www.theleaven.com | Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas | Vol. 31, No. 23 january 22, 2010
Haiti Gethsemane
CNS photo/Carlos Barria, Reuters
A woman sits at an open camp area in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 14. The death toll in Haiti’s catastrophic earthquake could run to some 200,000, and an estimated 3 million others will require emergency assistance, according to aid groups.
How You Can Help Special collection
In addition to the special collection that Archbishop Joseph Naumann requested all parishes take up for Haiti relief on Jan. 16 and 17, the annual special collection for the Church in Latin America will take place in parishes on Jan. 23 and 24. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has indicated the majority of that collection will be directed to help in Haiti.
Donate online
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the international relief and development agency of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. It has been working in Haiti for over 50 years and is one of several international organizations to have headquarters there. CRS has pledged an initial $5 million for earthquake relief. Staff members are working in bordering Dominican Republic to get basic emergency supplies into the country, such as food boxes, water, hygiene kits, mosquito nets, and bedding. CRS has set up an emergency Haiti page at its Web site, www.catholicrelief.org. It includes up-to-date information on how CRS is helping in Haiti, an option for donating online, and a spot to sign up either to donate or to receive updates through the texting option on a mobile phone.
Haiti struggles to overcome catastrophic earthquake By Joe Bollig Leaven staff
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — There is an old proverb in Haitian Creole that says, “Deye mon gen mon.” It means, “Beyond the mountains, there are mountains.” In other words, even when one challenge is overcome, there are a host of other challenges yet to surmount. The proverb might as well be the national motto of Haiti, which has struggled to overcome disadvantage, disaster, tragedy and injustice throughout its history. The latest blow came Jan. 12, when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake occurred about 15 miles westsouthwest of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. That’s 700 miles southeast of Miami, the home of a sizeable Haitian community. Incredible scenes of suffering and devastation have played out for nearly two weeks on television
screens and radio, in newspapers and on the Internet. Governments, private organizations and individuals across the globe have mobilized to help Haiti. And the death toll estimate keeps rising and rising — perhaps 200,000 dead and tens of thousands more injured. That’s the equivalent of everyone in Topeka, Lawrence and Ottawa suddenly dying. The true Haitian casualty toll may never be known. But even for a public used to regular disaster reports from around the world, the earthquake in Haiti seems to be especially cruel. That’s because after years of civil disorder, misgovernance, natural disasters and poverty, in recent years it seemed that Haiti had finally found some stability and hope. Within minutes, decades of painfully won progress were replaced with death, devastation and suffering in a crash and cloud of dust. “Deye mon gen mon.” “Beyond the mountains, there are mountains.”
Turn to “HAITI’S” on page 8
2 ARCHBISHOP
THE LEAVEN • january 22, 2010
THE LEAVEN • january 22, 2010
Making sense of end-of-life decisions
LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS
Hope reigns on life issues despite barriers
T
he Bible is a mirror for the Christian. If we peer into the Scriptures with the eyes of faith, we see ourselves and gain insight into the circumstances of our lives. The sixth chapter of the Book of Judges describes the plight of the Israelites for offending God over many years. Israel finds itself subjected to the oppressive power of the Midianites for seven years. The Lord called a man, by the name of Gideon, to rescue Israel from the cruelty of Midian. Gideon is successful in assembling a huge army to help him liberate Israel from the brutal oppression of Midian, only to be informed by God that he had too many soldiers. The Lord tells Gideon if he defeats Midian with this huge army, then the Israelites will think that it was their own power that won the victory. God instructs Gideon to tell his soldiers: “If anyone is afraid or fearful, let him leave” (Jgs 7: 3). Some 22,000 soldiers left as a result of this invitation, still leaving Gideon with 10,000 soldiers. The Lord tells Gideon that he still has too many soldiers and instructs him to observe the way his men drink water from the stream. Some 9,700 of his soldiers knelt down to drink, while only 300 cupped water in their hands, lapping it like a dog. God instructs Gideon to keep the 300 who lap water like a dog and send home the other 9,700. Gideon positions his 300 remaining soldiers around Midian’s camp at night. They do not carry weapons — just torches, pottery jars and horns. On a signal from Gideon, the soldiers break the jars, light and wave their torches, and blow their horns. This entire ruckus sets the Midianite camp into a panic. They begin killing one another, mistaking some of their own comrades for enemy Israelites. Those who are not killed by “friendly fire” flee. This is a typical Old Testament victory for Israel. It has nothing to do with Israel’s military skills or strength, but everything to do with their faith in God.
Today, Jan. 22, marks the somber 37th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions, striking down every state statute that protected the lives of innocent unborn children. In effect, our nation’s highest court legalized abortion in all 50 states for all nine months of pregnancy and virtually for any reason. One year ago, the pro-life prospects appeared quite desperate. President Barak Obama had just been sworn into office, drawing the largest crowds ever to Washington for an inauguration ceremony. His approval ratings were in the stratosphere and his party held a veto-proof majority in the Senate and a large majority in the House. It appeared that the president could pass whatever legislation he desired. During his campaign, Obama had promised Planned Parenthood that one of the first pieces of legislation he would sign as president was the so-called Freedom of Choice Act. FOCA, as it had been introduced in the previous Congress would, among other things, have invalidated state laws requiring: 1) parental notification for minors seeking an abortion; 2) informed consent requirements; and 3) bans on partial-birth abortions. Last year, while attending the March for Life, I participated in a meeting that had been requested by leaders of the Pro-Life Congressional Caucus. Their message was grim. They were uncertain whether they had the votes to block something as extreme as FOCA or even to protect the most long-standing of all pro-life policies — the ban on federal funding for abortions. The Pro-Life Congressional Caucus leadership believed the only hope for preventing the passage of FOCA and a reversal of many, if not all, of the pro-life policies enacted in the past 36 years was massive pro-life constituent communications to members of Congress. The bishops’ conference already
had in motion a postcard campaign urging Congress not to pass FOCA and to preserve the ban on federal funding of abortions, as well as other pro-life policies. This desperate plea from prolife congressional leaders gave an even greater urgency to our efforts. The response of Catholics across the United States was remarkable. It was the largest pro-life postcard campaign ever. As a result, FOCA, instead of being on the fast track, was at least temporarily derailed. Next, the president made health care reform his highest priority. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi did everything in her power to prevent a vote on a pro-life (Stupak) amendment that was designed to prevent federal tax revenues from being used to fund abortions under the guise of health care. At the eleventh hour, Speaker Pelosi was forced to allow a vote on the Stupak amendment which, much to her dismay, passed overwhelmingly. Unfortunately, on Christmas Eve, while most of the nation was distracted, the Senate passed a bill that would force every tax-paying American to help fund abortions. As I write this article, the final version of the Health Care Reform bill is uncertain. We must pray for pro-life Democrats in the House of Representatives to remain strong by refusing to vote for passage of any health care reform bill that forces Americans into funding abortions and fails to provide adequate conscience protections for pro-life doctors, nurses and health care institutions. It has been a remarkable achievement by pro-life Americans to have derailed even consideration of FOCA and thus far prevented the passage of a health care reform bill coercing Americans to fund abortions. In many ways, we are like the 300 water-lapping soldiers of Gideon. Our only weapons are our prayers and our voices that, hopefully, can create enough of a ruckus to keep the pro-abortion leadership in Congress confused and in a frantic panic. Humanly speaking, all pro-life public policies remain very vulnerable under our president and the current congressional leadership. Still, there is more reason for hope than a year ago. We are encouraged by the truth that
By Kara Hansen Leaven staff
Archbishop Naumann’s weekly calendar Jan. 22
8 -11 a.m. — Adoration, Mass and rally for Kansas pilgrims — Nativity Church, Washington, D.C. March for Life, Washington, D.C. Meetings with congressmen
Jan. 28
Mass — St. Thomas Aquinas High School Mass, Topeka Serrans — Most Pure Heart of Mary Church, Topeka
Jan. 29
Lunch meeting with leaders of Maryvale Institute Support Our Seminarians benefit dinner and auction
Jan. 30-31
Cardinal Schonborn from Vienna, Austria, visits
Jan. 31
Mass with Cardinal Schonborn — Benedictine College, Atchison Vespers, reception, dinner with Cardinal Schonborn and bishops and priests of the archdiocese and surrounding dioceses
what humanly is unachievable is possible with God. This Jan. 22 is a moment for each of us to renew our commitment that, no matter how dire the circumstances, we will never, never, never give up the struggle to protect innocent human life!
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Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799)
Editor Reverend Mark Goldasich, stl frmark@theleaven.com
Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com
Advertising Representative Jennifer Siebes jennifer@theleaven.com
President Most Reverend Joseph F. Naumann
Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita@theleaven.com
Production Manager Todd Habiger todd@theleaven.com
Reporter KARA HANSEN kara@theleaven.com
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Kansas City, Kan. — Confused about what exactly an advance directive does? Not sure about what the Catholic Church has to say about end-of-life decisions? Looking for information to help your faith guide end-oflife decisions for family members? The archdiocesan pro-life office is bringing an opportunity your way to help answer those questions and more. On Feb. 10, Father Tad Pacholczyk, director of education and an ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, will be making a presentation on end-of-life issues at St. Patrick Church in Kansas City, Kan. Dr. Austin Welsh, a geriatrics physician in the Kansas City area, will also speak. The event will be held from 7-9 p.m. in the church hall at 94th and State Ave. Topics addressed will include advance directives planning documents, discussion of moral principles, nutrition and hydration, hospice, palliative care and assisted suicide. A separate workshop is available from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Feb. 10 for priests and Catholic medical professionals. The presentation will be held in the Archbishop Keleher Conference Center at Savior Pastoral Center, 12601 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas Ron Kelsey, City, Kan. Topics to be addressed archdiocesan at the daytime workshop pro-life consultant will be similar in scope, but with a deeper focus on morality and pastoral issues, as well as moral issues specifically confronting medical professionals. Those interested in attending the daytime workshop are asked to RSVP to Ron Kelsey, the archdiocesan pro-life consultant, by e-mail at: prolife@archkck.org, or by calling (913) 647-0350 before Feb. 8. No RSVP is required for the evening presentation. Father Pacholczyk (pronounced “pa-holecheck”) brings an impressive background in both science and Catholic morality to these issues. He holds a doctorate in neuroscience from Yale University, four undergraduate degrees — in molecular and cellular biology, chemistry, biochemistry and philosophy — and two degrees in advanced theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. The U.S. bishops, the Vatican, public policy makers, international organizations and hospitals regularly consult Father Pacholczyk in his role at the Catholic Bioethics Center, and he is considered one of the church’s leading spokesmen on life issues. Though his credentials are definitely impressive, said Kelsey, Father Pacholczyk has the ability to make difficult concepts understandable. “I’ve heard him speak at several places, and he is very down-to-earth and has the ability to communicate complex things in a simple way,” said Kelsey. Kelsey said he has found that a great many Catholics are interested in the type of information being presented at this workshop. About a year ago, Kelsey wrote in a column for The Leaven about an end-of-life packet, entitled “Hope for the Journey,” that his office was making available. Kelsey said he has since received over 350 requests for the packet, which includes a power of attorney form and a Catholic end-of-life declaration form. “I think it shows there is a tremendous amount of interest in this area and that this is an issue people are dealing with currently,” said Kelsey.
“I’ve heard [Father Tad Pacholczyk] speak at several places, and he is very down-to-earth and has the ability to communicate complex things in a simple way.”
Father Tad Pacholczyk (above), director of education and an ethicist at the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, will be making a presentation on end-of-life issues at St. Patrick Church in Kansas City, Kan.
4 LOCAL NEWS
THE LEAVEN • January 22, 2010
THE LEAVEN • january 22, 2010
A Family of Faith
Banquet to feature nationally known college student By Marc and Julie Anderson
Special to The Leaven
KCK’s Christ the King School brings families to the faith
By Jill Ragar Esfeld Special to The Leaven
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The term “Spirit filled” is hardly strong enough to describe the atmosphere at Christ the King School here. Eleven percent of the school’s 230 students are non-Catholic and, each year, at least one or two convert to the Catholic faith. But this year, the school has been tremendously blessed. Fourteen students have been baptized so far. Those students in turn are bringing the joy of the Catholic faith home to adults in their families, many of whom are attending RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) classes to learn more about the source of that joy. Fifth-grade teacher Franciel Nyakatura, who also directs religious education for the parish, said that when she heard about the earthquake in Haiti, it made her think of Christ the King. “I was thinking about what happened and how the devastation is at the epicenter of the earthquake,” she said. “Well, when I look at Christ the King, I see us at the epicenter of joy and compassion and Christian teaching. And I think, because of that, with the parish and the school, it just begins to radiate out.” Indeed, the spreading faith that Nyakatura alludes to is just what pastor Father Bill McEvoy hoped for when he came to this parish. “Evangelization has been a priority for me since coming to Christ the King,” he said. “And the first thing we looked at is: ‘What are we inviting people to?’ A lifelong faith, yes. But faith is transmitted in many ways through the parish community.” Part of the reason for the many conversions at the school is that siblings have chosen to join the church together. The group of 14 represents 7 families. Of those families, six parents or grandparents are participating in the parish RCIA sessions. Two other parents from the school, whose children were baptized as infants, are also attending the sessions.
Siblings (above, from left) Marissa, Michaela, and Tomas Cera were all baptized together in 2009. Students at Christ the King School who have chosen baptism in the Catholic Church in 2009 range in age from preschool to eighth grade. Some of the newly baptized include: (front row) Michaela Cera and Jemiah Jackson; (row 2) Linzie Balderas, Kylee Lucas, Marissa Brennan, and Reginald Jackson; (row 3) Lauren Herrera, Nikki Eskridge, Alexus Hamilton, and Leslie Balderas; (back row) Tomas Cera, Anissa Herrera, Melanie Arellano, and Marissa Cera. “We focused on becoming a more explicitly welcoming family of faith,” said Father McEvoy. “And these new members are evidence that our efforts have been good ones.”
Turn to “pastor” on page 7
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LOCAL NEWS 5
TOUCH OF HEAVEN
OVERLAND PARK — Lila Rose is not your typical Catholic. In fact, she is not even your average college student. Yet, this 21-year-old, majoring in history at the University of California at Los Angeles, represents just one person in an ever-increasing number of young people who are working together using a variety of media methods to promote the Gospel of Life. A recent convert to the Catholic faith, Rose captured media attention at the national level in recent years with her undercover student-led investigations of Planned Parenthood abortion clinics. Rose has been a guest on radio and TV shows, including “The O’Reilly Factor,” “Glenn Beck” and “Hannity’s America,” as well as newspapers like The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Times. The investigations have prompted officials in several states, including Indiana, Alabama and Tennessee, to either launch criminal investigations into the clinics or to withhold taxpayer subsidies from the clinics. Rose will be the featured speaker at the Kansans for Life annual Valentine’s Day banquet to be held at 6 p.m. on Feb. 11 in Overland Park at the Ritz Charles, located at 137th and Antioch. (For more information about the banquet, see ad on page 7.) The banquet will also feature Jamie Thietten, a recent guest on EWTN’s show “Life on the Rock.” Thietten is the 2009 recipient of Christian music’s Momentum Award in Nashville, Tenn., for her prolife song, “My Chance.” This song tells the story of a young woman who cannot have children with her husband because of an abortion she had years before. Mary Kay Culp, executive director of Kansans for Life, said that Rose and Thietten are
Twenty-one-year-old Lila Rose, a history major at the University of California at Los Angeles, will be the featured speaker at the Kansans for Life annual Valentine’s Day banquet to be held at 6 p.m. on Feb. 11 in Overland Park. but two of the many new young faces involved in the pro-life cause, a movement which continues to gain momentum. “Pro-life media and polls and attendance at the annual March for Life consistently show our movement is full of youth. We are currently working with Benedictine College’s Ravens Respect Life, who are very active, and with prolife groups at Kansas medical schools — a phenomenon of the last few years — and now, with the first-ever KU Law Students pro-life group,” said Culp. Culp said it was her curiosity about what kind of college student undertook the kind of work Rose was doing that eventually led to the speaking engagement. “I thought Lila was awfully brave and wondered what she was like,” said Culp. “Then I saw her interviewed on EWTN at the March for Life and found her smart and fearless, yet sweet and genuinely concerned for peers and unborn babies at the mercy of abortion clinics.” Rose was passionately prolife from a very young age. When she was only nine, Rose was wandering around her house looking for a book to read when she stumbled across a book, entitled “Handbook on Abortion.” It contained photographs of an unborn 10-weekold baby that had been aborted. “I remember being so shocked and then closing the book, only to reopen it again,” Rose said. “I remember thinking, ‘How could anyone do this to a baby?’” Rose hid the book in her room and read it, determining then that she needed to help save babies.
Around that same time, Rose found out that both her mother and her grandmother volunteered at a local pregnancy center. Her mother had just finished reading “Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation,” written by Ronald Reagan. According to Rose, the book served as a catalyst for her mother to get more involved in the pro-life movement. Her mother brought home a stack of fliers to help raise money for an ultrasound machine for the local pregnancy center. “That made me very excited,” said Rose, adding that she decided to help the cause by
spending a week distributing the fliers in her neighborhood, eventually raising $4,000 toward the cost of the ultrasound machine. “Even at nine years old, I knew I could make a difference. I had to do something,” she said. From that point on, Rose dedicated her life to promoting the Gospel of Life and ending abortion. At age 15, she founded Live Action, a studentled organization that utilizes “new” media to educate the public about abortion and its consequences. It also lobbies government to investigate
violations of existing abortion laws and encourages legislators to pass laws to protect the rights of the unborn. While a sophomore at UCLA, Rose founded The Advocate, a student pro-life magazine administered through UCLA’s local chapter of Live Action. The first issue debuted in January 2007 and featured Rose’s first undercover investigation — an expose of prochoice counseling at UCLA’s Arthur Ashe Health Center and institutional support for pregnant students. The magazine is now distributed at 15 different college campuses throughout the nation. For Rose, the matter of abortion is simple. “It’s the ultimate human rights issue,” she said. “The first right listed in the Declaration of Independence is the right to life. If that right is taken away from the most vulnerable among us . . . we have nothing. “Laws are made for the weak, not for the strong. But when a law turns its arm against the weak and strips its protection, then it does the opposite of what a law is supposed to do. It’s no law at all. The pro-abortion law at the heart of our legal system has created a horrible injustice.” Rose, who attends Mass daily, said abortion is one of the issues that led her to join the Catholic Church. But the journey really began several years ago when she began to read Church Fathers like Augustine, as well as the writings of Mother Teresa and St. Joan of Arc as part of her home school curriculum. She also read the works of Catholic writers G.K. Chesterton, Peter Kreeft and Michael O’Brien. “I didn’t have any Catholic friends,” she noted, “but I identified with the teachings of the church, especially on matters of life.” “Ultimately,” said Rose, “the church chose me.”
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6 LOCAL NEWS THE LEAVEN • January 22, 2010
THE LEAVEN • january 22, 2010
Pastor wants to make faith contagious Continued from page 4
A parish pastor asks for support for the Archbishop’s Call to Share
E
ach year after we ring in the new year, Archbishop Naumann begins his annual appeal: A Call to Share (ACTS). The planning for this annual appeal is a yearlong process of people coming together and looking at the needs of the people that we are called to serve as the church of northeast Kansas. The planning process is not about how to increase the amount of dollars secured by the appeal, but rather a constant look at the needs that are present among the people that are served by our parishes and by the offices of the archdiocese that work tirelessly in ministry with children and the elderly; with people of color and those with disabilities; with young couples preparing for a life together; and with all those who find themselves marginalized in our society. This was Christ’s call to all disciples. Our call to stewardship each year in the parish’s annual drive is a reminder to all of us that we are responsible for the gifts that God has bestowed on each of us. And as stewards of God’s gifts, we are called to return a portion of them. Our annual stewardship drive asks all parishioners to work toward a five percent return of your financial gifts to the parish itself, to offer another one percent toward the annual appeal by the archbishop through ACTS, and to use the remaining four percent toward the charities that are also close to your heart. This is what stewardship as a disciple of Jesus calls us to — a life of trust and relationship with the God who has bestowed these gifts. It is not a simple request, but one that demands a look inside ourselves to find the trust and the faith to respond
The education of future priests is just one of the many things that the Archbishop’s Call to Share helps fund. when we are called upon. It is easy, and often a favorite pastime, to look at anything that comes with the archdiocesan name tacked onto it as something outside of who we are. An “us” versus “them” mentality sometimes guides our thoughts when we are asked for dollars or time at the archdiocesan level. “I would rather keep my dollars here” is often a thought, or “I don’t know what they do with all that money.” I always address this thinking by telling people, “We are ‘them’!” There is no Corpus Christi Catholic community without the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. And the dollars that we offer to this annual appeal benefit all of us in two ways.
First, I am a priest of the archdiocese and was educated, in part, by the funds that come from this annual appeal. Right now we are educating seminarians and deacon candidates that will in the future serve this parish or other parishes that you may find yourself part of in this archdiocese. Second, many of the programs and ministries funded by this annual appeal directly affect hundreds of our families. The school office sets the curriculum and supports our parish school, the office of evangelization does the same for our PREP program. Marriage and family life helps in the setting of our young couples on the path of marriage, the youth office helped to organize last
year’s youth conference and oversees the work done at Prairie Star Ranch, our youth camp. In the same light, all those other offices and ministries do the work that we are all called to do, and they do it in our name. Maybe, it is indeed the fact that the appeal comes from another place that doesn’t sit right with us. If that is the case, let me bring it down to a local level: I am asking that you prayerfully consider a gift to this annual appeal! It is an important part of our ministry and our call to follow Christ. You will receive a letter from Archbishop Naumann asking for your financial support. Please respond quickly by mailing your gift or bringing it directly to church with you and placing it in the collection basket. All gifts are greatly appreciated, and everyone can offer something. Thanks for your gift and for being such an important part of our parish family! — Father Mick Mulvany pastor, Corpus Christi Parish, Lawrence Father Michael (Mick) Mulvany wrote this article for his Jan. 9 and 10 parish bulletin at Corpus Christi Church in Lawrence. It could have been written for any of our parishes. His column serves as a reminder that the work of the archdiocesan ministries and groups funded by the Archbishop’s Call to Share are blessings in which we all share. There are practical reasons to “give to a need,” while the spiritual reason is that “we have a need to give.” – Lesle Knop, executive director, office of stewardship and development
Christ the King School faculty and staff work hard to create a real sense of Catholic community in the school, he said. And that community is nurtured by principal Cathy Fithian who believes Catholicism should be infused into all aspects of the school curriculum. “I think our students see something — a family of faith that they want to be a part of — and that’s why they choose baptism,” said Fithian. All Christ the King teachers are currently taking School of Faith classes, and Fithian reminds them regularly to make sure they are consciously incorporating Catholic doctrine into the core curriculum of the classroom. Illustrating that practice, Nyakatura recalled a recent incident in her English class when a student made a mistake while reading poetry aloud. When classmates laughed, Nyakatura took the opportunity to teach a lesson in faith. “We talked about how Jesus Christ would have treated that person who made a mistake,” she explained. But it’s not enough to teach the faith, said Father McEvoy. “Every Catholic school is a home away from home for our students and faculty,” said Father McEvoy. “It’s a family of faith. And although we teach what Christ taught, nonetheless faith is something that is caught. We want our faith to be contagious!” When students voice an interest in
“When I look at Christ the King, I see us at the epicenter of joy and compassion and Christian teaching. And I think, because of that, with the parish and the school, it just begins to radiate out.” Franciel Nyakatura, Christ the King fifth-grade teacher becoming Catholic, their parents are directed to contact pastoral associate Sister Marilyn Schieber, OSB. “When I meet with the parents, I try to answers their questions and help them verbalize why they choose baptism [for their child] in the Catholic Church,” she said. “I also ask the parents to contact Father Bill [McEvoy], our pastor. “Since I am the catechist who teaches the baptism preparation to parents, I invite them to the baptism class for parents. I also expect the parents to enroll the child in the religious education program if they are not already enrolled in the Catholic school.” The school is very supportive of its members who choose to be baptized. Though most of the baptisms take place at Sunday Mass, when family
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members can attend, school friends and classmates are always present as well. “Many of their classmates come to be supportive — especially the older students,” said Fithian. Naturally, students’ parents become curious about the motivation behind their children’s decisions. “Sometimes we haven’t been able to reach the parents,” said Nyakatura. “But the word of God says the little children shall lead them. So maybe this is one way we can bring the parents and the rest of the family into the church.” Sister Marilyn encourages parents to use the RCIA program as a learning tool, without any pressure to convert. But sometimes through the process of learning, a conversion takes place. “They want to know and understand what the Catholic faith is all about,” she said. “When they join RCIA, they do not necessarily plan to join the Catholic Church — they just want to receive some answers. “Often, what happens is that they find they like what they see and what they came in search of.” After attending RCIA, many adult family members choose to be baptized or receive whatever sacraments they need to become fully Catholic. “For Christ the King, there is so much joy and enthusiasm in living our faith that people want the blessing we have,” said Father McEvoy. “And our faith is something that is strengthened when we give it away. It’s a win-win blessing for us all.”
LOCAL NEWS 7 Mary Ann (Bish) and Joseph J. Spohn, members of St. Ann Parish in Prairie Village, will celebrate their 50th wedding on Jan. 23. The couple was married on Jan. 23, 1960, at St. Nicholas Church in Struthers, Ohio. They will celebrate with their four children and their Anniversary spouses: Joseph Spohn II; Theresa Monterville; Jerry and Lori Spohn; and Donna and Clay Cormeny. They also have seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Jordan David Garcia, a member of Boy Scout Troop 29 and Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Topeka, has earned the highest award in Scouting, the rank of Eagle Scout. Garcia’s Eagle project was the construction of a handicap ramp at Our Lady of Guadalupe Eagle scout Church.
Serra Club to pray for vocations KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Serra Club here invites all men of the archdiocese to pray with them to increase vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Meetings are held at noon on every second and fourth Wednesday of the month at the Hilton Garden Inn here, at 520 Minnesota Ave. For information, contact Jim Conrad at (913) 432-4162, John Muehlberger at (913) 441-5061, or Bill Peters at (913) 894-6967.
Haiti’s poverty endemic ernment is no help. “One of the key things about Haiti is that the people do not rely on the government for anything,” he said. “Here in the U. S., we have government that actually functions and regulates, and provides certain services.” “The Haitian government provides almost no services whatsoever, particularly in rural areas and the slums in Port-auPrince,” he said. “As a result, a lot of private groups have stepped in and are now the major players.” Haiti needs sustained help for years to come, said Lorsbach. He hopes that nations providing earthquake relief will make a long-term commitment to Haitian development after the initial disaster response is over.
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No good place for an earthquake
Haiti
Country Profile History and background: • Haiti was discovered by Columbus in 1492. • The native Taino Amerindians were annihilated by the Spanish settlers. • The western third of the island of Hispaniola was ceded by Spain to France, and became Haiti. • Thousands of African slaves were brought to the colony. • There was a prolonged struggle after the slaves revolted, and Haiti became the first black republic after declaring independence in 1804. • The nation has been plagued by poverty and political violence for most of its history. • The United States occupied Haiti from 1915 to 1934. • An interim government took office in 2004 under the auspices of the United Nations. The U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti continues to maintain civil order. • After continued violence, Haiti inaugurated a democratically elected president and parliament in 2006. Location: • East of Cuba and Jamaica. It consists of the western one-third of the Island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Size: • Land size is 27,560 square kilometers, or slightly smaller than Maryland. Land use: • About 28 percent of Haiti is farmable land. Population: • Total population is slightly more than 9 million. About 47 percent of the population lives in cities or towns. Life expectancy and health: • Life expectancy is a little over 59 years for males, and a little over 62 for females. • Infant mortality is about 60 deaths per 1,000 live births. The degree of risk of major infection is high. Literacy: • Published sources state that nearly 53 percent of the population age 15 and older is literate, but other sources say it is much lower. Poverty, employment and unemployment: • There is widespread unemployment and underemployment. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with 80 percent of the population living under the poverty line and 54 percent in abject poverty. About 66 percent of the population works in agriculture, 25 percent in services, and 9 percent in industry. (Source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html)
Even days after seeing the first photos of Haiti’s earthquake devastation, professor Bryan Freeman was stunned. “I’m numb,” said Freeman. “I just can’t believe it. Buildings I’ve known for 50 years — gone. . . . To think all that doesn’t exist.” Freeman, a retired professor of Haitian studies at the University of Kansas, was only 26 years old when he first visited Haiti in 1958. He fell in love with the land and its people and learned to speak Creole. He traveled to Haiti often over the past 50 years, staying months at a time. In his academic career, he has published 20 books about Haiti and a three-volume set on medicine in Haiti. He has also been an instructor and advisor for U. S. and U.N. peace-keeping observers in Haiti. There is no good place for an earthquake, but some places are worse than others, he said. A case in point is the Haitian earthquake, which damaged almost the entire metropolis of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. It was the worst place in the entire country for an earthquake to occur. “Let me put it in perspective,” said Freeman. “Imagine that in one day, New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Chicago were completely devastated. Even that isn’t comparable, because we have a good infrastructure in other places in our country, not just our large cities.” For better or worse, Haitian life is so centered on the capital that it is sometimes called “The Republic of Port-au-Prince.” The big hospitals, the universities, the largest industries — anything of any consequence in Haiti is in Port-au-Prince. Here’s one telling detail: There are 10 bookstores in Haiti; nine of them are in Port-au-Prince. “It’s where the action is, and the people who really run Haiti are in this one city,” said Freeman. A lot of the initial news reporting of the earthquake is misleading, said Freeman. News reports say the quake hit 15 miles outside the city, but that’s like saying Kansas City, Mo., was devastated by a quake in Lenexa. It’s really all one, big, metropolitan area. And while it’s true that French is one of Haiti’s two official languages, the main language is Haitian Creole, said Freeman. French is spoken by the nation’s elite. Another piece of outdated information in the news about Haiti is its religion. In his lectures, Freeman used to joke that Haiti is 90 percent Catholic, 10 percent Protestant, and 100 percent voodoo. All three religions are equally recognized by law. “The truth of the matter is, [Haiti is] 60 percent Catholic and 40 percent Protes-
D
Connections of the heart CNS photo/Kena Betancur, Reuters
An injured boy receives medical help in a makeshift hospital on a street in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 15. As earthquake survivors sought food, water and medical help, world leaders pledged aid to rebuild Haiti after what the United Nations called the worst humanitarian crisis in decades. tant,” said Freeman. “American Protestantism has made big inroads into Haiti,” he continued. “The Catholic Church is in the towns. The priests don’t want to live in the provinces. Protestant [pastors] usually have a wife and kids and are willing to live out in the rural areas.” Many of these new, American-initiated churches were built by small, independent Pentecostal or Evangelical denominations. Haitian law requires that when someone builds a church, they also have to build a school and provide some medical services. These latter two hold great appeal to rural peoples who lack access to both.
The poorest of our hemisphere Saying Haiti is poor isn’t really saying anything, according to Dr. Robert Lorsbach, who grew up a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Gardner. A lot of news organizations report that Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, but that fact alone fails to paint a complete picture of Haiti’s debilitating poverty, he said. “I’ve never seen the degree of poverty I’ve seen in Haiti ever in the United States,” said Lorsbach, who made his most recent trip to Haiti in July 2009. “The worst poverty I’ve ever seen here — multiply it by ten and that’s when you begin to understand the level of poverty that exists in Haiti.” Haiti is almost like two countries in one, said Lorsbach, who made his first trip to bring health supplies to Haiti in 2004, as a member of his former parish in Memphis, Tenn.
One country is Port-au-Prince; the other is rural and small-town Haiti. Tens of thousands of poor Haitians have moved off of their subsistence farms into the city to find a better life. All they found was urban poverty with its crowding, pollution and filth. “That’s one of the reasons why Portau-Prince is so hugely overcrowded,” said Lorsbach. “The city infrastructure was never designed to support 2 million-plus residents.” Lorsbach blames rural Haitian poverty on the importation of cheap American rice, which undercuts Haitian farmers. There are, however, other reasons as well. One factor is deforestation, which began during colonial times by the plantation owners and continues as the poor cut more trees for cooking fires. Soil erosion is so bad that it is said “the bones” of Haiti — the mountains shorn of their soil — are beginning to show. Another reason is historical. When Haiti gained its independence, it could only secure the mountainous western one-third of the island of Hispaniola. The Dominican Republic, with the eastern two-thirds, has the better croplands. A third reason is foreign exploitation, notably by France, which extorted Haiti in the 19th century by threatening invasion. A corrupt Haitian social elite and foreign businesses also bled Haiti’s wealth. Lorsbach discovered that the medical infrastructure of Haiti is rudimentary at best. One lab he visited was like going 70 years back in time in the United States. In terms of health care or medicine — or anything, for that matter — the national gov-
Despite the distance between northeast Kansas and Haiti, close and personal ties exist. One thread in those ties is Melanie Norris, administrative assistant in the archdiocesan vocations office. “When I heard this happen, I said, ‘Oh no, not them!’” she said. Haiti was already desperate before the disaster. “The best way to sum up their condition is that they don’t even have their basic needs met,” said Norris, who visited Haiti in 1996 with a parish mission group, and again in 1998 with her family. “[Haiti was] unlike anything that I’ve seen before,” she said. “The government doesn’t provide anything, such as schools and water. They don’t have many roads. They don’t have electricity most of the time.” Her diary from those times is filled with strange sights: a gas station guarded with a man holding a machine gun; an auto repair shop consisting of a truck by the side of the road and some tires hanging in a tree; a woman selling or bartering fruit all day and earning less than a dollar; and a mountain chapel consisting of a framework of sticks covered with a blue plastic tarp. The Norrises had hamburgers for lunch during one visit, and their priest/host asked them to save the scraps. Their next stop was at an impoverished mountain mission. “He would tear off a piece and give it to a child, and the way they received it into their hands was like they had been given gold,” said Norris. Norris has been trying to find out what happened to the Haitian pastors her family has stayed in contact with for so many years. As of this writing, she has no idea whether they are alive or dead.
Give hope to Haiti. Support the church in Latin America.
ear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The recent catastrophic earthquake has brought our hearts and prayers to the people of Haiti. The terrible destruction and loss of life affect us deeply as a church. Most of the victims are Catholic, including the tragic deaths of many priests, religious Brothers and Sisters, seminarians and the archbishop of Port-Au-Prince, Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot. As well, many of the church facilities (churches, schools, and religious houses) that people would turn to in such a crisis have been destroyed. Consequently, the U.S. bishops have decided that the majority of funds raised in the annual Collection for the Church in Latin America will go to emergency relief and
For more information on the church in Latin America and the projects funded by the collection, go to the Web site at: www.usccb.org/nationalcollections.
rebuilding efforts in Haiti. The church in Latin America boasts the world’s largest Catholic population. Each year the Collection for the Church in Latin America supports pastoral projects that engage Latin American parishioners in their faith, strengthening their sense of mission and identity with the church. Your generous support of the collection provides evangelization in rural and poverty-stricken areas, religious
training, and catechesis and formation programs. While the collection will continue supporting these vital efforts, most of the resources will be focused on helping the faithful in Haiti to heal and rebuild. Together, we can keep faith with the church in Latin America. Thank you for your generous response. God bless you. Sincerely yours in Jesus, the Lord of Life,
+ Joseph F. Naumann
Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas
CNS photo/Jorge Silva, Reuters
Residents walk in a destroyed area of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 14, two days following the catastrophic earthquake that struck the Haitian capital.
Salvage the shreds of human dignity By Robert Lorsbach
Special to The Leaven
Early on the evening of Jan. 12, the small island nation of Haiti was struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, whose epicenter was a mere 10 miles from the capital and major population center of Port-au-Prince. Upon hearing this news and seeing the images, my thoughts immediately turned to my many friends in Haiti. I am a physician and have had the privilege of working for some five years now with the people of Layaye, Haiti, a small village in the Central Plateau region of the country, where thankfully no loss of life or significant damage was inflicted by the earthquake. With every visit to Haiti, I have had experiences that give me profound hope for humanity and our world. I have repeatedly seen Haitians come together to overcome otherwise insurmountable difficulties in their lives: strangers working together to extricate a battered truck from a dirt road filled with mud and innumerable potholes; neighbors carrying an ill, elderly member of the community on a wooden door for miles over rugged, mountainous terrain so that she might receive desperately needed medical care. A visit to Haiti sadly also affords a glimpse into the very worst that our world can be, particularly for the poor among us: • A mother offering her newborn baby to me, a stranger, in the hope that I might be able to provide her child with a life of dignity that will otherwise forever elude them. • Families so impoverished that seriously ill loved ones are left at the door of Mother Teresa’s Home for the Sick and Dying because they barely have the resources to care for healthy family members, let alone those with illness or affliction. Prior to last week, I would occasionally think to myself that things simply could not get worse for Haiti. Sadly, the events of Jan. 12 have now proven me wrong. News commentators have asked whether Haiti is truly beyond hope. In
With every visit to Haiti, I have had experiences that give me profound hope for humanity and our world. I have repeatedly seen Haitians come together to overcome otherwise insurmountable difficulties in their lives. light of Haiti’s long history of corrupt governance and seemingly unending misery, combined with the current catastrophic situation, I suppose this is, in a coldly analytical way, a valid question. However, to pose such a question says as much about us as it does about the current situation in Haiti, since it subtly implies that we might actually be willing to consider doing nothing substantive to help the people of Haiti. Thankfully, the remarkable outpouring of money, support and compassion from around the world indicates that this is not the case. While the aid that the United States and others have pledged will address the immediate and critical needs of the earthquake victims in Haiti — including food, water, sanitation and urgent medical needs — the long-term fate of Haiti is dependent on what is done in the coming months and years. Whether we are successful in helping Haiti will depend on the level of our commitment to ensuring that aid is applied in an accountable and transparent manner to long-neglected needs that have historically impeded Haitian economic and societal development.
Resources must be directed toward improving infrastructure, with construction of roads, schools, hospitals and government offices, provision of potable water and electricity, and water sanitation as top priorities. Attention must also be paid to reforming Haitian labor laws, particularly those applying to minimum wages. In today’s world, no one can realistically hope to emerge from poverty earning $1 for a long day’s labor. To truly help Haiti, the resources we have generously provided must be directed toward improving the lives of ordinary impoverished Haitians — and we must ensure that these funds are not consumed by “administrative expenses” or end up lining the pockets of the power elite in Haiti, as has occurred all too frequently in the past. In Haiti, there is a Creole proverb, “Deye mon gen mon,” which translates as “Beyond mountains, there are mountains.” Taking its cue from the topography of Haiti, a mountainous land, this proverb acknowledges the reality in Haiti that after one problem is solved, many other difficulties always remain. The Haitian people are no strangers to adversity. As a result, they are, of necessity, industrious and innovative. If we are successful in working with the Haitian government and nongovernmental organizations to ensure the appropriate and accountable use of the aid that has been so generously donated, Haiti can more than simply survive this catastrophe. It can reemerge from the rubble and destruction as a country where human dignity is no longer mocked by abject poverty and where the people have genuine hope for the future. For the people of Haiti, including my friends in Port-au-Prince and Layaye, this would go a long way toward relieving the incomprehensible pain inflicted by this cruel earthquake. Robert Lorsbach, M.D., Ph.D., is the director of hematopathology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science. His home parish is Sacred Heart Church in Gardner.
10 NATION
THE LEAVEN • January 22, 2010
Adoptive father from ‘Blind Side’ inspired by his father NEW ORLEANS (CNS) — No one loved a good story better than Ed “Skeets” Tuohy, the legendary basketball coach of Isidore Newman School in New Orleans. Skeets was a lanky kid who was recruited out of St. Philip High School in Chicago to play basketball for Loyola University New Orleans in the 1950s. Although he went on to a Louisiana Hall of Fame high school coaching career before his life was cut far too short at age 49 by a major stroke, Skeets was more a student of the game than a practitioner. He knew how to coax the best out of kids. The box-office smash “The Blind Side” is the story of Skeets’ adoptive grandson. His son Sean and daughter-in-law Leigh Anne took in and then adopted a homeless black teenager from the other side of the tracks in north Memphis, Tenn. They nurtured and tutored their adoptive son, Michael Oher, within an inch of his 6-foot-4, 308-pound frame so that he could keep up academically at a college-prep school. Through endless hours of study and dedication, Oher not only survived, he thrived. In 2009 he became a first-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens, now a millionaire left tackle protecting the “blind side” of quarterback Joe Flacco.
Much like Robinson, Catholic a barrier-breaker in sports world WASHINGTON (CNS) — Wally Yonamine was a trailblazer in the world of sports, much like Jackie Robinson. Yonamine, a Hawaiian-born Catholic of Japanese descent, became the first Japanese-American to play professional football, spending the 1947 season — the year Robinson broke U.S. baseball’s color barrier — playing running back and defensive back for the San Francisco 49ers of the old All American Football Conference until the 49ers and some other AAFC teams were absorbed into the National Football League. But when a broken wrist derailed a career in football — his first love — Yonamine picked up a bat and became, in 1951, the first American to play in Japan’s professional baseball leagues after World War II. Yonamine, now 84, spent 11 seasons playing ball in Japan, winning three batting titles. But when you add his coaching and managing career, he spent 38 years in uniform in Japan. Early in his playing career in Tokyo, a U.S. military chaplain, seeing Yonamine attend Mass regularly, asked him if he wanted to be baptized. Yonamine agreed and has continued to be a frequent Massgoer.
THE LEAVEN • january 22, 2010
Christmas Eve security worked perfectly, says official
USPS to honor Mother Teresa with stamp WASHINGTON (CNS) — Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta will be among the subjects depicted on U.S. stamps debuting in 2010, the U.S. Postal Service announced Dec. 30. The 44-cent stamp, bearing a portrait of Mother Teresa painted by artist Thomas Blackshear II of Colorado Springs, Colo., will go on sale on what would have been her 100th birthday, Aug. 26. “Her humility and compassion, as well as her respect for the innate worth and dignity of humankind, inspired people of all ages and backgrounds to work on behalf of the world’s poorest populations,” said the Postal Service news release on its 2010 commemorative stamp program. The release also noted that Mother Teresa received honorary U.S. citizenship in 1996 from the U.S. Congress and President Bill Clinton. Only five other people have been made honorary U.S. citizens — Winston Churchill, Raoul Wallenberg, William Penn and Hannah Callowhill Penn and the Marquis de Lafayette — and all but Hannah Callowhill Penn also have appeared on U.S. postage stamps. Mother Teresa also received the Congressional Gold Medal in 1997 for her “outstanding and enduring contributions through humanitarian and charitable activities,” the release said. Born Aug. 26, 1910, in what is now the Republic of Macedonia, Mother Teresa went to India at the age of 18 and founded the Missionaries of Charity there. She died in Calcutta Sept. 5, 1997, and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2003.
By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
CNS photo/The Valley Catholic
STUDENT, NUN SIT IN BOX FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE PROJECT — Misael Martinez, a student from the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College, and Sister Sharon Horace, a Daughter of Charity, take refuge in cardboard boxes to escape a rainy day in late November as part of a social justice project about homelessness.
Texas Catholic college students get taste of homelessness By Rose Ybarra
Catholic News Service
BROWNSVILLE, Texas (CNS) — It’s been said that a good way to get to know someone is to walk a mile in his shoes. With that in mind, several students from the Catholic campus ministry program of the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College spent a day much like a homeless person might by escaping the elements in cardboard boxes and asking strangers for money. The students camped out on campus grounds and approached passers-by for donations. They received mixed reactions from the people walking by, but said the overall responses were negative. “A lot of people laughed at us and others walked by like they didn’t care,” said Carlos Ventura, 21, a Brownsville resident. “People just passed by and ignored us, some people were rude but most people just walked by and said, ‘No thank you,’” said 20-year-old student Lupita Capistran. “We felt rejected.” When it began to rain heavily, the students refused to leave their cardboard-box camp, pointing out that the homeless
often have to endure adverse weather conditions. “My feet are soaked,” said 24-yearold student Misael Martinez. “It’s not a very pleasant feeling and the homeless feel this way every time it rains.” The students intended to spend a full 24 hours camping out, but were unable to get clearance to do so from campus officials. Although the day was full of glitches, there were many positives. Some passers-by were impressed and asked a lot of questions. Some people showed compassion and donated money. The students raised a total of $190.98. A proposal was sent to the student government requesting it match the funds raised. The Knights of Columbus donated another $100 to the cause. The money was used to purchase food for the homeless of Brownsville. “Bags of hope” containing food, letters of encouragement and prayer cards were handed out at a local park where many homeless people sleep at night. The student exercise, held in late December, was part of an ongoing social justice project. Throughout the semester the students have conducted research on homelessness and poverty.
CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano via Reuters
POPE GREETS ROME’S FORMER CHIEF RABBI — Pope Benedict XVI greets Rabbi Elio Toaff, the former chief rabbi of Rome, during the pope’s visit to the main synagogue in Rome Jan. 17.
Bishops urge politicians to show courage in peace quest By Judith Sudilovsky
Catholic News Service
JERUSALEM (CNS) — Calling for justice for the peoples of the Holy Land, a U.S. bishop joined a group of European bishops in urging political leaders to be courageous in seeking a just peace in the region. The bishops, including Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, Ariz., said that despite the region’s deep wounds, “love and hope are alive” among the people. “Peace with justice is within reach, but political leaders and all people of good will need courage to achieve it,” the 10 bishops said in their statement Jan. 14 at the conclusion of the four-day Holy Land Coordination. Mandated by the Holy See and organized by the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, the Holy Land Coordination meets every January in the Holy Land as a demonstration of solidarity with the resident Christian community.
The bishops urged both Palestinians and Israelis to support public officials who “take courageous initiatives for a just resolution of the conflict to reach a two-state solution, with security and recognition for Israel and a viable and independent state for Palestinians.” “For us, this is not merely about politics; it is an issue of basic human rights,” the bishops said. They expressed concern about the growing distance between Israelis and Palestinians and the lack of human contact between the two, noting that such distance “undermines trust and dialogue.” “The situation in the Holy Land is serious and of deep concern because it has regional implications, and it is critical the international community participate in the potential resolution of the conflict,” said Bishop Kicanas, vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “Clearly the United States plays an important role respecting the integrity of Israelis and Palestinians.”
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Safety procedures worked perfectly and security personnel performed excellently the night Pope Benedict XVI was knocked down by the same woman who had attempted to get close to him a year before, a chief security officer said. Salvatore Festa, the prefect in charge of coordinating the work of several branches of Italian security who protect the pope, said despite careful security measures, “it’s also clear that there are many other factors that come into play and many times these are random and unpredictable.” He made his comments in an interview published Jan. 7 in the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano. Domenico Giani, director of Vatican security services, “reacted in a split second” and immediately intervened to prevent the woman from harming the pope, Festa said. Susannah Maiolo, 25, jumped a security barrier at the start of the Dec. 24 liturgy as Pope Benedict processed into St. Peter’s Basilica. As Vatican guards tackled her to the ground, she was able to grab the pope’s vestments, causing him to lose his balance and tumble to the floor. The woman, who was not armed, has a history of mental illness. Vatican sources confirmed that Maiolo was the same person who attempted to rush the pope at midnight Mass in 2008, but was tackled, again by Giani, before she could reach the pontiff. As a sign of his forgiveness, Pope Benedict XVI met with the woman after leading his weekly general audience Jan. 13 in the Vatican’s Paul VI hall, a papal spokeman said in a written statement.
world 11
Woman tells of cure that advanced Blessed MacKillop’s cause PERTH, Australia (CNS) — The grandmother of 20 whose cure from cancer was attributed to the miraculous intercession of Blessed Mary MacKillop has spoken to Australian media for the first time about her experience. Kathleen Evans, 66, of Windale, whose identity had been closely guarded, spoke at the Mary MacKillop Memorial Chapel in Sydney Jan. 11 about the events that led to the second miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed MacKillop, who will be canonized in Rome this year on a date not yet confirmed. Evans, the great-grandmother of two, told how she had smoked since the age of 16 but had stopped in 1990. Three years later, she was diagnosed with cancer — a particularly aggressive tumor in her right lung that quickly spread to her glands. Within a few months another tumor was found on her brain. She was told it was inoperable and that chemotherapy and radiation were considered pointless. A friend gave her a picture of Mother MacKillop with a piece of her clothing attached with some prayer cards from the St. Joseph Sisters, so Evans, her family and her parish all began praying. “I’m not one to be on my knees all the time or think I’ll go to hell if I miss Mass,” said Evans, but confirmed she does attend church regularly. Ten months after her original diagnosis, she was told there was no sign of the cancer, just some scarring where the tumors had been; and though doctors heavily scrutinized her medical records, she has no doubt about what saved her.
Vatican says sex abuse cases should include civilian courts VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In order to treat sex abuse accusations against priests thoroughly, cases should be turned over to the civil justice system, not just to church authorities, said the head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Clergy. Cardinal Claudio Hummes said instances of priestly sexual abuse are “extremely serious and are criminal facts that the church can never tolerate in any way.” “Once the evil deed has been objectively proven, one must resolutely pursue [the case] to the very end by also turning to ordinary justice,” referring to the civil justice system, he told the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, Jan. 13.
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12 CLASSIFIEDS THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 22, 2009 Employment Facilities manager/bookkeeper - Our Lady of Unity Parish, Kansas City, Kan., has an immediate opening for a full-time position combining the bookkeeping and facilities management needs of our parish and school. Responsibilities include hands-on upkeep and repairs to facilities, contacting and managing contractors for major facilities repairs, organizing and supervising teams and individuals in maintenance work, as well as balancing the books, preparing monthly reports for income and expenditures, processing accounts payable and other bookkeeping needs. Computer competence a must; experience with QuickBooks and payroll helpful. The position requires strong verbal and written communication skills; demonstrated experience with facility maintenance; a good understanding of financial/accounting principles and stewardship; and a teamwork perspective. Spanish speaking is a plus. This is a full-time position (30 - 40 hrs.) with a comprehensive benefits package. Interested applicants should contact Father Kent O’Connor at (913) 677-4621 or send a cover letter and resume, via e-mail, by Jan. 29, to: oluparishkck@gmail.com. Rockhurst High School - A Jesuit college preparatory school in Kansas City, Mo., is seeking to fill two full-time teaching positions for: chemistry and/or chemistry/biology and English for the 2010 - 2011 school year. For an application, visit the Web site at: www.rockhursths.edu. Interested applicants should submit their application, resume, and credentials to: Mr. Larry Ruby, Principal, 9301 State Line Rd., Kansas City, MO 64114. Rockhurst is an EEOE. Director of liturgy and worship - St. Charles Borromeo Parish and School, a faith family of 1600-plus families, desires a team-building, baptismal-call inviter as director of liturgy and worship (DLW) for overall responsibility of coordinating and implementing the liturgical experiences of our parish and school. Our DLW will invite, train and facilitate/supervise the roles of the various liturgical ministries; extend leadership and direction to all church choirs, cantors and instrumentalists; and assist engaged couples in planning the marriage liturgy and grieving families for funeral liturgies. Keyboardists preferred. Start date negotiable. Salary commensurate with experience and diocesan scale. Mail resume to: Director of Liturgy and Worship, attn. Father Ken Riley, St. Charles Borromeo Parish, 900 N.E. Shady Lane Dr., Kansas City, MO 64118. President - The members of the board of trustees of Maur Hill-Mount Academy, Atchison, are seeking a faithfilled, proven leader to become the president of MH-MA, a Catholic, international, college preparatory, day and residency high school in the Atchison County pastoral region of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Maur Hill – Mount Academy is a coeducational, comprehensive high school with 178 students enrolled and 50 staff employed. The school, accredited by the Kansas State Department of Education and the AdvancEd international accreditation agency, offers a full complement of activities. MH-MA prides itself in educating young men and women in the Benedictine tradition — prayer, work, and love. The new president will be expected to be a person of great faith, a registered and active member of his or her parish, in order to lead the school’s faith initiatives. In addition, the new president must be skilled in financial management, strategic planning, and development. Interested individuals should send cover letter, resume, and pastor letter of reference, by Jan. 29, to: Jonathan Mize, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Maur Hill – Mount Academy, c/o Dr. Kathleen O’Hara, Superintendent of Schools, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. E-mail documents may be sent to: kohara@archkckcs.org. Principal - Holy Trinity Elementary School, Lenexa, is seeking a dynamic, experienced Catholic school principal for the 2010 - 2011 academic year who embraces the Catholic faith and possesses spiritual leadership skills blended with strong instructional leadership and managerial skills, as well as excellent interpersonal skills. Holy Trinity serves 698 students and employs a strong staff of 38 teachers in grades K - 8, and is looking for an excellent communicator who can maintain and build upon the strong Catholic identity and academic programming that is a hallmark of the school. In order to be successful at this effort, the principal will need to have an energetic and creative approach to engaging the entire Holy Trinity community. Principal applicants must be practicing Catholics and hold an administrative license from the Kansas State Department of Education. Interested individuals should complete the principal application available on the Web site at: www.archkckcs. org. Applications are due by Feb. 4. Questions may be directed to Dr. Kathleen O’Hara, superintendent of schools, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, at (913) 721-1570 or send an e-mail to her at: kohara@archkckcs.org. Principal - Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Raytown, Mo., seeks an enthusiastic and visionary Catholic school principal to guide our PreK - 8th grade program. Our Lady of Lourdes School was established in 1951 and currently enrolls 137 students. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong and faithful Catholic administrative background.
The qualities for this position require the candidate to demonstrate a strong ability to communicate well with staff, students, and parents; possess marketing and recruitment skills; and display a collaborative leadership style to lead others in the mission of the church. The qualified candidate must be an active practicing Catholic in good standing with the church; with a minimum of 3 years teaching experience; a master’s degree in education, administration or a related field; and an administrative certificate from the state of Missouri, or the ability to obtain one. For information or application materials, contact the Catholic Schools Office at (816) 756-1858, ext. 274, or visit the Web site at: http://jobs. diocese-kcsj.org/jobs/. Savior Pastoral Center - Has an immediate opening for a part-time night and weekend security person. On-site lodging is provided, as the individual is required to live at the center. Position is responsible for security, caretaking and light custodial duties. Ideal candidate will have some security/custodial experience. Hours vary and average 15 – 20 hrs./week, with some weekend work required. Fax or e-mail cover letter and resume, by Jan. 27, to Kathleen Thomas, director of human resources, at (913) 721-2680 or to: kthomas@archkck.org. St. Joseph Early Education Center - Has a position open for a full-time toddler teacher and a full-time infant teacher. Qualified applicants must be at least 18 years old and meet lead teacher qualifications for the state of Kansas. Interested candidates may call (913) 631-0004 for application instructions, or send your resume, via e-mail, to: nwacker@archkckcs.org. Distribution center personnel needed - Lenexabased health care products distributor has immediate openings for part-time material handlers to work from 1:30 - 5:30 p.m. Must be detail-oriented and enjoy working on your feet. Starting pay: $12/hour; bonus and other benefits offered. Friendly and professional work environment. Apply in person at: 11691 W. 85th St., Lenexa, KS 66214. Financial representative - Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding financial representatives in the Kansas City and Emporia areas. This position is ideal for a determined, high-energy, highexpectation, professional, self-disciplined, independent individual desiring to serve others, yet earn a better-thanaverage income. We provide top-rated financial products to our members and their families and will provide excellent benefits and training. For more information or an interview, contact John A. Mahon, 307 Dakota, Holton KS 66436; or call (785) 364-5450.
Services Counseling - Confidential and affordable individual, marriage and family counseling and outpatient substance abuse treatment. JB Strong, MA, LCPC, AAPS (913) 722-1118. Voice lessons and cantor training - Call Nancy M. Kennedy at (816) 943-6339. Mamuric Studios - Is accepting students for tutoring for 2010. Tutor is currently working on her MEd. at Rockhurst University and has experience with students in the K - 12 grades as well as college level. Tutor also specializes in test preps, study skills, French, Spanish, and music. Sessions are customized to fit the student’s needs and are fun and meaningful in context. For information, send an e-mail to: Klmamuric@yahoo.com or call (913) 206-2151. Husband and wife cleaning team - Reasonable rates; references provided. Call (913) 940-2959. Tree service - Pruning ornamental trees for optimal growth and beauty and removal of hazardous limbs or problem trees. Free consultation and bid. Safe, insured, professional. Brad Grabs, Green Solutions of KC, (913) 244-5838. www.GreenSolutionsKC.com. Housecleaning - I will clean your house the old fashioned way – hand mopping, etc. 20+ years exp., excellent references, free estimates. Call Sharon at (816) 322-0006. Bankruptcy - When debt becomes overwhelming, seek professional help. Experienced, compassionate Catholic attorney Teresa Kidd. For a confidential, no obligation consultation, call (913) 422-0610; or send an e-mail to: tkidd@ kc.rr.com. Retired nurse - Will provide child or elder care, do housecleaning, run errands, and provide transportation to/ from appts. Reasonable rates, excellent references. Years of experience with seniors. Call Pam at (913) 579-5276. Do you intend to leave a Catholic charity in your will? The Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas helps people with charitable intent to put their instructions into place. We help stretch your gift further and last longer for the people you love and the causes you care about. For a free, confidential consultation call (913) 647-0365 or visit the Web site at: www.cfnek.org.
THE LEAVEN • JANUARY 22, 2010 Do you or your parents need help at home? - For as little as $60 per week, Benefits of Home-Senior Care can provide assistance with personal care, shopping and many other daily needs. For details, visit our Web site at: benefits ofhome.com or call (913) 422-1591. Caregiving - Mature lady experienced with elderly care will care for your loved one in their home. Good references, reliable transportation, well qualified. Available any time. Honest and dependable. Leawood, OP and Prairie Village areas. Call Flora at (816) 322-9956, mobile, or (816) 921-8223, home. Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management, and transportation to the elderly and disabled in home, assisted living and nursing facilities. We also provide respite care for main caregivers needing some personal time. Call Daughters & Company at (913) 341-2500 and speak with Andrea, Sara or Gary. Caregiving – I am caring and compassionate and will provide companionship, light housekeeping, meal preparation, errand running, transportation and more for your loved one. Trustworthy, honest, dependable and experienced. References available. Days/nights/wknds. JoCo and WyCo areas. Call Sharon at (816) 645-5359. Machine quilting - by Jenell Noeth, Basehor. Also, quilts made to order. Call (913) 724-1837. PC repair / virus and spyware removal / PC upgrades - Microsoft certified; 10 yrs. experience. $35/hr. labor. Member of Sacred Heart Parish. Call Matt at (816) 8766619 or send an e-mail to: mattcomputerfix@gmail.com.
Home Improvement 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 Parish, Shawnee. Woodbright - A very affordable alternative to refinishing, refacing or replacing stained cabinets and woodwork. The average kitchen only costs $500. 18 years experience. Call Woodbright at (913) 940-3020. House painting - Interior and exterior; wallpaper removal. 20 years experience. Reasonable rates. References. Call Joe at (913) 620-5776. Painting, exterior and interior, drywall projects, powerwashing, rotted window sills repaired - Quality products. 20 years experience. References. Call (913) 3417584. Tile and painting - Complete tile and paint repairs and renovation. Ceramic, porcelain, certified limestone tile master. Complete interior paint services and drywall texture finishes. Over 20 years experience. Fully licensed. Service 7 days a week. Contact Mike at (913) 488-4930. Member of Church of the Ascension Parish, Overland Park. Swalms Organizing Service - Basements, garages, attics, and shop spaces organized! Items sorted, boxed & labeled; areas cleaned when finished! Clean out services also available. Great references and insured. For pictures of current projects, visit the Web site at: www.swalms.com. Call Tillar Swalm at (913) 375-9115.
Tim the Handyman - Insured; free estimates. Carpentry: new and repair deck, doors, windows, siding, screens. Plumbing: faucet, garbage disposals, toilets. Electrical: switches, outlets, ceiling fans, light fixtures. Light landscape: fill dirt, trimming, planting, garden tilling and mulching. Serving Johnson County. Call Tim at (913) 8590471.
For Rent Living at its best on a budget! - 1 BR apt., with rent based on income; all utilities paid; no voucher needed. Section 8 assistance. Great location, only 5-10 minutes from The Legends in Kansas City, Kan. Edwardsville Court Apartments Highrise, 531 S. 4th St., Edwardsville. Call (913) 441-6007. EHO. Handicap accessible.
Vacation Ski week in Winter Park, Colo. - $100 per night! Feb. 27 - March 6, 2010. Very nice condo that sleeps 6, with 2 BR, 2 BA, kitchen, and a fireplace Usually rents for $299 per night. Call (913) 649-7596. Ski cabin in Winter Park, Colo. – 2 BR, 1 BA, on free ski shuttle route. $110/night. Call (913) 642-3027. To view pictures, visit the Web site at: cabin.forcadeassociates.com. Ski vacation - Winter Park, Colo. 2 BR, 1 BA, sleeps 6. Fully furnished, fireplace, rec. center with pool & hot tub. $125/night; $750/week. Call Joe Frederick at (913) 385-5589.
Real Estate Villa For Sale – Maintenance-provided ranch home with 2 BR and 2 BA, and a sunroom located in Shawnee at Town & Country Villas. $209,900. www.VillasKC.com. Call Marisa with Kansas Land Brokers at (913) 915-9151.
Childcare Nanny - 12-plus years experience. Looking for part- or full daytime hours. Good references. KC metro area. I have taken care of many younger children. Reliable transportation. Call Janeen at (913) 384-2120.
For sale Are you interested in healthier and safer products for your family, as well as helping the environment and saving money? Consider switching stores. Contact Lori at (913) 645-9420 or send an e-mail to her at: lannmc@ live.com. Member of St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee. For sale - Bell & Howell 32” TV with converter box, plus a never-used GE electric range. Both for $400 cash. Call (913) 342-4027 after 4 p.m. or on wknds. Residential lifts - Buy/sell/trade. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. Recycled and new equipment. Member of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Leawood. Call Silver Cross KC at (913) 393-2042.
Wanted to buy
STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Call for free estimates. Cell: (913) 579-1835; phone: (913) 491-5837; e-mail: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity Church, Lenexa.
***WANTED*** I buy coins, older watches, silverware, slot machines, old rifles and shotguns, stoneware crocks and jugs, old furniture from basement or attic. Call Chris at (913) 593-7507 or (913) 642-8269
Ceramic tile work – Kitchens, bathrooms and floors. 40 years experience. Free estimates, reasonable prices, excellent references, quality work. Slate, marble, natural stone tiles, too! Call Lee at (913) 768-0213.
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.
Bath, kitchen and basement remodels -Quality work; reasonable prices. 25 yrs. experience. Free estimates. JoCo area. Call Ralph at (913) 707-9589. Brown’s Carpet - Installation and repair carpeting; vinyl and wood installation. Free estimates. 10 years experience. Serving the KC metro area. Call (913) 231-4961. EL SOL Y LA TIERRA *Commercial & residential * Lawn renovation * Mowing * Clean-up and hauling * Dirt grading/installation * Landscape design * Free estimates Hablamos y escribimos Ingles!! Call Lupe at (816) 252-3376 Electrician - Free estimates; reasonable rates. JoCo and southern KC metro area. Call Pat at (913) 963-9896.
Miscellaneous Want a healthy and good lifestyle? Come join us for a very exciting adventure. For information, call (913) 3424027. Freedom from pornography - Men’s group and counseling; call Sam Meier, MA, LPC, at (913) 647-0378. Women’s group; call Beth Meier, MA, at (913) 647-0379. Visit the Web site at: LoveIsFaithful.com.
Entertainment Disc jockey - For your wedding, kolos, nightclubs, corporate parties, teenage celebrations, holiday parties, sockhops, ethnic, birthdays, holiday parties, hip-hop/rap, golden oldies. Member of St. Therese Parish, KCMO. Call Zepster’s A to Z Party DJ’s at (816) 741-4777.
Jan. 23
The Altar and Rosary Society of St. Agnes Parish, 5250 Mission Rd., Roeland Park, will host a day of recollection on Jan. 23. The day will begin with a rosary at 9 a.m., followed by Mass, a continental breakfast, a presentation in the parish center, and a closing prayer at 12:30 p.m. Both men and women are encouraged to attend. There is no cost. Freewill donations will be accepted. The Shawnee Knights of Columbus will host a polka dance on Jan. 23 in their hall, located at 11221 Johnson Drive. The cost of $10 per person includes beverages and sausage sandwiches. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and music will be provided by the Brian McCarty Combo from 7:30 p.m. to midnight. For information, call Dan Nicks at (913) 631-4633.
24
The Boy Scouts of St. Ann Parish, 7241 Mission Rd., Prairie Village, will host a pancake breakfast from 7:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. on Jan. 24 in the cafeteria. Proceeds will benefit the troop’s summer camp fund. The Daughters of Isabella, Little Flower Circle no. 503, will meet at 1 p.m. on Jan. 24 at Rossiter Hall, 204 S.W. 8th, Topeka. The Knights of Columbus of Christ the King Church, 53rd and Leavenworth Rd., Kansas City, Kan., will host a Salisbury steak dinner from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Jan. 24. The cost is $6 for adults; children eat free. Carryouts will be available. All proceeds benefit the seminarian and memorial chalice funds. A five-part personal growth series for women will be held from 2:30 - 4 p.m. on Mondays, beginning Jan. 25, at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. This program is designed to increase a woman’s confidence and self-image in order to develop more positive relationships and achieve a higher degree of success. Space is limited. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the Web site at: www.mountosb.org/kwc.
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Join the Singles of Nativity for happy hour, beginning at 6 p.m. on Jan. 27, at Houlihan’s, across from Oak Park Mall, Overland Park. Look for the yellow balloon and our greeters who will be at the table until 7:30 p.m. Questions? Send an e-mail to: social@son-ministry.org. “Handling Stress So It Doesn’t Overwhelm You,” a program for women, presented by Chiquita Miller in partnership with the KState Extension, will be offered from 1 - 2:30 p.m. on Jan. 27 at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For information or to register, call (913) 9068990 or visit the Web site at: www.mountosb. org/kwc.
29-31
Keep your relationship a priority in the new year by attending the next Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend will be held from Jan. 29 - 31. This powerful experience is highlighted on our YouTube video at: www.wwme.org. For information or
to register, call (913) 469-8453 in the Kansas City metro area, (785) 843-9274 in Lawrence, (785) 357-5000 in Topeka, or visit the Web site at: www.neksme.org.
28
years and is currently the RCIA coordinator at St. Thomas More Parish in Kansas City, Mo. Registration is limited. For information or to register, call (913) 360-6151 or visit the Web site at: www.mountosb.org/sophia.html.
All women deserve regular screening for breast and cervical cancer. If you are a woman without health insurance, come to the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Jan. 28. Kelly Nightengale will inform you of the Early Detection Works program, which offers free breast and cervical cancer screenings for qualifying uninsured women in Kansas.
The Center for Spirit at Work will host “Spirituality in a World of Downsizing,” a oneday retreat for anyone interested in exploring the loss and diminishment and rebirth of a soul. The retreat will be held from 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 30 at the Diastole Center, located at 25th and Holmes, Kansas City, Mo. The cost of $30 includes lunch. For information or to register by Jan. 25, call Sister Donna Ryan at (816) 753-7170 or visit the Web site at: www.centerforspiritatwork.org.
“Emotional Eating: What I Want Isn’t In My Pantry,” a nutrition presentation offered in partnership with K-State Extension Services, will be offered from 9:30 - 11 a.m. on Jan. 28 at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the Web site at: www.mountosb.org/kwc.
The annual Support Our Seminarians dinner and auction will be held on Jan. 30 at the Marriott Allis Plaza Hotel, Kansas City, Mo. For information or to purchase tickets, send an e-mail to: vocation@archkck.org or visit the Web site at: www.kckvocations.com.
30
The Ignatian Spirituality Center of Kansas City will sponsor a one-day workshop, entitled “Your Path to a Loving Relationship with God,” presented by Father Vern Heinsz, SJ, from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Jan. 30 at the Finucane Center on the Rockhurst University campus. The cost is $35 per person. For information, visit the Web site at: www.ignatiancenterkc.org. To register, by Jan. 22, call (816) 523-5115 ext. 212, or send an e-mail to: khodel@ignatiancenterkc.org. Join the Singles of Nativity for happy hour and bowling on Jan. 30. We will gather at 6 p.m. at Tequila Harry’s, College Blvd. and Quivira, Overland Park, followed by bowling at AMF Center, Alt. 69 and College Blvd., Overland Park. For information, send an email to: social@son-ministry.org. “The Art, Prayer and Practice of Meditation,” a meditation workshop facilitated by Tom Jacobs, will be offered from 9 a.m. - noon on Jan. 30 at St. Joseph Medical Center, I-435 and State Line Rd., Kansas City, Mo. The practice of meditation heals past wounds, hurtful memories, and pent-up fears and gives participants a spiritual practice that enhances how they see God’s presence in themselves and in others. Preregistration is necessary. For information or to register, call Jacobs at (816) 619-3499 or send an e-mail to him at: tbjacobs@earthlink.net0. Get set for a fun-filled night of trivia competition! St. Thomas Aquinas High School alumni, parents, staff, alumni parents and friends are invited to trivia night on Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. in the auxiliary gym. The cost is $15 per person. Register via the Web site at: www.stasaints.net. Reservations are required by Jan. 22. Bring your own beverage, appetizers or snacks to share. Prizes will be awarded for the best decorated team table, trivia winner and runner-up teams. Individuals and groups are welcome. For information, call Beth Hartung at (913) 208-3321 or send an e-mail to her at: bethhartung@sbcglobal. net. Volunteer are needed, too! Sophia Center, 751 S. 8th St., Atchison, will host a day of reflection for RCIA candidates and catechumens from 8:15 a.m. 4 p.m. on Jan. 30. The focus of the day will be on deepening one’s understanding of the commitment implied when praying the Lord’s Prayer. Mary Kay Whitacre will be the presenter. She has served in RCIA ministry for 25
2
Feb.
“Becoming A Love and Logic Parent,” a six-week parenting program, will be offered from 7 - 8:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, beginning Feb. 2, in the community room at the Church of the Ascension, 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park. The $75 registration fee covers one or both parents and the workbook. The registration deadline Jan. 29. Babysitting will be available for $3 per session. To register, mail a check (payable to the Church of the Ascension) to the Family Life Coordinator at the above address. For information, call Michele Gress at (913) 681-3348, ext. 142, or send an e-mail to her at: mgress@kcascension.org. A monthly book club for women will be held at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., from 6:30 - 8 p.m. on Feb. 2 and every first Tuesday of the month. This month’s discussion will focus on the book “The Year the Colored Sisters Came to Town” by Jacqueline Guidry. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the Web site at: www.mountosb.org.
5-6
Sophia Center, 751 S. 8th St., Atchison, will host “Return to the Land of Your Soul,” a retreat by Sister Marcia Ziska, OSB, focusing on the journey home to the true self, from 5 p.m. on Feb. 5 to 4 p.m. on Feb. 6. For information or to register, call (913) 360-6151, or visit the Web site at: www. mountosb.org/sophia.html.
6
The Militia of Immaculata will meet from 10:30 a.m. - noon on Feb. 6 and on every first Saturday of the month at the Redemptorist Social Service Center, 207 W. Linwood, Kansas City, Mo. For information, call Christine Rossi at (913) 268-0208. The Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women (ACCW) will hold its quarterly meeting at 9 a.m. and annual retreat from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Feb. 6 in O’Connor Hall at Most Pure Heart of Mary, 1800 S.W. Stone, Topeka. All women of the archdiocese are invited to attend. For information, contact Susan Draftz at (913) 367-2227 or send an e-mail to her at: sdraftz@prolifeamerica.com.
CALENDAR 13 Couples who are passionate about enriching marriages in northeast Kansas are invited to join the area leaders of the Worldwide Marriage Encounter in a day of prayer and planning on Feb. 6 at St. Francis de Sales Parish hall, 900 Ida St., Lansing. The day will begin with the noon prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, followed by lunch (bring your own) and the planning session. The Mothers of Young Children of Curé of Ars Parish, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood, will host their annual Valentine Family Fest from 3 - 5 p.m. on Feb. 6 in the school cafeteria. There will be refreshments, crafts, games and a concert by kid-friendly Mr. Stinky Feet! Tickets cost $5 per person; $20 per family. Donations of diapers, wipes and formula for the children of St. Benedict’s Children’s Center will be collected.
19-21
Divorced? Widowed? Beginning Experience Weekend gently helps people move through their loss to a new beginning in their lives. The next weekend for the Kansas City area will be Feb. 19 - 21 at Sanctuary of Hope, 2601 Ridge, Kansas City, Kan. For information or to register, call John at (913) 219-3465 in Kansas City, Sue at (785) 331-2216 in Lawrence, Michelle at (785) 4783481 in Topeka, or visit the Web site at: www. beginningexperience.org.
26-28
Rediscover your marriage! Retrouvaille simply means “rediscovery.” This program offers the chance to rediscover yourself, your spouse, and a loving relationship in your marriage. Past attendees have commented that they do not know why they waited so long to attend. Retrouvaille is not a spiritual retreat; it’s not a time for group sharing, not a seminar, and not a social gathering. For confidential information or to register for the upcoming program, beginning with a weekend on Feb. 26 - 28, call 1 (800) 470-2230 or visit the Web site at: www. retrouvaille.org.
Misc. Bishop Ward High School, 708 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kan., is seeking volunteers to participate in its annual career day on April 9 from 12:30 - 3 p.m. Volunteers will be assigned to a classroom and will conduct three or four 25-minute sessions and are asked to talk with the students about the education requirements of your career, what you do, and where the future of your career is headed. If interested, contact Lori Dowd at (913) 371-1201 by Jan. 29. The Apostles of the Interior Life, along with spiritual director Father Steve Sotiroff, will host a spiritual pilgrimage to Italy from June 11 - 21. Cities to be visited include: Rome, Orvieto, Assisi, Siena, Florence, and Loreto. The cost of $2799 (double occupancy) includes airfare, hotels, daily breakfast and dinner, and sightseeing tours. Optional trip insurance is available for $185. Registration and deposit is due by March 1. For information or to book a reservation, contact Adriatic Pilgrimages at 1 (800) 262-1718 or visit the Web site at: www.adriatrictours.com.
14 COMMENTARY
THE LEAVEN • january 22, 2010
Mark my words
Catholic Press Association Award Winner 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
Archbishop Edward O’Meara Award Winner 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003
Quote Week
of the
“I’m numb. I just can’t believe it. Buildings I’ve known for 50 years — gone. . . . To think all that doesn’t exist.” Bryan Freeman, retired professor of Haitian studies at the University of Kansas See story on page 1
T
Who was that masked man?
he Christmas gift from my cousin in California was a simple one: a wildly colorful, hand-painted, wooden mask about seven inches high. On its back was a small piece of looped string, held in place by a single staple, allowing the mask to be hung on a wall.
What made this mask special was that it was crafted in a poverty-stricken country, and the proceeds from its purchase went directly back to the artist. However, for over a week now, that mask has taken on an even deeper meaning for me. You see, painted in small gold letters on the front of it is a name: F. Fabius. Next to the name is where the mask came from: Haiti. My heart and mind have been with this unknown artist, since hearing about the devastating earthquake that shook that country last week. I’ve been wondering: Who is F. Fabius? Is it a man or a woman? Does the artist support a family with this craft? Did the mask’s painter live in Portau-Prince? If so, was this craftsman injured or killed? Personally, I just can’t wrap my mind around what Haitians are going through right now. Can you imagine a bustling city reduced to rubble in the space of a minute or two? I can’t fathom what it would be like to see thousands
and thousands of my fellow countrymen either dead or injured. How would I handle having no clean water, little food and no shelter? Suppose someone I knew was injured and there was no hospital to take him to, or no medicines to relieve the pain? Last weekend, I apologized to my parishioners for once again coming to them to ask for a donation, this time via a second collection for Haiti. The week before we heard the archbishop’s annual appeal for the Call to Share campaign. All during the month of January, our Knights of Columbus council has been collecting items for a pro-life baby shower to assist families in a crisis pregnancy. And then, a couple of weeks ago, our youth group was asking for donations for prizes to be given out at its bingo fundraiser. I was concerned that people might feel a “generosity fatigue.” I needn’t have worried. Honestly, there will never be a time — at least on this side of heaven — when people are not in need. And who better to ask for assistance than people of faith? I recently came across this little story that might explain why this should be so: A famous heiress kept her priceless collection of jewels in the vault of a large bank. One of her prize possessions was a very valuable string of
pearls. Now, it’s a scientific fact that pearls lose their original luster if not worn once in a while in contact with the human body. Therefore, once a week, a bank secretary, guarded by two plainclothesmen, wears these priceless pearls to lunch. This brief contact with the human body keeps them beautiful and in good condition. According to the publication Uplift, “our faith is a lot like the pearl. It must be used in order to be useful. It must be worn out among the masses of mankind where faith and hope are needed.” (Found in Anthony Castle’s “More Quips, Quotes & Anecdotes for Preachers and Teachers.”) I like the words “worn out” in the above paragraph. I believe that it’s critical for our faith to be lived out . . . courageously, tirelessly, and selflessly. In other words, it’s much better for our faith to be worn out, rather than to rust out. That’s particularly true with a situation like the incredible needs in Haiti. I hope that you’ll take some time to read the articles on Haiti that we’ve compiled in this issue. I’ve learned a lot from them. They put a human face on the sufferings there. Tragedies like the Haiti earthquake remove the masks — of skin color, nationality, social standing, indifference, isolationism, etc. — that we so often hide behind and remind us of our common bond as human beings and the drive that we feel deep in our hearts to help one another. No, we people of faith can never tire of doing good, for we know that, ultimately, behind the mask of suffering, sorrow and need, there is always the face of Jesus.
the gospel truth
Scripture Readings third week of ordinary time Jan. 24 third Sunday in ordinary time Neh 8: 2-4a, 5-6, 8-10; Ps 19: 8-10, 15; 1 Cor 12: 12-30; Lk 1: 1-4; 4: 14-21 Jan. 25 the conversion of paul, apostle Acts 22: 3-16; Ps 117: 1bc, 2; Mk 16: 15-18 Jan. 26 Timothy and Titus, bishops 2 Tm 1: 1-8; Ps 96: 1-3, 7-8a, 10; Mk 3: 31-35 Jan. 27 Angela Merici, virgin 2 Sm 7: 4-17; Ps 89: 4-5, 27-30; Mk 4: 1-20 Jan. 28 Thomas Aquinas, priest, doctor of the church 2 Sm 7: 18-19, 24-29; Ps 132: 1-5, 11-14; Mk 4: 21-25 Jan. 29 Friday 2 Sm 11: 1-4a, 5-10a, 13-17; Ps 51: 3-7, 10-11; Mk 4: 26-34 Jan. 30 Saturday 2 Sm 12: 1-7a, 10-17; Ps 51: 12-17; Mk 4: 35-41
I
Role of prophet is fulfilled by Jesus
n some Protestant churches, the minister will select whatever passages from Scripture that he or she wishes to preach about that Sunday.
The minister picks out a topic for Nazareth. Jesus reads a passage from the sermon and then chooses Scripture the prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of passages to correlate to it. There is no the Lord is upon me, because he has predetermined schedule of readings anointed me to bring glad tidings to the from Scripture. poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty In contrast, in the Catholic Church to captives and recovery of sight to the and in several others — such as the Lublind, to let the oppressed theran and Episcopal churchgo free, and to proclaim a es — a schedule of readings third SUNDAY IN year acceptable to the Lord.” for the entire denomination ORDINARY TIME Afterwards, Jesus sits down has been fixed well in adLk 1: 1-4; 4: 14-21 and adds: “Today this Scripvance. There is little flexibilture passage is fulfilled in ity. That schedule is called your hearing.” the lectionary. Likewise, a We should note that the passage book containing the readings is also from Isaiah is not framed as a forecalled the Lectionary. telling of a future event. It is not a We inherited the notion of the prophecy in that sense. Instead, the lectionary from the Jewish people. In prophet is describing the mission that the synagogue service for the Sabbath, God has entrusted to him. So, how can the first reading proclaimed is taken Jesus claim that the passage has just from the Torah, the first five books of then been fulfilled, if that mission had the Bible. The second reading, called already been entrusted to Isaiah centuthe haftorah, usually comes from one ries earlier? of the prophets. That is the case in By making that claim, Jesus is Sunday’s Gospel reading: Lk 1:1-4; updating the passage. He is identifying 4:14-21. with Isaiah. It is not only the Scripture The Gospel reading describes a passage that has been fulfilled, but Sabbath service in the synagogue at
the role of Isaiah himself is fulfilled in Jesus. Isaiah was a prophet. Jesus also will be a prophet, but in a more complete and perfect way. Jesus will accomplish whatever was lacking in Isaiah. As a prophet, Isaiah spoke under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Jesus also, since he is a prophet, is being guided by the Holy Spirit. That is why the Gospel mentions: “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.” That is also why the passage from Isaiah applies to him: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” Jesus is a prophet, one who speaks on behalf of God. But Jesus is not merely a prophet; he is also the Messiah, which means “the anointed one.” In the Old Testament, priests, prophets and kings were anointed with oil as a sign of their inauguration into office. But Jesus has been anointed by God: “He has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor.” Jesus is not only a prophet, not only the Messiah. He is also the Son of God. In Sunday’s Gospel reading, that is not immediately apparent. It is still early. But as Jesus’ ministry unfolds, that will become clearer. Father Mike Stubbs is pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lansing and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University.
16 LOCAL NEWS
THE LEAVEN • january 22, 2010
Snow Ball
Annual event brings in over $1 million for Catholic Charities Photos by Susan McSpadden
s Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann leads a blessing before dinner.
s Ken and Nancy Mellard, 2010 Snow Ball presidents, announce the amount raised by the event — $1,558,895. s
Rita and Lamar Hunt Jr. enjoy the first dance of the Snow Ball. The Hunts have a soft spot in their hearts for the charity event — the couple had their first date at a Snow Ball nine years ago.
s Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann presents Charles Berkel, a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Shawnee and the honorary Snow Ball president, with a papal blessing from Pope Benedict XVI.