Poverty from the inside:
Role players learn that a system built to help can sometimes hurt
By Jeanne Gorman Special to The Leaven
LEAWOOD — When Jesus said that whatever we do for the “least of these” we do for him, he likely wasn’t thinking about bus passes, eviction notices or spring-break child care.
But on Oct. 25 at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood, about 30 Catholics discovered just how closely those everyday struggles connect to the Gospel — by stepping into the shoes of neighbors living in poverty.
Denise Ogilvie of Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas (CCNEK) guided participants through the Cost of Poverty Experience (COPE), a program developed by Think Tank to help people rethink poverty. Before beginning the role-playing exercise, Ogilvie shared sobering statistics about poverty in the country, the state and the archdiocese.
Of the three million residents in Kansas, 1.4 million live within the Archdiocese of Kansas City in
Kansas, which includes both the richest county (Johnson) and the poorest (Wyandotte). A family of four is considered to be living in
poverty if its annual income is below $30,000, and CCNEK serves people of all faiths with incomes up to 140% of the poverty level.
In Wyandotte County, 19% of the population live in poverty, compared with 4% in Johnson County. One in five children in Kansas are food insecure.
Ogilvie noted that little progress has been made in reducing the U.S. poverty rate — still about 12% — over the last century. Housing insecurity is also a major challenge. In Johnson County, for every two households seeking housing, only one unit is available. Health inequities further compound the problem: In Wyandotte County, life expectancy is 15 years shorter than in Johnson.
Multiple factors influence poverty in the United States, including housing insecurity, unemployment, health and education inequities, food insecurity, incarceration and its aftermath, and the racial wealth gap.
Against this backdrop, participants were divided into groups and assigned roles based on real-life situations: single moms, unemployed adults, children, or incarcerated heads of household. Tables around
>> See “OBSTACLES” on page 4
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
Kendra Dudasko (left), an outreach coordinator at Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, talks with St. Michael the Archangel parishioner Amy Huber before beginning a role-playing exercise designed to help the participants rethink poverty.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
Marcia Valera, donor engagement coordinator at CCNEK, checks in with Bev Godwin during the Cost of Poverty Experience. Valera played the role of a policewoman. She monitored the room, responded to crime, checked on unattended children, investigated domestic abuse and provided directions as part of the role playing game.
Sponsors and volunteers needed for Dec. 13 observance to honor veterans
LENEXA — The fourth-degree Knights of Columbus Council of Palms 6673 of Holy Trinity Parish here invites individuals, families, businesses and organizations to get involved in this year’s Wreaths across America observance at Resurrection Cemetery in Lenexa.
Donations are being accepted to sponsor the remembrance wreaths to be placed on veterans’ graves and resting places in the cemetery. A contribution of $17 will buy one wreath. Sponsorships must be received by Dec. 2. To donate online, go online to: www. wreathsacrossamerica.org/KS0155P.
Volunteers are needed to help with placement of the wreaths and other duties on Dec. 13. To volunteer, sign up online at: https://htlenexa.flocknote. com/signup/227996.
On Dec. 13 at 11 a.m., there will be a special tribute to veterans during an outdoor ceremony, open to the public, at the Veterans Memorial, Resurrection Cemetery, located at 8300 Quivira Road. The 30-minute program will include presentation of the colors, an invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, the national anthem, guest remarks, the laying of ceremonial wreaths, a benediction, retirement of the colors, a 21-gun salute and taps.
Following the program in observance of national Wreaths across America Day, volunteers will place an estimated 1,000 wreaths on the graves and resting places of veterans interred at Resurrection. When volunteers place a wreath on a service member’s grave, they are encouraged to speak that person’s name aloud, thank them for their service and sacrifice, and reflect on their lives.
“Special recognition goes to the Holy Trinity Knights of Columbus for taking the lead again this year with this special holiday initiative,” said Sharon Vallejo, president of Catholic Cemeteries of Northeast Kansas that operates and manages Resurrection and eight other cemeteries in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. “We appreciate the community partners involved, the donors, volunteers and those who join us for the ceremony. More people seem to get engaged in this project each year.”
National Wreaths across America Day has been held every December since 1992 (except for the two years of the pandemic). On this day, millions of volunteers across the country place sponsored wreaths at the final resting places of millions of veterans. This is the third year the Holy Trinity Knights have sought donations and coordinated the event in Lenexa.
For more information, contact J.D. Call by email at: Callj1995@gmail.com or call (913) 961-1450, or Ken Kleekamp by email at: kenkleekamp@gmail.com or call (913) 748-6321.
Parishes to take up collection for retired religious
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas will take up a collection for the Retirement Fund for Religious at Masses the weekend of Dec. 13-14.
This collection supports the day-today care of more than 21,000 men and women religious over the age of 70. It also funds educational programs that help religious communities plan for long-term needs.
Last year, Catholics in the archdiocese contributed $93,530 to the collection, according to the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO).
The Servants of Mary, Ministers to the Sick in Kansas City, Kansas, and St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison received a combined total of $274,179 in financial
Kassistance from last year’s collection, which raised more than $28 million for 266 U.S. religious communities.
According to NRRO, the average annual cost in 2024 for the care of a religious past age 70 was around $56,600, and skilled nursing care averaged $96,000 per person.
Religious men and women over age 70 currently outnumber those younger than 70 by nearly three to one.
Those interested in supporting the collection can donate at their parish. Those unable to give at Mass can mail their collection envelope to their parish (write RFR on the memo line of your check).
For more information or other ways to give, visit the website at: retiredreligious. org.
GivingTuesday set for Dec. 2
ANSAS CITY, Kan. — This GivingTuesday, Catholics in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas can help their favorite parish, school or ministry with the click of a button.
GivingTuesday is a global online initiative held the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It originated in response to the commercialism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and encourages generosity. The #iGiveCatholic platform gives donors the opportunity to support Catholic causes, in particular. Although the signature event falls on
ARCHBISHOP MCKNIGHT
Dec. 2
Mass with the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth
Tour at Christ’s Peace House of Prayer — Easton
Dec. 3
Tour at Bishop Ward High School — Kansas City, Kansas
Archdiocesan Finance Council meeting — chancery
Confirmation Mass for Holy Angels, Garnett, and St. John the Baptist, Greeley — Holy Angels Church, Garnett
Dec. 4
Evening of Gratitude Mass and dinner for Donnelly College — Overland Park
Dec. 5
Tour of St. Thomas Aquinas High School — Overland Park
Dec. 6
City Lights Mass for City on a Hill gala — Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Kansas City, Missouri
City Lights gala for City on a Hill — 28 Event Space, Kansas City, Missouri
Dec. 7
Confirmation Mass for Annunciation, Baldwin City, and St. Francis of Assisi, LaPeer — Annunciation Church, Baldwin City
Crosier Vespers and reception — Savior Pastoral Center
Dec. 9
Meeting with Direct Action and Research Training (DART) leadership — chancery
Dec. 10
Serra Club presidents’ annual meeting and lunch — St. Joseph Church, Shawnee
Donnelly College board meeting — Donnelly College, Kansas City, Kansas
Catholic Education Foundation board meeting and Christmas social
Dec. 11
Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas board meeting — chancery
St. John Vianney Center board of directors meeting — virtual
Dec. 12
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass — Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Topeka
Dec. 13
Archdiocesan Pastoral Council meeting — Savior
Confirmation Mass for St. Teresa of Avila, Westphalia; St. Patrick, Emerald; St. Francis Xavier, Burlington; and St. Joseph, Waverly — St. Francis Xavier Church, Burlington
Dec. 14
150th anniversary Mass — St. Joseph Church, Olpe
ARCHBISHOP EMERITUS NAUMANN
Dec. 3
CHCL advisory board meeting
Dec. 4
Religious Alliance Against Pornography board meeting
Death penalty talk — St. Therese Church, North Kansas City
Dec. 5
Confessions and Mass — Holy Name of Jesus Church, Kansas City, Kansas
Dec. 2 this year, the archdiocesan portal for advanced giving — sponsored jointly by the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas (CFNEK) — is open now.
Sign on and view the leaderboard that shows each of the organizations participating and the amount they’re raising in real time.
Give to one organization or many. The minimum donation amount is $25, and you can commit to a one-time contribution or a monthly donation.
To view the organizations participating and to donate now, go online to: igivecatholic.org/community/kansas city.
Dec. 6
City on the Hill Mass and breakfast
City Lights gala — Kansas City, Missouri
Dec. 10
Legatus dinner
Dec. 13
Poor of Jesus Christ Christmas celebration — Blessed Sacrament Church, Kansas City, Kansas
Dec. 14
Confirmation at St. Leo, Horton, and St. Ann, Hiawatha — St. Leo, Horton
WELCOME AS OUR WITNESS
ATCHISON — Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica Monastery here welcomed Archbishop Shawn McKnight with all the warmth and hospitality they are renowned for when he made a daylong visit to the monastery on Nov. 16.
In addition to a Mass, lunch and the chance to meet each Sister individually, the archbishop got to see Dooley Center, St. Cecilia’s retreat house, the Sophia Center, the cemetery, the monastic bee hives and more.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
Under the direction of Sister Elizabeth Carrillo, OSB (bottom right), the members of the Schola of Mount St. Scholastica raise their voices in song during a Nov. 16 Mass celebrated by Archbishop Shawn McKnight.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
Archbishop Shawn McKnight reverences the altar in the chapel of Mount St. Scholastica at the beginning of a Nov. 16 Mass he celebrated for the Atchison community during a visit.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
The Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison pray over Archbishop McKnight before a community meal. After the lunch, the archbishop was given a tour of the Mount.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
Archbishop Shawn McKnight laughs with Prioress Sister Mary Elizabeth Schweiger, OSB, as Sisters Irene Nowell, Elaine Fischer, Susan Barber and more wait their turn to introduce themselves.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
Sister Judith Sutera, OSB, shows the archbishop the highlights of the chapel.
Middle school students witness Mother Cabrini at work
By Catherine Halbmaier Special to The Leaven
GOLDEN, Colorado — Nothing is impossible with prayer.
On this year’s annual seventh grade trip to the Mother Cabrini Shrine near Denver, a group from St. John School in Lawrence saw the power of prayer in action. Through a chance encounter with author Patrick Dillon, the group was moved to pray for the victims of the recent Annunciation School shooting in Minneapolis. What happened next took everyone by surprise.
LeeAnn Hartwick, middle school math teacher and longtime sponsor of the annual trip, described the moment that a man approached the group.
“The kids were just out looking at the shrine . . . and I noticed the gentleman had come over to talk to a couple of the adults,” Hartwick said. “He was just telling us that he had written a book and how special Mother Cabrini was to him.”
The author, Patrick Dillon, asked if he could film the group in prayer.
“He asked if he could film us praying a rosary, which we always do at the top of the mountain, at the Sacred Heart statue,” Hartwick said. “But he wanted to do it as a prayer for the school in Minneapolis — Annunciation.”
On Aug. 27, a tragic shooting took the lives of two students at Annunciation School. Twenty-six more students were injured.
Dillon told Hartwick that he had been in regular contact with the Minnesota school since the shooting, promising prayers. As students and chaperones climbed 360 steps to the mountaintop, Dillon’s drone captured the footage.
“[Dillon] had given us the names of the children who died . . . and the one who was still in the hospital,” said Lauren Yoshinobu, school counselor and another longtime sponsor of the trip. The group prayed for each victim by name.
This made it all the more surprising when, shortly afterwards, it was announced that the final hospitalized
victim had been released.
“The reality is that prayer has an impact on people’s lives,” Yoshinobu said. “Whether it is for this young woman who was able to get out of the hospital, or for ourselves for being able to lift her up.”
Neither the group nor Dillon knew that Sophia Forchas was slated to be released from the hospital when they met. After what seemed like a direct answer to their prayers, Yoshinobu and Hartwick reflected on what, to an outsider, might seem like a lucky coincidence.
“The timing was coincidental, but just the power of prayer . . . helped to draw our students into the process of understanding,” Hartwick said.
“We were praying for all victims of all shootings and the future of Catholic schools,” she continued. “Bottom line is: The power of prayer will help get us get through these things.”
The prayers served as more than intercession. Yoshinobu explained that praying for others connected students and chaperones to something greater than themselves.
“That does something for our area as well,” she said. “And gives us a connection to some people who are suffering and hurting around the world. It’s just such a powerful tool.”
Yoshinobu reflected that the experience was enriching for students in unexpected ways.
“Children connect with a deeper
part of themselves that sometimes they’re not even aware of,” she said. “It is interesting to see kids who are full of energy, and yet when they’ve learned to pray, they can really go to a deeper place and it’s wonderful to see.”
This is the second time Mother Cabrini has introduced the St. John group to an unexpected adventure. Last year’s group ran into Cristiana Dell’Anna, the actress who portrayed Mother Cabrini in the 2024 film.
“Mother Cabrini is interceding for us,” Hartwick said. “And she is there. She is making things happen. That helps the kids to see that going to a holy site like that can make a difference in their lives.”
“frustrated, stressed . . . and lonely”
the room represented the resources they might need to navigate their challenges: schools (also serving as child care), banks (for those who are unbanked), emergency shelters (often unavailable), jails, employment, government services, megamarts, utilities, courts and probation, side hustles and more.
Every participant had to start at the transportation table — gas, bus passes or other options — since transportation is crucial to accessing all other resources.
A wandering policewoman monitored the room, responding to crime, checking on unattended children, investigating domestic abuse and providing directions.
To add complexity, participants were asked to imagine what they would do on spring break when school (and child care) was unavailable. Carol Cowdrey, CCNEK’s vice president of marketing, said the experience “is a good opportunity for people to begin to understand the barriers that low-income people face.”
Although it is a common reality, being “unbanked,” or without access to a bank account, can make it impossible to cash
checks, buy groceries or pay utilities. After the role-playing ended, the group gathered quietly to share their
experiences. Participants said trying to cope with all the obstacles left them feeling “frustrated,” “stressed,” “confused”
and “lonely.” They felt little control over their circumstances and admitted an urge “to go to the dark side.”
Participants also felt isolated. Many had done things they never thought they would: walked to work instead of driving, bailed someone out of jail, gambled, given up food or health care or left a child unattended. Even pretending to do these things left them stressed, overwhelmed and anxious.
Child role-players reported that no one at home checked in on them during the exercise.
“The human person is more important than anything else,” Ogilvie reminded the group, cautioning that “when we look away from those in need, we are turning away from Jesus.” She challenged participants to think about how they can make the world a better place, emphasizing that those served must always be treated with respect and dignity.
“We all have something to give,” she concluded simply.
For information on COPE events in the future, send an email to: outreach@ catholiccharitiesks.org.
PHOTO BY LEEANN HARTWICK
Students from St. John School in Lawrence explore the water well at the Mother Cabrini Shrine near Denver. During the trip, the group met author Patrick Dillon, who had written a book about Mother Cabrini.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
Clockwise from left, Scott Ogilvie, Cathy Porter, Teresa Hannon and Bev Godwin check their hourglasses as part of the Cost of Poverty Experience role-playing program. The hourglass represents their work time.
Croatian Catholics celebrate 125th anniversary of St. John the Baptist Parish
By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The red brick church that sits on Strawberry Hill here overlooking downtown Kansas City, Missouri, is more than a place people come to worship.
It’s a community where Croatian culture and Catholic faith have thrived for more than a century.
St. John the Baptist Parish is “small but mighty,” said lifelong parishioner Donald Taylor. “That’s what Father Joseph [Arsenault, SSA], our parish priest, says.
“And those who are there have a lot of zeal for St. John’s and preservation of the Croatian community — the culture and the food, the dance, the song, the drink.”
The first parishioners put down roots here in 1900.
Their descendants proudly celebrated St. John’s 125th anniversary on Oct. 25 beginning with a Mass celebrated by Father Joseph, pastor. Father Mark Goldasich, a native son of the parish, concelebrated.
The maximum number of people allowed to attend the party afterward — 280 — attended.
A place to call home
Ella and Mia Tomasic have a deep appreciation for the St. John community.
The sisters’ great-grandparents joined the parish after emigrating from Croatia.
Three waves of immigrants have made their homes at St. John, beginning in the 1880s when the founding parishioners arrived to work in the packing houses in the West Bottoms of Kansas City, Missouri.
“A lot of Croatians huddled together and decided they wanted their own house of worship,” said Taylor, whose family ties with the parish began with his great-grandparents.
“They got permission from the bishop back in those days to build their own church,” he said, “and St. John’s was born.”
The next two waves of immigrants came during the 1960s, ’70s and ’90s.
“It is so fulfilling to be able to trace your lineage back through the generations and have this community of similar people,” said Ella. “It is indescribable.”
The Tomasics described the parish as a family.
“I know a lot of people [at other parishes] that go to Mass,” said Ella. “But they don’t know the person who sits next to them.
“Having such a tight community of everyone who knows everybody is so important, especially for young people today.”
The traditions at St. John are one of a kind in the archdiocese, like the St. John’s Catholic Club next door to the church, which houses a bowling alley and recreational space that can be rented out for events.
The club is famous for Croatian soccer watch parties.
“The bigger the game, the bigger the crowd,” said Taylor.
Community events like the annual parish festival, which draws nearly 2,000 people, have kept the Tomasics close to their faith.
“One of the issues with our country today and our age group is the lack of grounding and the lack of a sense of belonging,” said Mia.
“We do belong somewhere,” she
continued, “and we are grounded and we have somewhere where we can go every Sunday and feel at home.”
A celebration to remember
St. John’s 125th celebration was “a labor of love,” said Taylor. It was a year in the making.
The planning committee included a couple representatives from each of the parish’s groups, including Taylor and the Tomasic sisters.
The Mass featured traditional Croatian music performed by the parish’s tamburitza choir.
The food was catered, and entertainment was provided by the band Sinovi from Chicago so parishioners could simply enjoy the evening.
“You’re not going to see it anywhere else in the Greater Kansas City area,” said Taylor of the event. “It makes me very proud of pulling all of our groups together and making one fine celebration.”
Parishioners also marked the anniversary by creating a book that includes
information on the parish’s history, priests and renovations. The link to purchase it can be found at: stjohnthebaptist catholicchurch.com.
The Tomasics were grateful to play a part in honoring their parish.
They’ve heard stories from their relatives and other parishioners about “the shared experiences they have of fleeing communism,” said Mia, including their aunt, who as a child never imagined being able to worship in a Catholic church with Croatian music emitting from the choir.
“We’re aware of how lucky we are to be able to practice our faith and be proud of our heritage in the United States,” said Mia.
Taylor extended an invitation to the Croatians of the Greater Kansas City area to visit the parish for Mass “and rediscover where you came from and your roots and your culture.”
The Tomasics also hope more people will check out St. John and that their parish will continue to thrive for the next 125 years.
“We’re trying to keep it going,” said Mia, “because it is so special to us.”
LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE
Father Joseph Arsenault, SSA, pastor, celebrates the 125th anniversary Mass of St. John the Baptist Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, on Oct. 25. Father Mark Goldasich, right, a native son of the parish, concelebrated.
PHOTO BY STELLA SUBAŠIĆ
From front, moving clockwise, Kristina Mikesic, Anita Gasparovic, Nancy Gasparovic, Ivana Dordevic, Sharon Rodina, Ella Tomasic, Van Tomasic and Mia Tomasic dance a kolo during the 125th anniversary celebration of St. John the Baptist Parish in Kansas City, Kansas.
Annual Duchesne Award honors archbishop
By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org
MOUND CITY — Sometimes, life comes full circle.
The first time Archbishop Emeritus Joseph F. Naumann visited St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome was for the canonization of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne on July 3, 1988.
St. Rose was a French Sister and member of the Society of the Sacred Heart who eventually came to the Americas and founded the first provincial house outside France, as well as the first free school for Native Americans.
At age 71, she realized a lifelong dream and founded a school for Potawatomi girls along the banks of Sugar Creek, Kansas. Although she never mastered the language herself, she became known as “Quahkahkanumad” or “Woman Who Prays Always.”
The canonization was not the archbishop’s first encounter with the missionary saint.
After his father’s death, his mother, Louise Naumann, received a St. Rose Philippine Duchesne scholarship to Maryville College in Marysville, Tennessee.
Earning a bachelor’s degree in education in three years, Louise then spent more than 40 years in Catholic education, first as a kindergarten teacher and later as a principal. One of her pupils was the archbishop emeritus.
Somewhere along the line, Louise was given a relic of the saint, a relic now preserved in the archbishop’s pectoral cross.
So, it was no wonder that in 2006, Louise Naumann was presented with the first St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Award, an honor given by the archdiocese to individuals or groups who promote Catholic education, vocations to the priesthood or religious life, or have a devotion to the saint.
Father Barry Clayton, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Mound
Emeritus
would think we watered down the candidates.”
On Nov. 16, just two days before the missionary’s feast day, the archbishop emeritus became the latest to receive the annual award. Father Barry Clayton, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Mound City, presented the award at the end of a special Mass celebrated for the feast day.
The Mass also saw 14 young men and women from the parish and St. Philip Neri Parish in Osawatomie and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in LaCygne confirmed. A celebratory dinner followed in the parish hall.
As he accepted the award, the archbishop emeritus began by jokingly saying, “I’m afraid my mother would think we watered down the candidates.”
Recalling his family’s devotion to the saint, the archbishop said that St. Rose Philippine was a “great example for our young people. She sought a religious vocation during
the French Revolution when people were being killed for being religious or priests. And her own father opposed her in this, but eventually she persevered,” he said.
“She came to the United States as a missionary and served in the St. Louis area where I grew up in Florence and St. Charles. That’s where her remains are,” the archbishop continued. “She came to Kansas because she had this great desire to serve the Native Americans.”
“I hope we don’t tarnish this award too much,” he joked in closing, “but we’ll treasure it and it’s a joy to receive it. And newly confirmed — we’re counting on you! She’s the only canonized saint so far to live in the archdiocese. We’re counting on you to become some of the next ones — even if you’re not canonized — to live holy, saintly lives that will draw others to Jesus Christ as she did.”
Nativity House to host ‘A Holy Night of Gratitude’ Christmas party on Dec. 15
LIBERTY, Mo. — St. Mary’s Home for Mothers and Nativity House KC invite Catholics to “A Holy Night of Gratitude” Christmas party on Dec. 15 at the Precious Blood Renewal Center here, located at 2120 St. Gaspar Way. The evening will begin with Mass at 4 p.m. followed by a performance by the St. Gabriel School Choir at 5 p.m. and the St. Charles Adult Choir at 6 p.m.
Those who attend can meet the organizations’ teams and learn more about their mission to support expectant mothers.
Nativity House KC, located in Kansas City, Kansas, and St. Mary’s Home for Mother’s in Liberty provide shelter, resources and services for women who are pregnant and experiencing homelessness.
An online RSVP is not required but appreciated at: kelly@nativityhousekc.org or at: kelly@stmaryshomeformothers. org.
Richard and Ann (DeHart) Schiefelbein, members of Sacred Heart-St. Joseph Parish, Topeka, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary with a family dinner. The couple was married on Nov. 27, 1965, at Assumption Church, Topeka. Their children are: Sheri Schiefelbein, Topeka; Kathy Noonan, Topeka; Erin Moore, Leawood; and Jeff Schiefelbein, Topeka. They also have nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
ANNIVERSARY SUBMISSIONS
WHERE TO SUBMIT: Email: todd.habiger@theleaven.org.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON
City, presents Archbishop
Joseph F. Naumann with this year’s St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Award. The archbishop’s mother Louise received the award in 2006. As he accepted the award, the archbishop jokingly said, “I’m afraid my mother
This Advent season, make room for those things valued most
Afew years ago, Marie Kondo, a Japanese organizing consultant, established a career by encouraging people to declutter.
“What gives me joy?” she told us to ask ourselves. If it doesn’t give you joy, out it goes.
I’ve repeated that little mantra, often with a touch of sarcasm, as I prepare our old house for a major interior paint job. Everything comes off the walls and shelves, nothing remains on the counters.
We’re stripping rooms to only the furniture the painters can easily cover. Everything else migrates to the attic, where I ask the inevitable question: “Where does all this stuff come from?” Photos, clothes, knickknacks, piles of books, souvenirs. Gifts, family memorabilia.
the window where I pray in the morning, and the approach of autumn — and now winter — stirs something within me.
Moving everything around has propelled me to want to declutter. Organize. Get rid of “stuff.” And deciding what’s treasure and what’s “stuff”?
During this season leading up to Thanksgiving and Advent, this project becomes spiritual as well as material.
I have a spot by
Maybe in part it’s the turmoil in our country and world right now. It’s a time of seeing things pass, of letting go, of feeling a sense of uncertainty. I watch the lush green foliage that climbs up my neighbor’s garage. It turned bright red, then its leaves wilted and fell. Now only the naked stems remain.
This is the cycle of life, I remind myself. Things pass away. I feel that cycle now more clearly as I get older. I don’t say that in a gloomy way; I see opportunity in the paring down, the digging through the junk to the essentials, whether in my overburdened attic or in my overburdened soul.
And my faith teaches me to remember that seeds are falling into the dormant soil, seeds of rebirth.
Lately, I have begun
praying each morning with the day’s Scripture. I read slowly, and I stop when something touches me specifically. Some days, I find the readings less inspiring or more difficult than other days, but I dig for the nuggets, and I let the prayer follow.
St. Paul tells me, “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit intercedes with inexpressible groanings.”
I sense that groaning as the darkness encroaches and the air grows colder. I sense it as I peruse my attic room. How can I connect my morning prayer to this room, this collection of my life? How can I know what to let go?
Just this morning, I gave a friend some old issues of a Catholic magazine. I still had them tucked away as I was going to “finish”
them — someday. She was delighted. Move on, I remind myself. The next issue will be in the mailbox soon. Simplify, my prayer tells me. As Christmas beckons, I face the inevitable shopping list, and I pray about how to pare down, to simplify, to make gifting more about experiences than about more plastic and more stuff. This is an environmental and moral issue. Sort, throw, save, give away. Make room for those things valued most. As I write these words, I see how they pertain both to the clutter and detritus of my material goods, but also to the clutter of my interior life, my soul. Buy less. Give more. Worry less. Pray more. There’s peace in sitting in the morning silence, seeing the naked stems of a once flourishing plant and realizing this, too, brings me joy.
EFFIE CALDAROLA
Effie Caldarola is a wife, mom and grandmother who received her master’s degree in pastoral studies from Seattle University.
OSV NEWS PHOTO/TOM MCCARTHY JR., CATHOLIC REVIEW
A family lights an Advent wreath at their Maryland home.
POPE PROCLAIMS
Newman’s teachings resonate
By Therese Horvat Special to The Leaven
Since his birth in 1801, John Henry Newman has held many titles of distinction. He was an Anglican priest, a convert to Catholicism, a Roman Catholic priest, rector of a university and a cardinal. He has been acclaimed as a prolific writer and a renowned preacher, one of the most influential theologians of the 19th century, and the “hidden father” of the Second Vatican Council. In 2019, Pope Francis canonized Newman a saint.
On Nov. 1 in Rome, Pope Leo XIV bestowed yet another distinction upon St. John Henry Newman by officially declaring him a doctor of the universal church. Across 2,000 years of Catholic Church history, Newman is only the 38th person to receive this special designation, joining the company of St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Catherine of Siena and others.
What does it mean to be a doctor of the Catholic Church? Who was John Henry Newman? Why do his teachings and writings remain relevant today? For the answers, The Leaven talked to the experts.
BEING NAMED A DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
Speaking with authority across time
The Catholic Church confers the title of doctor on saints who have made significant contributions to theology and doctrine. While not identified as infallible, their doctrinal writings and teachings hold special authority and have the depth and breadth to transcend time and culture.
Matthew Muller, Ph.D., associate professor of theology at Benedictine College in Atchison, elaborated.
“To be declared a doctor of the church means that a person’s thought has had a significant influence on the magisterium (teaching authority/role) of the churchThe doctors have continuing relevance and provide insights into divine revelation that are of enduring significance to the church,” said Muller.
Being named a doctor of the church also recognizes an individual’s charism of wisdom and the beneficial influence of his/her teachings.
Brian Hughes, Ph.D., professor of theology at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, said that taken in its entirety, the body of work of a doctor advances the mission of the church and teaches something that is vivifying.
Process akin to becoming a saint
Similar to the cause for canonization, the process for being named a doctor begins with a group of Catholics who apply on the person’s behalf to the Vatican. In Newman’s case, Muller notes that English-speaking bishops’ conferences around the world had long voiced their support for the declaration. Bishops of England and Wales were the formal petitioners.
TO BE DECLARED A DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH MEANS THAT A PERSON’S THOUGHT HAS HAD A SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE ON THE MAGISTERIUM (TEACHING AUTHORITY/ROLE) OF THE CHURCH.
MATTHEW MULLER, PH.D.,
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF THEOLOGY AT BENEDICTINE COLLEGE IN ATCHISON
Both Hughes and Muller contributed content to the “positio,” the book-length document written and compiled by a group of Newman scholars in support of the saint’s being proclaimed a doctor. At the Vatican, committees from the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints and the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith reviewed and affirmed the findings. The Holy Father confirmed their opinion on this past July 31.
The conclusion was that Newman’s writings are “eminent” — outstanding — and of great relevance to the church of his time and of today. A Vatican News reporter called Newman “one of the greatest modern thinkers of Christianity,” a person whose writings show how living the faith is a daily “heart-to-heart dialogue with Christ.”
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales wrote: “St. John Henry Newman is especially remarkable for the breadth of his teaching across many aspects of the faith, his influence upon various branches of doctrine and theology, and his engagement with problems of faith which remain burning issues in our own time.”
A MAN OF PROFOUND FAITH
Anglican roots
From his youth, John Henry Newman had a deep relationship with God, Christ and church. Baptized and raised in the Anglican Church/Church of England, he had an early interest in Scripture. In his 1864 autobiographical work, “Apologia Pro Su Vita” (“Defense of His Life”), he reports a religious experience he had at age 15 that sent him down the path to Anglican priesthood, albeit with a strong antiCatholic bias.
At age 16, Newman attended Trinity College at Oxford, then at Oriel College, Oxford, pursued Church of England seminary formation. Ordained an Anglican priest in 1825 and assigned a congregation, he visited the poor and sick, and tutored college students.
Newman became a popular and respected Anglican priest, and his preaching attracted attention. During this time, he began reading the works of the Fathers
of the Catholic Church. He also developed concerns about the direction of the Anglican Church.
While on a tour in 1833 in Sicily, Newman experienced a life-threatening illness that led to a sort of second conversion. Returning to England, Newman and friends cofounded what came to be known as the Oxford Movement with the goal of renewing the Church of England. They published arguments criticizing the Church of England for becoming complacent and politicized, for which Newman ran afoul of church authorities.
Becoming Catholic
After leaving Oxford for study and prayer, Newman reconsidered his view of Catholicism and came to see the Catholic Church as the true continuation of early Christianity. He was received into the church on Oct. 9, 1845. The National Catholic Register later described his conversion as a “cultural and ecclesial earthquake in England,” given his stature as the nation’s leading religious intellect. Though he lost friends and his position at Oxford, Newman said the decision felt “like coming into port after a rough sea.”
That same year, he published what many regard as his greatest theological work, “An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine.” After further study in Rome, he was ordained a Catholic priest in 1847.
He had been drawn to the communal life of the Oratorians of St. Philip Neri,
OSV NEWS FILE PHOTO/CROSIERS
St. John Henry Newman, a British-born scholar who dedicated much of his life to the combination of faith and intellect at universities, is pictured in an undated portrait. The 19th-century British theologian, intellectual and preacher journeyed from Anglicanism to Catholicism, powerfully shaping religious thought in both faith traditions.
for today’s church and times
and with papal approval, he established the first oratory of St. Philip in England at Birmingham and later a second in London. (An oratory is not a traditional monastic order but a religious society whose members live in a community of charity.)
Committed to higher education, Newman helped establish the Catholic University of Ireland in Dublin, serving as its rector for four years. His lectures there became the foundation for “The Idea of a University,” his classic defense of liberal education.
His later writings included the autobiography tracing his journey from Anglicanism to Catholicism and a study of how individuals come to genuine conviction and belief.
Complex, yet simple
Pope Leo XIII named Newman a cardinal in 1879 and granted him permission to remain in Birmingham where he continued to write. Newman died on Aug. 11, 1890, at age 89.
From his reading of Newman’s letters and diaries, Hughes perceives the saint as a passionate, driven, sometimes overly sensitive but deeply caring person who wanted to obey his conscience at all times.
“At times,” said Hughes, “Newman seems duty-bound and hyperaware of his prejudices and shortcomings, and, at the same time, he reveals a strong obligation to give everything he could to the people around him.”
Muller thinks that one of Newman’s greatest gifts was his ability to understand the complexity of the human mind and people’s interior lives. His sermons demonstrate deep insight into the souls of those who were in his pastoral care.
TEACHINGS RELEVANT FOR TODAY
Writing during the time of the Industrial Revolution, Newman emphasized matters of faith and proclaiming the Gospel in an environment of increasing secularism and dehumanization. In a recent Ignatian Press podcast, Bishop Stephen Lopes said today’s technological revolution creates a new secularism that requires recapturing the imagination theologically in a similar way.
Development of doctrine
Newman taught that authentic Christianity has continued unbroken from the apostles to today. He asked how the simple faith of the early church grew into more elaborate beliefs and concluded that these changes arose through a historical and social process shaped by human insight and circumstance.
He saw this growth as organic: Doctrine unfolds and matures over time without losing its original essence. For an idea to remain true, it must be able to change and develop — like a living thing. Though some critics called his view heretical, the church later drew on it in defining the Immaculate Conception (1854) and in Vatican II’s Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (“Dei Verbum”).
In 1986, Pope Benedict XVI (then
Cardinal Ratzinger) called Newman’s idea of doctrinal development one of Catholicism’s decisive insights, integrating history and faith within theology.
Muller believes that Newman’s teaching on the development of doctrine was instrumental in earning him the title doctor of the church.
“Newman’s theory of doctrinal development, while created to explain how things have changed or grown over the centuries, also attempts to show how things remain the same,” said Muller.
“Ideas ‘change in order to remain the same,’ Newman said. So, development isn’t a blank check to do what we want with the church,” he added. “Instead, it is a complex process that we do not do, but God does through the church as we communicate the truth of divine revelation to the world.”
Conscience
Newman believed that the most pervasive evidence for the existence of God is the reality of conscience — the inescapable witness in every human heart that speaks of the objective reality of right and wrong. Conscience is the voice of God within a person.
Newman affirmed that conscience needs illumination by the Gospel and by teachings of the church — it isn’t a matter of personal taste or preferences. For Newman, the existence and demand of conscience point believers beyond themselves to seek God whose goodness and righteousness conscience reflects.
Consulting the faithful
In 1859, Newman published the thencontroversial article, “On Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine.” His study of church history revealed that the Catholic faithful and their pastors were guardians of the faith. Newman wanted a church where faith and intellect were valued along with the gifts of various members.
His views on the role of the laity received little traction in the 19th century but were influential in the 20th century and the emphasis of Vatican II on the people of God. Likewise, Newman’s understanding of church resonates with the focus on synodality — a listening church with room for all at the table for discussion.
“Newman had a strong view that the teaching church and the listening church must form a unitive, reciprocal dynamism for discernment and future church teaching — social, moral, economic and spiritual emphases,” said Hughes.
University education
For some, Newman is most remembered for his support of a liberal education. His contributions to education reinforced the dignity of the human person; the importance of the heart; the role of the intellect and the need to cultivate it; and the value of moral and intellectual development.
Muller attributes renewal in Catholic higher education over the last half century to Newman’s vision. He notes that many American Catholics know the name Newman from “Newman Centers” associated with Catholic campus ministry programs, usually at public universities, and, more recently, the Cardinal Newman Society.
COURTESY PHOTO
Newman scholars with local ties celebrate new doctor of the church
By Therese Horvat Special to The Leaven
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Two scholars from the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas had the honor of contributing documentation in support of St. John Henry Newman being named a doctor of the church.
Brian Hughes and Matthew Muller literally got to see their efforts come to fruition at the Nov. 1 ceremonies in Rome where Pope Leo XIV made the declaration official. Hughes is a professor of theology at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth; Muller is associate professor of theology at Benedictine College in Atchison.
Both men are associated with the National Institute for Newman Studies (NINS) that coordinated compilation of a 300-page chapter of the book-length white paper submitted to the Vatican. Hughes and Muller each authored an article in this section defending Newman’s theology as having authority and relevance across time. NINS also facilitated access to Newman’s published works for review by Vatican committees.
“I feel incredibly blessed,” said Muller, “to have been a part of this. It was truly historic, and being at St. Pe-
CONCLUSION
In the end, Muller credits Newman with showing believers a path forward and sharing principles for thinking through the challenges of modernity. This includes the recognition that there is religious truth and that humans are capable of knowing and confirming these truths; that divine providence is operative behind all; that revelation unfolds according to God’s time and influence; and that
ter’s Square for the Mass really made that sink in. Everyone in our group shared their sense of awe and amazement that we were able to contribute to Newman becoming a doctor of the church.”
Hughes was impressed by the reverence and prayerfulness of the thousands of people throughout the liturgy.
“I felt rooted and present the entire time to be with pilgrims, seekers and believers from all corners of the globe,” he said. “Spiritual energy, faith and hope were palpable throughout the liturgy.”
Describing Newman as a modern saint and a modern doctor of the church, Hughes elaborated.
“Newman lived and preached a spirituality rooted in the experience of the Holy Spirit through community, friendship and service,” said Hughes.
“Perhaps above all,” he continued, “his spirituality channeled and developed his motto as cardinal, a spirituality of deep encounter with the ‘other’ – ‘Cor ad cor loquitur’ – ‘Heart speaks to heart.’
“This phrase is so desperately needed in this time of political, social and economic division around the globe to remind everyone that we are all part of the same reality that God lovingly created and wills to be one.”
God has a personal calling for and desires a personal relationship with everyone. That calling and relationship are foundational to Newman’s spirituality which, compared to the complexity of his theological discourse, seems to follow a simpler path.
In the end, newly named doctor of the church St. John Henry Newman advocated doing the ordinary in extraordinary ways as the journey toward perfection and holiness.
Matthew Muller (left) of Benedictine College in Atchison and Brian Hughes of the University of St. Mary in Leavenworth stand in St. Peter’s Square for the liturgy to celebrate the elevation of St. John Henry Newman to the status of doctor of the universal church.
Thanksgiving meal distribution assists families in Wyandotte County
KANSAS CITY, Kan — Hundreds of Creative Planning employees and their family members — led by Peter Mallouk, president and CEO of Creative Planning, LLC, and his wife Veronica — distributed 1,200 frozen turkeys with all the fixings to families in Wyandotte County served by Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas on Nov. 22 at Hope Distribution Center here.
This partnership between the wealth management firm headquartered in Overland Park and Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas began over five years ago when Creative Planning offered to join the organization’s efforts to provide a Thanksgiving meal to individuals and families in need.
It was determined that the company’s generosity could have the greatest impact in Wyandotte County, the largest of the 21 counties served by Catholic Charities, where approximately 16% of the population is food insecure.
Creative Planning underwrites the cost of providing the turkeys, as well as the fixings such as potatoes, stuffing, green beans, pie and more. In addition to the financial donation, the company’s employees and their family members volunteer and pack the bags of food. They even load the bags, along with the turkeys, into the cars of individuals and families in need who have signed up in advance through the agency. Turkeys and meal kits are also given out to seniors ages 55 and older who participate in the Foster Grandparent Program, tutoring and mentoring at-risk children in Wyandotte County.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE
Fiona and Jessica Rank, members of St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee, help organize potatoes that go with the 1,200 turkeys distributed at the Holy Distribution Center.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE
Peter Mallouk, president and CEO of Creative Planning, LLC, helps with the distribution of turkeys. Creative Planning underwrote the cost of the turkeys and fixings.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE
Creative Planning employees and their families work to fill bags full of Thanksgiving goodies for families in need in Wyandotte County.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE
Lilly Concannon, a member of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Parish in Kansas City, Missouri, loads a car full of Thanksgiving foods for a family in need.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE
Three young boys help with the distribution of frozen turkeys to families served by Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas on Nov. 22 at Hope Distribution Center in Kansas City, Kansas.
Gunmen abduct over 300 in a Nigerian Catholic school
By Ngala Killian Chimton OSV News
PAPIRI, Nigeria (OSV News) —
During the Nov. 23 Angelus prayer, Pope Leo XIV appealed for the release of over 300 children and teachers abducted from a Catholic school in central Nigeria.
He said he was “deeply saddened to learn of the kidnapping,” mentioning not only Nigeria, but also Cameroon, where six Catholic priests from the Archdiocese of Bamenda were kidnapped in Ndop, Cameroon.
“I feel great pain,” Pope Leo said, “above all for the many young men and women who have been abducted and for their distressed families.
“I make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages and urge the competent authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to ensure their release.”
He asked for prayers that “churches and schools may always and everywhere remain places of safety and hope.”
The number of children abducted from a Nigerian Catholic school on Nov. 21 has been updated to 303 schoolchildren, the Christian Association of Nigeria said Nov. 22. Twelve teachers also have been taken by gunmen. Earlier reports indicated that 215 schoolchildren had been abducted.
The students were both male and female and ranged in age from 10 to 18, CAN said in a statement.
The Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna said 88 students were “captured after they tried to escape” during the attack and a final census carried out confirmed the number of kidnapped children is bigger.
The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora in Nigeria’s Niger state confirmed the kidnapping in a statement issued Nov. 21.
Signed by the diocesan secretary, Father Jatau Luka Joseph, the statement indicates that gunmen attacked St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, in the Agwarra local government area, between 1 and 3 a.m. local time on Nov. 21.
As they abducted students and teachers, the gunmen shot security personnel.
The diocese said it “strongly condemns the attack and expresses deep concern for the safety of the kidnapped children and their families.”
“Security agencies were immediately informed and have begun coordinated efforts to ensure the safe rescue and return of the victims,” Father Jatau said in the statement, assuring that the diocese “is actively collaborating with security operatives, community leaders and government authorities.”
The diocese urged the public to remain calm, support security efforts and continue praying for the safe and
these brutal attacks,” she said on X.
News Nov. 21.
I MAKE A HEARTFELT APPEAL FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF THE HOSTAGES AND URGE THE COMPETENT AUTHORITIES TO TAKE APPROPRIATE AND TIMELY DECISIONS TO ENSURE THEIR RELEASE.
POPE LEO XIV
quick return of all those abducted.
The Christian Association of Nigeria also condemned the attack and expressed “deep concern for the safety of the kidnapped children and their families.”
“CAN also reaffirms our commitment to the protection of children and promises to provide further updates as verified information becomes available,” the statement said. “May the Lord grant quick release to those abducted and continue to protect his people from all dangers.”
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the “renewed violence against Christian communities in Nigeria.”
“Religious freedom is an inviolable right: We call on the Nigerian government to strengthen the protection of Christian and all religious communities and to prosecute those responsible for
“Italy expresses its deepest sympathy to the victims and to the communities in Nigeria who today feel threatened because of their religious beliefs,” Meloni said.
Niger state’s Police Command said it had already deployed police to Papiri to ensure that the kidnapped students and teachers are freed.
“Police tactical units, military components and other security agencies have moved to the scene, combing the forests with a view to rescue the abducted students,” said Wasiu Abiodun, public relations officer for the police.
He said the goal is “to rescue the students unhurt.”
The Niger state kidnapping comes just five days after a similar attack in neighboring Kebbi state, where 25 girls were abducted from a government school. The vice principal of the school was killed during that attack.
On Nov. 19, attackers stormed Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, killing three worshipers and abducting several others, including the pastor.
No group has taken responsibility for the string of attacks, but advocates now say emphatically that what happens to Christians in Nigeria is genocide.
“Is there anyone who can say that there is no Christian genocide in Nigeria?” asked Emeka Umeagbalasi, director of the Catholic-inspired nongovernmental organization Intersociety.
“There is a deliberate plan to wipe out Christianity from Nigeria,” he told OSV
The latest Intersociety report revealed that an average of 32 Christians are killed in Nigeria every day. The report published in August indicates that as many as 7,000 Christians were massacred across Nigeria in the first 220 days of 2025.
It said at least 185,000 people, including 125,000 Christians and 60,000 moderate Muslims had been killed in Nigeria since 2009.
The report, which covers the period from 2010 to October 2025, details the destruction of 19,100 churches and the seizure of 1,100 Christian communities by Islamic extremist forces allegedly protected by the government.
The NGO also issued an updated version, indicating that between Oct. 28 and Nov. 17, 113 Christians were killed in Nigeria and 135 others were abducted, according to Umeagbalasi.
The report also highlights a pattern of targeting spiritual leaders, with 600 clerics abducted and dozens more killed or missing.
“I just don’t know what to say anymore after this latest kidnapping attack in Niger State, Nigeria, at St. Mary’s Catholic School,” Sean Nelson, senior counsel of ADF International Christian advocacy group, said on X on Nov. 21.
“The terrorists want to destroy the futures of a generation of young girls & boys. They want to destroy Christians,” he said.
“They are enemies of civilization,” he concluded.
Metal beds in a hostel room are seen Nov. 18 after gunmen attacked a government boarding school for girls in Nigeria’s Kebbi state Nov. 17, killing the vice principal and abducting 25 female students, according to police in Kebbi. Four days later an unspecified number of students and teachers were kidnapped from a Catholic school in Nigeria’s Niger state, adding to a growing number of attacks on Christians in the West African nation.
EMPLOYMENT
Part-time music coordinator - Do you have a strong knowledge of sacred music and Catholic liturgy? Are you organized and enjoy planning, coordinating, scheduling and collaborating with people? If so, Sacred Heart Church in Shawnee has the perfect role for you! This position is nonplaying and focuses on administration, scheduling and volunteer support, but requires a strong knowledge of music and Catholic liturgy to ensure the proper and prayerful selection of music for all parish liturgies. Visit employment opportunities at: www.shoj.org to apply!
Part-time kitchen assistant - Nativity School in Leawood is seeking a part-time kitchen assistant, 8 to 15 hours a week. Duties will include prepping food, serving food, setting up/breaking down food service line and garden bar, cleaning and washing dishes. Any candidate hired will need to pass a criminal background check and attend Virtus training as conditions of employment. Applicants should email principal Luke Jennison at: luke.jennison@kcnativity.org.
Cafeteria director - Nativity School in Leawood is seeking a full-time cafeteria director for immediate hire. Duties will include leadership and management of the kitchen, menu planning, food ordering, food safety and compliance, financial and inventory management, customer service, fostering a positive work atmosphere and administrative tasks. Any candidate hired will need to pass a criminal background check and attend Virtus training as conditions of employment. Applicants should email principal Luke Jennison at: luke.jennison@kcnativity.org.
In-home care assistant - Experienced in-home caregiver needed ASAP in Gardner. 35-hr./wk any day/ time at $18/hr. Please call (816) 388-0414.
Catholic elementary school principal - Holy Spirit School in Overland Park is seeking a dynamic and visionary leader with a passion for Catholic education. The principal will continue the school’s tradition of forming disciples, pursuing academic excellence and spiritual growth. The principal will lead by example and inspire a team of dedicated faculty and staff. Applicants must have or be eligible for Kansas licensure in educational leadership. Apply online at: archkckcs. org/apply. For more information, contact Vince Cascone at: vcascone@archkckcs.org.
Director of nursing and math adjunct - Donnelly College is seeking a director of nursing for an exempt, full-time position. The adjunct math instructor position is on our Lansing campus. Please email resume, three references and cover letter answering “How do you understand Donnelly College’s mission and how would you contribute to it?” to: www.hr@donnelly.edu with your last name and the job title in the subject line.
Administrative assistant - Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth are seeking an experienced administrative assistant to provide high-level support for Sisters in leadership (three councilors). This role requires organizational skills, professionalism and the ability to discreetly handle a wide variety of sensitive and confidential information. This position acts in a manner that is reflective of the philosophy and mission of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. Resume and cover letter required. For the full job description, to review additional open positions and/or to apply, please visit our website: https://www.scls.org/employees.
Gift planning consultant - The Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas is seeking to hire a gift planning consultant. This position will build and maintain relationships with pastors, individual donors and professional advisers. Please visit “Employment Opportunities” on the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas website for more information or to apply.
Facilities director - Villa St. Francis is seeking a facilities director to direct the maintenance and upkeep of the building and grounds through maintenance staff, as well as inspect completed work for conformance to standards and policies. Prior maintenance and leadership experience is preferred. If interested, please contact Kendra Unruh at: KUnruh@ CatholicCommunityHealth.org.
In-home care assistant - We are looking for an engaging in-home caregiver for our son with special needs in western Shawnee. He loves music, interacting with others, reading books and is learning new life skills. Help needed on Wednesday and Friday evenings and on weekends at $17/hr. Please call (785) 393-1589.
Administrative assistant - COME JOIN OUR TEAM! A small family-owned company located in Lenexa is looking for an assistant to answer phones, invoicing, vendor relations, some shipping/receiving and assist in the sales process. We need a team member who is organized, detail-oriented, self-motivated, trustworthy, has a positive attitude and, above all else, gives excellent customer service. Schedule flexibility. Send your resume to: YourCareer101@gmail.com or call (913) 631-3000. Please call me with any questions.
Catholic elementary school principal - St. Matthew School in Topeka is seeking a dynamic and visionary leader with a passion for Catholic education. The principal will continue the school’s tradition of forming disciples, pursuing academic excellence and spiritual growth. The principal will lead by example and inspire a team of dedicated faculty and staff. Applicants must have or be eligible for Kansas licensure in educational leadership. Apply online at: archkckcs.org/apply. For more information, contact Vince Cascone at: vcascone@ archkckcs.org.
Vice president of mission education and community engagement - Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas has an opening for a vice president of mission education and community engagement. As a member of the executive team, the vice president requires a robust combination of theological and ethical knowledge, an understanding of political systems and familiarity with the institutional structure of the Roman Catholic Church. This expertise is necessary to effectively translate Catholic social teachings into practical and impactful employee, volunteer and community education and formation activities as well as policy advocacy. The vice president provides collaborative, strategic partnership to other ministry-wide functions and key initiatives including, but not limited to, new hire employee and volunteer formation; volunteer recruitment; advocacy; and poverty education. The vice president coordinates and participates in the agency’s ongoing relationships with parishes, other Catholic organizations, civic organizations, businesses and interfaith groups who share a commitment to social justice. The vice president is directly responsible for increasing the volume of volunteers and other outreach activities like food drives through the building of external partnerships to mobilize others into the mission of Catholic Charities. Please go to: https://catholiccharitiesks.org/ careers/ for more information.
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, long-term care and annuity products with other Catholics. This is a fulltime 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) 408-8800, or john.mahon@kofc.org.
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.
Office property manager - Edwardsville Court Apartments is seeking an office property manager. We are willing to train you. Inquiries, please call (913) 441-6007.
College access advisor - Would you enjoy a rewarding career helping youth in foster care prepare for college and careers? Hiring a full-time advisor in Topeka. Please contact Tammy at: tammy.katsbulas@wichita.edu or (785) 217-8029 for additional information.
Principal - Lead a school where hearts meet the heart of Jesus! Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish school in Shawnee, a vibrant Catholic pre-K-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://arch kckcs.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, onthe-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.
SERVICES
Joe’s Decks & More Deck and fence repair, mowing and handyman services Member of St. Joseph in Shawnee (913) 449-9848
Pure Touch Cleaning KC - Bringing warmth and comfort back into your home this winter! Locally owned • Women-led • Family-based care you can trust. Deep cleans • Regular maintenance • Move-in/out • Holiday prep. Call/ text: Owner Nicole (913) 999-6267. Let us make your home feel fresh, cozy and ready for the season.
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
Tutor - Pre-K-12-college. All subjects. Satisfaction guaranteed. Sliding scale rates. Text HELP to (913) 259-4553.
Pro Force Property Cleanout Services - Full home and property cleanouts: furniture, appliances, trash. Yard cleanup including trees or any debris. We do eviction or foreclosure cleanouts, move in, move out. Cleanouts throughout the Greater Kansas City area. Call Michael at (913) 565-5206 or email: MichaelMcMahan012@gmail.com.
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!
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@mikehammer moving.com.
Landscaping
Design or Renovate! Light tree trimming/gutters Fall cleanup/leaf removal Free estimates; local parishioners. Call Charles or Emily (913) 605-8145.
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.
Double A’s Lawn Service
Lawn mowing, Mulching, Gutters, Leaf Removal Brush Removal & Hedge Trimming Free Estimates & Insured Alex Spoerre (913) 488-5195
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.
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
Popcorn ceiling texture removal
Call Jerry at (913) 206-1144. 30 years’ experience. Interior painting specialist. Member St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.
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
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, sunrooms 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 SALE
For sale - Two plots in Resurrection North Cemetery, off of Cookingham Rd. in Kansas City, Missouri. Both plots are located in the Annunciation Garden, lot 185, section D, spaces 3 and 4. Beautiful location, shaded area with benches close by and easy access from the cemetery road. Value is $2095 each, selling both for $4000, which includes perpetual care. Please contact Chuck at (816) 519-9288 and leave a voicemail. I will return your call within the same day.
For sale - Glass front double niche at Resurrection Cemetery in Lenexa; Holy Family Mausoleum, Jesus Son of God corridor, tier A, niche 24. Eye-level, includes 2 Arlington urns. Asking $10,000. Buyer pays $250 transfer fee. Contact Bill at (913) 708-3110.
For sale - Single plot in beautiful area of Mt. Calvary, KCK. Section 9, lot 21, space 3. Valued at $2395, asking $1750. I pay $250 conveyance fee. Contact Ann at (913) 530-3490.
For sale - $275,000; lovely 2-bed/2-bath, 1st-floor, 1300 sq. ft. corner unit condo in Fort Myers, Florida. 20 minutes from beaches. Fully furnished, Catholic- owned second home; NOT an Airbnb. Used 4 months/year for the past 15 years. Pet/smoke free. Financially solid, quiet community. Large pool. Never flooded. Contact Enrico (720) 688-4974 for photos/details.
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.)
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.
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.
European pilgrimage - March 15-25, 2026, join Father William Carey, Deacon Tom Doyle and Grace Legaspi on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje, Lourdes and Paris. Celebrate Mass at Lourdes, Sacre Coeur overlooking Paris and at the place where Our Lady gave us the Miraculous Medal. See the incorrupt body of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and the updated Notre Dame Cathedral! Traverse the steps millions have climbed on Apparition Hill. Email Grace at: mgrace legaspi@gmail.com for details.
WANTED TO BUY
BUYING OIL & GAS ROYALTIES
Simplify your life. Paying 48 times average last 6 months income. Call Dan (913) 980-0946. 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.
REAL ESTATE
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
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.
CONCEPTION ABBEY GIVING
TUESDAY EVENT
Conception Abbey (gym)
37174 State Hwy. VV, Conception, Missouri
Dec. 2 at 6 p.m.
Conception Abbey and Tri-C Partners 4 Progress are helping families in need. Donations of all kinds can be dropped off any time before or during the event. This includes items from the adopted families’ wish lists, nonperishable food, personal hygiene items, baby items and stocking stuffers for children and adults.
HOLY SPIRIT TOUR OF SANTA MARTA
3800 W. 116th St., Olathe
Dec. 3 at 11 a.m.
Holy Spirit, Overland Park, parishioners are invited to enjoy a tour and lunch at Santa Marta, the archdiocesan senior living community. Send an email to Terri at: tlynn@hscatholic.org or call (913) 492-7318, ext. 180, to sign up.
ADVENT SILENT RETREAT
Christ’s Peace House of Prayer 22131 Meagher Rd., Easton
Dec. 5 to Dec. 7
Prepare your heart for Christ’s coming with a silent Advent retreat based on Edward Sri’s “Dawn of the Messiah.” Cabins/courtyard rooms are: $180 single/$270 couple or single guest rooms: $110 (meals included). To attend, fill out the individual retreat form online at: Christs Peace.com or call (913) 773-8255.
SILVER ROSE HOLY HOUR
Divine Mercy Church
555 W. Main St., Gardner
Dec. 5 at 6 p.m.
Come venerate the Sacred Heart icon and the Knights of Columbus traveling Silver Rose — a North American pilgrimage honoring life, unity and spiritual renewal. The Silver Rose travels from Canada to Mexico, ending at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Join us in praying the Divine Mercy chaplet and Sacred Heart devotions.
IGNATIAN MORNING OF REFLECTION
Church of the Nativity
3800 W. 119th St., Leawood Dec. 6 from 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Rev. Larry Ehren will lead a morning of prayer and “Holy Waiting” that includes light breakfast snacks and coffee. Details and registration are found online at: ignatiancenterkc.org/events/2025/ advent-morning.
FORGIVENESS PRESENTATION
Christ the King Church (Yadrich Hall) 5973 S.W. 25th St., Topeka Dec. 6 from 9 to 11 a.m.
This presentation provides tools to help you or someone you know reach peace through healing. The event is free and open to all. Register with Pat Carter at (785) 2200757 or online at: pcarter1223@gmail.com.
ICARE MINISTRIES MASS
Queen of the Holy Rosary Church
7023 W. 71st St., Overland Park
Dec 6 at 6 p.m.
iCare Ministries provides two adapted Mass opportunities per month for children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families. Send an email to: icarenek@gmail.com with questions. Visit the website at: icare-ministries.org for more information.
CHRISTMAS SHOPPE
Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish (hall)
7023 W. 71st St., Overland Park
Dec. 6 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Dec. 7 from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Over 40 vendors will be in attendance. Join us for lunch at our concession stand, then shop and take home dinner and dessert from the casserole and bake sale.
Santa Claus will visit on Saturday from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. All proceeds benefit financial aid at John Paul II School.
HOLY ROSARY RALLY
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne Parish
5035 Rainbow Blvd.
Mission Woods
Dec. 7 from 3 to 4:15 p.m.
We will pray the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries of the rosary followed by Benediction and the opportunity for attendees to enroll in the brown scapular. Come honor our Blessed Mother and our Lady of Fatima. For more information, go online to: www.rosaryrallieskc.org.
BREAKFAST WITH SANTA & PROGRAM
Holy Trinity Church
13615 W. 92nd St., Lenexa
Dec. 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.
The Knights of Columbus will be adding a “Keeping Christ in Christmas” program to the pancake breakfast this year. Children ages 4 to 8 will process with the baby Jesus and will place him in the manger and there will be a reading and a song.
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE CELEBRATION
Queen of the Holy Rosary Church
7023 W. 71st St., Overland Park
Dec. 12 at 6 p.m.
Father Bill Bruning will celebrate Mass with music by Mariachi Fuego. A reception after Mass in the parish hall features Mexican pastries and hot chocolate.
BINGO NIGHT
Sacred Heart Church
2646 S. 34th St., Kansas City, Kansas Dec. 13 at 7 p.m.
The Knights of Columbus will be hosting bingo for cash prizes. Refreshments will be sold. There will be drawings to win four hams. For more information, call Kevin at (913) 207-0900.
PADRE PIO PRAYER HOUR
Queen of the Holy Rosary Church 7023 W. 71st St., Overland Park
Dec. 13 at 9 a.m.
Do you have a special devotion to Padre Pio? Join us in prayer!
LIVING NATIVITY
Community Indoor Area
Douglas County Fairgrounds
1930 Harper St., Lawrence Dec. 14 from 1 to 4 p.m.
The Franciscan Servants of the Holy Family are hosting a living Nativity with live animals, music and more. This is a free event.
BREAKFAST WITH THE KNIGHTS
Divine Mercy Church
555 W. Main St., Gardner Dec. 14 from 8:30 to 10 a.m.
Breakfast Includes eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, waffles and drinks. The cost is: $6 for those over the age of 13; free for ages 12 and under.
A LESSONS AND CAROLS SERVICE
Holy Angels Church
15438 Leavenworth Rd. Basehor Dec. 14 at 5 p.m.
Come to hear prayer, carols and hymns that are appropriate to the Advent season.
WIDOWED WOMEN OF FAITH LUNCH
Perkins (back room)
1720 S.W. Wanamaker Rd., Topeka
Dec. 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Join other “Widowed Women of Faith” for lunch and companionship. No RSVP is needed; just come and invite others. We meet every month on the third Tuesday and will continue all through 2025. Questions? Send an email to: WidowedWomenofFaith@ gmail.com or call Julie at (913) 558-0191.
DAILY READINGS
FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT
Nov. 30
FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Is 2: 1-5
Ps 122: 1-9
Rom 13: 1-14
Mt 24: 37-44
Dec. 1
Advent Weekday
Is 4: 2-6
Ps 122: 1-9
Mt 8: 5-11
Dec. 2
Advent Weekday
Is 11: 1-10
Ps 72: 1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
Lk 10: 21-24
Dec. 3
Francis Xavier, priest
Is 25: 6-10a
Ps 23: 1-6
Mt 15: 29-37
Dec. 4
John Damascene, priest, doctor of the church
Is 26: 1-6
Ps 118: 1, 8-9, 19-21, 25-27a
Mt 7: 21, 24-27
Dec. 5
Advent Weekday Is 29: 17-24
Ps 27: 1, 4, 13-14
Mt 9: 27-31
Dec. 6
Nicholas, bishop
Is 30: 19-21, 23-26
Ps 147: 1-6
Mt 9:35 – 10:1, 5a, 6-8
SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT
Dec. 7
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Is 11: 1-10
Ps 72: 1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17
Rom 15: 4-9
Mt 3: 1-12
Dec. 8
THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
Gn 3: 9-15, 20
Ps 98: 1-4
Eph 1: 3-6, 11-12
Lk 1: 26-38
Dec. 9
Juan Diego
Cuauhtlatoatzin
Is 40: 1-11
Ps 96: 1-3, 10ac, 11-13
Mt 18: 12-14
Dec. 10
Our Lady of Loreto
Is 40: 25-31
Ps 103: 1-4, 8, 10
Mt 11: 28-30
Dec. 11
Damasus I, pope
Is 41: 13-20
Ps 145: 1, 9-13ab
Mt 11: 11-15
Dec. 12
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE
Zec 2: 14-17
(Ps) Jdt 13: 18bc, 19
Lk 1: 26-38
Dec. 13
Lucy, virgin, martyr
Sir 48: 1-4, 9-11
Ps 80: 2ac, 3b, 15-16, 18-19
Mt 17: 9a, 10-13
Why do we do these things?
Tradition!
From the first moment I experienced the musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” I was hooked. The shtetl Anatevka reminded me so much of where I grew up: the Croatian neighborhood of Strawberry Hill in Kansas City, Kansas.
The father Tevye in “Fiddler” could have been my dad or other men on the Hill who loved to break into song and dance at a moment’s notice. The devoted and spunky wife Golde of “Fiddler” could have been my mom, my “kuma” (“godmother”) or so many other incredible women.
“Fiddler”-like memories came flooding back to my mind as I returned to my home parish of St. John the Baptist on Oct. 25 to mark the church’s 125th anniversary. (See the story on page 5 for more details.) I attended grade school there and received all my sacraments in that church — baptism, first penance, Eucharist, confirmation and ordination
SFATHER
MARK GOLDASICH
Father Mark is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989.
to the priesthood. As I concelebrated Mass with pastor Father Joseph Arsenault, SSA, my mouth sang the familiar Croatian hymns like “Isusa Ljubim” (“Jesus, I Love You”) and the “Jaganjče Božji” (“Lamb of God”). And I could practically feel the church shake as voices proclaimed the recessional “Tebe Boga Hvalimo” (“Holy God, We Praise Thy Name”). I was honored to
MARK MY WORDS
do the prayer at the festive meal and dance in the parish hall following Mass. I recalled those “old-timers” who founded the parish and were around in my early years who have passed on to eternal life. (Now I’m one of those old-timers!)
Among the invited guests were six School Sisters of St. Francis of Christ the King from Lemont, Illinois, the religious order that taught for years at the parish school. Although all my former teachers have died, it was appropriate to pay tribute to these women who formed so many of us in the Catholic faith and instilled in us a love of learning.
My eyes teared up at the end of the meal to see the hall packed to the gills and everyone raising a toast and shouting, “Živili!” (“To life!”) And no gathering on the Hill would be complete without tamburitza music and dancing, especially the kolo (circle dance).
In my mind, I could hear Tevye belting out the song, “Tradition.” How my life was influenced by Croatian traditions. Why do we have three meats at every wedding or funeral meal? Tradition! Why do family gatherings so often include povitica (nut bread)? Tradition! (As a side note, I consider “povi” as “bread from heaven.”) Why do Croatians bravely consume šlivovice (plum brandy, which, I think, is also useful for removing rust from garden tools or your car’s chassis)? Tradition! Why should a male be the first to enter your home on New Year’s Day? For good luck, of course! Hey, it’s tradition!
So, what are the
traditions celebrated by your family? If you have none, Advent is the perfect time to adopt some. Start by putting out shoes on the evening of Dec. 5, so that St. Nick can fill them with goodies on Dec. 6! Go out and take in Christmas lights on Dec. 13, the feast of St. Lucy, whose name means “light.” You can also plant some wheat seeds in a dish on her feast day — another Croatian tradition called “psenica.” By Christmas Day, the wheat should have grown pretty tall, signaling a prosperous year. (If it didn’t grow, replant with some different wheat seeds!)
I concluded my prayer at the anniversary meal with words that might fit all our lives: “For all that has been accomplished, we’re thankful, Lord. For all that we have yet to do, we ask for the guidance and strength of the Holy Spirit. In short, all we can say is, “Hvala ti, Bože, na svemu” (“Thank you, God, for everything”).
Although the world is dark, look for the light of Jesus
ince ancient times, Romans 13 has been read by Christians at Advent. To wake up spiritually to the reality of Christ’s presence is the message: “You know the time; it is the hour for you to awake from sleep.”
Such is the simple exhortation, given in the church’s scriptural voice, heard at the beginning of Advent: Wake up!
Now St. Paul here in Romans is talking about the Christian life as such. However, the metaphor, the call to “awake from sleep,” calls to mind at once both Easter and Advent, two of the three “comings of Christ,” to use St. Bernard of
Father
Rita Catholic Community in Dallas and author of “The Crisis of Bad Preaching” and other books.
Clairvaux’s famous way of putting it.
In the Letter to the Ephesians, for example, the writer quotes what
is likely an ancient baptismal hymn: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light” (Eph 5:14). To “wake up” in this verse is to wake up from death — spiritually, morally and ultimately bodily; it is to participate in the Easter event.
Which, of course, the meaning of this passage from Romans also includes. However, to read this passage as we do now before Christmas, to contemplate the “light” in this passage, as the days grow shorter and darker, is to begin to think of the light that is Jesus Christ, the light born in the darkness of Christmas night. Basically, the church is saying to us
that although the world is dark, look for the light of Jesus. And then, act like it. St. Paul is talking about enlightenment, a spiritual illumination that changes people, changes the way they live their lives. “Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day,” St. Paul says (Rom 13:12-14).
Leaving behind the works and “desires of the flesh,” Christians should live as if Christ is fully present now, reigning now; because, of course, he is, although we see it by faith only in mystery and in the life of the church, in our love for
one another. This, I think, is the spiritual key to help us understand the other two readings from Isaiah and Matthew. The invitation, for instance, to “climb the Lord’s mountain” and to “walk in his paths” in peace is spiritually and morally the same invitation St. Paul offers in Romans (Is 2:3).
And Jesus’ warning in Matthew not to get distracted or tempted, as “in the days of Noah,” by the ordinary and sometimes seemingly benign lure of the world, is spiritually and morally the same thing as St. Paul’s exhortation to “put on the armor of light” (Mt 24:37; Rom 13:12).
Pope calls treatment of migrants in U.S. ‘extremely disrespectful’
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Insisting that the dignity of all people, including immigrants, must be respected, Pope Leo XIV asked U.S. Catholics and “people of goodwill” to read and listen to the U.S. bishops’ recent pastoral message on the topic.
“When people are living good lives — and many of them (in the United States) for 10, 15, 20 years
— to treat them in a way that is extremely disrespectful, to say the least,” is not acceptable, the pope said Nov. 18.
Meeting reporters outside his villa in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo was asked what he thought of the “special pastoral message on immigration” approved overwhelmingly by members of the U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops Nov. 12.
The pastoral message is “a very important statement. I would invite especially all Catholics, but people of goodwill, to listen carefully to what they said,” he said. In enforcing immigration policy “we have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have.”
FATHER JOSHUA J. WHITFIELD
Joshua J. Whitfield is pastor of St.
Hospice workers, volunteers serve as stewards of souls
There’s a quiet part of our Catholic life that offers one of the most beautiful works of mercy we’re given to do: praying for the souls in purgatory.
So much of our ministry at Catholic Community Health is about caring for those who walk the final steps of their earthly journey. We accompany them, pray with them and entrust them to the mercy of God. The church reminds us that our care doesn’t end with their last breath. Love doesn’t end there, either. In fact, our love — expressed through
HEALTHCARE, THE CATHOLIC WAY!
same body of Christ.
prayer — becomes even more powerful. It can be easy to think of purgatory as
a punishment, but in reality, it is God’s mercy, preparing the souls there to spend eternity with him. Those souls, who can no longer pray for themselves, rely on us. They are our brothers and sisters, members of the
I think often of the prayers at the bedside of a hospice patient, the last rosaries offered by our volunteers and the countless moments when someone breathes their last as a chaplain recites the Divine Mercy chaplet. These prayers don’t fall to the floor. They rise. They continue. They echo into eternity, carrying that soul to Christ.
The truth is, many people die without anyone to pray for them by name. God has given us the privilege of standing in the gap. When we pray for the
forgotten, the overlooked, the unknown, we live out our Catholic identity. We claim them as family.
This is a stewardship we don’t talk about enough — not the stewardship of buildings or budgets, but the stewardship of souls. Just as our volunteers bring residents to the chapel for Mass or hold the hand of someone taking their final breaths, so too can each of us help carry souls the rest of the way home through prayer.
In a world that moves quickly, remembering the dead slows us down and roots us
again in what matters most: heaven. If you’re looking for a place to begin, start small: a Hail Mary for a soul in purgatory. Offer your next Communion for someone who has no one to pray for them. Pray the Divine Mercy chaplet for the next obituary you read. We care for people in life with compassion, dignity and faith. Let us also care for them in death with confident prayer. This is the kind of stewardship that builds not only strong communities on earth, but a joyful reunion in heaven.
Hospitality, when rooted in human dignity, becomes ministry
Savior Pastoral and Retreat Center in Kansas City, Kansas, recently had the opportunity to host a gathering for the foster care ministry of the archdiocese.
Although our role was primarily to provide the physical setting, the event offered a meaningful moment to reflect on how our mission at Savior intersects with the church’s pastoral concern for children in vulnerable circumstances.
The foster care ministry exists to encourage greater engagement from individuals and parishes in supporting children and families involved in
AT THE HEART OF HOSPITALITY
Greg Mies is the director of Savior Pastoral and Retreat Center. He can be reached by email at: gmies@archkck.org.
the foster care system. Their work is rooted in a long-standing thread within Catholic tradition: the moral imperative to care for those
who lack protection, stability or a consistent network of support. Scripture presents this not as a peripheral concern but as central to living out the Gospel. The call in Isaiah to “defend the orphan and plead for the widow,” the affirmation in the Psalms that God “sets the lonely in families”
and Christ’s own words identifying himself with “the least of these” form the theological backdrop for the church’s advocacy on behalf of children experiencing hardship.
For many children in foster care, issues of belonging, safety, and trust are not theoretical. They shape daily life. Catholic social teaching begins with the affirmation that every human person is created in the image of God, and from this dignity flows a responsibility to accompany and support children whose circumstances may obscure that truth.
Ministries like foster care help parishes and individuals understand
how to put this teaching into practice, through awareness, relationship and consistent presence.
In this context, the mission of Savior Pastoral and Retreat Center — to provide an environment that is physically, emotionally and spiritually safe — took on particular importance. Hosting this gathering allowed us to apply that mission in a concrete way.
The value of a peaceful and orderly space may appear modest, yet such an environment can foster a sense of calm and predictability that is especially beneficial for children who may not often experience it.
Our contribution was not programmatic but foundational: creating the conditions in which the ministry’s work could unfold smoothly and with intention.
While the event itself was simple, it served as a reminder that hospitality, when rooted in the church’s understanding of human dignity, becomes a form of pastoral participation.
In supporting the foster care ministry’s work, even in a logistical capacity, we also support the broader mission of the archdiocese to stand with those who are most in need of care and stability.
BRAD HEIDRICK
Brad Heidrick is the CEO of Catholic Community Health.
GREG MIES
WOMEN OF HOPE CONFERENCE HELPS HEAL, INSPIRE
Women of Hope, a Catholic women’s conference of healing and forgiveness, was held Oct. 23-25 at Holy Trinity Church in Lenexa. The goal of the conference, spearheaded by Holy Trinity parishioner Trudy Boynton, was to help women understand that the damage, hard knocks and brokenness in life are repaired by the grace of Christ’s healing love.
The three-day event included inspirational speakers, a visit from Archbishop Shawn McKnight, candlelight exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, opportunities to receive the sacrament of reconciliation and to pray with worship music. Time was also set aside for fellowship and refreshments while shopping Catholic vendors.
and the challenges and rewards
LEAVEN
PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD
Keynote speaker Katie Hartfiel recounted her own faith journey
of raising her four children in the Catholic faith.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER
Archbishop Shawn McKnight blesses those gathered at Women of Hope, a Catholic women’s conference of healing and forgiveness, on Oct. 24 at Holy Trinity Church in Lenexa.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD
Women like Mel McAnany (left) and Vicki Prather were able to meditate, pray and sing along with worship music provide by Holy Trinity youth minster Wade McNutt.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD
After a talk, women broke into small groups and discussed how their faith helps them manage life’s challenges.