the pool, and enjoy all of the usual summertime activities, we can also take the time to reflect on some of the saints who are associated with the summer. Family vacations are perhaps the most iconic of all summertime activities. Although there is no patron saint of vacations, there are several saints associated with traveling. One of the most popular is St. Christopher. According to his story, St. Christopher was an extremely tall and strong man who served Christ by helping people cross an especially dangerous river. That is why many people wear St. Christopher medals while traveling — to ask for his blessing and protection. For those of us who are taking road trips this summer, there is St. Frances of Rome, the patron saint of cars and drivers. While St. Frances died well before cars were invented, her story says that her guardian angel went ahead of her when she traveled at night and lit the road with a lantern to keep St. Frances safe. There are also saints we can look to when traveling by plane. St. Joseph of Cupertino was a Franciscan friar who is said to have frequently and miraculously levitated off the ground during intense prayer sessions. Because of this levitation, he is recognized as the patron saint of air travelers. St. Therese of Lisieux is also associated with aviators and flying.
If you are going on a cruise this summer, you can ask for the intercession of St. Brendan the Navigator, an Irish monk who founded the Clonfert monastery and monastic school and is the patron saint of mariners and sailors. He and his brothers sailed the Atlantic Ocean and evangelized on several islands, and may have even reached the Americas. Another favorite summer activity is swimming. Whether you choose a pool, a lake, or the ocean, seek the intercession of St. Adjutor of Vernon, a knight who was captured in the First Crusade. His captors tried to force him to give up his faith, but St. Adjutor escaped by swimming to his freedom. For this reason, he is the patron saint against drowning, and for drowning victims, sailors and swimmers. The summer is also a time of amusement and enjoyment. One of the biggest national celebrations of the summer is the Fourth of July. For this type of summertime activity, we look to St. Barbara, the patron saint of fireworks. There are also several saints with feast days during the summer. The feast day of St. Anne, the mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus is celebrated on July 26. July 31 is the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, who is also associated with stewardship. These are just two of the many saints whose feasts we celebrate this summer. No matter what kinds of activities we choose to enjoy during the summertime, let us remember to honor the saints who have gone before us, and give their intercession for us as we walk through our own journeys of faith.
A Letter From Our Pastor
What Is the Real
Dear Parishioners,
D
o you ever think about your purpose in life? Even as a priest, I certainly do. There are days and times of frustration when I think, “What am I really supposed to do? What does God want me to do? Why am I here?” For eons, philosophers have considered these very questions and written about them. But the truth is that we, as Catholics, already know the answers. When we consider the many facets of life in our parish community, there are numerous activities and endeavors that go beyond attending Mass. From fundraising efforts to social outreach/service, childcare, and more, there are many ways in which we serve our community. Yet, as we undertake these important pursuits — both within and outside of the parish — we must always remember that our ultimate goal is salvation. After all, the only reason we exist, the only reason our Church exists, is the same as the reason Jesus joined us and became a part of us here on earth — He came to save humanity.
Purpose of Our Lives?
We use the term the “body of Christ” to describe the Church with Christ as the head. We are all parts of that body, and the parts of the body must move in the same direction as the body itself — it simply won’t function if the parts are moving in different directions. We are all in this together. When our lives are complete, we do not base our success or failure on how much money we have, or whether or not we are famous. Nor does our success or failure depend upon the difference between health and sickness, or pleasure and pain, or even being nice or nasty. Rather, it is the difference between being saved and not being saved. I often think of my family members who have passed away, and as a priest, I deal with that issue with others on a very regular basis. Sometimes, I wonder if they ever fully realized that salvation was the answer to so many of our questions in life. I am surrounded by memories of those who have gone before, as are almost all of you. We are apt
to use the term “the communion of saints” in many ways in our Church. Someday, we will know more about the “communion of saints” and how it all works. In the meantime, we pray for everyone who has gone before us, hoping they have made it home. Pray for me as I pray for you! Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. William Bruning Pastor
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Queen of the Holy Rosary C at h o l i c C h u r c h
of The Queen of the Holy Rosary parish community extends its congratulations to our students who have received the Sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation this spring.
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Celebrating th
First Communion
he Sacraments
n and Confirmation
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Queen of the Holy Rosary C at h o l i c C h u r c h
WHAT DOES
“Red, White, and Blue”
MEAN TO YOU?
A
lthough our nation’s real independence began at the end of the Revolutionary War on Sept. 3, 1783, President John Adams originally thought that the anniversary would be marked on July 2, the day in 1776 when the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence from Great Britain. Ultimately, Americans chose to commemorate the birthday of the United States on July 4, the day on which the Declaration of Independence was adopted and approved. What does this mean for us as Roman Catholics? The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, “The love and service of one’s country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity” (2239). As a parish community, we are called by God to respond to this duty to the best of our ability. So, where do we start? The Second Vatican Council document, Apostolicam Actuositatem, states that “In their patriotism and in their fidelity to their civic duties, Catholics will feel themselves bound to promote the true common good: they will make the weight of their convictions so influential that, as a result, civil authority will be justly exercised and laws will accord with moral precepts and the common good” (14).
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By living our lay vocation and permeating the secular world with Catholic values, we genuinely honor God and neighbor. As “lamps shining before men,” we need to let our moral convictions – no matter the courage it may take – shine forth to be a guiding light for the world, often left vulnerable in the darkness. Our commitment to a rightly ordered Catholic patriotism begins with our commitment to the formation of our Christian conscience. We must enrich ourselves with the Church’s teachings on the value of human life, the sacred institution of family, Catholic social and moral teachings, Catholic civil duties, and anything that further pertains to the living out of our Catholic faith in our nation today. Once we have done this, we will be able to act upon it. As St. Teresa of Calcutta once said, “Today, more than ever, we need to pray for the light to know the will of God, for the love to accept the will of God, for the way to do the will of God.” This year, let us give our hearts to carrying out this mission of authentic Catholic patriotism under God. Our nation was founded under God. Let us not allow this precious heritage, this source of true life and liberty, to be lost. Its preservation relies on each one of us.
Meet Parishioners Kane and Kathryn Romp: Living the Faith and Stewardship as a Family
A
s St. Teresa of Calcutta once said, “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This quote is most certainly fitting for Kane and Kathryn Romp, who are raising their four children, all under age 5, in the Catholic faith. After all, what could be more important? Both Kane and Kathryn were raised in devout Catholic families themselves. They have been married for six years. As they started a family, practicing the faith became even more important to them. “Our faith is the foundation of our family,” Kane says. “It’s instilled in everything we do, and we share it with our children. When we are with our extended families, the kids get a chance to share it with all of them too.” Maricela, Philomena, Trinidad, and Elois keep the couple very busy. Kane has been a law enforcement officer with the Leawood Police Department for about a year and a half. Kathryn was working as a resource teacher at Prairie Star Middle School but has recently transitioned to being a stay-at-home mom. She’s hoping
Kane and Kathryn Romp with their children Maricela, Philomena, Trinidad and Elois
that she will now have more time to get involved in parish ministries. For now, raising four kids in the Catholic faith is their most important task. Kane and Kathryn pray as a family in the car, as well as before meals and at bedtime. They also celebrate important liturgical days and the feast days of each child’s saint with dessert! “We hope that as they grow older, they keep the faith, practice the faith, and know that no matter what
“It’s important to be good stewards to encourage other people to come to the faith. Ultimately, everything we have is from God, so sharing with others in need, giving back, and knowing that what we have is from Him is important.” — Kathryn Romp
happens, God will always provide,” Kathryn says. As Kane and Kathryn build the faith foundation for their children, they hope that their children will practice the faith as adults. “I hope that as they come of age to have their own families, they will share the Catholic faith with their spouses and their own children,” Kathryn says. Kane and Kathryn truly believe that God will provide. They also believe all gifts are from our Lord, as in James 1:17 — “every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” “It’s important to be good stewards to encourage other people to come to the faith,” Kathryn says. “Ultimately, everything we have is from God, so sharing with others in need, giving back, and knowing that what we have is from Him is important.”
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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
Meet Our New Communications Director, Annie Barney continued from front cover
Annie brings a wealth of experience to our parish. She earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo. She has a strong theater background, having worked in the Kansas City film industry and teaching theater at Rockhurst High School. Annie also worked extensively in promoting events and marketing, as well as handling open casting calls. “When the opportunity presented itself to work in our parish, it came at a good time for me personally to go back to work, with the kids back in school,” she says. Annie is looking forward to offering her talents to our parish. “I want to spread the good news of our parish to as many people as I can,” she says. “It’s very welcoming. My goal is to make sure as many people know about the wonderful pa-
rishioners here and attract people to our parish. I also want to show our parishioners — families and young people — how they can get involved.” Annie is particularly looking forward to expanding our social media presence and using it to re-engage people as they return to in-person parish life. She considers her biggest challenge to be the parish website, as she looks to make it more attractive and functional for parishioners and the larger community. The website often is our introduction to those outside the parish. “It’s a good opportunity to wake people up and show them that everything is starting to happen again, and will happen more as we start to come back to in-person events,” she says. “We’re still here, still sharing the Good News and remembering how rewarding that is.”
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.