A NEW VISION
‘Encounter
By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Archbishop Shawn McKnight has big dreams for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.
“A desire I have is that my parishes be recognized centers of charity and sanctuaries of mercy — I would love to see it,” he said.
“It’s the first step of evangelization,” he continued. “We don’t begin with convincing people about all sorts of our dogmas and doctrines. It’s their encounter of mercy.”
Archbishop McKnight hopes people will come to “see their local parish as a place to get help, whether material — the corporal works of mercy — or the spiritual.”
The archbishop shared his vision during the biennial archdiocesan convocation on Oct. 7 at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kansas.
His message for the local church came just two days before Pope Leo XIV released his apostolic exhortation “Dilexi te” (“I Have Loved You”).
Pope Leo’s exhortation focused on walking with the poor, which the archbishop said is more than simply alleviating material suffering.
“It includes that,” he said, “but it’s much more than that, because the spiritual poverty is what touches everyone.
of mercy’ called first step in evangelization
Small groups discuss what they heard at the convocation and prepare feedback. From left are: Patricia Argueta, Holy Cross
land Park; Liz Willman, Church of the Ascension, Overland Park; Theresa Vitt, Immaculate Conception-St. Joseph
Father Quentin Schmitz, pastor of St. Gregory the Great Parish, Marysville; and Sharon Vallejo, Catholic Cemeteries
“And the ability of the church to be responsive to the needs of the poor — however you define that
— is where we should be focused.”
Community of leaders
The theme of the convocation, selected by Archbishop McKnight, was “On Fire with the Holy Spirit: A Synodal and Evangelizing Church.”
More than 350 people attended, including priests, religious, parish staff and organizational leaders from around the archdiocese.
“The convocation brings together a diverse assortment of religious and lay leaders that serve our local church in leading our shared mission of living the joy of the Gospel,” said Emily Lopez, lead consultant for adult evangelization.
It’s typically held every other year.
Deacon Dana Nearmyer, director of evangelization, called it “the best family reunion ever.”
“This is a tidal wave of leaders in this room,” he said.
The day included keynote talks from Archbishop McKnight and Helen Osman, consultant and pastoral communications specialist, who spoke
>> See “AT CORE” on page 10
LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE
A panel — featuring, from left, Father Anthony Saiki, chancellor and promoter of justice; Father Mark Mertes, vicar general and vicar for clergy; Archbishop Shawn McKnight; and Helen Osman, consultant and pastoral communications specialist — was facilitated by Marissa Easter, far right, archdiocesan communications director. The panel members took turns handling questions about the archbishop’s vision that the small group discussions had given rise to.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE
Parish, Over-
Parish, Leavenworth;
Bilingual Mass, Nov. 2, to observe All Souls’ Day and Día de los Muertos
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Persons of all cultures and ethnicities are invited to attend a bilingual Mass in observance of All Souls’ Day and Día de los Muertos (“the Day of the Dead”) on Nov. 2 at 10 a.m. in the mausoleum chapel at Mt. Calvary Cemetery here, located at 38th and State Ave.
Father Peter Jaramillo, SSA, will celebrate the Mass. Catholic Cemeteries of Northeast Kansas encourages those attending to bring photographs of their deceased loved ones, artificial flowers and other items customary to the Día de los Muertos observance (excluding food and beverages) to place on the display table.
The traditional All Souls’ Day observance encourages Catholics
to pray for family members, friends and others who are deceased and for those who may be in purgatory, awaiting transition to eternal life in heaven. Church teaching holds that prayers of the living support this transition.
Beyond praying for the deceased, Día de los Muertos welcomes the departed for an annual visit to celebrate their living memory. Families gather at the gravesites of loved ones for a reunion of sorts. “Ofrendas” (“offerings”) on home altars recall and celebrate the deceased with photographs, candles, their favorite foods and marigold flowers. For more information, send an email to Catholic Cemeteries at: information@cathcemks.org or call (913) 371-4040.
(Act of October 23, 1962; Section 4369, Title 39, United States Code) PS Form 3526
1. Title of Publication: The Leaven
2. Publication Number: 0194-9799
3. Filing Date: Oct. 1, 2025
4. Issue Frequency: Weekly September - May, except Friday the week after Thanksgiving and New Year’s, and Friday after Easter; and 5th Friday of the month; biweekly June - August.
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9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher and Editor and Managing Editor: Publisher: Archbishop Shawn McKnight, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, 66109-3718 12615 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas Editor: Rev. Mark Goldasich, 12615 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, 66109-3718 Managing Editor: Anita McSorley, 12615 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, 66109-3718
Owner: Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
of
ARCHBISHOP MCKNIGHT
Oct. 25
Family vocations event and Mass — Bishop Miege, Roeland Park
Bishop Miege Foundation dinner — Miege
Oct. 26
Confirmation — St. Stanislaus, Rossville
Oct. 29
Catholic Charities members meeting
Catholic Charities annual joint board meeting — Savior
Catholic Charities vespers — Savior main chapel
Catholic Charities reception — Savior
Nov. 1
Deacon retreat — Savior
Gaudeamus Mass — Overland Park Convention Center
Nov. 2
Mass and blessing of new parish hall — Sacred Heart, Baileyville
Nov. 4
CFNEK board meeting — Savior
Confirmation for St. Dominic, Holton, and St. Francis Xavier, Mayetta — St. Dominic
Nov. 5
Keynote speaker: Catholic Social Teaching, through the lens of Integral Ecology — Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth
Appreciation day for safe environment coordinators — St. Joseph, Shawnee
Confirmation for St. Ann, Effingham; St. Louis, Good Intent; and St. Mary, Purcell — St. Ann
Nov. 6
Confirmation — St. Gregory the Great, Marysville
Nov. 7
St. Martin of Tours Mass — Curé of Ars, Leawood
Nov. 8
Depart for bishops’ meeting in Baltimore
Nov. 14
Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate board meeting/retreat — Baltimore
ARCHBISHOP EMERITUS NAUMANN
National Committee for a Human Life Amendment Committee board meeting — Baltimore STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT and CIRCULATION
and
or
Oct. 25
Life Runners finish line blessing
Poor of Jesus Christ 25th jubilee year opening Mass — Christ the King, Kansas City, Kansas.
Oct. 26
Visit to Topeka Juvenile Detention Center with the Community of the Lamb
Oct. 29
Mass for AllBetter Health team — Queen of the Holy Rosary, Overland Park
Oct. 30
Confirmation — St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, Mission Woods
Gaudeamus Mass — Overland Park Convention Center
Nov. 6
Religious Alliance Against Pornography board meeting
Nov. 7
St. Martin of Tours Mass — Curé of Ars, Leawood
Nov. 8
Kansas City Kansas Community College Mass
Depart for bishops’ meeting in Baltimore
Nov. 9
Pro-life Committee meeting — Baltimore
Nov. 11
HANDS-ON AT HOLY CROSS
Where
‘Baby Shark’ takes on a whole new meaning
By Olivia Martin-Davies olivia.martin@theleaven.org
OVERLAND PARK —
At 8:15 a.m. on Oct. 14, Shark Week left the confines of the Discovery Channel and came ashore at Holy Cross school here.
“We are dissecting spiny dogfish sharks, and they’re found in the Atlantic Ocean,” Angela Kopp, Holy Cross’ STREAM director, announced to her class. STREAM is an acronym for science, technology, religion, engineering, art and mathematics.
Shark Week is a longstanding tradition in Kopp’s classroom, spanning over a decade. At $7.50 per shark, Kopp has found their cost-effectiveness and unique appeal make them perfect for the classroom.
Students put on aprons, safety glasses and gloves as Kopp outlined the sustainable origin of the sharks they will dissect, what they will learn each day during Shark Week and the reason for dissecting.
They might get lucky, added Kopp, and find another organism in the shark’s belly — a prospect that drew sighs of awe from some and squeals from others.
“I’m excited for when we get to open up the sharks and look at the different systems inside,” said seventh grader Grayson Kittle.
“[But] it was cool today looking at how the shark worked and [its] different parts,” he added.
Hands-on learning
The magic in Kopp’s classroom goes far beyond Shark Week, and it’s her own desire to keep learning that makes it happen.
While in a previous position at Nativity Parish School in Leawood, Kopp enrolled in the STEM Teachers Fellowship
>> See “TEACHER’S” on page 10
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MOIRA CULLINGS
Angela Kopp, STREAM director at Holy Cross School in Overland Park, gives (from left) Damian Sierra, Will Wichmann and Jim Mentzer pointers on dissecting their shark. Shark Week is a longstanding tradition in Kopp’s classroom, spanning over a decade.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MOIRA CULLINGS
Mitchell Wahlen (left) is a little unsure about his shark. His lab partner Daylan Delfin looks on in amusement.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MOIRA CULLINGS
Principal Ben Compton takes a close look at the spiny dogfish shark of Marshall Carr (left) and Grayson Kittle.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MOIRA CULLINGS
Danna Adame (left) and Kamilah Vargas are ready to start dissecting their shark.
Bilingual prayer service helps unite communities
By Jill Ragar Esfeld Special to The Leaven
SHAWNEE — Eighty candles lined the steps of the altar at Good Shepherd Church here on Sept. 11. They represented 80 encounters with Christ and trust in his love.
It was the culmination of a powerful evening of prayer and witness to the living Christ in the Blessed Sacrament hosted by the archdiocesan office of evangelization.
The bilingual event was presented by the Catholic Christian Organization (CCO) in both Spanish and English.
CCO is an evangelization ministry that supports parishes in their efforts to lead people along the path of discipleship through small group faith studies.
Veronica Olivarez, Good Shepherd director of religious formation, said, “We’re working on building a relationship between both communities.”
Karla Melgar, consultant in the archdiocesan office of evangelization, has organized visits from the Canada-based group in the past.
As Good Shepherd pastor Father Kent O’Connor placed the monstrance on the altar, CCO missionary Antua Handal told the assembly that “it is an honor for all of us to share a beautiful night with you.”
Reflecting on the true presence of the Lord in the Eucharist, she invited the audience to pray and open their hearts to his love.
“This is why it’s called a night of encounter,” she said.
Missionary Emily Masferrer told the congregation how she made the decision to put Jesus at the center of her life after being confronted with her own mortality.
As a young girl she said she tried to practice her faith but “the truth was I was living with one foot in the world and one foot trying to be close to Jesus.”
In 2018, she had an appendicitis attack. The doctors scheduled immediate surgery, which required her to sign paperwork stating that she understood the risks — including the
possibility that she might die.
“In a moment of fear and sorrow and desperation,” she said, “I called out to Jesus, ‘Help me, be here within me, don’t let me die.
“‘If I get through this surgery, my life is yours.’”
Masferrer was relieved when she woke up from surgery, but then she remembered the promise.
“In that moment, I had two choices,” she said. “Honor what I had said or forget it. But I felt the weight of what Jesus had done and I wanted to honor him.
“In the days that followed, my prayer was ‘Jesus, what needs to change?’”
Masferrer learned to trust God and invite him into every part of her life.
“He showed up for me in so many miraculous ways,” she said. “And he still does.”
Missionary Marianna Nandayapa Barrera also talked about opening her heart to Jesus and compared it to letting someone in a messy room.
“My heart was filled with so many lies about my worthiness of being loved,” she said. “You want to clean it up, but you don’t know where to start.
“I didn’t want Jesus to walk into the mess.”
She assured participants that Jesus will never force his way into the room.
“He gives us the free will to choose to invite him into the mess,” she said, “so he can help restore it.
“I let him into my messy room and he transformed me.”
After giving their testimonies, the missionaries invited participants to come to the back of the church to receive a lit candle they could carry up to the altar and place before the living Christ.
They were also encouraged to sign and date prayer cards containing “The Prayer of the Heart” — an invocation about inviting Jesus to be at the center of your life.
“He’s right here waiting for you to be willing to take the risk, to let him into your mess,” said Marianna.
As a guitarist played soft hymns in the background, people lined up with their candles and the church became a beautiful, meditative place, filled with the presence of Christ.
“I know it can be scary to be vulnerable,” she said. “But I want to remind you there is no mess too big for him.
“So, I encourage you to bring your heart to him. Bring your mess, because he wants to meet you there.”
Longtime educator, Sister Celine Kobe, dies at motherhouse
LEAVENWORTH
— Sister Celine Kobe, 104, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth for 85 years, died here on Sept. 12.
Born Catherine Mary on Feb. 15, 1921, in Kansas City, Kansas, to Peter and Mary Kobe, she was one of 12 children, growing up in a blended yet close-knit family.
She grew up in the Strawberry Hill neighborhood, a community of immigrant families rich in heritage and faith. Her Croatian father and Slovenian mother instilled in their children pride in their roots, their Catholic faith and their close church community.
She often spoke of her love for Strawberry Hill and the joy of being surrounded by family and neighbors.
Living near the School Sisters of St. Francis of Christ the King, young Catherine became curious about convent life and would sometimes practice being a Sister, complete with a veil she made herself.
She attended St. John the Baptist Grade School and Bishop Ward High School, graduating in 1940. During her senior year, Mother Leo Frances Ryan learned of her student’s interest in religious life and encouraged her to answer God’s call.
Catherine decided to pursue her vocation with the Sisters of Charity and entered the community on June 24, 1940. She took the name Sister Mary Celine and later chose to simplify her name to Sister Celine.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Saint Mary College, Leavenworth, in 1960. At Our Lady of Guadalupe School in Topeka, Sister Celine began her ministry in education immediately following her first profession of vows. Over the next three decades, she served in schools across Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Montana.
In 1976, Sister Celine transitioned to ministry at the motherhouse in Leavenworth, where she coordinated arts and crafts and served as a clerk and typist.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD
Father Kent O’Connor, pastor of Good Shepherd Parish in Shawnee, prays, as 80 candles line the steps of the altar representing 80 encounters with Christ.
Lend a hand to Catholic Charities and pick your favorite way to help
By John Sorce john.sorce@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas is looking for volunteers. And whether you like to answer phones, sort clothes, load trucks or drive them, have they got a gig for you!
The need is primarily in their Family Support Centers, as well as with their Hy-Vee food drives.
“At our agency, we believe in helping our volunteers be the hands and feet of Jesus, providing opportunities for everybody to join us in our work and encounter Christ in those that are coming to us,” said Camille Pickhinke, director of community engagement for Catholic Charities.
“Our volunteers are a major part of our work force model,” she added, “and that is why we are seeking more volunteers to join us in our work.”
Family Support Center volunteers help with daily operations, such as keeping the pantry clean and the shelves well-stocked. Volunteers also walk guests through the pantry, ensuring that they select the designated amount of food or to help them make healthy choices.
Catholic Charities has Family Support Centers located in Atchison, Leavenworth, Lawrence, Overland Park, Olathe and Wyandotte County. Their main location is within the Hope Distribution Center in Wyandotte County, located at 600 Minnesota Ave.
Food pantries are open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Front desk volunteers will be tasked with answering phone calls, data entry and assisting with checkin. Training will be provided.
Some Family Support Centers also have clothing closets where volunteers help sort donations, organize the closet and assist guests as they get the clothing they need.
The Hy-Vee Food Drive empowers shoppers to actively help address food insecurity within the community. Volunteers help distribute donation slips to customers and collect donations.
Store captains will be responsible for driving a transit van to and from the Overland Park Family Support
Margaret and Manuel Martinez, members of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Topeka, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a 10-day pilgrimage to Italy, including Rome, with the parish. The couple was married on Oct. 18, 1975, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. Their children are: Michael and Manuel Martinez, both of Topeka. They also have five grandchildren.
Columbus council wanted to adopt the store).
Sam and Angie Walker, members of Sacred Heart Parish, Ottawa, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Oct. 25. The couple was married on Oct. 25, 1975, at Sacred Heart. Their children are: Josh Walker, Jaime Birdsall and Jessica Jones. They also have five grandchildren.
AT OUR AGENCY, WE BELIEVE IN HELPING OUR VOLUNTEERS BE THE HANDS AND FEET OF JESUS, PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYBODY TO JOIN US IN OUR WORK AND ENCOUNTER CHRIST IN THOSE THAT ARE COMING TO US.
CAMILLE PICKHINKE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Center located at 9720 W. 87th St. and their respective Hy-Vee location.
Other responsibilities include table setup, loading donations into the transit van at the end of the day and working with other volunteers to collect donations and hand out flyers.
Volunteers must have a clean driving record as they will be driving an agency vehicle.
Catholic Charities is specifically in need of a store captain at the 7620 State Line Road location in Prairie Village. Pickhinke said it is a monthly commitment and can be shared as a group (for example, if a Knights of
Core volunteers help Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas keep funds within programming by performing tasks that would normally be completed by a paid staff member.
And Catholic Charities has a variety of volunteer opportunities for those who can make an intentional weekly, biweekly or monthly commitment.
The process to get started as a core volunteer includes submitting an application, passing a background check and completing or transferring current Virtus training.
A volunteer application can be found online at: catholiccharitiesks. org/volunteer/core-volunteering.
In the fiscal year of 2024-25, 8,624 volunteers helped carry out the mission of Catholic Charities, generously donating 147,000 hours.
“It’s really about being a friendly face and an extension of our mission, which is to provide help, hope and hospitality,” Pickhinke said.
People can also reach the volunteer engagement team via email at: ccnekvolunteers@catholiccharitiesks. org or by calling their main line at (913) 433-2100 and asking for the volunteer engagement team.
More information can be found online at: https://catholiccharitiesks. org/volunteer.
Tom and Dianne (Carlson) Walsh, members of Immaculate Conception Parish, St. Marys, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Oct. 25 with a family dinner. The couple was married on Oct. 31, 1975, at Sacred Heart Church in Farmington, New Mexico. Their children are: Jacob Walsh, Julie Hutley, and Justin Walsh. They also have nine grandchildren.
Darrell and Barbara Rew, members of Sacred Heart Parish, Ottawa, and St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Parish, Mission Woods, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary with a Mass of thanksgiving and family dinner. The couple was married on Oct. 16, 1965, at Assumption Church, Topeka. Their children are: Ingrid, Bryan, Kevin, Monica, Brandon, Jason, Michael, Mark, Mary and James. They also have 26 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES
Catholic Charities volunteer Lynlee Joseph stocks the shelves at the Wyandotte County Family Support Center food pantry. Catholic Charities has Family Support Centers located in Atchison, Leavenworth, Lawrence, Overland Park, Olathe and Wyandotte County and all could use more volunteers.
Dark chapters of history reveal truths we ignore at our expense
By Greg Erlandson OSV News
Why do we want to learn about
the dark times, the ugly times, in our country? It is a relevant question today, as museum displays and park exhibits are being censored for being unduly negative about shameful moments in American history.
The study of history is a path to self-knowledge if we learn not only our accomplishments but also our failings. To celebrate accomplishments is estimable. Yet, to think that we are without flaws is a childish fantasy. Worse, to not understand these flaws is dangerous, for we will be less able to resist such darkness when it arises again.
Timothy Egan has written a remarkable and timely book, “A Fever in the Heartland” (Penguin Books), about one of the darkest chapters of American history. His book chronicles the seemingly inexorable rise of the Ku Klux Klan across the country in the 1920s and the grip
it had on city and state governments, starting in, of all places, Indiana. This is a story of great relevance for Catholics, for we were one of the three groups most targeted by the Klan, along with Blacks and Jews.
The rebirth of the Klan after World War I was a Midwest and Northern phenomenon. While Jim Crow laws reduced the southern Black population to near servitude again, in the north, the racism was combined with a hatred of immigrants (often from Catholic countries) and Jews.
A female Klan member said of immigrants from southern Europe, “They are idiots, insane, diseased criminals,” Egan wrote. “Within a generation or two, she warned, white Protestants would be replaced by an inferior breed. The Jews were behind this plot.”
The Klan sprang up from California to Pennsylvania, but Egan focuses on Indiana and the case of D.C. “Steve” Stephenson. He was the Harold Hill of hate and violence packaged as Christian patriotism.
“I did not sell the Klan
in Indiana on hatreds. I sold it on Americanism,” he said. Egan said Stephenson had a “talent for bundling a set of grievances against immigrants, Jews, Roman Catholics and Blacks.”
As he grew the organization, he grew his own wealth, and soon he had every major politician in Indiana in his grasp. Hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers — men, women and even children (the Ku Klux Kiddies) — were
a big lie was to do it with conviction.”
Stephenson’s own vices brought him down, however. His violent lust ended up in the death of a young woman, Madge Oberholtzer, but her deathbed testimony ultimately convicted him, despite all the political power and bribes the Klan tried to bring to his defense.
enrolled in the Klan.
By mid-1924, Egan wrote, “the blazing cross had become as much a part of life as the soda fountain and the barbershop pole” in American towns, as was the violence and intimidation of those people the Klan deemed inferior.
August 8, 1925, may have been the high point of the Klan’s presence in this country, when 50,000 hooded marchers paraded in Washington while
200,000 onlookers cheered.
As Stephenson’s political power grew, so did his ambitions. He hoped to become president. He already owned the governor in Indiana, as well as many other politicians. Stephenson learned one of the secrets of dictatorial power, Egan said. “If he said something often enough,” Egan noted, “no matter how untrue, people would believe it. Small lies were for the timid. The key to telling
Ultimately, this and other scandals, the violence and the corruption of the “invisible empire” led to the Klan’s collapse. Yet the laws they helped pass to limit immigration and harass racial and religious minorities continued to plague the country for decades. Egan’s assessment of those perilous times: “Democracy was a fragile thing, stable and steady until it was broken and trampled.” It is a lesson we would be wise to learn lest we be doomed to repeat it.
Greg Erlandson is an award-winning Catholic publisher, editor and journalist whose column appears monthly at OSV News. Follow him on X @ GregErlandson.
OSV NEWS PHOTO/CHRISSY KILLIAN VIA THE IRISH CATHOLIC
Father James E. Coyle, third from top right, is pictured with family members in this undated photograph provided by his great-niece. Father Coyle, born in Drum, Ireland, was murdered Aug. 11, 1921, by the Rev. Edwin R. Stephenson, a member of the Ku Klux Klan.
Special-needs ministry mentors similar program in Pennsylvania
By Amy Reinhardt Special to The Leaven
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas often collaborates with its geographic neighbors on various issues, but doesn’t as often connect with a diocese on the other side of the country.
That changed, however, in 2024 when the National Catholic Partnership on Disability rolled out its first Mentorship Initiative. Joshua Ruoff, consultant for the archdiocesan special-needs ministry, volunteered to serve as a mentor to the new initiative in the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The Archdiocese of Kansas City’s special-needs ministry began in 2017. Its years of experience made it a perfect candidate for the program.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity to help another diocese learn and understand the challenges of starting a ministry — and also a great way for us to continue to improve our own,” said Ruoff.
The mentorship is a two-year program composed of monthly virtual meetings, strategic planning and in-person training.
Ruoff’s contact in the Diocese of Allentown is Maggie Riggins, executive director of evangelization and formation. She’s been quite happy with the partnership.
“Josh has been wonderful,” she said. “He has a great sense of humor and has offered wonderful guidance whenever I have a question or idea.”
Ruoff and Riggins were instructed to choose two parishes to represent their respective dioceses on the mentorship journey. Ruoff selected Queen of the Holy Rosary in Overland Park and St. Patrick in Kansas City, Kansas.
The first year of mentorship was mostly teaching and learning. Ruoff shared that NCPD set up a step-by-step
guidebook for the monthly meetings.
“It’s exciting to be a part of something brand-new,” said Riggins. “The variety of what the mentorship entails has been very well done, especially all the courses I’ve taken.”
Riggins especially appreciated the webinars, saying they exhibited a nice combination of theological background, practical insights and implementation processes.
“You’re getting the whole package in one hour,” she said. “I really appreciate getting new tools in my toolbox that I can use to move forward with my diocese’s special-needs ministry.”
Her favorite webinar was one where Josh presented on sensory-friendly eucharistic adoration. He emphasized low lighting, soft music, no incense and
could be future resources for her and her Pennsylvania diocese.
“What I took away from the experience was an overwhelming sense of belonging. How important it is for everyone in our churches,” she said.
Ruoff and Riggins had time during the conference to sit down and talk about their ministries, get to know each other, share ideas and pray together.
As they begin the second year of mentorship, the focus shifts to action items, like establishing best practices, performing parish assessments, and ensuring goals are realistic and attainable.
In Ruoff’s opinion, attitude, awareness and accessibility are vital for the growth and success of any special- needs ministry.
“We need to learn to see these individuals as beloved children of God,” he said. “People with disabilities have so much to teach us about what it means to truly love.”
Practicing empathy is what will make our churches a place of belonging, which is the foundation of this ministry, according to Riggins.
other ways to be mindful of those with sensory challenges.
The mentorship was underway for almost a year before Ruoff and Riggins met face-to-face in Salt Lake City, where they both attended the Pilgrims of Hope: National Catholic Partnership on Disability conference in August.
Hundreds of diocesan and parish leaders from across the country gathered at the Hilton Salt Lake City Center to network, learn best practices, and share recent successes and challenges.
“It was a great community of people from all walks of life, both literally and figuratively,” Ruoff said.
Riggins appreciated how kind and passionate all the participants were. Everyone was quick to offer their names and email addresses, so they
With everything she’s learned so far, Riggins is excited to see a trickle-down effect with her staff and those at Allentown parishes who want to get more involved.
The NCPD Mentorship Initiative came at the right time for the Archdiocese of Kansas City and the Diocese of Allentown, she believes.
“The mentorship was an answer to a need that we knew we had but didn’t necessarily know how to fill. It was a natural fit,” said Riggins.
The partnership will enable both dioceses to continue making a positive, meaningful impact on the special-needs community.
“I’ve never met a person with disabilities who wasn’t happy. They’re always so full of joy, and that’s how we are called to live,” said Ruoff. “That is our mission.”
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Maggie Riggins (right), executive director of evangelization and formation for the Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, met up with Joshua Ruoff, special-needs consultant for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, and Beth Potts, associate director of diocesan relations, at the National Catholic Disability Ministry conference.
MODERN SAINTS
Artist gives saints a modern-day makeover
By Jill Ragar Esfeld jill.esfeld@theleaven.org
TONGANOXIE — What if St. John the Evangelist were alive today?
What would he be like?
How would he dress?
What music would he listen to? Where would you find him?
After all, St. John was a radical youth, a son of thunder, the only man who stayed at the foot of the cross when all others fled in fear.
What shape would he take as a bold, passionate youth today?
These are the questions artist Gracie Morbitzer asks herself as she goes beyond contemplation and immerses herself in the lives of the saints.
The answers are rendered in the icons she paints, each of which depicts a saint as a young person navigating the complex issues of today’s world.
And she hopes her art moves viewers beyond the icon to an understanding that saints walk among us every day.
Morbitzer’s website, displaying her modern icons, describes them as “the saints painted with character, correct age, ethnicity, modern style to show just how human they were — just like us.”
She has recently published a book called “The Modern Saints” featuring her iconography with short bios of the saints and longer commentaries written by a variety of authors.
Father Mark hurts his finger
If Father Mark Goldasich had not sliced open his finger on the frame of his front door, believes Jennifer Eastes, Morbitzer’s artwork might still be unknown to her.
But forced to sit in a hand surgeon’s waiting room prior to an examination, Father Mark picked up his U.S. Catholic magazine and just happened to turn to an article about Morbitzer.
Intrigued, he showed it to Eastes, the codirector of religious education at Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie.
“I think this is something our kids would like,” he said. Eastes agreed.
“I was like, ‘Oh the teenagers will be able to relate to these images,’” she said. “Anything that gets people more interested in the saints is going to help them grow closer to Jesus.”
Eastes, though not a teenager, related to the images, too.
“I really like Martha’s picture, and Joan of Arc with her blue hair,” she said. “I like reading [Morbitzer’s] descriptions and how she stays true to the saints’ stories and their personalities.”
Sacred Heart promptly ordered prints to hang in the classrooms — and reached out to Morbitzer for a speaking engagement. (See sidebar.)
Too creative
Morbitzer was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, where she has her home and art studio today.
As the member of a “really big German immigrant Catholic family,” she developed a passion for the saints when she was a young girl.
That’s also when she fell in love with art.
“But I didn’t do super well in my art classes,” she confessed. “I got in trouble for trying to be maybe too creative — beyond what the assignment was.”
Morbitzer went through Catholic elementary and high school and had her first experience living in a secular setting when she attended Columbus College of Art.
“I was a little bit overwhelmed by the transition,” she said. “It was a different environment than I was used to.”
While decorating her dorm room, Morbitzer wanted some kind of religious art to connect her to her faith.
“But just being in a very artsy building,” she said, “there was no way that some of the traditional religious art would fit into
PHOTOS COURTESY OF GRACIE MORBITZER, WWW.THEMODERNSAINTS.COM
that space. Also, that was never something I connected with.
“And so, I was hoping to create something new for me personally.”
On a college student budget, Morbitzer headed to a local yard sale where she found pieces of wood for free.
“They reminded me of what traditional icons had been painted on,” she said. “And so, I decided that would be the piece I would create for my space.”
She started with Jesus, then Mary — painting each in the image of the young college students surrounding her.
It was an innovative approach that caught the interest of her peers.
Morbitzer posted the images on her social media and was surprised at the response.
“All my Catholic school friends commented pretty quickly, asking for renditions of their own favorite patron saints in that sort of style,” she said. “They saw something really powerful in it as well.”
Saints on the side
That began what Morbitzer called a “side project” — painting “modern” saints and displaying them at art fairs hosted by her college.
She was gratified to find a following of
Just in time for All Saints’ Day
Modern Saints Presentation
Sacred Heart Church
1100 West St, Tonganoxie
Nov. 1 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
• Wine and cheese event for adults only
• Child care will be provided by the Sacred Heart Youth Group
Nov. 2 from noon to 1:30 p.m.
• Family event with a light lunch
• Books, prints and prayer cards will be available for purchase.
For more information, send an email to: sacredheartoftongie@gmail.com.
people who related to her art — many who had abandoned religion because of some hurtful or isolating experience in their past.
“I realized they could openly have questions when it came to these images because they weren’t trying to push anything,” she said. “It was just a way into dialogue.
“And I thought that was a very cool experience.”
From her research, Morbitzer knew
COURTESY PHOTO
Artist Gracie Morbitzer paints icons of saints that depict them as young people navigating the complex issues of today’s world. She will speak about her Modern Saints project on Nov. 1 and 2 at Sacred Heart Church in Tonganoxie.
“The Modern Saints: Portraits and Reflections on the Saints,” by Gracie Morbitzer, is available at Trinity House in Overland Park, Amazon and other online bookstores, and at her Sacred Heart presentations.
Artist’s statement — “I wanted her eyes to convey the otherworldly things St. Bernadette had seen. I also wanted her expression to be one of confidence in herself despite pressure.”
Artist’s statement — “Patrick wears simple clothing to accommodate his long, perilous journeys and consistent traveling. He wears a shamrock to symbolize the Trinity, and wears the green of the country he came to love and call home.”
Artist’s statement — — and I wanted his about to happen. I everyday, casual wear
Artist’s statement — “Michael, as warrior and protector, is most often given a tough, large, soldierly look. We forget that he wasn’t God’s security guard, but rather an angel just like all the others who did what he knew he must when the occasion arose.”
statement — “Above all, I wanted Mother Teresa’s expression in this icon to be one of kindness.
is disheartened by the conditions of those who are suffering, but still has courage, hope and love.”
the saints had dealt with difficulties, corruption in the name of religion and even excommunication.
“I really think they show there can be a path forward holding on to the faith,” she said. “I love the traditions and rituals of the church.
“I think it can be so healing.”
Morbitzer began to paint more and more icons — some by commission and many just from her own interest in a particular saint.
After graduating with a degree in interior architecture and design, she worked one year in her field and then decided to devote herself full time to the modern saints project.
When she decided to publish a book and reached out to different writers to compose a commentary for each saint, she was surprised at the response.
“I still can’t believe how many of them agreed to do this project with me,” she said. “It was fabulous; it really was.”
Today, she has her book, an online store of prints and holy cards, and a studio in the Franklinton Arts District open to the public during the district’s monthly art and culture event.
“When we have our open studios,” she said, “people come in who have never seen my work and tell me it’s the favorite thing
they’ve seen that night, or it’s very moving to them and they weren’t expecting that.
“Because they found it so organically and were able to be unexpectedly inspired, that just means everything.”
Captivated by the saints
When Morbitzer paints an icon, she begins by immersing herself in the life of that saint; she looks at photographs if they’re available and draws from many resources to write a full biography.
“Even if I thought I knew their story before,” she said, “there is always something that surprises me — something that strikes me as so modern and progressive even if they lived a thousand years ago.”
As a backdrop to her work, she creates a playlist of music the saint might listen to today.
“That might be based on what country they lived in or what they were interested in,” she said. “I also pick an outfit, or a lunch, or a candle I can burn while I’m working.
“So, I really set myself in this space to concentrate on this person.”
Though she’s no longer on a college student’s budget, Morbitzer still repurposes wood for her projects. That’s a nod to St. Genevieve, her confirmation saint and the
third icon she created.
“I decided to create her piece on a wooden souvenir plate I found at a thrift store,” she explained. “And that decision inspired using repurposed wood for all the pieces — just to stick with that theme of transforming something into a new life that becomes revered.
“Sort of like the saints themselves.”
Acrylic is her medium, and one of her favorite aspects of creation is finding innovative ways to include the symbols that have become associated with each saint over the centuries into her modern icons.
“I really love being able to figure out how to translate the symbols into jewelry or the fabric patterns they’re wearing,” said Morbitzer.
“It’s always a challenge,” she added.
A different story
Not everyone is on board with Morbitzer’s contemporary approach. Her social media account has been ambushed by more than one internet troll — and sometimes just by people highly critical of her approach to the saints.
She handles the criticisms by focusing on the positive.
“Those that find good in what I’m doing have been so vocal,” she said. “And that is
priceless to me.
“I know the good that it’s doing outweighs the negative attacks.”
Opinions do change. When Morbitzer first started her Modern Saints project, she reached out to her former Catholic schools asking if she could advertise her art at fairs or send prints of particular patron saints.
They weren’t open to the idea.
“Now that my project has become better known and popular in Columbus,” she said, “those Catholic schools have been more open to having those pieces and asking for donations for their fundraisers.
“It’s a much different story.”
In the future, Morbitzer hopes to produce another book of saints and is currently working on a deck of saint prayer cards to be used on home altars or for daily meditations.
“I really just hope to make available patrons that someone can turn to for pretty much every cause, everything that you might live through,” she said. “Knowing we’re not alone, and someone has done it before.”
“I know this is what I’m called to do because I’m inspired by it every day,” she continued. “I never get tired of this project.
“There is always something new to learn.”
— “Juan Diego had quite a lot to process at once his face to show that. He had no idea what was wanted the clothing to be as representative of wear as possible.”
Artist’s statement — “The colors and flag of El Salvador, as well as the national bird (the torogoz), are featured prominently in this icon of Oscar Romero. Romero looks to this bird, a symbol of the country he loves and wants to save, with a wary but tender expression.”
Artist’s statement — “Joan [of Arc’s] tattoo is her traditional symbol, and the placement of it comes from the spot in which she was wounded in battle. Her hair is cut short, but the color makes sure there is no disguising who she really is.”
Artist’s
She
Teacher’s enthusiasm is contagious, says student
>> Continued from page 3
program through the University of Notre Dame.
A two-and-a-half-year commitment, Kopp spent a total of five weeks on the Notre Dame campus across three summers and participated in lesson-planning tasks and instructional coaching in between. The program emphasizes hands-on, collaborative learning and real-world application.
“During that time, we were transforming how we taught science and how we incorporated high-quality STREAM projects into our classes,” she said. “It was two years of constant improvement that got you excited about teaching again.”
When she started at Holy Cross two years ago, the school’s STREAM program was just beginning, and one of Kopp’s main goals was to make it as robust as possible.
“The programming should not depend on if I’m here or not,” she said.
However, the excitement Kopp brings to her lessons is unique — and contagious.
“I like the activities we do,” said eighth grader Hunter Dixon. “We build a lot of stuff in our class — cool stuff, like seeing how air interacts with objects. We’re learning about Tufts testing and aerodynamics.”
Kopp’s students particularly value that she takes time to answer their questions.
“If we don’t understand how things work, doing the activities helps you see and understand,” said eighth grader Diana Velazquez. “Ms. Kopp explains things really well and you can always ask if you don’t understand.”
Dixon agreed. “You don’t feel like you’re going to be embarrassed if you ask her something.”
Dominic Calixto Morales, eighth grade, added that Kopp takes all kinds of questions seriously: “She even answers
when we ask how dreams work and what they mean!”
A culture of learning
Kopp’s hands-on teaching method has spread outside her classroom, influencing fellow teachers.
“My kids are beyond excited to go into the lab because that means they are truly getting into it,” said Maria Parn, a third grade teacher at Holy Cross. “[Kopp] has inspired me to take chances on topics and has helped me to develop a sense of creativity. . . . She pushes me to think outside of the box!”
Kopp’s impact is no less visible to the parents at Holy Cross.
From evenings spent building catapults and launching marshmallows with parents to inviting professionals like farmers, conservationists and neurologists to speak to her classes, Kopp goes
above and beyond to give kids — and their families — a taste of the possibilities.
“My children have a love for learning because of Ms. Kopp,” said Katie Erwin, mother of two Holy Cross students and another at Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park.
Erwin added that while she only has sons, she appreciates Kopp’s efforts to encourage her female students in the traditionally male-dominated STREAM field.
“As someone who grew up not great at science,” she said, “I can’t help but wonder if my learning experience would have been different with a teacher like Ms. Kopp.”
Care for creation
An ecologist by training, Kopp has a soft spot for biology and the environment — and some of her favorite teaching moments are when she can show
students the connection between science and Catholicism.
“I’m such a big proponent of faith and reason,” she said. “We’re constantly looking for what’s the truth and trying to find answers with data, analysis, observation. We call that truth with a small ‘t.’ What it leads [us] to is finding that truth with the big ‘T.’
Pope Francis’s first encyclical “Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home” is one of Kopp’s sources of classroom inspiration.
“It’s important as humans that we are stewards, which means we care for creation,” she said.
For example, Kopp and her students are building a culture of stewardship through a schoolwide, grant-funded lunchroom composting program.
Students are seeing firsthand that they can put the things they are learning into practice, she said, and “it’s teaching the kids to be stewards of the environment.”
The eighth grade class dives deeper by conducting a study on how much methane gas various types of food emit as they decompose in a landfill-simulated environment. Methane gas is one of the leading gases that contributes to climate change.
“We look at things like: How does climate change impact our most vulnerable populations? What is happening to their homes from flooding, drought and other types of weather?” said Kopp. “What we study ties directly to those things.”
While Kopp brings an abundance of faith, knowledge, a desire for learning and continual betterment, her joy is perhaps the most compelling lesson she shares.
“I like how Ms. Kopp is always a happy person,” said Kittle. “And I like how she is a great teacher — one of the best.
“I am glad to have her.”
At core of his vision is a heart for listening, says archbishop
>> Continued from page 1
on “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission.”
She explained synodality as “the path along which the people of God walk together.”
“Listening is seen as an openness to being welcoming,” said Osman. “We’re beginning to realize that just because we say we’re welcoming or we’re willing to listen to people, that doesn’t really mean we’re doing it.”
Osman expressed how important listening is to Archbishop McKnight, and the convocation put that idea into practice as attendees participated in small group discussions.
A QR code on their name badges also permitted participants to share feedback on the keynote talks and submit questions to a panel for questions and answers.
Facilitated by archdiocesan communications director Marissa Easter, the panel featured Archbishop McKnight; Father Mark Mertes, vicar general and vicar for clergy and pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Kansas City, Kansas; Father Anthony Saiki, chancellor and promoter of justice and rector of the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Kansas City, Kansas; and Osman.
Attendees were curious about how synodality can work in a way that unites rather than divides; how parish
leadership can foster a culture where all voices are heard; and what parish staff or volunteers can do to foster unity and live out synodality in everyday parish life.
“There are practical things that a parish does all the time that deeply affect the people who are there and the people that we’re trying to serve,” said Osman.
She believes a broader consultation on decisions like Mass times, for example, rather than a mandate from the pastor, is a good first step.
“That’s not changing anything big,” she said. “But it’s changing something huge in how you’re saying we are welcoming people.”
Heart for listening
At the core of the archbishop’s vision is a heart for listening and a desire for co-responsibility among all Catholics.
He described the ideal relationship between clergy and laity as a partnership, where authority is respected but charismatic gifts of the faithful are also utilized to fulfill the church’s mission.
“Not all of us have the same gifts, same roles, same status, even within the church,” he said.
“There is a role for everyone,” he added, “and the Holy Spirit works through all the faithful — not just the pope, bishops, priests and deacons.”
The archbishop said synodality isn’t about deciding if the church retains its apostolic authority but evaluates how that authority is exercised.
He also emphasized that everyone — not only Catholics — who live within a parish’s boundaries are part of the mission field.
This will require a change of mindset “for the church to become a place where people see us as a place to go when they’re thirsty on their life journey, and they need an oasis to come and get healing and get help,” he said.
Moving forward, the archbishop plans to hear from the clergy and laypeople in each deanery of the archdiocese through three concurrent virtual meetings.
But there will be other ways in which he will utilize his synodal team to cultivate synodality in the archdiocese, especially in finding ways to help address struggling parishes’ needs and to engage young adults in the life and mission of the church.
Renewed in mission
“I was very happy with the recent archdiocesan convocation,” said Father Keith Chadwick, pastor of Christ the King Parish in Kansas City, Kansas.
He appreciated hearing the archbishop’s vision for parishes.
“Each of us are called by the Lord to put into practice the spiritual and corporal works of mercy taught by the Lord,” said Father Chadwick.
“As a pastor, it was a great opportunity for me and the staff of Christ the King to be present and have conversations with representatives of the whole archdiocese,” he added.
Deacon Tom Greer, annual giving manager for the archdiocesan office of stewardship and development who also serves at Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa, was excited to hear from Archbishop McKnight.
“I liked the message that we make the church a safe place emotionally, physically and spiritually for all people,” said Deacon Greer. “I’m really looking forward to seeing how we can fulfill the archbishop’s vision.”
Shannen Freeman, missionary at Prairie Star Ranch in Williamsburg and a parishioner at Sacred Heart Parish in Ottawa, valued how the archbishop’s desire for a listening church was exhibited in the convocation’s breakout groups.
“It was cool to hear the reminder that priests and religious aren’t the only ones that are meant to live a life of holiness and to share the Gospel,” she said.
“The laity have such a vital role in that,” she continued, “and the only way we can really live out that role is if we live out our baptismal call, as the archbishop was talking about.”
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MOIRA CULLINGS
Victoria Mora (left) and Tori O’Brien get their tools ready to start dissecting.
U.S. bishops appoint new CNS Rome Bureau editor
By Gina Christian OSV News
WASHINGTON (OSV News) — The U.S. Catholic bishops have appointed veteran journalist Carol Glatz to head up their Rome-based news bureau, succeeding Cindy Wooden, another longtime journalist.
Glatz has been named editor in chief of Catholic News Service in Rome, the official news bureau of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
The USCCB announced Glatz’s appointment — made by the conference’s general secretary, Father Michael J.K. Fuller — in an Oct. 17 press release.
Glatz takes over the top desk Jan. 1, 2026, following the retirement of Wooden, whose career has spanned the pontificates of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, as well as the first year of Pope Leo XIV’s tenure.
Wooden became bureau chief of CNS Rome in 2015 and has led the bureau as editor in chief since 2023. She first joined the bureau as a reporter about 35 years ago.
Under Wooden’s leadership, CNS Rome garnered nine Catholic Media
Association awards in 2025 alone.
Father Fuller commended Wooden for her “longtime service to the church,” noting that her “distinguished career,” capped by her CNS Rome posting, has also included previous positions as a U.S. diocesan newspaper reporter and as a journalist for the now-shuttered Washington office of CNS.
“She will be missed, and we wish her well in retirement,” said Father Fuller. He said he was “equally thankful to have Carol continue the good work that
Cindy has led in a continuation of Catholic News Service’s mission to invite Catholics in the United States closer to the ministry of the pope.”
Glatz, who has spent close to three decades working in Catholic journalism, has been with CNS since 2004. Prior to joining CNS, she had worked since 1998 for Vatican Radio, the official radio station of the Holy See.
In a statement included with the USCCB release, Glatz said she was “grateful for this opportunity to
build upon the longtime presence and trusted relationships that Cindy and my colleagues at Catholic News Service have built over the years.”
“I look forward to leading the news team here in Rome as we tackle the challenges posed by changes in the way people get their news,” she said. “Together, we will report through digital media and creative story packages to keep the Catholic faithful informed and engaged with news about Pope Leo and the Holy See.”
Pianist’s sign of the cross goes viral at famous Chopin piano competition
By Katarzyna Szalajko OSV News
WARSAW, Poland
(OSV News) — In the charged silence before his performance at the 2025 Chopin Competition here, Polish pianist Piotr Pawlak did something both simple and profound.
Standing in the lobby of one of the most prestigious stages in the classical world — the Warsaw Filharmonic — moments before his semifinal performance Oct. 11, he reached for his rosary, made the sign of the cross and prayed.
Cameras caught that quiet moment, which has traveled virally since — a young artist bowing his head in prayer.
In conversation with OSV News, the 28-year-old pianist — already recognized for his poetic touch and musical intelligence — reflected on the gesture. “For me, it was absolutely natural,” he said. “I pray before every performance. I always ask for support, because what we do as musicians somehow exceeds our human capabilities. So even though I knew there were cameras backstage, I simply did what I always do. I don’t hide my faith, and I don’t hide that I always ask God for help.”
Polish pianist Piotr Pawlak smiles as he performs his program Oct. 11 during the 2025 Chopin Competition semifinals in Warsaw, Poland. Standing in the lobby of the Warsaw Filharmonic, one of the most prestigious stages in the classical music world, before his performance, he reached for his rosary, made the sign of the cross and prayed — a gesture that has gone viral.
Pianists who take part in the International Chopin Competition are considered — even if young — the best in the world. Winning the competition opens a path for a global career.
also trained in organ and conducting. A graduate of the Stanislaw Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdansk, he has studied since 2024 at the International Piano Academy Lake Como in Italy.
Pawlak has won top prizes at major competitions, including the fifth Maj Lind International Piano Competition in Helsinki (2022) and the 11th International Chopin Piano Competition in Darmstadt (2017), and has been honored at Chopin competitions in Beijing; Budapest, Hungary; and Kraków, Bydgoszcz and Warsaw, Poland.
He has performed widely across Europe, Asia, North America and Japan, appearing with major orchestras and at festivals. His playing is praised for clarity, expressive sensitivity and spiritual depth, making his performances both technically masterful and moving.
Prayer, for him, is also a way to focus and ground himself before entering the intensity of the stage. “Prayer helps in a very human way — to concentrate, to gather my thoughts before playing. It’s an important element for me,” he told OSV News.
Pawlak grew up in a Catholic home.
Born in Gdansk, Pawlak is a Polish pianist celebrated for combining technical precision with emotional depth. He began piano studies at age 6 and
Held every five years in Warsaw since 1927, it is one of the world’s most prestigious and demanding contests, devoted entirely to the music of Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) — an iconic Polish composer exiled in Paris during the partitions of Poland.
“Faith was always present,” he said. “Especially my mother made sure to raise me that way. We went to church every Sunday; she taught me to pray.”
She also nurtured his musical path.
“She cared about my musical development,” Pawlak recalled, “but it was I who decided, as a child, that I wanted to play. Seeing my passion, she supported me and found opportunities for me to grow. Later, she encouraged me to work hard and be professional about it.”
Despite his busy concert schedule, Pawlak still finds time to serve at his parish church of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus in Gdansk. “Even now, I sometimes play the organ at my parish,” he said. “We don’t currently have a permanent organist, so if I’m there and see that no one is at the organ, I go and play during Mass. Our parish priest often mentions it, so yes, everyone knows who’s playing. It’s always a joy to help in that way.”
CNS PHOTO/PAUL HARING
Cindy Wooden (left photo), editor in chief of Catholic News Service in Rome, and Carol Glatz, a veteran journalist at CNS, are pictured in a combination photo. Wooden is retiring at the end of the year and Glatz has been named the next editor in chief of CNS, the official Rome-based news bureau of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. She will take up the position Jan. 1, 2026.
OSV NEWS PHOTO/COURTESY KRZYSZTOF SZLEZAK, NIFC
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Client intake coordinator - At Two Lines Pregnancy Clinic, we believe in unexpected care — the kind that shows up with compassion, insight and love when someone needs it most. We’re a faith-driven organization committed to serving women and families with dignity, excellence and hope. We’re currently seeking a client intake coordinator to join our team in Leawood. If you thrive in a fast-paced, meaningful environment where your work makes a tangible difference, this may be the opportunity you’ve been praying for. In this role, you’ll be at the heart of our client experience. You’ll welcome clients, guide them through the intake process and help ensure that every woman and family who walks through our doors is met with excellence, dignity and care. Key responsibilities: Greet and guide clients through their initial visit. Manage intake forms and scheduling with accuracy and care. Maintain a peaceful, professional and welcoming environment. Collaborate with team members to ensure seamless client services. Uphold the values and mission of Two Lines Pregnancy Clinic in every interaction. Ideal candidate: Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Highly organized and able to multitask in a dynamic setting. Compassionate, calm and confident under pressure. Experience in client services, ministry, or administrative roles is a plus. Bilingual a plus. A heart for serving others and a commitment to our faith-based mission. If you’re passionate about making a difference and want to be part of a team that shows up with love every day, we’d love to hear from you. To apply, email resume and cover letter to: AndreaC@ twolineskc.com.
Faculty and adjunct faculty job openings - Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, is a Catholic college offering higher education for those who may not otherwise be served Faculty job openings - Nursing faculty, full-time evenings; nursing faculty, full-time M - F. Adjunct faculty job openings - Adjunct instructor nursing; Adjunct instructor Accounting; clinical adjunct instructor - nursing; - P.A.S.S. (Preparing Academically Successful Students) - part time. Adjunct faculty Lansing Correctional Campus - Adjunct instructor - math; adjunct instructor - accounting; clinical adjunct instructor - Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/careers.
Principal - Lead a school where hearts meet the heart of Jesus! Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish school in Shawnee, a vibrant Catholic preK-8th grade school of 400 students, is seeking a faith-filled, mission-driven principal to lead our community in partnership with the pastor and parish and school leadership teams. Rooted in our parish mission to put hearts on a collision-course with the Sacred Heart of Jesus and guided by our five foundation stones — eucharistic encounters, reconciliation, Scripture, fasting and the rosary — our school exists to form students in spiritual maturity, academic excellence and a life of joyful service. We strive to live our core values of being unapologetically Catholic, showing grit and serving as joyful servants. If you are ready to inspire faith, lead with vision, drive cultural change and form the next generation of saints and scholars, we invite you to apply at this link: http://archkckcs.org/apply. Full job description can be found at: https://shoj.org/ employment-opportunities.
Small equipment cleaning/repair - A locally owned family business is currently seeking part-time candidates to provide cleaning and repair services on microscopes. Expenses paid, work done in the field and each day is different! No previous experience necessary, on-the-job training provided. Needs to be detail-oriented team player, with good time management and customer service skills. Some travel with the team is required. Please contact us at: techneeded23@gmail.com or call (913) 631-3000.
Staff job openings - Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, a Catholic college offering higher education for those who may not otherwise be served. Job openings: English literacy instructor - P.A.S.S. (Preparing Academically Successful Students) - part time. Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/careers.
Associate director of music - The Church of the Nativity Parish and School in Leawood seek a full-time associate director of music to join our team. The associate director of music collaborates with the director of music and our pastor to oversee the liturgical life of the parish and lead our community in song at Masses, sacramental celebrations and other liturgies and parish events. A deep love of Jesus Christ and an authentic desire to support our community’s full, conscious and active participation in the liturgy animate the ministry carried out by the associate director of music. Qualified candidates will possess strong organ and piano accompaniment ability, experience working with cantors and choirs, outstanding communication skills, a passion for excellence and a desire to collaborate with the director of music in all areas of the music ministry program. Competitive salary and benefits are offered commensurate with experience. For a full job description and application instructions, please visit: https://kcnativity.org/ employment-music-ministry.
Caregivers needed - Daughters & Company is looking for compassionate caregivers to provide assistance to seniors in their home, assisted living or in a skilled nursing facility. We provide sitter services, light housekeeping and light meal preparation, organizational assistance, care management and occasional transportation for our clients. We need caregivers with reliable transportation and a cellphone for communication. We typically employ on a part-time basis, but will strive to match hours desired. Contact Gary or Laurie at (913) 341-2500 if you want to become part of an excellent caregiving team.
Catholic financial planners - The Knights of Columbus Mahon Agency has openings throughout all of NE Kansas and western Missouri, including Kansas City, Topeka, Holton, Wamego, Lawrence, Gardner, Liberty and Chillicothe. We have much to offer professional, disciplined and determined men who would like to share needed life insurance, disability income, longterm care and annuity products with other Catholics. This is a full-time position with excellent, multi-tiered training and benefits, allowing the successful field agent to earn a professional level income. It’s an exciting career opportunity that may be the right fit at the right time for you, or someone you know. For more information, contact John Mahon at (785) 4088800, or john.mahon@kofc.org.
SERVICES
Joe’s Decks & More Deck and fence repair, mowing and handyman services Member of St. Joseph in Shawnee (913) 449-9848
Custom countertops - Laminates installed within 5 days. Cambria, granite and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.
Landscaping Design or Renovate! Light tree trimming/gutters Fall cleanup/leaf removal Free estimates; local parishioners. Call Charles or Emily (913) 605-8145.
Sacred Heart Counseling - Are you looking for counseling from an authentic Catholic perspective? We have offices in Olathe, Leawood and Atchison; openings days, evenings and weekends. Book online at: Sacred HeartCounselingKC.com, in-person or telehealth.
Pure Touch Cleaning KC Summer’s dust out, autumn’s fresh in! Make your home clean, fresh & cozy this fall. We’ll clear away summer’s dust so you can enjoy a warm, inviting space all season long. Family-friendly, reliable & professional. Call and book today! (913) 999-6267.
Two men and a brush - Refresh, repaint, renew your home with painting you can trust! Call for a free estimate on your house, deck or fence! Call John at (402) 763-7244.
FREE CATHOLIC FAMILY EDUCATION
Pre-K to 12 classical Catholic philosophy
St. Augustine’s “Confessions” and more. Please text (913) 259-4553
Aluminum wheelchair ramp - Sales and installation customized to your needs. Serving all of northeast Kansas. Call McCourt Construction at (785) 224-4961.
Popcorn ceiling texture removal Call Jerry at (913) 206-1144. 30 years’ experience. Interior painting specialist. Member St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.
Jack Harrison Heating & Air Conditioning - Proudly serving Johnson County, Kansas, parts of KCK and KCMO, we’re your trusted local experts in residential and light commercial HVAC. Whether you need a repair, seasonal tuneup or full system replacement, we’ve got you covered — with honest advice, quality work and friendly service. We’re a family-owned and operated company, rooted in the community as members of St. Paul Parish in Olathe. Call Jack Harrison Heating & Air today at (913) 308-3131 or visit: www. JackHarrisonAir.com to schedule online. Let our family take care of yours!
Double A’s Lawn Service
Lawn mowing, Mulching, Gutters, Leaf Removal Brush Removal & Hedge Trimming Free Estimates & Insured Alex Spoerre (913) 488-5195
Memory quilts - Preserve your memories in a keepsake quality quilt, pillows, etc. Custom designed from your T-shirt collection, baby clothes, sports memorabilia, neckties . . . Quilted Memories. (913) 649-2704.
GARAGE DOOR REPAIR EXPERTS
New Garage Doors & Openers
A Total Door, Inc. Since ’83. Leaven Discount buffy@atotaldoor.com or (913) 236-6440 www.atotaldoor.com
!!Early 2025 painting discount!! - At Stone Painting we offer interior and exterior house painting services. Check out our work at: www.stonepaintingkc.com.
MIKE HAMMER MOVING - A full-service mover. Local and long-distance moving. Packing, pianos, rental truck load/unload, storage container load/unload. In-home moving and office moves. No job too small. Serving the KC metro since 1987. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee, parishioner. Call the office at (913) 927-4347 or email: mike@mikehammermoving.com.
TOTAL HOME REPAIR
All aspects of interior home repairs. Retired master plumber. Professional interior painting, general repairs, tile work. Handyman services. Lifetime of experience. Army veteran. Ascension parishioner. (913) 488-4930
HOME IMPROVEMENT
Haus to Home Remodeling - Transform your space with affordable remodeling done right. Bathrooms, basements and everything in between — crafted with honesty and quality. Family-owned with free estimates. Haustohomekc.com | Cole (913) 544-7352.
Shepaint Cabinets - Looking for a stunning, high-quality cabinet transformation? Shepaint Cabinets is a women-owned and operated business. I bring precision, passion and a personal touch to every project. Detail-driven service with a personal touch, reliable, efficient and customer-focused. Your dream kitchen is just a coat of paint away! Call/text (816) 806-4375 for a free quote. Let’s create something beautiful together! Father and Son Home Remodeling - We specialize in kitchen/bathroom and basement remodeling, from start to finish. We also do decks, covered decks, porches, sun-rooms and room additions! If you’re not sure we do it, just call. From my family to yours, thank you for supporting my small business. To contact me, call (913) 709-7230 and ask for Josh.
FOR RENT
For rent - Brothers Share House/Transport. 10 min. walk to St. Paul, Olathe. Bed $500/mo. Text (913) 2594553.
FOR SALE
For sale - One cemetery plot located in Lenexa at Resurrection Cemetery, 83rd St. and Quivira Rd. Location: lot 116, section A, space 4. Asking $2000. Buyer pays transfer fee of $250. Contact Terry at (913) 888-9590 or email: terryhensel22@gmail.com.
Small farm/business operation opportunity - STA Home Repair is moving to another state. Looking to sell property and business assets: 1955 Oregon Road, Princeton, Kansas. 3 buildings, 1 Barndo/Shop, RV hookups – 200 Amp service with portable heat and AC – office, kitchen area – 10-foot garage door and entry door, 1 cabin with wood stove and AC/shop, 1 pole barn, 2 sinks, 1 shower, 1 toilet, stocked pond, boat and equipment storage over half fenced, multiple gardens, minifarm, bring the horses. Great for contractor with trailers, 25-30 minutes to Gardner or intermodal facility; 35-40 minutes to Olathe and Overland Park; and less than 10 minutes to Ottawa. Close to the Hillsdale and Pomona lakes. Asking $290,000. Cash and/ or pre-approved financing. Showing by appointment only. Text name and number to (913) 579-1835. Residential lifts - New and recycled. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. St. Michael’s parishioners. KC Lift & Elevator at (913) 327-5557. (Formerly Silver Cross - KC)
For sale - Single plot for sale at Resurrection Cemetery 83rd and Quivira, Lenexa. Fee of $250 waved for transfer which will be paid by owner. Lot is in Queen of Heaven. Price drop also to $1800. Contact Jody at: jagstanton@gmail.com or (816) 591-0826.
For sale - Single plot at Gate of Heaven, KCK: Saint Gabriel, lot 74B, space 4. Prime location, asking $2,845. Includes transfer fee! Text Michael at (913) 424-4409 (please no calls) or email: mtaylor65020@aol.com.
PILGRIMAGE
Mexico City Pilgrimage — Join Archbishop Emeritus Joseph F. Naumann on pilgrimage to Mexico City Feb. 27 to March 2, 2026. Four-day, life-changing experience! Stand before the miraculous image created by God on St. Juan Diego’s tilma at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and visit the Sisters of Mary Girlstown, where faith and education transform lives. Limited space! Register by Jan. 30 at: https://world villages.org/events/naumann/. Email: pilgrimages@ worldvillages.org or call 1 (800) 662-6316.
Pilgrimage to Medjugorje - Dec. 27. 2025, to Jan. 3, 2026. $2895 per person, which includes airfare, bus transportation, accommodations, 2 meals/day and daily local guide. Hosted by visionary Mirjana Soldo. For details, email Grace Legaspi at: mgracelegaspi@gmail.com.
WANTED TO BUY
Wanted to buy
Do you have a spare car or truck that you need to get rid of? If you do, CALL ME! I’m a cash buyer. We’re Holy Trinity parishioners. My name is Mark. (913) 980-4905.
CASH PAID FOR COIN COLLECTIONS! Silver dollar coins, half-dollars, quarters, dimes, old pennies. Cash in hand. Also paying cash for old paper currency. Cash in that old dusty box of coins! Call Kirk (913) 213-9843. Member of Holy Trinity Parish. Please sell to local people.
$$Paying Cash$$ - Antique Furniture, crocks, tin and cast iron toys, old tools, glassware, American coins, jewelry. Most anything old. Please call Patricia at (913) 515-2950. A member of Holy Trinity Parish, Lenexa. Will buy firearms and related accessories - One or a whole collection. Honest evaluation and top prices paid. Contact Tom at (913) 238-2473. Member of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee.
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WOMEN’S RETREAT
(ENGLISH AND SPANISH)
St. Patrick Parish (center)
1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas Oct. 25 at 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The cost is $15 per session; $20 for all day. The English session is from 8 a.m. to noon; the Spanish session from 1:30 to 6 p.m. For information, call Theresa at (913) 299-3370.
LITTLE FLOWER CIRCLE
Christ the King Church (Yadrich Hall)
5973 S.W. 25th St., Topeka
Oct. 25 at 12:40 p.m.
The Daughters of Isabella will pray the rosary. Bingo will follow; please bring items for prizes.
FALL FESTIVAL
Sacred Heart Church
408 S. Cedar, Ottawa
Oct. 26 from noon to 4 p.m.
Join us for hamburgers, brats, hot dogs, Mexican food and homemade desserts. Entertainment includes a cakewalk, bingo, petting zoo, kids games and more. For more information, send an email to: bbirzer@yahoo. com or call/text (785) 418-5701.
SAUSAGE DINNER
Sacred Heart Church
22298 Newbury Rd., Paxico Oct. 26, 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The dinner begins after 10:30 a.m. Mass. There will be bingo, games, raffles, silent auction. Cost for the meal is: adults, $14; ages 5-12, $7; 4 years and under are free. Contact Sue Flach at (785) 249-3595 or send an email to: msflach03@gmail.com.
MEDICARE WORKSHOP AND Q&A
Holy Spirit Church
10300 W. 103rd St., Overland Park
Oct. 28 at 6:05 p.m.
Speaker Greg Davis has a background in pharmaceuticals and experience as a financial adviser. Mass is available prior to the workshop at 5:30 p.m. Register online at: hs catholic.org or call (913) 492-7318, ext. 180.
FALL LUNCHEON AND CARD PARTY
St. Ann Parish (hall)
7231 Mission Rd., Prairie Village Oct. 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A box lunch and beverage is included in the $25 ticket. There will also be a raffle and door prizes. To make a reservation, go online to: www.stanpv.org/lunchandcardparty.
ALL SAINTS’ EVE VESPERS
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church
3333 Broadway, Kansas City, Missouri
Oct. 31 at 7 p.m.
Celebrate the communion of saints on the eve of their feast day with evening prayer, eucharistic adoration and Benediction and a special Litany of the Saints.
MODERN SAINTS PRESENTATION
Sacred Heart Church
1100 West St., Tonganoxie
Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.
Nov. 2 at 12:30 p.m.
Gracie Morbitzer, author and artist, will speak to adults about her work on the saints on Nov. 1. Wine and cheese will be provided after the 5 p.m. Mass as well as child care; her presentation will be at 7 p.m. On Nov. 2, she will also lead activities for the whole family at 12:30 p.m.; a light lunch will be served beforehand after the 10:30 a.m. Mass. All events are free. For child care on Nov. 1, send an RSVP to: mrseastesfhsu@gmail.com.
SOUP LUNCHEON AND FALL BAZAAR
Holy Family Church
1st St. and Kansas Ave., Alma
Nov. 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Chili, chicken noodle, potato and vegetable soups with homemade pie for dessert will be
served for a freewill donation. There will also be a country store, bingo, bounce house and raffle with many great prizes and lots of cash. For more information, go to Facebook or send an email to: holyfamilyparishalma@gmail.com.
FALL BAZAAR
Holy Trinity Church
509 E. Chippewa, Paola
Nov. 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Join for lunch, desserts and raffle. The cost for adults is $15; children (5-10) $7; and under 5 eat free.
IGNATIUS BOOK FAIR
Corpus Christi School
6001 Bob Billings Pkwy., Lawrence
Nov. 5 - 9
Join us for our first Ignatius Book Fair. The book fair provides Catholic books and wholesome kids’ titles for students ages pre-K to eighth grade. It will be held in the school library. For information on how to shop in person or online, go to: cccsignatiusbookfair.my.canva.site.
PITCH AND POKER GAME NIGHT
Church of the Ascension
(St. John Room)
9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park
Nov. 6 at 6:30 p.m.
Heartache to Healing is a social support group for those widowed early in life. Come join us for a Pitch and poker game night. We’ll teach you to play, if needed! If you’d like to bring a drink or munchie to share, please do! Please RSVP to Laura online at: khaeus1@hotmail.com.
WORKING IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
Virtual Zoom Event
Nov. 6 from 4 to 5 p.m.
Are you a new or soon-to-be college graduate? A public school teacher looking to work in Catholic schools? A professional looking for a career change? The offices of Catholic schools in the archdiocese and the dioceses of Dodge City, Salina and Wichita are hosting an informational Zoom session. Register online at: archkckcs.org/register.
JUBILEE PILGRIMAGE
Sacred Heart Church
1405 2nd Ave., Leavenworth
Nov. 8 from 3 to 6 p.m.
Receive a plenary indulgence at this pilgrimage. Confessions will be from 3 to 4 p.m.; Mass and prayer for the pope is at 4:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served in the hall.
SHAMROCK FUNDRAISING EVENT
St. Patrick Parish (center)
1080 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas Nov. 8 from 6 to 10 p.m.
Join us for dinner, drinks, music and an auction. Funds raised will be used for facility updates and student scholarships at the school. All are welcome to attend. Go online to: stpatrickkck.org/shamrocks-event for tickets and partnership opportunities.
LEAD WITH CONFIDENCE WORKSHOP
St. Ann Church
7231 Mission Rd., Prairie Village
Nov. 8 at 8:30 a.m.
This workshop, led by Father Daniel Brandenburg, includes Mass, a keynote address, two breakout sessions, discussion and closing address. The cost of $25 includes breakfast, lunch and snacks. To register, send an email to: janepeck1@ gmail.com.
BINGO
AND CHILI NIGHT
Holy Family Church
513 Ohio St., Kansas City, Kansas
Nov. 8 at 5 p.m.
Join us for bingo and chili dinner! Each ticket includes one bingo card, chili and dessert. Dinner is served until 6:15 p.m.; bingo starts 6:30 p.m. Reserve in advance for $15 by calling (913) 413-0022. Drinks
are available to purchase from the Holy Family Social Club. This is a 21+ only event.
CRAFT FAIR
Holy Angels Church
15408 Leavenworth Rd., Basehor Nov. 8 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
There is free admission, food will be available for purchase and 25 vendors will be present. This is open to the public.
FALL BAZAAR
Mater Dei School (gym)
934 S.W. Clay St., Topeka
Nov. 8 & 9 from 6 to 9 p.m.
Join us for a free family-friendly event with live music, live auction, concession stand, soft drinks and alcohol available for purchase.
TURKEY DINNER
Mater Dei Event Center
1114 S.W. 10th Ave., Topeka
Nov. 9 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost is $15 for adults; $8 for children 6 to 12 years old; children 5 and under eat free. There will be booths, a silent auction, homemade market, wheel of fortune, cakewalk, bake shop and children’s games. Raffle tickets will be available for purchase.
FALL FESTIVAL
St. Matthew Church
2700 S.E. Virginia Ave., Topeka
Nov. 9 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
A traditional turkey dinner costs: $15 for adults; $7 for children ages 3-10; and free for children 2 and under. The meal includes turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry salad, coleslaw, roll and dessert. There will also be bingo, a silent auction, baked goods, religious items, cake spin and more. For more info, visit the website at: www.saintmatthews.org.
HOPS AND DROPS BENEFIT
Boulevard Brewery 2501 Southwest Blvd, Kansas City, Missouri
Nov. 11 from 6 to 9 p.m.
The dinner and auction will benefit the Redemptorist Social Services Center. Go online to: redemptoristcenter.org for tickets and details.
COFFEE AND TOUR
reStart Inc.
918 E. 9th St., Kansas City, Missouri Nov. 13 at 10 a.m.
Come for coffee, conversation and a tour of reStart Inc. every second Thursday of the month at 10 a.m. This is an opportunity to meet reStart team members, tour our interim housing location and learn more about responding to homelessness in the local Kansas City metro area. Send an RSVP to: www.restartinc.org/coffee-andconversation-form.
ENCOUNTER SCHOOL OF HEALING
Sacred Heart of Jesus Church 5501 Monticello Rd., Shawnee
Nov. 14 from 6 to 9 p.m.
Nov. 15 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The Encounter School of Healing will teach you to partner with the Holy Spirit to experience healing miracles. Jesus’ healing ministry is at the heart of his Gospel of power and he expects his disciples to minister his healing on the earth (Mk 16:15-20). Come experience the greater works Jesus has in store for you. Information and registration are online at: EncounterKC.com.
“A NIGHT AT THE OSCARS” DANCE
Camelot Dance Studio
6635 W. 151st St., Overland Park
Nov. 15 from 7 to 11 p.m.
Couples and singles invited, no partner necessary. Line dancing, ballroom dancing and free style dancing with a DJ. Come as your favorite movie star or just dress
casual. Sponsored by the Over 59 Meetup Group, Singles of Nativity Church Group and more. $20 per person. Cash bar and hors d’oeuvres served.
DEATH PENALTY REPEAL PANEL
Johnson County Community College Hudson Auditorium 11190 Quivira Rd., Overland Park Nov. 22 from 1 to 3:30 p.m.
Panelists include Krisanne Vallancourt Murphy (Catholic Mobilizing Network), Nan Tolson (Texas Conservatives Concerned) and Rep. Bill Sutton, R-District 43. This is a free event. Persons may attend in-person or register for a virtual link at: ksabolition. org. For more info, send an email to: info@ ksabolition.org or call (785) 235-2237.
ST. CECILIA FESTIVAL
Immaculate Conception Cathedral 416 W. 12th St., Kansas City, Missouri Nov. 23 at 4 p.m.
The festival is sponsored by the Kansas City, Kansas, and the Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, chapters of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. It will feature choirs and instrumentalists from both dioceses. The festival is free and open to the public. A complimentary meal will follow the festival.
SEASONS OF HOPE
Sts. Peter and Paul Parish 411 Pioneer, Seneca Sundays at 5 p.m.
Seasons of Hope is a Christ-centered support group that is a nurturing link to the church, the Almighty and anyone of faith who is mourning. Those mourning a loss are invited to come and bring a guest. For more information, call or text: Julie Strathman at (785) 294-8360; Roger Becker at (785) 364-6393; or Janet Hermesch at (785) 294-0779.
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Accessible minivan - Want to buy a minivan with a ramp or lift for our adult grandson who has cerebral palsy. Contact Patty Orth at (913) 209-9490.
Wanted to buy - Antiques & Collectibles: jewelry, military items, railroad, sterling, OLD holiday/toys and more. Renee Maderak (913) 475-7393. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.
REAL ESTATE
Looking to buy or sell a home? - Buy or sell a home with someone who understands your values. We are a Catholic-owned, faith-driven team of Realtors, dedicated to helping fellow Catholics buy or sell homes in our community. We bring integrity, compassion and a commitment to your needs. Let us be part of your journey. Call Kevin Holmes (owner) at (913) 553-0539.
We buy houses and whole estates - We are local and family-owned and will make you a fair cash offer. We buy houses in any condition. No fees or commissions and can close on the date of your choice. Selling your house has never felt so good. Jon & Stacy Bichelmeyer, (913) 599-5000.
We are local people who can buy your house - Big companies from all over the nation come here buying houses, but that’s not us. We are parishioners of Holy Trinity Parish and we enjoy giving you personalized service. We can offer you a fair price and are flexible to your needs. If I can help, call me, Mark Edmondson, at (913) 980-4905.
CAREGIVING
PRIVATE DUTY LPN - 30+ years of skilled nursing. Experienced in all aspects of your needs. Caring Christian who is dependable and trustworthy. You will receive the best care ever! Travel to and from doctor’s visits. References available. Call (913) 6453779. Leave a message and I will call you back.
Homecare - 15 years’ experience. Background check available, references from past employers available. Nonsmoker. Call (913) 999-4340.
Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management and transportation for seniors in their home, assisted living or nursing facilities. We also provide respite care for main caregivers needing some personal time. Call Daughters & Company at (913) 341-2500 and speak with Laurie, Pat or Gary.
Caregiver - Homecare CNA with 15 years’ experience. Monday-Friday. Call (913) 526-0797.
DAILY READINGS
THIRTIETH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
Oct. 26
THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Sir 35: 12-14, 16-18
Ps 34: 2-3, 17-19, 23
2 Tm 4: 6-8, 16-18
Lk 18: 9-14
Oct. 27
Monday
Rom 8: 12-17
Ps 68: 2, 4, 6-7b, 20-21
Lk 13: 10-17
Oct. 28
SIMON AND JUDE, APOSTLES
Eph 2: 19-22
Ps 19: 2-5
Lk 6: 12-16
Oct. 29
Wednesday
Rom 8: 26-30
Ps 13: 4-6
Lk 13: 22-30
Oct. 30
Thursday
Rom 8: 31b-39
Ps 109: 21-22, 26-27, 30-31
Lk 13: 31-35
Oct. 31
Friday
Rom 9: 1-5
Ps 147: 12-15, 19-20
Lk 14: 1-6
Nov. 1
ALL SAINTS
Rv 7: 2-4, 9-14
Ps 24: 1b-4ab, 5-6
1 Jn 3: 1-3
Mt 5: 1-12a
THIRTY FIRST WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME
Nov. 2
THE COMMEMORATION OF ALL THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED (All Souls)
Wis 3: 1-9
Ps 23: 1-6
Rom 5: 5-11
Jn 6: 37-40
Nov. 3
Martin de Porres, religious
Rom 11: 29-36
Ps 69: 30-31, 33-34, 36 Lk 14: 12-14
Nov. 4
Charles Borromeo, bishop
Rom 12: 5-16b
Ps 131: 1b-3
Lk 14: 15-24
Nov. 5
Wednesday
Rom 13: 8-10
Ps 112: 1b-2, 4-5, 9
Lk 14: 25-33
Nov. 6
Thursday
Rom 14: 7-12
Ps 27: 1bcde, 4, 13-14
Lk 15: 1-10
Nov. 7
Friday
Rom 15: 14-21
Ps 98: 1-4
Lk 16: 1-8
Nov. 8
Saturday
Rom 16: 3-9, 16, 22-27
Ps 145: 2-5, 10-11
Lk 16: 9-15
It’s said that every cloud has a silver lining. Well, I can attest that it’s true. Last March, I wrote here about one of the dumbest things I’ve ever done. Back in mid-February, I went to retrieve an Amazon package outside the door of my home. Wanting to keep the heat inside, I didn’t open my front door all the way but reached around it to grab the package. In a split second, I slipped on some snow and reflexively grabbed on the metal door to keep my balance. Unfortunately, my right pointer finger was still in the door as it closed.
What followed was a trip to the emergency room for stitches with a visit about a week later to a hand surgeon for an evaluation. (That’s the “cloud” part.)
Since I never go anywhere without something to read, I had the February issue of U.S. Catholic magazine to bide the time in
OSaints alive, these are works of art
MARK MY WORDS
FATHER MARK GOLDASICH
Father Mark is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989.
the surgeon’s waiting room. The front cover had an arresting illustration of a young, Black man with an Afro staring confidently at the reader. Intrigued, I went to the table of contents and discovered the illustration was of St. Augustine by an artist named Gracie Morbitzer.
Inside the magazine was a six-page interview by Jean P. Kelly, titled “Picture the Saints:
Grace Morbitzer reenvisions the saints as loving, accepting role models for today.” Accompanying the story were a half-dozen more paintings from the artist — images of St. Mary MacKillop, St. Joan of Arc, St. Elizabeth and Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, St. Óscar Romero and St. Felicity. I was captivated by Gracie’s renderings of the saints as modern-day people. (This was the “silver lining” of my injury.)
Heck, I was disappointed when it was time for my appointment. (As an aside, by the grace of God, I didn’t need to have any surgery on my finger.)
When I got back to
the parish, I was excited — but a little leery — to show Gracie’s article to Jennifer, one of my parish’s youth ministers. After all, just because I thought they were wonderful (I’m a senior citizen after all), how would someone years younger react?
I needn’t have worried; she was fascinated as well. A few weeks later, I shared Gracie’s interview with a former parishioner even younger than Jennifer. Her reaction was the same: Wow!
So, I popped online to Gracie’s website and sent a note of appreciation and encouragement. She responded immediately and, a couple of emails later, I asked if she did presentations and would consider travelling to Kansas. Her answer was “yes” to both. She’ll be coming to Sacred Heart in Tonganoxie on Nov. 1 and 2. More details about that as well as an interview that Jill Ragar Esfeld did with Gracie are on pages 8 and 9 of this
issue. Gracie portrays the saints as they might look if they were walking around today. She emphasizes that the saints were people just like us and that sainthood is a goal we should all strive for, “using the gifts we have to make our world a better place.”
In the U.S. Catholic article, Gracie says that “the call to sainthood is universal, and faith without works is not enough.” That’s why on her website she includes links to causes each saint “might care about today.” For example, in honor of the Archangel Raphael, who cured Tobit’s blindness in the Bible, the artist encourages people to contribute in some way to the American Foundation for the Blind. Gracie said, “To the saints, I am so grateful.” Well, I’m grateful to Gracie and think she’s a “saint” for making these holy people come alive for a new generation.
Luke’s Gospel warns us we need to get used to different
ver the last several weeks, as St. Luke’s Gospel has unfolded in our Sunday readings, some of us may have been reminded of a famous line from one of the first episodes of “The Chosen,” when the shocked apostles have a hard time accepting the way Jesus does things. “That’s different,” someone says. He responds simply, “Get used to different.”
The quote isn’t remotely biblical, but it sums up what we have been hearing in Luke. It reminds us: Jesus broke the rules and shattered the status quo. We see it again in this week’s Gospel. If anyone around Galilee had been
DEACON GREG KANDRA
Deacon Greg Kandra is an award-winning author and journalist, and creator of the blog “The Deacon’s Bench.” He serves in the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York.
following Jesus, they knew that this itinerant preacher had a knack for telling a story. He knew how to throw in a few unexpected twists
— the outcome was often a shock. Again and again, Jesus challenged people to discover that things aren’t always what they seem. Samaritans can be good; prodigal sons can be loved and welcomed home; and — as we hear this Sunday — even tax collectors can be saved.
Really?
Yes. Really.
In this particular instance, Jesus wanted to repeat a recurring point: Beware of pride. The meek will inherit the earth. The humble will be heard. To paraphrase the Magnificat: The mighty will be cast down from their thrones.
All of which should make us take to heart Christ’s repeated call to live as people of
humility. The Gospel of St. Luke is peppered with memorable examples, from the man who accumulated much and wants to build a bigger barn, to the tale of the rich man and Lazarus, and the parable of the persistent widow.
And if anyone missed the points he was making, in the final hours of his earthly life Jesus showed what he meant. He got down on his knees to wash feet and said, “I have given you a model to follow.”
The Christian way, the way of following Jesus Christ, is meant to be a way close to those who are usually scorned or belittled or dismissed. It is the way of smallness, modesty, simplicity.
The parable this Sunday asks us to reassess our priorities, our goals and how we think about ourselves and about others. It also asks us to reconsider the very act of prayer.
The message of this Gospel offers something for everyone. It offers consolation and reassurance for those who feel small and overlooked; and it’s also a cautionary tale for those who feel prideful and selfsatisfied.
Ultimately, it’s a call to change our hearts to more closely model ourselves on Christ. Looked at another way: It is a call to be different. And we need to get used to different.
Pope recommends ‘Litany of Humility’ for church officials
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The “Litany of Humility,” which often is attributed to Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val, “outlines a model that is valid for all those who exercise responsibilities in the church,” Pope Leo XIV said.
The first petition of the litany is: “From the desire of being esteemed
. . . deliver me, O Jesus!” “The desire for recognition is a constant temptation for those in positions of responsibility,” the pope said.
And while Cardinal Merry del Val held very important positions in the church, “he knew that the only true triumph is to be able to say every day: ‘Lord, I am where
you want me to be, doing what you entrust to me today.’ Silent fidelity, invisible to the eyes of the world, is what remains and bears fruit,” Pope Leo said, discussing the litany at a meeting Oct. 13 with people attending a conference on the cardinal’s life and work.
Catholic education does more than teach; it transcends
With schools in full session for the fall semester, our teachers, principals and school staff are working diligently and sacrificially to ensure that every student in our Catholic schools gets the best education possible. When you add faith formation, a family atmosphere and a safe environment, it’s easy to see why our schools are so successful. Governmentfunded schools provide a baseline of learning opportunities, but they lack the family atmosphere that our Catholic schools provide. Our students study the
How is your Jubilee?
The Jubilee ends on Jan. 6, 2026. The Holy Door will be sealed. Pope Francis outlined very clearly what is needed to unlock the treasures of the Jubilee when he opened it on Dec. 24, 2024. He certainly said the Holy Doors of Rome and other intentional pilgrimages are options, but he also opened much simpler pathways to these treasures.
According to the Decree on the Granting of Indulgence during the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025 issued by the Holy See, the jubilee plenary
VINCENT ANCH
same core subjects, but the gap in philosophies, approaches and outcomes continues to widen.
Our students are learning how to be
good Samaritans and to live like Jesus and his apostles while receiving their sacraments together. There’s a big difference when students pray, attend Mass and prepare for their sacraments as a class. This is extremely powerful in building the whole student and not just
focusing on mandated tests.
Pope Leo, in his first apostolic exhortation, “Dilexi te” (“I have loved you”), wrote the following:
“For the Christian faith, the education of the poor is not a favor but a duty. Children have a right to knowledge as a fundamental requirement for the recognition of human dignity. Teaching them affirms their value, giving them the tools to transform their reality. Christian tradition considers knowledge a gift from God and a community responsibility. Christian education does not only form professionals, but also people open to goodness, beauty and truth.
Catholic schools, therefore, when they are faithful to their name, are places of inclusion, integral formation and human development. By combining faith and culture, they sow the seeds of the future, honor the image of God and build a better society.”
I have some special friends that I have known most of my life. We attended the same grade school, high school and college. However, the one thing that has kept us close through all of these years has been our faith. I studied and played sports with them for years but it was our faith formation that made us “brothers” and not just
It’s not too late to celebrate the Jubilee Year
SEEKING CHRIST’S HEART
indulgence “can also be obtained through initiatives that put into practice, in a concrete and generous way . . .
especially in support of the defense and protection of life in all its phases, but also by supporting the quality of life of abandoned children, young people in difficulty, the needy or lonely elderly people or migrants from various countries ‘who leave their homelands behind in
“We
search of a better life for themselves and for their families’ (“Spes non confundit,” the Bull of Indiction for the Ordinary Jubilee of 2025, no. 13).
Archbishop Shawn McKnight is encouraging the faithful to engage in acts of mercy that inspire hope, and this can be more fully understood by reading Pope Francis’s “The Joy of the Gospel.” The Lord himself in Matthew’s Gospel directs us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the ill and those in prison. He further says whatever you do to the least of these, you have done to him (25:31-46). The directions for Jubilee state
serving our community.”
that a plenary indulgence may be attained by visiting, for an appropriate amount of time, those who are in need or in difficulty (the sick, prisoners, the lonely among the elderly, disabled people, etc.); in a sense, making a pilgrimage to Christ who is present in them (cf. Mt 25: 34-36), as well as also fulfilling the general conditions of receiving any indulgence; the faithful can repeat these visits throughout the Holy Year, even daily, acquiring a plenary indulgence for each time.
Jubilees are a time of renewal, forgiveness and an invitation to engage in works that
“friends.” The same thing is happening in all of our Catholic schools.
Education, when intertwined with faith, develops the whole mind of our youth where truth, beauty and goodness are instilled.
The Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) takes pride in providing scholarships to children from financially struggling families. Without CEF, hundreds of children would not be attending Catholic schools right now.
Catholic education does more than teach. It transcends. We are excited that Pope Leo feels the same way.
are important to God, work that unites us with the heart of Jesus. It is a grand call to prioritize our sanctification and service to God each day of our lives, by building godly habits and virtues.
Catholic Charities, our retirement facilities, Prairie Star Ranch and the Catholic Education Foundation serve vulnerable persons and communities every day. Almsgiving and volunteering in these important ministries are great ways to engage in the Jubilee. The archdiocesan Jubilee webpage outlines the ways to engage the Jubilee at: https://archkck.org/ jubilee.
Vince Anch is the executive director of the Catholic Education Foundation.
DEACON DANA NEARMYER
Deacon Dana Nearmyer is the director of evangelization for the archdiocese.
Stags create dream costume for alum’s daughter
By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
ROELAND PARK — Emily Paredes was overjoyed when she found out her daughter Alicia, 5, would have a custom-made Halloween costume this year for the very first time.
When she realized students from her alma mater — Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park — would be creating it, the moment was even sweeter.
“Bishop Miege already held a special place in my heart,” said Paredes, “but words can’t describe the love we felt and how much we appreciate all the support and effort put into our daughter.”
One of a kind
This Halloween season, Alicia is sporting a custom-made Rescue Rosie ambulance costume from the animated children’s series “Doc McStuffins.”
It was created by a group of Miege students under the leadership of Project Studio coordinator Jackie Arico.
They were paired with Alicia through Walkin’ and Rollin,’ a nonprofit that builds costumes for children in walkers and wheelchairs at no charge to families.
Miege began working with the organization in 2022 under the direction of 21st Century Learning director Matt Peterie.
When Arico found out Alicia’s mom happened to be an alumna, “it gave me goosebumps,” she said.
Hearing Alicia’s story made the project even more meaningful.
“Alicia was born at 31 weeks,” said Paredes. “She lost oxygen at birth and had a stroke. We didn’t know that when she was born.
“We just knew that she was very premature.”
When Alicia turned 1, Emily and her husband Jamie realized she wasn’t meeting all of her milestones.
She was ultimately diagnosed with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL).
“That’s brain damage to the left side of her brain that affects the whole right side of her body,” said Paredes.
Alicia has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and dystonia. She has developmental and speech delays and receives therapy at Ability KC in Kansas City, Missouri.
“It doesn’t get any easier,” said Paredes, “but we are trying to have her involved in so much that she’s not missing out on things.”
Organizations like Walkin’ and Rollin’ make all the difference.
Jamie Paredes read about their work through an article and entered Alicia as a possible costume recipient. Finding out she was accepted and being matched with Miege was a “Holy Spirit” moment, said Paredes.
“It’s just really special,” she said. “It means a lot.”
Made with love
Work on Alicia’s costume began at a build day at Hammerspace Community Workshop in Kansas City, Missouri, after the students had met her and measured her wheelchair.
They continued to work on the costume during study halls and after school in Miege’s Project Studio makerspace.
“The students did all the measuring,
We should help people out.”
WORDS CAN’T DESCRIBE THE LOVE WE FELT AND HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT AND EFFORT PUT INTO OUR DAUGHTER.
EMILY PAREDES
cutting and gluing to make the frame,” said Arico. “The students do all of the decorative work.”
“It’s all hands on deck,” she added. “Whatever needs [to be] done, people jump in and help.”
Miege junior Rita Baca Olivas, who’s interested in a career in architecture and design, saw the project as an extension of her faith.
“God gave us a reason to help other people,” she said. “The Christian community is a community for a reason.
Sophomore Connor Droege, who hopes to become a mechanical engineer, enjoyed putting his passion for building to good use.
“I think what we’re doing here is really good to fill that need in our community,” he said, “and bring these kids who usually don’t have a Halloween costume that special moment of being able to go to trunk-or-treats, trickor-treats and stand out and have this amazing costume.”
Sophomore Gregory Arico said the project teaches practical skills and valuable lessons.
“I’ve learned some skills with how to construct things and, importantly, how to plan things when you’re building them,” he said.
“I think it’s a very rewarding thing to do something for someone else,” he added.
The students’ hard work paid off the moment Alicia received her costume during the “Squeals on Wheels” reveal party on Oct. 18 at Kansas City Young
Audiences in Kansas City, Missouri.
“She giggled so much she couldn’t get the words out when asked what she was dressed as,” said Paredes.
“She jumped up and down during the countdown,” she continued, “and when the costume came out, she truly did squeal with excitement.”
Alicia had her first chance to show off her costume at a trunk-or-treat event.
“It was a huge hit,” said Paredes, “and everyone was amazed by the creativity of the costume and thought it was adorable.”
Baca Olivas was grateful for the opportunity to make Alicia’s Halloween special.
“Wheelchair costumes are very hard to find,” she said. “And above that, it could be expensive if you find a higher quality [costume].
“Being able to provide costumes for people that are not always available or friendly to their bodies — it brings me a lot of warmth knowing that we can bring that to them.”
PHOTO BY PAUL OLSON
Alicia receives her costume during the “Squeals on Wheels” reveal party on Oct. 18 at Kansas City Young Audiences in Kansas City, Missouri, while her sister Averyana and dad Jamie look on. She wanted to be the Rescue Rosie character from the children’s series “Doc McStuffins.”
COURTESY PHOTO
Alicia, accompanied by her dad Jamie, mom Emily and sister Averyana, sports her Halloween costume for the first time.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE
From left moving clockwise, Bishop Miege High School students Connor Droege, Rita Baca Olivas, Declan Rydzel and Gregory Arico fit the base of Alicia Paredes’ costume around her wheelchair. Since 2022, Miege has partnered with the nonprofit organization Walkin’ and Rollin’ to build costumes free of charge for children who are in walkers or wheelchairs.