Catholic Key Fall 2021

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M A G A Z I N E

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C A T H O L I C

D I O C E S E

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K A N S A S

C I T Y - S T .

J O S E P H

kc s jca thol i c.org FA L L 2021

WANT FROM THE BISHOP

SAINT STORIES

DEVOTION

Tasting true freedom in Christ P. 4

Connect with the communion of saints P. 6

One rosary's safeguarding and solace P. 24

HERE’ FIRE Foundation makes one family’s dream of an inclusive Catholic education a reality

MISSOURI C AT H O L I C CONFERENCE

www.mocatholic.org

Fulton v. Philadelphia A C AT H O L I C P E R S P E C T I V E

Guest Lance Kinzer of the First Amendment Partnership joins MCC from the Capitol, the podcast of the Missouri Catholic Conference, to unpack Fulton v. Philadelphia, an important U.S. Supreme Court religious liberty case decided this summer. In Messenger, we dive into what the decision means for Catholics and other religious organizations in America.

MCC from the Capitol

MCC Messenger

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10 The magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph

Ashlie Hand Editor Megan Marley Assistant editor

Deacon Sam Adams has owned and

have the same way of life.

treasured one special wooden rosary for 55 years, and over those years,

Growing God’s Family |

it has left its mark on him and three

Fostering a lifelong love

other service members; a legacy of

of God and community through

solace, comfort, and a sense of safety.

Youth ministry involves a network

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COVER STORY:

of people that includes the young

numbers for new diocesan

‘We want you here’ —

people themselves, as well as the

Finance Officer Angela Laville

FIRE Foundation

local Church, parents and volunteers.

Bridget Locke

All are needed to build quality rela-

Everything you would expect to be

tionships, leverage each individual’s

true of Angela Laville, CPA, MBA,

Ashlie Hand

unique gifts and keep youth engaged

the newly appointed Finance Officer

When the Spadafore family was

beyond high school.

for the Diocese of Kansas City–St.

To submit story ideas and news, send emails to marley@diocesekcsj.org

who lives with an extremely rare neu-

fill a dream for their daughter Cenza,

ON THE COVER: PHOTO BY MEGAN MARLEY

Megan Marley

Wisely | More than

celebrates 25 years

searching nationwide for a way to ful-

Catholic Key (USPS XXXXX) is a membership publication of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, published quarterly by the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, The Catholic Center, 20 W. Ninth St., Kansas City, MO 64105.

Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Pending in Kansas City, MO and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Catholic Key, The Catholic Center, 20 W. Ninth St., Kansas City, MO 64105. ©2020 Catholic Key, Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.

Using Our Resources

of inclusive Catholic education

Jenny Pomicter Graphic designer

www.FAITHcatholic.com

One military rosary’s legacy

he called those who followed him to

Bob Sandford

14

Safeguarding and solace:

Marty Denzer

youth ministry

Bishop James V. Johnston, Jr. Publisher

B r id g et L o c ke

Michael Sanem

Jesus was always on the move, and

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FALL 2021 VOL. 1 | ISSUE 4

24

Parenting | Growing pains

rodevelopmental disorder, to attend

20

Joseph, is true. She is also a strong Honoring our religious and

woman of faith who loves her family

clergy milestones

and seeks God’s direction in every

Megan Marley

decision.

Catholic school with her two older

Years of devotion and service to God

brothers, it was the FIRE Foundation

and to the Church are not an easy

that led them to Kansas City.

undertaking. It is worthy of congrat-

32

ulations, celebration and, especially,

director, Journey to Bethany

4

Healing Our Family | With a new executive

On the Way | Tasting true freedom

thanksgiving to God. This issue, we

charts a path forward

Bishop Johnston

honor those with milestone anniver-

Megan Marley

We typically use the word “freedom”

saries of ordination or profession, as

It’s been 20 years since the Charter

to describe our personal and civic

well as those who have gone on to

for the Protection of Children and

freedoms such as we commemorate

their eternal rest.

Young People was adopted and ap-

on patriotic holidays like Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day. We don’t often reflect upon the

natural next step to facilitate healing

and blood of Jesus: Third

of individuals and our diocese. As

annual Eucharistic Congress

Executive Director, Jennifer Prusa

Marty Denzer

sees Journey to Bethany as part of

In June our diocesan faithful were

the culture change that Church lead-

Culture | Connecting with the

called to “Come Home to Commu-

ership and laity are working towards.

communion of saints

nion” through weekly in-person

unique freedom that Christ offers us as his disciples.

6

22

proved, and Journey to Bethany is a Be nourished by the body

Megan Marley

participation in the Mass. This Sep-

All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day pro-

tember, increase your devotion to

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vide an opportunity for connection not

the body and blood of Jesus Christ

Ten words and The Word: A map of

only with friends, but also with those

through participation in the third

the Ten Commandments to help you

who have died in Christ.

annual Eucharistic Congress.

remember.

Robert Sandf ord

Ashlie Hand

Playing with a full deck

Teresa Koch

Mi c h a e l Sanem

T e re s a Ko c h

M a r ty D e n ze r is long-time writer

loves God

is a writer,

works for

leads the

is a Visitation

has a B.A. in theology

and people.

photographer,

St. Catherine

Office of

parishioner and works in

and philosophy from

in residence for

Learn more

videographer and

of Siena Parish

Communications

ministry in Kansas City.

Rockhurst University

the Catholic Key.

about her life

media geek for the

and St. Thomas

for the Diocese

He writes regularly at

and is a parishioner

Her many years of

and work at

Diocese of Kansas

More Parish.

of Kansas City-

www.incarnation

at St. Ann Catholic

work can be found

bnlcomms.com.

City-St. Joseph.

bobsandford.net

St. Joseph.

iseverywhere.com.

Church in Plattsburg.

on catholickey.org.

3

Tasting

TRUE St. Paul the Apostle.

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Catholic Key • Fall 2021 • catholickey.org

Getty Images/Jorisvo

FREEDOM

o n th e way

“It was for liberty that Christ freed us.

So stand firm and do not take on yourselves the yoke of slavery a second time!”

— Galatians 5:1

O

F ro m th e B i s h o p Bishop James V. Johnston, Jr. is the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph

VER THE SUMMER, I had a chance to go back and visit my family in East Tennessee. A few days before I was to return home, an old friend of

our family named Kathy unexpectedly died, and her family asked me if I could delay my departure back to Kansas City to have her funeral. I was happy to do so, as I had been her spiritual director for several years as a priest, and she had faithfully loved, supported and prayed for me over the years.

Kathy was unusual in that she lived with remarkable freedom. We typically use that word to describe our personal and civic freedoms such as we commemorate, for example, on Veterans Day later this autumn. But we don’t often reflect upon the unique freedom that Christ offers us as his disciples.

The saints embody such freedom. I have always been struck by that quality in Saint Paul. It emerges as a primary theme in his epistles to the churches he ministered to. In his letter to the Galatians, for example, he says when we enter a new life in Christ by faith and baptism, we become a “new creation.”

Everything changes: “... the life I live now is not my own. Christ is living in me. I still live my human life, but it is a life of faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) Later in this same epistle, he adds, “It was for liberty that Christ freed us.” (Galatians 5:1) In other words, we were born slaves, but in Christ, we have been freed to live for

God, to love and serve, and belong to his kingdom.

We can also observe this freedom in the lives of other saints down through the centuries. One of my favorite quotes is from Saint Joan of Arc, the youthful heroine and patroness of France, who, prior to facing great danger, spoke: “I am not afraid. God is with me. I was made for this.” She lived with a radical freedom because she was a disciple.

Also witness the many martyrs who approached death with a liberty that is from beyond this world.

Prior to her funeral Mass, I was struck by something that one of Kathy’s daughters said about her mother that was very insightful. She said that her mother lived with a “freedom that only comes from a deep and trusting relationship with Jesus and the peace that only he can give ... a freedom from fear, freedom from worry, freedom for serving God and building up his kingdom and for those she was given to love.” These

words describe a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Disciples are free. Disciples are not immune from the sufferings, problems, heartaches and injuries that living in this world brings. In fact, they often experience more of these than most. But they approach the cross in a new way because of what Jesus has done and because they have surrendered everything to him. They even see their weaknesses and sins in a new light — as the point of Christ’s victory in them and for them.

My desire is that I and all of us can live with a similar freedom. It is not something we earn, but something we accept. It is freely offered by Christ, but we must surrender to him to receive it.

In some ways, it is against our fallen nature, which seeks to be in control.

We can be like a sick patient who insists on telling the doctor how to treat us. We tend to ask God to help us when we ought to be asking God to show us how we can help him when facing problems. We often prefer to worry, thinking that this will help when our surest path is to surrender to God who has us and the universe in the palm of his hand.

Let us continue to grow and mature as disciples of the Lord Jesus. Disciples are free ... to live for God, to love and to serve, to belong to his Kingdom.

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c ult u r e

PRAYING WITH THE SAINTS

D

of Autumn

uring October, we celebrate some significant feast days: Saint Therese of the Child Jesus (1), Guardian Angels (2), Saint Francis of Assisi (4), Our Lady of the Rosary (7), Saint Teresa of Avila (15), Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (16), Saint Luke (18) and Saints Simon and Jude (28).

Each saint reflects some particular aspect of God for us; their lives are intended to encourage us,

guide us and inspire us to live for God. I suggest we pay close attention to two of them this month: Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and Saint Margaret Mary Alacocque.

St. Therese keeps watch over the congregation from the choir loft at St. Therese Little Flower Parish in Kansas City, MO.

Photo by Megan Marley

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Catholic Key • Fall 2021 • catholickey.org

Saint Therese of the Child Jesus Therese loved the saints and wanted to be one. She wanted to be a missionary, yet knew God was calling her to the cloister. Instead of just dreaming about being a missionary saint, she allowed God to form her as he wanted. So, first, she submitted to God’s plan for her life.

Then, as she entered into a more mature spiritual life, she realized how little and helpless she was to imitate the great saints as she saw them: Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross. So she asked Jesus’ arms to be her elevator, to lift her up to God the Father.

In a very simple, child-like, humble spirit, she kept asking God for help, as a child would ask a loving parent. And God did not fail her! Her trust became so unbounding that, on her death bed at 24, when she was corrected for an irritable response, instead of falling into understandable self-pity, she just rejoiced: “O, another opportunity to ask forgiveness and rely on the mercy of God!” Her path to sanctity became known as the “little way.” She showed how accessible true holiness can be for each one of us.

Connecting to the COMMUNION OF SAINTS

Saint Margaret also was a French religious sister, but was very different from Saint Therese.

Sister Margaret Mary lived in the 1600s. Christ appeared to her frequently, acting himself as her spiritual director, and confiding to her the mission of establishing devotion to his Sacred Heart. It was Saint Margaret Mary who began the practice of a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament and the First Friday devotions.

Jesus himself called her the beloved disciple of his Sacred Heart. In showing Margaret Mary his burning heart, Christ said, “Behold, this heart which has so loved men and is so little loved in return.”

In the midst of all these powerful revelations, she experienced the disbelief of her community and superiors, which led to tremendous suffering that she endured in humility and charity, offering it that God’s love might be known.

In today’s world, most of us, even strong Christians and Catholics, do not begin to comprehend the love that God has for each one of us.

Saint Margaret Mary suffered much — mentally, emotionally, physically — to proclaim the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for each one of us.

Pause and reflect How can you grow in humility, charity and child-like obedience to God? During October, ask these saints to help you. Reflect on their lives for encouragement and wisdom to run on the path to holiness ­ and to run, so as to win!

The feasts of All Saints (Nov. 1) and All Souls (Nov. 2) remind me of being a kid.

Every year around harvest, a mob of saintly costumed children and supervising parents descended upon my family’s farm for these feasts. Families would socialize, eat picnic foods and play “guess the saint” with facts the kids researched. After that game, we’d demolish a homemade dragon piñata (usually St. George or St. Michael dealt the final blow) and say a few prayers for the souls in purgatory. Today, we’ve all grown up and moved away with families of our own, but most of us maintain some level of friendship and practice of the faith.

All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days provided an opportunity for connection not only with friends, but also with those who have died in Christ. The communion of saints isn’t just the saints in heaven, it’s also we who are striving for sainthood here on earth and those who are being cleansed after death in preparation for it: one family of God, connected through prayer.

But if you’re anything like me, it’s hard to “pick up the phone” for prayer — I’m busy; I’m distracted; I’m tired — excuses, excuses. One thing I find helpful is to create a space for prayer that physically reminds me.

This fall, consider creating a home altar that will remind you of our spiritual relationship in the communion of saints and to connect with them, and ultimately with God, through prayer.

TIPS FOR A HOME ALTAR:

RA VE LA RIUM

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

Photo by Megan Marley

By Megan Marley

T s/ ge Getty Ima

1. SET ASIDE A LOCATION It doesn’t need to be huge. A closet, side table, bookshelf, fireplace mantle or windowsill will do, as long as it’s accessible yet clearly set apart for prayer.

Ours is a little curio cabinet just inside the entrance of our small apartment.

2. CHOOSE A FOCAL POINT A main piece of artwork will help focus your attention during prayer — a crucifix, statue, icon or picture are options. You can also surround it with other art pieces and decor, and change out pieces for liturgical seasons or saints’ feast days.

3. ADD PRAYER RESOURCES What helps you to pray? Perhaps the family bible and prayer cards/books, a holy water font, rosaries, sacred music, a cushion to kneel or a chair to sit on.

Our family fave for evening rosary time is a lit blessed candle, plus a chewable rosary to keep little hands busy.

4. MAKE TIME TO PRAY Here’s the hardest piece: making time for prayer. I’ve found making it part of transitions during the day helps to ease into a routine — a quick prayer before heading out the door for work, a pause with the toddler between playtime to naptime, daily Mass readings with morning coffee, etc. Talk with your friends or read up on the life of a saint to see what else might work.

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How do I love someone

I CAN’T STAND? Getty Images/kali9

Q

DEAR FATHER JOE: I know Jesus says we have to love everybody, but I really can’t stand one of the people I work with; we simply can’t work

together. I’ve prayed about it, but no matter how hard I pray, I get angry just thinking of them. How can I love them?

First things first, you are not alone! This is a very common problem that, I would imagine, everyone experiences at some point.

As Christians, we recognize how utterly important it is that we love.

When Jesus was giving his last series of speeches before his Passion and death, he reiterated this over and over: “This I command you, love one another.” I think most of us know that, but we forget the end of that sentence: “like I love you.”

Jesus isn’t simply giving us a command to love. He is telling us that our love needs to change and grow so that it looks just like his love — powerful stuff.

A

In t he k no w w it h Fat her Jo e Father Joe Krupp is a Catholic priest and former comedian.

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Catholic Key • Fall 2021 • catholickey.org

If we don’t embrace that, we end up slapping the “love” label on everything we agree with and everything we want, until we hit the brick wall of people we don’t like. Then things can get very, very confusing.

So, let’s go step by step and see if we can’t figure out a way to love people we don’t like.

It seems to me that the first step has to do with that distinction — love vs. like.

In that distinction, we find something I assume you’ll view as good news: As far as I can recall, Jesus never commanded any of us to like anyone.

To like someone normally indicates that we want to be around them. Maybe

they make us happy, maybe we share hobbies or have complementary personalities — who knows? Whatever it is, there are people we run into or work with whom we want to be around. These are people we like.

Love, however, is something different.

When we are called to love one another as Christ loves us, then we want to make sure that we are adapting what we feel, what we want, to what Christ shows us. Love is not a feeling, it’s a commitment. I think the best way to think of it is this: When we love someone, we desire what is best for them. When we love someone, we act and move in a way that helps them get to heaven.

When you think of your co-worker, you feel irritation, anger, discomfort — things like that. That’s OK; you can’t help it. What you want to do is make sure that those feelings do not compel you to sabotage them or be apathetic when they need your assistance or support.

To be clear, you do not have to choose to be around them. You don’t have to pretend you like them. You don’t have

to volunteer to hang out with them or be “besties.” What your faith in Jesus requires is that you love them.

What I’d like to do now is offer you some suggestions as to ways you can love them without liking them.

First, I want to be clear about an important distinction. It may be that the reason we don’t like someone is because they are wicked or they act wickedly. If that is the case, we simply avoid them and make sure we don’t put ourselves in a position to be hurt by them. Keep the treasure that is you safe from evil, narcissistic people — I believe that is common sense. What I am dealing with here are the people we don’t like simply because our personalities clash, or they have different priorities than us, or different worldviews. I invite you

to remember that your dislike doesn’t mean they are bad, dishonest, evil or any such thing. What we don’t want to do is pretend that our personality conflict means anything of value. Until the person we do not like proves that they are evil or untrustworthy, we should be awfully careful not to pretend that our dislike has any real value. We should be careful not to ascribe awful motives to the person's actions or decisions.

Second, make sure you are meek in regard to them. To be meek means to refuse to do harm, and that is what you need to do. Remember — you don’t have to volunteer to be around them any more than your work requires. You don’t have to give them your time or your inner self in the same way you do a friend. You just need to make sure

that you are not letting your personality conflict interfere with their life. Don’t sabotage them, don’t undermine them.

Third, no gossip. Don’t talk about them behind their back or get dragged into collecting horror stories about them. Don’t spread malicious talk or speculation.

Finally, pray for their well-being and salvation. Ask God every day to bless them and guide them home to the kingdom of heaven. When they irritate you or get on your nerves, ask God to soothe you and to strengthen your commitment to act for their benefit.

So there it is! A guide to help us to love those we do not like.

May God bless our efforts to be the people he created us to be. Enjoy another day in God’s presence.

“When we

love someone, we act and move in a way that helps

them get to heaven.”

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Pains

Pa re n t i n g

Getty Images/VioletaStoimenova

Michael J. Sanem is a Visitation parishioner and works in ministry in Kansas City. He writes regularly at www.incarnationiseverywhere.com.

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Catholic Key • Fall 2021 • catholickey.org

A

season of transition has descended on our family. My oldest boy is starting kindergarten, I’m changing jobs, and the whole family is moving.

It’ll mean some big changes for all of us, and the end of a really wonderful chapter in our life together.

Often, when things are going well, we’d like time to stop: when our kids are that perfectly cute and sweet age, when a job we love is fulfilling and fun, or when a vacation just feels perfect.

But when you read the Gospels, you realize that Jesus is always asking his disciples to get moving again. At the Transfiguration, when Peter wants to build three tents to stop and savor the vision, it quickly fades.

When Mary Magdalene wants to embrace the newly Risen Christ, she is told not to cling to him. And after the Ascension, when the apostles are still staring at the sky, the angels tell them to get moving and get back to the work to which they were called, the work of evangelization.

Jesus was always on the move, and he called those who followed him to have the same way of life. But how are we, as parents and families rooted in parishes, communities, and neighborhoods, supposed to live this way? How could we ever live like Jesus without being irresponsible or neglectful of our duties and commitments?

One way is to realize that to be a good parent or a supportive spouse is to always remain open to change. Our spouses develop and grow, as do we if we want to stay happy, healthy and fulfilled. And our children

are always changing: crawling, walking, talking, learning and making new friends in the blink of an eye. Our social lives and patterns also become dynamic and ever-shifting depending on what grade, school or season of life we find ourselves in.

Through all these changes, we realize that clinging to any stage, place or season can be counterproductive. Like a child counting down the days until summer vacation is over, we lose the joy of the present moment as soon as we begin to worry about its ending. Sure, we may mourn the end of “babyness” or rejoice at the end of diapers, but true joy is realizing that each stage, no matter how challenging or rewarding, is fleeting, and that God is ever present to us in the here and now of this moment, this stage and this season. God isn’t over there in the future or in your new house or at your new job. But, always, and for all time, God is right here, in this moment, in this place, in this breath.

Steadily, by living life with this awareness of God’s presence, we can slowly begin to realize that everything in life changes, and yet God is always with us, “Beauty ever ancient, ever new,” as St. Augustine wrote.

Or, as Saint Teresa of Avila wrote, “Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing upset you. Everything changes. God alone is unchanging.

With patience all things are possible. Whoever has God lacks nothing.

God alone is enough.”

With a prodigal trust in the God who is both “unchanging” and “ever ancient, ever new,” we can awaken to the reality that as we prepare the meals and wash the dishes and change the diapers and go to work with an almost liturgical regularity, we are imbuing the world with the extraordinary love that transforms our ordinary family life, with all its transitions and challenges, into a foretaste of the life to come.

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gr o w i n g go d’s fa m i ly

Fostering a lifelong love of God and community through

YOUTH MINISTRY

By Bob Sandford PARTNERS IN MINISTRY From front to back: youth directors Kirstie Roberts, St. Sabina, Belton, Mo.; Rob Lickteig, Holy Family, Kansas City, Mo.; Becky Winbinger, Nativity of Mary, Independence, Mo.; and Deacon Ken Fuenfhausen, St. Mark’s, Independence, Mo. They have a combined 78 years of experience as youth directors and many more as youth and young adult leaders.

They have been mentors, friends and colleagues to one another, some as long as 25 years.

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Catholic Key • Fall 2021 • catholickey.org

K

en, Kirstie, Rob and Becky are partners in ministry, united in their calling to love the youth

of our diocese by opening the way to experience God’s love and the blessings of faith lived in community. They gathered for this article to advocate for our youth and youth ministry in the diocese and offer what they’ve learned to our youth and those who care about them.

Ken explains that their approach is based in part on the three-legged model of Total Youth Ministry (from Youth Specialties Publishing): community, catechesis and service. The other part is that this is peer ministry, adult-guided and youth-led.

Rob, Becky and Kirstie experienced this as youth and young adults and served as peer ministers mentored by Ken and fellow peer ministers. Peer ministers serve in ways that suit their gifts. They plan and lead events, lead prayer, lead by example and learn to witness to what God is doing in their lives.

“Youth are at their best when they are ministering to and with one another,” Ken says.

One of the fruits of effective youth ministry is engaged involvement beyond high school. They see many youth involved as young adults — not just in youth ministry. (Two former participants in Kirstie’s program are on staff at St. Sabina Parish.)

One key to this is building community by building relationships. Youth may come for events, but they come back for relationships. Simple things like noticing them, calling them by name and connecting with the ones who aren’t connecting can make a big difference.

Another key is helping them discern and offer their gifts so they can arrive at “my gifts are of value to the community and I would be missed if I wasn’t here.” This is more likely to happen in an atmosphere of trust where they have room to succeed or make mistakes and be supported. And, as they discern their own gifts, they are taught to recognize and affirm the gifts of others.

“I look for the ones who have gifts I do not. I encourage peer ministers to involve others in what they are doing. Nobody works alone. Share the responsibilities and build ownership,” Kirstie says.

To our youth • “Just

come, the Lord has so much for you. Invest yourself. And bring your gifts to offer. Trust there are people here who want to love you as Christ loves you.” — Ken • C ome, discover the joy of Christian community; witness God working through others and through you to make a difference in people’s lives.

• “Whatever you do and learn in college, come back and find a way to offer it to your community.” — Kirstie

To the local Church • If you want to see success in the wider community, hire youth ministers. Youth ministers cooperate. The investment of individual churches builds a culture of faith.

• Walk with the kids. Be an adult role model of what it means to be Catholic. Be ready to learn and grow alongside them.

• Learn and remember their names.

• See them for who they are.

• Notice and encourage them to offer their gifts.

• Offer meaningful service.

• Thank them when they serve the Church. Affirm the value of what they offer.

SIT IN ON THE CONVERSATION For more about how youth ministry can

To parents • Show the importance of church on Sunday.

• Their faith will get them through their whole lives.

Even with all the extracurricular activities, the practices, games, recitals, jobs, make church a priority.

• “Youth group and confirmation are great once-ina-lifetime opportunities to open youth to God and community at a formative time on the verge of adulthood. At this time of life, it is important they know they are part of the Catholic community.” — Kirstie

open youth to a life of faith, watch the whole interview at vimeo.com/ 590015139

SAFE ENVIRONMENT: Ask your youth minister about the safe environment requirements for

o those considering volunteering T in youth ministry • Please, yes, come help.

• Your involvement will show the value of offering one’s gifts to the community.

• No day is going to be the same.

• Every parishioner can either learn from a young person or has something to teach them. You’re there to mentor and learn.

• Our youth have a mountain to climb in these times and they need good positive role models in their lives.

• To grow the Church, we have to nurture the seeds planted.

volunteers. To learn more about our Church’s commitment to prevention, accountability and healing, see kcsjcatholic.org/ office/child-youthprotection

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c ov e r s to ry

WANT

Cenza joined the kindergarten class at Visitation School in 2018 where she learns alongside her peers and is a beloved member of the school community.

Photo courtesy FIRE Foundation

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Catholic Key • Fall 2021 • catholickey.org

HERE’

FIRE Foundation makes one family’s dream of an inclusive Catholic education

Story by Ashlie Hand

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Photo by Megan Marley

T

here’s a lingering sadness in their voices as members of the Spadafore family reflect on all they left behind in their hometown of

Tulsa, Okla., when they moved to Kansas City three years ago. As their story unfolds, however, the emotions shared over their move only emphasize the incredible love they have for each other, and their faith in God’s plans for their family.

Photo by Megan Marley

Mom Christy and older brother Rocco still miss a lot of things about their former hometown of Tulsa, Okla., but they are grateful for the opportunities to be together where Cenza can visit Rocco’s classroom (most of the time!).

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Catholic Key • Fall 2021 • catholickey.org

Dominic and Christy met in 2005 and married in June 2006. About a year later, they welcomed their first son, Fran, and purchased a home in Tulsa. Dominic describes it as a great house in a gorgeous neighborhood across from a 17-acre park with a creek, jungle gym, large climbing rocks and splash pad; Christy calls it “idyllic.” They were within walking distance of an entertainment district and surrounded by great public schools. Dominic worked downtown just two miles away, and as they added a second son, Rocco, to their family, they put an addition on their home and had found a nearby private Catholic school for the boys. As they awaited the arrival of their third child, life was feeling pretty much perfect.

Vincenza “Cenza” arrived in January 2013 and within hours of being home from the hospital, they were headed back after noticing their newborn baby girl was struggling to stay awake or eat.

They hoped that it was a minor setback, but after 11 days in the hospital they embarked on a three-and-a-half-year journey searching for solutions and answers to what was going on with Cenza.

“It was really trying, but both of us had a certain faith that this is the path we’re supposed to be on,” Dominic recalls. “We

Faith in God’s plan for their family has made it possible for Dominic and Christy Spadafore to make the difficult decision to leave their beloved home in Tulsa, Okla., and be welcomed with open arms into the FIRE Foundation community in Kansas City.

have since come to the obvious realization that this is who we’re supposed to have — all three of [our kids].”

Eventually, following several rounds of genetic testing, the family learned that Vincenza was at the time one of approximately 55 people in the world diagnosed with PURA Syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder. Characteristics of PURA match many of Cenza’s challenges, including developmental and intellectual delays, low muscle tone, feeding difficulties, breathing problems, excessive drowsiness, hip dysplasia and short stature. Cenza isn’t able to communicate with speech and uses a wheelchair when she needs to be mobile.

When Cenza reached preschool age, Dom and Christy began researching schools. Most of the options in the Tulsa area did not offer the experience they wanted or did not have the ability to give Cenza what she needed. The next step was to broaden their search beyond

“INDEED, THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THE WORK OF CATECHESIS CAN GREATLY ENRICH THE LIFE OF THE WHOLE PARISH BY THEIR WITNESS.” — Pope Francis, America Magazine, 12.3.20

This year, FIRE Foundation celebrates 25 years supporting inclusive Catholic education in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. The foundation partners with 14 area schools and has invested nearly $6 million in salaries for special educators and para-educators, professional development, technology and curriculum. FIRE helps Catholic schools welcome and support students with a wide range of learning challenges and disabilities and makes it possible for students with special needs to learn side-by-side with their typical classmates.

T o l ear n mo r e about the FIRE Foundation’s mission and how you can support their ongoing work, visit firefoundation.org.

sized that “the Fire Foundation makes it possible for all students, regardless of their abilities, to learn together, and more importantly, to learn from each other.”

The video begins with a verse from the Gospel of John, “As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth and his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.’”

“It was so powerful,” Christy shares.

“Dom and I watched it together when he got home from work and we decided to reach out to Lynn Hire [FIRE Foundation executive director] to share our story … I really thought she was going to think I was crazy because we didn’t even live [in Kansas City].”

With Lynn’s help, Dominic and Christy had interest from five Catholic school principals in the Kansas City-St. Joseph area in learning more about Cenza. After several meetings, Visitation Catholic School in Kansas City said, “Yes, let’s give it a try.”

Mary Kallman, principal at Visitation School, says, “The FIRE program is a gift to Catholic education as much as

the Tulsa area, starting with other cities where they would want to live and that could meet the family’s specific criteria.

“The perfect criteria was that all three kids could go to a Catholic school together,” Dominic explains. “That time together, now as they are growing up, is more valuable than anything else that we could give them.”

Christy began an online search for “inclusive Catholic education,” and one of the first websites that came up was for FIRE Foundation. She watched a video, “My Favorite Teacher,” that showcased students with different abilities as their classmates’ favorite teachers and empha-

to every Catholic school that embraces inclusion. Making the commitment to welcome children with different abilities in our schools helps us to model inclusion with our children.”

The family prayed and searched for more than a year before ultimately choosing to make the move to Kansas City. FIRE Foundation’s long history and reach across multiple schools also really impressed the Spadafores, but it was the meeting they had with the FIRE Foundation Board of Directors that solidified their decision.

“The welcome we’ve received across the board, from the [Visitation] parish, from the FIRE Foundation, has been incredible,” Dominic shares. “At lunch with a number of the FIRE Foundation board members, we got to meet each other and before the end of the meeting they said, ‘We want you here.’” Dominic is emotional remembering the moment they heard those words. “It was very meaningful. I don’t ever really remember hearing that anywhere else or in other experiences with Cenza. To have that strong embrace was so powerful.”

If the Spadafores hadn’t found FIRE Foundation, it’s hard for them to say where they might be. One thing they do know, however, is that they would be wherever they felt God was calling them. “It was the right thing to do for all of the reasons we couldn’t change,” says Dom. Without their faith, the move would have been a much different conversation and conflict. “Our faith helped align us to what our priorities are. Once you understand what the priorities are, the solution becomes relatively self-evident.”

Photo courtesy Spadafore family

This year, Cenza finished second grade and made her First Communion.

Working with Cenza’s unique needs took a team approach and a special understanding of how to make the sacraments meaningful.

Cenza offers a sweet giggle when asked if she likes being with her friends.

Photo courtesy FIRE Foundation

17

ay Nourished

DIOCESAN SPONSORED

Daily Mass with Resident Priests.

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Catholic Key • Fall 2021 • catholickey.org

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Wondering what’s on the menu? Choose from resident favorites like Southern Smoked Pork Chops, Pesto Chicken Tortellini, Beef Brisket, and Ginger Roasted Salmon. Plus, embrace your inner chef at cooking demonstrations and small-group culinary classes, or expand your palate at wine tastings as part of our activities program.

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1000 E. 68th Street, Kansas City, MO 64131 19

c e l e b r ati n g m i l e s to n e s

Ma y he w h o s t a r t e d th i s go o d wo r k i n y ou br i n g i t t o co mp le ti o n! (cf., Ph il i ppia ns 1 :6 )

Y

ears of devotion and service to God and to the Church are not an easy undertaking.

It is worthy of congratulations, celebration and, especially, thanksgiving to God.

Below is a list of priests and religious in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph celebrating

special anniversaries of ordination or profession in 2020 and 2021 — the diocese recognizes and celebrates this happy occasion. Be sure to include these priests and religious in your prayers and congratulate them!

• 25 years: Father Thomas Holder; Father Robert Kerr • 45 years: Father Richard Bayuk, CPPS; Father Ron Will, CPPS • 50 years: Father Thomas Hawkins; Father Pat Rush; Father Michael Sheeran, SJ; Father Joseph Hanh Phan Trong • 55 years: Father James Hart • 65 years: Monsignor John Leitner; Father Robert Mahoney

Priests celebrating jubilees in 2021: • 25 years: Father Carlito Saballo, SOLT • 40 years: Father John Bolderson; Father Thomas Borkowski; Father Anthony Pileggi; Father Michael Roach; Father James Taranto; Father Andrew Thompson, C.Ss.R.; Father Jim White, C.Ss.R. • 45 years: Father John Schuele • 50 years: Father Mark Miller, CPPS • 60 years: Father Rene Guesnier, OSB; Father John McCormack; Father William Walter, CPPS

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Catholic Key • Fall 2021 • catholickey.org

Sisters in the diocese who celebrated jubilees in 2020: • 50 years: Sister Cathleen Marie Timberlake, OSB; Sister Jacinta Tran, CMR • 60 years: Sister Mary Kay Liston, CSJ; Sister Elizabeth Seaman, BVM • 65 years: Sister Marilyn Peot, CSJ • 70 years: Sister Marietta Crahan, OSB

Sisters in the diocese celebrating jubilees in 2021: • 25 years: Sister Emma Doffin, LSP; Sister Ruth Elaine Starman, OSB • 50 years: Sister Rita Clair Dohn, OSB; Sister Christine Martin, OSF • 60 years: Sister Helen Alder, CSJ; Sister Carole Eschen, SL; Sister Helen Flemington, CSJ; Sister Maureen Hall, SCL; Sister Marie Joan Harris, CSJ; Sister Ann Landers, CSJ; Sister Cecilia Rose Spreckelmeyer, OSB • 65 years: Sister Joan Therese Anderson, OSB; Sister M. Susan Huppe, OSB; Sister Mary Andrea Kantner, OSF • 70 years: Sister Pascaline Coff, OSB; Sister Patricia Lorenz, CSJ • 75 years: Sister Madonna Gieselman, OSF

Getty Images/BookyBuggy

Priests who celebrated jubilees in 2020:

IN MEMORIAM

Getty Images/sedmak

Our hope is in Christ If we have missed a diocesan priest or religious order priest/sister who spent time in the Diocese of Kansas CitySt. Joseph and died after April 1, 2020, please let us know so we may add them to the list. Visit catholickey.org/contact to submit name and date of death.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Monsignor William Blacet: June 21, 2020 Father Alexander Sinclair: Sept. 23, 2020 Monsignor Ralph Kaiser: Dec. 11, 2020 Father Eugene Roy Harrison, C.Ss.R.: Feb. 2, 2021 Sister Alice (Mary Adrian) Brentano, OSB: April 11, 2020 Sister Rose Dolores Hoffelmeyer, SCL: June 12, 2020 Sister Marie Brinkman, SCL: June 17, 2020 Sister Lucille Harrington, SCL: June 20, 2020 Sister Roberta O’Leary, SCL: July 5, 2020 Father Thomas W. Cummings, SJ: Aug. 9, 2020 Sister Lucille (Mary Placid) Borengasser, OSB: Aug. 25, 2020 Sister Mary Therese (Joselyn) Pfeifer, BVM: Sept. 6. 2020 Sister Ellen (Rose Evelyn) Morseth, BVM: Sept. 21, 2020 Sister Ann (Mary Henry) Diettrich, OSB: Oct. 9, 2020 Sister Jane Albert Mehrens, SCL: Oct. 10, 2020 Sister Irmina Miller, OSB: Oct. 15, 2020 Sister Bernadette Teasdale, SCL: Nov. 5, 2020 Sister Mary Sharon Verbeck, SCL: Jan. 10, 2021 Sister Cyprian Vondras, OSB: Feb. 21, 2021 Father Jack Zupez, SJ, Feb. 21, 2021 Sister Mary Josepha Talle, SCL: March 13, 2021 Sister Mary Ann Dice (formerly Sister Ursula), OSB: March 14, 2021 Father E. Eugene Arthur, SJ: March 24, 2021 Sister Corita Bussanmas, BVM: March 27, 2021 Father Richard Colbert, CPPS: May 20, 2021 Sister Maria (Vincent) Larkin, OSB: May 25, 2021 Sister Agnes Honz, OSB: July 9, 2021 Sister Regina Ann Green, SCL: July 14, 2021 Sister Evelyn (Mary Gilbert) Gregory, OSB: July 21, 2021

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Be nourished

eucharistic c o ng r ess

by the body and blood of Jesus

Third annual Eucharistic Congress slated for Sept. 10-11

By Marty Denzer | Photos by Megan Marley

C

atholics in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph have recently been able to again attend Sunday Mass in person as COVID-19 restrictions lifted and the general dispensation ended. With the return to

in-person worship, Bishop James Johnston, Jr. and the local Church are

reminding people of the importance of full, conscious and active participation in the liturgical celebration of the Mass. Through a campaign, “Come Home to Communion,” Catholics are invited to deeper reflection on the value of Sunday, why God made it and what the “body and blood, soul and divinity,” the real presence of Christ, mean to Catholics.

“In His Real Presence,” the diocese’s third annual Eucharistic Congress, offers that reflection. The weekend events include adult and youth speakers, a relic room, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, adoration and a Eucharistic procession followed by Benediction.

The full-day Eucharistic Congress includes talks by Fathers Sunoj Thomas, OSB; Justin Hoye; and Bishop Johnston. Following the Angelus and lunch, Dominican Sister Jude

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Catholic Key • Fall 2021 • catholickey.org

Andrew will talk. The remainder of the day will be given to exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic adoration and Benediction with Bishop Johnston. Confessions will be heard throughout the day.

Although the international history of Eucharistic Congresses dates to 1881 in Lille, France, the first “In His Real Presence” Eucharistic Conference in this diocese was held Sept. 14, 2019, at Coronation of Our Lady Parish in

Grandview, Mo. Coordinated by Lorie Sage of the diocesan Office of Divine Worship, the Eucharistic Conference, a day of talks, faith building and strengthening, accompanied by adoration and the Eucharistic celebration of Mass, drew more than 300 people.

The 2019 conference was a dream come true for Sage and her friend, Debbie Childress of St. Andrew the Apostle Parish in Gladstone.

With the approbation of Bishop Johnston,

TO JESUS, THROUGH MARY Join the Legion of Mary as they celebrate 100 years since its founding.

Cake and refreshments will be served at the Eucharistic Congress’s Saturday session.

Learn more about the Legion of Mary in an upcoming article on CatholicKey.org.

Sage, with a volunteer committee of two — the first two Eucharistic Congresses “plantChildress and Celeste Armanees of Our Lady of ed a seed so that other seeds will grow.” She hopes and expects the upcoming “In His Real the Presentation Parish in Lee’s Summit — exPresence” Eucharistic Congress “draws more panded the 2020 event to two days and renamed people and has them feel in their hearts how it a Eucharistic Congress. Held Sept. 11-12 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in St. Jomuch God loves them and wants to be seph, Mo., the second annual “In with them.”

His Real Presence” EuchaShe has a “beautiful” ristic Congress, even with vision of the whole dioCOVID-19 restrictions, cese coming together in attracted 170 people. prayer; 1.5 million peoWith talks, adoration, ple united in prayer attendees joining in and adoration of Jepraise, thanksgiving sus Christ. “Jesus is and worship at Mass, real and present in the plus simply being toEucharist, it’s his body gether sharing in faith, and blood that nourish the event was a success. us when we receive Holy Sage said she believes Communion.”

Lorie Sage

THIRD ANNUAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS Sept. 10-11, 2021 St. Thomas More Parish 11822 Holmes Road Kansas City, MO

Friday Family Night Sept. 10, 5 p.m.-9 p.m.

Cost: Free

Eucharistic Congress Sept. 11, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.

Cost: $20 Lunch included REGISTER at kcsjcatholic.org/ Eucharistic−Congress. Priests and religious are free; register via email to sage@diocesekcsj.org, or mail registration to: Office of Divine Worship 20 W. Ninth St. Kansas City, MO 64105

23

pr ay i n g t h e r o s a ry

Safeguarding and solace — one military rosary’s legacy

By Marty Denzer Photos by Megan Marley

D

eacon Sam Adams reverently opened the small pouch, allowing the worn wooden rosary to

fall gently into his palm. Originally painted black, the beads are now a soft gray, interspersed with a few shiny black replacement beads. It looks wellused and well-loved.

A military chaplain gave him the rosary Aug. 28, 1966, following his first Vietnam War battle. He kept it close through two tours of duty in Vietnam. It accompanied him through life as a husband, father, grandfather and later as an ordained deacon. He loaned it to three other members of the armed services in combat — a Navy officer, an Army officer and a Marine. Men and rosary came safely home each time, and each man personally returned the rosary to Deacon Sam. Sam Adams was just 17 years old in 1966 when he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps following his high school graduation. After boot camp in San Diego, Calif., he rotated to the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in San Mateo, Calif., for infantry artillery training. Sam was assigned to the Third Battalion, 12th Marine Regiment, composed of 83 servicemen to provide artillery and communication support

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Catholic Key • Fall 2021 • catholickey.org

to the 3rd Marine Division and officers.

That August, the regiment was flown to South Vietnam, first to Da Nang, then to Quang Tri Province near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). They almost immediately found themselves amidst fierce fighting. Operation Hastings had pushed the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) back across the DMZ, but repeated NVA incursions attempted to lure American and South Vietnamese forces away from populated areas.

Operation Hastings concluded, but just days later Operation Prairie launched; Sam’s regiment was in the thick of it.

About 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 26, 1966, Sam and his fellow Marines stared across a field of waist-high grass to a tree line outside the town of Cam Lo. Suddenly, a red flare shot into the sky and a superior force of North Vietnamese aggressively attacked. Deacon Sam still remembers his fear.

The night was illuminated by the heavy volume of fire from both sides. Deacon Sam’s description of the big guns sound chillingly mind-numbing to the uninitiated.

The firefight lasted until sunrise. In the dawn light, the Americans counted 78 NVA casualties, while six Americans were killed in action and 12 wounded. Sam felt a surge of both relief at surviving and shock at the grisliness he had witnessed.

Two days later, a Navy captain who was also a Catholic priest/chaplain was flown to the area. He said Mass, then moved among the Marines distributing rosaries and 4-way medals featuring images of St. Christopher, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Joseph and the Miraculous Medal of Mary. Even non-Catholics accepted the rosaries gratefully, Deacon Sam recalled, wearing them “like a necklace.”

Sam returned to Camp Pendleton at the end of his tour of duty. He was redeployed, rosary in pocket, to South Vietnam during the 1968 Tet Offensive. The tour was hard, he said, but not as hard as his first tour.

While his religious training as a child had been Catholic seasoned with Southern Baptist (he recalled describing himself as “Roman-Baptist-Southern-Catholic”), he knew how to pray the rosary and often did.

“I remember how much comfort I got praying the rosary on those beads … a sense of peace.

It gave me solace from the mental anguish of being in that place,” Deacon Sam said.

His 19 months of service instilled in Sam both

US Government, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted in June to advance the cause of canonization for 1st Lt. Father Joseph Verbis Lafleur — a World War II military chaplain, prisoner of war and Knight of Columbus whose bravery in the Pacific Theater of the war saved lives and brought many souls to Christ.

READ MORE on CatholicKey.org

a veteran’s pride and a distaste for war. He returned to Kansas City, and in due course married and became a father. With strengthening faith, Sam was drawn toward full communion in the Catholic Church.

Eventually, he, his wife and daughter went through RCIA as a family. In 1998, he decided he wanted to serve his parish and the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph as an ordained deacon, a ministry that had just been restored after a 14-year interruption. His wife agreed and so, after completing formation, Sam Adams was ordained to the permanent diaconate on June 9, 2001, by then-Bishop Raymond J. Boland. Deacon Sam served Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Raytown for years.

In 2003, a former Our Lady of Lourdes’ parishioner, Naval Reserve Captain Kristofer Turnbow, then the Police Chief of Raymore, Mo., was deployed to Iraq to work with Iraqi police in central Baghdad’s Green Zone to improve investigative procedures and forensics. Deacon Sam offered him the rosary with prayers for his safe return. Turnbow, now Mayor of Raymore, returned the rosary when he came home. He said the rosary’s presence in his pocket helped him keep his spiritual equilibrium in danger-filled circumstances.

“I’d pat my pocket and know the Good Lord would take care of me.” Mayor Turnbow said. “It gave me comfort and provided me an invisible armor.”

Another former Our Lady of Lourdes’ parishioner, 2nd Lt. Jacob Weber, a West Point graduate, was deployed twice to Afghanistan. Again, Deacon Sam offered the rosary as an aid and safeguard. And again, both deployments concluded, the rosary brought Weber home safely and he returned it to Deacon Sam. Along with serving his parish, Deacon Sam was active in prison ministry. One of his ministry teammates, the mother of a Marine deployed several years ago to Somalia to fight the pirates, asked if her son could borrow the rosary. Of course, the answer was “yes.”’ He too brought the rosary back safely to its owner.

Deacon Sam has served St. John Francis Regis Parish since 2010. Now widowed, he said he continues to pray the rosary on those worn wooden beads and it brings him comfort and peace.

Has the Blessed Virgin Mary been at work? Deacon Sam has owned and treasured the wooden rosary for 55 years. Over those years, it has left its mark on him and three other service members: a legacy of solace, comfort, a sense of safety — “an invisible armor” indeed.

“I remember how much comfort I got praying the rosary on those beads … a sense of peace.

It gave me solace from the mental anguish of being in that place.”

— Deacon Sam Adams

25

using our re s o u r ce s w i se ly

More Than

NUMBERS Story by Bridget Locke

K

een understanding of accounting principles?

Check. Efficient management skills?

Absolutely. Emotional intelligence? No

doubt! Everything you would expect to be true of Angela Laville, CPA, MBA, the newly appointed Finance Officer for the Diocese of Kansas CitySt. Joseph, is true. However, she is also a strong woman of faith who loves her family and seeks God’s direction in every decision.

Laville is so much more than a “numbers person.”

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Expanding horizons

“I was always strong in math and finance,” said Laville. “In college, I considered various options, but after speaking with accountants, found that the field would allow me to assist others in professional and personal environments. Becoming an accountant allowed me to work in my strength while helping others to be successful.”

As her career progressed, supervisors suggested Laville explore other disciplines to become a well-rounded leader. Expanding her horizons allowed her to lead a variety of functions, including finance, human resources, information technology, risk, marketing, and more.

“As a result, I can see the big picture and offer guidance from financial and operational perspectives,” she said.

Laville has remained open to exploring new experiences in her personal life, as well, while yielding to God’s perfect timing. She waited intently to find the right person with whom to share her life, marrying in 2016 at age 51.

In 2015, Laville and her husband Gordon were set up by a mutual church friend and realized quickly that they were compatible in the most meaningful way: their faith.

Being married to someone who continually grows in his faith and shares it with

On June 15, 2021, Dave Malanowski, a St. Therese (North) parishioner and recently retired Finance Officer for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (For the Church and Pontiff) Cross for 30 years of distinguished service to the Church in a solemn prayer service presided by Bishop James V. Johnston, Jr. “We believe this is the first time anyone from our diocese has received this special honor from the Holy Father,” said Bishop Johnston. “It’s a source of pride and joy — not only for Dave’s family, but for our diocesan family. His service has been marked by integrity, competence, a Christian demeanor and a love for the Church and her mission.”

Founded by Pope Leo XIII in 1888, the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross is presented to laypersons and clergy, and is one of the highest papal honors bestowed upon laity.

Dave Malanowski (with his wife, Peg, and Bishop Johnston) accepted the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (For the Church and Pontiff) Cross for 30 years of distinguished service to the Church on June 15, 2021.

Portrait by Megan Marley

Photos by Ashlie Hand

everyone he meets inspires her daily, Laville said. Equally devout and inspiring are her four stepchildren: Sister Mary Teresa, who took perpetual vows with the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Wichita in August; Elie, who serves with National Evangelization Team (NET) Ministries; Nina, a sophomore at Benedictine College; and Betsy, a junior at St. James Academy.

“They dance, sing, play violin, flute, soccer and more. Most importantly, their faith is strong, and they know that their talents come from God. I am so blessed to have joined this family.”

God was asking more Angela Laville, CPA, MBA, is the newly appointed Finance Officer for the Diocese of Kansas CitySt. Joseph and a strong woman of faith who loves her family and seeks God’s direction in every decision.

Years ago, as Laville cared for her very ill mother, she was led by then Father Robert Gregory to study the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) for strength. Verse six, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied,” became her focus in prayer and perspective. It changed her life.

“I began recognizing virtues and gifts that evolved from living out the words of Jesus Christ,” Laville said. “Now, whenever I meditate on these words and live in accordance with these principles, I can follow through on what God asks of me.”

In 2011, Laville responded to God’s calling by transitioning from the large for-profit business sector to small business and nonprofit sectors.

“God was asking more of me,” she said. “He showed me that small businesses and not-for-profits needed strong leadership.”

In 2020, God led her to serve in a greater capacity. After a call from a recruiter, Laville began the process of interviewing for the position of Diocesan Finance Officer and took the helm following the retirement of Dave Malanowski.

Laville feels fortunate to lead such devoted and knowledgeable teammates.

“I am truly blessed with a strong team that knows all the intricacies of the diocese.

As we support the mission of Bishop Johnston and the diocese, we remain focused on using our resources wisely, supporting our schools, and spreading the faith.”

27

Saboreando

L A VER DA D E RA

San Pablo el apóstol.

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Catholic Key • Fall 2021 • catholickey.org

Getty Images/Jorisvo

LIBERTAD

e n ca m i n o

“Cristo nos liberó para ser libres.

Manténganse, pues, firmes y no se sometan de nuevo al yugo de la esclavitud.

— Gálatas 5, 1

D

D e l O b i s po El obispo James V. Johnston, Jr. es el séptimo obispo de la Diócesis de Kansas City-St. Joseph

URANTE EL VERANO tuve la oportunidad de volver y visitar a mi familia en el este de Tennessee. Unos días antes de regresar a casa,

una vieja amiga de nuestra familia llamada Kathy murió inesperadamente, y su familia me preguntó si podía retrasar mi partida de regreso a Kansas

City para tener su funeral. Estaba feliz de hacerlo, ya que había sido su director espiritual durante varios años como sacerdote, y ella me había amado y apoyado y orado fielmente por mí a lo largo de los años.

Kathy era inusual porque vivía con una libertad extraordinaria.

Normalmente usamos esa palabra para describir nuestras libertades personales y cívicas, como conmemoramos, por ejemplo, el Día de los Veteranos a finales de este otoño. Pero a menudo no reflexionamos sobre la libertad única que Cristo nos ofrece como sus discípulos.

Los santos encarnan tal libertad.

Siempre me ha impresionado esa cualidad en san Pablo. Surge como un tema principal en sus epístolas a las iglesias a las que ministraba. En su carta a los Gálatas, por ejemplo, dice que cuando entramos en una nueva vida en Cristo por la fe y el bautismo, nos convertimos en una “nueva creación”.

Todo cambia: “… y ahora no vivo yo, es Cristo quien vive en mí. Lo que vivo en mi carne, lo vivo con la fe: ahí tengo al Hijo de Dios que me amó y se entregó por mí”. (Gálatas 2, 20). Más adelante en esta misma epístola, agrega: “Cristo nos liberó para ser libres”. (Gálatas 5, 1). En otras palabras, nacimos esclavos, pero en Cristo, hemos sido liberados para

vivir para Dios, para amar y servir, y pertenecer a su reino.

También podemos observar esta libertad en las vidas de otros santos a través de los siglos. Una de mis citas favoritas es de Santa Juana de Arco, la joven heroína y patrona de Francia, quien antes de enfrentar un gran peligro habló: “No tengo miedo. Dios está conmigo, fui hecha para esto”. Vivía con una libertad radical porque era una discípula. También atestiguan los muchos mártires que se acercaron a la muerte con una libertad que es de más allá de este mundo.

Antes de su misa fúnebre, me llamó la atención algo que una de las hijas de Kathy dijo sobre su madre que era muy perspicaz. Dijo que su madre vivió con una “libertad que sólo viene de una relación profunda y de confianza con Jesús y la paz que sólo él puede dar ... una libertad del miedo, la libertad de la preocupación, la libertad para servir a Dios y la construcción de su reino y por aquellos que ella recibió para que fueran amados”. Estas palabras describen a un discípulo de Jesucristo.

Los discípulos son libres. Los discípulos no son inmunes a los sufrimientos, problemas, angustias y lesiones que conlleva vivir en este mundo. De hecho, a menudo experimentan más de estos que la mayoría. Pero se acercan a la cruz de una manera nueva debido a lo que Jesús ha hecho y porque le han entregado todo a él. Incluso ven sus debilidades y pecados en una nueva luz, como el punto de la victoria de Cristo en ellos y para ellos.

Mi deseo es que yo y todos nosotros podamos vivir con una libertad similar.

No es algo que ganamos, sino algo que aceptamos. Es ofrecido gratuitamente por Cristo, pero debemos rendirnos a él para recibirlo. En cierto modo está en contra de nuestra naturaleza caída, que busca estar en control. Podemos ser como un paciente enfermo que insiste en decirle al médico cómo debe tratarnos. Tendemos a pedirle a Dios que nos ayude, cuando deberíamos pedirle que nos muestre cómo podemos ayudarle ante los problemas. A menudo preferimos preocuparnos, pensando que eso nos ayudará, cuando nuestro camino más seguro es rendirnos a Dios, que nos tiene a nosotros y al universo en la palma de su mano.

Sigamos creciendo y madurando como discípulos del Señor Jesús. Los discípulos son libres … de vivir para Dios, de amar y servir, y de pertenecer a su Reino.

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Orando el rosario

Salvaguardia y consuelo: el legado de un rosario militar Por Marty Denzer Fotos por Megan Marley

E

l diácono Sam Adams abrió reverentemente la pequeña bolsa, permitiendo que el desgastado rosario de madera

cayera suavemente en su palma. Originalmente pintadas de negro, las cuentas tienen ahora un gris suave, intercaladas con algunas perlas de repuesto de color negro brillante. Se ve bien usado y bien amado.

Un capellán militar le dio el Rosario el 28 de agosto de 1966, después de su primera batalla de la Guerra de Vietnam. Lo mantuvo cerca durante dos periodos de servicio en Vietnam, lo acompañó a lo largo de su vida como esposo, padre, abuelo y más tarde como diácono ordenado.

Se lo prestó a otros tres miembros de las fuerzas armadas en combate: un oficial de la Marina, un oficial del Ejército y un infante de marina.

Los hombres y el rosario volvían sanos y salvos a casa cada vez y cada hombre devolvía personalmente el rosario al diácono Sam. Sam Adams tenía solo 17 años en 1966 cuando se alistó en el Cuerpo de Marines (infantería de marina) de los Estados Unidos después de su graduación de la escuela secundaria. Después del campamento de entrenamiento en San Diego, California, se trasladó al campamento base de los Marines en San Mateo, California para recibir entrenamiento de artillería. Sam fue asignado al Tercer Batallón, 12º Regimiento de Infantería de Marina, compuesto por 83 soldados para proporcionar apoyo de artillería y comunicaciones a la 3ª División de Marines, y oficiales.

Ese mes de agosto, el regimiento voló a Vietnam del Sur, primero a Da Nang, luego a la provincia de Quang Tri cerca de la Zona Desmilitarizada, encontrándose casi inmediatamente en medio de feroces combates.

La Operación Hastings había hecho retroceder con éxito al ejército norvietnamita a través de la Zona Desmilitarizada, pero las repetidas incursiones del ejército norvietnamita intentaron alejar a los militares

30

Catholic Key • Fall 2021 • catholickey.org

estadounidenses y survietnamitas de las zonas pobladas.

La Operación Hastings concluyó y días después se puso en marcha la Operación Prairie; el regimiento de Sam estaba en medio de todo.

Alrededor de las 3:30 a.m. del 26 de agosto de 1966, Sam y sus compañeros Marines miraron fijamente a través de un campo de hierba hasta una línea de árboles en las afueras de la ciudad de Cam Lo. De repente, una bengala roja disparó al cielo y una fuerza superior de norvietnamitas atacó agresivamente. El diácono Sam todavía recuerda su miedo.

La noche estaba iluminada por el gran volumen de fuego de ambos lados. La descripción que hace el diácono Sam de los grandes cañones suena escalofriantemente alucinante para los no iniciados.

El tiroteo duró hasta el amanecer. A la luz del amanecer, los estadounidenses contaron 78 bajas del ejército norvietnamita, 6 estadounidenses muertos en acción y 12 heridos. Sam sintió una oleada tanto de alivio (por haber sobrevivido) como de conmoción por la crueldad que había presenciado.

Dos días después, un capitán de la Marina, que también era un sacerdote/capellán católico, fue trasladado a la zona. Dijo Misa, luego se movió entre los marines distribuyendo rosarios y medallas con imágenes de San Cristóbal, el Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, San José y la Medalla Milagrosa de María. Incluso los no católicos aceptaron los rosarios con gratitud, recordó el diácono Sam, llevándolos “como un collar”.

Sam regresó al Campamento Pendleton al final de su período de servicio. Fue redesplegado, con el rosario en el bolsillo, a Vietnam del Sur durante la Ofensiva del Tet de 1968. La gira fue dura, dijo, pero no tan dura como su primera gira.

Aunque cuando era niño, su formación religiosa había sido católica sazonada con bautista del sur (recordaba describirse a sí mismo como “bautista-del-sur-católico”) sabía cómo rezar el Rosario y a menudo lo hacía.

“Recuerdo cuánto consuelo recibí al rezar el rosario en esas cuentas ... una sensación de paz. Me dio consuelo de la angustia mental de estar en ese lugar”, dijo el diácono Sam. Sus 19 meses de servicio inculcaron en Sam tanto el orgullo de un

Recuerdo cuánto consuelo recibí al rezar el rosario en esas cuentas ... una sensación de paz. Me dio consuelo de la angustia mental de estar en ese lugar.

— El Diácono Sam Adams

veterano como el desagrado por la guerra. Regresó a Kansas City, y en su momento se casó y se convirtió en padre. Con una fe fortalecida, Sam se sintió atraído hacia la plena comunión en la Iglesia Católica.

Finalmente, él, su mujer y su hija pasaron por el RCIA en familia. En 1998, decidió que quería servir a su parroquia y a la Diócesis de Kansas City-St. Joseph como diácono ordenado, un ministerio que acababa de ser restaurado después de una interrupción de 14 años. Su esposa estuvo de acuerdo y así, después de completar la formación, Sam Adams fue ordenado al diaconado permanente el 9 de junio de 2001, por el entonces obispo Raymond J. Boland. El diácono Sam sirvió a la parroquia Nuestra Señora de Lourdes en Raytown durante años.

En 2003, un ex feligrés de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes, el capitán Kristofer Turnbow de la Reserva Naval, entonces jefe de Policía de Raymore, Misuri, fue enviado a Irak para trabajar con la policía iraquí en el área central de la Zona Verde de Bagdad para mejorar los procedimientos de investigación y los análisis forenses.

El diácono Sam le ofreció el rosario con oraciones por su regreso sano y salvo. Turnbow, ahora alcalde de Raymore, devolvió el rosario cuando regresó a casa. Dijo que la presencia del rosario en su bolsillo le ayudó a mantener su equilibrio espiritual en circunstancias llenas de peligro.

“Me acariciaba el bolsillo y sabría que el Buen Dios se encargaba de

mí”. Dijo el alcalde Turnbow. “Me dio consuelo y me proporcionó una armadura invisible”.

Otro ex feligrés de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes, el subteniente Jacob Weber, graduado de West Point, fue enviado dos veces a Afganistán. Una vez más, el diácono Sam ofreció el Rosario como ayuda y salvaguardia.

Y de nuevo, ambos despliegues concluyeron, el rosario trajo a Weber a casa a salvo y lo devolvió al diácono Sam. Junto con el servicio a su parroquia, el diácono Sam estuvo activo en el ministerio de la prisión. Una de sus compañeras de equipo, madre de un infante de marina desplegado hace varios años en Somalia para luchar contra los piratas, preguntó si su hijo podía tomar prestado el rosario. Por supuesto, la respuesta fue “sí”. Él también trajo el rosario sano y salvo a su dueño.

El diácono Sam ha servido en la parroquia St. Juan Francisco Regis desde 2010. Ahora viudo, dijo que continúa rezando el Rosario en esas cuentas de madera desgastadas y eso le trae consuelo y paz. ¿Ha actuado la Santísima Virgen María? El diácono Sam ha poseído y atesorado el rosario de madera durante 55 años, y durante esos años, ha dejado su huella en él y en otros tres miembros del servicio; un legado de consuelo, consuelo, una sensación de seguridad, de hecho “una armadura invisible”.

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healing o u r fa mi ly

‘A PERSON OF PEACE

so I can be a person for others’

By Megan Marley

“L

isten and attend with the ear of your heart” starts the Rule of St. Benedict, and it’s the quote that comes to mind when you talk with Jennifer Prusa.

She knows the importance of not just listening but acting on what is heard. This skill set has been a valuable part of her more than 25 years working in program

Jennifer Prusa is Executive Director of Journey to Bethany, an organization she says is an important part of the culture change that Church leadership and laity are working towards in providing healing for those harmed by clergy sexual abuse.

development, team stewardship, project management and communications, but it is ultimately rooted in her faith.

Prusa grew up in Mississippi and attended Loyola University in New Orleans, where she met her husband.

After college, the couple took a leap of faith in choosing a place to live and work, picking Kansas City out of a city review book. They soon connected with their church community in the Waldo neighborhood of Kansas City.

“We literally met our best friends in the aisles at St. Elizabeth,” Prusa said.

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“It’s fantastic how God puts people in your life when you’re open to them.”

She has been an active member of St. Elizabeth’s Community PTA, Parish Council and the Fulfillment Committee of the parish’s capital campaign, as well as of several community-based efforts.

The parish is also where she became involved with Christ Renews His Parish.

“About eight years ago, I encountered Christ Renews His Parish at St. Elizabeth,

Catholic Key • Fall 2021 • catholickey.org

and that awakened me to what my adult prayer life, adult faith life should be like. Around that same time, my husband and I became more purposeful in setting goals. In doing so, I was able to examine the long-term goal for the faith area of my life,” Prusa said. “My goal is to be a person of peace so I can be a person for others.”

What does it mean to be a person of peace to be a person for others?

Photo courtesy Jennifer Prusa

“Soon it comes time to take who you are and serve others.”

Jure Gasparic

“I’m always a work in progress, but I began with prayer and reflection in working through recent challenges.

You can only focus on yourself for so long, though,” she laughed. “Soon it comes time to take who you are and serve others.”

When she heard of the need for an executive director for Journey to Bethany, a new effort to address wounds and provide resources for those in the diocese who have been harmed by clergy sexual abuse, she spent time discerning whether this was the opportunity to serve that she felt called to.

“I see Journey to Bethany as part of the culture change that Church leadership and laity are working towards.

It’s been 20 years since the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People was adopted and approved, and Journey to Bethany is a natural next step to do all we can to facilitate healing of individuals and our diocese,” she said.

Prusa spent her first weeks on the job meeting with key players in the formation of Journey to Bethany, understanding the history of the Catholic Church’s response to the clergy abuse crisis, identifying themes for Journey to Bethany’s offerings and looking at proven models of success in other community-based programs focused on healing. Next steps include gathering the resources needed to begin programming, establishing Journey to Bethany as a separate nonprofit organization, recruiting a board of directors and creating an operational structure.

Prusa plans to apply the community-building approach she experienced at her most recent employer, Wellington, an Augeo Company. In this approach, people are invited into a community and then allowed to create possibilities.

“One of our ongoing challenges will be making sure we’re authentically helping individuals and authentically progressing towards facilitation of healing the diocese as a whole. It’s crucial to create a program from which everyone in our Catholic community can benefit and to which everyone can contribute.”

WHAT IS

Journey to Bethany?

BEGINNING OF OUR JOURNEY

In the wake of the clergy sexual abuse crisis, “Healing our Family” was elevated as a key priority identified in our 2019 diocesan pastoral plan, the Mutually Shared Vision. With support from Bishop Johnston, a committee of lay faithful and clergy established Journey to Bethany, an initiative to address wounds and provide resources for those in our diocese who have been harmed by clergy sexual abuse.

LISTENING TO YOU As a first step, we solicited feedback from our diocesan community, with more than 1,400 parishioners and clergy across the diocese sharing their perspective via an anonymous independent survey. The findings from this survey provided critical insight to inform next steps for continuing the healing process. While most survey respondents were satisfied with parish life, they also want to better understand our diocesan leadership’s vision for our community. The findings demonstrate the tremendous amount of hurt, anger and pain that has resulted from the clergy sexual abuse issue, with many impacted. The results show that this community is clearly calling for Church accountability, transparency and a commitment to change.

WE BELIEVE Journey to Bethany will be an important part of our ongoing healing and we are deeply committed to following through on the promise we made to support the healing journeys of those in our diocesan family.

OUR PATH FORWARD Now with a clearer understanding of our diocesan community’s needs, Journey to Bethany will seek to provide resources and programming to support our diocese’s healing and bolster our Church’s path forward. Initial plans for services include counseling, counseling referrals, support groups, prayer groups, speakers and workshops.

Visit: www.journeytobethany.org

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Ten words and

Getty Images/allanswart

P l ay i n g w i th a f u l l d e ck

Word:

A map of the Ten Commandments to help you remember

A

nother name for the Ten Commandments is Decalogue, from the Greek for “10 words.” The coming of Jesus the

Word did not abolish, but fulfilled the “10 words”; his two Great Commandments summarize and broaden the 10 … and he told us to follow them.

The Decalogue’s strange, fixed ordering of commandments One through Ten can seem an obstacle to interpreting or remembering them, but it is really a map for understanding and memorizing if you think of it visually.

Written by God on two stone tablets, the Ten Commandments have two divisions. The first tablet is how we relate to God, and the second is how we relate to each other. The Great Commandments of Jesus correspond to, summarize and expand upon these two tablets. And with both tablets and the Great Commandments, the second flows from the first.

Breaking the Decalogue down even further, we can group them with the numbers “3-1-3”: three commands for God, one for his natural representatives and three pairs.

First tablet

Je nn ife rB orton

By Teresa Koch

/ es ag Im Getty

God our Creator is the foundation of reality; get that wrong and we fail in all that follows — so how we relate to God comes first and anchors the first tablet. Only God is God, authority for the Decalogue and one to whom we owe worship as a matter of justice. Violation of any commandment violates the First by putting something above him.

The Second Commandment forbids violence against God in our words; the Third reminds us to put the physical world and the time we have in the light of eternity.

Second tablet First great commandment of Jesus:

Second great commandment of Jesus:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment.”

“And the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself.”

“On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets.”

(Mt 22:35-40; cf., Deut 6:5, Lev 19:18)

First tablet of the decalogue: with god 1. I am the Lord your God. You shall have no false gods before me.

2. Y ou shall not take the name for the Lord your God in vain.

3. R emember to keep holy the Sabbath Day.

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second tablet of the decalogue: with humans 4. H onor your father and mother.

5. You shall not kill.

8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

6. You shall not commit adultery.

9. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.

7. You shall not steal.

10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

Catholic Key • Fall 2021 • catholickey.org

To honor father and mother, God’s natural representatives on earth, is the “first commandment” and anchor of the second tablet. This mirrors the First Commandment on the first tablet. Parenthood is a divine office to give life and blessings to children, and parents will be judged by God for the execution of that office. To understand how God shares his authority with parents, and how we are to honor that authority is to understand how all genuine authority on earth operates.

Then follow three pairs, founding overtly sinful acts in the sins of the heart: Pair Five & Eight: While murder and lying are not exactly interchangeable, murder is an attempt to erase the person just as a lie attempts to destroy the truth. Jesus connects these in John 8:44, calling Satan both a liar and a murderer. This pair reflects the Second Commandment’s admonition to reverently use the holy name of God in accord with that very holiness. Words and truth are, literally, vital.

Pair Six & Nine and Pair Seven & Ten parallel the Third Commandment requirement to order all our goods in the light of eternal life. Covetousness views another’s goods as a loss to oneself: a form of the envy that introduced death to the world. It causes dis-integration of the human person and breaks bonds of kinship and community.

In these pairs, it is easy to see the relationship between the sin of the heart and the actions born of it. And since coveting persons is worse than coveting stuff, the person pair comes first.

The two tablets of the Decalogue are the diastole and systole of the heartbeat of God and man, called to beat together. We love because God loved us first.

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