11-06-09 Vol. 31 No. 14

www.theleaven.com | Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas | Vol. 31, No. 14 november 6, 2009

Health care reform Bishops urge Catholics to act now on health care concerns

By Joe Bollig

Leaven staff

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Despite pleas and warnings, congressional leaders unveiled an $894 billion national health care bill that fails to protect conscience rights and creates federal abortion-funding mandates.

On Oct. 29, the leaders of the U.S. House announced the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which combines three bills that passed in committees this summer.

Debate over this health care bill, and another in the Senate, will begin soon.

“I think a huge problem with the proposed [House] bill is that, for the first time, it tries to mandate that pro-life Americans pay for other people’s abortions,” said Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann.

“And it does that in two ways,” he continued, “by allowing abortions to be included in the public option, as well as mandating Americans have health insurance and not necessarily providing an option for pro-life Americans to not contribute to plans that subsidize abortion.”

This is disappointing, because Congress had every opportunity to correct these problems and is willing to risk the defeat of health care reform to coerce all Americans into paying for abortions, said the archbishop.

The U.S. bishops have long supported health care reform but they became alarmed after amendments that would have protected conscience rights and upheld the status quo regarding federal funding of abortion were defeated this summer.

President Barack Obama said on Sept. 9 that no federal funds would be used to pay for abortions as a part of these health care measures, but that is simply not the case, said Michael Schuttloffel, executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference.

“The House bill creates a government-run health plan, known as the ‘public option,’” he said. “Under the bill, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services — currently Kathleen Sebelius — would be allowed to mandate that the plan cover unlimited abortions.”

“This would be a radical departure from all existing federal programs,” he continued.

“Another departure from the current situation is that the bill would subsidize private health

Turn to “federal” on page 5

2 ARCHBISHOP

THE LEAVEN • november 6, 2009

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS

Prayer, patience, and perseverance pay off

L

ast week, I recalled my experience 25 years ago, when serving as director of the archdiocesan pro-life office in St. Louis, I identified a goal: to create and fund a well-researched and professionally produced pro-life mass media educational campaign. I also recounted my frustration in not having a clue how to achieve this objective.

I was already discouraged about ever achieving this goal when, in 1989, the pro-abortion leadership in Missouri collected enough signatures to place a so-called “right of privacy amendment” on the ballot. In effect, this would have made abortion a constitutional right in Missouri. The supporters of this amendment had all of the profits from the abortion industry at their disposal to fund a slick media campaign for passage of the amendment. As a consequence, the pro-life leadership in Missouri was desperately attempting to raise money to develop an educational campaign to defeat the amendment.

At the same time, some of the best pro-life legal minds in Missouri mounted a legal challenge to the amendment. The ballot title is the description that voters are provided when they cast their vote. Pro-life attorneys argued that the ballot title was deceptive, because while the amendment was all about enshrining the right of abortion in the Missouri Constitution,

the ballot title never mentioned abortion. Fortunately, the court agreed. The amendment was not allowed to appear on the ballot.

The pro-life movement in Missouri, by the grace of God, had dodged a bullet. Many of the pro-life leaders, who had been desperately trying to raise money for a mass media campaign to defeat the amendment, resolved we could never allow ourselves to be so vulnerable again. We recognized the need to be proactive by using mass media for pro-life education — not just at a moment of crisis or to influence a particular election, but to attempt to shape societal values by reaching the minds and hearts of people with consistent pro-life messaging. That was the beginning of what today has become the Vitae Caring Foundation.

The leadership of Vitae knew that if we were going to ask people to make significant donations for a mass media prolife educational campaign, our messaging had to be well-researched. Initially, Vitae selected, as its primary target audience, women in child-bearing years — most of whom, according to reliable polling data, self-identified as pro-choice, rather than pro-life.

We knew from our experience with Dr. Nathanson’s “The Silent Scream” that it would be impossible even to purchase time to portray the reality of abortion. Moreover, the research showed that such images were not effective with our target audience.

A series of ads was developed that

portrayed attractive, strong women challenging the pro-choice rhetoric by pointing out its internal contradictions. Nevertheless, in St. Louis not one network television station would allow Vitae to purchase time for its messages.

In 1992, Vitae achieved a breakthrough in Kansas City when the local FOX affiliate agreed to air the Vitae ads. Once there was a crack in the media dam, other stations in Kansas City and other media markets began accepting the Vitae ads.

Today, Vitae has a presence in 10 of the top 25 media markets in our nation, including New York, Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles and St. Louis. Vitae ads have been shown in 60 television markets on over 200 network stations and even more cable stations. In its less than 20-year history, it has raised more than $60 million dollars from more than 40,000 donors.

While Vitae Caring Foundation would never claim exclusive credit, it is no coincidence that during this period abortions began decreasing dramatically in Missouri, Kansas and nationwide. Also as a result of pro-life educational efforts, like Vitae, this past year for the first time polling data revealed more Americans self-identifying as pro-life rather than pro-choice.

Two weeks ago, the Vitae Caring Foundation held its annual fundraising dinner in Kansas City. Vitae has adapted to the ever-changing world of communications. To communicate its prolife messages, Vitae uses billboards, radio, television and the Internet. At this moment in the Kansas City area, Vitae has placed 90 billboards inviting women experiencing a crisis pregnancy to seek help at abortion alternative centers. In Kansas, women are directed to either the Wyandotte Pregnancy Clinic or one of the Advice and Aid Pregnancy Centers in Johnson County.

Vitae has conducted similar campaigns in New York and Atlanta that resulted in saving thousands of lives.

The original motto of Vitae was: “Reaching Minds to Save Lives.” Vitae Caring Foundation has played a critical role in saving thousands of lives as well as sparing thousands of parents from having to live with the overwhelming burden that they permitted the brutal killing of their own child.

If you would like to learn more about this effort that is changing minds and hearts, as well as saving lives, please visit the Web site at: www.vitae caringfoundation.org. If you are able, I encourage you to make a generous donation to the Vitae Caring Foundation. Checks should be made payable to Vitae Foundation and sent to: 1731 Southbridge Drive, Suite D, Jefferson City, MO 65109.

In the Old Testament, when Israel prevailed in battles against its enemies, it was never because of its superior strategy, numbers or strength. It was because of its complete trust in God and his ability to do what the nation was completely powerless to accomplish. As I sat at the Vitae dinner a few days ago, I could not help but think back on my goal of 25 years ago and marvel at what God had accomplished though the leadership, hard work and generosity of so many.

If you feel overwhelmed by some challenge in your life, I encourage you to take heart. Be persistent in your prayer. Recall the passage we heard from St. Mark’s Gospel a few weeks ago: “For human beings it is impossible, but not for God. All things are possible for God”(Mk 10: 27). God has a long history of making the impossible a reality. Sometimes, it takes 25 years or longer to recognize the unfolding of his plan.

Concrete Work

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Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799)

Editor Reverend Mark Goldasich, stl frmark@theleaven.com

Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe@theleaven.com

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President Most Reverend Joseph F. Naumann

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Published weekly September through May, excepting the Friday the week after Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Christmas; biweekly June through August. Address communications to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Phone: (913) 721-1570; fax: (913) 721-5276; or e-mail at: sub@theleaven.com.

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THE LEAVEN • november 6, 2009

SECOND FRONT PAGE 3

weighty issues

Bishops to discuss test-tube and deathbed issues, finish work on missal

By Nancy Frazier O’Brien Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON (CNS) — Life issues from the test tube to the deathbed are on the agenda for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ fall general assembly.

The Nov. 16-19 meeting in Baltimore also will include what the bishops hope will be their final consideration of action items related to the Roman Missal and debate and vote on a lengthy document offering support to married couples and affirming that true marriage can only involve a man and a woman.

The meeting agenda also will feature a preliminary report on the causes and context study on clergy sexual abuse of minors conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a report by the National Religious Vocation Conference on a recent study of religious vocations.

The bishops will hear the final presidential address by Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, who is beginning the third year of his threeyear term as USCCB president, and will choose chairmen-elect for five committees.

A draft document prepared by the Committee on Pro-Life Activities looks at the issue of reproductive technologies, saying that although the Catholic Church shares the pain of married couples facing “unanticipated childlessness,” some reproductive technologies “are not legitimate ways to solve” infertility problems.

The 22-page document, “Life-Giving Love in an Age of Technology,” is designed as a companion to the bishops’ 2006 statement, “Married Love and the Gift of Life,” which urged Catholic couples to reject the use of artificial contraception and to learn how natural family planning can benefit the marital relationship.

Like the earlier document, “LifeGiving Love in an Age of Technology” is in a question-and-answer format, with a short introduction.

“Some solutions offered to infertile couples do justice to their dignity as individuals and as a couple, and to the full human dignity of their child, by helping their marital act to be lifegiving,” the draft document says.

“Others are morally flawed efforts to replace the marital act that are not worthy of the tremendous gift God offers to husband and wife by calling them together as spouses and parents.”

Also up for debate by the bishops is a proposed revision to the directives that guide Catholic heath care facilities, which would clarify that patients with chronic conditions who are not imminently dying should receive food and water by “medically assisted” means if they cannot take them normally.

“As a general rule, there is an obligation to provide patients with food and water, including medically assisted nutrition and hydration for those who cannot take food orally,” says the revised text of the “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic

CNS photo/Mike Crupi, Catholic Courier

Registered nurse Cecilia Colaneri holds the hand of Carey Gainey, a patient at Mount Carmel House, a home for the dying in Rochester, N.Y. They are shown in a 2004 file photo. The U.S. Catholic Bishops will discuss life issues from the test tube to the deathbed at the fall general assembly Nov. 16-19.

Health Care Services” proposed by the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Doctrine.

“This obligation extends to patients in chronic conditions (e.g., the ‘persistent vegetative state’) who can reasonably be expected to live indefinitely if given such care,” the new text adds.

Deleted from the directives would be a reference to “the necessary distinctions between questions already resolved by the magisterium and those requiring further reflection, as, for example, the morality of withdrawing medically assisted hydration and nutrition from a person who is in the condition that is recognized by physicians as the ‘persistent vegetative state.’”

With five votes on the English translation and U.S. adaptations of the Roman Missal, the bishops hope to conclude nearly six years of intense and sometimes contentious consultations. Each section of the missal must be approved by two-thirds of the USCCB’s Latin-rite membership and will then be sent to the Vatican for “recognitio,” or confirmation.

While awaiting Vatican approval of all sections of the missal, the U.S. church will begin “a process of catechesis,” said Msgr. Anthony Sherman, executive director of the USCCB Office of Divine Worship, “so that every-

one is ready to move along when we get the final text from the Vatican.”

The final five units of the missal are: the proper of saints, a collection of specific prayers for each saint included in the universal liturgical calendar; the commons, a collection of general prayers for celebrating other saints; the Roman Missal supplement; the U.S. propers; and U.S. adaptations to the Roman Missal.

The 57-page proposed pastoral letter on marriage is to be issued in hopes of reversing what the bishops call “a disturbing trend” toward viewing marriage as “a mostly private matter” with personal satisfaction as its only goal.

The letter, called “Marriage: Life and Love in the Divine Plan,” is another component in the bishops’ National Pastoral Initiative for Marriage, which began in November 2004.

The letter cites four “fundamental challenges to the nature and purpose of marriage” — contraception, samesex unions, easy divorce and cohabitation.

Calling both contraception and cohabitation “intrinsically evil,” the bishops say that although couples who use contraception “may think that they are doing nothing harmful to their marriages,” they are in reality causing many negative consequences, both personal and societal.

Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky., who chairs the bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage, also will report on efforts to promote and protect marriage as the exclusive and permanent union between a man and a woman.

The campaign includes five seven- to nine-minute videos, to be launched with accompanying pamphlets and a related Web site in 2010.

The bishops will be asked to approve a $144.5 million budget for 2010, representing an increase of less than 0.2 percent over 2009, and a 3 percent increase in the diocesan assessment to support the work of the USCCB in 2011.

They also will debate and vote on a document outlining the USCCB priority plan for 2010-11 and a more than 330-page set of specific operational plans for USCCB committees and offices.

In a switch from previous years, the meeting is to open Nov. 16 with a morning Mass, then the bishops will meet by regions before beginning their general sessions that afternoon. Public sessions are expected to end by mid-morning Nov. 18, followed by executive session for the rest of that day and a morning of prayer and reflection Nov. 19.

4 LOCAL NEWS DECREE

Johnson County parishes borders change

Since it is the duty of the Archbishop, in cooperation with the presbyters, to shepherd the people of this local Church (cc 369, 381) and Since it is necessary from time to time to make changes so as to best meet the pastoral needs of shifting and growing populations within certain regions of the Archdiocese, and After reviewing and approving the Pastoral Plan for the Johnson County Region submitted in October 2008 which recommended a relocation of St. Paul Church and School in Olathe to a new site in northwest Olathe and After receiving a request from the pastor of St. Paul Parish to begin the process of relocating the parish school and church and, in accord with c. 515, §2, having heard the Presbyteral Council on September 22, 2009, and having consulted with others on this issue, I hereby decree that the territory of St. Paul Parish in Olathe is to be altered as follows: Western Boundary: From a line consistent with Gardner Rd. at W. 83rd Street, south along Gardner Rd. to W. 143rd Street (Dennis Ave.) in W. Olathe, then east along 143rd Street to S. Moonlight Rd. and then south along Moonlight Rd. to W. 151st Street in SW Olathe.

Southern Boundary: From W. 151st Street and S. Moonlight Rd. in SW Olathe, east along W. 151st Street to Lakeshore Rd. (S. Clare Rd.), south along S. Clare Rd. to W. 167th Street, then east along 167th Street to U.S. 169 Hwy.

DECREE

THE LEAVEN • november 6, 2009

Eastern Boundary: From W. 167th Street and U.S. 169 Hwy., north to I-35 in S. Olathe, then north along I-35 to 119th Street, then west along 119th Street to Ridgeview Rd., then north along Ridgeview Rd. to K-10 Hwy., then west along K-10 Hwy. to K-7 Hwy., then north along K-7 Hwy. to W. 83rd Street.

Northern Boundary: From W. 83rd Street and K-7 Hwy. in West Lenexa, west along W. 83rd Street to Gardner Rd. This will necessitate an alteration of the parish territorial boundaries of Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa as well. By this same document I further decree that the territory of Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa is to be altered as follows: Western Boundary: K-7 Hwy from W. 83rd Street in western Lenexa, south to K-10 Hwy. Southern Boundary: K-10 Hwy from K-7 Hwy, east to Ridgeview Rd., then south on Ridgeview Rd. to W. 119th Street in north Olathe, then east on W. 119th Street to Rosehill Rd. Eastern Boundary: Rosehill Rd., north from W. 119th Street in Overland Park to W. 95th Street, then east along W. 95th Street to Grant Street, then north on Grant to W. 83rd Street.

Northern Boundary: W. 83rd Street from Grant Street in Overland Park, west to K-7 Hwy.

Lastly, this will also necessitate an alteration of the parish territorial boundaries of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Shawnee. By this same document I still further decree that the territory of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Shawnee is to be altered as follows:

Western Boundary: 182nd Street and I-70 in Leavenworth County, south along 182nd Street to the Kansas River, then east along the river to a line consistent with Gardner Rd. in Johnson County, then south along Gardner Rd. to W. 83rd Street in West Lenexa.

Southern Boundary: Gardner Rd. and W. 83rd Street in West Lenexa, east along W. 83rd Street to K-7 Hwy, then north along K-7 Hwy. to W. 71st Street in West Shawnee, then east along W. 71st Street and continuing east along a straight line to the intersection of a north-south line from the level of 71st Street to the intersection of Barker Rd. and Midland Dr. in West Shawnee.

Eastern Boundary: Along a northsouth line beginning at the level of W. 71st Street in West Shawnee, north to the intersection of Barker Rd. and Midland Drive, then proceeding north along Barker Rd. to the intersection of Wilder Rd. and Holiday drive, then straight north from the intersection of Wilder Rd. and Holiday Dr. along a straight line to the Kansas river. Then west along the Kansas river to a point consistent with 110th Street in West Wyandotte county, north along a line consistent with 110th Street to I-70.

Northern Boundary: I-70 from 110th Street in West Wyandotte County, west along I-70 to 182nd Street in Leavenworth County.

I offer my sincere gratitude and prayers for the pastors and leadership of St. Paul, Holy Trinity and Sacred Heart of Jesus parishes as they continue to plan and work so as to meet the pastoral needs of the many people who seek the Lord with a sincere heart. I invoke the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, under the title of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the Archdiocese, and St. John Vianney, the secondary patron, that their prayers may strengthen the work of the Church and that Jesus’ commission to “go and make disciples” will progress with vigor and bear fruit in great abundance.

Given on the Twenty-first day of October in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Nine at the Chancery in Kansas City, Kansas.

Most Reverend Joseph F. Naumann, D.D., Archbishop

Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas

Reverend John Riley, Chancellor

Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas

Leavenworth County parishes merge

Since it is the duty of the Archbishop, in cooperation with the presbyters, to shepherd the people of this local Church (cc 369, 381) and Since the late Reverend Neal Stull, SOLT, past pastor of St. Joseph of the Valley Parish in Leavenworth County and St. Lawrence Parish in Easton had worked so diligently with the leadership of those parishes to foster cooperation and make a common effort to further the work of the Church and After receiving the late Father Stull’s recommendations and after reviewing the recommendations put forth in the Strategic Pastoral Plan for Parishes and Schools in the Leavenworth Region submitted in December 2006 which called for the eventual merger of these two parishes and In accord with c. 515, §2, having heard the Presbyteral Council on September 22, 2009, and having consulted others on this issue, I hereby decree that St. Joseph of the Valley Parish in Leavenworth County and St. Lawrence Parish in Easton are to be merged and become one parish comprising the combined territory of the previously separate parishes. The merged parish is to bear the name St. Joseph – St.

St. Lawrence, Easton

Lawrence Parish, with the principal parish church being St. Lawrence church in Easton, while both church buildings will remain open for sacred worship. The territorial boundaries of the merged parish are attached to this document.

I offer my sincere gratitude and prayers for the work of the late pastor Father Stull and for the efforts of the leadership of both parishes to bring about this merger. I am grateful to the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity for having provided priests to serve St. Joseph of the Valley and St. Lawrence parishes in the past.

I invoke the prayers of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues and their companions, the North American martyrs, on behalf of the members of this newly merged parish so they will continue to embrace the great commission of Jesus to “go and make disciples.” May the prayers

St. Joseph of the Valley, Leavenworth

of these great missionary martyrs protect, guide and bring abundant blessings upon the priest and people of St. JosephSt. Lawrence Parish.

Given on the Nineteenth day of October in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Nine, on the Memorial of St. John de Brébeuf and St. Isaac Jogues, priests and martyrs, and their companions, martyrs, at the Chancery in Kansas City, Kansas.

Most Reverend Joseph F. Naumann, D.D., Archbishop

Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas

Reverend John Riley, Chancellor

Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas

Boundaries: St. JosephSt. Lawrence Parish, Easton Beginning at the intersection of 219th Street and the county line of Leavenworth and Atchison counties, the boundary proceeds east on the county line (Hand Rd.) for 2 miles to 203rd St., then south on 203rd Street 3 miles to Coffin Rd., then east along Coffin Rd., 2 miles to 187th St., then south on 187th St. 2 miles to Turner Rd., then east along Turner Rd., 1 mile to 179th Street, then south on 179th Street 3 miles to Lecompton Rd., then west along Lecompton Rd., 1 mile to 187th St. (also known at CR #29 - County Shop Rd.), then south on 187th St. 4 miles to Stranger Rd., then west along Stranger Rd., 9 miles to 259th St., which is also the county line of Leavenworth and Jefferson counties, then north along 259th St. 8 miles to Seven Sisters Rd., then east on Seven Sisters Rd., 1 mile to 251st St., then north along a line consistent with 251st St., 1 mile to Coffin Rd., then east on Coffin Rd., 4 miles to 219th St., then north along 219th St., 3 miles to the county line of Leavenworth and Atchison counties.

THE LEAVEN • November 6, 2009

LOCAL NEWS 5

Archdiocese found compliant with protection charter

By Joe Bollig Leaven staff

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — An audit is a little like a visit from your mother-inlaw. You’re nervous, even if you’re wellprepared.

That’s the way Rebecca Sachen, principal of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Wea, felt about her school’s on-site audit on Aug. 5 for compliance with the U.S. bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.”

“It was a nervous thing,” said Sachen “You want to make sure you’re doing your best to protect the kids. Honestly, I thought we were very prepared. Our two Virtus [program] coordinators did an exceptional job.”

Queen of the Holy Rosary did, in fact, “test” well. When it was over, the auditor only offered minor suggestions, such as making sure they kept updated versions of forms and paperwork on hand.

The same was true for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas as a whole.

This is the fifth consecutive year that the archdiocese has been found to be in compliance with the charter.

The charter, approved by the U.S. bishops in 2002, was established as an instrument to help prevent the sexual abuse of minors by anyone serving in church ministry or employment, or as a volunteer.

“The charter requires the church and the archdiocese to be as open as possible about instances of sexual abuse of minors, with respect always for the privacy and the reputation of the individuals

involved,” explained Father John Riley, archdiocesan chancellor and safe environment coordinator.

This year, however, there was something new. It was the first time that auditors have conducted on-site parish and school visits.

“The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ [safe environment] audits are done annually, but on a three-year cycle because there are so many dioceses,” said Rita Herken, archdiocesan Virtus coordinator. “Typically, one year you have an on-site audit, and then the next two years will probably be data collection audits.”

From Aug. 3 to 7, a team of independent auditors, led by a retired Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, conducted on-site reviews of records and interviewed pastors and staff at 21 parishes and schools in urban, suburban and rural communities.

The auditors reviewed documents and procedures concerning: • How policies and procedures relating to the protection of children were carried out • If the pastor, principal and other staff knew when and how to report an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor • When safe environment training is provided and documented • If the pastor ensured that background evaluations were conducted on all parish personnel • If the principal ensured that background evaluations were conducted on all school personnel.

The audits at each school and parish

followed nearly the same procedure.

For example, at Our Lady of Unity Parish and School in Kansas City, Kan., the audit team consisted of the USCCB auditor, the pastor, the school principal, the director of religious education, and an archdiocesan representative. “[The USCCB auditor] came in and asked us about hiring practices, recruiting volunteers, and about our training,” said Father Michael Hermes, the pastor at the time. “The volunteers include catechists, CYO coaches — anyone who has an official function at the parish working with kids. She asked how we recruit and train people, and how we document it.”

The USCCB auditor also did random spot checks of files to ensure that individuals had attended Virtus [safe environment] training, underwent a background check, and signed an acknowledgement that they received and read archdiocesan policies. These policies concern child protection, the code of ethical standards, and harassment.

“She had a couple of minor suggestions for us, but the major items were good, and she complimented us,” said Father Hermes. “We want to do the right thing, so we were happy to cooperate.”

Sacred Heart Parish and School in Emporia had much the same experience, said Marilyn Krueger, safe environment coordinator. “[She asked us] about our records — where we keep them and who is responsible for them,” said Krueger. “She wanted to know if all the children had taken the [Teaching Touching Safety],

Who to Call Any person who believes that a child is being abused or neglected can make a confidential report to the Kansas State Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS): (800) 922-5330.

In addition to reporting to the SRS, call the archdiocesan confidential report line: (913) 647-3051 You may also call: • Father John Riley, chancellor and safe environment coordinator: (913) 647-0324 • Father Gary Pennings, vicar general: (913) 647-0340 • Father Brian Schieber, vicar general for clergy: (785) 272-5590 • Kathy O’Hara, superintendent of Catholic schools: (913) 647-0321 • Dennis Schemmel, victim assistance coordinator: (913) 909-2740 If you need to talk with someone, call Catholic Charities toll-free at (866) 621-5058. when it was done, if all the children had taken it, and if anyone had opted out.”

In addition to the annual USCCB audits, the archdiocese conducts its own audits on an ongoing basis. This is done

by Herken and Mike Horn, the archdiocesan auditor for financial internal controls. “[Mike Horn’s] internal audits at parishes and schools include a portion on the Virtus program, so we’re not just relying on the USCCB audits,” said Herken. “I also go out and do parish audits when they request one.”

Federal funding of abortion a big problem with health care reform Continued from page 1 care plans that cover abortion. Finally, the bill also requires everyone choosing the public option pay a surcharge that would be used to pay for abortions. The surcharge is not optional.”

The lack of conscience protection in this latest bill and lack of an explicit ban on federal funding of abortion make it impossible for the bishops to support this health care legislation.

This warning was sent again in an Oct. 8 letter on behalf of the U.S. bishops by Bishop William F. Murphy of the Diocese of Rockville Center, N.Y., Cardinal Justin Rigali of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and Bishop John Wester of the Diocese of Salt Lake City.

“We remain apprehensive when amendments protecting freedom of conscience and ensuring no taxpayer money for abortion are defeated in committee votes,” wrote the bishops. “If acceptable language in these areas cannot be found, we will have to oppose the health care bill vigorously.”

The U.S. bishops responded to the new health care proposal, in fact, by immediately launching a national effort to mobilize Catholics to contact their legislators.

In a bulletin insert distributed to almost 19,000 parishes across the nation, the bishops asked that Catholics contact their legislators and urge them to fix the legislation by adding pro-life amendments.

Time is very short. Health care legislation will be voted on in both the House and Senate within weeks, if not days.

“I support, and the U.S. bishops support, authentic health care reform. And by that, I mean expanding access to health care for those Americans that are currently excluded — oftentimes because of pre-existing conditions or because they are the working poor,” said Archbishop Naumann.

“And I believe,” he continued, “that there are ways we can solve that problem without funding abortion and without necessarily doing such major government involvement in the health care delivery system.”

It is imperative that Catholics contact their legislators very soon.

“These provisions are unacceptable, and members of Congress should be allowed to vote on them,” said Schuttloffel. “It is expected that the House will consider its bill this week. It is urgent that people call their representatives now and make their views heard. These programs, if passed, will be extraordinarily difficult to overturn.”

“Asking Catholics — and all Americans — to subsidize other people’s abortions with their tax dollars is radical, immoral, and unacceptable,” he continued.

“That this would be done in the name of health care reform is particularly outrageous. Authentic reform should be in the service of life, not its destruction.”

6 LOCAL NEWS

THE LEAVEN • november 6, 2009

Overland Park parish promotes devotion to St. Peregrine

By Bob Hart

Special to The Leaven OVERLAND PARK — When the diagnosis comes, it’s all about hope.

“So many people’s lives are touched by cancer,” said Marge Hattrup, St. Peregrine Outreach Coordinator for Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park. “There’s probably no one you could talk to today who does not know someone whose life has been touched in a significant way by cancer.”

Hattrup said she has lost an aunt and many dear friends to the disease, and counts her brother among beloved cancer survivors in her life.

With the blessing and enthusiastic support of their new pastor, Father Rick Storey, Hattrup and other Holy Spirit parishioners began earlier this year to actively promote devotion to St. Peregrine, patron saint for those with cancer and other serious illnesses.

In conjunction with Holy Spirit’s 2008 church renovation, a first-class relic and statue of St. Peregrine were commissioned. Dr. Chris Sirridge, a parishioner and oncologist, was the primary donor. Beginning in March, the parish began offering bimonthly Masses of hope and healing.

On Nov. 14, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will be the celebrant at the 9 a.m. Mass. Hattrup said she hopes the archbishop’s participation will call more attention to the ministry.

“We don’t want to be the best-kept secret in Kansas City,” she said. “We

About St. Peregrine

Leaven photo by Elaina Cochran

Father Rick Storey, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Overland Park, and Marge Hattrup, St. Peregrine Outreach Coordinator for the parish, pose beside a statue of St. Peregrine, the patron saint of those with cancer, HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses. want everyone to know about this.”

Father Storey said the Masses, which will be held monthly soon if there is sufficient interest and attendance, emphasize hope and the healing of the whole person.

“This is not our final resting place,” Father Storey said. “We pray that the body, the soul and the mind will all be healed. But even if the cancer is terminal, there is still hope. There is no great-

er hope than your Shepherd bringing you hope.”

He added that those facing illness are not the only ones who can benefit from taking part in the Masses of healing and hope.

“Anyone who is terminally ill, anyone with a serious illness, anyone who cares for someone with a serious illness [is invited]. . . . We also urge cancer survivors to come in thanksgiving,” he said. “And anyone who needs healing

Canonized in 1726, Peregrine Laziosi (1260-1345) of Forli, Italy, is the patron saint of those with cancer, HIV/ AIDS and other serious illnesses. Facing cancer and the impending amputation of his leg at the age of 60, Peregrine prayed the night before his surgery in front of an image of the crucified Christ.

During a trancelike sleep, he envisioned Christ leaving the cross and touching his cancerous leg. When he awoke, Peregrine discovered that his leg was completely cured and the cancer gone. St. Peregrine’s feast day is celebrated on May 4.

of mind and spirit is welcome also. This Mass is for them.”

Hattrup said the parish is also producing and distributing brochures about the ministry to be made available in doctors’ offices in the area.

THE LEAVEN • november 6, 2009

LOCAL NEWS 7 Sister Frances Cecilia Domme, SCL

1,000 strong

Roeland Park’s Bishop Miege High School volleball coach Gwenn Pike reached her 1000th career match win on Oct. 17 during the Blue Valley North tournament in a victory over Shawnee Mission West. Pictured above is the 2009 volleyball team: Front row, from left, Tashayla Person, Anna Church, Shelby Workman, Allison Walter, and Grace Whitley; middle row, Elizabeth Powell and Becky Cazares; and back row: Laura Skaggs, Gabrielle Loxterman, Jordan Tucker, team manager Molly Hogan, coach Gwenn Pike, Jessica Ely, Adri Maurer, and Leslie Starks.

LEAVENWORTH — Sister Frances Cecilia Domme, 94, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth, died Oct. 25 at the Sisters’ motherhouse here.

Elizabeth Domme was born on Nov. 19, 1914, in Topeka, the third of nine children of Aloysius J. and Elizabeth Stadler Domme. She graduated from Sacred obituary Heart School, Topeka, and St. Mary’s High School, Albuquerque, N.M. She entered the religious community of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth on Sept. 7, 1933, and, as Sister Frances Cecilia, made her profession of vows on June 18, 1935.

After profession, Sister Frances Cecilia entered nurses’ training at Providence Hospital in Kansas City, Kan., and completed that training at St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing in Denver. In July 1938, following graduation and nursing boards, she spent four months at New York Foundling Hospital, obtaining a postgraduate degree in pediatrics. Sister Frances Cecilia worked as pediatrics supervisor, medical/ surgical supervisor, operating room supervisor, OB supervisor, and house supervisor. She also assisted overseeing building projects in Butte, Mont., and Cheyenne, Wyo. Survivors include her sister, Mary Ann Padgett of Topeka, and brothers, Clarence J. and Edward C. Domme of Albuquerque.

Curé of Ars seventh-grader Noah Stielen tries to break free from a Prince of Peace defender. Curé won the double overtime thriller, 22-16.

Prince of Peace’s Karter Odermann is looking to turn the corner on Holy Trinity’s Sam grade CYO championship game at Bishop Miege.

That championship feeling

R

OELAND PARK — The Super Bowl comes early for the youngest football players in the archdiocese.

They may not be playing for the same level of glory and recognition as the National Football League, but the “No pain, no gain” motto applies just the same.

Four championship games were played Oct. 31 at Roeland Park’s Bishop Miege High School for the 5th-, 6th-, 7th- and 8th-grade Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) teams. Two championship games were played Oct. 28 for the split 5th/6thgrade teams and 7th/8th-grade teams, also at Bishop Miege.

“It was one of the most fun and entertaining CYO football games I’ve been to,” said Rich Graham, a 7th-grade football coach and football program coordinator for Curé of Ars School in Leawood.

The 7th-grade Curé of Ars team played in a thriller of a game against Olathe’s Prince of Peace, leading to a double overtime victory for Curé.

“This team really didn’t quit. They were really good at practicing — they listen well and were very ‘coachable,’” said Graham.

While a championship and its perfect 8-0 record give the Curé team much to be proud of — in fact, the team has yet to lose a game in the three years they have been playing together — Graham said playing CYO football goes far beyond the winning.

Story by Kara Hansen | Photos by Chris Vaughan

“Football is a microcosm of life. You win some and lose some, and you set common goals together and work toward them.

Each person has to do their job and trust each other in executing every play.”

Chris Wright, 8th-grade coach and football program coordinator, Prince of Peace, Olathe “We like to win, but the more important things are having fun and learning,” said Graham. “Football teaches the kids a lot because it’s a real team sport and they have to get along with each other and rely on each other. Even if you have a great running back on a team, that won’t matter if the line doesn’t block.

The kids learn what it’s like to be part of a true team and not a group of individuals.”

Graham is not the only CYO football coach who sees the team sport as excellent preparation — not just for high school football, but for life as well.

“Football is a microcosm of life,” said Chris Wright, an 8th-grade coach and football program coordinator at Prince of Peace School. “You win some and lose some, and you set common goals together and work toward them. Each person has to do their job and trust each other in executing every play.”

This year, Prince of Peace’s 8th-grade football team executed its plays just well enough to defeat Leawood’s Nativity 8-6 for the season championship.

“Nativity played a really tough match and were well-prepared,” said Wright.

“The score was 8-6 at the end of the first quarter and, after that, it was a battle to see who could keep each other pinned deep.”

Wright said much of the success experienced in Prince of Peace’s program can be attributed to the support of parents.

“Our parents have been unbelievable with fundraisers, and they’re very supportive of the teams, program, and overall vision,” said Wright.

Wright said he has seen Prince of Peace’s football program make tremendous gains in the nine years he has been coaching there.

“When I first came, one to two wins would have been considered a good season,” said Wright. “Now we have three of our four teams advance to the championship game. We’ve been able to foster the mentality of having a

Nativity’s Mitch Koeppen (left) tries to deflect a pass intended for Prince of Peace’s Ryan McNellis in the eighth-grade championship game. The pass fell incomplete.

Prince of Peace seventh-grade coach Rob McCarthy talks strategy with a player during a timeout.

true football program as a whole, and that’s helped us be successful over the past few years.

“We represent the boys and coaches who have played before us, and we’re building the foundation for those who come after us.”

Graham said one of the biggest challenges to coaching young teens was keeping them motivated.

“Everyone wants to play, but the reality in football is you practice three to four times more than you play,” he said.

“It can be hard to keep that focus and dedication when you’re running a play for the 100th time — both for the players and for the coaches to keep it fresh.”

Even from the daily grind of practice, Graham said, there were basic lessons kids could take with them for life.

“Practice is important and it’s how you improve,” said Graham. “They’re learning important things like commitment and doing things the right way.”

Wright said he hopes his players take far more than a love of football with them when they are done playing the sport.

“Football gives them the opportunity to succeed, have camaraderie, and build character,” he said. “If our players go on to play in high school or college, that’s just the icing on the cake.”

m Winger during the sixth-

Jake Burgmeier wipes the sweat from his brow during a timeout at the sixth-grade championship game.

Nativity’s Harrison Cowherd tries to break free from a Prince of Peace defender during the eighth-grade championship game.

Prince of Peace’s eighth-grade coach Dino Fields gets a victory shower following his team’s championship win.

Prince of Peace’s sixth-graders celebrate their 8-0 championship victory over Holy Trinity.

Curé of Ars’ Sam McArthur takes defender Jack Hill with him as he plows ahead for positive yardage.

10 NATION

THE LEAVEN • november 6, 2009

Not all solutions to infertility problems moral, says document WASHINGTON (CNS) — Although the Catholic Church shares the pain of married couples facing “unanticipated childlessness,” some reproductive technologies “are not legitimate ways to solve” infertility problems, the U.S. bishops say in a document that will be before them in November. The 22-page document, “LifeGiving Love in an Age of Technology,” is designed as a companion to the bishops’ 2006 statement, “Married Love and the Gift of Life,” which urged Catholic couples to reject the use of artificial contraception and to learn how natural family planning can benefit the marital relationship. Like the earlier document, “Life-Giving Love in an Age of Technology” is in questionand-answer format, with a short introduction. “Some solutions offered to infertile couples do justice to their dignity as individuals and as a couple, and to the full human dignity of their child, by helping their marital act to be life-giving,” the document says. “Others are morally flawed efforts to replace the marital act that are not worthy of the tremendous gift God offers to husband and wife by calling them together as spouses and parents. In short, procedures that assist the marital act in being procreative are morally acceptable, while those that substitute for it are not,” it adds.

Bishop invites Kennedy to discuss health care reform PROVIDENCE, R.I. (CNS) — Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Providence has invited Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., to engage in a discussion about the issue of health care reform following the legislator’s sharp criticism about the U.S. Catholic bishops’ role in the debate. Bishop Tobin told Kennedy in an Oct. 27 letter that, as Congress “nears agreement on a final bill, I believe it is important that you are provided with specific facts about the Catholic Church’s position on this critical issue.” As of early afternoon Oct. 28, the congressman had not responded to the bishop’s invitation. The bishop sent his letter in response to Kennedy’s Oct. 22 interview with Cybercast News Service in which the congressman said the bishops were fanning “the flames of dissent and discord” by insisting that health reform not include abortion funding. “

Relics seen as a way to connect to church’s heroes

By Laura Kilgus

Catholic News Service

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (CNS) — St. Francis of Assisi’s tunic, St. Elizabeth of Hungary’s skull and St. Anthony’s tongue and lower jaw. All are relics, personal objects of religious importance thoughtfully cared for and venerated as a physical gateway to the saints and God. Tracy Giliberto, co-creator of the Web site FishEaters, a comprehensive repository of information about the Catholic faith and instructions on the church’s traditions, explained the place of relics in modern society.

“It’s funny to me how a culture that is filled with autograph hounds and those who clamor to be around those glittered with stardust can consider the Catholic veneration of relics as a joke,” Giliberto told the Rhode Island Catholic, newspaper of the Providence Diocese.

“A lovely dish is just a lovely dish, but one owned by your great-grandmother is a treasure. We pay $20,000 for a $200 jacket worn by Jacqueline Kennedy, faint at Beatles concerts, engage in riotous behavior to get our hands on one of Elvis’ scarves. But when a relic of St. Catherine is mentioned, people snicker,” she said.

Father Jay Finelli, pastor at Holy Ghost Church in Tiverton, R.I., explained that relics are found in many world religions, not just Catholicism.

“The Greeks had relics; they held them in high esteem, so they kept their remains so they could go there and to honor them,” said Father Finelli. “The Muslims have relics; they have the swords of the prophets David and Mohammed, and they have the staff of Moses.”

Father Finelli explained the church requires that a wax seal be placed by a bishop on the back of any reliquary in which relics are kept to show that the relics are authentic.

There are three classifications of relics, Father Finelli said. A first-class relic is directly associated with the events of the life of Jesus himself, including the nails, crown of thorns or anything he came in contact with. A first-class relic also could be directly associated with a saint, such as a lock of hair, a bone fragment or a fingernail.

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Father Jay Finelli, pastor of Holy Ghost Church in Tiverton, R.I., poses with some saints’ relics in early October. He says that relics are a way Christ reaches out to his people.

CNS photo/Laura Kilgus

“If we come in contact with a relic, it reminds us that we are in contact with Christ,” he said.

A second-class relic is something that has been touched or worn by a saint.

This is not directly from the body of the saint and could include a crucifix used by a saint or his or her personal journal.

A third-class relic is an object that has been touched to a first-class relic.

The church treats these relics with great dignity, Father Finelli said.

Relics are a way Christ reaches out to

his people, he said.

“God works through his vessels,” said Father Finelli. “Every time we venerate relics, we are not worshipping the saint, we are not praising the saint, we are thanking God for our brothers and sisters who have gone before us. Relics being us back to our roots; they bring us back to Christ.”

Father Finelli added that relics help people touch the untouchable and stay connected to the people who are no longer with them.

THE LEAVEN • november 6, 2009

Vatican honors Jesuit missionary to China

By Sarah Delaney

Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — A new Vatican exhibit highlights the life of a Jesuit missionary whose extraordinary intelligence, culture and open-mindedness helped him bring Christianity to imperial China four centuries ago.

The exhibit is part of a series of events marking the 400th anniversary of the death of Father Matteo Ricci, an Italian Jesuit who spent 28 years evangelizing, absorbing Chinese culture and bringing Western science to the faraway Asian continent.

The show, which opened Oct. 30 in the Braccio di Carlo Magno hall in St. Peter’s Square, is titled “On the Crest of History, Father Matteo Ricci (15521610): Between Rome and Peking” (the name formerly used for the Chinese capital Beijing).

It was Father Ricci’s scientific acumen and enthusiasm for cultural exchange that won the trust and admiration of the Ming Dynasty Emperor Wanli. The relationship ensured that he and his Jesuit brothers would have the freedom to evangelize, the show’s organizers explained in a news conference at the Vatican Oct. 28.

A proficient cartographer, Father Ricci was perhaps most appreciated for the maps of the world he made for the Chinese, who at the time had little knowledge of the other continents, said Antonio Paolucci, director of the Vatican Museums and head curator of the exhibit.

The maps Father Ricci drew, as well as many of the European scientific instruments he brought to amaze and share with his Chinese hosts, are among the many items on view in the show.

“Matteo Ricci went to China and seduced the Chinese, offering himself as a man of science: a cartographer, an astronomer, a mathematician,” and by bringing instruments like astrolabes and mechanized clocks, Paolucci said.

“He was honored and admired,” immersing himself so much in Chinese culture that “he became more Chinese than the Chinese,” Paolucci said.

Father Ricci also translated many works, including a Catholic catechism,

CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec

An illustration depicting Jesuit Father Matteo Ricci in a traditional Chinese robe hangs in the Beijing Center for Chinese Studies in Beijing, China. The 17th-century missionary to China is well-known by the country’s Catholics. Representations of him can been seen in Catholic churches and centers there. into Chinese and the teachings of Confucius into Portuguese, which Paolucci explained was the lingua franca of the time.

Born in 1552 in Macerata, in central Italy, Matteo Ricci entered the Jesuit

world 11

Pope calls for more attentive listening to Gospel readings

order in 1571. After years of study, he sailed to India, where he was ordained in 1580.

After first traveling to Macao, in 1582 he and another priest established a Jesuit residence in Zhaoqing, a city in the Guangdong province. The order encountered difficulties and hostility over the next few years, but Father Ricci was instrumental in eventually opening more residences for Jesuit missionaries.

In 1601, after overcoming many obstacles, he arrived in Beijing, where he was admired and befriended by the elite of the city. There he stayed until his death at 58. The emperor made an unheard-of concession, allowing Father Ricci, a foreigner, to be buried in Beijing.

Bishop Claudio Giuliodori of Macerata said that Father Ricci’s “extraordinary missionary adventure brought him to build, for the first time in history, a true bridge of dialogue and exchange between Europe and China.”

In a message to the Diocese of Macerata inaugurating the anniversary celebrations, Pope Benedict XVI wrote that it was Father Ricci’s great respect for Chinese traditions that “distinguished his mission to search for harmony between the noble and millenary Chinese civilization with the Christian novelty.”

The exhibit is divided into two parts.

The first section highlights the Jesuit order and scientific knowledge of the time; it includes an immense painting from 1619 of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, by Peter Paul Rubens and scientific instruments from the 16th and 17th centuries, including astrolabes, telescopes, early mechanical clocks, and Ptolemaic and Copernican models of the earth.

The second part of the exhibit is dedicated to Father Ricci’s stay in China; it includes displays of his translations and examples of documents he wrote in Chinese, Portuguese and Italian; Chinese tapestries; 17th- and 18th-century Chinese statuary; and a colorful early20th-century altar honoring Confucius that belongs to the Vatican Museums.

The show is scheduled to remain open until Jan. 24, 2010.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI invited all Catholics to listen more carefully and prayerfully to the Gospel readings, especially during Sunday Mass, and to set aside a bit of time every day to meditate on the word of God. “A purely theoretical, profane reading is not enough in order to reach the heart of sacred Scripture. One must read it in the spirit in which it was written and created,” he said during his general audience in St. Peter’s Square Oct. 28. The pope began a new cycle of talks by dedicating his catechesis to the renewal of theology during the 12th century. Two basic models of or approaches to theology emerged at the time: monastic and scholastic theology, he said. “Monastic theology grew out of the prayerful contemplation of the Scriptures and the texts of the church fathers, stressing their interior unity and spiritual meaning centered on the mystery of Christ,” he said. Unlike monastic theology, “scholastic theology sought to clarify the understanding of the faith by studying the sources and the use of logic,” he said.

Religious freedoms still ‘widely violated,’ says nuncio UNITED NATIONS (CNS) — The right to religious freedom “continues to be widely violated,” the Vatican’s nuncio to the United Nations told a U.N. committee Oct. 21. Archbishop Celestino Migliore stressed that there is “no religion on the planet” free from discrimination and noted that “acts of intolerance and violations of religious freedom continue to be perpetrated in many forms.” He told the U.N. General Assembly’s Third Committee that more cases of religious freedom violations have recently been brought to courts and international human rights groups.

Amid the increase of religious intolerance worldwide, he said Christians have been the group most discriminated against. In recent months, Christian communities in Asian and Middle Eastern countries have been attacked, leaving many injured and killed and churches and homes burned.

He said these actions have occurred in response to anti-blasphemy laws that criminalize any defamation of Islam and often are used to “foster injustice, sectarian violence and violence between religions.”

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TOUCH OF HEAVEN Catholic Store 119 SE 18th Topeka, KS (785) 232-2543

Hrs. T-F - 10 a.m. 5:30; Sat. 9 a.m. to noon

Real Estate home with 5 BR and 4 BA and a pool located on 4.5 acres at 7000 W. 180th St., Stilwell. $450,000. Open house every Sunday from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. For information or to schedule a viewing appt., call (913) 634-8583 or (913) 681-7967.

Lake house – Beautiful and private Lake Kahola, less than 2 hours from the KC area. Only 10 miles off I-35 at Emporia exit. This home sleeps 10+ with a 2-car garage, plus a private boat ramp and dock. Located at the water’s edge on a quiet cove. Call Cy at (316) 262-0888.

Elmer Rottinghaus

6420 Parallel, KCK Life • Home• Auto Commercial

334-2222

Kansas land - Have land to sell? Marisa Morgan Dallman, owner-broker, Kansas Land Brokers, LLC. Call (913) 915-9151 or visit the Web site at: www.

KansasLandBrokers.com.

Vacation Sunny and 80 - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. 2 BR, 2 BA beachfront condo. Fully equipped, sleeps 6. Great location; close to everything. $125/night. Call (816) 8357994, or send an e-mail to: kelgang@aol.com.

Ski cabin in Winter Park, Colo. – 2 BR, 1 BA, on free ski shuttle route. $110/night. Call (913) 6423027. 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.

Childcare Nanny on call - If you need a quick answer to a child-care dilemma, I can help. I am available to care for your sick child in your home so you can go to work, or perhaps on a day when there is no school or day care. Possibly a stay-at-home mom needs to run errands or keep and appointment. I can help with those situations, too. JoCo only. Call (816) 806-0564 or (913) 469-6211.

For sale 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 ***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 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. *** Wanted to Buy *** Antique and vintage costume jewelry Member St. Joseph Parish Renee Maderak (913) 631-7179

Miscellaneous Co-Occurring Distractions, Inc. - A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that covers the hunter’s share of processing fees in exchange for the meat which is then donated to approved area food pantries and affiliated charities.

Hunters must confirm in advance their deer-processing request by contacting Father Ernie Gauthier at (816) 8090077 or send an e-mail to him at: locopope@ locopope. com. Tax deductible monetary donations of any amount are appreciated and can be mailed to: Father Ernie Gauthier, P.O. Box 2275, Lee’s Summit, MO 64063.

Do you have bank CDs, retirement accounts, or other investments not returning 7 - 9% safely? We buy houses and we need private investors. Local real estate; safe return. To listen to a 24-hour recorded message, call (913) 660-0595.

To purchase a classified ad: Send an e-mail to: jennifer@theleaven.com, or call (913) 647-0327. The cost is $16 per column inch, five lines or less. Each additional line is $1.50. Classified ads will also be posted online at The Leaven’s Web site: www.theleaven.com.

Contact Lenses • Eye Glasses

McBratney Optical Boutique Fred McBratney - Owner 7702 Parallel • Kansas City, Kan. • (913) 299-6001

THE LEAVEN • NOVEMBER 6, 2009

Nov.

The executive board of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women (ACCW) will meet at 9:15 a.m. on Nov. 7 in Ottawa. All women interested in the future of the ACCW are invited. For information, contact Susan Draftz at (913) 367-2227 or send an e-mail to her at: sdraftz@prolifeamerica.com.

The Ladies of Charity of Metropolitan Kansas City will host their annual boutique from 5:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. on Nov. 5, from 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. on Nov. 6, and from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Nov. 7 at the Ritz Charles, 9000 W. 137th St., Overland Park. Boutique tickets are $5 per person; no reservation is necessary. The luncheon is $30 per person and includes boutique admission; the opening night gala reception is $35 per person and includes boutique admission. Proceeds will benefit Duchesne Clinic, Seton Center and Villa St. Francis. For reservations or information, call Joyce Murphy at (913) 8973844.

The Mother Teresa Circle will host a friendship tea at 10:30 a.m. on Nov. 7 at Holy Cross School, 8101 W. 95th St., Overland Park. The featured speaker, Donna Basic, will discuss “The Meaning of Self-Esteem in Women.” Tickets cost $10 per person. For information or to RSVP, call Maxine at (913) 383-2014 or Donna at (913) 402-6843.

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6-8

The Hayden High School theater department will present the Thornton Wilder classic “Our Town” at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 6 and 7 and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 8 at the VA Medical Center auditorium, 21st and Gage, Topeka. General admission tickets will be available at the door for $5. For information, visit the Web site at: www.haydentheater.org or call (785) 422-0391.

7

The Militia of Immaculata, Ave Maria Village, will host a mini retreat, featuring Father Patrick Greenough, national president of the MI for the United States and Canada, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Nov. 7 at Redemptorist Church Senior Center, 207 W. Linwood, Kansas City, Mo. The cost of $35 includes lunch. For information or to register, call Christine Rossi at (913) 268-0208 or send an e-mail to her at: christinerossi@rocketmail. com.

Fitness Plus, I-435 and Roe, Overland Park, will host a holiday boutique featuring gifts from a variety of vendors from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Nov. 7. Refreshments and child care will be provided. Bring a nonperishable donation for the Catholic Charities food pantry and receive a free two-week membership.

Good Shepherd Parish, 12800 W. 75th St., Shawnee, will host its 22nd annual fiesta in honor of the twinning relationship with its sister community, El Buen Pastor in El Salvador, after the 5 p.m. Mass on Nov. 7 in the parish hall. Two visitors from the sister community will be in attendance. The cost is $7 per person, in advance; $8 at the door. Children 5 and under eat free. Dinner will include fajitas, tacos, rice and beans, homemade tortillas and sopapillas. There will be musical entertainment and piñatas. For information or to purchase tickets, visit the Web site at: www.goodshepherdshawnee.org.

The Catholic Women’s Organization of Holy Angels Parish, 154th and Leavenworth Rd., Basehor, will host its annual craft fair from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 7 in Father Quinlan Hall. Twenty-five booths will feature a multitude of items; refreshments will be available. There is no admission fee. For information, contact Annie Clark at (913) 724-2212.

Sanctuary of Hope Prayer and Retreat Center will host its fourth annual Hope Benefit, featuring dinner, dancing and an auction, on Nov. 7 at the Reardon Center, 520 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The cost is $65 per person. For information or tickets, call (913) 321-4673 or visit the Web site at: www.hopebenefit.org.

The Knights of Columbus of Prince of Peace Parish, Olathe, will host a casino night and Texas hold’em tournament from 6 – 10 p.m. on Nov. 7 in the Sister Mary Thomas Hall. The cost of $10 per person includes food and beverages. For information, call Tommy Negrete at (913) 636-2773 or Bob Davis at (913) 782-0135. Proceeds will benefit the parish improvement fund.

St. Joseph of the Valley Church, N. 207th St., Leavenworth, will host a chili hot dog supper following the 5 p.m. Mass on Nov. 7 in the church hall. There will also be a raffle and bingo. Freewill offerings will be collected.

8

Bishop Ward High School, 708 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kan., will host an open house from 1 – 3 p.m. on Nov. 8. Come learn about Bishop Ward’s strong Catholic, collegeprep tradition and its unique academic and spiritual programs. For information, visit the Web site at: www.wardhigh.org, or contact the admissions office at (913) 371-6901.

St. Ann Church, Effingham, will host a ham and beans and chicken noodle dinner at 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 8 in the parish center.

There will also be a country store and bingo.

Carryouts will be available by calling (913) 833-2268.

Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA), a Kansas City-based international nonprofit organization, will host a concert of music by Kansas City musician Barclay Martin at 5 p.m. on Nov. 8 at Yardley Hall on the campus of Johnson County Community College in Overland Park. Admission is free; however, seating is limited. For reservations, call the box office at (913) 469-4445.

St. Patrick Church, Corning, will host its annual soup luncheon from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Corning Community Center. The menu will include chili, chicken noodle and vegetable beef soup, sandwiches, and homemade pies. There will also be card games, bingo and children’s games, followed by an auction at 2:30 p.m.

St. Mary Church, St. Benedict, will host its annual pancake breakfast from 7:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Nov. 8. A freewill offering will be collected. Everyone is welcome!

All public and home-schooled Catholic eighth-graders and parents are invited to a pro-life forum on Nov. 8, beginning with Mass at 5 p.m., at the Church of the Ascension, Overland Park. A pizza dinner will follow in the parish hall. The forum will be from 6:45 - 9 p.m. To RSVP or for information, contact Courtney Williams at (913) 642-1730, or Ron Kelsey, archdiocesan pro-life consultant, at (913) 647-0530.

The Knights of Columbus, Marian Council No. 3768, of Christ the King Parish, Kansas City, Kan., will host a pancakes-andmore breakfast from 8:30 - 11 a.m. on Nov. 8 in Davern Hall. A freewill offering will be collected. Proceeds will benefit the RCIA and CCD programs of the parish.

9

The Keeler Women’s Center offers education and support for those dealing with diabetes. Pat Callaghan, master food volunteer with the K-State Extension, will help participants remain focused on a healthy diet and healthy living to better manage their diabetes. The group will meet from 1 – 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 9 and on every second Monday of the month at 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Both men and women are welcome. For information or to register, call (913) 906-8990 or visit the Web site at: www. mountosb.org/kwc.

11-13

St. Joseph Medical Center, I-435 and State Line Rd., Kansas City, Mo., will host a book fair from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Nov. 11 - 13, featuring bestsellers, cookbooks, storybooks for children, educational material, music CDs, and games and toys.

12

The Holy Women series for November will feature “Flannery O’Connor: Recognizing the Holy in the Odd” from 1 – 3 p.m. on Nov. 12 at Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Sister Thomasita Homan, OSB, will be the presenter. Men and women are welcome. Call (913) 9068990, or register online at www.mountosb. org. The presentation is free.

13

Join the Singles of Nativity for happy hour beginning at 6 p.m. on Nov. 13 at the 810 Zone, 4800 W. 119th St., Leawood. 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.

Trolley’s Bar & Grille, 9100 W. 135th St., Overland Park.

14

The Mothers of Young Children Group of Curé of Ars Parish, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood, will host its annual gift gallery from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Nov. 14 in the school gym and cafeteria. Over 45 local artisans and vendors will showcase their products. Get a jump-start on your holiday shopping while enjoying a food and beverage courtyard and entertainment. The cost is $3, payable at the door. Proceeds benefit various local children’s charities. For information, visit the Web site at: www.giftgallerykc.com.

There will be a Divine Mercy day of recollection, featuring Ted Sri and Father Bill Bruning, from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Nov. 14 at Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish, 17th and Stone, Topeka. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.; Mass at 7:55 a.m. The cost is: $20 per person, with lunch; $15, without lunch. You must be preregistered to attend. To register, mail check, by Nov. 8, to: Topeka Divine Mercy Apostolate, 5940 N.W. Westbrooke Dr., Topeka, KS 66617.

Holy Family Church will host a chili dinner and bingo on Nov. 14 at the Holy Family Club, 513 Ohio, Kansas City, Kan. Dinner will be served from 6:15 - 7:15 p.m., with bingo following at 7:30 p.m. The cost of $15 includes dinner and one bingo card. To purchase tickets, call Annette at (913) 371-5063.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will celebrate a healing Mass in honor of St. Peregrine, patron of those suffering from cancer or other serious illnesses, at 9 a.m. on Nov. 14 at Holy Spirit Church, 11300 W. 103rd St., Overland Park. The sacrament of the anointing of the sick will be offered. Special devotions and blessing with a first-class relic of St. Peregrine are included. For information, contact the parish office at (913) 4927318, or Marge Hattrup at (913) 492-7682.

15

The bereavement ministry of St. Joseph Parish, 5900 King St., Shawnee, will host a presentation entitled “Grief and the Holy Spirit: Finding Ways to Renew Your Spirit in the Midst of Grief,” by Brent Doster from Catholic Community Hospice at 2 p.m. on Nov. 15 in the Knights of Columbus Hall.

For information or to RSVP, call Ruth Barter at (913) 631-6528.

St. Louis Church, Good Intent Community, Atchison, will host a pancake dinner from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Nov. 15. A freewill offering will be collected. Proceeds will benefit the parish religious education program.

John Paul II School will host a holiday shoppe from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Nov. 14 and from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Nov. 15 at St. Pius X, 5500 Woodson, Mission. There will be a variety of crafts, jewelry and baked goods available for purchase.

CALENDAR 13

Are you a single, Catholic, college-age or older woman? Is God calling you to religious life? The Franciscan Servants of the Holy Family will offer a vocation discernment retreat from 11 a.m. on Nov. 14 to noon on Nov. 15 at Sanctuary of Hope, 2601 Ridge, Kansas City, Kan. Information on discerning God’s will, consecrated life, and Franciscan spirituality, along with prayer and quiet time, will be offered. Contact Sister Doris, Franciscan Servants of the Holy Family, at (816) 7297065 or send an e-mail to her at: srdoris@ aol.com.

The Ladies Guild of St. Bernard Parish, 1102 8th St., Wamego, will host its annual Stitch ’n’ Stuff bazaar on Nov. 15. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. There will be a country store with handcrafted items and baked goods, a cakewalk, bingo, children’s games and a quilt and gift certificate raffle.

For information, call Sharon at (785) 4562994 or Pam at (785) 456-9529.

19

A healing Mass, sponsored by archdiocesan charismatic prayer groups, will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 19 at Curé of Ars Church, 9401 Mission Rd., Leawood. Father Clement Cobb of St. Paul Parish in Olathe will preside; fellowship follows.

The bereavement ministry of Prince of Peace, 16000 W. 143rd St., Olathe, will host a presentation, entitled “Finding Thankfulness in the Midst of Grief” by Mark Fenton, chaplain for Good Shepherd Hospice, from 7 – 8 p.m. on Nov. 19. For information or to RSVP, call Donna Kaberlein at (913) 829-5320.

Misc.

Enrich your life, enrich your love, and enrich your marriage by spending time with your spouse and learning the tools to a great marriage! The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend will be held from Dec. 4 – 6. For information or to register, call (913) 469-8453 in the Kansas City metro area, (785) 843-9274 in Lawrence, (785) 3575000 in Topeka, or visit the Web site at: www. neksme.org.

Mary, Health of the Sick Guild has published a new cookbook to benefit the Sisters, Servants of Mary. The cookbook contains over 350 recipes, including ones submitted by the Sisters themselves. The cost is $12 (plus $2 for postage). Make checks payable to the Sisters, Servants of Mary and send to: 800 N. 18th St., Kansas City KS 66102. Cookbooks may also be purchased at the motherhouse at the above address. For information, contact Barbara Butler at (913) 362-0723 or the convent at (913) 371-3423.

The Catholic school nurses in Catholic schools in Johnson, Wyandotte, and Miami counties are seeking licensed Kansas nurses and lay volunteers to help with the H1N1 flu shot clinics in their schools. We are working with the Johnson County Health Department in this endeavor and would greatly appreciate your help. If you can volunteer, please call your local Catholic school nurse.

There are 13 men in the My House men’s groups that have been free from pornography for over one year! Also, the My House women’s group is available for wives and loved ones who are healing from the effects of their loved one’s struggles. For more information, visit the Web site at: LoveIsFaithful.com.

Calendar items must be received nine days before the publication date. E-mail submissions are preferred; send to: jennifer@theleaven.com. Submissions may be mailed to: 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Submissions will not be taken over the phone.

14 COMMENTARY

THE LEAVEN • november 6, 2009

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 think a huge problem with the proposed [House] bill is that, for the first time, it tries to mandate that pro-life Americans pay for other people’s abortions.”

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann See story on page 1

W

This night bowled me over

e called ourselves “The Fantastic Five” and, for a few years, we were the scourge of the CCU. I’m not sure exactly where the name came from and I can’t even remember all the other team members. But I do know that we were good enough to win several national championships.

Never heard of “The Fantastic Five”?

Well, I’m not surprised. We really weren’t that famous. I was part of this five-person bowling team that came out on top in the youth division several times in a row at the Croatian Catholic Union national tournaments held years ago.

What was most unusual was where we team members cut our teeth on the sport and honed our skills: It was right at our parish — St. John the Baptist on Strawberry Hill in Kansas City, Kan., which had six bowling lanes right underneath the auditorium. What is probably even more incredible is that the parish still has and operates those lanes, which first opened around 1925 as St. John’s Catholic Club.

Those memories came flooding back to me on Oct. 23 when I was at my home parish to do a wedding rehearsal for CJ Sheffler and Katie Jaksa. (Katie is the daughter of some childhood friends, Frank and Mariann Jaksa.) The rehearsal dinner was held in St. John’s Club. I don’t know when I was last in there, but as soon as I stepped through the doors, I was transported back in time. It’s not hard to stroll down memory lane at “the club,” as seemingly every square inch of wall space is covered with photos and other memorabilia.

Directly in front, staring me in the face, was the long bar, where over the years I’d consumed vast amounts

of soda pop, potato chips, hamburgers and pretzels. And to the left, in all of their glory, were those six bowling lanes. Although some things had changed — like a new sound system and (presumably) new bowling shoes to rent — most was exactly as I remembered it.

After filling up my plate with Oklahoma Joe’s barbecue, I took a seat at the bar and chatted with bartender Kenny Yarnevich. It wasn’t long before he slid an envelope my way. I didn’t even have to open it; I knew what was inside. Like all members of the club, I was given my packet of 25 raffle tickets to sell by Thanksgiving for the annual kielbasa, turkey and money drawing.

As people finished eating, switches were thrown, a hum was heard and those six glorious lanes came to life.

Everyone scattered to find bowling balls and shoes. I took it all in — the laughter, the anticipation, and the memories, both of bowling and of setting pins in the club’s pre-1968 automatic lane days.

“Hey, Father, you gonna bowl?” The words shattered my reverie.

“Nah,” I replied, “I’m content to just sit here and watch.”

And I did. For one game. Then I couldn’t stand it any more. “Kenny, could you please give me some size 10-and-a-half shoes?” I asked, as I scooted off in search of a bowling ball.

I wish I could report that I rolled two 300 games, to everyone’s amazement.

All I can honestly say is that I did OK and didn’t embarrass myself too much.

The evening did remind me, though, of why I’ve always enjoyed bowling so much: It creates community. I bowled with Frank and his two sons, Frank and Matt, on lanes 5 and 6. Next to us on lanes 3 and 4 was the bridal party; other wedding guests filled lanes 1 and 2. As pins clattered, the air was filled with applause, encouragement and gentle teasing.

We older bowlers lamented how things have gone downhill with the younger generation. Without automatic scorers, these young pups were lost! So, we ancients took our familiar place at the scorer’s table, picked up the stubby pencils there (now, those actually might have been there since I was a kid!), and tallied things up by hand.

At the end of the night, though my arm was sore, my heart was content. It was comforting to know that the club — originally formed to give restless young men a place to gather that was safe, fun, and closely tied to the church — was still being true to its mission, providing both young and old, women and men, a positive social and recreational outlet.

It’s probably fitting that I was the last one bowling that night. I finished with a strike. As I unlaced my bowling shoes, I glanced around the club one more time, filled with memories and gratitude. Although my bowling scores were no longer “fantastic,” I realized that the club — and the community it provided during all the hours I spent there over the years — gave me something even more valuable: the skills I’ve needed to be successful in the game of life.

the gospel truth Scripture Readings Thirty-second WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME Nov. 8 THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 1 Kgs 17: 10-16; Ps 146: 7-10; Heb 9: 24-28; Mk 12: 38-44 Nov. 9 THE DEDICATION OF THE LATERAN BASILICA Ez 47: 1-2, 8-9, 12; Ps 46: 2-3, 5-6, 8-9; 1 Cor 3: 9c-11, 16-17; Jn 2: 13-22 Nov. 10 Leo the Great, pope, doctor of the church Wis 2:23 — 3:9; Ps 34: 2-3, 16-19; Lk 17: 7-10 Nov. 11 Martin of Tours, bishop Wis 6: 1-11; Ps 82: 3-4, 6-7; Lk 17: 11-19 Nov. 12 Josaphat, bishop, martyr Wis 7:22b — 8:1; Ps 119: 89-91, 130, 135, 175; Lk 17: 20-25 Nov. 13 Frances Xavier Cabrini, virgin Wis 13: 1-9; Ps 19: 2-5; Lk 17: 26-37 Nov. 14 Saturday Wis 18: 14-16; 19: 6-9; Ps 105: 2-3, 36-37, 42-43; Lk 18: 1-8

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‘Widow’s mite’ teaches lesson in discipleship

t the doorway of the parish church that I attended as a young boy, there was a poor box attached to the wall.

As we passed by, we were encouraged to deposit our loose change there. served in the Temple. It had to pay for The money collected would then be the wood and the incense continually given to the poor; hence the name, offered there in sacrifice. poor box.

There were some donors to the TemThe poor widow in Sunday’s Gospel ple who clearly stood out from the othreading, Mk 12:38-44, makes her ers — for example, Herod the Great. contribution in a similar device. It He subsidized the rebuilding of the stood in the courtyard of the temple Temple. That construction in Jerusalem. There were 13 project lasted for 82 years. such devices for receiving THIRTY-SECOND It was still going on at the the offerings of the faithful.

SUNDAY IN ORDINARY time of Jesus. (For example, Because of the fluted shape TIME John’s Gospel (2:20) tells us: of their mouths, they were Mk 12: 38-44 “The Jews said, ‘This temple called trumpets. Jesus had has been under construction been watching the crowd for 46 years, and you will raise it up in coming forward with their donations three days?’”) Throughout construcwhen he noticed the widow putting in tion, worship continued uninterrupted. her two small coins.

An enormous army of laborers — The widow’s and the crowd’s contri10,000 — was needed for this project, butions went toward the maintenance considered one of the wonders of the of the Jerusalem temple. It was a vast ancient world.

Herod financed the enterprise, requiring a huge amount of rebuilding of the Temple in order to money to operate. It was definitely the restore his tarnished reputation among largest business in Jerusalem, compathe Jews. And it worked. rable to the federal government in our The amount of money that Herod country. The budget had to support the the Great spent easily overshadowed thousands of priests and Levites who

the two small coins that the widow offered. And yet, Jesus draws attention to her contribution: “This poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.”

Is Jesus praising the widow for her generosity? Or is Jesus instead criticizing the Temple system for taking advantage of her generosity? Only a few verses earlier in the Gospel, Jesus attacks religious leaders who prey upon unsuspecting widows: “They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext recite lengthy prayers.”

Both are possibilities. And perhaps there is no need to choose between the two. But maybe there is a third possibility.

Jesus is holding up the widow to his disciples as an example of total commitment. Jesus is calling on them to give themselves completely to his mission: “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me” (Mk 10:21). Jesus is pointing to the widow as an example of someone who has given herself totally to God. Father Mike Stubbs is pastor of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lansing and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University.

THE LEAVEN • november 6, 2009

COMMENTARY 15

Do unto others

S

NCYC: a justice for immigrants experience

oon, over 20,000 teens will converge on Kansas City to celebrate Roman Catholicism at the National Catholic Youth Conference. The office for social justice was invited to develop and conduct one of the experiential learning exhibits.

Collaborating with the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph human rights office, and the Hispanic ministry offices on both sides of the state line, our task force has developed the Justice for Immigrants experience. Justice for Immigrants is the U.S. bishops’ national campaign to educate Catholics on how the church’s social teachings inform

the immigration issue. It highlights the need for a comprehensive policy solution: fixing immigration laws so we create smarter, more humane regulations that are tempered with mercy for immigrant families already here.

The JFI experience starts with an invitation to solidarity, the Catholic teaching that we are all one human family called to a shared destiny of life in Christ. “Pin the Globe” enables teens to share their immigrant ancestry by placing the surnames of their ancestors who first immigrated to this country on a giant computer map of the Earth.

Empathy and compassion come from the ability to place oneself in the position of others. “Pin the Globe” helps us to see that we were once the immigrant. The United States is a land of immigrants, reminiscent of what we know of heaven: “All the nations will be assembled before him” (Mt 25:32).

Teens interested in learning more are invited to migrate into the exhibit.

To enter, they must cross over a platform called the “Choky.” The “Choky” is a raised platform covered by a metal grate. When crossers look down, they will see they are walking over a blindfolded human being. Our nation’s broken immigration system makes us all unwitting accomplices in the exploitation of undocumented workers. In walking over them, we walk over Christ, an infant who was forced to emigrate with his family.

Upon entering the exhibit, participants are called to the immigrant’s

journey by playing a game called “Immigropoly.” This game takes the player across a life-sized game board covering all the U.S.-border states. In the game, players encounter real-life scenarios that immigrants face every day. (Many of these experiences are taken from incidents shared by immigrating Catholics in our own archdiocese.)

Inside the exhibit there will also be videos and handouts that further explain the U.S. bishops’ Justice for Immigrants campaign. But probably the best lesson will come when the teens are leaving. These young Catholics will have a choice: Will they decide to cross back by way of the “Choky,” or leave in a way that does not involve walking over Christ in disguise?

Bill Scholl is the archdiocesan consultant for social justice. You can e-mail Bill at: socialjustice@archkck.org.

as the church prays

“T

Songs do more than decorate our faith - they express it

he whole assembly is actively involved in the music of the liturgy.

Some members of the community, however, are recognized for the special gifts they exhibit in leading the musical praise and thanksgiving of Christian assemblies.

“These are the liturgical musicians . . . and their ministry is especially cherished by the Church” (U.S. bishops, “Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship”).

“These are the liturgical musicians.”

We have them in virtually every parish in our archdiocese. They are cantors, organists and pianists, instrumentalists of many kinds, members of

choirs and ensembles, and directors and coordinators of parish music ministries. Some are paid for what they do, because of their particular expertise or responsibilities. Most, however, are volunteers. In either case, though, our bishops remind us, they are in fact “ministers who share the faith, serve the community, and express the love of God and neighbor through music.”

That’s quite a mission: to share faith, to serve community, and to express love of God and neighbor . . . and all through music. Liturgical musicians see it as a genuine call.

Now some might think music doesn’t really matter, that it doesn’t do much more than decorate and prolong the liturgy. But imagine Advent without “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”; Christmas without “Silent Night”; or Easter without “Jesus Christ Is Risen Today.” These songs do much more than simply decorate. They express faith, and in an unparalleled manner. St. Augustine was moved toward conversion by the beauty of Christian hymns, both the beauty of melody and the beauty of faith expressed.

St. Paul instructed the Colossians to “teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God,” because this was the best way they could serve one another at liturgy and grow in knowledge and understanding. And when they went to their martyrdom, the persecuted Christians together sang their psalms and hymns, receiving strength and

courage, and amazing even their executioners.

We still sing together. We sing to God and to one another. We sing about the bond of God’s love, from which not even death can separate us. All truly liturgical music is inspired by love.

Expressing praise, thanksgiving, sorrow or need, it is rooted in love —God’s love for us, our love for him, and our love for one another.

This year, the feast of St. Cecilia, patron saint of musicians, falls on a Sunday, Nov. 22, and is replaced by the solemnity of Christ the King.

Perhaps at Mass we might still prayerfully remember those whose gifts and efforts enable us to praise “The King of Glory” and to “Crown Him with Many Crowns.”

“These are the liturgical musicians.”

For these we give thanks.

Michael Podrebarac is the archdiocesan consultant for the liturgy office.

family matters

T

What holiday tradition connects your family to Christ?

raditions often begin quite innocently. They do not usually begin with the intent of becoming a tradition, yet, at some point, they have the power to take on a life of their own.

Traditions form us; they give us identity and reflect who we are. They give a rhythm to family events and practices. They can be as beautiful as family dinner or as unlikely as a crazy song sung on birthdays.

Recently, a new tradition has taken root between my four-year-old grandson Christopher and me.

When he visits and it comes time to

leave, he will walk up to me and say, “Grandma, I have to go home now.”

I always respond, “Oh, don’t go home. I love you and will miss you so much. I will be so sad.”

After a recent visit, in the muddle of goodbyes, I forgot to give my usual goodbye plea. But then, that small voice floated my way as Christopher was leaving: “Grandma, tell me don’t go!”

And, bingo, a new tradition had been hatched and I didn’t see it coming.

We are rapidly approaching that invisible curve in family life where autumn turns into Thanksgiving, followed closely by Advent, which unfolds into Christmas. It is a time where traditions delight us and remind us of times and family that live only in our minds.

Family life is never stagnant; it is always developing and always in a process of letting go. The Thanksgiving holiday and the holy day of Christmas give us pause as we come together at this time of reunion and renewal of our shared bonds of faith, heritage and tradition.

As hectic and intense as this time can sometimes be, the depth of the faith passed down through the generations and the treasure of family are encased in our heart-of-hearts. We hold tight to the faith that guides and sustains us, as it did for our ances-

tors. We hold tight to the traditions that have shared meaning for those gathered. We often hold on to traditions that we have inherited along with Grandma’s turkey pan.

Traditions create memories that are carved in the heart and mind. They last a lifetime.

We come from a tradition of the Holy Family and, as we embrace the call to be a holy family, we are guided by Christ’s teaching and formed by his word.

What tradition has been passed down from the generations before you? Why do you continue this tradition? What is your family’s most loved tradition? What tradition would you like to initiate and why? What tradition connects your family to Christ?

Jacki Corrigan is the archdiocesan consultant for the office of family life.

16 VATICAN LETTER

THE LEAVEN • november 6, 2009

Catholic blogosphere

Council looks at promoting charity, truth online

By Cindy Wooden

Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Communications technology keeps changing, but the need to deliver a message with truth and charity is never obsolete, said Italian Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli.

As president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Archbishop Celli presided over a four-day meeting of cardinals, bishops and Catholic media professionals to discuss — mainly in small groups — new pastoral guidelines for church communications.

A recurring theme during the meeting Oct. 26-29 was what constitutes Catholic communications and what, if anything, can be done about those who use the word Catholic to describe themselves while using all sorts of nasty adjectives to describe anyone who doesn’t agree with them.

Archbishop Celli said he didn’t think a Catholic bloggers’ “code of conduct” would accomplish much, especially when what is really needed is a reflection on what it means to communicate.

Upright, ethical communication is a natural result of a sincere desire to share the truth about God, about faith and about the dignity of the human person, he said.

The archbishop said that what Pope Benedict XVI has said about solidarity and development aid goes for communications as well: “Charity needs truth and truth needs charity.”

“Anyone speaking publicly as a Catholic has to have those ethical values that are part of a serious, honest form of communication,” Archbishop Celli said.

“In the past, the church’s educational efforts included helping people decide what they should or should not watch.

Now it must also help them decide what they should or should not produce” and put on the Internet, he said.

Carl A. Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus and a consultant to Archbishop Celli’s council, said, “If Catholics cannot deal with each other with civility, how can we expect others to?”

“We make certain claims about what kind of community we are; we have set

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CNS photo/Paul Haring

Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles makes a point about women during a plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications at the Vatican Oct. 29. Cardinal Mahony’s point was that more women should be members of the council. the standards high and we must try really, really hard to live up to that,” Anderson said.

He said Pope Benedict is an example of a good Catholic communicator: “He seeks clarity and definition while demonstrating charity and respect for others.”

Talking about the Catholic blogosphere, Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony said, “I have been appalled by some of the things I’ve seen; of course, I’ve been the object of some of them.”

Being Christian, he said, means treating others like Jesus treated people: reaching out to all and exercising extreme caution when making judgments.

“One of the side effects of the new technology that frightens me a bit is that people can hide behind a fake facade and then start shooting cannons at other people,” the cardinal said.

One of the pontifical council’s consultants, Basilian Father Thomas Rosica, the head of Canada’s Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation, said the Internet and blogs have brought about a “radicalization of rhetoric,” even among Catholics.

The Web site of Salt and Light Television, he said, sometimes receives hun-

dreds of comments on a story.

“Many we don’t publish because of the filth and some we’ve turned over to the police” because of the threats they contain, he said.

Asked to address the council about Catholic media in North America, Father Rosica said, “On the Internet there is no accountability, no code of ethics and no responsibility for one’s words and actions.”

So many Web sites and bloggers who call themselves Catholics focus so much on negative stories and messages that increasingly “Christians are known as the people who are against everything,” he said.

Cardinal Mahony said the sharp and often uncharitable divisions among Catholics seen on the Internet was particularly pronounced during the 2008 U.S. presidential election campaign.

And, he said, the campaign was not exactly a high point for unity among the U.S. bishops either.

During the campaign, Cardinal Mahony said, “I sensed a dangerous shift away from unity in faith and faith practice to differing opinions on this party or the other party, which I think is a very, very dangerous path to go down.”

Members of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications attend a plenary assembly at the Vatican Oct. 29. Pictured from left are: Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles; Cardinal Miloslav Vlk of Prague, Czech Republic; Archbishop Claudio Celli, president of the council; and Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte of Montreal. Lay experts from around the world also attended the meeting.

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