Chapter 8 :: 2007-2012

Father Ken Riley became pastor of Saint Charles Borromeo in July 2007, the eighth pastor of the parish. This marked the return of the pastorate from the Missionaries of the Precious Blood to the diocese. Father Riley held multiple diocesan positions in addition to his parish responsibilities. With his JCL and CUA degrees, Father Riley served on the diocesan tribunal and was frequently consulted on questions of church law. He also continued to serve as an ad hoc consultant and content reviewer for Liturgy Training Publications (LTP). One of his personal interests was support for tissue and organ donation as his father was a recipient of kidney and pancreas transplants. Father Riley was a stem cell donor.

Through this period there were concerns about continued deficits and declining school enrollment. The Northland School Study commissioned by the diocese identified unmet needs for Catholic elementary education in areas where population was growing and provided a feasibility study recommending the building of a new school at 108th and Woodland, the proposed site for the new Holy Family Parish church. This caused concern about the future of Saint Charles School as children from Holy Family Parish attended Saint Charles School. Ultimately, there was no action taken on building a new school and Holy Family proceeded with expansion of their current church facility rather than building a new church.

Early in his pastorate, Father Riley envisioned a parish synod, or gathering, to evaluate existing conditions and concerns and to look to the future for ways to resolve concerns and continue a renewed path of growth. He established a steering committee to prepare for the major event. Under the leadership of Father Riley and co-chairs parishioner Eileen Hutchinson and Pastoral Associate Maureen Poulin, the Synod Preparation Steering Committee worked for 18 months to get ready for the synod which convened in February 2010. Attendees were selected by nomination and invitation and committed to reading the advance packet of materials provided as well as to attending all three sessions –Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday. Six categories of parish life were explored – Faith Formation and Education,

Facilities and Finance, Justice and Social Service, Marriage and Family, Pastoral Care, Prayer, and Worship. A final report was prepared identifying issues and concerns as well as ideas for how to address the concerns. Father Riley was reassigned before he could coordinate implementation of the Synod recommendations. The final report from the Synod is on file in the parish office and was used as preparation and background for the 2022 Synod.

Under Father Riley’s leadership, Saint Charles School established an all-day kindergarten in the fall of 2007. At the urging of parents in 2009, he restarted the School of Religion, which had ended with the implementation of the “Together in Faith” intergenerational faith formation program. A 20’s and 30’s ministry was established for young adults in 2008 and it remained active through Father Riley’s tenure. Father Riley had an interest in communications and in the connection between media and faith. He hosted multiple town halls and brown bag lunch discussions and hired the first Communications Coordinator for the parish staff. The bulletin format changed substantially to full color with lots of pictures of parish events.

Important changes to the liturgy occurred in November of 2011, with the adoption of the revised translation of the Roman Missal. Father Riley worked to prepare parishioners for this change by focusing the 2009/2010 sessions of “Together in Faith” on “Roman Missal Changes – reviewing the parts of the Mass”. He also was sensitive to the needs expressed for quiet prayer time, and in 2008, Father Riley requested parishioners maintain quiet inside the church before and after Mass, holding conversations in gathering areas outside the worship space. With limited space for gathering, especially during cold weather, this was a challenge for many parishioners who were used to greeting their friends in the pews before and after Mass, but after discussion at a town hall meeting, progress was made toward a quieter environment. A new Schimmel piano, donated in honor of Sister Gloria Solomon’s years of service, also enhanced the atmosphere within the church.

The parish was able to do some continued maintenance of parish and school facilities, including roofs, stairs, parking lots, new air conditioning for the Commons area and stained-glass reglazing. In January 2009, the first ‘Souper Bowl’ was established by Saint Charles Girl Scout Troop 1329 to stock the Saint Charles Food Pantry with soup. This tradition continues today under the direction of Team Rebuilt, collecting over 30,000 cans of soup in 2022.

Significant events related to ordained clergy occurred during Father Riley’s tenure. In February 2010, parishioner Joe Whiston was ordained a permanent deacon and was assigned to Saint Charles Borromeo Parish. Two former parishioners were ordained to the priesthood, Matthew Bartulica in 2010 and Benjamin Knieb in 2012. In 2011, the parish mourned the death of former pastor Father William Bauman.

In the spring of 2012, Father Riley was reassigned as Judicial Vicar, Vice-Chancellor for Canonical Affairs, and Moderator of the Curia of the Diocese of Kansas City-Saint Joseph, ending his pastorate at Saint Charles Borromeo.